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 USA | UK | Latin America | China | Middle East | India | Blogorama | Energy |
New York Times
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Made in the World
Thomas L. Friedman
1/29/2012
Leaders of American companies look at the world differently than the average congressmen, senator or president of both parties. Friedman says they are literally looking at two different worlds. The corporate world is so integrated that every product and many services now are imagined, designed, marketed and built through global supply chains. Corporate leaders seek the best talent at the lowest cost in the world. Therein lies the tension, because "our" companies see themselves now as citizens of the world when President Obama is president of the United States. Yet this is good news because we have a huge natural advantage to compete in this kind of world. There is no higher imagination-enabling society than America, which also welcomes talent through immigrants, returns on innovation stagger, and there is legal protection for intellectual capital.
Friedman is a New York Times columnist.
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Tension on the Tarmac
Maureen Dowd
1/29/2012
Dowd looks at President Obama's predeliction for getting into skirmishes with other politicians on airport tarmacs. She recalls his encounter with Hilary Clinton in Iowa during the last presidential primaries in 2007 and his most recent confrontation with Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona, who met Air Force One when the president landed in Phoenix. She says both of Obama's tarmac tiffs worked in his favor and things have been going his way lately. He even has a new debate coach, yet Dowd says he does not like debating. She concludes that Republicans may have a more evenly matched debate than they could hope for.
Dowd is a New York Times columnist.
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Genetic or Not, Gay Won't Go Away
Frank Bruni
1/29/2012
The actress Cynthia Nixon created a furor when she announced that for her, homosexuality is a choice, Bruni says. Many in the gay rights movement said that her statement represents a minority of those in same-sex relationships and that gay-rights opponents can now cite her as an example that we need incentives to change gays rather than equal rights. Bruni says the dynamics through which someone becomes gay are still unknown. Gay rights advocates that insist on hitching their movement to a conclusion of genetics that hasn’t been scientifically proven hitch the movement to a moving target.
Bruni is a New York Times columnist.
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What's He Got to Hide?
Nicholas D. Kristof
1/29/2012
Two Swedish journalists have been imprisoned for 11 years in Ethiopia for sneaking into the Ogaden region to investigate reports of human rights abuses, Kristof says. He asks what Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi wants to hide from the world as he seeks to silence dissent in his nation, which he has criminalized. His regime is run largely by people from his own minority Tigrayan ethnicity, and it has been particularly savage in the Ogaden region, where it faces an armed uprising.
Kristof is a New York Times columnist.
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Newt's Real Legacy
Gail Collins
1/29/2012
Voters seem to be uninterested in the private life of political candidates, as evidenced by the fact that Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary election, Collins says. Voters for the far right seem to be particularly indifferent to bad-behavior issues. They like expressions of remorse and promises to reform, and when all else fails they like to argue that "everybody does it" even when clearly none of the candidates has a list of transgressions as long as Gingrich's.
Collins is a New York Times columnist.
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Hysteria and the Teenage Girl
Caitlin Flanagan
1/29/2012
Flanagan recounts several examples of behavior among large groups of teenage girls that were attributed to group hysteria. She says pubescent girls are manifestly more likely to exhibit extreme and bizarre psychological symptoms than are teenage boys, although no one has been able to determine why. Most likely the physical and emotional vulnerability girls feel when they approach childbearing years, hormonal changes, and corrosive cultural forces that seek to exploit them are to blame. As a result, a stable and loving home at this time is more important to a teenage girl than at any other time.
Flanagan is the author most recently, of "Girl Land."
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Financial Times
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Merlin deal will not fix flawed banks
Daine Coyle
2/8/2011
Bankers are once again doing well in the financial sector but businesses and consumers are not, which is leading to popular anger, especially as the bonus round is about to be paid. Coyle says that Project Merlin, which the British government hopes will smooth relations between the country's banks, politicians, and the electorate, does not address the fundamental problem that Britain's banks are uncompetitive. Competition reform, along with replacement of the complex regulations that act as barriers to entry, are now the only ways forward for the banking industry. Coyle says we need a healthy undergrowth of smaller financial institutions to balance the existing monoculture of vulnerable giants, but Project Merlin will not deliver this.
