The Green Movement – digging up dirt on the industrial lifestyle for 30 years …

The Green Movement started to flex it’s political muscles about 30 years ago here in Europe and became a serious power for change.

Alternative ideas have been around since the early 1960’s (like the Gaia hypothesis) and developed into a serious, but tiny political idea in the early 1970’s like the Club of Rome. 1968 saw worldwide student protests, but it took another ten years to transform these ideas and many splinter groups into a (more or less) coherent political movement called the Greens.

Strangely enough it was Germany, were the Green Movement had it’s first major impact – a country hardly known for revolutions and a big hunger for change.

The Green Party (Die Grünen) was the last big political Grassroots movement here in Germany (no, I don’t count the Re-Unification as such).

It was born out of a mixture of the strong peace movement (fuelled by the rage against stationing the Pershing II missiles in Germany), the 1968-Student-Protesters turned activists in the 1970’s  and the new alternative green culture (who fought for example for years in huge battles against the Police to stop a new terminal for the airport in Frankfurt).

Damn Hippies … oh wait – these are real politicians and they actually achieved something.

Compared to traditional parties the Greens really cared about pollution, saving the planet and new global social ideas. They were the first to advance the ideas to protect nature as well as the consumers on the table and later into law.

The Greens were part of a bigger cultural change in Germany (and later worldwide) – that was quite different from the extreme Left (like the Baader-Meinhof-Group) and re-emerging Neo-Nazis from the right.

We are not the old mainstream – we are going to be the new green mainstream …

Even "normal" people saw the need to fight pollution and simply get better food for their families.

The 1970’s and 1980’s showed us that Science and it’s industrial application were far from perfect.

Scandals like Pesticides in Mother’s Milk and most of all Chernobyl disaster showed us that these dangers were real and could no longer be ignored.

The Green Movement also introduced new and not so new esoteric ideas and thinking to the mainstream.

Slowly, but surely things like crystals for improving your health, your very own homeopathic emergency kit or working with "energy" became acceptable even to "non-hippies".

Are there any crystals that can heal stupidity?

Suddenly "old & ancient" ideas made a big comeback – often with a huge commercial campaigns behind them. We saw an explosion of things like Yoga Studios, Feng Shui Consultants and Ayurveda Shampoos.

The Green movement had always a pagan and slightly naive and childish "connection to mother nature", but smart old fashioned and new alternative companies made huge amounts of money with the people’s desire to be "greener" and less "violent" to nature (and save some cute animals on the way).

The Media always loved Green Protests, because they sell and make everybody feel good.

Although the Green movement (often in cooperation with activists from groups like Green Peace) presented hard scientific facts to underline their arguments, the Green Mainstream also cultivated a new form of pseudo-religious Green Guilt or Doomsday panic.

Like the Catholic Church (and many other religious institutions) the Green Movement as well as Green Companies have exploited the Green Guilt and Fear for the Environment.

The Mass Media also loves to exploit the Green Doomsday Fears.

One of the most overused images of green campaigns.

It’s easy to make fun of the Green Guilt and some of the stupider fringes of the Green Movement. Overall it was and still is a great political power that changed a lot!

Just walk in any Western Supermarket and you find many green / organic products that are usually way better than processed food.

Also environmental laws to protect nature have vastly improved in the last 30 years – thanks to the Green Movement and many crazy Green Campaigns. Conserving our Bio Diversity has become a mainstream agenda.

The Sunflower – symbol for Green Politics.

Globalization (and the protest against it) and Fair Trade are important topics thanks to the Green Movement (and no thanks to many so called Socialist Parties, who were slow to spot that "trend").

The whole topic of sustainable growth (LOHAS) is also born out of Green Ideas.

The Green Revolution has still a long way to go. There is still a lack of strong Green Parties in big countries like US or UK. Countries like China or Russia hardly care about Green Ideas, although they slowly adapt some measures to fight climate change.

Let’s see how much the Green Movement can achieve till 2030? The first 30 years were pretty impressive …

So it’s over – we are all doomed!

At least when you believe the international outcry over the failure of the Climate Conference in Copenhagen. Especially the Green Movement cried foul especially loud.

Gimme a break!

