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

Putin Names Medvedev Next President Of Russia 2007-12-10 08:41:31 In a surprising move, President Vladmir Putin publicly announced his choice of First Deputy Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev as the next president of Russia. Due to Putin’s overwhelming popularity there is little doubt his choice will be elected in elections to be held in a few months. Medvedev was announced as the choice of United Russia, and Putin added, “I completely and fully support this proposal.” According to Lila Shevtsova of the Carnegie Moscow Center, “Medvedev is not an extremist. He is not known for any kind of harsh views on politics, and apparently Medvedev better suits Putin’s view of how to achieve continuity.” The real issue is what will Putin do now that he has essentially selected the next president of Russia. Will Putin try to become prime minister and use that position to maintain his power? Will he gracefully step off the stage of power and allow a new person to assume that position? The selection of Medvedev marks the end of an ... President

Iranian Students Blast President Ahmadinejad! 2007-12-10 01:15:09 Iranian students staged a demonstration at Tehran University on Sunday in which they denounced President Ahmadinejad. Demonstrators chanted slogan against the president and carried banners calling for the release of three students who have been held inside May in a high profile case. In October, they were sentenced to three years in jail, a sentence that was denounced by the reform leader, Mohammad Khatami. The demonstration supposedly was led by the Office To Foster Unity, a student reform organization. This was one of several protests students have launched over the past few months in order to express their indignation at the firing of liberal professors and the pressure being exerted on student leaders for reform.Mehdi Arabshahi, a member of the office to Foster Unity, said police had locked the main gate in order to prevent other students from entering to support their demonstration and that’s why the gate was seriously damaged by his group. Another unnamed student told repor ... President

US Second Worst In Carbon Dioxide Emissions 2007-12-10 01:14:49 The annual Climate Change Performance Index that was recently released showed Sweden as doing the most outstanding job while the United States was deemed to be second from last among nations of the world in confronting this serious global issue. The index compiled by Germanwatch, a nonprofit climate research institute based in Berlin and Bonn, evaluates and ranks the climate protection performance of 56 industrialized nations that account for 90% of global carbon emissions. On this year’s list, Sweden retained its top spot while Saudi Arabia was deemed the most irresponsible emitter among the world’s major economies. Of course, the United States followed closely behind its ally. The scale weighs three factors, emissions(50% of a nation’s score, upward or downward trend of total emissions(30%), and the strength of a government’s climate policies(20%). The index rank is from one(very good) to five(very poor). The average of the 56 nations is 3.9. Compared to last ...

Mugabe, Darfur Discord Disrupts Summit Meeting 2007-12-10 01:03:20 European and African nations agreed on some free trade issues at their summit meeting, but conflicting ideas on how to handle the brutal regime of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe and the Darfur genocide overshadowed other issues. The European Union is increasingly concerned over inroads being made by China which is establishing economic ties with many African nations. It was hoped this first meeting between member states of both continents could herald the birth of new partnership that would head off the Chinese influence. Instead, the anger over allowing Mugabe to attend despite his horrific record in ruining his nation’s economy and brutal treatment of those opposing him led to a boycott by English Prime Minister Brown and continual discussions at the sessions about Mugabe. The ongoing crisis in Darfur also aroused anger among many European nations who believe Africa is failing to rise to the challenge of policing its own members when they engage in genocidal actions. The coming year ...

Is Annapolis A Knife In The Back Of President Abbas? 2007-12-09 11:04:40 According to Saleh Al-Naami, reporting from Gaza, a majority of Arab newspapers are wartning Presdient Abbas, head of Palestine, that accepting Israel-American proposals without significant changes will result in large scale opposition to his authority. Statements by Prime Minister Olmert that 2008 is not an obligatory date for Israel to complete negotiations with the PA or by his deputy, Avigdor Lieberman, who suggested that even the end of 2008 may not be an appropriate date to complete negotiations, raise fears among Palestinians about how serious is Israel to work out a compromise. Palestinians are able to draw upon concerns of Israel human rights advocates about continuing construction of housing in West Bank settlements, and the failure to take action against settlers who build without permits from army authorities. Palestinian critics believe the Bush administration is biased toward Israel and not it has withdrawn a non-binding resolution proposal from the UN Security Council ... President

