Worldview: Other Nations
by A Concerned Citizen
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Retired on 31 December 2007
Table of Contents
IntroductionAfrica & South America
South America
Dafur Genocide
Congo Genocide
Somalia
Major Issues
World Community
World Poverty
Human Rights
US Immigration
First Thoughts
Ethnic Generalizations
Importing Poverty?
Immigrant Militancy
Native Working Poor
The Wall
Reconquista?
Articles
Videos
Introduction
19 Feb 07: Due to space constraints on my Main Menu, all the other countries of the world must be dumped here. It's just as well, as I have little time left over for more than the few links collected so far. Besides, in the case of Asia, the news is mostly good, which means that there isn't that much news! Elsewhere, the calamities continue, seemingly endless. We must remember, though, that for millions of people, life goes on quietly, even peacefully. We focus on the disasters, but there is also much beauty in this world, much of it hidden or unnoticed. There is also much love in this world, some of it also hidden or unnoticed! Someday, I may find a place for a bit of this on my website.
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Japan
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Introduction (19 Feb 07): I have a lot of respect for Asia, for its ancient cultures, its delicate taste, good manners, social restraint and overall wisdom and patience. By and large, the Asians have learned to do something constructive with their lives, like becoming educated or prosperous, rather than rioting or blowing themselves up. (Communism is a tragic aberration, a Western import that goes against the grain of the historical Asian aversion to ideology and fanaticism.) As I said in the Introduction, the main reason this section is still sparse is because good news does not sell, and the news from Asia is mostly good these days. I would like to find room here for a celebration of Asian cultures, but I doubt I'll have the time. This website will probably remain focused on news. You'll have to do your own web surfing for the culture!
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Articles
Resources
Overviews
Miscellaneous
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1941 Documentary: Children of Japan (7 Feb 07): I was saddened by watching this documentary of Japanese schoolchildren, made by Americans in 1941. This charming vignette of daily life contrasts so harshly with the ugly American propaganda that followed so soon thereafter.
Then again, some historians allege that savage massacres of native Americans were not uncommon either. And what about the bombings of Dresden or Hiroshima, not to mention the 100,000 who perished recently in Iraq, probably for no good reason?
The fact remains that, despite the militaristic government in power, most of the Japanese were ordinary, decent people trying to make it through life, and their culture had a charm second to none. Yet it was the innocents who suffered at Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and elsewhere.
This serves as a cautionary tale regarding Islam. One can agree, as I do, that orthodox Islam is an ideology incompatible with modern values, which has caused massive suffering and oppression throughout history. But hatred of the ideology can too easily lead to demonization of an entire society, as occurred with Japan during WWII. Given the historical record, we Americans can hardly claim to be above such ugly prejudices. This seems especially true of many who call themselves 'conservative'.
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Videos of Japan (1930s) (3 Mar 07): I found these delightful videos of Japan in the 1930s (in color no less) at the Japan Probe website. I just love to see Japanese women in kimonos!
Scenes of Tokyo (1935)
A few locations in Tokyo, including Yasukuni Shrine (1937)
Spring in Tokyo (1937)
1933 Cartoon. American Inspired; Already Japanese
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More Japanese Videos:
Jumping Around the World (animation)
Shiseido Makeup Ad
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Japan News
Before 2006
2006
2007
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Korea
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North Korea News
2006
2007
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South Korea News
Before 2007
2007
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The Apocalytic Quandary (10 Oct 06): Due to the gravity of the issue of nuclear proliferation, I will continue the discussion in a special section on my US Foreign Policy page, in which I have merged the discussion for Iran, North Korea and any other nuclear aspirants. So far, I have been indecisive, due to the enormous stakes and dangers involved. I will try to examine this extremely difficult issue from all sides. On this page, I will continue to post some individual news articles related to North Korea. When appropriate, they will be transferred to the discussion just mentioned.
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Southeast Asia
Year 2006
Year 2007
It is a conflict the government admits it is losing. A harsh crackdown and martial law in recent years seem only to have fueled the insurgency, generating fear and anger and undermining moderate Muslim voices.
A new policy of conciliation pursued by Thailand's junta since it took power in a coup five months ago has been met by increased violence, including a barrage of 28 coordinated bombings in the south that killed or injured about 60 people a week ago.
'The momentum of violence is now beyond the control of government policy', said Srisompob Jitpiromsri, a political scientist at Prince of Songkhla University here.
[...]
'Buddhist monks have been hacked to death, clubbed to death, bombed and burned to death', said Sunai Phasuk, a political analyst with the Human Rights Watch monitoring group. 'This has never happened before. This is a new aspect of violence in the south.'
Some remote areas in the south have become, in effect, no-go zones for the police or military, according to Francesca Lawe-Davies, an analyst with the International Crisis Group.
[. . .]
'It appears in the last year or so that insurgent groups are actually starting to control territory in a more conventional sense', she said.
