News Analysis - Dare to Ask

It's All About Unforgiveness

2008-12-30T20:23:00.001+08:00

This is psychology. A victim of abuse puts up walls to prevent further and future abuse. It's understandable. The victim is paranoid and will stop at nothing to make sure no abuse ever happens again. Unfortunately, paranoia prevents a victim from having normal relationships with normal non-abusive people. Walls prevent a person from building bridges and being able to understand others.

Now let's take a look at the case of a victim of land-grabbing where a person's real property has been stolen by a close relative. The victim is bitter and seething with anger. In his mind he wants to take vengeance against the oppressor. At times he may act out his bitterness and anger in physical and verbal ways against his oppressor.

Imagine this. The first party is a paranoid victim of abuse. The second party is a bitter victim of oppression. Each party will never be able to understand the point of view of the other. The former thinks the latter is abusing him every time the latter acts out his bitterness.

The only real solution is forgiveness. Unless the paranoid victim of abuse learns to forgive his abuser, he will not be able to have normal relationships with non-abusive people. Unless the victim of oppression learns to forgive his oppressor, he will never be able to settle with his perceived oppressors.

This is the story of Israel and Palestine — historically the Jews view the Palestinians as the Philistines (who represent all anti-Semitists, see this article and this) — and historically the Palestinians view Israel as the Crusaders (who represent real estate grabbers and oppressors). Add to that religious bigotry — Americans and Jews viewing all Muslims as anti-Christian and anti-Jews and Arabs viewing all Christians as infidels. We have the recipe for an endless war.

Israel vows lasting Gaza campaign

The scenes of destruction in Gaza City
Israel says it is ready for "long weeks of action" as it continues its fiercest air assault on Gaza for decades to stamp out militant rocket attacks.
Palestinian officials say 10 people died in the latest attacks, taking the death toll to over 360 since Saturday. Four Israelis have died in rocket fire.
Israeli Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit rejected any ceasefire until the threat of rockets was removed completely.
A UN human rights monitor accused Israel of "shocking atrocities".
Richard Falk - the special rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories - said the international community must put more pressure on Israel to end its attacks on Gaza.
"Israel is committing a shocking series of atrocities by using modern weaponry against a defenceless population - attacking a population that has been enduring a severe blockade for many months," Mr Falk said in a BBC interview.
The UN says at least 62 of the Palestinians killed so far have been women and children, and it is calling for an investigation into attacks which causing heavy civilian casualties.
Read more...

Read Al Jazeera's version...

Will the Real David Please Stand Up?

2008-12-27T21:25:00.002+08:00

Hamas fires rockets into southern Israel killing civilians — the act is called "terrorism." Israel blockades Gaza and cuts off food, medical supplies, and money then conducts an air raid on Gaza killing both police and civilians — the act is called "self-defense."

Did not the Irish resort to the same guerilla tactics in the face of a superior yet oppressive British occupation? Did not the Americans resort to guerilla tactics in the face of a superior yet oppressive British rule before they finally won their war of independence?

The underdog who wish to become self-ruling will always be called rebels. The guerillas who seek freedom from oppression will always be called terrorists.

Israel was under Philistine occupation when David fought Goliath. Israel was the underdog and the rebels. But God favored the oppressed and brought Goliath down. This time Israel has the upper hand militarily and economically mainly because of the military backing of world giant USA. Are the Palestinians now the oppressed, the underdog, David facing Goliath?

Israeli air strikes target Gaza

Palestinians say Israeli F-16 bombers have launched a series of air strikes against key targets in the Gaza Strip, killing and injuring dozens of people.
Missiles hit security compounds run by the militant group Hamas in the centre of Gaza City, killing at least 40 people, Hamas officials said.
The strikes, the most intense Israeli attacks on Gaza in recent times, come after the expiry of a truce with Hamas.
Israel has threatened an offensive to stop the firing of rockets from Gaza.
There was no immediate word on the explosions from the Israeli military.

Another cold war?

2008-12-23T14:05:00.002+08:00

So is this leading to another cold war? What I don't understand is one man telling everyone else to drop their guns because "it's illegal." One man insisting that only one man and his team can have guns. Well I guess that works when it's the police telling everyone else to drop their guns. But that's because in our society we acknowledge the law and accept that the police have the authority to tell everyone else to drop their guns. But who gave the allies authority to police the entire planet? The UN? That's a big question because we don't have a great global one-world government that tells all the nations who can police.

Expect resistance, especially since the US made one big mistake saying Iraq had an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction but was never able to prove it in five years of occupation. Are they going to make the same assertion or presumption on Iran?

Russia doesn't seem convinced. Why should they be?

US warns Russia against selling missiles to Iran

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – U.S. officials said Monday that they want answers from Russia on whether it is selling advanced surface-to-air missiles to Iran, a move the U.S. insists could threaten American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. A senior military intelligence official said that while Moscow has sent out conflicting responses to reports on the sale of long-range S-300 missiles, the U.S. believes it is taking place. However, it appears that no equipment has yet been delivered to Iran, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Russia's state arms export agency said Monday it is supplying Iran with defensive weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, but did not say whether they include sophisticated long-range S-300 missiles.