Prime Minister OLmert Blasts Racism Against Ethiopian Jews 2007-12-09 08:41:16 A week after reports of the segregation of four Ethiopian girls in a Petah Tikva school caused an outrage, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he intended to pursue an extensive plan to deal with the growing racism in Israel against dark skinned people. “There is a problem and there is trouble. The feeling of injustice for the Ethiopian Jew is not detached from reality and it is our responsibility to change it.” Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni also noted that discrimination ‘forces Ethiopians to be concentrated into their own neighborhoods, without integration, and this situation harms the absorption process in general.” If there is on nation in the world which must ensure the disappearance of prejudice and segregation, it is Israel. Jews have been denied equal rights and forced to live in segregated housing in most nations so it is imperative that such actions not be tolerated in Israel. My mother went to school in Poland at the beginning of the 20th century at a tim ...

Teddy Bear Teacher’s Own Story Of Captivity 2007-12-09 08:28:58 Ms. Gillian Gibbons told Elizabeth Day of the Manchester Guardian the real story behind her captivity in a Sudan prison after being charged with the ridiculous crime of giving a name to a teddy bear. She said it was difficult to explain what she went through during her days of ordeal. “It’s hard to describe what it’s like. I was just terrified, absolutely terrified” being in a hot sweltering prison with dirt and noise as her constant companions. Ms. Gibbons also revealed that parents of the children knew all about the teddy bear being given a name of Mohammed and not a single one objected. “For the children, it was a member of the class,” said Ms. Gibbon, and “the parents had to ask(if their children could borrow the teddy bear for a night at home)so they write and say, ‘Can we borrow Mohammed?’ and they’re Muslim parents, so you can imagine that I had no idea at all that I’d done something wrong because none of the par ...

Investigation Continues Of Blackwater Guards 2007-12-09 08:02:30 Federal investigators examining the shooting death by Blackwater guards of Iraqi civilians have narrowed their focus to three men who were involved in the incident that caused great anger in Iraq. A federal grand jury is conducting the investigation and there apparently are great concerns over testimony that has already been provided the group. An ongoing issue arises from the Blackwater company use of the same lawyer being assigned the cases of more than one guard. This raises concerns about conflict of interest since client “A” might be giving information that could convict client “B.” It also brings to light an integrity issue that might hinder efforts of the grand jury to get at the truth about the shooting that resulted in the deaths of 17 Iraqis. Sources indicate that testimony of the four guards who so far have appeared before the grand jury are raising questions about the shootings which might lead to indictments being taken against at least three of the ...

Baha’i Prejudice Continues In Turkey 2007-12-09 07:48:12 A world wide six million member religious group continues encountering prejudice in Turkey which refuses to recognize the Baha’i faith as a significant religious entity. A Baha’i is not allowed to enter his/her religious faith on identify cards which are important documents in modern societies. Although, the Turkish Baha’s community does not encounter the severe discrimination against them which is practiced in Iran, they still confront the daily issues of being an ignored religion in a society that essentially is Muslim. A European Union report noted, “administrative documents such as identify cards include an entry on religion that may be filled in or left blank. this might lead to discriminatory practices.” The United States State Department has also expressed its concerns over the manner in which people of the Bahai’ faith are treated in Turkey. It is common for Interior Ministry police to check up on them and create an image that somehow a Baha ...

Israel In State Of Denial About Iran 2007-12-08 13:40:46 Former deputy defense minister, MK Ephraim Sneh described the US intelligence report on Iran’s nuclear weapons program as “very flawed.” He argued that Iran continues posing an existential threat to Israel and “we don’t need any additional evidence. Just listen to what the Iranian leaders are saying.. who are committed to the destruction of Israel.” Amos Gilad, who heads the Defense Ministry’s Diplomatic-Military Bureau, insisted, “the Iranians are determined to obtain nuclear weapons.” It is doubtful if the current leadership of Israel is intellectually or temperamentally capable of handling a complex issue such as Iran’s relationship to nuclear energy. They are determined to believe everything revolves around making nuclear weapons and any evidence to the contrary must simply be dismissed. The path to peace lies in nations working together and focusing on issues that are real, not in making things that are not happening the ...

