News Stories

[risingstar3110]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

I'm fairly sure the Chinese government can screw up their foreign policies on their own without any help from the CIA.

Have to agree on this.

Don't think even the CIA can purposely screw things up this bad for Chinese government

[LoveYouSaber]

The thing is, there doesn't seem to be a long-term aim or ultimate purpose to Chinese foreign policy and that breeds suspicion. Saying you were always aiming for and will continue to aim for "peaceful rise" is all fine and dandy, but I think others are more interested in what China will ultimately want to do with that power, and China so far has given no indication of that. I think other countries are fearful that "peaceful rise" is just a cover to buy time until China becomes unstoppable.

In the past, China sort of avoided those suspicions because China wasn't yet in a very strong position in Asia, but now China has to give answers because "peaceful rise" is no longer going to satisfy anyone. I think it will be a very interesting decade ahead for Asia. But I predict ultimately, if it comes to hegemony, Asian countries will prefer US hegemony to Chinese hegemony - at the very least, being distant means that US won't devour Asian countries.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Yeah, it is simply very difficult to believe China's "peaceful rise" consider the recent events involving Vietnam. China is NOT trying to befriend its neighbours at all. It seems the only thing peaceful about them is to brute force land and sea rights by staring down its weaker neighbours.

African leaders are probably less worried though. As you say, they feel safer because they are so far away physically from China the same way USA is so far away from South East Asia.

[aldw]

Originally Posted by Vallen Chaos Valiant

Yeah, it is simply very difficult to believe China's "peaceful rise" consider the recent events involving Vietnam. China is NOT trying to befriend its neighbours at all. It seems the only thing peaceful about them is to brute force land and sea rights by staring down its weaker neighbours.

African leaders are probably less worried though. As you say, they feel safer because they are so far away physically from China the same way USA is so far away from South East Asia.

Given both the history and the stakes involved it makes eminent sense why China is taking the approach it is, irrespective of PR presentation, because if any of the other claimants were in China's position they'd do the exact same thing (or much more aggressively). For any major power the American approach in the Caribbean is the optimal condition to have.

[risingstar3110]

Originally Posted by aldw

Given both the history and the stakes involved it makes eminent sense why China is taking the approach it is, irrespective of PR presentation, because if any of the other claimants were in China's position they'd do the exact same thing (or much more aggressively). For any major power the American approach in the Caribbean is the optimal condition to have.

I don't think so.

US could take in the Caribbean and previously South America as their backyard, because no country in that region can even come close to contest against the US in term of military and financial power.

China meanwhile are far from having that superiority. The closer (still far) comparison would be to Hitler's German in WW2, except Hitler this time stupid enough to start messing against Britain (Japan), France (Korea), Soviet Union (India), Vietnam + ASEAN block (Poland+ Yugoslavia) and US (US) right off the bat, despite without Italy and Japan (and Romania, etc) as ally

I'm not saying China is behaving like the Nazi btw. But just it term of power comparison to past world war


Edit: maybe if China actually do what Hitler did: signed the NAP with India, doing a back hand deal with Japan and Korea, hit the US with a financial crisis that keep them away from South East Asia, sign an ally deal with Australia/ Indonesia and Pakistan. Then maybe they will have the upper hand militarily against Vietnam, Philippines and the ASEAN

[MrTerrorist]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

peace or justice?


if you have t choose one, which?

I remember reading the news about this. When Gerry Adams was taken in by the Northern Ireland Police for questioning if he was involved in any way with Mrs. McConville’s murder, Sinn Fein supporters started being fuzzy, claiming Adams questioning was a political act by the UK government despite the fact Adam voluntary came to the NI Police in their investigations of Mrs. McConville’s murder.

[Fireminer]

This could be a forecast about how the Chinese want: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/01/opinion/war-benefits/

[risingstar3110]

Originally Posted by Fireminer

This could be a forecast about how the Chinese want: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/01/opinion/war-benefits/

I don't like this way of looking at things

Firstly because it's misleading. Write an article like this and the next thing we know some hipsters idiot gonna declare how human modern civilization was built on national conflict.


For those who was not bothered enough to read. Basically the article argued that: war led to the need of absorbing smaller states into bigger one, and that's the foundation of modern civilization. On surface it sound logical. But with same logic, i may as well stated that since incestuous relationship allowed ancient and middle ages political marriage, which then provide a more stable and peaceful age for human settlement . Then write an article declaring that "incest the foundation of modern civilizations" or similarly, "rape brought human kind peace" or "massacre contributed to global development" .

[Fireminer]

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

I don't like this way of looking at things

Firstly because it's misleading. Write an article like this and the next thing we know some hipsters idiot gonna declare how human modern civilization was built on national conflict.


For those who was not bothered enough to read. Basically the article argued that: war led to the need of absorbing smaller states into bigger one, and that's the foundation of modern civilization. On surface it sound logical. But with same logic, i may as well stated that since incestuous relationship allowed ancient and middle ages political marriage, which then provide a more stable and peaceful age for human settlement . Then write an article declaring that "incest the foundation of modern civilizations" or similarly, "rape brought human kind peace" or "massacre contributed to global development" .

