Clipmarks | arifsali's 'politics' clips

"America can't kill or capture its way to victory"

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:13:39 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates Tuesday said diplomacy and development should lead American efforts abroad, and he warned against a “creeping militarization” of U.S. foreign policy.

In a speech to rousing applause, US Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has said America can't kill or capture its way to victory over the long term, and diplomacy not militarization should lead U.S. efforts abroad. (Click on photo for full story).

“Broadly speaking, when it comes to America’s engagement with the rest of the world, it is important that the military is, and is clearly seen to be, in a supporting role to civilian agencies,” he said.

In a speech interrupted several times by rousing applause, Gates told the audience at a dinner organized by the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign that America cannot simply “kill or capture our way to victory” over the long term.

Tags: united states, politics

Islam and Hinduism's blurred lines

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:16:50 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Mr Singh is a member of the Kathat community in Rajasthan and follows what his community believes is a pledge undertaken by their forefathers.

Legend has it that the Mehrat, Kathat and Cheeta communities - with a combined total of one million people in four districts of central Rajasthan - are the descendants of the Hindu ruler of the warrior caste, Prithviraj Chauhan.

The three communities also have strong Islamic connections, because many centuries ago, their forefathers undertook a pledge to follow three Muslim practices.

These include the circumcision for the newborn male children in the community, eating halal meat and burying their dead.

That is the tradition many have followed, keeping the word of their ancestors. But it has also led to them facing something of a faith-based identity crisis.

A majority of them are poor and illiterate. They are people with a mixed Hindu-Muslim identity.

"We don't care about being Hindu or Muslim. It is sheer politics," he says.

Tags: islam, hinduism, india, culture, religion

What's John McCain's Technology Policy?

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:32:14 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: "Should I double click here?"

No, do a single left click, you [moron].

Clip Source: www.motherjones.com

Washington Dispatch: Surprise—he doesn't have one. And how does that compare to Barack Obama?

Political observers have made much of John McCain's admission that he cannot use a computer without assistance. In a campaign where McCain's opponent is 25 years younger than him, the factoid is potent ammunition for those who argue McCain is out of touch and too old for the presidency. But not knowing your way around a MacBook doesn't mean you can't be president. And McCain's personal Ludditism isn't a deal breaker for tech leaders. "I don't give a damn if McCain ever turns on a computer or not," Michael Arrington, coeditor of the blog TechCrunch wrote in January. "I just want a president who has the right top-down polices to support the information economy."

Tags: united states, politics, technology

Conventional wisdom wrong about Arab journalists' anti-Americanism

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:24:50 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.eurekalert.org

Since September 11, U.S. politicians have repeatedly reminded us that the journalists in the Arab world are biased against America and the West. Ground-breaking research published in the July 2008 issue of International Journal of Press/Politics published by SAGE shatters the myths, finding that much of the conventional wisdom about Arab journalists that has shaped U.S. public diplomacy toward the region lacks substance.

To provide a snapshot of journalists' attitudes and to create a benchmark for future studies, the researchers surveyed 601 mainstream professional Arab journalists with the goal of understanding how they view both their profession and the events they cover.

The study,

suggest there is a sizable bloc of Arab journalists who share the same values often espoused by the United States: political freedom, human rights, and at least some separation of church/mosque and state.

Tags: study, arab, united states, journalism, journalists

U.S. Corporate Media Blackout On Bilderberg Meeting

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 16:07:39 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: prisonplanet.com

Mainstream press dare not utter a single word about 125 of the world's most influential power brokers meeting in secret to discuss the future of the planet as oil skyrockets

Ben Bernanke, Condoleezza Rice, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton amongst a host of other global power brokers have all convened in Chantilly Virginia to secretly discuss the future of the world - yet not one mainstream U.S. corporate media outlet has uttered a single word about the 2008 Bilderberg conference.

Bilderbergers seem to enjoy visiting the U.S. because they can be assured that in the "land of the free," the American "free press" are certain to follow orders and not print even a puff piece about a confab of over 125 of the globe's most influential movers and shakers.

Even if you accept the ludicrous claim of the debunkers - that Bilderberg is a mere "talking shop"

- do you still not think it odd that not one mainstream U.S. press outlet has even mentioned it in passing?

Tags: corporation, united states, politics

Iranian Clerics Tell the President to Leave the Theology to Them

Wed, 21 May 2008 02:51:08 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

TEHRAN — In his almost three years as president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been harshly criticized in the West. But he is increasingly drawing fire from Shiite clerics here, who accuse him of using religion to distract attention from his government’s failure to deliver on promises of prosperity and political freedoms.

In a news conference last week, the president lashed out at those who were “insulting and mocking” him about a Shiite belief that he said was based on Islamic teachings.

“Mr. Ahmadinejad’s remarks are common beliefs in Shiite Islam, but they were never brought up in politics and for political purposes by a noncleric,” said Farid Moddaressi, a religion reporter in Tehran. “Mr. Ahmadinejad’s views come from a religion which is defined by its clerics, but they believe that he is not a religious authority to make such remarks.”

