Work’n for an internet based company can be funny sometimes. 

Our network went down for about an hour while the system admin went to lunch unaware. That meant that no-one could work for an hour even though the lights were on, our computers were on, even our screens had something on them, but the in-tire-net was down so… here we sat.. eating lunch… until our admin came back.

funny how stuff like that happens

~J out

From the daily News & Analysis (DNA):

HEILGENDAMM: US President George W Bush on Wednesday expressed surprise at the need for a German translation of his comments to the press at the G8 summit at Heiligendamm.

“Everybody speaks English, right?” Bush asked, after a German interpreter began to translate his brief statement to the press following talks with G8 summit host German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

A laughing Merkel asked the US leader to “be patient” and gestured for him to wait by her side while the interpreter did his job.

“Is that what I said?” Bush asked Merkel with a grin after his words were translated.

“Almost 100 per cent,” laughingly answered Merkel, speaking in English.

Merkel and other German politicians have made it a point to speak German both at G8 gatherings and at European Union meetings in a bid to boost the global standing of their language.

This is in contrast to other nations, including Austria and Finland, whose leaders and ministers frequently spoke English during their stint as EU president.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, also increasingly uses English.

However, recognizing that the international press is largely composed of English-speakers, Merkel and her foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier often bring along interpreters when speaking to reporters.

*Sigh* …. No commentary needed… I’m sure you know what I would say anyway.

Kudo’s to German Chancellor Angela Merkel for handling the situation so well.

~J out

By now you’ve probably heard about the contested “missile defense shield” that’s being put in the Czech Republic and Poland. The project consists of two parts.. one part will be (likely) a battery of Patriot Missiles the other part will be a “Radar station.” From the get-go Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has been against it and now China is joining in with the anti-installation rhetoric. President Bush responded today saying that, “The Cold War is over” implying that Putin is still riddled with Cold War skepticism. All of this has a hint of bizarreness to it that’s intrigued me to think on whether there’s more to it then just missiles.

When it comes to conspiracy theories I typically fall for the ones with a hint of realism. Every morning the T.V. Channel 11 always seems to have something that reeks of conspiracy, but one show particularly interested me. The argument the speaker was suggesting was that under the auspices of “missile defense” the United States has been building a global intelligence network. In other words, a big ‘ole ear to listen in on every one’s conversations. At first, it sounded like something out of a movie, but when Russia and now China, and of course Iran all jumped on it I’ve been thinking maybe the former KGB intelligence officer knows something I don’t. Lets look at the plans…

The entire plan is to build two centers one with missile that is likely to be similar to these PAC-3 missiles which are stationed in Japan. As mentioned here these missiles are designed to seek out missiles with an on board tracking system and then bring them down. The second facility will be the radar system that will be built separately (and in a different region) then the missile battery. One report by NBC showed the two facilities on either side of the country. The whole plan is supposedly a joint US-NATO plan to protect Europe from offensive missiles… The clear objective is not really clear. This morning on NBC’s today show, the objective was stated to protect eastern European countries from rogue terrorist missiles, however another report from Angus Reid Global Monitor states, “The idea of installing military equipment [is] to deter a potential attack from “rogue states” such as Iran or North Korea against the U.S. or its European allies. Clearly the goal of a defense shield varies, but the opposition to the shield is all but unclear. Putin, since last Tuesday, has made claims of an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) that can penetrate this shield, while also saying that such protection is unnecessary due to Russia already protecting the region. Putin has stated firmly that if the US were to continue on then they would be forced to point their arsenal towards Europe (mainly the missile facility). Why such the opposition? Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani said Sunday to the Islamic Republic News Agency yesterday, “Europe is the most important commercial partner of Iran. So, why should we ever target them?” On the reason why such claims are made, the Iranian official said one might reasonably suppose that the US is following a bigger plan and thus resorts to such propaganda to divert the public opinion away from their other objectives. What objectives might those be? From this photo you can see that the radar coverage covers most of Eastern Europe and Parts of Russia and the Middle East (Namely Turkey). What if what is being called “a radar” is really an intelligence station to listen in on conversations between Russia and Iran? Sounds crazy ‘eh? Maybe not…

Why would the United States be so interested in putting a Missile Defense system there to listen in on the region? A number of reasons…

1. Russia, so far, has been the supplier of Uranium for Iran’s Nuclear Energy Project,
2. Russia has been hesitant to put serious sanctions on Iran, including a call for Iran to dismantle all of their Nuclear programs.
3. Russia is one of the biggest critics of the War on Terror and especially the War in Iraq.
4. The president of Russia is a former Soviet KGB Intelligence officer and perhaps there’s a belief that old habits die hard,
5. Finally, Democracy in both Iran and Russia have been weak. Russia has done little to fully embrace democracy and constantly touts that democracy is laborious and bureaucratic.

