Red blogule to Korea's hubs - meanwhile, in China...

While Busan, Incheon and several Seoul areas compete to become Asia's next hub, China plays "baduk" at a much larger level in order to host the future center of Korea.

Claiming Korea's cultural heritage is not enough. Even if their army of revisionist historians don't succeed in putting Koguryo on the Map of China, Beijing's strategic planners will use their multitudes to build a Great Wall of Korea on Chinese soil.

This future "Korean triangle" is meant to become even more powerful than Shanghai. The bay around Dalian being safe from freezing winters, it can compete with both Incheon and Busan and become the ideal spot for the future Eurasian railways terminals - no need to bother completing these silly inter-korean lines boys, we're taking care of everything from Motherland. Look, the "Bay of Korea" bathes our shores, we're not like those naughty Japanese imperialists who renamed the Sea of Korea "Sea of Japan" or worse, called Dokdo "Takeshima" as a tribute to their colonial craft (they say "bamboo island" comes from the shapes of the rocks but we all know how bamboo grows : Takeshima doesn't describe this dust on the sea but celebrates the first implantation of the Empire on a foreign soil).

China's building the ideal home for Koreans, leveraging on its strong local ethnic minority and intending to lure natives from the Korean Peninsula : either from the North (escaping from Hell), or from the South (escaping from a country with the World's lowest fertility rate, an insane education system and fewer opportunities in general) in a XXIst Century wild West gold rush (by the way, while we're at it, why not have some drafting sessions in LA's Koreatown as well ?). Thats a serious threat for a country whose most valuable assets are intangible or related to the very character of its population.

To make it even worse, the recent politico-military deal clinched between Japan and the US further precipitates Seoul in the welcoming arms of Beijing. And Korea can't find much disinterested support from its other giant neighbor Russia. Kofi Annan won't be of much help to Roh Moo-hyun for a better respect of fair play in the region. Korea needs to federate other Asian nations worried about China's and Japan's neo-imperialism, become a herald of cultural, economical and political diversity in the region... without angering Beijing too much because it can't afford it.

Korea can become a hub after all. But only if its major cities play as a team instead of competing with each other.

White blogule to Dr. Wafa Sultan - moderate Muslims, at last

She comes from Syria but lives in LA.
She spoke out loud but quietly on Al Jazeera.
The kind of words I've been expecting for 5 years (and calling from this excuse of a blog for 3 years) : the key war is waged by radical muslims against moderate muslims, Middle Age vs XXIst Century. Time for moderate muslims to wake up and make themselves heard.
She's been threatened but it may be too late : media must make this kind of positions mainstream. Radicals cannot keep overflowing airtime with their hatred while they just represent a minority.
Since she dared a parallel between Jews and Muslims, she's been invited in Israel. Good point, but beware of traps, be careful not to weaken your stature within the Muslim community.

Pink blogule to Hollywood - followers at best

Ang Lee truly was the best director around. To me, it means even more than the best picture award : he won on the human side, and anyway "Brokeback Mountain" has already become an all time great.
"Crash" won't reach that level. That movie reminds me of "Boyz n the Hood" : a "sign 'o the times" flick with a clear message and an interesting twist, but a little bit too much arranged and caricatural... just like Haggis' scenario for "Million Dollar Baby". You can enjoy it on the spot (good parts, great actors) but unlike Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing", the effect doesn't last. I guess Hollywood voters* were touched by the painting of the L.A. clamors reaching almost the top of their Beverly Hill fences.
That was a nice year for indies, but Hollywood didn't go all the way for their 2006 Academy Awards. George Clooney nailed it quite well by saying Hollywood "reflect society, not truly lead it".
Hollywood was two years too late because the majors accepted a deal with the Devil : our Administration passes the laws you want, don't attack us before the elections. Last year, it was as if the majors offered more playtime to their independant arms. But come moneytime or the All Star Game, only the big names did get their chances.


* (as Jon Stewart put it) "the first time many of [which] have ever voted for a winner".