Some Buddhist and Muslim villages have begun sealing themselves off from one another. People say that old friendships and patterns of cooperation are being undermined by mistrust.
In a report published last month, Zachary Abuza, the author of Militant Islam in Southeast Asia, said that entire Buddhist communities have fled in a 'de facto ethnic cleansing.'
'The social fabric of the south has been irreparably damaged', he said.
[. . .]
'In the local communities in the red zones, it already is a war situation', Srisompob said. 'It is different now from last year, from the last two years.'
About 1.3 million ethnic-Malay Muslims form a majority in Thailand's three southernmost provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani, accounting for a tiny percentage of Thailand's overwhelmingly Buddhist population of 65 million.
The Muslims have complained of discrimination and attempts at forced assimilation since Thailand annexed the former Sultanate of Pattani a century ago. Armed insurgencies have risen and subsided over the past four decades, but the government may now be facing its most dangerous challenge.
'What is new about the current conflict is the level and degree of violence, the Islamist agenda of the insurgents, and their unprecedented degree of cooperation and coordination', Abuza said.
'The level of violence in Thailand's south has never been higher', he said. 'Nor has it been more brutal.'
He said there had been more than 24 beheadings in the past three years and as many as 60 attempted beheadings.
Human Rights Watch counted more than 6,000 violent incidents over the past three years. The insurgency is all the more difficult to combat because it does not show its face. Unlike similar movements around the world, this one has not set out its demands or published a manifesto. It is a collection of violent groups without an identifiable central leadership.
'We are fighting a ghost', said Chidchanok Rahimmula, a lecturer in security at Prince of Songkhla University.
The new policy of conciliation was put in place by Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, a Muslim, who took power after Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted as prime minister in a coup in September.
Surayud apologized for the harsh policies his predecessor implemented during his six years in office, promised to investigate abuses and restructured the military command for the south.
People in rural areas say that soldiers and police officers have become less aggressive and are attempting to reach out by attending local fairs and holding dialogues.
Last week, Surayud conceded that none of this was working. 'We can't see the results in three to four months because the painful feelings of southern people in the past four to five years run deep', he said. 'This is not easy to cure.'
Indeed, the insurgency has responded by stepping up its violence, in an apparent effort to block any peace process. There has been no serious reply to Surayud's offer of negotiations.
People who live here, both in the villages and urban areas, say they have never been so frightened. Back to Nations Menu
South America
19 Feb 07: As of today, I have only two links for all of South America! This is truly shameful, and I apologize to all South Americans. I have an image of them as mostly warm and lively people, with colorful cultures, living in a mostly beautiful part of the world, from tropical jungles to snow-covered mountains. As I explained already, good news doesn't sell, and poverty is taken care of in a later section, which is also sparse. These first two links deal with a perennial problem in South America, the choice between socialism and prosperity. It seems like they are mutually exclusive, but must it be that way? I don't necessarily agree with the hired guns of the Wall Street Journal, but I don't necessarily disagree either. Perhaps over time, I will collect enough articles to form an opinion.
2006
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Dafur Genocide
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Introduction (30 Jun 06): Here is a leftish student-oriented website in favor of intervening in Dafur to stop the genocide. Some background, according to the article, is as follows:
Please note that 'Islamists' are responsible, that is, orthodox Muslims who believe in Jihad. Notice also the sheer and shocking magnitude of not one but two recent genocides in Africa: Rwanda and Dafur. What is the matter with Africa? Why do the African nations not take care of this?
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Comments from SRK (20 Feb 07): SRK is my Hindu correspondent, who is well-versed in matters pertaining to Islam, as well as to politics in general. He provides the following feedback on the Dafur and Rwanda genocides, which I will reproduce verbatim:
Notice also the sheer and shocking magnitude of not one but two recent genocides in Africa: Rwanda and Dafur. What is the matter with Africa?
As for Rwanda, the ideological basis is barely whispered in fashionable western capitals. Instead, people alternately commiserate with those affected or rebuke the 'Africans' for their tribalism. Well, this was certainly a civil war among similar peoples etc., and the Hutus and Tutsis behaved badly, but the devil is in the (additional) details.
There was an (almost medieval?) Christian component to the proceedings too.
I would like to tell you, and with deep respect for 'Africans' that a viable and vibrant African identity probably exists only in America, where Africans from multiple, culturally strong nations/tribes were forced to divest themselves of every cultural identifier except for their skin colour, which could not be helped. So, in accordance with the ancient law of caste and endogamy they formed the 'African-Americans' for the convenience of western classification. ('White' Americans were created similarly, by erasing several European identities). But such a situation has never obtained in Africa. It has also lacked a coherent continental cultural undercurrent compared to India or, if there is one, I haven't heard of it. Moreover, it is too early to tell if the common traumas of that unhappy continent will forge a common and workable African identity, especially since:
That does not mean, of course, that an African identity may not be forged in the future. Any common, deeply felt historical experiences and prolonged interaction certainly help. But, as of today, a few western-educated/influenced African leaders parading in some capital every so many years does not an African Union make. On the ground, I guess the African peacekeepers are hampered by any number of reasons, most of all the erratic enthusiasm of their sponsors.
