20061019

White blogule to Roh Moo-hyun - protecting Korea from the US

The Bush Administration has been working on a violent collapse of Kim Jong-il's regime for years. Bush even refused proposals by Pyongyang dovishest hawks to make peace and step by step becoming a strategic ally in the region. Former Ambassador Christopher R. Hill hasn't stopped putting oil on fire since North Korea's first nuclear test. For the White House, any diversion could help before November 7 mid-term elections.

So Roh Moo-hyun decided to protect the peninsula from this bilateral dead-end and announced the subject a purely intra-korean matter right before Condi Rice's visit in Seoul, without warning his closest advisors - especially those working on the Secretary of State's agenda.

Roh politely removes the US, Japan, Russia and China from the landscape, but also the UN, even if all voted resolutions will carefully be respected. Korean medias criticize the way secretary general elect Ban Ki-moon is cast away by his own Government the very week of his election at the head of the United Nations Organization, but this could prove to be a very smart way of helping Ban prove his independence from his country.

In the short term, I cannot see what can prevent NK from setting another nuclear test. In the medium term, Kim's regime will not survive. In a not so far future, Korea will face yet another nuclear neighbor : remilitarized Japan.

Right now, South should meet with North with the blessing of Beijing. For the time being, the 6-party talks should at least officially shrink to a 2-party-plus talks. Just to remind what's at stake if Korea as a whole collapses.

20061013

White blogule to you - 100,000th visitor

My humble personal portal recently registered its 100,000th visitor and 153rd country of origin of visitors (Uzbekistan).

Among the URLs of origin (NB: addendum - for complete updates, see Citizen Came) :

- They are paranoid : US Department of Defense, US Department of Veterans Affairs, US Department of State, US Centcom, Project and Contracting Office for Iraq, UK Ministry Of Defence, The RAND Corporation, The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NED), and many US military bases in the US, in Europe, Iraq, Asia...

- They have energy to share : Agip SpA (ITA), Air Liquide SA (FRA), APC Power Conversion SAS (FRA), Aral AG (DEU), Electrosvy AZ Volgograd (ROS), BP Plc (UK), Centrica Plc (UK), Comite Interministeriel aux Crises Nucleaires et Radiologiques (FRA), Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique (FRA), Deutsche BP AG (DEU), US Defense Energy Support Center (USA, VA), Devon Energy Corp (USA, OK), EDF (FRA), EIFER - European Institute For Energy Research (DEU), Electrabel (BEL), ENI (ITA), FMC Technologies Inc (USA, TX), Gruyere Energie SA (CH), Hocol SA (COL), Hydro Quebec (CAN), Institut Français du Petrole (FRA), Innogy Plc (UK), LukOil (ROS), LURE - Laboratoire de rayonnement synchrotron (FRA), Lyse Energy AS (NOR), MW Kellogg Limited (UK), National Institute for Nuclear Physics and High Energy Physics (NED), Nigeria Lng Expansion Project (UK), Nigeria LNG Limited (NGA), Nuclear Energy Institute (USA, WA), RTE France (FRA), RWE (DEU), SAMIR - Societe Anonyme Marocaine de l'Industrie du Raffinage (MAR), Schlumberger (USA, NY), Shell (NED), Shell US (USA, TX), Suez (FRA), Synchrotron Soleil (FRA), Technip USA Corporation (USA, CA), TNK-BP (ROS), Total Fina Elf (FRA), Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling Inc (USA, TX), Transocean Sedco Forex (UK), Tricat Group (USA, MD), Union Fenosa SA (ESP), Air Liquide America (USA, TX), United States Enrichment Corporation (USA, MD), Westar Energy (USA, KS), The Williams Company (USA, OK)...

- They observe : American Civil Liberties Union (USA, WA), Chr. Michelsen Institute (NOR), Commission Nationale des Comptes de Campagne et des Financements Politiques (FRA), Lowy Institute for International Policy (AUS), Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques - Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (FRA)...