Anyone who seriously follow international politics knows that it is VERY hard to many countries to agree to a BINDING new international law. It is almost IMPOSSIBLE to get ALL countries to agree to a solution for such a complex problem.

So instead of a lot of public pressure and hysteria some smart diplomacy and solutions should have been produced – especially by the Green Movement.

Instead of one binding law / goal for all there should have been different levels of commitment: stricter ones for rich countries, who can afford to do more – and maybe more generic "gentler" ones for developing and poor nations.

Climate Change won’t be solved by one master plan – as exciting and mind pleasing that idea is. Instead we need to have many solutions and approaches to the problem.

One more thing: the bashing of the politicians was especially surreal and stupid.

They only acted based on the interested of their countries and economies. So they only reflected the greed and laziness of their people.

Neither Obama nor Wen Jiabao are responsible for the pollution and waste their countries create – it’s the millions of citizens that want to drive cars, eat loads of food and consume the newest goods. Just because the Chinese are not as rich as Americans doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be just as wasteful and greedy.

We are genetically programmed to want MORE of everything, because only the abundance and security of good supplies guarantees our offspring’s future and perpetuation of our DNA. We are built to deal with "modest" times – but we prefer plentifulness.

Unless consumers are truly willing to consume less or/and smarter, than climate change can be reversed. At the moment we need to reduce consume and invent new  sustainable ways of living. We are not there yet – so only a smarter handling of resources will work.

So Climate Change protest groups should create local groups and "harass" … I mean visit local people and "help" them to live greener.

Don’t ask politicians to "regulate" a greener lifestyle, because any limits set by them will create only sentiments against doing anything to prevent climate change. And politicians won’t pass the chance to "abuse" climate change laws to sneak in their own dirty deals.

We Europeans prefer our politicians weak and not as dashing as the Americans. Oke, Berlusconi is an exception …

But Herman Van Rompuy is a terrible and also fitting manifestation of Europe’s state: old, stiff and without a vision. Just a petty compromise, not a bold direction or force to drive us forward.

He will be a mediator and traffic warden for Brussels.

I don’t like Tony Blair – but at least he stands for something (you can oppose).

Plus our new President is against Turkey joining the EU, which I consider not very visionary.

From Wikipedia:

In 2004, he stated "An enlargement [of the EU] with Turkey is not in any way comparable with previous enlargement waves. Turkey is not Europe and will never be Europe." He continued "But it’s a matter of fact that the universal values which are in force in Europe, and which are also the fundamental values of Christianity, will lose vigour with the entry of a large Islamic country such as Turkey."

His words are once again painfully true –and complements my recent rant on Europe not defending it’s own values.

There was a big public outrage when the British BNP won two seats in the European Parliament in the last election.

The "good" British Public tried to ignore the "problem", but yesterday the BBC had invited the Parties Leader Nick Griffin on Question Time.

Question Time is a big institution in Britain – it’s a long running public forum, where voters and officials can debate and discuss issues.

Many people were angry at the BBC, because they think the Beep gives the BNP a big stage to spew it’s poison.

Obviously this edition of Question Time turned out to be a one sided bashing affair – Nick Griffin had to take a lot of criticism, mostly he had to eat his own words …

It is easy to "beat up" that right wing nutter and his whites-only-party.

But the sad reality is that Britain had racial tensions brewing for a long time. The recent population explosion (the biggest in the UK’s history) is mostly down to mostly "brown" immigrants having way more babies than Brits.

There also another factor: since most European societies are also aging rapidly it is becoming more conservative and protective. Suddenly grey Europeans see only "brown" people having babies – and it’s true: the Muslims / Immigrants birth rate is much higher than the "native" European one.

First of all this is a statistic reality. In same city areas there are more brown, than white people. Especially in harsh economic times this aggravates many people. This kind of Xenophobia is pretty normal and happens not just in Britain. Plus the old argument of "why do we allow immigration, when we have such a huge unemployment rate" always adds fuel to the fire.

Britain – as well as the rest of Europe – hasn’t really faced the reality of a strong and fast growing Muslim part of the population.