Sexual Assaults Continue At Military Academies 2007-12-08 08:29:22 There is apparently confusion regarding the meaning and nature of sexual assaults at military academies. Some students fear retaliation if they report sexual assaults and others do not understand which options are available to provide them confidentiality. There were 40 reports of sexual assaults between June 1, 2006 to May 31, 2007 at military academies. A reported 20 cadets used a new confidential reporting option that allows the victim to choose to obtain medical, mental health care and other services without becoming involved in the criminal justice process. A new report indicates that half of the U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen understand the difference between the new confidential reporting and another option which allows victims to make an unrestricted report through through the chain of command, duty officers, and law enforcement. The report noted, ‘the perception remains among some personnel that victims hesitate to report being sexually assaulted due to concern that they ...

Saga Of Waterboardgate Unfolds! 2007-12-08 08:10:40 Several US senators and congressmen are demanding a criminal investigation into the CIA’s obstruction of justice by destroying videotapes depicting the use of torture on prisoners. The digital recordings apparently show a team of CIA agents subjecting Abu Zubayadh, the agency’s first detainee, and another person to abusive interrogation. Seantor Edward Kennedy commented, “we haven’t seen anything like this since the 18 minute gap on the tapes of Richard Nixon.” He called on newly installed Attorney General Michael Mukasey to investigate the situation. Congresswoman Jan Haman said that in early 2003 she had warned the CIA not to destroy any videotapes dealing with interrogation practices. Senator John Rockefeller, head of the “Senate Intelligence Committee wants a review of “the full history and chronology of the tapes, how they were used, and the reasons for destroying them.” Mason Nance, who advises Homeland Security on terrorism, s ...

Watson Out To Halt Japanese Whale Ships! 2007-12-08 07:51:25 With a determined crew of 40, Paul Watson sailed from the port of Melbourne heading toward the Antarctic in search of Japanese whaling ships. His Sea Shepherd and Conservation Society has been patrolling the seas for years in search of any ships that are out to kill whales. Last year he announced that his mother ship, the Nisshin Manu, was prepared to ram any whaling ship that tried to kill whales. This year, Watson insists his campaign, dubbed Operation Migaloo, in honor of a rare albino humpback is “not going to hurt anybody and we are not going to endanger anybody’s loves at sea.” However, his ship is loaded with smoke bombs and liters of rancid butter and pie fillings which will be sent on the decks of offending Japanese ships that seek to kill the humpbacks. Watson defended his group by saying they are not eco-terrorists. He charged the Japanese whaling ships as the source of any terrorism by their determination to kill the endangered humpback whales. Last yea ...

No Time For Darfur At EU-African Summit 2007-12-08 01:10:30 Most leaders of European countries and members of the Africa Union met to discuss important issues impacting the continent of Africa, but for some surprising reason, there simply wasn’t enough time available to discuss such minor issues as the genocide occurring in Darfur or the brutal regime of Mugabe who has plunged Zimbabwe into complete chaos and stagnation. Forty MPs from across Europe and Africa published an open letter saying “they were surprised and disappointed to note that at a two-day summit of the leaders of two continents there will be no time alloted to discuss the continuing crisis in Darfur that has claimed over 200,000 lives.” A coalition of 50 human rights groups from Europe and Africa also protested the summit for turning its back on human suffering on the continent of Africa. They also supported the action of Prime Minister Brown of England who refused to attend if Mugabe was allowed to participate in the summit meeting. Jose Manuel Barroso, Presi ...

No Thank You To Thank You Message, Says NBC 2007-12-08 01:10:11 NBC has rejected an ad by Freedom Watch, a conservative group that is 100% behind the Bush administration. The proposed ad was a “Thank You” message to American troops fighting in Iraq for their heroism. The ad was rejected because it contained links to the right wing group’s web site, and thus became, in effect, a political ploy to obtain support under the guise of appearing patriotic. A group that was sincerely concerned about thanking American armed forces at Christmas would at least acknowledge they are thousands of miles away while their families are celebrating the holidays. Right wing Bushites will employ any method to get across their ideas even if it means using Christmas as a cover. Perhaps, a more appropriate message would be to promise America’s fighting men and women that Freedom Watch intended to get them home by Christmas, 2008. ...