Day 6 of the pledge week

Even though it's a Saturday, that doesn't mean pledge week is on haitaus. Today's article is about how French bashing has, perhaps, finally jumped the shark.

Bashing can make you stupid:Poland, France and the case of the Roland missiles

Oooops early reports that Polish troops found shiny, brand new Roland anti-aircraft missles were all wrong The reason is that the the missile question is the Roland-2 hasn't been produced since '95 by the French.

I'm beginning to wonder if the anti-French bashing has finally jumped the shark with this embrassement. Since the end of the war, there's been a unstated policy that the Americans just have it in for the French.

So from time to time, we'd get these sensational headlines that some American or Coalition unit found some French weapon that appeared to have been very recently manufactured. There'd be a flurry of comments about French perfidy...then the the headline would fade away for lack of hard evidence. Unfortunately, trying to pin France as the main sanction busting mastermind is both futile as it unseamly. Anti-French bashing is increasingly making the Americans look stupider each time.
  ¶ 22:39

 

Dia 5 del recoltament de diners

Avui s� comencem el dia amb una nota sombre. Els morts de dos soldats canadencs d'ahir en Afganistan quan llur vehicle toc� una mina. Passant per una tema m�s lleugeura: he trobat un generador de noms de les dones Bond. Absolatment graci�s i altres acr�ticle d'inter�s.

The first casualties: 2 deaths in Afganistan

Yesterday, I read about the death of 2 Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan after their jeep struck a land mine. / soldiers are injured. I then listened to the press conference on TV in both languages and what struck me as how come the Canadian government never bought some South African Casspirs? These are armoured trucks that are specifically designed to survive mines and are still small enough to negotiate through narrow streets. True Canada's military capital budget is shamefully meagre but you'd think that Caeser knowing about the millions of mines strewn about, would have had at least contemplated such a purchase.
My condolences to the families

Kinkenart, Asia Kikenart

Sur une note un peu plus all�g�e, le titre est mon nom de fille 'bondien.' J'ai trouv� ce lien � travers Eve Tushnet Il s'agit d'un g�n�rateur de noms de filles Bond. On tappe son non et le g�n�rateur sort un nom de fille typique de films Bond. Ce de mon amie est Raven Randy. Ce qui n'est pas si ridicule car an anglais raven n'est non seulement le corbeau mais �galement d�crit le coleur noir de cheveaux. Ce qu'en fran�ais equivaut � jais ou �b�ne. Randy signifie �xcit�(au sens sexuel) avec de connotations additionnelles d'un incontr�lable sur ce plan. Ce qui n'est pas de tout le cas.
En somme, une exc�llente fa�on de g�n�rer de l'humour entre amis et la parent�.

France, Versailles and Iraq's debts: Relevant?

With all due respect to Joe Versailles can't be completely pinned on the French. The British were just as keen to ensure that Germany never rose again to challenge British hegemony. Also America played an influential role because Wilson's totally idealistic policy of national self-determination complicated Europe's ability to settle with the post-war period.

National self-determination fatally weakened the Eastern European states' political viability and facilitated the rise of authouritarian governments as well as making them vulnerable to Nazi and Soviet pressures. Indeed, in a perverse sort of way, Versailles had a similar effect to the Berlin Conference of 1895 when the European powers divided up Africa without bothering to take into account the demographic or ethnic distribution of the regions they so casually divvided up.

Except that the Versailles treaty was one factor that led to the Second World war. Further, there was a consensus among the victorious allies to impose reparations as well as the war guilt on Germany. Other than a few precient observers like Foch and Keynes, as well as the Germans; no one objected; on the contrary, everyone was eagerly rubbing their hands. It's one thing to advocate the non-payment of past debt on the grounds that it's odious; but to transpose France's responsibility for the Versailles Treaty disaster on present day Iraq is both disingenious and irrelevant to the issue at hand.

  ¶ 13:54

 

Journ�e 4 de la l�v�e de fonds

On a arriv� au mi-chemin et aujourd'hui sera une journ�e assez chaude�. J'ai �crit un article de l'essai de Bill Whittle et je f�licite le noveau couron�e du prix Nobel de la litt�rature.

Bill Whittle's essay: a succient rebuttal

Alone in the blogosphere, I remain singularly unmoved by Bill

Whittle's essay on power Undoubtedly it's because he provides intellectual sustenance to the jingopundits about America's mission throughout the world as well as excluding Western Europe and Canada from Western civilization:

They have traded in their power, their means of self-defense, for 35 hour work weeks and months of paid vacations and pre-paid health care and covered it with a patina of moral superiority that masks a rotten and tottering foundation. They have become cultures unwilling to pay the price to defend themselves, cultures so pessimistic and cynical that they have � literally and without rhetorical flourish � lost the will to live to the degree that parents outnumber their children and birthrates plummet through replacement levels and into the basement of collapse and ruin.

