News Stories

[Shadow Kira01]

Originally Posted by ClockWorkAngel

China will continue to push its weight around as long as it can; just like the US.

The Uighers never had a chance; unlike countries in the Eastern Hemisphere, China has no desire to bow down to its people. The Uighers are dying and will continue dying so long they try to resist the government; unlike several Middle-Eastern examples; China has no problem throwing its police force; and perhaps eventually its 7 million man army at its own people; especially minorities like the Uighers.

Whether its right or not; is of course all a matter of whose in control.

Very well said.

When it comes to China or the United States, this always seems to be the case. To ordinary people, the situation of the Uighurs is pretty much acknowledged but all people can do is pretty much say "rest in peace" and that's about it.

It is truly pitiful that injustices are occurring in modern times like now where civilians are slaughtered for almost no justifed reasons but at the same time, reality says that nothing can be done to stop or prevent any of it from occurring. Thus, the Uighurs don't have many choices. They can choose to live under their government's control in which they can do nothing but agree with everything, whether it be unreasonable or not. Or they can choose to take their own lives so that they won't end up dying in the hands of their enemies who might run tanks over them or take away their organs while they are still alive. Of course, considering that the population of the Uighurs consist of people of all ages and genders, its not like everyone can pull that sort of thing off, not mentioning that if the capables all die, the young and the old will no doubt succumb to unreasonable demands and actions of their government. Thus, it is only natural as to why many of the Uighurs are doing mass movements. It is their only hope, even though it is obviously futile. In other words, no matter how united the Uighurs are, they are pretty much destined to lose due to their obvious circumstances and the situation itself.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Shadow Kira01

They can choose to live under their government's control in which they can do nothing but agree with everything, whether it be unreasonable or not. Or they can choose to take their own lives so that they won't end up dying in the hands of their enemies who might run tanks over them or take away their organs while they are still alive.

I disagree with that first part. Assimilation doesn't have to mean that you lose everything of your own when you join with greater society. You will lose some, for certain, but you also gain the potential to alter the greater society. In a place like China they'll likely have to work harder and wait for a certain period of time before they can begin to push back and alter society, but it'll be possible. Fighting against the inevitable stokes some idealistic notions, but that's about it.

[iLney]

Hah, Islamic extremists don't have the guts to call Jihad upon China.

You know what. If there is anything I love about China, this is it.

[ClockWorkAngel]

No one messes with the Motherland

Terrorism only works against small undefended countries; against a huge country with a very big army and a loose sense of ethic; its a very good excuse to get carpet bombed; repeatedly.

The Terrorism thing of course is a roots thing; get rid of the roots (of poor living conditions and a life of little to no opportunity) and you can start building a better country.

I don't suport the violence that's been used against the Uighers, but I can't really be sympathetic toward them either; if it was peaceful China would have no excuse to start killing people. Unfortunately, that was not the case. And like always; there's a leader of all of this; lounging by themselves safe and inactive.

The Uighers will lose alot from Assimilation, but it's not without gain; though they will be initially discriminated against, things will subside with time. They can't do much without leverage, and an unadvanced province doesn't have much leverage. The best they can do IMO, is to take it for now, and build their abilities to demand equity and the such; contrary to popular belief those things are not given, but earned.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by iLney

Hah, Islamic extremists don't have the guts to call Jihad upon China.

You know what. If there is anything I love about China, this is it.

It is one of the easiest places to buy stuff you can't get in other places, albeit of a lower quality. China is pretty well known for its copied products.

The extremists would be making a big mistake to anger China. With US hounding on their back, having another superpower on them means annihilation beyond the seven hells.

[yezhanquan]

Now, now, C&C: Generals isn't about to become true anytime soon.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by ClockWorkAngel

No one messes with the Motherland

Terrorism only works against small undefended countries; against a huge country with a very big army and a loose sense of ethic; its a very good excuse to get carpet bombed; repeatedly.

i would say terrorism works against countries that have to put up at least a facade of upholding human rights.

the main difference between the declaring jihad against the US and China is that China doesn't have to pay any lip service about human rights. In CHina the common people would actually approve the government in the use of torture against terrorist. The various groups in the US would be up in arms if a terrorist suspect so much look like he has burise.

[Shadow Kira01]

Originally Posted by Ledgem

I disagree with that first part. Assimilation doesn't have to mean that you lose everything of your own when you join with greater society. You will lose some, for certain, but you also gain the potential to alter the greater society. In a place like China they'll likely have to work harder and wait for a certain period of time before they can begin to push back and alter society, but it'll be possible. Fighting against the inevitable stokes some idealistic notions, but that's about it.

