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 8518

Articles from The Impudent Observer - Global Liberal Issues

Russian Youth And The Putin Cult 2007-11-02 16:59:44 Nikita Borovikov is head of the Russian youth organization Nashi which means “Our,” a battle cry Russian football fans use to cheer on their teams. The organization has thousands of members scattered all over Russia and they are blindly devoted to the President Putin. “Those who think badly of us call us Putin’s troops,” says Borovikov, but “everyone else says we are nationally-oriented youths.” Nashi is both a political action committee dedicated to helping their beloved leader win elections, and a social action organization that does things like collect blood or help build homes. However, according to an opponent of Putin, “Whenever I appear in public,” says Vladmir Ryzhkov, “there are counter-demonstrations and disruptions” caused by Nashi youth. They even came to his house on his birthday and harassed the celebration by giving him man American flag. A few days later a film showed him with an American flag and he was ...

Giuliani Courts Jewish American Votes 2007-11-02 16:45:03 Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani is attempting to woo Jewish voters by taking a strong stand on Middle East issues. He boasted at a recent meeting of Republican Jews that he had won Jewish votes in New York, a city “Abraham Lincoln didn’t carry, and intended to win Jewish votes on a national basis. Giuliani realizes Jewish American voters don’t have to be won over on social issues since they agree with him on topics such as abortion or gun control. One Giuliani supporter said the reason for his popularity among Jewish Republicans is “because of his positions on terrorism in general and Israel in particular, and his willingness to make Islamic radicalism a significant campaign issue. Most Jewish Republicans are still pro-choce, so he’s got the right social agenda and the right foreign policy agenda.” At the meeting, Giuliani repeated his heroism in removing Palestinian leader Arafat from a UN concert. The tragedy is that so many prominent Jewish ...

Indonesian Religious Controversy Over Muslim Heretic 2007-11-02 09:02:48 Indonesia is being rocked with controversy over the emergence of a new Muslim group whose leader, Ahmad Mushaddeq, claims to have been told by God he is the new prophet whose task is to replace the Prophet Muhammad and bring new ideas into the Muslim religion. Angry mobs have assaulted his followers driving many out of their homes and forced them to live in refugee camps. Last weekend a mob a wrecked the home of Mushaddeq who is now in custody on grounds he violated Indonesian law by spreading a “misguided religion.’ In 2005, Muhammad Yusman Roy was sent to jail for his misguided religious idea that people should pray in the Indonesian language rather than Arabic. Two years ago Lia Aminuddin was sent to jail for two years for claiming she was a prophet who spoke with God. As Muhammad Nafik writes in the Jakarta Post: “Religious leaders should be reminded that it is God’s– not their-perogative to judge the rightness of a man’s life.” The Indones ...

Summit Meeting In Turkey To Resolve Kurdish Problem 2007-11-02 08:34:57 Foreign ministers of major nations in the Middle Eastern region and other major powers, are meeting in an effort to avoid war between Turkey and Iraq over Kurdish rebel attacks on the Turkish military. Secretary of State Rice and President Maliki of Iraq are joining the group in order to discuss initial draft documents. The Turkish government has been holding off on imposing economic sanctions or taking military action until the summit meeting has terminated and they have had an opportunity to talk with Secretary of State Rice. The draft document which will be reviewed, calls on Iraq to take effective measures to control its borders and prevent terrorist attacks from its territory upon other nations. The summit is attempting to explore the broader issue of terrorism which is a concern of all participants. Iran, for example, is being attacked by insurgents operating out of Iraqi soil. Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki is also participating in the meeting. Turkish Foreign ...

Tone Down War Rhetoric, Mr President, Urge Democrat Senators 2007-11-02 08:19:38 A group of 30 Democratic senators led by former Vietnam War veteran, Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, urged President Bush to tone down his threats about war with Iran. The senators reminded the president that Congress had not authorized any military action against Iran and economic sanctions imposed by the Republican administration and “provocative” statements by Bush and other administration officials were “counterproductive and undermine efforts to resolve tensions with Iran through diplomacy.” They pledged cooperation in working with the Bush administration to safeguard the United States and promote regional peace and security in the Middle East without need of war. Two presidential candidates, Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Chris Dodd, were among those signing the letter. This is a much needed action on the part of Congress to reduce tensions in the Middle East. The United Nations is attempting to work through diplomatic channels in order to resolve iss ... President

