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unhappycamper
unhappycamper's Journal
unhappycamper's Journal
December 18, 2013
Four Obstructive Paradigms of American Thought Toward China
Huanqiu, China
By Tang Li
Translated By Nathan Hsu
13 December 2013
Edited by Gillian Palmer
~snip~
First is a notion of predestination based upon historical experience. Some U.S. academics and politicians tend to view U.S.-China relations with a sort of fatalism based on their observations of the succession of hegemony in the past, believing that emerging nations must inevitably challenge the existing hegemon, and so a clash between the U.S. and China is inevitable. In other words, this is a belief that conflict between the two is of a structural nature, with no room for mediation or mitigation, as seen by John Mearsheimer's statements that "war between China and the U.S. is difficult to avoid" and that "the conflict is likely to derive from the unstable situation with Taiwan or the Korean peninsula."
~snip~
Second is a hegemonic mentality stemming from liberalism. This manifests itself in two ways within foreign affairs. On one hand, it is a belief that U.S. hegemony possesses a natural legitimacy in that other nations need the U.S., as it provides the world with a common good. As a consequence, during the course of meetings between the U.S. and China, the U.S. is often high-handed as it dons the mantle of "world police." On the other hand, there is a constant fixation upon hegemony itself. Even as its power wanes, the U.S. still hopes to use its strategic partners in the region as surrogates to share the cost of and aid in maintaining its supremacy, such as with strengthening the alliance between the U.S. and Japan in a bid to further consolidate its position as a leader in Asia.
Third is hypersensitivity rooted in the erosion of confidence. The financial crisis of 2008 unseated the U.S. as an unrivaled economic power. Set off by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the crisis plunged the U.S. economy into a severe recession, dealing a grave blow to American self-confidence and resulting in a tendency to overreact. It is now sensitive to the slightest move from China in international affairs; many Americans, from commoners to the political elite, have exhibited an impalpable uneasiness toward China's development. There still exists a deep sense of concern and uncertainty as to the short-term goals and long-term plans for China's development, as well as the means by which that development will be realized. This is also why the U.S. in recent years has moved from "strategic reassurance" to pushing forth its "rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific region."
Fourth is a proclivity for self-contradiction arising from pragmatism. "
U.S.) interests above all else" is the golden rule in which strict pragmatists among the American policy-making elite place their faith; from start to finish, this has served as the primary basis upon which they manage foreign affairs. That the U.S. and China were able to bridge the ideological divide and stand together due to mutual security threats in the 1970s is a prime example. At the same time, the aspiration to a system of values in American politics of which the theories of Jefferson, Jackson and Wilson were so representative acts as an invisible hand balancing the principle of "interests above all else," moving U.S. foreign policy like a counterpoint within a symphony. Therein lies both a utilitarian pragmatism and a stubbornness of ideology; it is these two philosophies that have determined the mercurial nature of U.S. foreign policy.
Four Obstructive Paradigms of American Thought Toward China
http://watchingamerica.com/News/228184/four-obstructive-paradigms-of-american-thought-toward-china/Four Obstructive Paradigms of American Thought Toward China
Huanqiu, China
By Tang Li
Translated By Nathan Hsu
13 December 2013
Edited by Gillian Palmer
~snip~
First is a notion of predestination based upon historical experience. Some U.S. academics and politicians tend to view U.S.-China relations with a sort of fatalism based on their observations of the succession of hegemony in the past, believing that emerging nations must inevitably challenge the existing hegemon, and so a clash between the U.S. and China is inevitable. In other words, this is a belief that conflict between the two is of a structural nature, with no room for mediation or mitigation, as seen by John Mearsheimer's statements that "war between China and the U.S. is difficult to avoid" and that "the conflict is likely to derive from the unstable situation with Taiwan or the Korean peninsula."