So, when people talk of the 'African' identity, I cannot help thinking that this is another western phantasm (a.k.a. a 'theoretical construct' in certain circles), rather like the 'Iraqi' identity that recently died with Saddam Hussein.
At a deeper level, do you think Bush, Calderon or Harper are going to embrace a 'North American' identity any time soon? They might consider the proposal as hare-brained at best and insulting at worst. Of course, again, some common cultural or historical current in the future might make this possible. And meanwhile, Islam, with its theoretically correct claim to universal brotherhood, rigorously admitting of no ethnic/caste/tribal/racial affiliations, continues to claim lives in Iraq...So many ironies and so little time! Back to Dafur Menu
Articles
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Congo Genocide
Introduction (12 Aug 06): Yet another genocide? Well, TIME magazine calls it the 'deadliest war in the world':
Simmering conflict in Congo has killed 4 million people since 1998, yet few choose to cover the story. TIME looks at a forgotten nation--and what's needed to prevent the deaths of millions more. Had you even heard of this? I barely had. Oh well! It doesn't affect us. It won't lead to exploding jets, or make gas prices go up. So let's just yawn and forget about it. At the same time, I am inclined to blame the locals. The general tendency, especially among sensitive/left-oriented folk, is to blame this kind of thing on 'colonialism'. That excuse is wearing thin. The basic problem, it seems, is that massive numbers of young males want to fight, like the smiling face on the cover. Same as in the Middle East. Add to that the usual corrupt politicians, who are even worse in the underdevloped world than in the developed world. A lot may have to do with education, though there have been 'primitive' societies capable of peace. My gut feeling is that it is ultimately 'spiritual', but that is a rather vague and useless explanation. Or is it?
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Somalia
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World Community
Introduction (28 Jun 06): My cynicism has kept me from opening a section on 'world opinion', by which I mean a hypothetical consensus of the more-or-less decent nations of the world. After all, this is the idea behind democracy and the U.N., namely, that most of the people will be right most of the time. I know of no natural law guaranteeing such a happy situation, and the dreary facts seem to suggest otherwise. If nothing else, the U.N.'s bigotry against Israel has been a disgrace.
So what happens if we limit the 'world community' to the industrialized nations? Do the higher levels of education perhaps lead to a more enlightened consensus? This may sound like an elitist hypothesis, but it is one that is a bit more grounded in reality. In general, the worst parts of the world are the ones with the least education, with the Middle East and Africa at the bottom. (Asian countries, even when poor, have always been 'educated' in the sense of a high level of culture.) Unfortunately, even in educated nations, prejudice and power politics remain strong, as we have seen lately with Russia, China and even France opposing the U.S. on Iran and North Korea. However, I don't entirely blame them; U.S. policy lately has been rather arrogant, sanctimonious and naive.
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World Poverty
Introduction (30 Jun 06): There should be a section on poverty, even though the media hardly ever discusses this issue, preferring the much more glamorous topic of war.
How do I, as an affluent American, feel about the vast ocean of poverty in this world? Frankly, I am not burdened by much of a guilty liberal conscience over this issue. Perhaps I should be. My basic feeling is that the economic status of a country or region reflects the political and social behavior of its inhabitants, which in turn reflects what I call the 'overall level of consciousness'. That is, I blame the victim. Much of the third world is plagued by ignorance, tribalism, religious fanaticism, lawlessness, and all the signs of moral and intellectual failure. This in turn brings tyrants to power, who plunder and ruin their people, setting them back even further, in a vicious cycle. If I feel sorry for anyone, it is for the Hindus in India, who deserve to enjoy the fruits of their ancient and excellent civilization, but who are tied down by militant Muslims, devious missionaries, thieving Marxists, and so many other problems.
The left loves to blame the predicament of the third world on the legacy of colonialism. The example of Asia proves that this is no longer a tenable excuse. Thanks to the inherently superior civilization of Asia, compared to Africa and the Middle East, the Asians have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps. By 'superior civilization', I mean not just education and culture but overall attitude, beliefs, ethical behavior, and so forth, all of which ultimately flows from the 'level of consciousness'. For example, whatever their faults, non-Muslim Asians generally do not go crazy in riots or believe fanatical nonsense, such as that the Jews eat babies, or what have you. This is in sharp contrast to the Middle East. The case of Africa seems more tragic, as Africans generally seem relaxed and pleasant when not under excessive stress. My impression is that Africa suffers more from sheer ignorance, whereas the Middle East suffers more from a wild and barbaric mentality, but perhaps I am being too sweeping in my generalizations.