Tragedy Looms In Somalia 2007-11-02 07:58:07 A humanitarian crisis akin to Darfur is now probable in the nation of Somalia. Under impetus from President Bush, and with support from US naval and air forces, Ethiopian troops invaded that nation and crushed an Islamic government resulting in further chaos within a nation that has known only chaos for twenty years. Christian Ethiopian troops are clashing with an Islamic society. The UN’s humanitarian co-ordinator, Christtian Balslev-Olesen says there are “reports of house-to-house searches and large scale detention by Ethiopian troops which have “created a climate of fear among the population not witnessed before.” Ethiopian troops and Islamic insurgents were engaged in three major battles over the weekend that left about 100 civilians injured. At least 46,000 have fled Mogadishu and there is lack of food and water and medical services for the refugees. The world is living with another Bush folly, the invasion of Somalia by Christian Ethiopian troops who dest ...

Bush At It Again–Democrats Help Terrorism! 2007-11-01 22:20:11 George Bush, who supposedly is president of the entire United States at a time of war, came out swinging against perfidious Democrats who are like the people who ignored the rise of Hitler and Lenin. Bush accused Democrats of stalling important legislation that would prevent terrorist attacks and giving a hard time to Michael Mukasey for attorney general. “Unfortunately, on too many issues, some in Congress are behaving as if America is not at war.” He is upset that Congress won’t give him power to eavesdrop on terrorist suspects. Those terrible Democrats are trying to “weaken our ability to intercept information from terrorists about potential attacks on the United States of America.” It would help if George Bush ever actually read a history book. The Russian Revolution occurred toward the end of World War I and by 1920 Lenin was established as ruler of Russia. George, all the presidents of the United States from 1920-1932 were Republicans. During Hitler& ...

Freedom Of The Press On Trial In Germany 2007-11-01 19:29:51 New legislation in the German parliament threatens to endanger basic rights of freedom of the press and the right of reporters to protect the anonymity of their sources. A bill is working its way through the Bundestag which compels telecom providers to make recording of all communications regardless of whether or not the person is under investigation or simply an individual communicating with family and friends. This storehouse of data would be made available to law enforcement agencies. In effect, it allows the government to pick and choose any data about any person who has communicated via telecom or the Internet. This legislation would make impossible for journalists to guarantee the right of privacy to sources when engaged in any aspect of investigative reporting. The proposed law also allows a judge to weigh the needs of prosecutors in deciding whether or not a journalist must be compelled to testify. In a sense, we are witnessing George Bush’s export of anti-democratic p ...

Is Hollywood Anti-American? We Say NO! 2007-11-01 18:35:14 Govindini Murty, writing in the New York Daily News, accused Hollywood of adopting an anti-American, anti-military stance in its presentation of the Iraq war to the American people. “Art is best served,” he says, “by an open competition of ideas. when only the anti-war left is allowed to make films in Hollywood and pro-American voices are excluded, the result is movies that are ideologically rigid, morally shallow, and creatively sterile.” He points out that the movie “Rendition” claims the American government allows innocent Muslim civilians to be tortured. Murty asserts the film, “Lions for Lambs,” depicts a venal Republican senator rising the lives of American troops in order to advance his political career. He argues the appearance of anti-war films in the midst of a war is “unprecedented.” Mr. Murty believes there were no anti-Vietnam films while Americans were fighting in Vietnam nor in Korea. Govindini Murty raises so ... Hollywood

Is Anti-Semitism Alive In America? 2007-11-01 17:49:37 The 2007 study by the Anti-Defamation League regarding anti-semitism in the United States indicates, “anti-Semitic beliefs endure in America.” The survey revealed that 15% of Americans — 35 million- had “unquestionably anti-Semitic views.” The survey indicates 31% believe Jews are more loyal to Israel than to the United States and 15% believe Jews have “too much power.” African Americans constitute among the most anti-Semitic groups with 32% harboring such views. The ADL was concerned that such views continue enduring in America. One can examine this survey and come away with sharply different conclusions. It is back to the argument of the glass have filled or half empty. About 35 million Americans have some form of anti-Semitism, but 265 million do not. It is interesting how classical physical features are no longer associated with Jews but the perennial complaint about Wall Street and power lingers on. On the other hand, although Jews are le ... America