Especially Britain has allowed many extreme Muslim activist as well as radical preachers / Imans (often financed by Saudi Arabia) into the country. Often angry Muslims demonstrated violently against British politics. Plus many Muslims call for the introduction of Sharia Law in Britain. The terrorist attacks on London didn’t help either …

There is a Anti-Secular, Anti-Democracy and intolerant movement inside the British Muslim community, which can’t be ignored either. The racism is not strictly a white affair and some Muslims really do believe in conquering Europe via their wombs.

So this shift in population and basically reintroduction of strong influences of religion into public life and politics. Many people react negative to these new influences, the reactions range from frustration to outright anger. "So many people feel shutout in their own country." (Quote from Nick Griffin)

Britain’s immigration politics has been a failure in many areas. It has allowed more immigrants than the British Public actually could stomach.

So the BNP simply reflects the fringe racists as well as people who are simply angry about the failed immigration policy. So some of their anger and concern are legit.

As much as many leftist often turn a blind eye to religious fundamentalism and Muslim racism – the right also sticks to their ignorant doctrines as well.

Like I said before: Europe has not really faced it’s identity crises in face of a new religious pressure (which happens to be Islam). Based on the tragic events of racism and genocide during WWII plus the guilt from Colonialism has created a fake openness to other cultures.

It is not just Britain, but almost all European countries haven’t succeeded in integrating immigrants. The beloved idea of a multiethnic society proves harder to form than idealists hoped it would be. But also European politicians and citizens have forgotten to foster and evolve their own culture and historic values. So it’s no surprise that many people feel left alone and even abandoned in face of a new, strong and often aggressive "foreign" culture.

As a final part of the story one has to mention to new lower class and poverty in Europe that adds to that problem. The economic development in the last twenty years – thanks to the Free Market ideas Margaret Thatcher and constant pandering to big business – has eroded the middle class Europe. Poverty is on the rise and a new lower class has been created when the working class disappeared – thanks to the shift of factories to the east and Asia.

Underprivileged people in poverty are rarely tolerant or willing to share. And their anger of being left behind finds an easy target in foreigners, especially when they have to share public purse for social support with big waves of immigrants – as it happened in Britain in recent years.

So booing Nick Griffin on Question Time is so politically correct, but doesn’t solve the problem of racism nor the real concerns of immigration and poverty.

BBC News: Gaddafi want a Security Council Reform

Now this is how you say some obvious truths and combine it with great theatrics.

I agree that the UN Security Council is crap: it basically is a relic from WWII, it is neither fair, nor does it reflect the current global power situation. It’s just a a political instrument for the US, Russia, China and the Brits to play their global games. Yes, I know that the French are also part of it, but they don’t really play on a global scale anymore.

But a tyrant asking to reform an international institution is a great act of hypocrisy. He hardly runs his country on a fair and balanced basis …

Update: short video of Gaddafi

Let’s smash some shop windows – that will change the world!

During many (leftist) peaceful demonstrations against global warming, globalization, global finance and global anything there is always a hardcore "black block" ready to smash things up.

Political violence obviously works – if used correctly and not just to stupidly smash things up.

Democracy works by the separation of power and therefore regulated violence. The power of the streets certainly can change "the system" and influence politicians, but it’s always a question against whom you apply that pressure / violence.

Small shopkeepers are hardly "the system". Even smashing up a Bank or McDonalds won’t change anything and won’t impress anyone. They simply claim it as an insurance accident.

I have never heard of the "black block" attacking Lobbyists or Politicians directly. Why not storm a fundraiser sponsored by dirty industries? Or blockade a lobbyist agency or other policy wonks?

Attacking symbols of the system looks good on camera, but isn’t effective. Violence / pressure only works applied with brains and endurance.

Otherwise the political power is wasted and your stupid violent action makes you the laughing stock of your opponents.

I know it’s a bit late and outdated, but still worth watching and highly entertaining – if you have a dark soul like me.

Thanks Mr Brooker!

BBC News: MPs’ expenses in detail, Speaker quits ‘for sake of unity’ and A guide to what the expenses furore is all about 

British Members of Parliament have abused an all to willing expenses system to enhance their wages. In recent weeks more and more of the abuses have come to light and all big parties tried to come clean … somehow.

