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 0 10034

Articles from The Impudent Observer - Global Liberal Issues

Czech Republic Youth Display Racist Attitudes 2007-12-23 11:54:26 A poll conducted by the People in Need Foundation revealed deep seated racist attitudes among adolescent Czech Republic youth. Almost 80% of them do not like Romany people whom they blame for an “inability to adjust.” They prefer having the government place Romany children in separate schools in order to remove them from daily contact with typical students. Most of the students also revealed they do not like prostitutes, drug addicts and the homeless although they appear more sympathetic towards senior citizens and the disabled. Critics argued the poll did not include schools which have instituted multicultural education programs. This poll should make those who oppose multicultural education in America pause and reflect on the benefits of having young people learn about other cultures and values. it is all well and good to decry “political correctness,” but there is something “correct” about recognizing the dignity and humanity of those for whom ar ...

The Housing Expansion Will Continue, Says Israel 2007-12-23 09:07:18 As the world seeks a new beginning in resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, leaders of the Israel government are determined to proceed with policies as is and refuse to make any alternations in altering the status quo. Rafi Eltan, Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, claims, “no promise was ever given to anyone that we wouldn’t continue to build in Har Homa because it is within the municipal borders of Jerusalem.” Housing plans call for construction of 100 apartments in east Jerusalem and the West Bank. US Secretary of State Condi Rice has termed building in Har Homa an “unhelpful” action. Peace Now Director-General Yariv Oppenhemier termed the decision a hindrance to diplomatic negotiation “before they’ve begun. Despite the government’s declarations that it would freeze construction, the 2008 budget proves that things will look differently on the ground.” There comes a point in any conflict in which each side has to hold back f ...

Was Donor’s Conference An Exercise In Wishful Thinking? 2007-12-23 08:46:31 The Palestinian Authority is euphoric about having more then $7 billion pledged at the Paris Donor Conference that would be used to rebuild the ravaged economy of the nation. However, there continues to be considerable skepticism as to whether this money alone is sufficient to get the Palestinian economy functioning or to ensure widespread public support for the leadership of President Abbas and Fatah. Economist Adel Samara dismisses hopes for genuine economic recovery while Palestinians live under Israel occupation. “It is akin to trying to breed fish in toxic water,” he noted alluding to restrictions by the Israeli army on free movement of individuals, goods and services within the West Bank and in Gaza. He charges Israel will only allow economic success if the Palestinian Authority agreed to give in on political considerations. Prime Minister Salam Fayyad underscored the grip Israel exerts on Palestinians when he noted; “The Palestinian economy is fully under the ...

Iraq War Damages British Military In Nation’s Eyes 2007-12-23 08:25:02 As the people of Great Britain prepare for their fifth Christmas with members of their armed forces fighting in Iraq, there is growing lack of confidence not merely with the war itself, but with the attitude of British army leaders to their own soldiers. Only 33% of people surveyed say, “British soldiers are fittingly housed at home, abroad and on operations.” At least one in four blame the Iraq war for loss of confidence among the population for their own military leadership. The past few years have witnessed a gradual decline in those believing the army values its soldiers and now only about 58% have such an attitude. There apparently is a gap between support for British soldiers and the manner in which they have been treated by leadership of the armed forces. As in any war that goes on for years, the population grows weary of promises that fighting will soon cease. There has been too much rhetoric about victory and too little honesty concerning problems in gaining victor ...

Thai Military Rejected In Voting 2007-12-23 08:08:36 Two years ago, the military of Thailand overthrew the government of Prime Minister Thaskin Shinawatra on charges his rule threatened the success of democracy in their land. This weekend, voters made Thaskin’s People Power Party the most dominant in the incoming Thai legislature. Thaskin did extremely well in southern regions of the nation which contain a large Muslim population. It appears the minority Muslims reject military actions in the south and expect that Thaskin would address their needs. However, it is doubtful if military leaders will allow Thaskin to return to the nation. Thaskin was a prominent businessman who promised to use his expertise in order to revitalize the Thai economy. There is little hope, at this point, of allowing Thaskin to return to power. Military leaders doubt his democratic beliefs and fear he would draw upon his fortune in order to establish himself as a power within the country. Perhaps, the only hope is for some other leaders in the PPP to assum ...

