what kind of shit is this?

http://tinyurl.com/l4c7qg

I've heard of wishful thinking before, but this is just ridiculous. Now, granted, Mr. Nelson is a member of the armed services committee, so he's probably just grandstanding. But, regaurdless of that, how could anyone possibly imagine that the Russians would be ok with a device being parked on their border that nuetralizes their strongest foriegn policy device. Mr. Ben Nelson, a hearty fuck you to an extremely stupid take on Russian policy coming from a man who ought to know better.

Those wacky North Koreans

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/world/asia/17korea.html?_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimes

New strategy

I've come up with a new strategy that I think will enable me to give this blog a wider scope. From now on I will be posting articles photos and videos in addition to those relevant to the topic that I am discussing. This will give my blog more content, and allow for a more well rounded coverage of current events. Also, I would encourage people to post on the blog with their own articles, videos and photos in addition to their thoughts and opinions, so this can become an effective forum for public discussion about the events that shape our world.

Riots in Tehran

sick of Iran

The mainstream media has gotten a hold of the Iranian election story. Iranian presidents don't have much power, their elections have never been particularaly free or fair, and this current election cycle, while a little depressing, is pretty much the status quo. As such I will not be a part of the American propoganda machine that is going rabid over the election result, I will be discontinuing my coverage of this issue.

a disputed election

Well, Iran's election is over. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is still the president. In an election that featured debates (unheared of) and a real alternative to abrasive populist policies, the status quo has triumphed. The result is being contested by Ahmadinejad's defeated rivals, who claim electoral fraud and government conspiracy carried the day, and not Mr. Ahmadinejad. This seems likely given the president's large margin of victory, in what by all accounts seemed to be a very tight race Friday. Likely nothing will come of the complaint, as supreme leader Ali Khamenei clearly favors Ahmadinejad as his president of choice.
It was nice to see Iranians rise up and protest against a government that they feel does not represent them though, even if their election was stolen and they were beaten up by riot police for their troubles. I wonder what the Israelis think of all this?

An energized populace

Iranian elections, fraud or freedom?

I thought this was interesting.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8097617.stm

The Iranian presidential elections are wrapping up right now, and the country’s youthful population is enthusiastically joining in after years of declining voter turnout. Both of the front runners, the conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the somewhat less conservative Mir Hossein Mousavi, are claiming victory at this point, but it's still early in the vote counting process.

Likely neither candidate will get the 50% of the vote needed to avoid a run off with whoever finishes second. Accordingly, pretty much nothing is settled at this point except that Ahmadinejad and Mousavi will be the two to run off in the next round.

Of course Iran's government is still headed by an unelected religious council led by supreme leader Ali Khamenei, so none of this really matters. When it comes to military and domestic policy, Iran is still an autocratic theocracy. But, the enthusiasm of Iran's voting population in this election does show that the people of Iran are starting to wax progressive, and that is encouraging.

One hot button issue that will make the Americans cringe is that both of the front runners are in favor of continuing the Iranian nuclear program. Many Americans rightfully fear a nuclear holocaust could be set off should the Iranians try to use nuclear clout against Israel.

This would of course fuck with the America’s oil supply, which is agood way to provoke the end of the world.

And God help us all if the Russians get involved.

Regardless of the outcome of this relatively meaningless election,

one can only hope that this mass mobilization of Iran's youth will lead to a positive outpouring of reformist fervor. Iran

needs this. If this political up swell is stifled by election fraud or political repression, youthful hope and zeal could lead to widespread violence, or even worse, soviet style apathy.

I apologize for the formating issues. I'm still new to this game and I will get them resolved

Day one (and so it begins)

I am a recluse by nature. I am now ready to speak out. I've picked a random topic for today, but I hope my focus will become defined in the weeks and months ahead. That said, enough about me. I am not the story.

Enter Iran and North Korea. Exit sanity. While it can be said that both of these regimes have been subjected to a vigorous US led propaganda campaign, it can also be said that the aforementioned propaganda campaign is well deserved. Both of these countries have dismal human rights records. It is illegal to be gay in Iran, and it is illegal to do anything accept kiss Kim Jong Il's ass in North Korea. Ah yes, good ol' North Korea, home of the modern day concentration camp.

But starving political dissidents to death, and murdering protesting students is not what has drawn my attention to these two benevolent regimes this day. No, it is a report I read this evening.

You can find it here http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE55A4E720090611.

The western world has been aware nuclear weapons work in these two countries for years now, but a June 11 story by Rueters now alleges that the two rogue nuclear states are working together to develop long range missles. According to the U.S. Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center as quoted by Rueters, Iran could menace the United States with a nuclear strike within six years, North Korea is already dangerously close to having that capability.

Action needs to be taken now. These are unstable regimes, capable of toppling whenever the opportunity arises. Allowing them the capability to unleash a nuclear armageddon that will annihilate much of humanity through the ensuing chain reaction is foolish.

Ultimately this nuclear pissing contest needs to stop. Several nations now have the capability to turn our world into a barren wasteland for thousands of years. But for the short term, I pray that our leaders can resolve to keep the most short sighted and aggressive political leaders in the world out of the doomsday business. Even if that means resorting to military action.