Towards a global perspective . . .

Apparently, the OSCE, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, will soon be sending Peacekeepers  to Kyrgystan to police the upheaval that has followed the recent coup that deposed a corrupt and unpopular President Bakyev.   Though Kyrgystan is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which is China and Russia’s regional platform,  China and Russia have stood down.   Not only have they not rushed to the aid of their beleaguered member state, but they have  turned away from formal pleas for assistance from the new government, which, we are told is more sincere, less corrupt and more popular than the deposed President Bakyev.    It appears that they have given over a corner of their world to the West.   Why?  Is it evidence of  internal weakness or weakness within the SCO?  Is it due to a conciliatory political pragmatism that defers to the real power in the world?   Maybe they think they are giving a bone to the wild dog pack?

I am sure there are all kinds of complex regional currents in the conflict.   It is true that Kyrgystan is a member of the SCO, and for purposes of local trade and regional solidarity, that makes sense.  However, the explanation for Russia and China’s reticence is very simple.  The US has it’s largest supply base for the Afghan war located in Kyrgystan.   The US has spent a fortune unconditionally supporting deposed President Bakyev to maintain this base, as they did with the corrupt government before him.    In that light, this base has most likely been a thorn in the side of the leaders of the SCO all along, so their boundaries are already compromised.   Now, if they go in to assist the new government in regaining order, their efforts will ultimately fall in one of two directions.  Either they will be expending their resources to protect US interests in the region, or they will be drawn into a proxy war against the US and it’s pawns.

Let me explain.   Read the rest of this entry »

The London Times online headline says Israel Stations Nuclear Missile Subs off Iran.   The article says that the subs have already spent time in the region, but a “decision has now been taken to insure the presence of at least one of the subs.” The New York Times headline says U.N. Says Iran Has Fuel for Two Nuclear Weapons.  They go on to say that “Iran has now produced a stockpile of nuclear fuel that experts say would be enough, with further enrichment, to build 2 nuclear bombs. ” What does that mean?   Iran has had the same amount of nuclear materials from the start.   It has taken them 10 years to enrich it to to 3%.   To be used in a bomb, it has to be enriched to 95%.   With relation to Iran, The NY Times is constantly trying to find a way to make newsworthy the absence of news.

But, there is some real news and the world press is reporting it: Read the rest of this entry »

What follows is my first installment and basis for my “Iran is not the problem campaign”.   We hear all about what a terrible threat Iran presents.  The timing for this information is really good.   Iran just sent the US and Israel into a tizzy by testing missiles that it has just acquired, that probably can be launched as for as Israel.   They are putting us on notice.  If they are hit, they will retaliate.   This is not surprising, given the recent escalation in threats against them by both Israel and the US.  In fact, the experts think that their missiles cannot reliably reach Israel.   But they can block the straights of Hormuz and send oil values soaring.    Of course, the US, France and Britain will control the Iraqi Tap.  Maybe that’s why Sarkozy is making nice to Bashar al Assad.

The way that the media presents the potential for use of nuclear weapons is really quite interesting.  I read today that the Bush Administration want’s to make sure that India’s nuclear program is shored up, as they live on the border with China, who has lots of nukes.   And, it is true, China and India have had some border scraps over the years.  In fact, it appears that we helped Pakistan get nukes so they would feel safer about their border with India, after India developed it’s nuclear program, and there is that ongoing battle over Kashmir.    So, of course, the same people who define these events for us have a concern about Iran, assume that it would be an obvious goal for Iran to attempt to develop some sort of nuclear parity with Israel.

So why do I think this is weird?   Well, I can kind of … actually I am absolutely opposed to anyone using any WMD on anyone else … but for the sake of argument, and considering the parties at hand, I can imagine that some insanely violent entity or person might consider nuking a country on the other side of the world, kind of like somebody nuked the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, or maybe like the US and Russia threatening to nuke one another, or somebody threatening to drop mini-nukes on Iran.   It seems like there might be a fallout issue, but it would hopefully be far away, on the other side of the world.   I certainly don’t think it’s a good idea, but I suppose, under some circumstances, the perpetrator could be confident of surviving unharmed (like when Japan was nuked).  But, who, I ask, would want to nuke their next door neighbor?  It would be crazy.   Will they wait for a steady wind blowing the dust the other way?

I live a few miles from a nuclear power plant.  One day, I was out driving, I was about 5 months pregnant at the time, and the alarm went off, and the radio said to turn to the emergency channel where an announcer was saying that we should take cover, just in case … and I thought, yipes!  which way is the wind blowing?    I’m here in upstate NY.  How much worse would it be if somebody nuked Toronto?   or some place the same distance as Colorado?   It is too horrible to consider.   So I ask again, who on earth would want to create a nuclear face-off with one’s next door neighbor?  From a purely self centered perspective, it is absolutely nuts!  And what would be the motivation of an ‘ally’ that suggested they do so?  Two birds with one stone, perhaps?