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Death by a thousand cuts for Big Society
Danny Kruger
2/9/2011
Prime minister David Cameron's plan to create a "Big Society" is in trouble, writes Kruger. Its enemies say it is a covert cover for cuts and privatization, its friends say spending cuts are making the plan impossible to deliver, and everyone else is having difficulty understanding what the Big Society actually is. Kruger says the plan is suffering from its defining contradiction: it is a central government initiative that aims to put power into the hands of the people and casts central government as the enemy. If it is to have any chance of success, the concept needs leadership and the reassurance of personality, which means greater assertiveness from David Cameron.
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Beijing's motives are often just pragmatic
Yang Yao
2/6/2011
Yao warns the West against misinterpreting the Chinese government's increasing control over the economy as a dramatic policy change. The government is actually making difficult choices under growing political constraints. The domestic investment drive that has seen government stimulus packages and local spending rise to close to $1,000bn is cyclical rather than permanent, while China's insistence on a stable currency is designed to ensure stronger employment and social stability rather than an attempt to gain advantage from trading partners. Despite these explanations, Yao says the Chinese government can reduce anxiety in the West by recognizing that greater statism will not bring benefits to China in the long term. Equally, the US needs to recognize that not every move made by the Chinese government is the result of some grand orchestrated plan.
The writer is professor and director of the China Center for Economic Research at Peking University.
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Be careful what you wish for in the Arab world
Anthony Cordesman
1/27/2011
The West needs to change the way it deals with fractured and failing states, writes Cordesman. Countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen, which have all seen trouble recently, all share characteristics such as a lack of employment opportunities, poorly-developed infrastructure for today's needs, and an over-reliance on the security services to maintain order. They also lack opposition political parties that are sufficiently prepared to deal with the challenges created when governments fail. Cordesman says the US and Europe need to help such countries meet these challenges and stop focusing on human rights, democracy, and the rule of law "as if repressive states without effective governance could suddenly become mirror images of the West."
The writer holds the Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and has worked extensively on security, governance, and economic reform in the Middle East.
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Army will craft a post-Mubarak era
Bassma Kodmani
1/30/2011
Kodmani writes that the attitude of the security forces is changing the balance in the revolutionary process that has begun in Egypt. In the absence of any war in Egypt since 1973, the army's mission has been to keep control over the public, so the sudden disappearance of the military from the streets in the face of violent protests is baffling. Kodmani says the army may now be developing a new vision of how to protect the state's interests, one that does not need President Hosni Mubarak. He adds that Egyptians now expect the announcement of a democratic transition process that will end their conundrum of having to tolerate military rule in order to prevent the advent of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The writer is executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative.
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The world will regret its neglect of Doha
Peter Sutherland
1/26/2011
Sutherland explains why he believes the Doha round of world trade negotiations must be successfully concluded this year and with no extension granted if this is not achieved. The positive value for the world of a successful conclusion is beyond question, but a failure would lead to an erosion of the rule-based system of trade that the WTO has created, which would in turn lead to greater protectionism. The WTO has proved itself to be an extremely useful body in the advancement of multilateralism at a global level, but it remains a fragile body that relies on the compliance of its members with its decisions. If we are serious about interdependence and development, we need to reinforce multilateralism. Concluding the Doha talks will prove an acid test of whether we have the collective will to do this.
The writer is former director general of GATT (now the WTO) and co-chair with Jagdish Bhagwati of the group asked by Germany, Britain, Indonesia, and Turkey to assess the prospects for the Doha round and the WTO.
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Folha de Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo: Brazil's most interesting city
Gilberto Dimenstein
1/25/2011
Dimenstein says Sao Paulo is not just one of the most interesting cities in Brazil, but in the whole world. According to Dimenstein the best cities are not those that are merely attractive or pleasant to live in, but those such as Sao Paulo that exude an innovative spirit and a certain "joie de vie". A city should not just be for those who were born there, but also for those who arrive later in life, bringing new ideas and customs. Dimenstein does concede however that residents of Sao Paulo confront a daily struggle, as it is one of Brazil's most stressful cities to live in.
