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Sunday, November 30, 2003

Checks and Balances in Government

Checks and Balances in Corporations

Vote for one...

wo 11:01 PM - [Link] - Comments ()
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Saturday, November 22, 2003

Massive intelligence failures of the last few years

Why are US intelligence agencies unable to get critical intelligence? Could the rapidly disintegrating US reputation around the world be the cause? It must be difficult to get intelligence from people who distrust the government you represent. Maybe, just maybe, US actions over the years, especially recently, have created an atmosphere where foreigners do not trust the US enough to help, even when it may help them.

Just a thought...

wo 11:08 AM - [Link] - Comments ()
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Friday, November 21, 2003

Try this on for size...

US sees no reason to assume Iran not deceiving UN No reason to assume White House correct this time

"So much of what (Iran) has said in the past year about its nuclear programme has turned out to be false that there is no rational basis simply to assume the contrary now," U.S. ambassador Kenneth Brill said in the written text of a speech he made to the U.N. watchdog's governing board. "So much of what the White House has said in the past year about Iraq has turned out to be false that there is no rational basis simply to assume it will do any better with Iran." me.

Once a country, person or agency deceives or makes false statements, does that mean that they cannot be trusted at all? Can they only be reformed by invasion?

Now tell me again why the US depends so heavily on captured Iraqis and terrorists for intelligence?

wo 10:52 AM - [Link] - Comments ()
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Wednesday, November 19, 2003

Different strokes for different folks...

Strange that the Iran issue is handled by the US in a way that may "increase tensions or make dialogue more difficult to achieve".

"The United States continues to urge Taiwan as well as the People's Republic of China to refrain from actions or statements that increase tensions or make dialogue more difficult to achieve," the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said in a statement."

wo 9:33 AM - [Link] - Comments ()
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China coming around, not.

China Warns Taiwan Against Independence Moves

wo 9:20 AM - [Link] - Comments ()
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Monday, November 17, 2003

Terror futures market is back in business - Nov. 17, 2003

Sad, but true...

wo 7:21 PM - [Link] - Comments ()
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Sunday, November 16, 2003

Priorities...

US to press China on intellectual property, farm issues. What about corruption, justice and human rights? The recent World Economic Forum says this about China's economically competitive ranking: "China was pulled down by concerns about red tape, corruption, judicial independence, and trade barriers, among other factors, though Chinese companies were judged to be making positive progress."

US leaders in the last decade have consistently claimed that the reason they ignore China's very poor human rights record is because as China trades more freely with western countries, human rights will improve naturally. I guess not. Yet another misread of a foreign government.

wo 3:23 PM - [Link] - Comments ()
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Government abusing power and taking the law into their own hands...

- The Supreme Court decides a presidential election
- The President says US companies should be allowed to continue to use off-shore tax evasion techniques because tax laws are unfair
- The Florida legislature and governor ignore their own justice system
- Alabama justice chooses to ignore a court's ruling

wo 12:33 AM - [Link] - Comments ()
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Monday, November 10, 2003

Following the money...
How does the huge monetary value of Iraq reconstruction and oil contracts influence the administration's Iraq strategy and tactics? How does it influence other countries and organizations like Russia, Germany, France and the UN?

Following the power...
Does the neo-conservative influence on the administration prevent it from cooperating with countries and organizations that neo-conservatives see as diluting US power in the world or slowing the growth of US power in the world? Are neo-conservatives preventing this administration from making decisions that they perceive may make the US stray from the PNAC plan?

wo 2:15 PM - [Link] - Comments ()
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Monday, November 03, 2003

U.S. vows to finish job in Iraq

I think we expect that, but is this administration able to do it?

What is the plan? Is there a plan?

Abandon folly, give the UN a large or central role and stop the bloodshed.

wo 8:34 AM - [Link] - Comments ()
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Sunday, November 02, 2003

Bush and Rumsfeld say that attacks are being made as a result of "progress" being made in Iraq. And Rumsfeld says we still have a "long, hard slog,". And these attacks have been increasing in sophistication and number. Doesn't that mean we can expect this alarming trend to continue until the "long, hard slog," is over? Is this an acceptable situation?

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld Interview on ABC This Week - Sunday, November 2, 2003 11:30 a.m. EST
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Rumsfeld: Well, of course, you never welcome war or conflict. You wish that there were ways to avoid it. It is -- the president's point was important. He said that the terrorists are targeting success and so what he meant was when they kill the woman on the Governing Council, they're trying to not have there be an Iraqi Governing Council working with the coalition. When they attack the police academy graduating Iraqis who are going to help provide for Iraqi security, that is targeting success. And I think his point is well taken.
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wo 8:41 PM - [Link] - Comments ()
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US sees no reason to assume Iran not deceiving UN	No reason to assume White House correct this time
"So much of what (Iran) has said in the past year about its nuclear programme has turned out to be false that there is no rational basis simply to assume the contrary now," U.S. ambassador Kenneth Brill said in the written text of a speech he made to the U.N. watchdog's governing board.	"So much of what the White House has said in the past year about Iraq has turned out to be false that there is no rational basis simply to assume it will do any better with Iran." me.