Clipmarks | Foreign policy Clips

obama on africa

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:04:24 GMT

[Video]

After the global financial crisis comes the global humanitarian crisis?

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:47:43 GMT

clipped by: petercasier
clipper's remarks: What means a billion, a trillion if you survive on less than a dollar a day?

Clip Source: www.theroadtothehorizon.org

It seems like 2008 is becoming the year of global crisis. First we were faced with the worldwide food crisis, swiftly followed by, what now seems to be, a collapse of major financial institutions.

The question now is: how much money will be left for international aid?

Tags: economy, bail-out, humanitarian, aid, foreign policy, un, food crisis, news

America's Israeli-Occupied Media

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:21:30 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks: During the Six-Day War, Israel attacked and nearly sank the USS Liberty belonging to its closest ally, the USA. Thirty-four American servicemen were killed in the two-hour assault by Israeli warplanes and torpedo boats. Israel claimed that the whole affair had been a tragic accident based on mistaken identification of the ship. The American government accepted the explanation.

Dead In The Water - The Sinking of the USS Liberty - 69 min

Documentary 'The Israel lobby - The influence of AIPAC on US Foreign Policy' - 51 min

Clip Source: mwcnews.net

There should be little doubt that the Israeli government is making every effort to jump-start a war against Iran

A flurry of visits to Israel

have made clear that there is considerable opposition at the Pentagon and in intelligence circles to starting a third war at this time.

Iran is still far removed from having nuclear capability. Mullen went so far as to tell the Israelis flatly that Washington does not want another war. He even brought up the subject of the USS Liberty, a not-so subtle hint that Washington knows that Israel might try to engineer a Gulf of Tonkin-type surprise to force American involvement.

Mullen may have been implying that any incident in the Persian Gulf that might lead to armed conflict will be scrutinized carefully to determine if it is a false flag operation initiated by Tel Aviv.

the mainstream media

provides a bully pulpit for those who want war. The media

accepts the framework of the Iran "problem" as defined by Washington and Tel Aviv

Senator Hothead

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:08:14 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: www.cbsnews.com

senior Obama foreign policy adviser Susan Rice argued on a campaign conference call that there is "a pattern here of recklessness" when it comes to John McCain's approach to national security.

At that, Danzig played ball. "I think John McCain is well-known for 'losing it' in a variety of circumstances," he said -- something which has potential policy implications.

Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin (Ill.) and Barbara Boxer (Calif.), in separate interviews, talked about McCain's propensity to "explode," regardless of the circumstances.

"The thought of him being president sends a cold chill down my spine," Cochran said. "He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."

He's a flip-flopper. And he's out of touch. And he's frequently confused and befuddled. And he's an angry candidate running a desperately negative campaign. And he's self-righteous. And he's a hypocrite. And he's surprisingly immature and dishonest.

New BBC Series on America

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:29:01 GMT

clipped by: abailart
clipper's remarks: The first episode of The American Future: A History will be broadcast on Friday 10 October on BBC Two at 9pm BST. There are three further episodes on subsequent Fridays, at the same time, covering war, faith, and immigration.

Video at source. Series will perhaps we available at BBC site.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Barack Obama's emergence as a presidential candidate in the US represents a profound change in the American psyche, distinguished historian Simon Schama argues in his new series for the BBC, The American Future.

He says that although Americans have a belief in their country as a "city on a hill" - a shining example to others - they are not complacent about the economic and foreign policy issues facing the US.

Americans are by no means as militaristic as the rest of the world seems to believe, he says, with the debate about how big the military should be going right back to the Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.

But Professor Schama believes that one of America's great strengths is its ability to re-invent itself at the time of crisis.

And at the moment America's self-image is being remade.

Tags: simon schama, american politics, history

Moscow calls for anti-U.S. alliance

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:31:15 GMT

clipped by: spirithiker
clipper's remarks: While Russia has insisted it was not intending to supplant NATO, Mr Medvedev made it clear that the US-dominated alliance was partly responsible for the war in the Caucasus by its failure to rein in Georgian "aggression".

This is the result of the U.S. throwing its weight around the world for far too long. It is human nature that if one person is constantly directing policy onto everyone else then that person is going to be knocked down for being perceived as a bully.

The time has come for the U.S. to relax its role as self appointed world police and let other nations handle their own affairs or we will be “uninvited to the party”.

Hopefully, future U.S. presidents will bury this old school ‘might is right’ mentality that Bush/Cheney revitalized when they took office.

Clip Source: www.canberratimes.com.au

THE President of Russia has called on Europe's leaders to create a new world order that would minimise the role of the United States.

Mr Medvedev spoke of a Russia that was "absolutely not interested in confrontation", and outlined plans for a new security pact to ban the use of force in Europe.

Mr Medvedev sought to show that the US was at the root of all the world's problems. He blamed Washington's "economic egotism" for the world's financial woes and then accused the Bush Administration of taking Europe to the brink of a new cold war by pursuing a deliberately divisive foreign policy.