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VAT was supposed to be cut
Denis Dutra
1/24/2011
Dutra writes that Uruguay's government has reneged on its election pledge to cut VAT by two percentage points and in doing so has punished the poorest members of society. What the government has done instead is issue 80,000 low-income homes with a tax rebate on the cost of a range of foodstuffs. The reduction in VAT was the only tax cut included in the executive's election manifesto, and as such the authority's failure to implement it represents a kick in the teeth for those Uruguayans who elected the party on the strength of this pledge. President José Mujica has so far failed to explain why. At a time when the nation's tax coffers are over-flowing, normal people are still being over-charged for basic goods and services.
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Opposing sides of a nation's economic figures
Daniel Fernández Canedo
1/26/2011
Consumer spending in Argentina has increased over recent months and is in line with the rise in tourism traditionally experienced in South America during the months of January and February. However, behind this façade of consumerism lies a different story. Argentine society remains fragmented despite several years of economic growth. Youth unemployment in Argentina currently stands at 15 percent, a figure that will not be lowered unless the authorities work to improve the economic prospects in the region.
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Under observation
Valdo Cruz
1/26/2011
Cruz writes that several government ministers have voiced concern about their future under Brazil's newly-elected president, Dilma Rousseff. One minister, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "People will have to adapt to her style of leadership or risk losing their position." Rousseff is said to have little time for long-winded policy debates and expects senior ministers to take a pro-active approach to solving issues within their area of expertise. Her leadership style is more direct and perhaps less inclusive than that of her predecessor José Ignacio da Silva, who favored a more collaborative approach to governance. Cruz says Rousseff usually approaches a situation with her own opinion already fully formed. Furthermore, she expects her cabinet to work efficiently and will not tolerate mistakes.
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A duty to remember
Reyes Mate
1/27/2011
Mate discusses the concept of remembering human atrocities such as Auschwitz in light of historian Tzvetan Todorov's recent remarks about Argentina's dictatorship in which he questioned the historical validity of remembering the period from the point of view of the victims. Mate agrees with Todorov to a certain extent in that historians should avoid categorizations such as good and bad and instead attempt to understand events in terms of context, background, and consequences. However, Mate refuses to consider Argentina's "disappeared" generation as anything but victims on the grounds that all those considered subversive were at least due a fair trial.
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The change of style is important
Elisabeth Ungar Bleier
1/26/2011
All new governments differ from their predecessors in terms of priorities and policies, writes Bleier, and the cabinet of Colombia's Juan Manuel Santos, which was elected six months ago, is no exception. To date it is Santos' governing style that distinguishes him from his predecessor Álvaro Uribe Vélez. Gone is the vertical and rigid organizational structure over which Vélez had complete control, replaced by a more horizontal arrangement featuring increased dialogue and collaboration between departments. Of course, final policy decisions are still taken by the President, but only after a period of discussion and debate. Issues of internal party governance will not by themselves determine the success or failure of a government, but they will affect the scope and impact of policies adopted.
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China Daily
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Time to pay the water debt
Li Yang
2/1/2011
Local governments need to start focusing on funding water conservancy projects to make up for neglect of past decades, said the writer. Droughts and floods reduce the country's potential grain output by about 20 million tons every year, says Feng Guangzhi, chairman of the China Irrigation Districts Association. Many local government officials care more about GDP growth and one-off, high-profile projects than irrigation systems and agricultural infrastructure, which directly serve grain production, a notably poor contributor to GDP.
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Will festival travel get better?
John Scales and Liu Zhi
2/1/2011
An expected 2.8 billion trips will be made before the end of Spring Festival in China this year. Over the last two decades, China has launched the largest transport infrastructure building program in the history of the world. Continued modernization of railway ticketing will reduce corruption and eliminate the black market of overpriced Spring Festival train tickets. Changes by the government to the hukou (house registration) system, together with improving non-farm job opportunities in rural areas, will help bring families together, thus altogether avoiding the need for travel for many families.
