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 0 110 8518

Articles from The Impudent Observer - Global Liberal Issues

Germany Struggles With Issues Of Integration 2008-01-11 01:04:06 Germany’s history in the 20th century was impacted by the presence of racial thinking that eventually led to its defeat in WWII as well as the murder of millions of innocent people. Since the conclusion of the war, Germany experienced an economic boom that increasingly used the talents of immigrants. It is not surprising some German politicians still play the race card in campaigning in order to draw upon latent hatred towards the foreigner. Roland Koch, the conservative Cristian Democrat governor off Hesse, told a newpaper reporter this week, “I am very much a supporter of integration.” However, during the past two weeks he has been telling audiences, that Germany has “too many criminal young foreigners” and it is “not a couontry of immigration.” Prior to WWII, German had never experienced the immigration patterns so common in America. Today, its immigrant population is fast approaching 20% of the population and due to higher birth rates amo ...

Kenya’s Cup Of Bitter Tea As Mediation Collapses 2008-01-10 16:33:41 International mediation efforts to resolve the electoral fiasco in Kenya that was caused when President Kibaki blatantly stole the election have collapsed. Ghana’s Presdidnet John Kuffour left the nation after being unable to secure cooperation from Kibaki to end the impasse and work toward peace. A government spokesperson for Kibaki said President Kuffour had merely come in order to have a cup of tea with their leader. The opposition Orange Democratic Movement had offered several compromises but all were declined by Kibaki. Despite international suggestions he invite members of ODM to serve in an interim cabinet, the head of Kenya insisted only his loyal supporters would be given places in the cabinet. Samuel Kiviuti, head of the Electoral Commission admited there was evidence of fraud. In one example, h original vote from the Juja area indicated a vote tally of 48,293 for Kibaki and that was the figure ready to be sent in, but somehow the figure was altered to indicate a vote ...

Anti-Bush Tells Turkey What To Do About Terrorism 2008-01-10 11:30:25 An apparent double for the real George Bush spoke with President Gul of Turkey and offered some sound advice on dealing with Kurdish terrorism that was the exact opposite of what the real George Bush has done in Iraq and the Middle East. This anti-Bush spoke through an aide who conveyed the thoughts of the other Bush that military action alone can not halt terrorism. “As we deal with terrorists, I think that everybody recognizerd there is not just a military solution to the terrorist issue. You have to provide an altenative so that the terrorists are not as attractive to local populations.” The anti-Bush approach entails political action, social and economic development and working togain the confidence of Kurds living within Turkey. Unfortunately, President Gul of Turkey was more tuned in to the ideas of the real George Bush who prefers using military weapons than economic, political or social. Gul told reporters., “So how could one speak of a political solution wh ...

Musharraf Beefs Up His US Image 2008-01-10 11:09:50 Pakistan’s President Musharraf has decided since overhauling the corrupt aspects of his government are simply too difficult to handle, that it might be preferable attempting an end run around the situation by focusing on image building. He apparently has concluded his image in America is a more vital component of success than actually confronting issues dealing with reform of education or the insurgent northwest region. Musharraf already has a $55,000 a month contract with Van Scoyon Associates that is designed to improve his American image. He just added Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide at $45,000 a month to ensure the American government and public know about his gallant fight to eliminate terrorism and extend democracy to his nation. In the real world of politics, it isn’t what you do that counts, it is what people believe you did that is important. President Musharraf has certainly learned what to do in America to ensure the success he boasts about at least is repor ...

Ten Minutes In Iraq-40,000 Pounds Of Bombs 2008-01-10 08:51:02 American bombers and fighter planes unleashed a crescendo of 40,000 pounds of explosives during a ten-minute airstrike that flattened what the military terms safe havens for al-Qaeda on the northern outskirts of Baghdad. Operation Phantom Phoenix included columns of US troops entering the area that had been bombed in order to confront al-Qaeda elements. The bombing took place the day after nine US soldiers died in that area as a result of explosives in a house and due to enemy action. American forces in Iraq are confronting enemies who will not remain fixed in a single location awaiting the arrival of their enemies. They are flexible, shift operations at will, and have infiltrated Iraqi security so they often know what is going to happen. Insurgents have been pushed out of Baghdad and now have relocated to other areas which may be more difficult to confront. An urban campaign occurs within a fixed geographical environment, but now that miltants ar in open space the problems of handlin ...