Now the more or less honourable Speaker of the House was forced to resign, because he was head of the expenses system and (ab-)used it as well. He was hardly the most serious offender …

Once again it shows that politicians can’t "oversee" themselves. Even reasonable checks and balances don’t work if it’s done by people within or to close to the "system" they should control.

Citizens and the Press are required to stick their noses into the affairs of the so called elites. There is no system that can make it all perfect, sooner or later loopholes are found or installed.

People in power have to be watched. Not because they are all bad, but because power and money are always too tempting for some. But most important: it’s the job of the voters to watch those they voted into power.

Democracy is not a nice automatic process – it’s constant work for all. Only an active electorate guarantees "clean politics".

In Britain there will be a big ruckus, some changes, some ghastly figures will disappear (and reappear in other positions).

I can understand flashy nudity to attract attention from the media and angering more conservative people. But nakedness is hardly as provocative as it used to be.

And what does your nakedness express apart from you having no new ideas?

Sure there are many metaphors to explain this: being naked equals vulnerability, nakedness can also imply a certain naturalistic innocence. But as a political statement, especially regarding political protest against global bankers and brokers it’s a bit daft.

It was a very symbolic meeting from a historical point of view. Obama represents for me not only the US of A, but "brown people" of all developing nation: India, Brazil, Iran, South Africa, Indonesia etc.

So far the world’s power has been in the hands of White People. It’s time for more colour and new blood …

The Anti-Everything-Coalition currently wrecking London’s City district is a coalition of many groups. So it’s no surprise that their message(s) are a bit mixed up.

Overall I find a lack of alternative concepts appalling and disappointing. Some want less globalization. Some want more fair trade. Some want no capitalism. Some want justice.

Well we can’t turn the clocks back. More justice is always a good thing, but first we have to agree on what "just" means. And the good thing about globalization is that you can live in almost any country you like (like North Korea). The other good thing in democratic countries is, that you can start a lobby group or join a political party to create "change" my dear protestors.

Once you join real political work you’ll find out that most people don’t want change at all – just perfect security and a nanny state that keeps them "happy".

Protests and the will for political change "infects" most people when the situation is already bad. We need better ways of hitting the streets when it’s too late – we need more active and engaged citizens who watch politicians, companies and other (lazy) citizens as well.

The world leaders met and the protestors come as well. It’s a modern ritual and a boring one. Suddenly all protest groups come together and shake their angry fists against those "ugly" politicians. And many people joined in this time, because of the financial crisis.

Well, I applaud your protests. The pressure from the streets is still necessary, because Mousetivism on the Internet hardly works.

But please – try to build a smarter political protest movement. The G20 / G7 / G8 protest seem too automatic – you sound more like Pavlov’s dog, ready to drool and bark when the bell rings.

And I don’t think you need to protest against politicians and bankers alone – why don’t you divert some anger at ignorant consumers and voters as well. Unless voters pay more attention to politics and the economy nothing will change. We need to own our societies and put some effort into understanding and shaping it. Most people just don’t care – and so they are basically handing their money and their future to the politicians and bankers – unchecked and uncontrolled.

Power always needs checks and balances. And a good citizen should never be ignorant or lazy.

Apart from being a never ending source for sarcasm, pain and humor we won’t miss ya …

Time to clear a lot of brush in Texas.

Public Negro #1

It’s done: Bush out, the dynamic black dude sworn in and ready to rock the world. The Obama-Mania at it’s zenith.

But the backlash is already waiting for America and it will be ugly …

Read the rest of this entry »

This is becoming an annual ritual: Russia and Ukraine fight over the gas bill – and the supplies for the rest of Europe are cut off or seriously limited.

And once again it happens.

The reasons why Russia fights with the Ukraine are superficial. Russia simply wants to force the Ukraine back under it’s political sphere of influence. The Ukraine is smart enough to getting closer to Europe – maybe a EU and Nato membership. And that pisses of the Russians, who still consider Ukraine a Russian province.

Cutting of the gas supplies is not just a warning to the Ukraine, but to all of Europe: "If you come any closer we fuck you up!"

Russian strongman politics at it’s best and Europe needs to help the Ukraine to stop czar Putin.