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Human Rights
Introduction (21 Aug 06): I have read much anecdotal evidence that many prominent human rights groups are leftist in orientation and biased against the US and Israel. Alan Dershowitz has been doing some research on this, and here is the first 'installment' of what promises to be a comprehensive series of articles.
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First Thoughts
April 06: This could be a turning point for America, in several respects. There are an estimated 20 million illegal aliens in this country, most of them Hispanics from Mexico. Congress is currently debating new legislation on how to deal with them. On the one hand, it seems that we cannot be a secure nation if we cannot control our borders. On the other hand, these aliens mostly work very hard, doing manual labor at low wages that more established citizens are said to spurn, though there is some debate about this. The political implications are huge. There are already millions of legal American citizens of Hispanic origin, and if they become antagonized, then a major political realignment could result. The Republicans are currently split between businessmen who want the cheap labor and 'nativists' who feel inundated and in some cases resentful of losing jobs (or having wages depressed). The Democrats must also tread carefully, as they have traditionally been the party of immigrants, but many of their lower-wage supporters also feel threatened. Finally, there is the issue of the social services used by illegals, as well as the crime some of them commit.
For now I would like to indulge in a somewhat gratuitous over-generalization. I like Hispanics! I like their culture, and they seem like decent, family-oriented, hard-working, religious people who would enrich this country. Such a statement may anger people in the Southwest who face immigrant crime and a drain on expensive social services. Those problems must surely be addressed. Yet the fact remains that Hispanics don't seem like an ideological threat in the way that many Muslims do. They are not known for fanaticism or a hard, militant attitude (though the ones who claim the Southwest as Mexican territory must be watched). Rather, they seem warm-hearted and down-to-earth, and they have a colorful and festive heritage which appeals to almost everyone. These are endearing qualities, which are in stark contrast to the austerity and harshness of Islam. We can't be enemies with the entire Third World, and the Hispanics seem like good people to be friends with. The gang issue must be confronted, but it seems the product of the trauma of vicious recent wars in Central and South America, rather than of a deeply-entrenched and pernicious creed. This can be healed.
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Ethnic Generalizations
Introduction (25 April 06): Some feedback from SRK, as well as my own common sense, tell me that I am getting into dangerous territory with my sweeping generalizations based on ethnicity. I do have a basically positive impression of Hispanics, just as I do of Hindus. Such generalizations may be unfashionable in our PC culture, but they correspond to my experience and my reading, so I will say what I think. Besides, the good social qualities of Hindus and Hispanics arise from culture and are merely correlated with ethnicity. It is culture and ideology that I care about. History being what it is, culture and ideology will display some correlation with ethnicity. However, please note that I am not criticizing Muslims based on their race but on their creed. What race would that be, anyway? Arabic? In fact, many Muslims are not Arabs, and many non-Muslim Arabs are quite reasonable people, like Wafi Sultan and Brigitte Gabriel. Some Muslim Arabs too, no doubt, like the ones following their family traditions but not really absorbing the militant message of the prophet. But the fact remains that many if not most Muslims believe in the supremacy of their religion and are more loyal to Islamic law than to democracy. There is ample evidence of this, as I have discussed already. A basic and honest familiarity with the Muslim scriptures makes this clear.
So from a practical point of view, I favor profiling immigrants based on their ideology and their criminal record. Unfortunately, this will require taking the big step of publicly acknowledging that there is something wrong with traditional Islam, and we can no longer respect all 'religions' as equal and good. This may seem like a shocking violation of our cherished separation of Church and State, but perhaps that separation needs to be amended to take into account so-called religions which have a militant political agenda. There are not so many of them! Even so, I would only screen out truly 'militant' Muslims, e.g. those who advocate the supremacy of Sharia over the democratic process. An oath should be required that the democratic process always trumps any religious directive, and this should be spelled out explicitly, with Sharia cited as a concrete example. (Unfortunately, one of the Prophet's many enlightening directives was deceit in the furtherance of Islam.) This discrimination would even apply within a nationality, e.g. Hindu Indians would more or less get a free pass, provided they have no criminal record, while Muslim Indians would be more closely scrutinized. Of course the nice ones like Abdul Kalam are welcome.
In a recent email, SRK makes a good point. If, in the course of screening immigrants, we are not candid that radical Islam is the problem, then we leave ourselves open to charges of racism and xenophobia. He refers to the American phobia of ever allowing race, nationality or religion to be a criterion of 'profiling' in our public security measures. This includes not only immigration but also, for example, screening at airports, where elderly Western ladies are treated the same as young men from Saudi Arabia or Pakistan. I agree with him that nationality and religion, and to a lesser extent race, are, in his words, "approximate" indicators to assist in screening, given that we cannot read minds. If we could just point the finger at radical Islam, then harmless people could be spared a great deal of inconvenience. Right now, we give some weight to nationality but ignore religion altogether as taboo, which makes life difficult for foreign students who would greatly benefit our univesities, such as intelligent and hard-working Asians who have nothing to do with Islam.
