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 Stages An Election To Ensure Power From Grateful Masses! 2007-11-01 07:57:07 Russians are gathering all over the country to express their admiration for Putin’s United Russia political party and urging their beloved leader to remain in power. A Russian lawyer, Pavel Astakhov, went around the country attending these pro-Putin meetings where “ordinary” people took on themselves responsibility for organizing the adoring masses who love Putin to come out and show the world how much he is loved. He was in one city where an “ordinary doctor” was able to bring together a crowd of 15,000 people. Meanwhile, the Russian press published copies of telegrams and official directives addressed to various organizations and universities that require a certain number of their employees and students to be present at the pro-Putin rallies. There are even attempts by leaders of A Just Russia to persuade the legislature to change the Constitution in order that Putin can have another term of president, but these efforts are even too much for Putin to car ...

Putin Stages An Election To Ensure Power From Grateful Masses!s 2007-11-01 07:56:50 Russians are gathering all over the country to express their admiration for Putin’s United Russia political party and urging their beloved leader to remain in power. A Russian lawyer, Pavel Astakhov, went around the country attending these pro-Putin meetings where “ordinary” people took on themselves responsibility for organizing the adoring masses who love Putin to come out and show the world how much he is loved. He was in one city where an “ordinary doctor” was able to bring together a crowd of 15,000 people. Meanwhile, the Russian press published copies of telegrams and official directives addressed to various organizations and universities that require a certain number of their employees and students to be present at the pro-Putin rallies. There are even attempts by leaders of A Just Russia to persuade the legislature to change the Constitution in order that Putin can have another term of president, but these efforts are even too much for Putin to car ...

Dueling War Of Words Between Iran And US 2007-11-01 07:41:23 The United States and Iran have become like two men dueling with banjos as to which one can make the loudest sound. For each George Bush action, there is a responding sound of defiance from Iranian officials. In the latest outburst, Mohammad Ali Jafari, head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards uttered threats of retaliation against America. “The enemy knows,” said Jafari, “that if it attacks Iran, it will certainly get stuck in a quagmire much deeper than Iraq and Afghanistan and it will be defeated.” He ended his tirade with a note of defiance, “If enemies prove naive enough to invade Iran, they will be slapped hard.” Bush continues his verbal threats to create uncertainty within Iran as to his next move. On Wednesday, Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns commented that war against Iran was “not inevitable and not desirable.” Russia, standing on the edge of the duelers has made clear its opposition to war, and a Foreign Ministry spoke ...

A German Town Fights Back Against Nazism 2007-10-31 19:44:13 The small town of Grafenberg which is located 20 miles north of Nuremberg has refused to allow Neo-Nazis groups like followers of the National Democratic Party (NPD) to take over their town and transform it into a center of hate and violence. For several years, neo-Nazis have staged several rallies in Granfenberg which is the site of a memorial to WWI and WWII men who died in battle. A Citizens’ Forum was established to organize discussions and have anti-demonstrations when NPD bullies show up spouting racism, anti-semitism and revisionist ideas which claim there was no Holocaust. On many occasions at least 2,000 local people together with hundreds of police are present to challenge the neo-Nazis. The town has also put on a “Woodcutting Day” on which men use buzz saws to drown out Nazi talk. They have had ‘Sweep day” when they take out brooms to sweep out the dirt coming from the mouths of the Nazis. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, Germans have done a r ...

Another Phony Soldier Spouts Evil Liberal Dogma-Listening, Rush? 2007-10-31 16:39:17 The October 31 issue of the Stars& Stripes carried a letter from a soldier in Iraq who undoubtedly qualifies under the Rush Limbaugh criteria of being a phony soldier. Here is an extract from the column: “One thing I could see less of in the Stars & Stripes is the column of Ann Coulter, not because she’s conservative, but because she writes at the top of her lungs, like a wacky teenager who is ridiculed by the boys for being flat chested, and ugly. Sarcasm becomes her coping mechanism. Her column must cost next to nothing to carry. Why not try carrying George Will or someone like that more often. He’s a verbose blowhard, but at least he can write.” Maj. Pat Young Camp Victory, Iraq I await expectantly for the Republican smear machine to swift boat Major Pat Young. ...