~snip~
Second is a hegemonic mentality stemming from liberalism. This manifests itself in two ways within foreign affairs. On one hand, it is a belief that U.S. hegemony possesses a natural legitimacy in that other nations need the U.S., as it provides the world with a common good. As a consequence, during the course of meetings between the U.S. and China, the U.S. is often high-handed as it dons the mantle of "world police." On the other hand, there is a constant fixation upon hegemony itself. Even as its power wanes, the U.S. still hopes to use its strategic partners in the region as surrogates to share the cost of and aid in maintaining its supremacy, such as with strengthening the alliance between the U.S. and Japan in a bid to further consolidate its position as a leader in Asia.
Third is hypersensitivity rooted in the erosion of confidence. The financial crisis of 2008 unseated the U.S. as an unrivaled economic power. Set off by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the crisis plunged the U.S. economy into a severe recession, dealing a grave blow to American self-confidence and resulting in a tendency to overreact. It is now sensitive to the slightest move from China in international affairs; many Americans, from commoners to the political elite, have exhibited an impalpable uneasiness toward China's development. There still exists a deep sense of concern and uncertainty as to the short-term goals and long-term plans for China's development, as well as the means by which that development will be realized. This is also why the U.S. in recent years has moved from "strategic reassurance" to pushing forth its "rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific region."
Fourth is a proclivity for self-contradiction arising from pragmatism. "
U.S.) interests above all else" is the golden rule in which strict pragmatists among the American policy-making elite place their faith; from start to finish, this has served as the primary basis upon which they manage foreign affairs. That the U.S. and China were able to bridge the ideological divide and stand together due to mutual security threats in the 1970s is a prime example. At the same time, the aspiration to a system of values in American politics of which the theories of Jefferson, Jackson and Wilson were so representative acts as an invisible hand balancing the principle of "interests above all else," moving U.S. foreign policy like a counterpoint within a symphony. Therein lies both a utilitarian pragmatism and a stubbornness of ideology; it is these two philosophies that have determined the mercurial nature of U.S. foreign policy.
December 18, 2013
It’s a funny thing when heads of state who came to power via assistance and funds from the U.S. suddenly get fed up with any gesture they don't like out of Washington.
Karzai and America are Adversaries
Shorouk, Egypt
Karzai and America are Adversaries
By Gamil Matar
Translated By Kristine Anderson
17 December 2013
Edited by Laurence Bouvard
It’s a funny thing when heads of state who came to power via assistance and funds from the U.S.—upon whom they depended during their rule, and under whose military protection and intelligence immunity they amassed great fortunes—suddenly get fed up with any gesture of Washington that they oppose, either internally or abroad.
Without a doubt, Afghanistan’s venerable President Hamid Karzai is the best example of this type of president. U.S. intelligence hastily ushered him in from Pakistan; it’s even been said that he literally rode part of the way from Peshawar to Kabul on a motorcycle, so that he could carry out DC’s assignment to assume the presidency of Afghanistan.
These days, Karzai is making successive trips to surrounding countries trying to set up future relationships after the Americans’ departure at the end of 2014. During these trips he has constantly complained about the U.S., which is rushing him to sign a security agreement that would permit U.S. soldiers to stay in Afghanistan after the U.S. departure, and which would guarantee that they would not be subject to Afghan courts, as well as linking future U.S. military and economic aid on Kabul’s political behavior.
His latest complaint was lodged with the Indians. In a visit to India two days ago he said that he “No longer trusts the United States,” and accused the Americans of promising one thing and then doing another in their dealings with him. This complaint came in the wake of an announcement in which Karzai claimed that no one will force him to sign a security agreement that would allow U.S. troops to stay past 2014. Karzai had promised to sign the agreement before the end of 2013, and then insisted upon signing after presidential elections next April. This shift in the Afghan stance angered the Americans, who have requested Islamabad and New Delhi to assist them in pressuring Karzai to sign the agreement; otherwise the U.S. will withdraw troops before the end of this month.
Karzai and America are Adversaries
http://watchingamerica.com/News/228307/karzai-and-america-are-adversaries/It’s a funny thing when heads of state who came to power via assistance and funds from the U.S. suddenly get fed up with any gesture they don't like out of Washington.
