Ryan Newcomb

The Commonwealth of Virginia, the first state in the New World to be colonized by the English and the mother of more Presidents in U.S. history than any other state, will play a key role in the upcoming election.  Although Virginia’s greatest politician and intellectual, Thomas Jefferson, helped found the Democratic Party during the early days of American history, Virginia has typically voted Republican in every election since the early 20th Century. However, Democrats are hopeful that demographic changes in Northern and Central Virginia may turn the tide in the election this year. Realizing the importance of the Commonwealth’s electoral votes, both Barack Obama and John McCain are spending unscrupulous amounts of time and money campaigning in the Old Dominion.

Hoping to strengthen Obama’s ties with Richmond voters, former President Bill Clinton spoke at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, VA on Sunday October 12th.  He spoke about the economy, the necessity for change in American politics, and the importance of the youth vote to a crowd of around 3,500-4,000 Obama supporters gathered at the Student Commons. Obama himself has appeared several times at VCU and Richmond when he campaigned for Governor Tim Kaine in 2005 and later attended a rally during the 2008 Democratic Primary with Hillary Clinton at VCU’s trademark Siegel Center building.

The Republicans are also attempting to increase their base of support in the Richmond area.  Within 24-hours of President Clinton’s speech at Virginia Commonwealth University, Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin attended a GOP rally at the Richmond International Raceway that attracted a much larger crowd than President Clinton. Low estimates run around 20,000 supporters attended the rally, but other reports indicate the number was closer to 30,000. Earlier that morning Palin also attended a similar rally in Virginia Beach with John McCain.

The Republicans are counting on Virginia’s conservative base to vote for John McCain. By adding Palin, a staunch conservative with an ability to draw crowds on par with Barack Obama, the GOP may have given the McCain ticket the edge it needs to keep Virginia red. The state itself is largely rural, dotted with small towns and cities, such as Lynchburg and Roanoke—all of which are “McCain Country.” Suburban population centers, such as Chesterfield County and Powhatan County, also tend to lean Republican in local and national elections.  The coastal regions, which include Virginia Beach and Newport News, have large numbers of military voters that are expected to vote for McCain as well.

Despite Virginia’s strong Republican base, political pundits are now labeling Virginia as a battleground state. This is due to Virginia’s electing several Democratic officials over the past decade, including the first black Governor to be elected in U.S. history, Douglas Wilder. After serving as Governor from 1990-1994, Wilder returned to politics in 2004 when he was elected Mayor of Richmond. Mark Warner, also a Democrat and a former Governor, is currently campaigning against Jim Gilmore to replace John Warner, a long time Republican Senator who is retiring this year.  Tim Kaine and Jim Webb, both Democrats, are political freshmen that were recently elected Governor and Senator, respectively.  The popularity of Virginia’s Democrats lead many to believe that Virginia will turn blue in this election.

What do you think?

Ryan Newcomb

Today the Iranian media claimed that Iranian fighter jets forced a US plane to land after it violated the Islamic Republic’s airspace.  Iran’s Fars News Agency reported that the plane was headed for Afghanistan and was carrying five American military officials and three civilians, all of whom were released after a day of interrogation established that the plane had unintentionally entered Iranian airspace.

The Pentagon denied such claims. Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Ryder commented on the situation, “According to the combined air operations centre, all our aircraft are accounted for and we have no reports of any aircraft landing in Iran.”

Later, Iran’s state television said the aircraft was not American, but was carrying in fact US military personnel.  The Islamic Republic is claiming that the aircraft was Hungarian.  So far the claim goes unconfirmed. If Iran indeed detained an aircraft and interrogated its passengers, it wouldn’t be surprising to some.  Many remember the incident that occurred in March 2007 when 15 British sailors were detained after Iran claimed that British vessels entered Iranian waters.

Some speculate that Iran is propagating lies. Many may remember the “Advanced Missile” that Iran claimed could be used to shut down the Straight of Hormuz, a narrow strip in the Persian Gulf where a majority of oil tankers depart the Middle East.  As it turned out, the missile testing photographs released by Iran were computer generated.