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Flood of New Year's greetings drowns out cheerful spirit
Cui Jia
2/7/2011
Sending friendly text messages on the eve of the Chinese New Year may sound like a convenient way to spread good cheer, but for those busily deleting hundreds of messages flooding their mobiles from friends, family, and even strangers, it can feel more like a burden. According to China's major mobile phone operators, about 1 billion text messages were sent in Beijing alone on Wednesday, the Spring Festival Eve. This year is the Year of the Rabbit. In Mandarin, the word "rabbit" is pronounced the same as the word "to" in English, so "Happy to you" has become one of the most popular greetings this year.
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China Won and the Rest of the World Won
Caijing Magazine
1/28/2011
The reality is China won and the rest of the world won, said WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy in Davos. Of course China still has a trade surplus, overall this is a macro-economic issue, but as China rebalances its economic system, there is more to come in China's imports and its domestic market growth, he said. 2011 is the 10th anniversary of China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the debt crisi in the eurozone high on the agenda.
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Millions face warter shortage in China
China Daily
1/29/2011
More than 2.2 million people and 2.7 million livestock are facing a water shortage as the worst drought in decades continues to linger in many parts of China. About 2 million hectares of land used for growing wheat, or 56 percent of the wheat-planting areas in Shandong province, a key wheat-growing province, have been hit by drought. Other major wheat-producing provinces gripped by scarce rainfall since October include Shanxi, Shandong, Hebei, Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu. These provinces contribute more than 80 percent of the country's total wheat output.
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Shanghai, Chongqing launch property tax
China Daily
1/28/2011
Chongqing and Shanghai announced on Friday that they will kick off the long-awaited trial property tax, starting from Jan 28, amid the latest measures to cool the red-hot housing market. This came on the heels of another round of tightening measures China's cabinet unveiled on Wednesday, including higher down payments, home purchasing restrictions in more cities, and annual price control targets for newly-built homes. The tax is certain to help stabilize home prices in pilot cities by curbing speculation over the short term, said Yin Bocheng, director of the real estate research center at Fudan University. Soaring prices are a major concern for urban Chinese with increasingly more finding homes unaffordable. Home prices in some major cities, such as Beijing, have more than doubled over the past two years due to easy credit and low lending rates.
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Asharq Al Awsat (English Edition)
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Is There a Way Out of the Iran Crisis?
Tariq Alhomayed
09/30/2009
Alhomayed notes that Israelis took an extreme view of Iranian intentions, contrary to many Western countries. Iran also took an extremist position. President Ahmadinejad has tied nuclear development to Iran's survival. If it wants Iran to give up nuclear development, the West may have to offer Iranian regional hegemony, a condition Arabs would not accept.
Tariq Alhomayed is the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat.
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Ayoon Wa Azan (Not every Jew is like Lieberman, Sharon and Dagan)
Jihad el-Khazen
9/30/2009
el-Khazen notes that there are alot of Jewish critics of Israel, such as Ilan Pappe, Norman Finkelstein, and Jeff Halper. They criticize Israel because of its policies. Israel is the only remaining neo-Fascistic state in the world, according to el-Khazen.
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The last chance
Eitan Haber
10/1/2009
Haber cautions against overconfidence in facing the Iranian threat. Israel is not invincible. Haber is convinced Iran has or will soon have atomic weapons, and it has demonstrated that it has missiles. An attack on Iran would have disastrous consequences. The only recourse left is tighter sanctions, but these will take a long time to operate.
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A dirty little secret
Moshe Dann
9/30/2009
According to Dann, every time someone uses the word "Palestinians" to refer to Arab refugees from Palestine, a myth is reinforced. The myth was created by money and propaganda because in 1949 the refugees were known simply as Arab refugees. The purpose of the myth is to create a rival claim to Israeli sovereignty. In the same way, the term "West Bank" is used in place of the historic names of this area.
The author, a former assistant professor of History, is a writer and journalist living in Israel.
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Why Israel must become a secular state: a thought for Yom Kippur 5770
Carlo Strenger
9/27/2009
European states became secular many centuries ago, opening the way to scientific inquiry and progress, writes Strenger. Israel was supposed to have been a secular state, but David Ben Gurion made a disastrous bargain with the orthodox establishment, opening the way to unique religious strife between Jews in Israel. Religious Jews should lead the way in pressing for secularization.
