As much as I oppose America’s intervention in the Arab world, it might not be a bad strategy to use American drones to attack Syrian troops who are massacring the unarmed civilian protestors in that country. Such a strategy will also complement President Barack Obama’s strategy of “leading from behind.” Continue reading “What About a ‘Drone War’ as a Regime Change Strategy in Syria?”
Month: August 2011
China’s Aircraft Carrier: A Symbol of Its Global Rise
As much as the world’s attention is focused on the loss of the United States’ AAA rating and the related long-term consequences for its global dominance, the PRC seems to be taking full advantage of the politics of symbolism related to its military modernization. Its decision to show off its first aircraft carrier is one such overwhelming example. It was purchased in 1998 for $20 million from the Ukraine by a Chinese company to be used as a floating casino. It was then retrofitted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy (PLAN) to be used for scientific research and training. As such, it is quite primitive in its technological capabilities, compared to the 11 awesome aircraft carriers owned by the US Navy. It is also an open fact that it would take several years for the PRC to develop technological capabilities and human training to operate an aircraft carrier. However, the fact that China has an aircraft carrier speaks volumes about the seriousness its leadership attaches to transforming their country into a naval power of global reach. Continue reading “China’s Aircraft Carrier: A Symbol of Its Global Rise”
The Aging Revolutionaries Must Make Room for the New Ones
Every revolution brings to the global limelight new ideas, and a new corps of leaders, who, by becoming successful in carrying out that revolution, prove to the world that the ideas and the regimes that they replaced were anachronistic and irrelevant. The Arab awakening is one such revolutionary movement. It is focused on ousting the aging (and not so aging) dictators and establishing democracy. In the process, it is proving, among other things, that Hezbollah of Lebanon – a revolutionary movement of the 1980s – has become anachronistic.
Continue reading “The Aging Revolutionaries Must Make Room for the New Ones”
“What Happened to Obama?”
Watching President Barack Obama’s performance during the budget impasse last week was appalling. He acted like he was not presiding over the fight for the middle class, the poor average American voters, a large number of whom voted for him. The closest he came to taking a stand in that debate was when he talked about a “balanced approach” to the deficit reduction. However, he left that approach to be defined by the Democratic leadership in the Senate.