I actually SUPPORT these politics. The sooner Europe realized we simply can’t rely on Russia and it’s erratic behavior and childish Hyperpower fantasies the better.

Alternative fuels must be pushed harder and developed sooner to end the dependency on foreign (read mostly Russian) gas and oil.

America still is the biggest Hyperpower, but thanks to Dick and George it has lost most of it’s international gravitas. I expect Obama to be very busy trying to fix the biggest problems without really changing much in his first year in office.

I just hope that he won’t punished for his visions and attitude like Jimmy Carter was. Remember: President Carter installed a Solar Panel on the White House – and el Doofus Ronald Reagan had it removed.

Change is needed – now more then thirty years ago.

Be gone Satan and all your damn cronies as well.

Why do so many "just" revolutionaries turn into tyrannical old bastards?

Plus BBC News: Leaders welcome G20 action plan

It is amazing to see how all these leaders from almost all leading nations are failing. It’s not just failure. They are making things worse. They just throw more and more public money they don’t have at huge corporations without a long term plan or strings attached.

Neither the bankers nor the Auto industry have to follow any rules, pay a "price" or "change" in any way to get the money. The same people that have failed their companies, stockholders and the markets are still in command in most of these greedy enterprises.

Why not let these companies goes bankrupt and let proper bankruptcy laws and management take over and get rid of these failed companies?

Otherwise they will be back in six or twelve months asking again for more money. And these bailouts are unfair. There are companies that haven’t failed. They are punished and have to deal with hugely subsidized competitors in the future.

Neither the "free markets" work nor does the "nanny state".

And we all have to watch the all these managers and politicians fail us again and again.

We are used that the Americans are the most wasteful and resource devouring nation on earth. But China is currently overtaking the Americans being number one in so many things: pollution, energy and food consumption.

China’s hunger for concrete, oil, milk and so many other commodities has raised prices and shifted the markets focus to Asia. (India’s rising middle class is also developing a growing appetite.)

It certainly is a great opportunity for other nations to supply the needs of China, but especially with the growing environmental problems the Asian huge hunger for almost everything is more a threat than an opportunity.

But neither the west, nor the far east are really willing to slow down or make serious efforts to cut down their energy, pollution and food appetites.

China defends it’s hunger with the necessity of upgrading it’s vast country up to western standards. And how can the west demand from China not to modernize?

President Bush is now on his way out – but still the world is not save. There still could be a final act of stupidity that will cause the world or the American people some serious trouble?

And what about all the turkeys we haven’t heard of? I am pretty sure that after January the 20th a great many people will come forward and tell us nasty things that have happened under the rule of Mad King George and Dart Cheney.

And poor President Obama. He and his time will have to start the biggest cleanup in history.

Political debates are hardly a modern invention – I think it started already with Caveman arguing who will lead the clan.

In Athens all males could simply join the political debate themselves, by simply turning up and speaking.

With ever bigger Kingdoms and Nation States being there personally didn’t work anymore. Sure you could visit your national parliment and maybe listen to the talks.

With the invention of the newspaper and journals political speeches were once again accessible to the masses. If you read some of Abraham Lincoln oral masterpieces you would be surprised who eloquent, deep and highly educated these speeches were. Simply amazing – I bet most modern journalists are hardly able to write the way Lincoln could simply speak to his voters.

But most importantly: speeches were reduced to words. What the candidates said was more important than their looks, gestures and personality.

Even with the advent of radio this didn’t change much – apart that you could ‘read’ more the personality of each candidate by listening closely.

Today the debates are no longer debates anyway – because the format has devolved into a simple phrase exchange.

But the candidate himself is the message today – not what he / she is saying. It’s all about image, not about content.

Just watch these …

I am a huge fan of Bill Maher. His and Jon Stewards wits helped us bloody foreigners to believe that the progressive and intellectual heart of America hasn’t died.

Being progressive means making progress – moving forward. But already during the last season the jokes were stale and predictable, the outrage had turned into professional satire.

Most of all: many funny guests were rather “unhelpful” by being totally disconnected or adding stupidity instead of sharp and witty remarks.

The new seasons started last weekend – and it seems more of the same. So I expect many old faces from last season as well as the same lame comments and jokes.

