A collection of articles, essays, and blog post of merit.I have been much busier these last few weeks than expected. I did not have time to compile one of these lists back in February, so a few of these readings were published all the way back in January. TOP BILLING “The Play is the Thing […]
Category Archives: Entangling Alliances
The United States Doesn’t Know What to Do With the East China Sea
The famous “nine-dash line” that marks China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea Source: “Q&A: South China Sea Disputes.” BBC News. 15 May 2013. Earlier this afternoon The House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific held a hearing devoted entitled “Americaβs Future in Asia: From Rebalancing to Managing Sovereignty Disputes.” […]
Jai Hind
“Jai Hind!” So said the President of the United States this week in an address to a joint session of the Rajya Sahba and Lok Sahba. It is about time. I have criticized the Obama Administration in the past for episodes of diplomatic ineptitude and cultural insensitivity. President Obama’s stay in India does not qualify […]
Turkey As Seen on September 12th
Consider: On May 31st a flotilla of ships organized by the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief tried to run the Israeli blockade of the Gaza strip. As expected, the Israelis used military force to stop the flotilla from ever reaching the shore. Nine Turks died before the day was over. […]
Chinese Troops Move Into Pakistan, Western Media Hardly Bats An Eye
Earlier this weekend The New York Times reported that Pakistan has allowed some 11,000 Chinese troops into Gilgit-Baltistan, a strategically significant part of the contested Kashmir region. Steve Hynd (of NewsHoggers) beat me to posting on the news. As his thoughts on the situation mirror my own, I direct my readers to his post: China […]
Does The Executive Branch Suffer From a Learning Disability?
It must. For try as I might, I cannot come up with another explanation for this: U.S. to unveil large aid package to win the hearts of Pakistanis Saeed Shah. McClatchey’s News. 18 July 2010. The U.S. will announce Monday hundreds of millions of dollars worth of civilian aid projects for Pakistan, American officials said, […]
Reading Assignment
Last week Prospect Magazine published a significant essay written by Boston University professor of international relations Stephen Kinzer. The ideas contained inside are more than reasonable, though they will be deemed radical by most who read it. If you can only read one article today, I ask that it be this one: The Next Power […]
Pakistan and China: BFFs
In case you missed it: Chinese firms have brokered a deal to construct two nuclear reactors for the Chashma Nuclear Complex in Pakistan. Pakistan, and in particular, Punjab (the state in which the complex can be found) suffers from chronic energy shortages. After a series of rolling black outs this April, the Punjab Chief Minister […]
Our Esteemed Ally, the Executioner of Sorcerers.
Human Rights Watch sent this gem to my inbox today: Saudi Arabia: Witchcraft and Sorcery Cases on the Rise.Human Rights Watch. 25 November 2009. (Kuwait City) – The cassation court in Mecca should overturn the death sentence imposed on Ali Sabat by a lower court in Medina on November 9 for practicing witchcraft, Human Rights […]
Notes From All Over 9/10/2009
TOP BILLING: Beijing’s Secret Succession Battle Willy Lam. Wall Street Journal. 24 September 2009. The Hakka People, China’s Leadership Caste “Curzon” ComingAnarchy.com 3 October 2009. Few people possess as much power as the ruling elites of the Chinese Communist Party. For American statesmen and diplomats, few topics have as much importance as the internal divisions […]