- They govern : Prime Minister, Ministries of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Finance, Education, Research, Culture... (FRA), Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (UAE), Autorites Federales de la Confederation Helvetique (CH), Bundesregierung (DEU), Ministries of Health and Finance (BRA), US Department of Defense, US Department of Veterans Affairs, US Department of State, US Department of Transportation, US Environment Protection Agency, US Senate, US House of Representatives, NASA... (USA), Etat du Grand Duche du Luxembourg (LUX), Government of Malaysia (MLY), South African Government (RSA), UK Government (UK), Ministerio de Defensa de Espana (ESP), Ministere des Finances et des Investissements Exterieurs (MAR), Ministere de l’Interieur (BEL), Ministerie van defensie (NED), Ministerul Economiei si Comertului (ROM), Ministry of Communications (KUW), Ministry Of Defense (UK), Ministry Of Education (TWN), Ministry Of Education (SIN), Ministere de la Sante et des Services Sociaux (CAN), Senado (CHL), Secretariat General des Armees (FRA), States of Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississipi, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin... (USA), Armee de Terre (FRA), Ministerio da Saude (POR), Government of Brunei (BRU)...

- They're transnational : European Community (LUX), Union Europeenne (BEL), EUROCONTROL - European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (BEL), UNESCO (FRA), UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education (NED), INTAS (BEL), Institut d’Etudes de Securite de l’Union europeenne (FRA), NATO (BEL), The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NED), OECD (FRA), UNEP – United Nations Environment Program (KEN), UNEP – Energy Branch (FRA), UNMIK Kosova - United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (KOS), WHO (CH), The World Bank Group (USA, DC), The United Nations Volunteers (DEU), The United Nations Organization (USA, NY)...

- They research : CEMAGREF, CIRAD, CNET, CNRS Paris, CNRS Villejuif, France Telecom R&D, Geopsy / Sesarray Project, INRIA, INRS, INSERM, Institut Pasteur de Lille, IPSN - Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, IRC - Institut de Recherche sur la Catalyse, IRCAM, ISIMA, LAAS - Laboratoire d'Automatique et d'Analyse des Systemes, LaBRI - Laboratoire Bordelais de Recherche en Informatique, LIFL - Laboratoire d'Informatique Fondamentale de Lille, LURE - Laboratoire de rayonnement synchrotron, Synchrotron Soleil, Thomson Multimedia R&D (FRA), ETRI - Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, KAIST - Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, KIST - Korea Institute of Science and Technology, KISTI - Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, KREOnet - Korea Research Environment Open NETwork (ROK), BIB3R R&D project - Berlin Beyond 3G Project, Deutsches Forschungsnetz eV, DFN-CERT, EIFER, Fraunhofer-Institut fur Integrierte Schaltungen, Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology, PEROSH - The Partnership for European Research in Occupational Safety and Health, ZUMA Mannheim - Zentrum fuer Umfragen, Methoden und Analysen (DEU), Bell Northern Research, IREQ (CAN), CERIST (ALG), CERN, IURST, SWITCH (CH), CIMAT (MEX), CNRST (MAR), DoCoMo Labs, Griffith Laboratories, ITW Technology Center, Laboratory for Nuclear Science at MIT, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, MIT, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Philips Laboratories, SAIC - Science Applications International Corporation, Sharp Labs (USA), Mimos Berhad (MLY), NIKHEF - National Institute for Nuclear Physics and High Energy Physics, Philips Research, TNO - Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijkin (NED), NTA (NOR), Forschungszentrum Telekommunikation Wien (OST), GARR Consortium, Telecom Italia Lab (ITA), Internet Research Institute, JAMSTEC - Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, NITE - National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (JAP), GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development Limited (UK), Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (IRE), IBMC - Insituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, IRICUP - (POR), III - Institute for Information Industry, NHRI - National Health Research Institutes (TWN)

- They report from France : AFP, Bayard Presse, Canal Plus, Editions Philippe Amaury SA, Editions Atlas, Editis, L’Est Républicain, Eurosport, France 2, France Citevision, France Televisions, Groupe Contact, Groupe Express Expansion, Groupe Les Echos, Groupe Tests, Hachette Livre, Hachette Filipacchi Presse, Mediamétrie, Milan Presse, Le Monde, Pearson Education France, Prisma Presse, Le Progrès, La Provence, Radio Campus, Radio France, Le Republicain Lorrain, La République du Centre, RTL France, Societe du Journal de l’Union, Sports Media et Stratégie, TF1, TPS, TV Rennes, La Voix du Lyon ...

