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 59 8752

Articles from The Impudent Observer - Global Liberal Issues

Hillary’s Future Road– Up Or Down? 2008-01-07 10:08:39 Tomorrow is an important date in the life of Senator Hillary Clinton. Just about every poll indicates she will lose to Barack Obama by about anywhere from 3% to 12% of the vote. Future political analysts will use the Hillary Clinton campaign as a case study in what not to do. She cast herself in the armor of “experience’ in a time when Americans were disgusted by their nation’s leadership. The last thing voters want is someone who has experience in failing. Hillary Clinton surrounded herself with “experts” ranging from her husband to those earning thousands of dollars advising her to play it safe and never reveal the person underneath the cold exterior of smugness. The experts sold a “package” rather than allowing a human to just be herself and show America that she not only had intelligence, but human compassion. The post New Hampshire campaign will be much more important to Hillary Clinton. Will she engage in shrill attacks on Barack Obama? W ...

Iraq Death Figures Contradict Bush Claims 2008-01-07 08:52:14 According to President Bush, his “surge” has produced dramatic reductions in the level of violence in Iraq and the number of dead people. However, recent figures released from the Iraq Body Count(IBC) which has extensive experience working in that country, concludes that violence outside of Baghdad actually rose until September. its figures recognize a significant drop in violence within the Baghdad area due to the presence of more American soldiers in the city. IBC states that between 22,586 and 24,159 civilians died in 2007, the majority being from the period of January through August. The number of civilian deaths involving US forces rose from between 544-623 in 2006 to between 868 to 1,326 in 2007. Most of these were linked to air strikes which led to the deaths of 88 children. There is little question placing thousands of additional American soldiers within the Baghdad area has led to a reduction in violence. Of course, what no one knows is will violence zoom again ...

Thai Muslim Insurgents Infiltrate Armed Forces 2008-01-07 08:33:40 Thailand is essentially a Buddhist nation, but their southern region is extensively composed of Muslims. During the past few years, the Muslim south has been witnessed the emergence of separatist forces who seek to break away and create a separate Muslim nation. Thai authorities were shocked to learn that three soldiers and seven policemen were supplying intelligence to insurgents in the deep south. This is the first time so many members of the security forces have ben directly linked to what has become an increasingly ugly and violent conflict. Many Muslims are c aught between fear of the militants and demands for loyalty on the part of the Thai government. The current situation began in January, 2004, when insurgents raided an army arms depot and seized over 400 weapons. It is estimated over 2000 people have died in the ensuing violence. About 80% of the two million people living in Thailand’s three southern provinces are Muslim. These people claim lack of government assistanc ...

China Becoming Healthier and Wealthier 2008-01-07 08:04:04 China is slowly but surely moving forward in creating a society in which the old traditional ways of poverty are disappearing from the scene. This is also occurring with the development of health care which reaches out to more and more people. There is no question health facilities are more available to those in urban than inhabitants of rural areas. The latest figures reveal life expectancy has grown from 71.4 years in 2003 to 73 last year. Infant mortality during the same time period has dropped from 2.55% to 1.53% while the number of women during pregnancy or child birth who died dipped from 51.3% per 100,000 to 36.6% per 100,000. There is a steady increase in the number of doctors and nurses and latest data indicates the presence of 1.56 doctors per 1000 people which is higher than previous figures of 1.48. The data reveals healthcare is improving. Of course, the differences between rural and urban healthcare are rather significant. China’s average income has now hit about $3 ...

Changing Stories Of Bhutto Death 2008-01-07 01:18:37 Pakistan security officials investigating the death of Benazir Bhutto have concluded she was killed by a single assassin who had a gun and a bomb. They believe he fired three shots and then blew himself up in order to kill the PPP leader. Plastic surgeon have reconstructed the face of the bomber and it is being circulated throughout the nation. A police officer has now stated he saw the man raise his arm, but got there to late to prevent the explosion. President Musharraf has now admitted his agreement with the new interpretation of the death. The United States still insists that Musharraf must be supported and the best way to achieve that purpose is by encouraging an alliance between the Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party and Musharraf. However, all indications are that PPP leaders are leaning toward an alliance with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. IN the topsy turvy world of Pakistan politics there is little hope America’s coalition will emerge. We are left with a Mush ...

