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 Landslide Contains Welcome Surprises! 2007-12-03 01:02:17 The expected overwhelming victory of Putin’s United Russia party has lived up to expectations, but amidst this triumph comes evidence the Russian people are committed to the ideals of democracy. United Russia was expected to garner about 60% of the vote which would give them about 306 of the 450 seats in the Duma. However, in an amazing turnaround, the Communist Party was on its way to a second place finish with 11% of the vote and two smaller parties which supposedly would not reach the minimum level of 5% appear to have reached that position which will allow them to obtain seats in the Duma. The Liberal Democratic Party will get at least 7% as will Fair Russia which supports Putin. There are reports from all over Russia that young people were bussed to voting booths where they received things like lottery scratchcards which offered prizes, free food and drink and some were even encouraged to vote more than once. Independent observers were barred from entering some polling stat ...

Hate Crimes Rise In Gay Friendly Amsterdam 2007-12-03 01:00:25 Amsterdam has a reputation for being a city in which gays and lesbians can find security, but recent events have raised questions about that safety. In 2006, the city registered 32 hate crimes committed against gays and lesbians, but mid way through this year there already have been 27 such crimes including one during a gay pride parade. Mayor Job Cohen initiated a study of the attacks which revealed a majority of them were committed by Moroccan Muslim youth. They may regard gays as socially beneath them since they come from a puritanical Muslim society or it can be connected to their own sexual confusions. In the volatile world of immigrants coming from societies where gay rights are not common it should not be surprising to discover some of them bring to the more open world of Amsterdam dysfunctional ideas. ...

Buush Present To Bin Laden-Slashes Anti-Terrorism Funds! 2007-12-02 11:30:35 Christmas for Osama bin Laden is coming early this year as President George Bush’s administration is prepared to cut funding for Homeland Security anti-terrorism funds in half. His Budge office is proposing slashing the current $3.4 billion to $1.4 billion next year which would result in large cuts in funding for major American cities in their efforts to combat terrorist activities. Mayor Bloomberg of New York termed the cuts “stunning” and vowed to fight back. Senator Schumer of New York responded in anger, “It’s as if the President said, ‘We’re in this game and we’re going to have no defense.” Republican Congressman, Peter King, said such cuts “could be disastrous” to the nation’s defenses. President Bush never ceases accusing his liberal opponents of failing to “support our troops” in Iraq. He is always quick to question the patriotism of any opponent of his policies. For six years while Republicans ...

Bel-Gium Is Dividing As A Nation 2007-12-02 09:38:05 Belgium’s chances of surviving as a unified nation took a serious blow when Yves Leterme the Flemish Christian Democrat leader, abandoned his efforts to create a government and told King Albert the situation was hopeless. Belgium has been without an effective government since June. He admitted being unable to bridge differences between the Dutch-spoeaking Flemish and the francophone Walloon communities. The more prosperous northern region of Flanders is pushing for autonomy– or even becoming a new nation– while the less successful southern area of Wallonia wants to continue the nation of Belgium. Leterme demanded power to reform the federal structure and give more power to Flanders in order to appease Flemish separatism, an action that angered his Christian Democrat counterparts in Wallonia who want a strong central government. A vote in Parliament which stripped French speaking voters living in three historically Flemish communities on the edge of Brussels from voti ...

The Under Reported Tragedies Of Iraq-Losing Homes In USA 2007-12-02 08:55:33 Among the most ignored stories related to the war in Iraq is its impact on the lives of those who serve abroad while being screwed at home. Rep. Bob Finer, Dem. Calif, has become interested in the impact of the housing crisis upon members of the military. The American dream is owning one’s home, but at a time of war, this can be a terrible burden. “We all know this dream can become a nightmare,” Finer recently told a group,”especially for our veterans who are on deployment.” San Diego Country is home to 110,000 active duty military members and since January of this year it has witnessed a doubling of mortgage defaults. Pamela Beard of the Housing Opportunities Board repeatedly encounters situations like the National Guardsman who experienced an income drop from $60,000 a year to $20,000 a year when ordered into active duty. His mortgage payment rose from $1,200 a month to $2,500. The US government must begin to address issues being faced by those on deploy ...