Ryan Newcomb

On October 3rd, 2008 it was reported that bureaucrats in the United States government sent notice to Congress that a contract worth $6 billion in military arms was awarded to the Republic of China in Taiwan. The trade includes advanced interceptor missiles, Apache helicopters, and submarine-launched missiles. Taiwan has a long history of weapons trade deals with the United States, so this should not come as a surprise to history students.  However, as global tensions rise and nations seem to be rushing to rearm themselves, some speculate that a military conflict between Taiwan and China will likely occur in the near future.

Taiwan, officially recognized as the Republic of China, is a large island off the coast of the Chinese mainland.  While the island is inhabited mostly by non-Chinese natives, there is a powerful Chinese ruling class that has made Taiwan it’s home for decades. During the Cold War, the communist revolution in China overthrew the Republic of China, a key U.S.-ally during World War II.  The remainder of the Nationalist forces retreated to Taiwan with nearly two million Chinese refugees, mainly from the military and elite classes. With no end to the Civil War in sight, the Republic of China declared martial law, established a provisional military government, and constructed extensive military fortifications to defend the island from repeated communist attacks.  For the remainder of the Cold War, the island of Taiwan experienced prosperous industrial development that established the island as one of the leading economic powers in Asia. By the 1990s, a trend of internal liberalization brought on by economic success resulted in the democratization of Taiwan.  According to the CIA Worldfact book, by the year 2000:

“Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island prospered and became one of East Asia’s economic “Tigers.” The dominant political issues continue to be the relationship between Taiwan and China – specifically the question of eventual unification – as well as domestic political and economic reform.”

During this time, civil rights and freedoms were granted to all inhabitants of the island, political parties were allowed to legally operate, and an agreement was made between the Taiwanese and Chinese ethnic groups on the island as to their national identity:  the island itself would be commonly referred to as Taiwan, but the government would officially remain as the Republic of China.

The People’s Republic of China, commonly referred to as China, is under the control of the Communist Party and has always viewed Taiwan as a rebellious province.  China unsuccessfully attempted to take Taiwan through military force many times during the Cold War. It has also intensely shelled Taiwan repeatedly, and during the 1990s launched several rockets at the island. As of 2003, the U.S. Department of Defense reported to Congress that the People’s Liberation Army of China deployed missile systems along China’s coastline targeting Taiwan. By 2006 it was reported that as many as 800 missile systems have been setup. Coinciding with the placement of missile systems is the increase in the size of China’s military, which has undergone rapid modernization and expansion during the past ten years.

Looking at the Taiwan-China situation from the outside, the differences in the world views and political history of both nations seemingly create conditions that will inevitably result in a renewed military conflict. However, the relationship of the United States with both Taiwan and China may be the key to preventing such an outbreak. The U.S. is a long-term supporter of the Republic of China in Taiwan, yet maintains a powerful trade relationship with the People’s Republic.  Due to this unique relationship, the U.S. may be one of the only nations in the world that can diplomatically mediate disputes between both China and Taiwan. In fact, as recently as July 16, 2008, Admiral Keating, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, issued this hopeful statement in regards to the relationship between all three nations:

“I think it would be terrific if, over time, we would have Chinese military officers and Taiwan military officers and United States military officers, all sitting in the same classroom at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies,”

The presence of the Republic of China during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing is a sign that Admiral Keating’s vision of cooperation is being realized.  However, with world tensions heating up over resource and energy consumption resulting in a rapid rearmament of many nations, the peace of the future, currently balanced on the tip of a knife, is uncertain.

——-

VIDEO

Richard Bush, former Chairman and Managing Director of the American Institute in Taiwan — the defacto U.S. embassy in Taiwan — discusses the relationship between the U.S., Taiwan and China and prospects for a conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Bush is currently a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C.

What do you think?

Should the U.S. be selling weapons to Taiwan? Do you believe China will invade Taiwan? In the event that China does invade Taiwan, how should the U.S. respond?  What would be the consequences if the U.S. did intervene?  What would result of it didn’t?