Pro Cologne == Anti Muslims! 2008-01-07 01:11:36 As one walks the streets of Cologne, Germany these days, it is easy to encounter young men passing out leaflets about an organization that is “Pro Cologne. They are securing support in the liberal minded city of Cologne to oppose construction of a large mosque, and they already have secured over 30,000 signatures for their efforts. Out of the Pro-Cologne protests has emerged a new political party, “Pro NRW”(Pro North-Rhine Westphalia) whose leaders for see becoming a force to halt the expansion of Muslims in Germany. Officials of the office for the Protection of the Constitution believe their leaders, Markus Beischt and Manfred Rouhs are attempting to supplant existing Neo-Nazi groups by transforming the fight against Muslims as a political weapon that leads toward political power. A major concern being exploited is over the size of the mosque minarets. It is fascinating that Christian churches can grow to any size, but a large mosque is somehow the concern of many pe ...

British Bishop Defames Muslims 2008-01-07 01:06:56 A senior Church of England bishop emphasized that many parts of England have become “no-go” areas for non-Muslims. the Bishoip of Rochester, Rt. Rev. Michael Nazir-Ali, argued in the Daily Telegraph that non-Muslims faced a hostile reception if they entered areas in which most people were of the Muslim faith. He criticized the government’s integration ideas as lacking a “moral and spiritual vision” because it failed to give priority to the established church which has resulted in an incoherent approach to multiculturalism. Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, argued there was no evidence to support the contention that non-Mulims fear entering areas which have large Muslim populations. “There is a legitimate debate to be had about the meaning of multiculturalism,” but to argue there is fear of entering non-Christian areas, “seems to me to be a gross caricature of reality.” The bishop’s comments most probably reflect confusion ...

Israel Extrmists Oppose Halting Wst Bank Building 2008-01-07 01:05:03 Israeli MK Arye Eldad of the National Union-National Religious Party blasted Prime Minister Olmert’s order to halt further housing construction on the West Bank. He told West Bank residents who wanted to continue building new housing “to violate the law and build.” Eldad, who plans on organizing a new right wing secular party, termed Olmert’s action an “immoral and anti-Zionist order” that must be opposed. He blamed the housing restrictions on American influence and claimed that President Bush “is leading us to catastrophe.” He did praise the president for opposing terrorism, but felt his statements reflected that he was “disconnected from reality.” Halting housing construction on the West Bank is a vital piece in any peace plan. The West Bank was never part of the original Israeli nation created by the United Nations and it was always intended to become an area in which Arabs lived. It is somewhat ironic that President Bush ...

A Biting Iraq War Story! 2008-01-06 09:17:43 It was just an ordinary holiday party at Christmas time when some friends got together in a Wisconsin town, but things got hot and biting when two men began discussing the war in Iraq. Ramon Aleaga, who had been fighting in Iraq, was sharing some gruesome tales of killing people during his tour of duty when he aroused the ire of Brian Johnson. He shouted: “Shut up. My dad was in Vietnam and those guys don’t tell stories like that.” Within moments the two men were rolling on the floor and hitting one another. During the minor Wisconsin war, the main casualty occurred when Aleaga inadvertently bit off the ear of his opponent. Johnson was taken to the hospital which informed him that his missing ear piece could not be reattached. Mr. Aleaga will now stand trial on a mayhem charge. In a sense, the story is silly and unimportant, in another sense, it is a tragic reminder that Vietnam war veterans were unable to articulate and come to grips with the horrors they endured i ...

Kenya Seeking Peaceful Way To Resolve Election Dispute 2008-01-06 09:04:14 There is a lull in the violence which has wracked Kenya since President Kibaki claimed victory in the recent race for the presidency. Members of the Kenya Electoral Commission are considering asking the courts to organize an independent audit of election tallies in order to ascertain if Kibaki was actually the winner. At least two members of the commission already have had their homes burned to the ground in rural areas of the country where violence still has not completely abated. The Kenya constitution allows any citizen to seek judicial review of an issue, but some experts claim it may not be feasible for the Electoral Commission to be the agent seeking a recount. Raila Odinga of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement fears it may be too late to undertake an audit since key documents may have been “doctored.” The international community is upset and concerned at events that occurred in Kenya. There is little doubt the final tally for the presidential race is not acc ...