Bali Global Warming Meeting May Be More Talk Than Action 2007-12-02 08:28:35 Thousands of government officials, industry lobbyists, environmentalists, and ordinary citizens have arrived on the Indonesian island of Bali for two weeks of talk about the world’s environment. According to a spokesperson for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the main focus will be upon outlining what “will lead to a long-term policy response to climate change.” The original environment agreement in 1992 established voluntary goals but that was reinforced by the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 which set mandatory limits on emissions. Even the nations which agreed to Kyoto have, for the most part, failed to even reach their initial goals. Most observers believe the greatest obstacle to developing an effective global warming policy is failure on the part of the United States to take decisive action on this issue. The Bush administration has made clear from day one that it will not participate in global agreements that might in any manner impact the way US business ...

What Exactly Was Agreed On At Annapolis? Confusion Exists! 2007-12-02 08:11:14 The confusing tangle regarding West Bank settlements continues to baffle all participants since apparently Palestinian leaders have a completely different interpretation from what the Israel believes was agreed upon at Annapolis. To add to mass confusion, no one appears clear at this point as to the position of President Bush. State Department spokesperson, Sean McCormack told reporters “I’m not going to get into interpretations at this point.” He said what was agreed upon at Annapolis will “play out over time” and eventually all parties will finally understand the exact nature of what they thought was a final understanding. Although both sides agreed to follow the road map, President Bush “changed the obligations that are spelled out in the road map,” according to former US Ambassador to Israel, Martin Indyk. The key issue that supposedly all accepted centered on expansion of West Bank settlements. The Palestinians assume Israel agreed to sus ...

Thai Investigation Reveals Anti-Drug Campaign Horror 2007-12-02 07:48:28 A new study by the government of Thailand reveals during the period of January-Februry, 2003, the administration of Thaskin Shinawatra instituted an anti-drug campaign which resulted in the deaths of at least 2,500 people. The program supposedly was set in motion in order to meet UN hopes for an effective approach to dealing with drugs that would be humane and respect individual rights. Instead, according to a source which is part of the current study, “those who implemented the order though they could do whatever it took to meet the target which was to reduce to drug traffickers.” It is estimated at least 1,400 of the deaths had nothing to do with reducing drugs but were linked to local police officers who simply were aiming at meeting target figures more than eliminating drugs in Thailand. The war on drugs is among the most ineffective ever waged in the history of humankind. There are thousands of drugs which are legal and some which are not illegal. Historically, human ...

Russian Military Leader Blasts US For Failure At Cooperation 2007-12-01 18:29:39 Yuri Baluyevsky, Chief of Staff of the Russian General Staff denounced recent American proposals about the new missile system that is being developed in the Czech Republic and Poland. He regards American offers as a failure to be serious in creating a cooperative arrangement with Russia. “We do not see,” he said, “anything new in these proposals. What constructive proposals are we talking about, if Russia has merely been offered the chance to become a cost-free addition to the U.S. missile shield in Europe? Sources in the Russian military are angry because American proposals do not allow for a joint assessment of threats, do not allow Russian military experts to be stationed at the missile sites for joint consultation and there is no desire on the part of America for a willingness to refrain from activating the missile system unless there is conclusive evidence of a real threat. This is simply another example of Bush’s misunderstanding of other nations. Russia ...

Another Bush Diplomatic Blunder! 2007-12-01 13:08:45 A Syrian newspaper, Tishrin, pointed out another example of Bush’s lack of a sophisticated understanding of world affairs. Tishrin referred to the Bush quote in which he referred to Israel as a “Jewish State.” Perhaps, the president is unaware but there are hundreds of thousands of Arab Muslims and Christians who reside in Israel and are citizens of their nation. Most American Jews would feel insulted if the United States was described as a “Christian nation.” Tishrin, probably reflecting government attitudes, termed Annapolis a victory “only for Israel.” It described the conference as a “carnival that reminds us of similar celebrations since oslo until today and of agreements that with time have gone with the wind.” Arab nations have every right to be disappointed with Annapolis, but so do Israelis. The people of Israel hunger for peace and stability as much as any Palestinian or Syrian. Many agreements have certainly “gone ...