Ryan Newcomb

For the past two weeks all eyes have been on the Congressional vote for the “Bailout” bill. However, bailing out America’s corporate elite hasn’t been the only roll call on the Hill this week.  Though hardly covered by the media, in a landslide 86-13 vote the Senate agreed on Wednesday October 1st to give India access to US civilian nuclear technology and fuel.  The House already passed the bill on September 27th with by a 181 vote margin.

Why is this significant? For one, India still refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty— a requirement of all nations to receive the support of the United States in regards to nuclear development.  Essentially, Congress has given India the ability to increase the size and scope of it’s nuclear power industry without any oversight. President Bush stated that the deal would:

“…strengthen our global nuclear nonproliferation efforts, protect the environment, create jobs, and assist India in meeting its growing energy needs in a responsible manner.”

How is providing nuclear technology strengthening NON-PROLIFERATION efforts? How does nuclear energy protect the environment? What part of selling technology to a nation which may wield unregulated nuclear power due to its refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is responsible? WHY IS THE MEDIA NOT COVERING THIS?

To clear up any possible confusion: this new US-India deal isn’t bringing nuclear technology to India— the country has actually possessed nuclear technology for decades.  In fact, it became a “nuclear power” in 1974 when it exploded it’s first atomic bomb, after which it was subjected to a nuclear trade ban from the United States because it had developed nuclear weapons without signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The US-India deal is also significant in that it may rally international support for Iran’s nuclear research program. Iran, which signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1968, is on the receiving end of U.S. sanctions for its development of nuclear energy. It may be difficult for the United States to explain why it has made a deal with India, a nation which has not signed the treaty, when it has refused to so with Iran.

The deal may also force Pakistan, India’s unstable neighbor and longtime adversary, to request a similar deal from the United States. Pakistan, a country on the brink of a civil war, is in no position to make such a request.  It shelters al-Qaeda militants, possibly Osama bin Laden himself, and has leaked atomic secrets to Iran in the past.  There are fears that if such a request were refused, the al-Qaeda forces within Pakistan may gain enough support to attempt a coup on the country’s fragile government. Such an attempt would undoubtedly lead to a civil war, which would jeopardize the stability of the entire region.

What do you think?

Is Congress really concerned about the economy?  If so, why did it waste time on the US-India deal?  Why is the media not covering this? Why is it OK for the U.S. to make nuclear trade deals with India, yet condemn Iran? Should the US agree to make a similar deal with Pakistan? Is it dangerous that so many nations are gaining access to technology that will allow them to harness this kind of destructive force:

Ryan Newcomb

Yesterday the U.S. House of Representatives voted against the “Wall Street Bailout” bill (H R 3997). Below are the final results of the vote.

DEMOCRAT: 140 AYES, 95 NOES
REPUBLICAN: 65 AYES, 133 NOES, 1 NOT VOTING
TOTALS: 205 AYES, 228 NOES

Here is how Virginia’s Congressmen voted:

AYES:
Eric I. Cantor (R)
James P. Moran (D)
Rick Boucher (D)
Frank R. Wolf (R)
Tom M. Davis, III (R)

NOES:
Robert J. Wittman (R)
Thelma Drake (R)
Robert C. Scott (D)
J. Randy Forbes (R)
Virgil Goode (R)
Bob Goodlatte (R)

The complete roll call may be found on the Office of the Clerk’s website. If you are pleased, or displeased, with the way your Representative voted, you may contact him or her here.

What do you think?

Should the American people, who have a low approval rating of President Bush, support the bill that he proposed? Should a handful of companies be allowed to have so much influence over our economy that their collapse brings about a second Great Depression? Should hundreds of billions of your tax dollars be used to bail out these mega corporations, even if their collapse is their own fault?  Should minimum wage earners help out rich corporate executives and CEOs? Is it OK for the U.S. to sacrifice it’s principals to avoid an economic catastrophe? Is the resolve and determination of the American people strong enough to weather any storm?