Supposedly I would have a similar view as you on this issue but unfortunately I am quite knowledgeable on the Uighur issue and thus, I believe you are not realizing something.

As you can see, Uighurs are Muslims and it is also a fact that the world under the authority of the United States tend to label all Muslims as terrorists because of several organizations who do commit terrorist acts, such as the Talibans, the Hezbollahs, the Al-Qaeda, and also some other smaller groups. For that matter, it is also well-known that the Bush Administration had once abused the anti-terrorism policy by invading Iraq for primarily oil.

China is currently also abusing the anti-terrorism policy of the world by killing Tibetan Buddhists and also Uighurs. Apparently, due to the chaos and also the fact that foreign journalists do not have the right to enter those chaotic parts to obtain information and unreal the truth to the world, we are kept in the dark about which side started the attacks. And the fact that China has been labeling Muslims as terrorists, treating their people like shit and also giving the international community false numbers on death tolls and wounded/arrested individuals, not mentioning that their nation is notorious for being somewhat of a totalitarian regime. It is obvious that this is not an issue of assimilation. It is more like the era of WWII in which Nazi Germany's treatment of Jews who reside in Germany. Can they hope for a better future?

Whenever an Uighur (Muslim) or a Tibetan (Buddhist) expresses disagreement with their unjustified treatment, they are instantly labeled as a terrorist who is conspiring to revolt or something of an unpleasant nature. This is also a reason why the image of anti-terrorism is becoming increasingly unpopular because China and the Bush Administration had frequently abused such a policy. This is also a good reason why the DPJ will be withdrawing from the anti-terrorism refueling mission as that it is not approved by the United Nations.

[Claies]

Originally Posted by Shadow Kira01

Whenever an Uighur (Muslim) or a Tibetan (Buddhist) anyone expresses disagreement with their unjustified treatment their country, they are instantly labeled as a terrorist who is conspiring to revolt or something of an unpleasant nature.

Fixed that for you. "Terrorist" is fast becoming an easy label alongside "witch," "Communist," and "pedophile." It struck with the sentiment of our generation ("witch" being a couple centuries ago, "Communist" being 1950s, and "pedophile" being 1980s), so people in power will use it whenever it suits their purpose. It's a trigger for conjuring mental images of a generic, "common" enemy to the masses.

[FateAnomaly]

Good fix i think. A lot of people like to use the discrimination card whenever they think they are being unfairly treated when the same thing applies to everyone. (Although there are really discrimination sometimes)

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by FateAnomaly

Good fix i think. A lot of people like to use the discrimination card whenever they think they are being unfairly treated when the same thing applies to everyone. (Although there are really discrimination sometimes)

I believe it is inferiority complex caused by pragmatism that makes one discriminate another. I don't think anyone likes losing.

[Vexx]

I figure the entire world will, to a large extent, evolve to a 'Chinese' mindset -- order and harmony outweigh various forms of reactionary individualism (whether for good or bad). Not saying I think that is a good idea.... just saying

[iLney]

I wouldn't worry much about that. It only takes one Napoleon or two to turn the whole table, and a large number of sheep will be sacrificed, but heh, who cares

[Shadow Kira01]

How's life on an MSDF destroyer off Somalia?

Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers have been conducting antipiracy operations since March in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia, about 12,000 kilometers from Japan.

Two destroyers--the Sazanami and the Samidare--were dispatched in March, each with a crew of about 200. They have just started their return voyage. The MSDF's second unit started its mission under the Antipiracy Law on Tuesday, local time, shortly after its arrival.

What will life on the ocean be like for the unit's crew members, under the scorching sun?

"It was really hot. I was surprised one day when a crew member told me it was relatively cool, even though it was 32 C," said an MSDF official who was on board the Sazanami in June.

Temperatures exceed 40 C most days, and sand from the desert blows in the air. There are air conditioners inside the destroyers, but crews on duty during the day are exposed to hot winds.

They work in three shifts of two to three hours each, sleeping and eating between shifts. Everyone except senior officials rests in a large room with triple-deck beds on both sides of a narrow aisle.

The beds are so cramped, crew members need to twist their bodies when getting up so as not to hit their heads on the bed above.

This is the only private space crew members have, but they can only sleep or read in such a small space.

The living conditions are about the same on the refueling mission now under way in the Indian Ocean, one crew member said. However, a senior official said the antipiracy mission, with its risk of confronting pirates, is far more tense.

Crew members must be particularly alert during the four days in which they go back and forth across the Gulf of Aden guarding such vessels as merchant ships. Eating nutritious food to maintain their physical fitness is important, as is taking steps to keep their spirits up.

Most food served on the ships is Japanese, cooked by expert crews. Many crew members watch encouraging video letters from their families on the TV in the dining room.