Singapore Woman Sues Over Botched Exorcism 2007-10-31 16:20:29 Madam Valli, an inhabitant of Singapore sued the Redemptionist Church of Novena for its failure to cast out the evil forces that were controlling her body. She claims the exorcism left her suffering from a Post Traumatic Stress disorder and wants compensation for either was done or what was not done. According to her daughter, in the midst of the exorcism, Madam Valli began shaking the church gates and then fainted. As the trial proceeded there was continuous laughter in the courtroom. We thought this trial might be an interesting Halloween story. It is unclear as to the exact nature of what was being exorcised other than it was something evil. One can only wonder on this Halloween night if there is a possibility the American people can exorcise the demons of Bush-Cheney from their collective body. We won’t even sue for post traumatic stress since our stress will disappear once the demons have left our community body. ...

US Expanding Sanctions Against Burma Military Junta 2007-10-31 09:37:44 US lawmakers are considering a dramatic increase in sanctions against the Burmese military junta whose oppressive rule has crushed people in their country and made poverty the norm in what once was a nation with the capability of having a fairly successful economy. They are proposing legislation which would ban export of gems and timber from Burma, two resources which have brought millions in revenue to Myanmar. It would ban travel by top generals and outlaw the import into the United states of gems and timber from Burma. According to Senator Joseph Biden, “”we ned to bring pressure to bear on the Burmese generals directly responsible for the violence against the peaceful protestors last month, but unilateral sanctions alone will not get the job done.” The proposed legislation stems from good intentions, trying to do something about curtailing the power of Myanmar’s military junta. The reality is that gems will be sent to Thailand where they will be polished an ...

John McCain Plays The Israel Scare Card To Jewish Groups 2007-10-31 09:14:43 Speaking before a meeting of the Presidents of Major american Jewish Organizations, Senator John McCain trotted out typical Republican scare tactics to gain support for the Bush Iraq war. He warned if the United States withdrew from Iraq, the terrible Iranians would step in to fill the void. “All of the conflicts in the Middle East are connected, they are all part of the rise of Islamic extremism, if we succeed in Iraq,other countries will be more inclined to help us and this will take the pressure off Israel.” McCain has repeatedly warned that unless America ‘wins” in Iraq, that nation will become a safe haven for terrorists. He told the audience what they wished to hear that creation of a Palestinian state was an “ultimate end.” For some obvious reason, Senator McCain did not mention the fact there were no terrorists in Iraq until the United States invaded that nation, threw out Saddam Hussein, and botched up the post war situation. Iran was the ...

Kurdistan Leader Defiant And Seeks Compromise 2007-10-31 08:58:50 Iraqi Kurdish leader, Massoud Barzani issued a defiant rejection of Turkish demands to end terrorism while also indicating he was ready to negotiate for peace. On one hand, he said about Turkey, “You do not speak to me, then you ask me to do things against the PKK. How can this be?” Within a few moments he also said: “I am a friend of the Turkish nation, not an enemy. Let’s cooperate and open the door for a peaceful solution to the problem..” Barzani heads the Kurdish part of Iraq which, for all practical purposes, is now functioning as a semi-independent area. Barzani most probably harbors concerns that have little to do with the PKK. Why is Turkey’s hostility toward Iraqi Kurdistan? Is it because we are the real problem in Ankara’s eyes and not the PKK? We want assurances from ‘Turkey that all these military measures are not against us.” In another flip around, he told the PKK to “give up violence or confront not only Turkey ...

Tony Blair Rejected Option To Opt Out Of Iraq War 2007-10-31 08:30:49 Further revelations from the new biography, “Blair Unbound” reveal that Prime Minister Tony Blair was offered the option by George Bush of keeping his nation out of the invasion of Iraq but turned down the offer. According to author Anthony Seldon, nine days before the House of Commons backed the war, Bush told Condi Rice, his National Security adviser, that Britain could remain out of the invasion force and might assist once the war was over. Rice told Seldon, the president said: “We can’t have the British Government fail because of this decision over war…I have to tell Tony that he doesn’t have to do this.” Blair was informed of this offer, but rejected avoiding war and told his friend, George Bush, “I said I’m with you. I mean it.” According to the book, Blair decided in 2002 the drift toward war was dangerous but held back and, in effect, told Bush he could do whatever he wished and Britain would go along with his decisio ...