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Iran's Secret Nuclear Facility
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed
9/27/2009
The discovery of Iran's nuclear plant in Qom has isolated the Iranian regime further. Only China now opposed sanctions, writes al-Rashed. He hopes Iran will change its ways and end the nuclear nightmare. We know very well that this nightmare does not threaten the West and fortified Israel, he explains, but threatens itself and us, the Arab neighbors.
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed is the general manager of Al -Arabiya television and former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al- Awsat.
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Editorial: IAEA and Israel
Arab News
9/28/2009
The editors complain that while Iran has made public its uranium enrichment facility, Israel, with the connivance of the West, continues to conceal its nuclear program. Western double standards are obvious when it comes to nuclear power. The allegations over Iranian nuclear weapons are only an attempt to divert attention from Israel.
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ANALYSIS / How many more secret nuke sites does Iran have?
Yossi Melman
9/27/2009
Iran admitted to the existence of the nuclear centrifuge site in Qom because it was going to be exposed by the Western powers. The site is too small for industrial production and therefore must be for military use. However, since it has been exposed, writes Melman, Iran will need to have a third clandestine enrichment site for military purposes.
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Like I never left
Sayed Kashua
9/25/2009
Kashua describes the similarities between Lucera, Italy, and Tira or Jerusalem in Israel. He wants to live there because there is no strife. Then he discovers some facts about the history of Lucera. It is really "just like home."
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Prepared by the MidEastWeb News Service
www.mideastweb.org
www.mideastweb.org
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India and the Sub-Continent >>
The Times of India (India)
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Alternative to land acquisition
TK Arun
7/4/2011
Almost 250 million people need to be relocated if India is to become 45 percent urban by next decade. But forcible acquisition is not a means to a solution. India need acquiescence not acquisition, says Arun. For that, farmers need to be stakeholders in what is developed on their land. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) could own the land, the farmers owning half of the SPV and the project developer owning the other half. The project could lease the land from the SPV and the rental income would flow to SPV shareholders. For this to happen, the government needs to give assurances with proper legal support and enforcement.
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No easterly wind now
Joyeeta Bhattacharjee
7/4/2011
The Indian PM's comment that about 25% of Bangladeshis are anti-India lacks sensitivity while dealing with neighbors. It will remain a black mark in a much improved relation with Hasina's government compared to past governments of Bangladesh. Also, the mutual relationship has its effect on Bangladesh's internal politics where it many times depends on pro- and anti-India sentiments. There is also a Big Brother syndrome that plays in the minds of some sections in Bangladesh. But India needs to behave tactfully with neighbors to become a major player from South Asia and the stability of the region is also vital because it depends on a cordial relationship with neighbors, says Bhattacharjee.
Joyeeta Bhattacharjee is associate fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, Delhi.
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The PPP in focus
Shahab Usto
7/5/2011
The PPP-led government in Pakistan kept alive the liberal political culture and ended tribal politics. During its tenure the country witnessed the most extensive constitutional reforms since the 1970s. It is still trying to empower democracy, media and public opinion. But, on the other hand, it failed to tackle the persistent economic malaise. Corruption and cronyism are still dominating. And it has shown no urgency to effect fiscal reforms. Unemployment and high inflation need to be tackled immediately, along with internal insurrections and violence. The party may have come out of troubled waters, but Pakistan remains caught up in a range of existential threats, says Usto.
The writer is a lawyer and academic.
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From fig leaf to banana republic
Siddharth Varadarajan
6/30/2011
Indians are agitated with reports of high-end corruption, so Dr. Singh met with a group of editors to prove his credentials as an effective PM. But his warning about corruption accusations turning the country into a virtual police state is likely to leave many people shaking their heads in disbelief. His excuses in fact reproved his claim that he is not a lame duck. And his weak arguments underlined the deviation of government from reality and its inability to understand the political pulse of the country, says Varadarajan. His ineffectiveness to nip in the bud 2G spectrum corruption shows his lack of political will. He still does not understand the mindset of ordinary Indians who are demanding accountability and transparency in the execution of their government.