- They report from the US : American Media Inc (FL), CBS Broadcasting (NY), CMP Media (TX), Deseret News (UT), Discovery (MD), Disney (CA), Elsevier Science Inc (NY), Educational and Professional Publishing Group of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc (IA), Forum Communications Company (ND), Fox Inc (NY), Fox Sports Interactive Media Inc (NE), MediaNews Group (CO), MSNtv (WA), The New York Times (NY), Nauticom Sports Network (PA), New Press Gazette Corp (MO), Perseus Books LLC (CO), The Providence Journal (RI), Sony Pictures Entertainment (CA), Time Inc (NY), Tower Productions Inc (IL), Turner Broadcasting System (GA), Viacom (NY), Warner Brothers Entertainment (CA), The Washington Times Corp (DC), WDAY TV (ND)...

- They report from South Africa (South African Broadcasting Corporation...), Germany (RTL Plus Deutschland Fernsehen, Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln...), Bangladesh (Prothom Alo...), Brunei (Radio Television Brunei...), South Korea (Chosun Ilbo, dong A , Hanvit Broadcasting, SBS, Sudokwon Ilbo…), Canada (The Columbian...), Denmark (Aktieselskabet Dagbladet Politiken, Danmarks Radio...), Spain (Retevision...), Finland (Helsinki Television Oy…), Hungary (Sanoma Budapest Publishing Ltd...), Italy (Infostrada Sports, RAI...), Japan (Asahi Shimbun, Nippon Television Network Company, Sankei Shimbun...), Lithuania (UAB Balticum TV...), Malta (Medialink Communications…), Norway (Bohusläningens AB, Shibsted...), The Netherlands (Prosper Business Media BV, Security Press BV...), The United Kingdom (BBC, Discovery Europe, Elsevier Science Ltd, The PA Group, Independent News Media UK, LexisNexis, Pearson Plc, The Unique Broadcasting Company...), Russia (Channel One Russia…), Switzerland (Edipresse, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Television Suisse Romande...), Ukraine (Express Radio Network...)
- ...

20061009

Red blogule to Kim Jong-il and to the six party talks

Unsurprisingly, North Korea proceeded to its first nuclear trial. An underground fart worth 4.2 on Richter's scale. Just loud enough for people around to get the message without the poisonous stench. In the dead middle of key commitee meetings in China, right during Abe's first visit to South Korea, and a few days after the quasi-confirmation of Ban Ki-moon as the UN's next secretary-general.

Kim Jong-il is guilty. For maintaining his country in terror, absolute denial of liberty and basic human rights, for imposing starvation, torture, deportations and other sweets to a people brought back to the Middle Age under the rule of a totalitarian sect. For having no other goal than preserving his own liberty, whatever the consequences.

South Korea is guilty. For avoiding the touchy "human rights" topic in order not to hurt the feelings of its neighbor. For balking in front of a reunification that would cost thousands of times more than Germany's from an humanitarian as well as an economical, social and political point of view.

Russia is guilty. For exporting the Stalinian model in its most perverse version. For nurturing a monster in the middle of a region under American influence.

China is guilty. For not seizing the opportunity of Russia's collapse in order to cool Kim's regime down when it was the weakest. For strenghtening militarism instead of encouraging reforms. And of course for wanting a Korean reunification INSIDE China.

Japan is guilty. For doing everything in order to delay a reunification that would cast it away from the center of the New Far East. For sabotaging each and every progress in the six-party talks as efficiently as its American friends.

USA are guilty. For letting their hawkiest wings crush any opportunity or opening, for wanting the messiest degradation of the situation, for purposedly strenghtening Kim's regime in its most diabolical sides. For refusing bilateral talks and becoming the most negative player in these 6 party talks, even before Kim himself. For knowingly provoquing the nuclear crisis and eventually collecting a much awaited diversion right before the November 2006 elections : "hey lads, see what kind of mess we prevented by removing Saddam from power ? see what happens when you let the UN or the IAEA take care of the WMD proliferation control ?"