Karzai and America are Adversaries
Shorouk, Egypt
Karzai and America are Adversaries
By Gamil Matar
Translated By Kristine Anderson
17 December 2013
Edited by Laurence Bouvard
It’s a funny thing when heads of state who came to power via assistance and funds from the U.S.—upon whom they depended during their rule, and under whose military protection and intelligence immunity they amassed great fortunes—suddenly get fed up with any gesture of Washington that they oppose, either internally or abroad.
Without a doubt, Afghanistan’s venerable President Hamid Karzai is the best example of this type of president. U.S. intelligence hastily ushered him in from Pakistan; it’s even been said that he literally rode part of the way from Peshawar to Kabul on a motorcycle, so that he could carry out DC’s assignment to assume the presidency of Afghanistan.
These days, Karzai is making successive trips to surrounding countries trying to set up future relationships after the Americans’ departure at the end of 2014. During these trips he has constantly complained about the U.S., which is rushing him to sign a security agreement that would permit U.S. soldiers to stay in Afghanistan after the U.S. departure, and which would guarantee that they would not be subject to Afghan courts, as well as linking future U.S. military and economic aid on Kabul’s political behavior.
His latest complaint was lodged with the Indians. In a visit to India two days ago he said that he “No longer trusts the United States,” and accused the Americans of promising one thing and then doing another in their dealings with him. This complaint came in the wake of an announcement in which Karzai claimed that no one will force him to sign a security agreement that would allow U.S. troops to stay past 2014. Karzai had promised to sign the agreement before the end of 2013, and then insisted upon signing after presidential elections next April. This shift in the Afghan stance angered the Americans, who have requested Islamabad and New Delhi to assist them in pressuring Karzai to sign the agreement; otherwise the U.S. will withdraw troops before the end of this month.
December 18, 2013
Russia trumps US in Ukraine poker game
Russia may have made its most significant foreign-policy gain in the entire post-cold war era when the Kremlin decisively moved in on Tuesday to offer a rescue package for the beleagured Ukrainian economy and may have taken a leap forward in leading that country into the Eurasian Union, which Moscow is planning as the umbrella organization bringing together the former Soviet republics.
This is undoubtedly one of President Vladimir Putin’s finest hours in the Kremlin. The point is, if Ukraine moves into the Western orbit, Russia falls back on its back foot in strategic terms; without Ukraine Eurasian Union remains grossly inadequate; with Ukraine the Eurasian Union all but restores the Soviet Union in politico-economic terms.
Unsurprisingly, the West is aghast, and the mood of the cold warriors can’t be uglier than this. Russia is beating the West at its own game of cheque book diplomacy. No need for Russian tanks to roll into the streets of Kiev as in 1956 in Budapest.
The European Union foreign ministers have unceremoniously come down from the high pedestal from where they preached to Ukraine on the virtues of human rights record and western liberal democracy and pleaded it is prepared to sign an Association at a special summit this very week if only President Yanukovich is willing. But it seems a case of too little too late.
Russia trumps US in Ukraine poker game
http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/2013/12/18/russia-trumps-us-in-ukraine-poker-game/Russia trumps US in Ukraine poker game
Russia may have made its most significant foreign-policy gain in the entire post-cold war era when the Kremlin decisively moved in on Tuesday to offer a rescue package for the beleagured Ukrainian economy and may have taken a leap forward in leading that country into the Eurasian Union, which Moscow is planning as the umbrella organization bringing together the former Soviet republics.
This is undoubtedly one of President Vladimir Putin’s finest hours in the Kremlin. The point is, if Ukraine moves into the Western orbit, Russia falls back on its back foot in strategic terms; without Ukraine Eurasian Union remains grossly inadequate; with Ukraine the Eurasian Union all but restores the Soviet Union in politico-economic terms.