Iraq President-Inviation Not Sent To Mideast Meeting 2007-11-01 17:27:56 President Jalai Talabani of Iraq will not be attending the upcoming regional ministers that began yesterday in Istanbul. “He is not invited, and he is not coming,” said Iraq’s Ambassador to Anakara, Sabah Omran. Talabani did tell Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Ali Babacan, that he wanted to attend the meeting and was given a nod indicating he would be invited, but nothing came of the nod. Secretary Rice, permanent members of the Security Council and neighboring countries will be present. Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey is caught between opposing forces as he attempts dealing with the Kurdish issue. Nationalist forces within his own country are flouting the banner of violence while he knows war might doom his nation’s entry into the European Union. The ineffectiveness of Iraq’s government to handle any form of insurgency adds to problem of conflict resolution. To mtake maters worse, Kurdistan’s leader, Massoud Barzani talks defiantly one day about ... President

Afghans Caught In The Middle– Flee From Fighting 2007-11-01 15:52:12 Six years ago a combined American and Afghan force drove the Taliban from power. Instead of remaining to completely crush the Taliban, American forces were sent to Iraq in search of those never found WMD. In their wake, a population was left to deal with government forces on one side and the Taliban on the other. Yesterday, Afghan civilians got caught in between opposing forces when a combined Afghan-US force attack a village. When the shooting ceased, a militant was dead and so were two children while several women were wounded. The object of the attack was a supposed base for suicide bombers. Last week in Khandahar province a large battle took place between coalition units and the Taliban. After the battle ceased there were dead Taliban and hundreds of farmers also left the area. As Zarif Khan noted: “Our livelihoods depend on the pomegrante crop, but the stupid Taliban came and star ted fighting.” Newspapers report how many died or were wounded on each side, but there sc ...

Benazir Bhutto Leaves Pakistan As Rumors Circulate Of Martial Law 2007-11-01 08:54:55 Two weeks after returning to Pakistan from her exile, opposition leader Benazir Bhutto left the country for Dubai to see family members as rumors circulated that President Musharraf might declare marital law. A few days ago Bhutto had insisted she lacked time to leave the country due to her political campaign. The Pakistan Supreme Court will shortly rule on whether or not to overturn Musharraf’s recent election to the presidency. The country is also being consumed by a new outbreak of Islamic militant attacks. A recent suicide attack on an air force bus killed eight and left dozens wounded. Security forces countered the attack with a bloody assault on insurgents that resulted in the death of at least sixty in the mountains of northwest Pakistan. For each attack by security forces, there are counter attacks by militants. In the meantime, the nation awaits anxiously the Supreme Court’s decision on the presidential election. If they over turn Musharraf’s victory there i ...

Borat Meets The Borgias- A Story Of Family And Murder! 2007-11-01 08:36:07 In a motion picture, Borat leaves peaceful, backward Kazakhstan on a voyage to the modern world of America. In real life, Kazakhstan is anything but a peaceful backward part of the world, it is the center of intrigue and murder. Rakhat Aliyev,former chief of the nation’s intelligence service, and son-in-law of its president, Nursultan Nazaerbayev, claimed his father-in-law ordered the murder of political opponents. He claims being given the order by his father-in-law to assassinate the opposition leader, Altynbek Sarsenbayev. During a 90 minutes interview held in a secret location because Aliyev has been forced into exile and fears he will be killed, the former intelligence chief revealed information about murders of other political opponents of the President of Kazakhstan. Aliyev was once the golden boy of the regime and destined to one day lead the nation but ran into trouble when his father-in-law feared Aliyev’s growing political ambitions and sacked him as Ambassador ...

50 Years Slogging Through Middle East, Says US General 2007-11-01 08:13:31 Retired General John Abizaid, who recently headed American forces in the Middle East warned the need for US military forces in the Middle East will be present for many years. “Over time, we will have to shift the burden of the military fight from our forces directly to regional forces, and we will have to play an indirect role, but we shouldn’t assume for even a minute that in the next 25 to 50 years, the American military might be able to come home, relax and take it easy, because the strategic situation in the region doesn’t seem to show that as being possible.” Abizaid says it may not necessarily always be war that consumes our efforts, but as long as the United States depends on oil and as long as there are extremists, an American military presence will be necessary in the region. He noted that “I would characterize what we’re doing now as 80% military and 20% diplomatic, economic, political, educational, informational, intelligence,etc… ...