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Importing Poverty?
Introduction (26 April 06): Still, there are problems with Hispanic immigration, or at least potential problems. According to Robert Samuelson, we are importing poverty. A flood of unskilled immigrants drives down wages for low-income Americans and places a severe strain on social services. These difficulties cannot simply be swept aside with happy talk about how everybody benefits in the long run. I agree that the importation of unskilled labor must be monitored and perhaps sometimes restricted, to allow those already here to assimilate. I see no problem with allowing as many people with skills in as want to come, e.g. Asians. Unfortunately, all those smart Indians may already be seeing a brighter future in their native land than over here!
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Immigrant Militancy
Introduction (29 April 06): A further problem is that many of the illegal immigrants seem to be taking an unwise militant approach to trying to get their way. A few weeks ago we saw a massive parade of Hispanics in cities like Los Angeles, and many of them were waving Mexican flags and carrying signs saying that California is really part of Mexico. They must have a lousy public relations firm! Seriously, though, such an attitude is disquieting, and suggests that when they become numerous enough, many will be hostile to the Anglo community. A further alarming sign is the threatened shutdown of major American cities like Los Angeles on Monday. This has been compared to the civil rights marches of the 1960s, but there is an important difference: back then the blacks were already citizens demanding their rights, whereas these marchers are not citizens yet they are making demands. This is indeed disturbing, and we must keep an eye on it. Yet I maintain that most of the many Hispanics I have encountered have been good people, and there is nothing in their history or culture to suggest that they are a fundamental threat to our basic democratic values. And I can feel some sympathy with their cause, in that both the American businessmen and public were happy to benefit for many years from their hard work and cheap labor. We do owe them something, but they should behave themselves better than this. They should carry signs saying that they love America and democracy and would be very grateful to be given the gift of citizenship. Their unfortunate behavior is part of a general cultural trend today in which the basic rules of politeness and gratitude have been discarded in favor of an obnoxious in-your-face attitude. America shares a large part of the blame for that attitude! In particular, the entertainment business, which is centered in ... Los Angeles!
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The Native Working Poor
Introduction (2 May 06): These two articles indicate that I have not fully realized the difficulties of the problem. It is not just a question of whether Hispanics are basically good people. We must also empathize with the millions of working-class citizens whose wages have been depressed by competition from the illegals. It is similar to outsourcing, which helps the poor Chinese, Indians and other Asians, but hurts America's poor. Even a 'liberal' stalwart like Paul Krugman has concluded that illegal immigration has hurt the working poor. Meanwhile, the well-educated of all political persuasions live in a completely separate world. The mostly Republican business classes profit from the cheap labor, while the supposedly 'liberal' Democratic elites cling to the chimera of education as a panacea for those Americans displaced by globalization. The elites also benefit from the illegal immigrants in a personal way, e.g. cheaper nannies and lawn care. And a large number of middle class people benefit too, e.g. with cheaper food and nursing home care.
This leads to a perplexing question for a democracy. Perhaps the majority of Americans do benefit from globalization and illegal immigration, at least now, while America has not yet descended into poverty. (That idea may seem preposterous, but I am gloomy about the distant future, given our massive debt and the competition from Asia. A lot can happen in 50 to 100 years.) If, at present, a majority of Americans are better off from globalization and illegal immigration, at the expense of an ever-sinking minority, then what is the 'democratic' solution? Democracy has often been simplistically phrased as preventing a rich minority from 'oppressing' a not-rich majority. However, in real life, the situation can be more complicated, with a not-poor majority 'oppressing', or at least having the upper hand over, a poor minority. That may already be unfair, but the situation becomes much worse if that poor minority slowly swells over time. We may end up with a huge mass of unskilled low-wage citizens, combined with a huge mass of illegal immigrants, both drawing on expensive social services, and both feeling increasingly discontent. There is the real possibility of a catastrophic social upheaval. Meanwhile, the well-to-do and educated have been profiting in a bubble of their own, as American society becomes increasingly polarized. (There is even the new trend of many affluent Americans living in secluded and guarded communities, as in South America and other third-world countries.)
The plight of the 'working poor' is real, but middle-class people also face huge expenses, such as buying a house or sending children to college. Don't they deserve a break? As for the 'nannies', it should be pointed out that most professional families must now have both parents working to make ends meet, and daycare for the children is very expensive. Then there is nursing home care, which is very expensive, despite all the immigrant nurses. What would it be without them! It can easily cost much more than an average salary to keep an elderly parent in a nursing home. Where are those profits going? Why is every service so expensive? Maybe it's because the wealth is being spread around to some extent, though, to be sure, a small elite is benefitting hugely.