Russia– An Imitation Democracy? 2008-01-10 08:31:29 Robert Coalson, writing in the Moscow Times, raises the question as to whether or not Russia is an imitation democracy which has the trappings but not the essdence of a true democratic society. December’s campaign for elections to State Dumas was carefully orchestrated to emphasize the importance of “continuity” in Russian politics and de-emphasize the possibility of the disturbing qualities of fostering divergent political philosophies and ideas. President Putin has now annointed his successor, Dimitry Medvedev as literally his “little brother” and reports indicate Putin’s advisors are even teaching Medvedev how to speak, walk, and behave like his older brother. Coalson wonders if the idea of “change” will occur during 2008 in Russian politics. The election for a new president will center around the importance of “continuity” and finding a new Putin who will maintain the status quo. It will be a refeerendum on Putin and any s ...

Blood Blunder Endangers British Soldiers 2008-01-10 08:13:13 It is estimated about 18 British soldiers are anxiously a waiting reports as to whether or not they were infeced with a deadly disease. The men were wounded while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and received blood from US military sources. The American medical staff apparently did not follopw their own procedures to test donors prior to taking blood. British officials are furious and term this blunder “outrageous” and an “absolute disgrace” that men and women who riskedc their lives should have their own placed at risk due to bureaucratic blunders. Each day and month the consequences of the invasion of Iraq raise new questions concerning preparation and organization. The World Health Organization recently noted that over 150,000 Iraqi civilians died due to the invasion. The count goes on. ...

Slovenia Wants Serbia In European Union 2008-01-10 01:08:02 After only two weeks at the helm of the rotating EU presidency, Slovenia is attempting to cut a deal which would allow Serbia to gain EU membership. Most European Union leaders are hesitant to move on Serbia’s request until its government moves moe forcefully in expediting wanted war ciminals. Slovenia is attempting to utilize the Stabilization and Associatiion Agreement which allows a nation to take the first step in the process of joining the EU. However, there is strong opposition to a Serbian government which condoned brutality and acts of genocide from entering the U. Last month EU leaders discussed the possible entry of Serbia but delayed making any final decisiions. They will be watching what happens after Kosovo(a Muslim area) declares its independence from Serbia. Will the people of Serbia elect nationalist groups which seek to prevent Kosovo independence? If so, Serbia’s application is doomed. ...

G.I. Admits To Random Shooting Of Iraqis 2008-01-10 01:03:00 The Army is investigating a possible war crime arising from a soldier’s confession that he randomly fired at Iraqi civilians. Pfc. Bruce Bastien already faces charges of killing a fellow soldier. Bastien said he and another soldier used stolen AK47 military rifles to shoot at civilians while their unit was patrolling in Baghdad. He told investigators the sound of an AK47 is very distinctive so if they fired them other soldiers would assume it was coming from insurgent sources. In coourt documents, Bastien says he drove while a fellow soldier would shoot at Iraqi civilians who happened to be in the streets. There is no question war leads some men to do things they ordinarily would regard as abhorent. The actions of these soldiers violates everything they were taught as soldiers and everty moral value they learned in their youth. There simply is no excuse for this type of random murders on the streets of Baghdad. ...

Hormuz Incident–A Mistake Or A Provocation? 2008-01-09 15:54:35 Reports of Iranian speed boats darting around US vessels, of Americans ready to blast them out of the water, and President Bush taking his normal high road of rhetoric created a moment of anxiety in an area overwhelmed by anxiety. Secretary of State Condi Rice said the incident “was provocative, and that kind of provocation is danerous.” In Iran, Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, speaker of the pariament responded to the incident by claiming “its psychological and(a) propaganda campaign wich is continuously” conducted against Iran. However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement to downplay the entire episode. Mohammad -Ali-Hosseini said: “This happens between two sides every once and a while, and after the two sides identify each other, the issue is resolved.” There is obvious tension between Iran and the Bush administration. Perhaps, it might be logical to have quiet discussions in private between the two nations in which some ground rules are est ...