There are four personal computers in the Sazanami's dining room, so crew members can access the Internet and use e-mail. They also can talk with their families via satellite phone.

When the vessel docks at the port of Djibouti every eight or nine days to take on food and fuel, some personnel go ashore to eat and buy souvenirs.

The MSDF's first overseas operation was in 1991, minesweeping in the Persian Gulf after the Gulf War.

"There was no personal computer on the vessel and we couldn't make any phone calls," recalled a senior official who participated in the mission. "I remember running to a phone to hear my family's voice when we made a port call."

Living conditions have improved on vessels since then, but duty on the ocean far away from home is still demanding. Crew members' first real break will probably come after they set foot on Japanese soil after completing their mission.

The MSDF's second unit will have to live in the hot conditions on the ocean for three to four months.

(Aug. 1, 2009)

The biggest difference between the Liberal Democratic Party and the DPJ on foreign and security policies has turned out to be the issue of the anti-terrorist refueling mission. Life of the MSDF on refueling missions are no doubt extremely tough and that is why no extension of the mission will be granted when it gets expired in January next year. However, if the MSDF withdrew from the battlefield, it will also imply that Japan will no longer be taking an active role in the international community fighting against terrorism alongside long-time allies. This may cause disappointment in the eyes of the allies, especially the Pakistani fleet which primarily relies on Japanese refueling. Without the refuel, the Pakistani fleet may have to withdraw as well. Aside from this obvious issue, it may also affect US-Japan relations which in turn will prevent creating a more balanced and equal bilateral tie with Obama's United States as that the Afghanistan mission is a key policy of the Obama Administration. On the contrary, if the DPJ decide to extend the mission, the SDP will be making a fuss and without forming a coalition with them, the DPJ will lose a majority in the upper house which in turn will cause some problems. Although Yukio Hatoyama will no doubt achieve a landslide but the road ahead will obviously be a bumpy one..

[Saleh]

Economist: U.S. More Permissive Of Torture Than China

Originally Posted by Jason Linkins, The Huffingtonpost

As you can see in the numbers presented, approximately 66% of Chinese polled reject the use of torture, as compared to approximately 53% of Americans.

It's great that The Economist is giving attention to this issue, but there are caveats. What doesn't show up in these numbers is that contemporaneous polls showed that significant numbers from all nations polled were willing to make exceptions for terrorists. Moreover, these are year-old numbers, and while World Public Opinion does not have updated global data, they have resurveyed American opinion on the matter, which were published this past June. In the interim, Americans opinion seemed to have shifted against torture, even in the case of terrorists:
Six in 10 Americans approve of having an international convention saying that "governments should never use physical torture" as a means of trying to get information, while 39 percent say such a ban is too restrictive, according to a new WorldPublicOpinion.org/Knowledge Networks poll.

A majority also opposes nearly all methods for coercing detainees to give information, even when it might be critical to stopping a terrorist attack against the US. Respondents were presented a scenario in which a detainee is being held who is likely to have "information about a possible terrorist attack on the US that may prove critical to stopping the attack." They were then presented a series of methods for coercing the respondent to reveal the information.

Majorities opposed forcing the detainee to take stressful positions (56%), using threatening dogs (64%), exposing the detainee to extreme heat and cold (66%), making the detainee go naked (71%), holding the detainee's head under water (78%), punching or kicking the detainee (80%), and applying electric shocks (81%).

One method--sleep deprivation--received modest majority support (52%). Views were divided on putting a hood over a detainee's head for a long period of time, and bombarding the detainee with loud music. A very large majority (79%) favored offering detainees positive incentives for providing information.


Naturally, these numbers do still lag behind the previous polling of Chinese, but this is not in itself surprising. China has a long and continuing history of torture, which assuredly informs its people's opinions. American opinions on torture are largely shaped by the media, who have historically deployed a wide range of euphemisms -- "harsh questioning," "enhanced interrogation techniques" -- that obscure the issue. Naturally, those euphemisms only apply to actions taken by Americans. When the Chinese, or the Iranians torture somebody, the media uses the word "torture."

I'm just speculating here, but perhaps if we stopped using euphemisms that gloss over reality, Americans would appear in polls to be even more enlightened on human rights than the Chinese.

[mg1942]

RIP Cory Aquino
Mrs. Aquino, widow of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., will be remembered as an icon of democracy, having led a military-backed popular revolt in 1986 that ousted a dictator who ruled the Philippines for 20 years.

The complete background ofthe EDSA Revolution
I think this kind of movement was eeeerily similar to what happened in eastern europe in the late 80s-early 90s.