Ryan Newcomb

Last Thursday a Ukrainian vessel en route to Kenya was hijacked by pirates off the East African coast.  The ship was transporting 33 T-72 Russian battle tanks and loads of ammunition purchased by the Kenyan government. Neither the Kenyan nor the Ukrainian government has taken action to recover the vessel, but the Russian missile frigate Neustrashimy did race to the scene to prevent the captured vessel from docking at a Somali port.

The USS Howard, a destroyer from the nearby U.S. 5th fleet, has also responded and is in the region to monitor pirate activity off Somalia’s coast. Lt. Nathan Christensen, a deputy spokesman for the U.S. Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, told The Associated Press:

“We [will] maintain a vigilant watch over the ship and we will remain on station while negotiations between the pirates and the shipping company are going on.”

The latest reports indicate that as many as 20 crew members have been taken hostage, and the pirates are (unconfirmed) asking for a ransom to safely release the prisoners and to return the ship. The pirates may or may not have known about the ship’s cargo prior to the hijacking in that Somalia’s pirates are known to prey upon vessels by chance rather than premeditation.

While the pirates may not have known about the cargo, the crew of the Ukrainian vessel should have known better than to tread the coast of Somalia without an escort.  Those waters are known to be the highly dangerous and ripe with piracy. Without a stable government, Somalia can do little to combat the pirate groups which have raided the Horn of Africa for years.

A Russia Today story covering the hijacking

Somalia itself is a hotbed of revolutionary violence and terrorist activity. As depicted in the Hollywood blockbuster Black Hawk Down, U.S. Marines and special forces deployed as part of a United Nations peacekeeping force were ambushed by Islamic insurgents in 1992. Following the U.S. withdraw, civil war ensued that led to Islamic extremists seizing control of Somalia’s capital city Mogadishu and other areas. In 2006, Somali government troops were able to regain control of the majority of their country with the help of Ethiopia’s military. Mogadishu was recaptured, but the Islamic insurgents were not wholly defeated. Years of calculated terrorist attacks lead many to believe that Al Qaeda is supporting Somalia’s Islamic insurgents. Today, Somalia remains rife with violent outbursts and terrorism.

A France 24 story covering Mogadishu and the civil war

Ryan Newcomb

“Madness is like gravity.  All it needs is a little push,” a quote from Heath Ledger’s Joker, a character in the summer blockbuster The Dark Knight. The statement is frighteningly accurate when applied to the current state of world affairs that the 63rd United Nations General Assembly, which began August 15th, must delicately address in the weeks to come.

The world’s leaders have much to discuss. A new Cold War is forming, this time for control of the world’s resources. As Russia and China pursue new foreign policies that will establish and solidify their influence in resource rich regions of the world, the United States and its European allies find themselves trillions in debt and heavily dependent on foreign energy.  Meanwhile, untold thousands across the world die each day from malnutrition, and resentment grows in starving nations that blame Western, and increasingly Chinese, consumerism for their misfortunes.

A CNN story covering worldwide food riots.

Food riots are not uncommon in the poorest regions of the world, but as food shipment costs increase due to a worldwide energy crisis, the riots threaten to spread even to developed nations. Being largely unaffected by food shortages, many Westerners grow increasingly resentful at the outstanding profits oil rich nations are making at their expense.  The compounding pressure that faces the UN is multiplied exponentially as unprecedented bank closures and plummeting stocks continue to rock Wall Street.

Just as the Joker points out in The Dark Knight, people don’t mind it when others suffer as long as its part of “the plan,” but as soon as the established order is upset, people tend to “freak out.” Instead of focusing on  helping those who desperately need international aid, the United Nations will likely spend a majority of it’s time dealing with the recent shift in the balance of world power brought on by the collapse of the US economy.  Russia and China, the two nations most likely to benefit the most from the disaster plaguing Wall Street, will likely cause many American and world leaders to “freak out” as they take advantage of the situation.