Like Keith Olbermann Bill Maher seems to have founds his audience and is raking in the praise he deserves. But please don’t fall asleep …

No matter how much you tune- or sex-up a liar – he will always be a crook. The truth might be brutal, but it never needs a tune-up to be more truthful.

The games in Beijing are a farce. China should never been chosen as a host. The Chinese communists have thrown thousands of Dissidents and Tibetans into jails to make sure there are no ‘unhappy’ protests.

In recent days there was an uproar by the global media because they don’t have free access to the net in their Olympic press center. Buhuhu! When will these journalists wake up and realize that this is NORMAL for Chinese citizens?

Still the IOC clings to it decisions and plays along with the tyrannical leaders of China.

These won’t be happy games – these will be perfect games without a soul and laughter. For China it’s one huge political PR event – for internal and external propaganda.

But not only the IOC should at least be ashamed of itself. The same is true for all the official sponsors: Coca Cola, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Kodak, McDonalds, Panasonic, Samsung, VISA, Omega, Addidas, VW, UPS – to name the biggest.

But these sponsor ‘worry’ that their brand may become ‘tainted’ by the games. Ohhhhh!

Tibetan streets are still ‘tainted’ by Chinese police. 

Wow. Once again I recommend these corporate types a vacation in a Chinese prison – there you will learn what real problems are and that their greed is just that greed.

I am a big fan of the American liberal TPM media, because they look at the details of American politics and media interaction. Today the media is so self obsessed that it creates it’s own politics around politics. So called experts and pundits are framing the issues where there are none – and create a storm of media attention where it is wasted. Big issues like the war in Afghanistan get under-reported.

The clip above perfectly illustrates how one false citation can keep the cable network news happy and busy for a whole day. The pundits simply create work for themselves. This is not journalism, but simply a propaganda business that has nothing to do with the real needs of people and essential political issues.

God bless America and TPMtv!

What Ms Sklar clearly describes in this interview has been happening all over the industrial and advances countries: the middle class is disappearing and a new form of class system has been forming since the 1980’s.

Thank you Mr Reagan and Ms Thatcher for establishing the greedy philosophy of "free markets", "trickle down economic" and "market democracy". It simply isn’t a social way to run a society and establish a "just" economy.

Social societies are a GOOD thing. Capitalism is good, but it needs oversights and corrections to work for the benefit of all and not just a few people.

After all that bullshit – this expresses my thoughts perfectly (at the last quarter of this video). Thanks Bill!

Where are the Burgers?

Pope Bene doesn’t seem to have the traveling bug like his Polish predecessor. But at least he made it to the US of A – and received a Presidential pickup at the airport. Something Bush has never done before.

One has to wonder how much political power is left with the Catholic Church? It certainly is much weaker in Europe, but seems to flourish in the Americas and Asia. Especially in the new capitalistic China people long for a “meaning” now that they are richer on one side and “feel” emptier in a harsher consumerist society. Weird.

I really hope Pope Bene will publicly kicks Bush’s ass for being a torturer and war criminal – and make some day a stand for Tibet.

Veracifier – aka Joshua Micah Marshall – is a brilliant political blogger / journalist. His analyses and videos on YouTube usually are the best extracts and insight into the current American political events. Highly recommended for anyone who is into more minute details of American politics …

Time Magaine’s choices for the person of the year haven’t always been ‘nice’ ones. People like Hitler made the list. But this is not about being nice, but about being influential.

Vladimir Putin has changed Russia and put it back on the world stage – after that drunken and chaotic Boris Jelzin a big change. (See also this BBC News video)

He certainly was one of the most dominating characters of 2007. See also Time Magazine’s other choices …

Once again the somewhere a Muslim mob goes bonkers and wants to kill someone for an insult. Once again the West shakes it’s head and tries to understand all the madness about a Teddy Bear named Mohammed. Once again we secular people try to reassure ourselves that only a few radical Muslims are willing to kill poor Gillian Gibbons. Once again the secular people in the West fail to understand that Religion can’t be tolerated, because it will always breed idiocy and violence.

Highly recommended: read some of the comments on the BBC website regarding the current situation with Ms Gibbons and Sudan. Plus: learn how governments once again play the religious card to make petty politics.

