By now, the Cyprus government is still haggling with EU (and its banks) over how to save Cyprus economy, without anyone paying for it. But just a few days ago, they almost managed to get away with a "deal" to pay for it by "taxing" 10% of all bank accounts in Cyprus. This didn't have much of a shock value in the West, except for perhaps in Cyprus, where the populous … [Read more...] about Losing The Last Accountability in the “Do-Over” Democracies, The Buck Doesn’t Stop.
A Superficial Death of Soft Power: It’s another Made-Up Term.
One might as well call it "the Pink Powdery Pixie Dust of Hippie Magic," because it is really quite a made-up concept that doesn't make sense relative to its own applications. Joseph Nye first defined and popularized the notion of "soft power" as the ability to attract and influence others. But somewhere down the path of popularity, such a general idea became shrouded in … [Read more...] about A Superficial Death of Soft Power: It’s another Made-Up Term.
A “Half-Baked” US Traitor, A Showcase of “Chinese Espionage”? Or another Mercenary Expat?
A while back a little story emerged about a US embassy security guard was arrested for trying to pass secret to the Chinese government. http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/August/12-nsd-1064.html Sounds pretty ominous as yet another Chinese espionage case? Today, we know some more details: … [Read more...] about A “Half-Baked” US Traitor, A Showcase of “Chinese Espionage”? Or another Mercenary Expat?
The Fantasy League of the Rubberstamping Billionaire Chinese Parliament Club
Some days, I can only throw my hands and laugh at the some of the ridiculous stories and statements concocted by some Western media, and wonder why there aren't more people in the West with their eyes bleeding after reading such "news". For example: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-26/china-s-billionaire-lawmakers-make-u-s-peers-look-like-paupers.html which … [Read more...] about The Fantasy League of the Rubberstamping Billionaire Chinese Parliament Club
The Teapot Tempest of “Live Execution Broadcast” Showing Dyslexia And Moving Goal Post of Moral Schizophrenia
It started with CCTV news announcing on Feb. 28, that the 4 drug lords found guilty of murdering 12 Chinese sailors are to be executed. The SCMP blogger John Kennedy blogged on March 1, with the above screen capture, that CCTV announced "broadcast live … [Read more...] about The Teapot Tempest of “Live Execution Broadcast” Showing Dyslexia And Moving Goal Post of Moral Schizophrenia