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Afghanistan exit via Pakistan
Mahir Ali
6/29/2011
Obama's declaration to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is more the result of domestic pressures than a winning retreat as the administration boasts. The US response to 9/11 was clearly misdirected and created a colossal waste of both lives and money. A new argument is that the degradation of Al Qaeda and the killing of Bin Laden have tempted them to choose an early pullout. But the fact is that US military relations with Pakistan have now hit a new low when the notion that Pakistan hosts more international terrorists is no longer a fantasy, says Ali. Moreover, the US belief that its military adventures abroad will reduce the chance of attacks on American soil is a dangerous illusion.
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Blogorama >>
Blog: Africa
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Africa Rising: How the 'New Global Challenge' Model Could Serve as a Road Map for Africa to Conquer
Ndumba Kamwanyah
9/9/2010
Forty of Africa's most prominent businesses are planning on imitating a model based on multinationals from China, India, Brazil, and Russia that have recently taken advantage of globalization. However, Kamwanyah questions whether this breakthrough would facilitate broad-based access for local entrepreneurs and disadvantaged communities. A quick sample of the 40 companies suggests otherwise, as they are predominantly racially and elite-owned by a few individuals, including foreigners.
Ndumba Kamwanyah is a certified mediator and has extensive experience in training and research-based advocacy.
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Transparency you can believe in
cBynloSF
9/9/2010
A sharply divided panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, by a 6-5 vote, issued a decision upholding the Bush and Obama Administration's assertion that a "state secret" is a valid reason to prevent people who were tortured by the CIA from seeking redress. The author says, unsurprisingly, that the military-industrial complex got what it wanted: the ability to torture, murder, spy, steal, and whatever else it wants to do in the name of "national security," not merely without accountability, but without anyone even having the right to know they're doing it.
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The Pentagon Triumphant on the Media Battlefield
Tom Engelhardt
9/8/2010
Despite not achieving its objectives in two occupations, the US military has never been more powerful around the world than it is now. Engelhardt describes how the Pentagon has managed to project power in every part of the world by carving up regions and making them commands, including North America. Now we too are just a potential battlefield to the Pentagon. The author also shows how the military has co-opted the media and is now not only the suject of the news, but the creator of its own version of the news as well.
Engelhardt is the author of the book "The American Way of War."
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Fidel to Ahmadinejad: 'Stop Slandering the Jews'
Jeffrey Goldberg
9/8/2010
Goldberg was invited by Castro to come to Cuba for an exclusive interview. Castro gives his thoughts on the looming conflict between Iran, Israel, and the US. He says the possibility that nuclear weapons will be used is too great. Speaking from personal experience in the Cuban Missile Crisis, Castro admits he was wrong to push the superpowers to the edge for simple political reasons. The great powers must not allow that to happen again.
Goldberg is the author of the book "Prisoners."
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Iran Sanctions Are 'Biting' Obama's Pride, Not Tehran
Jonathan Tobin
9/7/2010
A report from the International Atomic Energy Agency disclosed that the Iranians have again barred inspectors from their nuclear sites and refused to answer questions and hand over data about their program. Despite ever harsher sanctions, the Iranians are still convinced that the West is bluffing. Obama is not serious about confronting Iran and when his peace talks with the Israelis and Palestinians fail, it will only boost Hamas and Iran.
Tobin is executive editor of COMMENTARY.
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Filesharing in Underdeveloped Nations: Let's Take from the Poor and Give to the Rich
James DeLong
9/7/2010
DeLong condemns the philosophy of file sharing that allows non-artists to steal the work of the creative for free. He points to a group in Brazil that purposely gives away their music hoping that the other peripheral means of making money, such as concerts, live cds, and merchandising can make up for the lack of cd sales. This is not possible for alot of artists whose fans are spread out around the world. Eliminating property rights in music eliminates this global opportunity.
DeLong has worked on issues of intellectual property for the Convergence Law Institute and the Progress & Freedom Foundation.