Immigration Issue A Problem-In Malaysia,That Is! 2008-01-09 13:24:40 There are an estimated 200 million people in the world today who fit the definition of being an “immigrant.” President Susilo Barnbang Yudhoyono of Indonesia and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badwai of Malaysis are trying to resolve problems arising from the influx into Malaysia of large numbers of Indonesian migrant workers. They are drawn by the attraction of better paying jobs than what they can find in their own country. A major issue is the lack of protection afforded Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia. Indonesia’s foreign minister urged the Malaysian government to “speed up the process oto grant migrant wrkers identification cards” that could serve as a substitute for passports. Indonesian officials are upset that in many cases employers seize passports which allows them to maintain strict control of the migrant workers. It is estimated last year about 48 Indonesian migrant workers died under mysterious circumstances. It is also believed about ...

Arab World Concerned About Iran’s Influence 2008-01-09 13:04:40 Salah Nasrawi, writing in the Turkish Daily News, emphasized the growing concern among Arab nations regarding the increased power of Iran in the Middle East. many share America’s anxieties, but regard a military option an an invitaton to disaster. Among there greatest fears is an American-Iran military confrontation could set the Middle East ablaze and give rise to violence and insurgency. Iraq and Lebanon are major concerns among Arab leaders since both nations are suseptible to Iranian influence, particularly, since Iran is funding insurgent groups. Even befoe America got into the picture, Arab leaders have been attempting to curtail Iran’s influence over what happens in Lebanon and trying to hedge in Hizbullah which is closely linked to Iran. Many Middle East experts like Steven Cook at the Council on Foreign Relations, are warning that Arab leaders are probably hedging their bets rather than lining up behind the United States. Bush has confused most Middle Eastern na ...

Bush Arrives In Israel To Hot And Cold Welcomes 2008-01-09 08:42:05 President Bush arrived in Israel where he was warmly greeted by President Peres and welcomed by President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. The American president once again referred to his desire to “guarantee Israel’s security as a Jewish state” despite the fact at least ten percent of its population is not Jewish, but Muslim. In Gaza, militants marched denouncing talks between Israel and Palestine and there apparently were al-Qaeda elements among those waving weapons. Even a Fatah leader in Gaza, Zakariya al-Agha, contradicted Abbas the head of Fatah, by denouncing Bush for supporting Israel. On the other side of the ledger, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, spiritual leader of Shas, urged his followers not to support peace talks until the Palestinians cease firing rockets onto Israel territory. The object of having peace talks is to prevent rockets from firing since despite years of military efforts to wipe out rocket launching sites, they continue coming into Israel. It is a ...

The Soft Indian Power of Bollywood 2008-01-09 08:25:11 The world has heard much about India’s rise to economic power and its development of nuclear energy, but do these things alone make a nation a world power? India is headed to become the world’s most populous nation, it has the world’s fourth largest armed forces and it already has the world’s fifth largest economy. But, something else is also surging India into the ranks of those nations which can influence the world’s population. Once there was only Hollywood, today, Bollywood shares power in shaping the way people behave, think or dress. In Afghanistan these days, the evening hour is spent watching India’s soap opera, “Kyunki Sass Bhi Kabhi Bahu” which apparently has even impacted attendance at religious activities. It has impacted a conservative Muslim nation in which family problems are hidden from view, but, now due to the power of TV people are discussing family issues and values. India is fast becoming a cultural influence even i ... Bollywood

Kenyan Slum TV Presents The Underworld Of Violence 2008-01-09 08:00:43 Pictures of people hacked to death, churches burnt to the ground are shown on TV stations throughout the world, but a group of young men living in the slums of Mathhare are depicting another view of what happened during the violence which swept through Kenya in the aftermath of President Kibaki’s manipulation of the votes. Their slum TV shows women of the Luo tribe hosting rival Kikuyu families, of feeding centers established to help those who have been left with nothing or a man from one tribe coming to the rescue of a man from another tribe. The men in charge of slum TV lack cameras or even access to electricity, they work at odd jobs to provide money for basic expenses, but they are determined to show the world what the poor people of Kenya are doing to create a democratic society. Slum TV gets to the underworld of how poor people live. They even have comedy shows, one dealt with a preacher who steals from his parishioners or just simple stories like the doughnut man. The re ...