Unsurprisingly, the West is aghast, and the mood of the cold warriors can’t be uglier than this. Russia is beating the West at its own game of cheque book diplomacy. No need for Russian tanks to roll into the streets of Kiev as in 1956 in Budapest.
The European Union foreign ministers have unceremoniously come down from the high pedestal from where they preached to Ukraine on the virtues of human rights record and western liberal democracy and pleaded it is prepared to sign an Association at a special summit this very week if only President Yanukovich is willing. But it seems a case of too little too late.
December 18, 2013
Secret information: The currency of power
By Lars Schall
Dec 18, '13
The transcript of the following interview was exclusively arranged for Asia Times Online. An audio file of the interview is published at the German financial web site "Die Metallwoche" here.
Thomas Drake, born 1957, is a former senior executive at the US National Security Agency who blew the whistle on a multi-billion dollar program fraud and cover up as well as the NSA's secret unlawful surveillance program. The US Department of Justice prosecuted and indicted him under the World War I-era Espionage Act in April, 2010, under 10 felony counts including that he "mishandled documents". The case against him ultimately collapsed. He eventually pled to one misdemeanor count for exceeding authorized use of a computer. He is a former airborne crypto-linguist and electronic warfare mission crew supervisor. From 1991-1998 he worked at Booz Allen Hamilton as a management, strategy and technology consultant and software quality engineer. In 2011, Drake became the recipient of the Ridenhour Truth-Telling Prize and co-recipient of the Sam Adams Award. He holds a Bachelor's and two Master's degrees as well as numerous graduate certificates.
Lars Schall: Thomas, the first question that I would have for you is, why did you a) join the Signal Intelligence Directorate of the US National Security Agency in late summer 2001; and b) leave the NSA in 2008?
Thomas Drake: Well, between those two dates a lot happened. I joined NSA in 2001 as a result of a special outside hiring program that was led by then director Michael Hayden, a director of NSA during the 2000 period. There had been a lot of pressure even in the late '90s. The NSA was growing increasingly irrelevant and having great difficulty keeping up with the challenges of the digital age, and a number of stakeholders, particularly Congress, began placing a lot of pressure on NSA to hire outsiders - people who had not grown up at NSA, had not been promoted at NSA, people who came from other parts of government but particular came from outside of government, even if they had government experience, but people that were not embedded, as they say, in the culture - and so about a dozen of us [were ultimately hired] after going through a formal application for jobs that had actually been advertised in a number of the leading newspapers across the United States.
Secret information: The currency of power
http://atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/GECON-02-231213.htmlSecret information: The currency of power
By Lars Schall
Dec 18, '13
The transcript of the following interview was exclusively arranged for Asia Times Online. An audio file of the interview is published at the German financial web site "Die Metallwoche" here.
Thomas Drake, born 1957, is a former senior executive at the US National Security Agency who blew the whistle on a multi-billion dollar program fraud and cover up as well as the NSA's secret unlawful surveillance program. The US Department of Justice prosecuted and indicted him under the World War I-era Espionage Act in April, 2010, under 10 felony counts including that he "mishandled documents". The case against him ultimately collapsed. He eventually pled to one misdemeanor count for exceeding authorized use of a computer. He is a former airborne crypto-linguist and electronic warfare mission crew supervisor. From 1991-1998 he worked at Booz Allen Hamilton as a management, strategy and technology consultant and software quality engineer. In 2011, Drake became the recipient of the Ridenhour Truth-Telling Prize and co-recipient of the Sam Adams Award. He holds a Bachelor's and two Master's degrees as well as numerous graduate certificates.
Lars Schall: Thomas, the first question that I would have for you is, why did you a) join the Signal Intelligence Directorate of the US National Security Agency in late summer 2001; and b) leave the NSA in 2008?
