China’s drive in international markets to replace the dollar and become the reserve currency globally has a lot to do with their strategic plans. It’s not just about pure economics. There is a fascinating piece in Germany’s Der Spiegel which
Maybe it will be sports that finally brings peace to the Middle East. Here’s a heart-warming story about two teams in the Israeli Football League. We’re not talking European “football” here. This is the American smash-mouth variety. (The league is
Don’t look for Thomas Jefferson to emerge from the rubble in Egypt. A report: The spiritual leader of the Muslim Brothers movement and one of the world’s most prominent Sunni clerics is urging Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to leave Egypt.
Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami in his Friday Sermon in Iran declared that the social unrest in Egypt and elsewhere is a continuance of the 1979 Iranian revolution and is inspired by Islamists. Here is a translated summary courtesy of MEMRI: “In
Reports that the Obama Administration may be secretly backing the protests in Egypt is troubling on several levels. First, there is the obvious fact that no one can ultimately direct and control social protests. Once they begin, they can quickly
Chinese bloggers have pretty clear evidence that China Central Television, in a report about air combat training involving Chinese pilots, was actually using footage from the movie “Top Gun” and trying to pass it off as the real thing. How
The Washington Post, which never passes up an opportunity to attack Sarah Palin, has gone after her for criticizing President Barack Obama’s “Sputnik” reference in the State of the Union Address. Palin noted accurately that what Obama was calling for
The Washington Post, which never passes up an opportunity to attack Sarah Palin, has gone after her for criticizing President Barack Obama’s “Sputnik” reference in the State of the Union Address. Palin noted accurately that what Obama was calling for
The Wall Street Journal reports today that the Obama Administration is pressing the government of Afghanistan to release two men who converted to Christianity. Both are under a death sentence. Here’s what an official at the Afghan “Justice Ministry” has
Professor Bruce Fleming is not your typical US Naval Academy (USNA) Professor. He teaches English and he also happens to be a liberal. I’ve written favorably in my books about his work because he also happens to believe in speaking
The “fix” to securing our border was supposed to be SBInet, a high-tech integrated system that was supposed to blanket the area with sensors, camera and radar. Now, the Department of Homeland Security has figured out that…ah, well, terrain might
President Obama declared last night that we are now in the midst of a “Sputnik moment.” Trouble is Obama doesn’t have a world-view or a grasp of history to understand what that really means. Sputnik grew out of the profound
The UK’s Telegraph reports that President Barack Obama will use the State of the Union address to raise the alarm about America’s global decline. As the Telegraph summarizes: “A briefing paper released by the White House in advance of the
Rimjin-Gang is the project of courageous citizen journalists within North Korea. The following is footage taken from inside the country. The interview with the 23-year-old woman is heartbreaking. Rimjin-Gang reports that shortly after the interview she died of malnutrition. [youtube
It’s time for The Gathering again, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Perhaps 2,500 people are expected to congregate and tell us how to fix our problems and ourselves. I’m not opposed to conferences and meetings to discuss
Fayetteville, North Carolina, home of Fort Bragg, is planning a 10-day celebration and homecoming this November to honor Vietnam Vets. Its a honor well deserved. These soldiers, marines, and other vets served our nation honorably. It’s not their fault that
Kiplinger’s sees huge problems with declining US domestic oil production, thanks to new strict guidelines from the Obama Administration. No doubt producers around the world are enjoying this. An excerpt: “Domestic oil production faces a long-term decline in the wake
Some purists in the Russian military are aghast at comments by the Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov that Russian small arms are outdated, including the Kalashnikov and the Dragunov SVD sniper rifle. As Pravda reports: “Mr. Serdyukov stated that the Russian
We were told that President Obama was going to get real results and take a tougher position toward China with President Hu’s visit. And to demonstrate his effectiveness, the White House has trotted out “accomplishments.” What exactly are the results?