Tags: iran, religion, politics

McCain's "Spiritual Guide" Wants America to Destroy Islam

Sat, 17 May 2008 05:04:42 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: bravenewfilms.org

You may have heard of Rev. John Hagee, the McCain supporter who said God created Hurricane Katrina to punish New Orleans for its homosexual "sins." Well now meet Rev. Rod Parsley, the televangelist megachurch pastor from Ohio who hates Islam. According to David Corn of Mother Jones, Parsley has called on Christians to wage war against Islam, which he considers to be a "false religion." In the past, Parsley has also railed against the separation of church and state, homosexuals, and abortion rights, comparing Planned Parenthood to Nazis.

[Video]

Tags: religion, united states, politics

US agrees to help Saudi Arabia develop civilian nuclear program

Fri, 16 May 2008 22:57:26 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: Ah, the word "civilian"!

Clip Source: www.jpost.com

President George W. Bush and King Abdullah formalized new cooperation on Friday between the kingdom and the United States on a range of topics, including the development of civilian nuclear energy in Saudi Arabia and US protection of Saudi oil fields.

The White House says the president's visit is intended, in part, to celebrate 75 years of formal US-Saudi relations. But the rising price of oil commanded attention.

Tags: united states, saudi arabia, nuclear, politics

Recordings of world leaders in historic policy meetings

Fri, 16 May 2008 20:08:24 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.princeton.edu

Off-the-record remarks by heads of state and prominent diplomats can be heard in sound recordings of meetings held by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) that are now available to researchers online through the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library. The digital audio from the meetings can be accessed via an electronic finding aid on the library's website.

The meetings span 1953 to 1989, and open records are available immediately. Records of the CFR are closed for 25 years from the date of creation, and audio files that currently are restricted will be opened on a yearly basis.

Given the off-the-record nature of the meetings, these recordings present insights into the opinions and ideas of these influential leaders.

Tags: history, audio, politics, library

US confession: Weapons were not made in Iran after all

Wed, 14 May 2008 20:56:07 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.campaigniran.org

In a sharp reversal of its longstanding accusations against Iran arming militants in Iraq , the US military has made an unprecedented albeit quiet confession: the weapons they had recently found in Iraq were not made in Iran at all.

According to a report by the LA Times correspondent Tina Susman in Baghdad: “A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran. A U.S. military spokesman attributed the confusion to a misunderstanding that emerged after an Iraqi Army general in Karbala erroneously reported the items were of Iranian origin. When U.S. explosives experts went to investigate, they discovered they were not Iranian after all.”

Tags: iran, united states, politics

Former President Carter To Be Tried For Peace Crimes

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:11:31 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.theonion.com

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND—An international peace-crimes tribunal commenced legal proceedings against former U.S. President Jimmy Carter for alleged crimes against inhumanity Monday.

"Jimmy Carter's political career includes a laundry list of anti-war-making offenses," said chief prosecutor Charles B. Simmons. "Carter's record of benevolence, diplomacy, and respect for human life is unrivaled in recent geopolitical history. For millions, the very sight of his face evokes memories of his administration's reign of tolerance."

The former president, whom Simmons described as "relentless in his naked pursuit of everlasting global peace," has been sought by peace-crimes officers in the international war-making community for decades.

Police apprehended Carter on July 25 in South Florida, where he was building low-income housing as a part of a Habitat For Humanity project. Shortly thereafter, he was extradited to Geneva, where he will be prosecuted for "grossly humane acts against all nations."

Tags: humor, politics

Friedman gets a pie!

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:42:32 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: And a clap for it as well.

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman was hit with a pie Tuesday during a speech at Brown. You can read about Friedman's speech and the pie incident here, or you can watch the video of the pieing below:

[Video]

Tags: politics

Israelis Claim Secret Agreement With U.S.

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:29:53 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

A letter that President Bush personally delivered to then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon four years ago has emerged as a significant obstacle to the president's efforts to forge a peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians during his last year in office.

Ehud Olmert, the current Israeli prime minister, said this week that Bush's letter gave the Jewish state permission to expand the West Bank settlements that it hopes to retain in a final peace deal, even though Bush's peace plan officially calls for a freeze of Israeli settlements across Palestinian territories on the West Bank. In an interview this week, Sharon's chief of staff, Dov Weissglas, said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reaffirmed this understanding in a secret agreement reached between Israel and the United States in the spring of 2005, just before Israel withdrew from Gaza.

Tags: united states, israel, politics

U.S. Jews get a new voice in Washington

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:15:07 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.iht.com

American Jews have formed a new pro-Israel lobby as an alternative to traditional organizations that they assert have often been impediments to progress in the Middle East because of their generally reflexive support of Israel.

Officials of the new group, called "J Street," say they believe the best way to bring security and peace to Israel is to help political candidates who support that country but will occasionally question some of its policies, like maintaining or expanding settlements in disputed territories.

For many who follow the intense and complex world of lobbying on Middle East issues in Washington, there is little doubt about the role J Street hopes to play in domestic U.S. politics - upsetting or at least diluting the influence of groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the formidable lobby that has long been the dominant voice of American Jewry with regard to U.S. Middle East policy.

"They're trying to be the un-Aipac,"

Tags: jews, united states, politics

Bill Foster

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:24:27 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.nature.com

At the age of 19, Bill Foster started a theatrical lighting company that now provides equipment for rock concerts and Super Bowl shows. A PhD at Harvard led him to Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois, where he built electronics for a quark detector. In an election win last month, he entered Congress as a Democratic representative for Illinois. Eric Hand caught up with him.

Tags: science, politics