Thomas Drake: Well, between those two dates a lot happened. I joined NSA in 2001 as a result of a special outside hiring program that was led by then director Michael Hayden, a director of NSA during the 2000 period. There had been a lot of pressure even in the late '90s. The NSA was growing increasingly irrelevant and having great difficulty keeping up with the challenges of the digital age, and a number of stakeholders, particularly Congress, began placing a lot of pressure on NSA to hire outsiders - people who had not grown up at NSA, had not been promoted at NSA, people who came from other parts of government but particular came from outside of government, even if they had government experience, but people that were not embedded, as they say, in the culture - and so about a dozen of us [were ultimately hired] after going through a formal application for jobs that had actually been advertised in a number of the leading newspapers across the United States.
December 18, 2013
Japan, US squeeze China's ADIZ
By Richard Javad Heydarian
Dec 18, '13
MANILA - At a recently concluded summit with Japan in Tokyo, the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asians (ASEAN) joined their host in thinly veiled criticism of China's newly declared air identification defense zone (ADIZ) for areas covering the East China Sea.
The ADIZ, announced by Beijing in late November, covers areas disputed with Japan and has been strongly rebuked by South Korea, Taiwan and the United States. Beijing has insisted the ADIZ is consistent with international laws and other countries' declared sovereign aerial space.
ASEAN and Japan's joint statement, issued nominally to recognize 40 years of diplomatic relations, agreed to "cooperation in ensuring the freedom of over flight and civil aviation safety, in accordance with the universally recognized principles of international law".
The statement reflects underlying concerns in Southeast Asia that China intends to extend the ADIZ to include contested territorial areas in the South China Sea. While the statement did not include any tangible commitments from its signatories, some analysts viewed it as a potential watershed in future regional strategic alignments vis-a-vis China.
Japan, US squeeze China's ADIZ
http://atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/SEA-03-181213.htmlJapan, US squeeze China's ADIZ
By Richard Javad Heydarian
Dec 18, '13
MANILA - At a recently concluded summit with Japan in Tokyo, the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asians (ASEAN) joined their host in thinly veiled criticism of China's newly declared air identification defense zone (ADIZ) for areas covering the East China Sea.
The ADIZ, announced by Beijing in late November, covers areas disputed with Japan and has been strongly rebuked by South Korea, Taiwan and the United States. Beijing has insisted the ADIZ is consistent with international laws and other countries' declared sovereign aerial space.
ASEAN and Japan's joint statement, issued nominally to recognize 40 years of diplomatic relations, agreed to "cooperation in ensuring the freedom of over flight and civil aviation safety, in accordance with the universally recognized principles of international law".
The statement reflects underlying concerns in Southeast Asia that China intends to extend the ADIZ to include contested territorial areas in the South China Sea. While the statement did not include any tangible commitments from its signatories, some analysts viewed it as a potential watershed in future regional strategic alignments vis-a-vis China.
December 18, 2013
China vs US 'sea-to-shining-sea'
By Pepe Escobar
Dec 18, '13
It happened now and it will happen again: a near-collision between an American and a Chinese naval vessel in the South China Sea.
The USS Cowpens, a 10,000-ton guided-missile cruiser, got "too close" to a drill involving the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, and its carrier task force, according to the Global Times.
The US Pacific Fleet stressed that the cruiser had to take emergency measures to avoid a collision. Yet the Global Times accused the cruiser of "harassing" the Liaoning formation by taking "offensive actions".
The paper spelt it loudly; "If the American navy and air force always encroach near China's doorstep, confrontation is bound to take place."
THE ROVING EYE: China vs US 'sea-to-shining-sea'
http://atimes.com/atimes/China/CHIN-01-181213.htmlChina vs US 'sea-to-shining-sea'
By Pepe Escobar
Dec 18, '13
It happened now and it will happen again: a near-collision between an American and a Chinese naval vessel in the South China Sea.
The USS Cowpens, a 10,000-ton guided-missile cruiser, got "too close" to a drill involving the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, and its carrier task force, according to the Global Times.
The US Pacific Fleet stressed that the cruiser had to take emergency measures to avoid a collision. Yet the Global Times accused the cruiser of "harassing" the Liaoning formation by taking "offensive actions".