Read more...

It's All About Greed

2008-12-18T16:43:00.001+08:00

We're still reeling with shock from the fall of Wall Street then here comes another blow. It seems like fate has chosen western capitalism as its target. And fate isn't missing. Fate knows what the culprit is.

The fall of Wall Street was inevitable. The government giving incentives to banks to lend to those who don't deserve (who knows why), banks grabbing the opportunity to lend to those who have little chance to pay, and borrowers wanting more money so they can buy the latest and up their lifestyle, their future was set. Greed is the name of the game — the desire for luxury and more money and utter disregard and concern for others. It's the Me generation.

Now Madoff. He made off with investors' money. And to think he was able to scam $1 billion off of HSBC! What happens to the savings of HSBC's customers? How about the retirements of investors of investment companies? (And OPEC wants to raise oil prices and pull out their investments from western banks. The same is true for South American countries.)

Western nations cannot serve both the Christian God and greed. They will surely love one and hate the other.

Madoff under curfew on $10m bail

Mr Madoff did not respond to reporters' questions

Bernard Madoff, the hedge fund boss accused of a $50bn (£32bn) fraud, has put up $10m bail and in effect been placed under house arrest.
Mr Madoff turned up at New York's federal court to sign some papers but did not answer reporters' questions.
He signed over his New York flat and his homes in Long Island and Palm Beach, Florida to make up the bail.
He will also be fitted with an electronic tag and will have to seek permission to leave his flat.
In addition to surrendering his own passport, Mr Madoff has also agreed to hand in that of his wife Ruth.
The bail conditions were tightened after Mr Madoff failed to find the required four people to co-sign his bail agreement.
If the correct documents are supplied, Mr Madoff will not have to make another court appearance until 12 January.
Read more...

Worldwide Response to Shoe Thrower

2008-12-16T23:39:00.003+08:00

It looks like this is the most talked about news bit throughout the world, apart from the financial crisis. Those who don't believe in the US invasion of Iraq or are unconvinced with the failed US effort in Iraq, applaud Zaidi's courage and demand his release. On the other hand, those who desire to promote the American-brand of democracy and her business interests feel insulted by what they would call a brash behavior as a journalist and would demand Zaidi's imprisonment.

Was this an uncalled for insult against a nation that calls itself the defender of freedom? Or, was this the delayed yet brave response of a nation that had been insulted and degraded by a five-year war to "liberate" it from oppression?

Shoe thrower 'beaten in custody'

The brother of the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at US President George W Bush has said that the reporter has been beaten in custody.
Muntadar al-Zaidi has suffered a broken hand, broken ribs and internal bleeding, as well as an eye injury, his older brother, Dargham, told the BBC.

Mr Zaidi threw his shoes at Mr Bush at a news conference, calling him "a dog".

The head of Iraq's journalists' union told the BBC that officials told him Mr Zaidi was being treated well.

The union head, Mouyyad al-Lami, said he hoped to visit his colleague later.

An Iraqi official said Mr Zaidi had been handed over to the judicial authorities, according to the AFP news agency.

Earlier, Dargham al-Zaidi told the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Baghdad he believed his brother had been taken to a US military hospital in the Iraqi capital.

A second day of rallies in support of Mr Zaidi have been held across Iraq, calling for his release.

Meanwhile, offers to buy the shoes are being made around the Arab world, reports say.

Read more...

Yahoo News...

Al Jazeera...

What a Shoe Attack Means in the Middle East

2008-12-15T09:58:00.004+08:00

In 2003 when the US invaded Irag and toppled Saddam Hussein, news networks showed irate Iraqis climbing Saddam's giant statue and hitting its head with their shoes and sandals minutes before it was toppled. I wondered what that meant to Middle Eastern culture.

Now in 2008, an irate journalist threw both shoes in quick succession and with unbelievable accuracy at US president George Bush! According to Al Jazeera news, "Throwing shoes at somebody is a supreme insult in the Middle East." Now we know.

How angry are the Iraqis against the US? It seems from many international news sources and from reliable government analysts that the verdict is the US-led effort to to reconstruct Iraq failed. Why would anyone go so far as to insult the most powerful political figure on earth?

In Luke 10, Jesus instructed his disciples to shake the dust off their sandals if the good news was not received by a particular town. Was that the same cultural gesture? Did the US bring good news to Iraq, the Middle East, and the rest of the world? What really is the good news?

President Bush caught in shoe attack in Iraq

An Iraqi journalist has thrown his shoes at Bush in his last visit to Baghdad, shouting: "This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog."

One of the shoes narrowly missed the president's head and slammed into the wall behind him.

Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, tried to block the second with his arm.

Throwing shoes at somebody is a supreme insult in the Middle East.

From Al Jazeera

The video is also available here on YouTube. If the videos have been taken down by authorities, try to google for "Bush shoes".

Who Has the Right to Violate Pakistan's Airspace?