ENOUGH!

I'm so deeply fed up with this American application of 'If you're not with us you're against us.' Just because Canada and Western Europe don't have a First Amendement, embrace capitalism with a quasi-religious fervor, provide a more visible state and a more comprehensive welfare system, doesn't make us any less democratic or innovative; just different. Isn't that the beauty and strength of Western civilization? Isn't that genius to encourage, nurture and sustain a civilizational kalediscope; the seductress that tempts so many other civilizations to embrace her? So don't be so quick to drum us out of Western civilization.

Indeed, if the West remains divided, Al Qu'ida wins. We will not repeat 1453; rather we must repeat 732, 1099, 1565 and 1688 when the West was relatively united and drove back the invaders that would snuff out our civilization genius; our unique ethos with the added proviso that the deparvity must be utterly destroyed and salt poured over its soil so islamojihadism never recovers its fertility.

Canada and Europe are neither cowards nor freeriders of American coattails. My country and Germany have troops stationed in Afganistan; France and Belgium have arrested several members of cells; and so on. Discretion can be just as valourous as bravery.

So even if Canada and Europe don't deploy soldiers or engage in spectacular intelligence operations, our steadiness is just as devasating to terrorism. Finally, it's best if Americans also remember that we, Europeans and Canadians, face the same dilemmas in how to exercise our power in the face of terrorism. While ours isn't as powerful, or dramatic or earthshaking as your; the exercise of our relative power is powerful, dramtic and earthsaking for us. We no more want to sully our flags or denaturalize our civilizational ethos than you.

JM Cotezee: lau�r� du prix Nobel de Litt�ature

Tout mes f�licitations pour les nouvelles J'avoue que je suis familier avec l'auteur mais je n'ai pas eu l'occasion de lire ses livres. Autant plus pour ajouter quelques bouquins � ma liste (qui se trouve � votre droit)

Reciprocal dependency: a short introduction

Yesterday, I expressed my surprise at how ostensibly conservative commentator Andrew Sullivan harboured libertarian tendency vis-�-vis steroid consuption. While nuturing and protecting individual autonomy, especially what decisions that affect the body- are laudable there are limits to radical autonomy. Reciprocal dependency imposes such a limit.

This essay will briefly introduce the concept.

Reciprocal depedency signifies that human relationship develop a complex we of obligations, some explicit, some implicit, to do, to abstain, to help, and so on. Reciprocal dependency occurs in hierarchical relations such a infants who depend on their parents for protection and nurturing; as well as non-hierarchical: team members showing up to practice.

Libertarianism sustains an antropological flaw: it presumes that humans emerge from nowhere fully adult, completely autonomous, throughly informed and totally apt. Unfortunately, the sick, the old, the inapt and the infants constantly refute that presupposition. Indeed, libertarians are so uncomfortable with reciprocal dependency that they view it as illegitimate rather than analyze its existence and adjust accordingly. Indeed, this attitude merely highlights the ideology's weak spot. Libertarianism simply doesn't know what to do with families with young children, the retarded and insane; the old and the sick. The ideology makes no allowances other than the voluntary association of autonomous individuals who freely consented. Reciprocal dependency reminds the liberatarians that there's more to human relations than just autonomy, volunteerism and enlightened consent. There's also fidelity, obedience and loyalty.

  ¶ 13:55

 

Day 3 of pledge

Today is shaping up to have lots of blogicious goodness even if Blogger will screw up my French and Catalan posts! Seriously, today's posts deal with potential identity theft, an lesser known consequence of the KLM/Air France merger as well as rant about corruption in Canada and Andrew Sullivan the secret libertarian. In 3 different languages no less!

The case of the loss Revenue canada computers

This story scares the hello of me. Theives manages to steal 4 computers holding taxpayer data The cops are saying that the personal data could be to allow criminal to create false identities... or terrorists. In any case, Revenue Canada has ordered an investigation- yeah like that inspires a lot of confidence. In any case, can you image the hell that some poor innocent civilian could get into if a terrorist ever stole the former's identity? Also the feds have a lots of potential legal problems in Quebec. Articles 35-41 Of the Civil code and 4 of the Quebec charter protect the reputation, privacy and honour of a person. I doubt we'll find out how the computers were stolen until someone takes the feds to court due to identity theft.