Finally, I am perplexed that so few blacks seem to be working on the new Wilson Bridge that I pass everyday. As far as I can tell, the workers are mostly Hispanic. Why, in a city with so many blacks? Are they not willing to do hard manual labor? Or have they been shut out unfairly? Is it that welfare pays better, as so many conservatives claim? Or is there a huge pork project of government jobs already set aside for them? Every construction site now seems to be mostly Hispanic. Our economy would collapse without them! In summary, this is a perplexing and difficult problem, as are so many others! However, for the sake of national integrity, if nothing else, I must agree that something must be done to secure our borders. We are no longer a nation if millions of people can just walk across, settle down, demand public services, and then demand citizenship! At the same time, the public at large has been complicit, due to the benefits, so we must not be too harsh in our solution. We must split the difference somehow and avoid extreme measures. And the Hispanics would be wise to eliminate all suggestions of Marxist influence! That doesn't go over well with the American public.
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The Wall
Introduction (24 May 06): I haven't really been following this issue, but I did see a videoblog on BloggingHeads.TV, where Mickey Kaus touched on this topic while discussing nuclear proliferation with Jacqueline Shire. His point, as I remember, is that the House wants a wall (or similar border security) to be in place before granting anything like amnesty to the illegals already here. The president and the Senate, on the other hand, want a dual solution where border security and citizenship occur more or less simultaneously. The fear of the House is that amnesty will act as a huge magnet which will bring a new flood of immigrants before measures are in place to stop them. Kaus agrees, and so do I. Shire and others have expressed reservations about the hostile 'message' of a wall, but Kaus and I think this is a minor matter. In general, I tend to be in favor of walls and partitions to solve problems between social groups, whether in Israel, Yugoslavia, or Iraq. (Of course, a wall or partition may not be without hardship as well, at least for a while, until the equilibrium is restored.)
Another point to make is that amnesty or citizenship could bring many more Mexicans into America than the ones currently here, via family relationships. I have heard estimates of 100 to 200 million. I think that would be dangerously destabilizing to our social order. Also, I believe in assimilation, to make sure that immigrants absorb American values, such as democracy, tolerance and civic responsibility, as was the case with previous immigrant groups. And the idea of importing massive poverty does not appeal to me. Some number of poor workers may benefit our economy, but there must be a limit.
One could view this rush to massive immigration as further evidence that the Republicans (or rather Bush and the Senate Republicans) stand primarily for the interests of businessmen (and maybe also religious reactionaries - promotion of intelligent design in schools, curbs on stem cell research, and all that). Or else one could argue that our economy would collapse without the immigrants. Still, how many do we really need all at once?
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Reconquista?
Introduction (21 Aug 06): Pat Buchanan has a new book out called Emergency: The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America, in which he argues that the Southwest is in danger of becoming absorbed into Mexico. Indeed, this is part of Mexico's plan! Here is a video of Pat on Imus, and here is part of the transcript:
I have said that I have a generally favorable impression of Hispanics. They seem for the most part like nice, hard-working, family-oriented people, and they don't seem to believe in any dangerous ideology similar to Jihad. However, if many immigrants or illegals do consider America illegitimate, then that is surely cause for great concern. Therefore, I think Pat may have a point that a period of assimilation might be a good idea, to see if the latest batch of immigrants are able and willing to be good citizens. However, this should apply only to ordinary uneducated laborers and not to qualified professionals from Asia, for example. We need as many high-quality immigrants as possible. We need to discriminate.
On the other hand, we do save a lot of money, thanks to cheap immigrant labor.
There is no 11th commandment from God that we must accommodate all the poor in the world. That would destroy us, and then everybody would be poor. It would be better for countries like Mexico to learn how to develop their own economy. It begins with education and the right public policies.
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Articles
NOTE: (22 May 07): I am no longer closely following this issue, which is currently coming to a head in Congress. I have expressed some views above, and I am more concerned about our foreign policy. Nevertheless, I may post a few more articles from time to time
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Introduction
Articles
Children of Japan (1941)
Videos of Japan (1930s)
More Japanese Videos
Japan News
Wikipedia: Liberal Democratic Party
Liberal Democratic Party (official website)
Japan Policy Research Institute
Chalmers Johnson: Exporting the American Model
Chalmers Johnson: High Yen: End of the Japanese-US Alliance? (1995)
Chalmers Johnson: Japanese 'Capitalism' Revisited (2001)
Johnson & Ijiri: About Area Studies and Japan
Chalmers Johnson: The Looting of Asia
1941 DOCUMENTARY VIDEO:
CHILDREN OF JAPAN
Japan Probe, 7 Feb 07
This raises the whole question of culpability for the war. I could draw a facile parity between Japan's imperial ambitions in Asia and the conquest of America by Europeans, but for the obscene horror described in such books as The Rape of Nanking by the late Iris Chang, in which scores of innocents were mercilessly brutalized or murdered. See also here.