Correct! The author also failed to point out on which system did the country was built on. If the Nazi had won, would that made them any better?

That is also why I hate the "One Center of Communism" theory of Stalin and China now.

[shukujo]

One would think the US government would have learned its lesson to stay out of Vietnamese political matters after the Vietnam "police action" - oh, are we calling it a war now? After the Vietnam War, then. *huehuehuehue*

[Xellos-_^]

more change you can believe in

“This case shows that no financial institution, no matter its size or global reach, is above the law,” said Holder at a news conference.
In fact, it shows nothing of the sort. Yes, Credit Suisse agreed to pay $2.6 billion; that’s real money, but nothing a bank its size can’t handle. And yes, three years ago, seven midlevel Credit Suisse executives were indicted. But in the just-announced settlement, no one in top management was forced to resign. The U.S. wanted the names of the Americans with private Credit Suisse bank accounts; Justice settled without getting them. And, most amazing of all, pleading guilty to a felony will have absolutely no business consequences for Credit Suisse. For instance, a Securities and Exchange Commission rule forbids a firm convicted of a felony from serving as an investment adviser; the rule was temporarily waived for Credit Suisse.
As its chief executive, Brady Dougan, put it in a conference call with media and analysts after the guilty plea, “We have found no instances where clients cannot do business with us.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/24/op...p&rref=opinion

hate to beat a dead horse but i can't stop myself form rubbing the nose of every person who bought obama change crap in 08.

[killer3000ad]

7 killed in college murder spree. Gunman leaves angry rant about still being a virgin and girls not liking him

I am afraid that Elliot Rodgers will now be forever used as an example of a 'nice guy'. He rants about girls not liking him, thinks he's a perfectly nice guy and gentleman and wonders why he was repeatedly rejected.

[MeoTwister5]

Well there are a lot of nice guys who are the real deal and don't boast about being nice.

Who knows. Maybe he was the genuine nice guy and something pushed him over the edge. Or he was a nice guy just in his head, perhaps suggestive of narcissism.

I'm more surprised on the tirades against politicians and the NRA by some parents.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

I blame the entertainment media for portraying "nice guys" as being sufficient to attract a female. It just seems being nice is the most minimum requirement, and that really, one needs other qualities. If the best thing one can say about you is that you are nice, it most likely means they don't really think you have any other qualities as a person.

[Anh_Minh]

I think those people are also confused about what "nice" means. "I bought you lunch, so now you must have sex with me" - is that attitude really "nice"?

Hollywood... promised every loser out there a hot girl. Disturbingly, it seems some people bought into that promise. Be "nice", you'll have whacky hijinks and land a hot girl.

[Shyni]

Forbes has an article examining the killer. Not sure what to make of this right now.

[Mr Hat and Clogs]

Nice comes across as 'creepy' half the time anyway from what I've observed of folks pushing the 'nice guy' persona. Not to be confused with folks who are just being polite, the 'nice' ones generally seem to have this stalker vibe rolling off them.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Well, the United States is either not doing enough to help mentally ill people, or to ensure that deadly weapons do not fall into the wrong hands.

Sound familiar? I'm pretty sure the same arguments will come up again in the country.

EDIT: BREAKING NEWS

Speaking of mentally disturbed individuals...

AKB48 band members admitted to hospital

Morioka, Japan (May 25, Sun): Members of all-girl pop group AKB48 were transported to hospital in Iwate prefecture this afternoon after an emergency call that a man had brandished a blade, police said.

The police added that they had arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder.

One man and two women, apparently the AKB48 members, were transported to hospital, according to a local fire department.

While it is unclear how badly wounded the victims are, they remain conscious.

A fan event was being held in Takizawa, Iwate, in the country's northeast, from 1pm local time, according to the pop group's website.

Attendees are said to have included Minami Takahashi, one of the group's most popular members.

KYODO NEWS

[JokerD]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

Well, the United States is either not doing enough to help mentally ill people, or to ensure that deadly weapons do not fall into the wrong hands.

Sound familiar? I'm pretty sure the same arguments will come up again in the country.

EDIT: BREAKING NEWS

Speaking of mentally disturbed individuals...

AKB48 band members admitted to hospital

Looks at URL... They still have news service over there?

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

Well, the United States is either not doing enough to help mentally ill people, or to ensure that deadly weapons do not fall into the wrong hands.

Sound familiar? I'm pretty sure the same arguments will come up again in the country.

Haven't you heard? Apparently this is a generalized issue with the way men are brought up everywhere and it's just a matter of time for many males to do something like that... At least that's what I could gather from the web and the "WeAreWoman" hashtag.

Do we as a society have work to do? Yes, yes we do. Should we be generalizing this as an issue with how men are raised to be douchebags who feel entitled to the attention and affection of every woman? I have a hard time generalizing like that...

It's getting really annoying how everywhere I turn to it seems like people can no longer have opinions, everyone has to be on a constant crusade against whatever they feel is "wrong".