BBC News: China in Africa: Developing ties 

An excellent BBC article about China’s efforts in Africa. Highly recommended when you want to know why the US and Europe are loosing ground to the Chinese long term strategy.

From all the debates and my tiny insight to American politics I like Joe Biden the best. He seems to have the best grip on reality and foreign politics. He won’t be elected of course – not enough money and not enough Chuck Norris (I am not kidding – watch Mike Huckabee’s campaign video). Smart guys simply don’t do well in US politics.

But MAYBE he will be vice president or Secretary of State – if the DEMs make it to the White House in 2008.

More? Watch some campaign videos on YouTube JoeBidendotcom.

No battle plan survives any contact with politicians. 

Appeasing public opinion, winning a battle and winning the war are three very different things. Usually all three are lost while trying to win all three objectives.

Not to speak of the hearts & minds of the natives you try to liberate …

Guys: Political importance equals height.

Gals:  Hotness equals financial potency of husband.

We are marching for new gimmicks!

Telegraph: Vladimir Putin rearms his Cold War military

Tsar Putin’s strong man rhetoric is a necessity of Russia tough internal politics. Showing strength and determination is important for a country that has lost it’s strength and social integrity.

So Putin’s plan to massively update the Russian armed forces makes perfect sense: since the fall of the Soviet Union the formerly huge Army, Navy and Airforce is in total disarray. Many ships, tanks, atomic subs and airplanes are no more than scrap metal and often a health hazards for soldiers and civilians alike. In the darkest days after the fall of the Soviet empire soldiers went for months without pay – the troops moral and integrity totally wrecked.

From the Telegraph article.

Russia desperately needs modernization and a moral boost. So the oil money from the recent years is used to buy new military hardware, upgrade the infrastructure and show strength – internally and externally.

I need new legs!

Compared to the US budget the Russian military spending is a joke. Plus the US has military bases all around Russia. Many former satellite states – which have been like buffer zones – have broken away. Many of them are now in bed with America and some are even host to US military bases. So no surprise the Russians feel the extra need to boost their own military power.

More? Wikipedia for Russian Armed Forces

I love the BBC. They always produce challenging series and try to support public education and discussion. I can’t add much to what the website has to say about itself and the project:

Democracy is arguably the greatest political buzzword of our time and is invoked by everyone – but what does it mean? Can it be defined, measured, safeguarded? Can it be sold, bought, and transplanted? Can it grow? Can it die? What does it mean to people who can’t even talk about it? What does it mean to people who don’t believe in it? What does it mean to you?

In October 2007, ten one-hour films focused on contemporary democracy will be broadcast in the world’s largest ever factual media event. More than 40 broadcasters on all continents are participating, with an estimated audience of 300 million viewers. Each of the broadcasters – an A-Z which includes everyone from Al Arabiya to ZDF – will be producing a locally-based seasons of film, radio, debate and discussion to tie in with the global broadcast of the Why Democracy? films.

The films are made by independent award-winning filmmakers from around the world, including China, India, Japan, Liberia, USA, Bolivia, Denmark, Afghanistan, Egypt, Pakistan and Russia. With subjects ranging from US torture methods to the election of a class monitor in a Chinese primary school to the Danish Cartoons scandal, the films take a wide-ranging and in-depth look at the world we live in today.

That’s not all. We are creating 20 thought-provoking short films, dealing with personal, political and rights issues around the theme ‘What does democracy mean to me?’  These films will be available to view on whydemocracy.net.

Please take some time to watch all ten episodes online. Highly recommended. And it provides you with insights you hardly find in most of the mainstream media (reports).

More? Official Homepage

Shock and Awe Georgian style. A troubled former Soviet state still under the influence of Russia. Most of the former satellites struggle to keep their nations and democracies running – like the Ukraine.

Georgia actually is a very old nation – goes way back to antiquity. We can only hope for the best and support these emerging states to find their own peaceful way. One way is to oppose Tsar Putin and offer these vulnerable countries trade and security treaties. The EU and the US have both been slow to give staunch support. (And no, giving a missile shield and military bases to some of them is rather a military provocation to Russia instead of steady trade and exchange).