La fusion d'Air France et KLM: l'ironie des programmes de fidelisation

C'est une grande nouvelle qu'Air France et KLM fusionnent Il est int�ressant � not que KLM fait partie de Star Alliance, le plus grand programmme de fid�lisation, et maintenant avec sa fusion avec Air France, celle-l� fera desormais partie avec Skyteam. Reste � voir si les autourit�s am�ricaines et europ�ennes qui veillent sur les monopoles donneront leur amont. Ce qui me choc un peu c'est que entre One team, Star Alliance et Sky team, contr�le 60% du march� de transport civil a�rien. Je suppose que c'est le dynamique du march� qui pousse les companie a�rienne � s'allier dans de quasi-cartels. Quasi-cartels pusiqu'elles ne visent pas n�cessairement augmenter les prix ou emp�cher la comp�tition mais pour permettre une �conomie d'�chelle et donce une dismunition de co�ts. En tout cas, comment scruteront les programmes de fid�lisation par les autoriti�s de r�gulation �conomiques sera fort int�ressant.

Les comptes de despeses a Canad�: la malgesti� corromp

Ahir la Verificadora general fenderal (l'equivalent del Tribunal de comptes en Espanya) a sortit una pon�ncia sobre les despeses de George Radwanski l'anci� commisionari federal de la protecci� de la vida privada

.

L'informe es absolutament devastador. Tant que el govern federal ha demenat la Policia montada a obrir una enquesta. Mentrestant podem amaravellar de com Senyor Radwanski s'enbutx� uns 56 000, tamb� havia rebut uns pagament de 15 000$ del qual no tenia dret a percerbre. Als restaurants despes� un 16 000$ per la factura i sempre menaja als millors restaurants d'Ottawa. Per� el pitjor es que intimidava els seus subordinats. En tot cas, el total es m�s o menys 550 000$.

Entre el fiasco del registre de les armes que cost� un mil milions de dolars i enara no s'ha abat; un altre mil milions pel Ministre federal de recursos humans i ara l'afer Radwanski, i quansevol altre esc�ndol que esclatar� no em sorprenderia si el federal hagu�s ben b� gastaria un 3 a 4$ mil milions. Que ressento m�s es que el govern federal s'entoussideix a no baixar els impostos o donar-nos un reembolsement del atur. Preferix tirar aldiners per le finestra i malgastar-los el m�s possible perque nosaltres som massa cafres per gestionar els nostre propris diners. Fins que no fotem afora el partis en poder i canviem l'actitud dindre la funci� p�blica federal aquest pa�s es podridir� encara m�s.

Actualitizaci�: Hi ha un nou esc�ndol: s'ha trobat irregularitats de facturaci� al Ministeri de defense quan compr� alguns ordinadors Compaq. Un altre exemple d'espolaci� del p�blic.

Andrew Sullivan: the secret libertarian

Who knew that Sullivan was a secret libertarian? Unfortunately, there are limits to do whatever to one's body: as my brother perceptively remarked to me once: would you trust a surgeon addicted to coke? More fundamentally, Sullivan's being disingenious. Schwarzanagger's heart had to be replaced with a new one, a pig's I think, precisely because of his abuse of steroids over the years. So contra Sullivan, Arnold's health is actually a cautionary tale about using powerful drugs both without justification or without medical supervision.  ¶ 09:10

 

Day 2 of Pledge week

Today's day 2 of the 8 day pledgeweek. Today's articles are interesting where else can you find a discussion of odious debts, the imposition of shari's law in a Malasyian state and the Mexican American dispute over tequila.

A major reason that I decided to start this pledge week is that I'm seriously thinking about leaving blogspot. I'm unhappy with the recent template changes that've completely broken the foreign character sets. I doubt paying for blogspot's premium services would resolve the underlying problem of the broken character sets. Consequently if I use another blog service it'll probably be one that requires me to buy my own domain name- which isn't cheap-, have enough money to pay for the renewal of both the servers and the domain name and other operating expenses that add up. By myself, I can't afford to move out of blogspot.

Please donate whatever amount you think best and thanks in advance.

Iraq and odious debts

Here's an interesting proposal of what to do with Iraq's debts. I like the idea of convening a 'wiseman' board to investigate which debt can be qualified as odious and thus can be reputiated under the doctrine and which isn't and thus can't be; thus paid back. It's important for a state to be very careful when it repuidate its debt.

16^th Spain offers a tragic and sobering example of what happens when a state regularly defaults on its loans. Fuggers was the leading banking family in early modern Europe and lent to most of the major European potentates. All it took was repeated default to utterly destroy the Fuggers and be replaced by others.
True, defaulting, isn't juridically speaking, the same as repudiating but the effects are pretty much idential: the creditors- especially the unsecured- can be destroyed and they're exceedingly reluctant to lend again without either exorbitant interest rates or phsyical collatoral- like concessions on national industries.