BBC: Japan, US sign defence pact
BBC: Agreement on US-Japan troop deal
George Will: Unbind Japan's Military
George Will: The Legacy Of Japan's 'Lion Heart'
Richard Halloran: A Monumental Change in Japan
Anthony Faiola (WP): Exit Koizumi, Japan's Relentless Jedi Knight
Steven Clemons: The Rise of Japan's Thought Police
George Will: Japan's Wrenching Choices
Mitsuru Kitano (IHT): Reconciliation is a two-way street
BBC: Japan shrine 'to review display'
BBC: Japan anger at US sex slave bill
BBC: Japan PM apology on sex slaves
BBC: Security dominates US-Japan talks
Yahoo: CIA papers reveal 1950s Japan coup plot
Michael Green: Why Tokyo's New Assertiveness Is Good for Washington
Francis Fukuyama: The Trouble with Japanese Nationalism
BBC: Japanese economy to 'overtake US'
Starner: Review of 'Yukio Mishima's Sword'
Japanese poll: History's 100 most influential people
BBC: Abe explains sex slave comments
Yahoo: 62% of Japanese favor ban on 'collective self-defense'
Richard Halloran: In Japan, Religion Makes A Comeback
BBC: Okinawa anger at textbook plans
BBC: Japan minister in atom bomb row
Doug Bandow: A New Era in Asia: Japan Rising
Noriko Hama: Good news: Japan's ruling party is imploding
North Korea News
South Korea News
Edward N. Luttwak: North Korea's clown provocateur
B. Cumings & M. Jung-En Woo (NYT): What Does North Korea Want?
Chosun Ilbo: North Korea's Long-Range Missile Lasted 7 Minutes
Kommersant: Kremlin Shares Blame for 'Headless Horseman'
Pat Buchanan: Kim's Rockets Clear the Air
Times: West mounts 'secret war' to keep nuclear North Korea in check
Srdja Trifkovic: North Korea: The Problem, The Solution
IHT: US to offer North Korea face-saving nuclear plan
Fred Kaplan: North Korea intel botch worse than you think
John Bolton: The North Korea Climbdown
Chalmers Johnson: Economic Fanaticism Is Bad for Seoul
Chalmers Johnson: Korea, South and North, at Risk
JoongAng Daily: South Korea's Break with America is Only Natural
BBC: South Korea tackles high suicide rate
Brisbane Times: Free trade deal to prise Seoul from China
Chosun Ilbo: Why the Americans Cannot Be Relied Upon
Korea Herald: Rally against U.S. transfer of wartime military control
Doug Bandow: Korean Whining: The Price of Dependence on America
BBC: UN vote backs N Korea sanctions
Anne Applebaum: North Korea is China's problem
BBC: Thai PM overthrown in army coup
Greg Sheridan (Australian): A coup for the better
Hindustan Times: Muslim insurgency behind Thai coup
BBC: Thai king backs coup leadership
NewsAsia: Thailand to close all 944 schools in Muslim south
MUSLIM TERROR IN SOUTHERN THAILAND
International Herald Tribune, 25 Feb 07
PATTANI, Thailand: Some are already calling it war, a brutal Muslim separatist insurgency in southern Thailand that has taken as many as 2,000 lives in three years, with almost daily bombings, drive-by shootings, arson and beheadings.
BBC: Indonesians jailed 14-20 years for schoolgirl beheadings
Andrew Sullivan: A Saffron Revolution in Burma?
CSM: Monks rising: Basics of Burma
John Pilger: A Conversation With Aung San Suu Kyi
Independent: The full horror emerges
John Pilger: The hypocrites who say they back democracy in Burma
Jeremy M. Martin: The Chavez Effect in Latin American Politics
Joseph Stiglitz (NPQ): Is Populism Really So Bad for Latin America?
Introduction
Comments from SRK
Articles
Ongoing since 2003, the genocide began as the result of a local insurgency against Sudan's Islamist government in the underdeveloped and lawless Darfur region. The government's reaction, though, was to stop directly confronting the insurgency and instead to support, financially and militarily, Arab militias called Janjaweed, in cleansing the region of ethnically African tribes that they see as the civilian supporters of the insurgency. Since then, at least 400,000 people have died. For comparison, 800,000 people died in the Rwanda genocide. Observers believe Darfur will reach those levels if the violence continues unchecked. Two million more have been displaced to refugee camps, where they continue to die. International outcry has increased, and as nations and NGOs attempt to provide a solution to the problem, an essentially toothless 7,000-member African Union (AU) peacekeeping force patrols an area the size of France without any air support. A peace agreement between the insurgents and the Khartoum government was signed in May, but the genocide goes on as the U.N. attempts to work out a peacekeeping solution. Meanwhile, 6,000 people die in Darfur every month and Janjaweed attacks continue.