Kurdish Rebels Evacuating Northern Iraq Bases 2007-12-01 09:27:56 There are reports that Kurdish rebels belonging to the Kurdish Workers Party(PKK) are withdrawing from bases in northern Iraq and returning to their homes in Turkey. The movement is in response to pressure from Iraq, the Kurdish government in Kurdistan, and the United States. They are being replaced by anti-Iranian Kurds who belong to the Free Lie Iranian Kurdish Party (PEJAK). Prime Minister Recep Erdogan of Turkey has announced his nation’s army is authorized to make a cross border invasion if the situation requires and that the military is now working in close cooperation with American intelligence agents. The shift from bases in northern Iraq back to homes in Turkey undoubtedly is the result of enormous pressure that was exerted on the Kurdish rebels. However, it is interesting they are being replaced by anti-Iranian Kurds whose goal is the overthrow of the Iranian government. One can only wonder if the United States will be exerting pressure on the PEJAK to cease military op ...

Teddy Bear Fiasco Allows Intolerance to Flourish 2007-12-01 08:59:37 The British schoolteacher who was convicted of insulting Muslims by having her children name a teddy bear Mohamed is being placed in a secret location because a mob of 600 protestors shouted, “Shame on the UK,” and “No tolerance, Execution.” The Sudan government has placed itself into a quandary, by allowing the silly situation to even begin. It has enabled just about every fanatic in the Sudan to rush to grab the limelight of extremism by shouting hate and anger against a Westerner. Noted hard line cleric Abdul-Jalil Nazeer al-Karori, urged on people bent on hate with, “Imprisoning this lady does not satisfy the thirst of Muslims in the Sudan.” Fortunately, in England, the British Federation of Student Muslim Societies denounced the sentence as being out of all proportion to the crime. There are some who support sentencing a teacher who named a teddy bear on grounds each nation’s culture should be respected. One can understand another culture, ...

January Elections, Says Musharraf, Come Hell Or High Water! 2007-12-01 08:36:59 President Musharraf of Pakistan told ABC news that he might consider the possibility of resigning if conditions after the January 8 elections do not result in a significant improvement regarding the needs of his nation. He denied making any deal with the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto who was allowed to return from exile a few months ago and promised that he would not support any political party during the electoral process for a new parliament. Musharraf placed a great deal of blame for the current situation on failures of American governments over the past decades to take any decisive action against the growth of terrorism. When questioned about the reality of an election, he responded: “Come hell or high water, elections will be held on January 8.” Although he gave this assurance, many Pakistan political leaders and parties fear the election is being rigged causing them to consider the possibility of boycotting the electoral process. Bhutto fears a boycott would si ...

HIV/AIDS Continues Rising In Indonesia Due To Laxity 2007-12-01 08:18:44 There has been a dramatic increase in the number of Aids cases in the nation of Indonesia because most government officials refuse to accept the reality of its impact upon society. Instead of taking vigorous action, the majority downgrade it as an issue. According to Sri Kusyunai of the National Aids Commission, “We are facing difficulties convincing the regional administration to implement the HIV/AIDS prevention program because most of them have yet to see AIDS as a serious threat.” official figures state there are only 15,000 cases a year in the nation, but unofficial estimates are that at least 150,000 people are being infected. As Sugiri Syarief of the National Family Planning Board puts it: “I don’t know how many good housewives and children have been infected by the disease just because their husbands have been playing around.” Apparently, Aids is impacting the nation due to behavior of males who refuse to use condoms. A sorry situation since it fre ...

Repeal ‘Don’t Ask’ Policy Urges Coalition 2007-12-01 01:07:01 A coalition of gay rights groups has begun a renewed assault on the military’s policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” regarding personnel who are gay and lesbian. A letter signed by 28 retired generals asked Congress to repeal the policy. “We respectfully urge congress to repeal the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy. Those of us signing this letter have dedicated their lives in defending the rights of our citizens to believe whatever they wish. As General Colin Powell former chairman of the Joint chiefs said when the..policy was enacted, it is not the place of the military or those in senior leadership to make moral judgments.” A Pentagon spokesperson said the military will adhere to policies enacted by Congress. The time has arrived in American history to end the hypocrisy surrounding this policy and to recognize the patriotism and heroism of all those who serve regardless of sexual orientation. As the letter writers correctly ...