What would be gained by listening in on conversations between Russia and it’s neighbors?

1. Perhaps evidence of corruption and deal making on Uranium between Russia and Iran
2. If such evidence existed then Russia’s position in NATO and the UN would overwhelmingly compromised

My last comment/question about all of this is what (to me) doesn’t add up completely here?

• Why Bush’s response to Putin is that “the cold war is over.”
• Why we should believe Administration that this is just missile defense when we know that with the freedom act, the government has been listening in to us.
• Why the two stations are so far apart.. Seems to be that you would want instant notification which would be achieved if you the facility in the same place as the missiles.
• Why the US Government doesn’t suspend plans until after negotiations have taken place.
• If the Cold War is over why is the US:
• A. Building further Missile Defense systems in Europe when Euro-Iran economic relations are flourishing. As in, Iran’s main target with their missile wouldn’t be Europe at all so why build a defense shield?
• B. Why are we spending 100 billion USD on missile defense technology?
• C. Why are we concerned with North Korea? There’s no way they could send a missile to Poland, not to mention why they would to begin with.
• With something so major as Russia threatening to point their arsenal at Europe, why is the Administration so unconcerned?

There’s a lot that doesn’t add up here and I smell a fish… a bad one. The White House is treating this like it’s no big deal, but it really is one big deal. I thought our goal was missile non-proliferation, I thought the EU’s goal was non-proliferation, but here we have two European nations accepting the deal and a global crisis ISN’T erupting? Hmmm. I don’t like where this is going. Carelessness leads to bad things Mr. President! Time to really ask if whether this really is
what you say it is.

Source Links:
US shield makes Europe ‘powder keg’: Putin
The Unpopular U.S. Missile Shield: Angus Reid Global Monitor
Missile shield ups chance of atomic conflict: Putin | Reuters
Larujani: US Claim on missile project ‘joke of the year’ – IRNA
Bush: Russians Have Derailed Reforms – washingtonpost.com
China Criticizes US Plan for Missile Shield in Eastern Europe- VOA News

~J out

Recently over the weekend my mind has been in a world of my own, I have been floating the idea of a sailing escapade unlike anything conceivable as of recent. For most of the ancient period, the seas were the mode and the wind was the catalyst for exploration. One could say that the twenty-first century has been depreciated by aero-technology, only that we no longer need to “set sail” anymore. Admittedly, this voyage of mine would be for recreational purposes, since there’s little to no way to truly justify a circumnavigation of the world.

I’ve honestly never been known to think on the details of such a grandiose expedition. I have thoughts on boat designs and equipment, and of course the expenditure of it all weighs heavy on my mind, but in respect to myself I truly have been besieged with the idea of originality. There be many a man who have sailed the great seas, some have sailed the shortest route, some have sailed the fastest route, and some have sailed the cultural route. Each man has had his or her own venture; some have even shared this quest with a cohort or companion. So what certainly would make my sailing adventure so inimitable?

Today is an early dawn of a new era known furtively through our 20^th century minds as the new-age 21^st century. When you procure a new 2007 model car it is officially a twenty-first century car. Same goes with houses, jobs, boats, and adventures. My saga, my escapade would be to explore the planet as it is, in the twenty-first century. My dream is to report my adventure instantaneously, using modern technology, to bring to you places across the globe as they are when I saw them. Astonishing as it is, there is a satellite up there with technology here that would allow a small sailboat to transmit daily from anywhere on the planet. In a sense, that would encompass my new founded ardor for mass communiqué in terms that I am even tickled to contemplate.