60 Minutes: Darfur getting even worse
CNN: Sudan expels UN official for blog
BBC: UN envoy Pronk to return to Sudan
Jan Pronk's Website and Weblog
BBC: Darfur militias 'kill children'
SRK'S COMMENTS ON DAFUR AND RWANDA GENOCIDES
In your blog on other nations, you write:
About Darfur, of course, it is a jihad of 'naturalised' Arabs (I am reminded of 'particular people' of Indian ethnicity who have invented a lot of Arab/Persian/Turkish ancestors) against their alleged 'non-Arab' neighbours, who haven't sloughed off local ethnicity yet — Ashraf vs. Ajlaf — at least to a first approximation.
As for your question: Why do the African nations not take care of this?,
1. Native traditions are in retreat.
2. Perpetual political instability reigns over most of the region.
3. Christianity and Islam are quarrelling/likely to quarrel over the exclusive rights to the corpse.
4. A common trauma is not a sufficiently affirmative experience, merely a negative one (a brick wall the Muslim/Invader-focussed discourse of some Sangh groups runs into).
In brief, SRK is telling us that the Muslim and Western imperial powers have played havoc with the so-called third world, not just by plundering the wealth, but also by playing with their minds. This went hand-in-glove with mullahs and missionaries. Missionary activity should be viewed as a psychological weapon, not a harmless gift of spiritual salvation. (Who says that Hinduism and Buddhism and other religions cannot provide 'spiritual salvation'? Who needs the 'spiritual salvation' of plundering criminals or their descendants?) Moreover, the theological arrogance of Christianity and Islam has often been translated into political conflict based on religious and (supposed) racial identity. Some may protest that the missionaries of today are benign and sincere, but the very idea of brainwashing a society is repellent to any decent person. Any kind of 'religious conversion' should be a deeply reflective venture, based on personal initiative. Notice that the Hindus in India have (mostly) been able to withstand the cultural onslaught, thanks to their deeply rooted spiritual and cultural traditions, unlike the less fortunate Africans.
Niall Stanage: Tragic Death of Enlightened Interventionism
Ken Silverstein: Facts and Darfur
by Simon Robinson and Vivienne Walt
TIME Magazine, posted 28 May 2006
Ivan Eland: A US-Made Mess in Somalia
Simon Tisdall: Somalia is the shame of the world
Chris Floyd: Rendition and Regime Change in Somalia
Chris Floyd: Press Plays 9/11 Card to Justify Somalia Slaughter
Salim Lone: In Somalia, a reckless U.S. proxy war
Jacques Chirac: Moving toward a cooperative future at the G-8 summit
David Horowitz: Moment of Truth for Israel
Mike Davis (NPQ): Planet of Slums
Andrew Rice (The Nation): Why Is Africa Still Poor?
Erich Wiedemann (Spiegel): Choking on Aid Money in Africa
Roger Sandall (Culture Cult): Dereliction express in Africa
Newshour: Vandana Shiva Questions the Goals of Globalization
Alan Dershowitz: The 'Human Rights Watch' Watch (Installment 1)
Yes, I know, 'niceness' is a rather vague and trite criterion. Let's hope the oath works. Come to think of it, don't all immigrants have to take an oath to obey the law and the Constitution? Oh dear! Back to the drawing board!
Robert Rector (FPM): Importing Poverty
Brad Carson: Democrats Must Fight Illegal Immigration
Furthermore, let us note that many presumably 'low-skill' services, such as plumbing and electrical work, seem ridiculously expensive, comparable to medical or legal fees - which are also too high by the way! The same is true in, say, France, which is why Frenchmen of all classes welcome 'Polish plumbers'. Is a little foreign competition in such cases so unfair? Are those who are middle-class really 'exploiting' the working poor? Some of these 'less educated workers', such as home contractors, seem to benefit from what seems like a medieval guild that restricts the competition. (Then again, the same could be said of doctors, lawyers and other professionals.) I wasn't sorry to get some work done at a merely hefty price, instead of a very hefty price, by Spanish-speaking workers. (I never asked for proof of citizenship!)
Robert Samuelson: Dodging Immigration's Truths
BBC: Mexico anger over US border fence
Dan Restrepo (CAP): The Border between Fear and Security
BUCHANAN: The nature and character of the invasion is far different than anything that used to happen. 58% of the Mexican people in one survey indicated they believed that the American Southwest belonged actually to Mexico. It was stolen from them. It belongs to them and I think that the Mexican government has a direct program basically to push it's poor, unemployed, and uneducated into the United States for a variety of purposes. And one of them, in my judgment - in which I believe I documented it in the book - is an attempt at the reconquista they call it, the reannexation of the seven days states of the American Southwest, link linguistically, ethnically and culturally to become as much a part of Mexico is they are a part of America. And I think that is well underway.
Ken Timmerman: Thousands of illegals from terrorist states are here
Tony Blankley: Pat Buchanan's 'State of Emergency'
BBC: US unveils new citizenship test
LA Weekly: Latino crime in LA suburb
FT: Gates warns on US immigration curbs
Joshua Holland: Why the Immigration Bill Died in the Senate