While he called for a cooling of the noxious rhetoric that had blighted East-West relations over the past two years, Mr Medvedev clearly laid the blame for the deterioration on the US, which he said was again viewing Russia through the prism of the Cold War. "Sovietology, like paranoia, is a very dangerous disease, and it is a pity that part of the US Administration still suffers from it," he said.

Tags: russia, u.s., foreign policy, cowboys, bush, cheney

Palin On Foreign Policy

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:33:46 GMT

clipped by: glennbah
clipper's remarks: Old stuff, but still worth the look......

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

Palin On Foreign Policy

[Video]

Over 70 Percent Of CEOs Fear An Obama Presidency Will Be A Disaster

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:35:37 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: “Overall, many CEOs are concerned about the future of the U.S. economy and its ability to compete in the global market, but they look to John McCain and hope that this self-described political maverick may yet shake up established thinking and not give into to the tired policies of the past,” concluded Kopko

Clip Source: www.chiefexecutive.net

Even though CEOs rated McCain’s policies over Obama’s in the most recent polling, their support came with reservations, as can be witnessed by the B- grade given to McCain’s overall policies. McCain received strong marks for defense and foreign policy but only a C+ on energy, environment and education. Conversely, Barack Obama’s overall plan received a barely passing C- with four out of eight policy areas receiving D grades. Neither candidate received an A.

Policy Areas	Grade for Obama	Grade for McCain
Energy Policy	C-	C+
Economic/Fiscal Policy	D+	B-
Foreign Policy	D+	B
Defense Policy	D+	B+
Environmental Policy	C+	C+
Educational Policy	C+	C+
Tax Policy	D	B-
Healthcare Policy	C-	C+
OVERALL	C-	B-

In expressing their rejection of Senator Obama, some CEOs who responded to the survey went as far as to say that “some of his programs would bankrupt the country within three years, if implemented.” In fact, the poll highlights that Obama’s tax policies, which scored the lowest grade in the poll

Clip Source: www.clubforgrowth.org

Tags: ceo's ratings, presidential candidates, mccain, obama, u.s.competition, global economy, policies on tax, decrease governmental spending

Palin's Foreign Policy Experience - 20 Meetings for a total of 12 hours

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:11:46 GMT

clipped by: BobbyRutan
clipper's remarks: Examples:

March 10, 2007 -- Palin hosts the annual Fur & Ice reception in Fairbanks for about 30 diplomats and international tourism representatives. A Palin press release issued before the event noted, "Governor Sarah Palin will welcome members of Alaska's diplomatic corps to Fairbanks to view the ice carvings of Ice Alaska's 2007 World Ice Art Championship." Following the afternoon reception, Palin attends the NCAA rifle championships.

March 19, 2007 -- Palin meets with 10 foreign exchange students.

May 15, 2007 -- Palin holds a "brief courtesy" meeting with Martin Uden, then the head of the British consulate in San Francisco. The calendar notes, "He'll be visiting Juneau today off of one of the Cruise Ships."

Clip Source: www.motherjones.com

Calendars Show Gov. Palin's Foreign Policy Experience: About 20 Meetings for About 12 Hours

after John McCain picked her to be the GOP's vice presidential nominee, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin claimed that her foreign policy credentials were enhanced because "you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska." She also pointed out that she had experience dealing with trade delegations

Later, asked by CBS News' Katie Couric if she had ever participated in negotiations with Russia, Palin said, "We have trade missions back and forth. We—we do—it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia

the calendars tracking Palin's official meetings

as governor contain not one listing indicating she ever met with a Russian official.

the 562 pages of her daily schedules

indicate that Palin had few meetings at all with any foreign representatives and rarely dealt with any topic related to foreign policy

Clip Source: farm2.static.flickr.com

Clip Source: www.motherjones.com

Palin spent

12 hours over the course of 19 months on these meetings

Tags: stunning foreign policy experience

Petraeus Talk Bolsters Obama

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:58:31 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: Cont....

Petraeus also came out unambiguously in his talk at Heritage for opening communications with America’s adversaries, a position McCain is attacking Obama for endorsing. Citing his Iraq experience, Petraeus said, “You have to talk to enemies.” He added that it was necessary to have a particular goal for discussion and to perform advance work to understand the motivations of his interlocutors.

Yet Petraeus emphasized throughout his lecture that reaching out to insurgent groups — some “with our blood on their hands,” he said — was necessary to the ultimate goal of turning them against irreconcilable enemies like Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Clip Source: washingtonindependent.com

Throughout Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign, the Republican nominee has wrapped himself in the mantle of U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, proclaiming himself the leading advocate of the former commanding general in Iraq who devised last year’s controversial troop surge. Yet during a talk Wednesday about Iraq at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington policy organization, Petraeus repeatedly made statements that bolstered the foreign-policy proposals of Sen. Barack Obama, McCain’s Democratic rival, or cut against McCain’s own lines.

Petraeus relinquished command in Iraq last month. He assumes responsibility for U.S. Central Command later this month, putting him in charge of U.S. forces in the Middle East and South Asia.