Kurdish Rebels Switch From Mountains To Cities 2008-01-06 08:47:44 The Kurdistan Workers Party rebellion against Turkey is witnessing a switch in tactics from fighting in the mountains of Iraq to instigating terrorist attacks in Turkish cities. The Kurdish rebels apparently are reeling from massive military attacks on their positions and reconstituting the nature of their rebellion by seeking more favorable targets in urban areas. Last week’s bombing in the province of Diyarbakir and to torching of cars in several cities including Ankara is an indication that their rebellion is assuming a new approach. According to retired General Rulogu, the Kurds have decided it is too dangerous continuing fighting in the mountains and have decided to launch “attacks in big cities in order to prove that it still has the capacity and power to challenge Turkey…They want to create panic” in the cities of Turkey. There have been numerous reports that Kurdish rebels want an unconditional pardon for past actions from Turkey, but the government, a ...

Is It Baggage Or Brilliance That Counts? 2008-01-06 08:28:09 David Olive, writing in the Toronto Star, asks the question as to whether or not Hillary Clinton simply has too much baggage to ever secure the nomination or win the election for president. Two months ago in Paris, he spoke with a group of American tourists, including a few women who wanted a female president, but when Hillary’s name came up, they all rejected her as a choice. Ironically, notes Olive, despite having a more liberal voting record than Clinton, it is Obama who is viewed as the centrist candidate. “But, the same baggage that afflicted Al Gore in 2000 has sapped Clinton’s candidacy of excitement and momentum.” Olive raises the point that despite being a woman, despite being very intelligent and well informed, Hillary Clinton blends into the background of the other white male experienced men running for either the Democratic or Republican nomination. On the other hand, despite Obama’s youth and relative lack of experience, he comes across as a ...

US And Japan Clash Over Marine Bases 2008-01-05 11:39:41 Defense Secretary Robert Gates made known his opposition to changes in the location of Marine Corps bases in Japan. The people of Okinawa want current plans on the coast of Nago to be halted and Marines be sent somewhere outside of the island. Gates apparently fears such action might be the prelude to a complete overhaul of America’s bilateral agreements with Japan. It appears the Japanese government is sympathetic to the desires of Okinawans for American troops to leave their island. It is now the yea 2008. Why are there American troops stationed in Japan? Initially, they were occupation troops, and when the Korean War occurred, they were assumed to offer protection against possible Chinese military actions. That era died a few decades ago. There is no longer any threat from either China nor Russia. The North Koreans apparently are on the road to resolving most of their issues with the West. Why are American troops in Japan when real issues of security are happening in other par ...

China Censors Vulgarity 2008-01-05 11:26:15 China’s Press and Publication administration gave the Chinese people a Christmas present on December 25 by announcing a new crackdown on “vulgar” video and audio products. According to the government agency, some of the video and audio productions are coarsely made, contain materials that are in bad taste and replete with sexually suggestive language and are “absolutely erotic.” They even have pictures of half-nude women. All such productions will now be subject to review by the government. One can only assume the people in charge of ensuring there are no “erotic videos” have agreed upon a definition as to what constitutes “erotic.” Of course, one can only wonder why the Chinese government is upset over “half-nude” images since in American that would be considered a lot better than the visual presentation of completely nude women– and men. I assume the video police will have an interesting time viewing the material ...

Hamas Expresses Defiance To World 2008-01-05 09:05:27 Hamas leader, Khaled Mashaal, defiantly told the world the only road open to the people of Palestine was “resistance.” He claimed some Europeans offered to facilitate unofficial meetings with Israel and he responded with “one thousand nos.” On the other hand, he did speak in a conciliatory way toward rival Fatah led by President Abbas and offered to hold unconditional discussions with the Palestinian Authority. “We are ready for a dialogue without conditions. Our hands are extended and all matters should be put on the table including elections.” He also insisted no Israel soldier in their hands would be returned without receiving in return the release of several key Palestinian leaders. Perhaps Mahsaal doesn’t grasp the contradiction inherent in his remarks. On one hand, he rejects discussions with Israel and a cease fire, but on the other hand, he is willing to negotiate with Abbas who wants peace with Israel and a cease fire. Both goals are i ...