America, the war and the Westphalian system: A response to Ramesh Ponneru

Ramesh Ponneru is usually level headed in his writings. However, he's a little to flippant with this brief post

The Europeans aren't complete fools and understand subconciously that Bush has repudiated the Westphalian system with his doctrine of preemptive strike. Consequently, they're very leery at the consequences because Bush hasn't articulated how this new doctrine is better suited to the challenges of transnational terrorism and dysfunctional regime seeking to acquire weapons of mass destruction.

Personally, I find the doctrine of preemptive strikes as too subjective: why Iraq and not North Korea? Why not Zimbabwe or Burma where the populations face henious regimes? Further, I worry that Bush is inadventantly creating the conditions for a defenestration of Prague that could unleash a war for which no one is prepared for.

So far from rolling his eyes or sighing contemptously, Ponneru ought to at least consider the implications of the de facto repudiation, articulate how the preemptive strike doctrine supercedes state soverignity and why the former is superior to what the peace of Westphalia has wrought

Jonah Golberg: America's twit on the right

I realize that Jonah was trying to be funny about the story of Canada sending its military to enforce national sovereignity in theArctic Unfortunately, the post makes him out to be the twit he is and further highlights why Canadians are increasing disdainful of Americans.

Once again the American rightwing commentariat is dissatisfied: Canada wants to enforce its soverignity north of 60 degrees and has rather ambitious plans to go about it. Yet somehow the American right treats this enforcement as seriously as an Onion post. It's an ironic position and a curious one too. The American right as well about how most of the allies are cowardly, appeasment-minded freeloaders. They cut their defense budgets to finance their enverating social welfare states while America noblely sacrifices its wellbeing to defend Western civilization; first from the communists and now the islamojihadists.

?Como benefici? Espa?a de sus relaciones con EE UU: Respuesta a Pep

Pep es un comentarista habitual al blog de John. Es siempre un placer leer sus comentarios a pesar que muchas veces nos discrepemos. Esta vez John escibi? un art?ticulo sobre la opini?n del director de la Vanga

A los comentarios pregunt? de manera contravertida de c?mo ha beneficiado Espa?a con su relaciones con EE UU por que honstamente no hab?a encontrado casi nada de los beneficios. Pep cit? ejemplos concretos y es a agredecer. Sin embargo, algunos de los ilustraciones no me impresionaba mucho. No lo digo para fastidiar Pep pero por ejemplo, los contratos militares que las compa?ias espa?oles no es preuba de los beneficios de una buena relaci?n. Canada que tiene las relaciones m?s estrechas con los Estados Unidos no s?lo en lo economico sin? tambi?n en la industria de la defensa.

Adem?s, la opini?n p?blica americana gira a los 180 grados si un pa?s discrepa con los am?ricanos o tienen otra punta de vista. Entonces, no me sorprende que muchos am?ricanos ahora han totalmente cambiado de apoyo a recelo cuando se conoci? los resultados electorales. Los bloggers nortam?ricanos que no saben nada de nada de la pol?tica dom?stica espa?ola y sobretodo de los ?ltimos 4 a?os, que tenue la popularidad del gobierno Aznar y la cripsaci?n de la pol?tica.

Pep cit? un contrato que Espa?a que los americanos octroyaron a los Espa?a para reconstruir Irak. Sin embargo no precisa en cu?l sector (ni tampoco el sitio web de la empresa). No lo sab?a pero conoc?a de este contrato que Espa?a y Polonia perdieron. Estaba valorizado a unos 300 000 000$ U.S. para reequpiar el ej?rcito reconstituido iraqui. Se le octroy? a empresa de un asociado de Chabali. Interesadamente, esta empresa nunca ha tenido niguna experiencia a suministrar a cualquier ej?crito y las empresas espa?oles y polonesas protestaron vigorosamente.

Finalmente, sobre el imagen de Espa?a y de Aznar en la prensa norteamericana. A pesar de unos articulos punctuales atrav?s los a?os, no he notado ningun incremento sobre el pa?s ni los elogios del milagro espa?ol. Tampoco he le?do art?iculos que hab?an perfilado Aznar desde su victoria en '96 o durante la reuni?n en los Azores. Los americanos son igorantes de la situaci?n pol?tica espa?ola antes el 11-M. Es comprehenisble pero molestaba cuando los bloggers americanos pontifcaban sobre los resultados electorales. El problema de Aznar como de Blair es que de lejos son muy populares por su apoyo sobre principos pero de cerca son muy impopulares con sus conciutanados. Adem?s, Aznar era demasiado autoritario, polarizaba la pol?tica, nos tomaba por imbeciles. Finalmente con los evenmentos el 11-M la gente se hart?. Discutirimos hasta el Juicio final si los electores ten?an raz?n o no pero el estilo de Aznar y del partido jug? como un factor.

Spain and Pakistan: a tale of two allies

How come none of the American warbloggers have frothed at the mouth at when the revelation of Pakistan's role, and specifically of Khan's contributions, to nuclear proliferation? So far what I've read is either a shrug of the shoulder or nuanced analysis that the American administration closed its eyes when Musharaff pardon Khan.

Guess the wogs get a pass because we can't possibly them to high standard of acountability. They're congential moral reprobates. Bigotted? Controversial? Gratuitiously insulting? Absolutely! By being provocative, I want the warbloggers to reflect on the following paradox. Spainish citizens merely exercised their right and duty to vote and change a government which had mislead them; yet they're exorciated for their cowardice, appeasment-mindedness etc.

By contrast, Pakistan was far more perfidious. Khan with the government's complcity proliferated nuclear arms and technology to the scum of the earth™ such as the Iranian mullacracy, North Korea; anyone and everyone willing to pay for the technology. The Pakistanis have incalculably endangered the world's security through their proliferation; yet, from the warbloggers I hear either silence or tortured apologetics.

To reiterate my original question: why does Pakistan escape reprobation but not Spain?

La commissi? 11 S

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La mort de Yassin