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Analysts: Iraq war 'partly to blame' for financial crisis
Daniel Tencer
9/6/2010
The financial crisis that started in 2008 was due in part to the Iraq war, which also made it more difficult for the government to react when economic problems happened, writes the author. He says the Iraq war forced the US to take on more debt than it had to and caused the rising oil prices that resulted in large amounts of money flowing out of the US economy. To counter the effects of those trends, fiscal policy makers had to keep interest rates unnaturally low, causing the securities and real estate bubbles that burst at the start of the recession.
Tencer is an editor for Raw Story.
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Musharraf Ready to Jump into the Political Arena
Saeed Qureshi
8/18/2010
Musharraf is all set to launch the "All Pakistan Muslim League"--his new party--and is busy planning in London on how to go about it. Yet the ongoing confused democratic setup in Pakistan will not make it as smooth as he and his cadres are expecting, says Qureshi. His life is under threats from various religious groups, and he will have to fight the cases against him both morally and legally. The only positive point is the ruling PPP may have some soft corner for him. But, significantly, Musharraf is a lesser evil person compared to the present leaders. His prime task is to unite all Muslim league factions under one banner.
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Energy >> |
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Washington Post
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Oil Pipeline Politics
The Washington Post
8/13/2011
The Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast does not seem like an environmentally efficient option. Yet the US will continue to be dependent on oil for decades. Since global oil demand is rising, oil prices are also rising, and therefore the United States can benefit from Canada's tar sands rather than importing that same crude from the Middle East. Any crude that is unused by Americans can be exported to the Chinese. Although Canada's crude oil from tar sands emits a lot of carbon, it is a resource that would otherwise be wasted. Therefore the United States should make most of this oil.
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Ignoring Energy Gauge While Economy Tanks
Mackubin Owens
8/12/2011
Obama has failed to pursue a functional energy policy that would allow the nation to tap its domestic resources and cooperate with nations with a reliable energy supply sold at reasonable prices. Instead, Obama has implemented an energy policy that relies on tax-funded subsidies and puts oil production from federal lands and offshore sites at 16% lower than the Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicted for 2010. The EIA also predicts that Obama's energy policies will reduce this oil production by 15% in 2011 and 26% in 2012 compared to Bush's energy policies. While the US possesses only 2% of the world's proven oil reserves, it possesses an additional 164.1 billion barrels of "technically recoverable" oil. The Keystone XL pipeline, approved by the Obama administration, will bring oil sands in Canada to refiners on the Gulf Coast, increasing Canadian exports to the US and creating new jobs. Meanwhile the oil release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves in June failed to lower prices and instead burdened taxpayers. The United States must exploit it energy resources to ensure US security and prosperity.
Mackubin Owens is a professor of national security affairs at the Naval War College and editor of Orbis, the quarterly journal of the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI).
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A Necessary Condition for Arctic Drilling
The New York Times
8/8/2011
The Obama administration conditionally approved Royal Dutch Shell's plans to drill in shallow water wells in Beaufort Sea of Alaska. But this action poses the risk of oil spills in the Arctic Ocean, which are far harder to clean than the waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Shell should first meet basic safeguards before it is allowed to begin drilling in the ocean floor, particularly the capacity to quickly contain a blowout at the source. In the Gulf case nobody knew how to contain the spill once the blowout preventer failed. Shell's plans to develop an "oil spilling capping system" are still too vague.
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OPEC's New Management
Gal Luft
8/15/2011
Rostam Ghasemi, Islamic Revolutionary Guards veteran, has been appointed as Iran's new petroleum minister. Since Iran is the present rotating president, Ghasemi is in charge of the cartel for the time being and will be pushing for higher oil prices by restraining production. Even if the US reduces its oil imports, as it did from 2005 to 2011, this would not stop the price of oil from rising. Instead, the US must focus on fuel competition to beat out oil with other transportation fuels, possibly with an Open Fuel Standard that ensures new cars can run on some subset of non-petroleum fuels made from natural gas, coal, or biomass in addition to or instead of petroleum fuels. Only through competition can the US protect itself from OPEC's price hikes.
Gal Luft is executive director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, co-author of Turning Oil into Salt: Energy Independence Through Fuel Choice, and co-editor of Energy Security Challenges for the 21st Century.
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