Home For An Australian Christmas 2007-12-22 13:36:50 Newly elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on a surprise visit to Australian soldiers in Iraq promised the men he would have them home by June. “I visited the Australian battle group in Talil and spoke directly to what is a fine body of men and women. That battle group will come to a conclusion as of June next year and will be the last battle group we deploy.” he promised General Petraeus that Australia would do its best to assist in patrolling in the gulf and will do whatever it can to help Iraq have a competent government, but, his nation’s troops are coming home. Rudd previously stated that the 500 Australian troops in Afghanistan would remain there for the forseeable future. Rudd made promises and has kept them about withdrawing troops from Iraq. At some point, the Iraq government must come to the realization that cooperation between all religious factions is a must if the nation is to remain viable. The question for America is whether or not withdrawing troops would ...

Life In Putin Russia, Courts Decide Who Represents Whom? 2007-12-22 13:15:28 In 2004, during a terrorist attack in Belsan, Russian authorities completely fouled up operations which resulted in the death of over 300 people, including 150 children. Family and friends have been attempting for years to get some accurate answers to the disorganization and incompetence of police and military units whose inept performance led to tragic deaths. The Voice of Belsan was formed and it has been critical of the Putin government’s performance. But, this is Putin, Russia. A court ordered the group to be disbanded because a former members, Marina Meilnikova, claimed to be its leader, not Ella Kerayeva. Courts certainly have a place in assisting organizations to identify leadership, but this writer is confused. If the issue is leadership of the Voice of Belsan, why not simply insist on a new election and allow its members to clarify leadership? Perhaps, the issue has never been who is the leader, but, rather, how to stifle any organization which dares attack the purity a ...

Hamas May Offer Unconditional “Hudna” 2007-12-22 09:13:36 There are reports that Hamas leaders are discussing the possibility of offering Israel an unconditional “hudna”– cease fire. An anonymous Hamas official claims “discussions over the ‘hudna’ have resurfaced in a serious manner, both within Hamas and between Hamas and other Palestinian factions. We hope the discussions will prove successful.” Talks revolve around offering a no conditional cease fire which would be respected by both sides. However, in an interview with the Kuswait newspaper, A-RRai, Hamas representative in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan, insisted Hamas was still opposed to any peace agreement with Israel. Israel government officials still maintain its nation will not halt military action against Hamas until all rocket attacks cease and warn against being tricked by Hamas in order for its forces to replenish weapons during a cease fire. The mistrust between Hamas and Israel makes difficult any opportunity to engage in serious discussions. A ...

Religious Intolerance In Indonesia 2007-12-22 08:58:51 Human Rights activists blamed the Indonesian government for failing to halt attacks against followers of the Ahmadiyah sect in west Java. Chairman Hendardi of the Setara Institute said the government was not adhering to provisions of the Indonesian constitution which protects freedom of religion. On Tuesday, the Ahmadiyah worship complex in Kuningan was attacked by Muslims who want the entire religious center closed down because of their belief it fosters incorrect attitudes toward the Muslim religion. In Kuningan, local officials are ignoring insistence from the Vice President of Indonesia to reopen the religious complex. The head of the Kuningan local authority claims he has yet to receive a firm order from the government to end the closure of the center. As of this point, no one who used violence against members of the Ahmadiyah sect have been charged with any crime. The nation of Indonesia allows free worship for members of many faiths, but it sometimes becomes derelict in protecti ...

Santa Claus Flying In From Nebraska! 2007-12-22 08:46:07 US military personnel who had leave time were planning to pay their way back home to Nebraska before concerned people in their native state decided to play Santa Claus. Spc. Heather Davey had put $587 on her credit card to get back home before learning she had a free ride due to the generosity of her fellow Nebraskans. She and 40 other members of the 110 Medical Battalion training in the state of Washington were the recipients of money raised within 24 hours by the Nebraska business community. Democrat senator Ben Nelson heard about the plight of his constituents and immediately contacted nebraska business leaders to take on the task of getting the military personnel back home. Every once and a while, this writer wonders about the attitude of American leaders toward issues faced by those called to serve the nation. President Bush is always ready to condemn and deride opponents for ignoring the needs of the military, but he rarely does anything than speak and speak about his own patri ...