To be fair, I wonder if this ostentatious idea and philosophy is just my ego contending with my dreams. Perhaps sailing, to me, is a metaphor for “absolute autonomy.” By absolute autonomy, I mean a freedom unlike the kind offered by my magnificent America. A freedom not just to select your path, but that these choices hold with it real world consequences… It is not too often that a human being, in the twenty-first century will ever have such liberty. Unlike our fathers and their fathers, the American freedom that we aver to have, seems to be too genteel and cultured, not that this is terrible, but minus 9/11 and school shootings, our lives go on unabated by the veracities and plights of the rest of the world. To placate ourselves, I feel that a true bubble has been put around us so that true freedom is substituted with a shell of its former self. It is with this burden of truth that I find my mind setting sail for a possibility to be truly free, or at the least, to have a better sensitivity of what true-freedom feels like.

~J out

Welcome to June! The month of Summer. I thought it would never come, but behold! Here we are and I assume that in no time it’ll be gone…

Today, for my lucky 77th post, I want to talk about a little known, but powerful, tool of international relations. It’s called “soft-power” (perhaps even charm power) and traditionally it’s been the main tool of Europe in governing international affairs since World War 2. Now the tides are turning and China is starting to pick up soft power steam. An article in the Asia Sentinel goes into depth on soft power and China’s slow acquisition of it, so I’ll use their definition (which I thought was quite good):

More than a decade ago, the Harvard academic Joseph Nye invented a concept he called soft power—a concept that then entered foreign policy discourse. As Nye explained, “soft power rests on the ability to shape the preferences of others. . . . It is leading by example and attracting others to do what you want.” “If I can get you to do what I want, then I do not have to use carrots or sticks to make you do it,” Nye wrote.

This attractiveness could be called a nation’s “brand,” and it can be conveyed through various means, including a country’s popular and elite culture, its public diplomacy (government-funded programs intended to influence public opinion abroad), its businesses’ actions abroad, international perception of its government’s policies, and the gravitational pull of a nation’s economic strength, among other factors. When Nye coined the term soft power he excluded elements like investment and trade and formal diplomacy and aid—elements he considered more concrete carrots and sticks.

“Soft power is not merely the same as influence,” Nye wrote. “After all, influence can also rest on the hard power of threats or payments.” Nye focused purely on the attractiveness of a nation’s brand, of its values and ideals and norms.

Thanks to the media, we’ve all seen China’s happy business man, now China’s president Hu Jintao just happens to be the happiest China man in town. His new emerging empire is aimed at using this million businessman army to wield control of, not just Asia, but the world. Perhaps you’ve been told this, but the first symbol for China “中” means at-the-center or middle. Often the word translates to “Middle Empire,” indeed at one time in history, China occupied the role of being the richest and most powerful & populated country in the world. As of late, only the later (most populated) has retained its value, but Hu Jintao pledges all of that is about to change.

“Charm Offensive” traces trace how China has built its global soft power, analyzes how China uses that power, and considers how nations are responding to Beijing. It focuses primarily on China’s wooing of developing nations in Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Central Asia, but occasionally addresses how China woos other key nations in Asia, like Australia, South Korea, or Russia. It does not, however, directly analyze the US-Chinese relationship, or China’s relationship with wealthy nations in Europe or the Middle East.

Charm Offensive is a new strategy that aims at offering riches to countries that America might not deal with (i.e. Sudan), saying that China doesn’t care what your domestic or foreign policy is, “We are so happy to do business with you!” Charming as that maybe we should not forget that China still owns a very big stick. We must also not forget that for years, China used hard power (the power of military) to define its strength and it’s likely that, in its early stages, China may wield this newfounded soft power like it wielded its hard power…

China now can wield this kind of soft power, and may use it to remake the world. China’s policies could make it easier for Chinese actors, from language schools to businesspeople to Chinese pop stars, to have an impact on the ground. And China’s new benign image, in places from Australia to Argentina, will help Beijing execute its foreign policy more successfully.

Unlike Europe, who uses its soft power (read: guilt & trip laying power) to change the world, China’s case may be different. It’s unthinkable to suggest that cheap tee-shirts and plastic goods might control our foreign policy one day, but wait a minute… So far China has bank-rolled our mission in Iraq.. I say that our focus has been deferred long enough. It’s already unfortunate that the ’08 elections will be focused on Iraq and not East-Asian Policy. I think that people still see China as being the “mysterious other” and its just that image that could potentially zap us in the (Chinese made) fly zapper 2000 faster then any middle eastern country can.

Link to the Asia Sentinel: A Newly Diplomatic China Courts the World

~J out