As President Obama chats and smiles with China’s President Hu, South Korea’s Chosun has an alarming report concerning China’s construction of a massive underground tunnel to store and hide nuclear weapons. The goal is not only to conceal the size
Life in Russia continues to resemble a Dostoyevsky novel. An ultranationalist leader has been arrested in Moscow for, well, I will let The Moscow News explain: “The Moscow City Court on Monday approved the arrest of retired colonel and ultranationalist
The word that conservatives most associate with President Barack Obama is “socialism.” But moving up quickly should be “appeasement.” This description of the Obama Administration’s plans for China President Hu’s visit from the AP says it all: “Chinese leader Hu
The Oracle of Havana has spoken again. In a signed editorial in the state-owned Granma, Castro play pundit, analyzing President Obama’s speech in Arizona. The Butcher of Havana has high praise for Obama, who he calls “an exceptional figure leading
As President Obama was declaring France as our best and closest ally (doesn’t he read history?), former President George W. Bush was quietly giving thanks to our real friends. Note my emphasis on “quietly” and “real.” While President Obama seems
For those who want a trip that is truly exotic, consider going to North Korea this April to….play golf. Yes, that’s right, the Most Oppressive Regime on Earth desperately needs tourist dollars, any dollars, so they are hosting an international
The US government now believes that of the Gitmo alumni (i.e. those who have been released), 1 out of 4 are engaging in terrorism or insurgent activities today. That number does not include those who are vocally and politically anti-American
One of the central issues in the Palestinian-Israeli “peace process” is the future of Jerusalem. To all those supporters of the Palestinian cause, who believe that Israel is some oppressive occupying force, consider the shocking results from a survey conducted
It didn’t end with securing the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Activists have their next social experiment for our US military already in sight: allowing openly “transgender” troops in the US armed forces. “There is really no question, it’s
In a signed editorial in Cuba’s state-owned Granma, Castro writes: “As is known, the state of Arizona, a territory that was snatched from Mexico by the United States together with many other expanses of land, has been the scene of
There is a powerful oped in Israel’s Ynet news that puts things in proper perspective. The Jewish people have a historic homeland in Israel. They were there in any organized fashion before the Islamists ever showed up. Be sure to
Editor’s Note: Francis Bok is a Dinka tribesman from Sudan, who was a slave for ten years and is now an abolitionist living in the United States. He wrote this article for Bigpeace as history is made in Sudan with
[youtube oEHrNv3kkkM nolink]
Editor’s note: be sure to check out Reza Kahlili’s fascinating new book on his life as a member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards while working for the CIA. How did you go from being a member of the elite Republican Guards
Jared Lee Loughner’s strange YouTube videos, including what he calls his final message. [youtube nHoaZaLbqB4 nolink] [youtube 7uRjwPWaxiY nolink]
The HMS Invincible during her glory days…now in mothballs Defensetech has the bizarre story of the efforts to buy the British HMS Invincible, now retired, by a Chinese businessman. As they note, we’ve seen this before: “Well, it looks like
As we look ahead at the beginning of a new year and a new decade, there is increasing talk again about whether America is in inevitable decline. It’s the sort of talk that has emerged before. In the 1970s and
We will be providing extensive on-the-ground coverage of the historic vote in Sudan. This comes from Charles Jacobs, who is en route to Sudan. [youtube 31uvdzswW3Y nolink]
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally requested that President Obama release convicted spy Jonathan Pollard. Netanyahu is simply doing what any leader does: look out for the interests of his country. I have enormous respect for Netanyahu–but he’s dead
Get this: the massacre of 21 Christians in Egypt on New Years Day was not an example of Islamists killing Christians. The massacre was actually carried out by Israeli intelligence, or so says the Iranian media. Iranian television even quotes
Germany’s Der Spiegel reports that Neo-Nazis in former East Germany are making a concerted effort to infiltrate and take over several Kindergartens. In some respect they are trying to mimic other groups because their hope is to “indoctrinate” young kids.