With the US’s international influence on the decline, the minds of world leaders are on Russia, which has once again become a dominant player in world affairs.  The Russian Federation is now the world’s second largest producer of oil and has control of nearly every major oil pipeline that feeds into Europe. Using the wealth brought in by it’s energy trade, Russia has been rebuilding its military for years. In recent weeks Russia invaded Georgia, a sovereign nation that is also home to one of the few non-Russian oil pipelines that flows into Europe.  While not on par with the US, Russia has been strengthening its military forces and also improving ties with oil-rich Iran and Venezuela by providing them with weapons and training. In response to the construction of a US Missile Defense Shield in Eastern Europe, Russia announced it will begin research on nuclear missiles capable of penetrating the shield and threatens to aim them at Europe unless construction of the shield ceases.

A clip of a Russian military parade

With America’s international influence declining, world leaders will also be forced to recognize China as a world leader. China proudly displayed it’s power during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, which sent a clear message to the world: China is strong. For decades China has been industrializing and modernizing its ancient civilization, which has caused many in the West to criticize China for its human rights; nonetheless, with a population of 1.3 billion people, China is utilizing its unrivaled manpower and attracting international businesses that continue to flock to the communist nation for its cheap labor. It’s ability to outproduce all other nations has brought China great wealth, which is slowly increasing the standard of living for all Chinese citizens.

The United Nations will need to react to China’s incredible growth.  It already consumes more than forty percent of the world’s resources, and many fear that as China’s standard of living increases, so will its consumption rates. If China continues its economic and population growth, which both lead to increased levels of resource consumption, it seems likely that the rest of the world will suffer. There simply aren’t enough resources.

To complicate matters, China seems intent on defending its interests by increasing military spending and operations. Chinese troop deployments and weapons shipments to African nations, specifically to anti-US Zimbabwe and the oil-rich Darfur region of Sudan, have upset many world leaders who are working to bring stable peace and independence to the struggling continent.Aside from its conventional military and nuclear arsenal, the Chinese are also developing unconventional weapons, such as an anti-satellite missile system that could be used to destroy communications and surveillance satellites.

A clip of a Chinese military parade

Should a war break out between any or all of the three major powers, the result would be incalculably catastrophic. Indeed, the world only needs a slight push to create a great deal of chaos. Despite whatever attempts the 63rd United Nations General Assembly makes to prevent such a push, it’s power as a legislative body is only a symbol of world unity and international diplomacy. The real power of the United Nations is the UN Security Council, of which Russia and China are permanent members. Each may choose to exercise their right to veto any legislation passed by the General Assembly, such a US-backed bill to increase sanctions on Iran for its nuclear development. In that the tensions of all three nations are relatively high and rising, for better or worse, it seems likely nothing of great importance will be accomplished by the UN this year.

For the past few years, the only thing that has prevented the world from uncontrollable madness has been the cooperation between President George W. Bush, former President Vladimir Putin of Russia, and President Hu Jintao of China. That being said, President Bush is on his way out and Vladimir Putin is succeeded by Dmitry Medvedev.  We’ve already seen how Hu Jianto has failed to react to the Russian invasion of Georgia, and so it seems that both leaders have an understanding to not interfere in the affairs of the other.

It will be interesting to see how the American public’s decision during the US election in November will dictate the course of world history, but no matter who wins the election, one thing is for certain: George Orwell’s predictions in 1984 are becoming a reality.

The only thing that remains to be seen is whether or not the Joker was right.  Will people start to “freak out” during this shift in the world order? Will they use reason and good judgment to determine their actions? Will they fall into the chaos of emotion and let the world burn? Or do they even care?

]]> http://newcombrs.wordpress.com/2008/09/22/worldwide-crisis-united-nations-2008/feed/ 0 newcombrs http://newcombrs.wordpress.com/2008/09/17/terror-in-yemen/ http://newcombrs.wordpress.com/2008/09/17/terror-in-yemen/#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:22:06 +0000 newcombrs http://newcombrs.wordpress.com/?p=237 ]]>

Ryan Newcomb

Yemen has been a hot bed of terrorist activity for years. After a bombing and sniper attack outside of the US embassy yesterday that killed at least ten people, Americans are reminded that their enemies are not restricted just to the war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. While Al Qaeda operatives are believed by authorities to be responsible for the attack, extremists from both the Sunni and Shiite sects of the Islamic faith are heavily active in Yemen. 

Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden’s terrorist organization that is typically comprised of Sunni extremists of Arab descent, has carried out numerous attacks against foreigners in Yemen for years.  Many may recall the terrorist attack on the USS Cole that took place off of Yemen’s shores in 2000.  In recent events, eight Spanish tourists were killed in 2007 and two Belgians were killed in January of 2008.  In March a school was indirectly shelled after a mortar attack on the US embassy missed it’s mark. In April, following an Al Qaeda rocket attack against a residential compound that housed foreign workers, the US ordered all non-emergency embassy staff in Yemen to leave the country.  Also in April mortars were fired at an expatriate residential compound, the Italian Embassy, and the Yemen Customs Authority.

While Al Qaeda terrorizes foreigners, Shiite extremists in Yemen have been pushing for a revolution against a government that they believe should cut ties with the West.  Shiite Muslims tend to believe that there can be no separation of their religion from the government, and in Yemen they likely want to establish an Islamic Republic modeled after Iran. In June of 2004 Shiite Muslim insurgents led an anti-US rebellion that has caused the deaths of thousands of people. The violence of the Shiite rebellion continues still. Just this May a violent outburst resulted in 66 casualties around the same time a local imam was the target of an assassination attempt during the bombing of a mosque.

With the highly unpopular situation that the US has created for itself in Iraq as well as the failure of NATO to completely defeat terrorist forces in Afghanistan that have begun to turn the tide of the war, it seems unlikely that any Western government will attempt a military intervention to support the Yemen government in putting down the Shiite rebellion or helping it combat the terrorist activities of Al Qaeda. 

VIDEOS:

The Associated Press covered the bombing outside the US Embassy in this news story.

This CNN clip features a phone interview with an eye witness to the attack.

This BBC report touches on Yemen’s history of terrorist attacks.

Ryan Newcomb

On September 11th, 2008 the Russian defense ministry announced that two of its strategic bombers landed in Venezuela. That same day, Venezuela expelled the US ambassador. Both events occurred just days after a Venezuelan announcement earlier in the week that it will host joint war games with the Russian Navy sometime before the New Year. It was also reported that Russian anti-submarine aircraft will be deployed in Venezuela. In light of Russia’s invasion of Georgia, it’s reaction to the European missile defense shield, and it’s dealings in the Middle East, the happenings in Venezuela are just some of the most recent developments in a string of alarming world events that indicate a new Cold War is forming.

Without being overshadowed by the Beijing Olympics, the situation in Georgia has certainly garnered a lot of attention from the media. On August 7th the Russian military invaded U.S.-ally Georgia and declared the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to be independent and under Russian protection. A week later ships from the United States Navy began arriving in the Black Sea port of Batumi to deliver humanitarian aid shipments to the Georgian people. The US presence as well as the European Union’s demand for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, has pressured the Russians into backing down from further aggression. Since a French-brokered cease fire agreement, Georgia has already accused the Russians of breaking the agreement once.

When the US-Polish plan to construct a missile defense shield for Eastern Europe was first announced years ago, then President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia would develop nuclear warheads capable of penetrating such a shield. Following the finalization of the US-Polish agreement on August 14 of this year, Russian President Medvedev declared that nuclear missiles would be directed at Poland. The successful testing of the U.S.’s own missile defense shield earlier this year demonstrated its effectiveness against a single target, but some speculate that it isn’t capable of intercepting large numbers of warheads at once.

As Georgia began to recover from the attack, Russia began strengthening its military ties in the Middle East. During the last days of August, Medvedev invited Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to a Russian resort near the Black Sea. After their meeting, the Russian media announced that advanced Russian missile systems may begin construction in Syria soon. It’s unknown whether these facilities would house nuclear weapons or high powered rockets, but the rumor of either should be enough to fluster nearby Israel.