[sa547]

May I add:
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx...bCategoryId=63
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakin...ry-Aquino-dies

Requiescat in Pace. The Housewife who defeated a dictator in a stunning victory of democracy and freedom, and for that accomplishment I must give thanks.

[Saleh]

US file-sharer gets $700,000 fine

Spoiler:

A US student has been ordered to pay $675,000 (£404,000) to four record labels for breaking copyright laws after sharing music online.

The Boston University student, Joel Tenenbaum, had admitted in court that he had downloaded and distributed 30 songs at issue in the case.

It is the second such case to go to trial in the US.

In the first case, a woman in Minneapolis was ordered to pay $1.92m for sharing 24 songs.

On Friday, the jury ordered Mr Tenebaum to pay $22,500 for each infringement. The maximum that he could have been fined was $4.5m.

Following the ruling, he said he was glad the fine had not been in the millions.

"That to me sends a message of 'We considered your side with some legitimacy'," he said, according to the Associated Press news agency.

But his lawyer said the verdict was not fair and that he planned to appeal.

...

Judges rule on child discipline

Judges in the case of a girl who was kicked and slapped by her parents have drawn a line at which disciplining children becomes physical abuse.

The couple's three children had been placed with foster parents and care proceedings begun by Swansea council.

But at the High Court in Cardiff earlier this year, a judge dismissed the care proceedings.

In a landmark judgement, the Appeal Court upheld this ruling and the children will be going home.

The ruling came after a hearing relating to two homosexual parents, a "wealthy well-educated" father and his wife trapped in a loveless marriage.

They have conceived three natural children - all still very young - despite only ever having had sex on a single occasion, and thereafter used artificial insemination.

They said their marriage was merely "a product of cultural and family expectations," the Civil Appeal Court in London heard.

The parents first came to the attention of social services when it was discovered they had subjected a young girl, who was in their care but not one of their own children, to what a judge described as "shocking treatment".

That included regular beatings and threats that a savage dog would be set upon her if she did not behave herself.

The girl was taken into care last year and the situation between the parents and their own children was closely scrutinised.

The children were placed with foster parents after their natural daughter, known as "M", said she had been kicked and slapped by both her parents.

However, in the judgement delivered at the family division of the High Court in Cardiff, Mr Justice Roderick Wood found that the statutory "threshold" for making a care order in relation to the children had not been crossed

In his view they had not suffered "significant harm", he said.

The children's court-appointed guardian challenged that finding at the Appeal Court in London on Friday.

Solicitor-advocate, Graham Jones, argued that it was "irrational" of the judge at Cardiff not to order that all the children be taken into care.

But the Appeal Court's ruling, which is likely to have a wide-ranging impact for local authorities and families alike, means the children, who were kept away from their parents pending the ruling, will now be returning home.

'Dividing line'

Giving his judgement on the case, Lord Justice Ward said: "This is, as I understand it, the first time this court has had to consider where the dividing line between harm, and significant harm, is established.

"I readily understand that the words of the judgement [from the family court] record a catalogue of findings capable of causing any social services department concern.

"On an unspecified occasion, or occasions, "M" was slapped on her hand by her parents, she was slapped on her face by her mother, kicked by her father, kicked by her mother, hit on the side of her face by her father, hit to the right hand side of her face, kicked and pushed by her father.

"It sounds terrible. It could speak of a persistent campaign of abuse causing real suffering.

"But it could equally amount, in fact, to no more than a handful of isolated minor acts of chastisement forgotten as soon as administered."

...

[Thingle]

Originally Posted by sa547

May I add:
The Housewife who defeated a dictator in a stunning victory of democracy and freedom, and for that accomplishment I must give thanks.

That's the only accomplishment she did. I don't get why people praise her as "great" and feel nostalgia for her era.


In terms of actual, material accomplishment, there's little that she did. During her presidency, this country was wracked by all sorts of infrastructure "inadequacy" which did not begin to be solved until the Ramos presidency. In short, longing for her era means longing for yes, a clean government but one suffering from chronic power, water and telecommunications shortages and stagnant economy.

[sa547]

^
^
I know some of her minus points. We can also point out and discuss further the Mendiola Massacre (which soured attempts to negotiate with the NPA), the mutinies led by Honasan, the problem of CARP (in conflict with their Hacienda Luisita interests), and the bruhaha over the US bases prior to Pinatubo.

But all that has been overshadowed by that moment, facing the Marcoses on her terms. Who else can be in her place? Surely not one were willing but in the end they picked her because she's the only one left to represent the opposition with a face, even if she said she doesn't know jack first about being a president.

It's just that in these days (and by next year) we'll be facing opportunists from both the administration and the opposition, some of which are... of questionable quality. We might as well be counting credible statesmen on our fingers.