2008-12-14T20:09:00.003+08:00

Indian warplanes violate Pakistani airspace and Pakistani air force jets scramble to drive out their violating neighbors. But in the past several months, US drones have been constantly violating Pakistani airspace, bombing alleged terrorists and racking up the score on collateral damage, civilian casualties, and all Pakistan could do is whimper.

India is still smarting fresh from the Mumbai attacks. Yet Pakistan reacted quickly to the incursion but hardly to frequent US bombing. Whatever happened to national and territorial sovereignty? Is the UN still an effective organization to keep watch and police world peace? Or is it just a pushover in world politics and war? Who has the right to violate Pakistan's airspace?

Pakistan Says Indian Planes Entered Airspace

By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr. and SALMAN MASOOD
Published: December 14, 2008

LAHORE, Pakistan — Indian warplanes crossed into Pakistani airspace on Saturday over two parts of the country where the militant group accused of carrying out the Mumbai terror attacks is active, according to Pakistani officials, who said they scrambled their own air force jets to chase the Indian aircraft back across the border.

The incursions would appear to be an aggressive display by India, whose top officials describe neighboring Pakistan as the “epicenter of terrorism” and say Pakistan’s own intelligence service has long aided Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group blamed for the attacks in Mumbai last month, which sharply raised tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals.

Pakistani officials trumpeted the airspace breaches in statements to the news media but said there was no cause for “alarm.” They also said they had contacted Indian officials, who confirmed the breaches as accidental. But Indian outlets also reported on Sunday morning that the Indian military had denied any improper flyovers.

Read more...

Unemployment - Bleak Future

2008-12-13T12:51:00.000+08:00

With unemployment reaching a 26-year high, what's America's future going to be like? As one American longshoreman interviewed on Aljazeera TV said, "The American dream is turning out to be a nightmare."

It looks like the fall of the Twin Towers on September 11 was the prophetic signal for the fall of the American dream. Could it be "Babylon is fallen, is fallen"? Babylon was the world's mightiest military and economic power in its time. But like all empires, Babylon rose and fell.

We cannot help but wonder...

The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more... (Rev. 18:11, NIV)

US jobless claims surge to new high

The numbers of US workers filing new claims for unemployment benefit has reached a 26-year high, according to a government report.

New claims for state benefits reached 573,000 for the week ending December 6, the highest since November 1982, said the Labor Department report released on Thursday.

There were 58,000 more new claims than in the previous week - the biggest increase since 2005, the report said.

The figures were higher than many economists expected and are another sign of troubles within the US economy which George Bush, the US president, has said is already in a recession.

"When combined with the decline in import prices, these are more signs of an economy that is decelerating on the downside with price deflation ... it will create additional concerns about weakening in the economy and corporate profits," said Jim Awad, chairman at WP Stewart and Co, a US investment firm.

Markets down

The number of workers applying for state unemployment benefits had briefly declined in the previous two weeks, but have now surged again as companies sack workers following the economic downturn and the global financial crisis.

Data released last week showed employers cut just over half-a-million jobs in November, the largest number in 34 years, pushing the unemployment rate to 6.7 per cent - the highest since 1993.

US stock markets fell after the report was released.

The Dow Jones industrial average slid 10.99 points, or 0.13 per cent, to 8,750.43.

"We keep thinking the financial crisis is over and one by one we find a new industry that is in dire straights," said Carl Birkelbach, head of Birkelbach Management, a Chicago investment firm.

"It appears to me that the credit crunch is going to continue and the ramifications will be negative."

From Aljazeera

Why Not the Auto Industry?

2008-12-13T11:27:00.000+08:00

Congress approved a $700 billion bail out plan for Wall Street but refused to approve a $14 billion bail out request from the auto industry. Why?

A hit on Wall Street is a hit at the very pocketbooks of congressmen and senators, while a hit on the auto industry isn't a direct hit for Congress. Could it be self-interest? What's the big difference between a collapse at Wall Street and a collapse in Detroit?

Here's an excerpt of a news report from BBC:

White House considers auto rescue

The White House says it is considering using money earmarked to rescue the US banking industry to bail out the country's struggling carmakers.

A $14bn (£9.4bn) bail-out deal for the US car industry failed to get Senate support, raising fears of job cuts and a possible industry collapse.

The White House said that the US economy could not withstand a body blow like the collapse of the auto industry.

Meanwhile General Motors said it was temporarily stopping some production.

And Honda is also to cut back output in North America.

GM, which has been pleading for an emergency government loan to avert collapse, said it would halt 30% of its North American production "in response to rapidly deteriorating market conditions".

It saw vehicle sales fall 41% in November, when overall US car sales fell 26% industry wide.

The temporary shutdowns will affect 14 US factories as well as three in Canada and three in Mexico, reducing output by 250,000 vehicles in the first three months of 2009.

"The speed and severity of the US auto market's decline has been unprecedented in recent weeks as consumers reel from the collapse of the financial markets and the resulting lack of credit for vehicle financing," it added.

Read more...