The UN is guilty indeed. For relying on the goodwill of the United States of America, China and Russia for any decision going beyond the purchase of staples for the 8th floor.

Let's hope last night's trials will lead to a positive opening. Just like India and Pakistan did before declaring PAT instead of CHESSMATE.

20061006

Red blogule to 45 mn of war-hole fame - hopping without hope

If you want a good thrill you can either pay Richard Branson about $200,000 for a 5 mn wild ride in space or have the US Government pay you a $???M 45 mn trip to Iraq.

So Condolezza Rice enjoyed her 45 minutes of war-hole fame. The time to kiss Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad on a deserted Baghdad airport, expose a cute armored plate not much bigger than a Madeleine K. Albright pin, and be shot a couple of times. By embedded photographers and cameramen.

All smiles.

Like Kim Jong-il waving at an absent audience in a prefab North Korean program.

20060927

White blogule to confusion creators - exposing propaganda

I suggest a Karl Rove Propaganda Award for President Bush following his comment about medias revealing parts of the intel report on terror and Iraq. According to King Dubya, the said medias did "create confusion in the minds of the American people", which could be translated into "did their jobs" or "exposed our propaganda machine".
The POTUS released his own edited version of the intel outside report, insisting on the links between terror and Iraq but without confusing the reader with the fact that he was the one who created the links in the first place.


PS : interesting papers from
Newsweek (20061002 issue) about :
- Hizbullah's propaganda machine : "Winning Hearts and Minds"
- The Architect's new proteges (Todd Olsen, Terry Nelson...) : "In Rove's Footsteps"

20060921

Red blogule to Benedict XVI - fundamentally wrong

Following Jon Meacham's article about "The Pope's Holy War'" (Newsweek 20060925) and the controversial Regensburg speech, I think it would be interesting to distinguish what was said from how it was said.
The HOW first : the Church's most eminent theologian and the man who knows best the value of the Word delivers a speech to experts, reading from notes he wrote by his own hand, and knowing perfectly all the world's theologians will fully understand the message. He mentions a text which may be obscure but clearly refers to the darkest period of Christianity (the Middle Age, Inquisition, the Crusades, religious hatred), a period which on the other hand can be considered as the Golden Age of Christian fundamentalism.
Moving on to the WHAT, now : beyond the critic of Islam through this highly controversial quote, the core of the message is about the reconciliation of reason and religion. In other words : under my rule, the Church will certainly not protect Darwinism and other sciences from the attacks of such revisionist theories as creationism or intelligent design.
Overall, the Pope delivered a crystal clear message to all religious scholars : I decided to redirect this Church away from moderation and back on its darkest tracks. I also send the following message to Muslim fundamentalists : let's help each other fulfill the main goals we share since we both want fundamentalism to become mainstream again across our respective flocks.

Pope Benedict XVI perfectly mirrors President Bush ; both the Church and the United States of America are led by fundamentalists, and both men share an almost similar hidden agenda. I would like the American people as well as the Christians to ask their leaders : are you really doing what is best for us or for fundamentalism ? how far will you go in the destruction of the values that made ourselves respected across the world ?

20060915

White blogule to The Best War Ever - Lies, damned lies, and the mess in Iraq

Spread the news folks. The actual news, not the Weapons of Mass Disinformation you've been carpetbombed with for years. If you really believe Lobby Dick when he tells you the US "War on terror" is making the world a safer place and insurgency in Iraq is reaching its "last throes", it's high time for you to activate your brain.
The truth is Iraq is about to collapse and US troops' main mission these days is to prevent this from happening before the mid-term elections. If they manage not to collapse themselves, that is (read the interesting Newsweek paper on the morale of the troops in Baghdad - "Straight to the Heart" - 20060918).
The truth is this war has always been about lies from the Bush Administration, and if you want to understand the propaganda campaign that led to it, you definitely have to read "The Best War Ever"*, by John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton who already brought us "Weapons of Mass Deception" or "Banana Republicans".