In any case, I find the proposal to be eminently reasonable. My only recommendation is that such a process be public. The wisemen would need to present themselves before hearings and be questioned as to why this or that debt was or wasn't considered odious. Also they should make their reports publics. I have no problem if some of the information or buisness needs to be confidential but I think it's very important to know how and why the wisemen decide which debt can be repuidated.

Update: Thanks to Ikram Saeed, he links to the Paris club and reminds me that any discussion of Iraq's pre-war debt will be resolved at the aforementioned entity

Un ?tat local malysien veut imposer la char'ia

Fred Pruitt a publi? une petit d?p?che dans laquelle il mentionne qu'un ?tat malaysien d'o? un partie politique islamo-int?griste veut imposer la char'ia.

Ce d?sir se fait en contre la constitituion malysienne. Peu importe, on verra un autre petit paradis wabbihien s'installer en Asie; ce qui causera les investisseurs internationaux ? retirer leur argent.

Malheureusement c'est exactement ce que veuillent ces int?gristes pusique pour leur vision d'islam ? r?ussir les pays doive regresser au plan ?conomique et social. Plus facil ? imposer la char'ia quand le pays fr?le un taux de ch?mage de 40%+ et tout les sympt?mes d'une soci?t? en d?tresse. Jadis on aurait pu dir tant pis mais malheureusement, ces int?gristes aiment beaucoup la technologie surtout quand ils la peuvent utiliser contre nous. Ces pays int?gristes sont incapables de produire rien que des enfants, la pauvr?t?, la mis?re et le marsame.Donc comme les communistes d'antan c'est les pays industriels que doivent les suaver de leur cr?tinisme cosmologique.

Mexic i EE UU: el litigi sobre la tequila

Sembla una estuidesa per? hi ha un litigi crexient entre Mexic i els Estat-units sobre la tequila. La disputa es centra que el mexicans accusen els distil?ladors americans canvien la beguda en barrajant altres ingredients. Els mexicans ara amena?en a tallar les exportacions a EE UU. Cada pa?s menciona que s'aniran al Tribunal de lliurecanvi. Personalment, els mexicans arg?iran que la tequila es distil?la segons uns proc?s artesenal del qual la fermentaci? de l'agave blau es obligat?ria. Aquest argument persuadir? el tribunal que acabar? a donar una denominaci? d'origen per la tequila. Significa que si fos un distil?lador no-mexic? comen?aria a buscar un altre nom per la meva tequila. Com Agave blau amb m?tode tequila aixi com Cordiniu i Freixenet etiqueten llurs caves.

Another arrest of a Guatanamo worker

This arrest is rather dismaying. This time it's a translator and he was busted for making false statement. That makes 3 so far made public. These detentions raise a troubling question: is there a fifth column within American institutions and civil society?   ¶ 09:53

 

Day 1 of Pledge week

Regular visitors will note that I've added a paypal logo to the right of the screen. I can accept the major currencies. Further, there's my Amazon wishlist.
I've decided to start my pledge week that'll last 8 days.
So all donations and purchases from my wish list are greatly appreciated. Anyone who doesn't fell comfortable with paypal but would like to send money; drop me an e mail and I'll send my snail mail address. Thanks in advanace to all.

Jour 1 de la lev?e de fonds

Mes lecteurs r?guliers noteront que j'ai affich? le logo du paypal. Ceci me permettre d'y accepter de donations. Je peux les prends dans les monnaies majeurs. En outre, il y a aussi ma liste de livres d?sir?s de chez Amazon (liste des envies cadeaux dans le jargon de celle-ci) J'ai d?cid? de commencer une semaine de la l?v?e de fonds qui prendra 8 jours. En cons?quence, toute donation et achat de ma liste sont grandement apr?ci?s. Si quelcun ne se sent pas ? l'aise d'utilser paypal, vous pouvez m'envoyez un courriel et je vous enverrai mon adresse civique. Merci d'avance ? tous.

Dia 1 de la recaptaci? de diners

Els lectors habituals notaran que he afegit un logo de paypal al dret de la pantalla. Ara puc acceptar donacions en les monedes majors. Tamb? he incl?s l'enlla? per la llista de llibres desitjats d'Amazon. Donc tota contribuci? o compre de llibres son altaament appreciats. Aquells que no se senten comfortables enviar diners a trav?s de paypa poden escruire'm un corre i us enviar? la meva adre?a tradicional. Gr?cies per l'endavant ? tothom.

Feliks Dzerzhinsky: Lenin's torturer

Not to nitpick but Jed Babbin's latest article contains a silly error at the very beginning. Dzerzhinsky was never Stalin's tourturer but Lenin's. Dzerzhinski died 2 years after Lenin and Stain's quest for supreme power was just beginning. Whether Dzerhinski would've been Stalin's hitman is pretty unimportant. He showed himself to be savage enough under Lenin.
  ¶ 11:42