In the summer of 2006, the anti-Israeli terrorist group Hezbollah fired rockets across the Lebanese-Israeli border. This prompted a military response by the Israeli Defense Force, which engaged Hezbollah’s forces in Lebanon. It’s commonly acknowledged that Hezbollah has strong connections with Hamas and Syria, both of which are under the indirect leadership of their eastern ally, Iran. All of these nations are armed with Russian made weapons from the Cold War, including tanks, fighters, and rockets. After the 2006 war in Lebanon, Israel reported that Hezbollah has installed Russian-built radar guided anti-air defenses. These defenses could be used to shoot down Israeli passenger jets.

Creating a sense of urgency to the whole situation is Iran’s nuclear development program. Russia began aiding Iran with its nuclear research in 1995 when they signed a contract to finish building the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which was abandoned by Western nations during the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The US and Israel fear that Iran will use nuclear technology to produce a weapon of mass destruction; however, Russia’s status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council has made it difficult for resolutions to be passed against Iran’s use of nuclear energy. Reflecting the views of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had repeatedly called for Israel’s annihilation.  In response, Israel has stated that it will launch a preemptive air strike against Iran, unless Iran agrees to cease it’s nuclear research program and concede to US and UN demands.  Such an airstrike may prompt a war that could engulf the entire Middle East.

President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the two men pulling Russia’s strings, are well aware that America’s economy is on the verge of collapse. These men are smart and aggressive. It’s no coincidence that Russia is the second largest oil producing country in the world, followed closely by their oil rich allies Venezuela and Iran. With the United States already engaged in two major conflicts and obsessed with a national conversation centered on “change”, Russia knows that its provocations are likely to go unchallenged by America. This is the nature of the new Cold War: taunt your opponent where he is weak, but never directly engage him.

VIDEOS:

A clip of a Russian Tupolev Tu-160 bomber taking off and landing

A CNN story about the Russian bombers in Latin America and the rising tensions between NATO and Russia

A Sky News story from 2007 that covers Russia’s Air Force activity under Vladimir Putin

]]> http://newcombrs.wordpress.com/2008/09/12/the-new-cold-war/feed/ 0 newcombrs http://newcombrs.wordpress.com/2008/09/12/freedom-isnt-free/ http://newcombrs.wordpress.com/2008/09/12/freedom-isnt-free/#comments Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:09:04 +0000 newcombrs http://newcombrs.wordpress.com/?p=122 ]]>

Ryan Newcomb

For the past few years moviegoers have been subjected to an ever increasing number of pre-movie commercials and advertisements.  Now music videos are making appearances on the big screen.  One music video in particular, “Warrior” by Kid Rock, is stirring controversy due to some of it’s propagandist content.  While many may not care about the subtle messages the video sends to viewers, they may form an opinion once they find out who paid for it’s production.  Turns out, “Warrior” is a paid advertisement for the National Guard.  What does this mean?  It came out of your pocket.

See for yourself:

This music video glorifies the unapologetic morals and values of the Bush Administration that have resulted in the deaths of thousands of Iraqi civilians and NATO soldiers.  Kid Rock’s song plays over images of the War in Iraq along with text messages that read “I will always put the mission first” and “I will never accept defeat.”  This reflects President Bush’s stern and unwavering practice of placing ends before the means, no matter the cost.  It throws the National Guard’s ethics out of the window when Kid Rock sings that he doesn’t want to hear about “right or wrong when liberty is slipping away,” and says in subtlety to every viewer that the United States is above things as petty as a conscience. Worst of all, the only thing “Warrior” even shows viewers what the National Guard fights for is NASCAR and the glory of war.

The defense of the United States is paramount, and no one will ever argue that “freedom ain’t so free,” but tragically, NASCAR drivers and rock stars aren’t either. All Americans should be embarrassed and outraged that a single U.S. tax dollar was wasted on this music video.