And remember : if you really want to wake up to the sound of soundness and rediscover a propaganda-free world, the closest thing to a safe haven you can find on the web remains PR Watch / The Center for Media and Democracy, where Sheldon, John and friends are working hard to make this world a truly better place.
America's worst historical mistakes in the past 20 years were this war on Iraq and the 2004 (re)election of George W. Bush. Both happened because the people of America was deliberately kept in the dark by a bunch of liars. You cannot let them go away with it this time again. Read, talk, donate to the CMD and don't forget to activate your brain before voting.


---
* also available in France through Amazon : "The Best War Ever".

20060912

Red blogule to Stephen Sackur - HARDtalk but softBRAIN

Yesterday's HARDtalk featured a stimulating cast with interesting things to say (Tariq Ramadan, Joseph E. Stiglitz and a brilliant professor from Harvard I never heard of before but would be pleased to hear more often).

Unfortunately, Stephen Sackur kept interrupting each one of them each time they reached the climax of their sentences, as if to deny them the right to oppose the official propaganda. Instead of a journalist, I saw an ambitious man with the pretention of being smarter than his hosts but only reciting the irrelevant and worn out brief from the Bush Administration.

And yes, even if there was no link watsoever between Saddam Hussein and 9/11 in the first place, you cannot dissociate the mess in Iraq from the aftermath of 9/1.

I wish these 3 people had been interviewed by the genuine BBC journalist who had, just a few minutes later, a chat with a scaringly diminished Dan Rather.

20060909

Red blogule to the Commander in Thief - The Architect is back

Yes, the Bush camp can still win the 2006 elections. After all, Ken Mehlman remains an ace and Karl Rove the ultimate opponent-destroying-propaganda machine.

The aim of the game, as usual, is to steal the elections by counterfighting where you're supposed to be the weakest. Iraq, for example, about which the Dems are considering the pros and cons of a withdrawal, exposing themselves to an intense guerilla from "Turd Blossom". I wish they instead made clear in the minds of the public the most vital thing for the US is to withdraw from the Bush doctrine. First behave well, then act responsively, sane decisions will come naturally. And they propably won't include a withdrawal of all troops anytime soon. The least America must do is to fix the damage Bush's Amerika has done.

For the moment, the "flip flop" specter is hovering above the Democrats, and Karl will very likely have Bush talk as the boss in charge : we've been waging a nasty war that's true, but we nailed most of 'em bastards and we proved bein' tough could prevent new attacks on our soil. You have the power to decide ; to be either with us or with them - not them Dems, but them terrorist thugs.

The truth should be exposed : right after 9/11, terrorists were the only bad guys around and the whole world was supporting the US, expecting a responsible answer from a model democracy - but this excuse for an Administration managed to damage the image of democracy so badly the US are now considered a rogue state and terrorists heroes. Not only did the US invite terrorists where they weren't (Iraq), they made the World a much less safer place by fueling terror, fanatism and hatred all across the world.

The US need a strong administration all right, but should remain a model democracy as well : you have the choice between supporting fascists and fundamentalists on one hand (those ruling the country these days as well as the terrorists, their supposed enemies), and restoring the values that made America respected on the other (all you have to do is to get rid of these madhatters).

20060905

Red blogule to the murder of George W Bush

Unlike J.F.K. and J.R.E., G.W.B. won't catch his bullet(s) in Texas. Well, that's according to the British TV series to be aired soon ("Death Of A President" on More4, a Channel4 unit).
I don't quite like the idea of this plot, which not only tarnishes the image of Chicago (a city I love) but makes a martyr out of
Dubya (a President I hate).
If something deserves to die, it isn't the Head of State but the State of Headache the
Bush Administration instills into the country. The man who misused the sword and misused democracy must be removed not by the sword but by democracy itself. And if he were to die, let it be a natural way (which for him may involve such weapons of mass destruction as pretzels).

PS (to the NSA monitoring this blog) : this is NOT an invitation for Cubans to send exploding pretzels to the POTUS. I remain a peaceful citizen and each time I fly to the states I will tick YES for the question "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been A Frenchman ?"
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