Petraeus pointed to efforts by Hamid Karzai’s government to negotiate a deal with the Taliban that would potentially bring some Taliban members back to power, saying that if they are “willing to reconcile,” it would be “a positive step.”

Tags: patreaus, mccain, obama, afghanistan, iraq

Cuba's contribution to public health

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:39:13 GMT

clipped by: gingembre
clipper's remarks: If Cuba can do this, why can't the USA and Canada?

Clip Source: story.brazilsun.com

Cuba breaks national record with 200,000 medical students
Brazil Sun
Thursday 9th October, 2008
(IANS)

Cuba broke its record for domestic and foreign students studying medical sciences in the communist island country, with a total of 200,000 this year, the Communist Party daily Granma reported citing public health ministry sources.

Close to 23,000 of the students are foreigners, most of them coming from developing countries, Granma said, claiming that this is a result of the Cuban government's 'traditional policy of internationalistic solidarity.'

Cuba holds its free health system as a flagship government programme. At Cuban universities medical sciences include medicine, stomatology (study of mouth and its diseases), nursing, health technology and health psychology.

Cuba has four medical science institutes, 24 schools of medicine, four of stomatology and four devoted to nursing and technology, Granma said. More than 26,000 people teach medical science courses on the island.

Tags: cuba, medicine

The Ironic Rule of Law

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:32:51 GMT

clipped by: serial_number
clipper's remarks: Did they copy this from a US Justice Department press release? First they pirate our DVDs and now our legalistic dissembling! Pioneering torture policy authors like John Yoo are apt to be pretty steamed.

Clip Source: voanews.com

In 2006, U.S. authorities released five Uighurs from Guantanamo and sent them to Albania.

Now, though, the Bush administration has been having a harder time finding a third country to accept the Chinese Muslims. The White House fears the detainees could be tortured if they are turned over to China.

Qin Gang talks to reporters in Beijing

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said fears of persecution are not valid.

Qin says people who worry that the Uighurs will be tortured if returned to China have a "biased mind." He says China is a country ruled by law, and that Chinese law forbids torture.

Tags: torture

Neoconservatism, the Israeli Lobby, and other Power Relations

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:40:23 GMT

clipped by: Seosamh Dalzell

Clip Source: www.cassiopaea.org

The unipolarists emphasize that the United States is not like other nations but also maintain that other nations should be more like it, without a doubt supported in the long imagined idea that their country is an exception to history.[16] In turn, exceptionalism supports the argument that military power must be returned to the centre of American foreign policy. For early neoconservatives of the 1970s, foreign policy in the post-Vietnam era had become too liberal and soft, and unwilling to confront Soviet expansionism. Years later they argued that during the Clinton era the United States was not taken seriously as a global military power because of his reluctance to use real force in Iraq; and when enemies stop fearing the United States, they are emboldened to strike.[17]

ECAP says US policy in Iraq and Afghanistan leads to insecurity and instability

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:17:03 GMT

clipped by: tommy2balmy
clipper's remarks: Abutorabi-fard urged all countries, Asian states in particular, to help solve major challenges facing the present world through bilateral cooperation and consultations.

The two-day meeting of the Executive Council of Asian Parliament opened in Tehran on Wednesday morning with a speech by Majlis speaker Ali Larijani.

Clip Source: www2.irna.ir

Iran-ECAP-US
The United States wrong policies have led to continued insecurity and instability in Iraq and Afghanistan, said chairman of a major regional meeting on Wednesday.

Chairman of the meeting of Executive Council of Asian Parliaments (ECAP), Mohammad-Hassan Abutorabi-fard called for the quick withdrawal of the occupying forces from the two war-ravaged countries.

"US military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan which were launched under the pretext of fight against terrorism and weapons of mass destruction have inflicted heavy damage on peoples of the two countries," Abutorabi-fard said.

"Now it is time for the foreign forces to leave those countries and hand over the power to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan," he suggested.

The chairman further criticized the ongoing unilateralism at the international arena saying that big powers were trying to misuse the issue of globalization in order to marginalize the developing countries.

Tags: iran, ecap, war on terror, us

Who lost the debate? Tom Brokaw, for his lack of control.

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:29:08 GMT

clipped by: Nathan_7870

Clip Source: blogs.courant.com

I like and respect Tom Brokaw, but he lost control of this second presidential debate Tuesday night in Tennessee. There was little engagement, no real follow-up and everytime time became an issue, Brokaw blamed candidates Barack Obama and John McCain for not abiding by the rules they negotiated.

Wrong. As moderator, Brokaw has to play the bad guy. If a candidate is going long, you cut him off. Simple. Brokaw was too deferential and it resulted in a tepid debate.

For example, if the time limit is approaching, a simple: "10 seconds Senator'' would suffice, then the moderator has to jump in and say "time, sir.''

Once the rules are set, the moderator runs the show and should be given broad latitude to pep things up if he/she so chooses.

There were great opportunties to engage on issues such as the candidates' budget plans, foreign policy and where they differed philosophically.

In grading Round 2 of the presidential debates I'd have to give this a Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.