Category: Uncategorized

Just after the tsunami, I recall offering an open wager to anyone who was willing to bet against the widespread circulation of a belief that some American, Jewish, or Israeli conspiracy was to blame for it all. I’ve already collected my peppercorn from the highly intelligent readership of this site–which produced no takers–but let me crush any lingering doubts with this blunt object, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal: At Sabah, a columnist last fall accused the U.S. ambassador to...

. . . was an e-mail from Claudia Rosett herself, forwarding this column. Ms. Rosett did more than any other person to expose oil-for-food, yet she suggests that with all of the scandalous behavior from the U.N. of late, the one with the most damning historical staying power could be a scandal of omission–its failure to do anything for the people of North Korea. Such would-be refugees have been dying faceless, nameless and scarcely even remarked upon by the world...

. . . was an e-mail from Claudia Rosett herself, forwarding this column. Ms. Rosett did more than any other person to expose oil-for-food, yet she suggests that with all of the scandalous behavior from the U.N. of late, the one with the most damning historical staying power could be a scandal of omission–its failure to do anything for the people of North Korea. Such would-be refugees have been dying faceless, nameless and scarcely even remarked upon by the world...

The announcement, coincidentally enough, came shortly after the visit of a senior official from China, the nation that supplies between 40 and 60% of North Korea’s fuel, depending on which report you believe. The sheer vagueness of it, however, suggests a thin reed of hope for those who see anything coming from these talks other than a demonstration that we’re willing to take part in them: North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Il, has told a Chinese envoy that he would...

The announcement, coincidentally enough, came shortly after the visit of a senior official from China, the nation that supplies between 40 and 60% of North Korea’s fuel, depending on which report you believe. The sheer vagueness of it, however, suggests a thin reed of hope for those who see anything coming from these talks other than a demonstration that we’re willing to take part in them: North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Il, has told a Chinese envoy that he would...

Help! Does anyone out there have a link for a decent rss2.0 feed? Thanks in advance.

Help! Does anyone out there have a link for a decent rss2.0 feed? Thanks in advance.

anti-Unification Minister Chung Dong-Young says that Seoul will continue to give the North Korean regime aid, no matter what its behavior regarding the nuclear talks. In other words, to hell with the United States and everyone else.

A Conveniently Forgotten Outrage: Contrast Japan’s popular fury over the abduction of its citizens with the vast collective yawn that is the South Korean reaction to stories like this.

Cho Se-Hyon in the Korea Herald: There is a saying that the only effective medicine for a mad dog is a good beating with a stick. It is about time, I believe, to give Kim Jong-il a good thrashing, that is to say, stiff economic sanctions, instead of offering a carrot or a sugar cube, if you like, for another lease on life.

Containing China. Another setback for the Peoples’ Co-Prosperity Sphere: China issued a stiff protest Sunday over an updated U.S.-Japanese strategic agreement, saying its reference to Taiwan violates China’s national sovereignty and its criticism of China’s military buildup is “untenable.” The strategic importance of Japan is fairly obvious from this map. Note the extension of the Ryukyu Islands all the way to Taiwan, something most maps of Japan simply truncate. In actual fact, Japan fences off half of China from the...

If you don’t know why the resignation of Lewd Rubbers Ruud Lubbers as U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees is good news for the people of North Korea, then read this. My only regret is that he wasn’t fired for dereliction of duty. Whatever.

This certainly looks like good news. Yes, Lebanon is a volatile place riven by religious and tribal factionalism, but it seems that nothing unites factions like a common enemy. The old canard of using Israel and the United States appears to have lost its appeal; Syria is the new object of popular enmity despite its best efforts to blame the usual scapegoats. Today, Beirut’s streets are filled with Christian, Muslim, and Druze protestors calling for Syrian withdrawal. Only Hezbollah supports...

anti-Unification Minister Chung Dong-Young says that Seoul will continue to give the North Korean regime aid, no matter what its behavior regarding the nuclear talks. In other words, to hell with the United States and everyone else.

A Conveniently Forgotten Outrage: Contrast Japan’s popular fury over the abduction of its citizens with the vast collective yawn that is the South Korean reaction to stories like this.

Cho Se-Hyon in the Korea Herald: There is a saying that the only effective medicine for a mad dog is a good beating with a stick. It is about time, I believe, to give Kim Jong-il a good thrashing, that is to say, stiff economic sanctions, instead of offering a carrot or a sugar cube, if you like, for another lease on life.

Containing China. Another setback for the Peoples’ Co-Prosperity Sphere: China issued a stiff protest Sunday over an updated U.S.-Japanese strategic agreement, saying its reference to Taiwan violates China’s national sovereignty and its criticism of China’s military buildup is “untenable.” The strategic importance of Japan is fairly obvious from this map. Note the extension of the Ryukyu Islands all the way to Taiwan, something most maps of Japan simply truncate. In actual fact, Japan fences off half of China from the...

If you don’t know why the resignation of Lewd Rubbers Ruud Lubbers as U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees is good news for the people of North Korea, then read this. My only regret is that he wasn’t fired for dereliction of duty. Whatever.