Mr. Bush– One In Eight Veterans Lacks Health Insurance! 2007-10-31 08:16:21 President Bush has consistently accused Democratic opponents for their failure to “support our troops” and at tempted to portray himself as the defender of those who fight or have fought for this country. A new study from researchers at the Harvard Medical School report that about 1.8 million veterans under the age of 65 lack medical coverage in the United States of America. As the report notes, “Like other uninsured Americans, most uninsured vets are working people– too poor to afford private coverage, but not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid or means-tested VA care.” Dr. Jeffrey Scavron in a biting remark pointed out, “only the government can put men and women into military service and only the government can guarantee that they are covered after they serve.” The report only points out that beginning in 2003, the Veterans administration began denying medical care for those whose salary was too high. Peter Gaytan, who monitors veterans&rsq ... Health

Democracy Does Work In Muslim Nations-New Study 2007-10-31 08:00:30 Alfred Stepan, director of the Center for the Study of Democracy, Tolerance and Religion at Columbia University, told an Indonesian audience the myth that democracy and Muslim religion being incompatible is just that– a myth. He pointed out there is a significant difference between the practice of democracy in Arab nations with other nations in which Muslims are in the majority. “So if you focus on Arab countries, you’ll get a total misconception.” He argued that Americans tend to equate Arab nations with their notion as to what is the Muslim religion and this leads to misunderstanding about the nature of Muslim life in the world even though Arabs make up only 22% of Muslims. In reality, half of all the world’s Muslims, 600 million people, live in democratic, near-democratic or intermittent democratic states. He pointed out to his Indonesian audience, “In Indonesia, Muslim identities are often moderate, syncretic and pluralist.” Americans fre ...

Israel Asks China To Join In Iranian Sanctions–Told No 2007-10-31 07:35:10 Israel’s Foreign Minister Tzipi LIvni asked the government of China to join in the Israel-US attempt to isolate Iran through imposition of sanctions on its government. A spokesperson for the Foreign Minister,, LIu Jianchao offered a negative response to the request. “China has always believed that unbridled use of sanctions should be discouraged in dealing with international issues. We believe a peaceful resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomacy to be the best option that would serve the common interests of the international community best.” Cuba has been confronted with sanctions from the United States government for half of century and that policy has not led to regime change in that country. In modern times, there are so many unofficial ways in which nations can circumvent sanctions, that such an approach to dealing with conflict invariably leads to failure. President Bush and Israel simply will not confront the realities of our global world. Pepsi ...

Cool It TV Commentators, Says Turkey Prime Minister! 2007-10-30 20:50:16 Prime Minister Reecp Erdogan expressed anger at Turkish television commentators who were urging the government to take action and invade Iraq. He noted television programs were featuring former generals and military men who spoke in a jingoistic manner about the glory of war. “At times, I see commentators who are supposedly experts on the subject. They serve as public servants for provocation.” He noted as a prime minister he has obligations to engage in diplomatic exchanges, not talk wildly about war. Erdogan will meet with President Bush on November 5 and, “will openly tell him that we expect concrete immediate steps against the terrorists.” The Turkish prime minister says the manner in which Bush and Iraq respond to demands for neutralizing border regions to prevent terrorist attacks would be a critical test of sincerity on their part. Erdogan believes his nation is a “part of the world, and we should not forget that diplomacy has certain requirements.& ...

Swedish Politician Compares Integrating Immigrants With Dog Obedience 2007-10-30 19:26:13 A Swedish politician offered an interesting comparison between the manner in which society integrates immigrants with how dogs and children are raised. Oistein Christoffersen told an interviewer that the integration of immigrants within Swedish society is akin to the manner in which adults train dogs and children regarding the importance of knowing boundaries. “We must take care that those who are here are properly integrated. That includes education in both language and how our society works. It is about setting boundaries and is no different than raising children or dogs.” He agreed that some people might misunderstand his words, but “everyone who has a dog knows what I mean.” We understand, Mr. Christoffersen, there are dogs that never get potty trained and pee all over the place, and there are immigrants who simply don’t know what urinals are there for in homes or train stations. How could anyone misunderstand the importance of educating immigrants to ...