Homeless Freeze, Wealthy Sleep Comfortably 2007-12-22 08:32:05 The deaths of two homeless men in the Paris area have ignited controversy over the number of people sleeping on the streets of Paris. Temperatures hit below zero most days of this week which undoubtedly was a factor in the impact upon the allegedly 200,000 homeless people in France. The pressure group, Les Morts de la Rue, claim at least 200 people between 18-80 had died prematurely while sleeping rough in France in France this year. The group organized a tent city demonstration earlier in the week that was broken up by French police while the government claimed no homeless lives were facing threat of death. The French government’s embarrassment was accentuated when it was discovered that one of the most senior officials responsible for dealing with the homeless, Jean-Paul Bolufer, lived in a government subsidized apartment and paid only one-fourth the normal rent for such a living accommodation. He claimed to be the object of a “witch hunt” when Le Canard Enchaine r ...

Japan Waits On Whaling Plans 2007-12-22 08:17:03 The Japanese government has decided to hold off on further plans to pursue humpback whales in face of enormous pressure from nations throughout the world. Cabinet Minister Nobutaku Muchimu commented: “We will not change our plan to conduct whaling for scientific purposes but the government has decided to postpone humpback whaling..” He said Japan was not worried about Australia’s threats to send ships and planes to monitor Japan’s whaling expedition and blasted the International Whaling Conference for its “antagonistic ideology” in preventing Japanese scientists from conducting their investigations. Mr. Muchimu appears not to grasp the point of world indifference to Japan’s science efforts, it is the eating efforts that bother people. He is absolutely correct in stating the IWC has an “antagonistic ideology” because of opposition to killing and eating humpback whales. No one can really figure out why a “scientific” exped ...

American Muslims Offer Different View Of Iran 2007-12-21 17:12:05 The government of Iran as exemplified by President Ahmadinejad has gained a reputation for being aggressive, supporting terrorism and denying its people basic human rights. Two months ago, a delegation of Muslim Americans who foster peace and conflict resolution, visited Iran. They met with peace-practitioners, lawyers, human right experts, scholars, religious leaders and students. In Qom, they m et with three Grand Ayatollahs who served on the Council of the Judiciary. These men expressed a commitment to peace, improved relations with all nations and dialogue with Americans about current issues of dispute. the three Ayatollahs specifically wanted it known they opposed religious violence and terrorism which they regarded as antithetical to Islamic values. Qamar-Ul Huda, Mohammed Abu-Nime, and Ayse Kadayifci, who authored this report, met with human rights representatives who were frank about difficulties they experience fostering such values in the current Iranian society. The Islamic ...

It’s Not Us-It’s Them, Say Ethiopians 2007-12-21 16:02:52 Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia accused United Natins forces of exaggerating the humanitarian and security issues in Somalia to make it appear as though Ethiopians were the responsible party for problems in that nation. At the beginning of the year, Ethiopia, in conjunction with some American forces, invaded Somalia which was a center of fundamentalist Muslims who ruled the nation on the basis of Sharia law. the Ethiopian army readily defeated the Somalians with great loss of life on the part of Muslim soldiers. Ethiopian soldiers then occupied areas of Somalia which eventually led to attacks by Somalian Islamic rebels. The African Union has only deployed 1,600 of the promised 8,000 who were to help ensure security in Mogadishu and the surrounding areas. The Ethiopian president denied his troops fired on civilians or committed any atrocities as charged by certain members of the western media. There is considerable evidence Ethiopian forces denied access to humanitarian aid in p ...

Iran- Any Time, Any Where, We’ll Meet, Says Rice 2007-12-21 13:56:54 Secretary of State Condi Rice offered to meet Iranian diplomats in order to resolve issues of its nuclear enrichment programs. “I continue to say that, if Iran, will just do one thing that is required of it by the Security Council resolutions that have been passed, — and that if it suspends its enrichment and reprocessing activities– then I am prepared to meet my counterpart any place any time and anywhere and we can talk about anything.” She noted her willingness to meet with Libya’s foreign minister next month as an indication of the desire to discuss issues with nations that have poor relations with the United States. Secretary of State Rice’s comments mark a change in attitude upon the part of the Bush administration in its dealings with Iran. However, in negotiation, one party can not tell the other party that no meeting will occur unless it agrees to certain preconditions. The suspension issue is the focus of discussions and hopefully, talks be ...