The paper spelt it loudly; "If the American navy and air force always encroach near China's doorstep, confrontation is bound to take place."
December 18, 2013
Saudi Internet Activists face Crackdown
By Juan Cole | Dec. 18, 2013
(By Human Rights Watch)
(Beirut) – Activists in Saudi Arabia face a repressive and intolerant government as they advocate popular political participation, judicial reform, and an end to discrimination against women and minorities, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Authorities have responded by arresting, prosecuting, and attempting to silence rights defenders and to quash their calls for change.
~snip~
“Saudi activists are using new media to take their government to task for rampant rights abuses,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The Saudi authorities think they can use intimidation and prison terms to stop the criticism, but the activists are finding ways to voice their concerns until they are heard.”
Several activists have used social media and online forums to build networks and initiate digital campaigns. Tens of thousands of Saudi citizens have already participated in online campaigns, including the “Women2Drive” initiative, which encourages Saudi women to drive in defiance of the government ban.
A number of recently established, mostly Internet-based nongovernmental human rights organizations regularly issue statements on individual cases of human rights abuses. Despite the authorities’ efforts to block online content, Saudis – at least 49 percent of whom have Internet access – use Internet forums to bypass heavily censored state media.
Saudi Internet Activists face Crackdown
http://www.juancole.com/2013/12/48812.htmlSaudi Internet Activists face Crackdown
By Juan Cole | Dec. 18, 2013
(By Human Rights Watch)
(Beirut) – Activists in Saudi Arabia face a repressive and intolerant government as they advocate popular political participation, judicial reform, and an end to discrimination against women and minorities, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Authorities have responded by arresting, prosecuting, and attempting to silence rights defenders and to quash their calls for change.
~snip~
“Saudi activists are using new media to take their government to task for rampant rights abuses,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The Saudi authorities think they can use intimidation and prison terms to stop the criticism, but the activists are finding ways to voice their concerns until they are heard.”
Several activists have used social media and online forums to build networks and initiate digital campaigns. Tens of thousands of Saudi citizens have already participated in online campaigns, including the “Women2Drive” initiative, which encourages Saudi women to drive in defiance of the government ban.
A number of recently established, mostly Internet-based nongovernmental human rights organizations regularly issue statements on individual cases of human rights abuses. Despite the authorities’ efforts to block online content, Saudis – at least 49 percent of whom have Internet access – use Internet forums to bypass heavily censored state media.
December 18, 2013
The Sixth Mass Extinction: Why Climate Scientists’ Hair is on Fire
By Juan Cole | Dec. 18, 2013
(By Dahr Jamail)
I grew up planning for my future, wondering which college I would attend, what to study, and later on, where to work, which articles to write, what my next book might be, how to pay a mortgage, and which mountaineering trip I might like to take next.
~snip~
“We as a species have never experienced 400 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” Guy McPherson, professor emeritus of evolutionary biology, natural resources, and ecology at the University of Arizona and a climate change expert of 25 years, told me. “We’ve never been on a planet with no Arctic ice, and we will hit the average of 400 ppm… within the next couple of years. At that time, we’ll also see the loss of Arctic ice in the summers… This planet has not experienced an ice-free Arctic for at least the last three million years.”
For the uninitiated, in the simplest terms, here’s what an ice-free Arctic would mean when it comes to heating the planet: minus the reflective ice cover on Arctic waters, solar radiation would be absorbed, not reflected, by the Arctic Ocean. That would heat those waters, and hence the planet, further. This effect has the potential to change global weather patterns, vary the flow of winds, and even someday possibly alter the position of the jet stream. Polar jet streams are fast flowing rivers of wind positioned high in the Earth’s atmosphere that push cold and warm air masses around, playing a critical role in determining the weather of our planet.
McPherson, who maintains the blog Nature Bats Last, added, “We’ve never been here as a species and the implications are truly dire and profound for our species and the rest of the living planet.”
The Sixth Mass Extinction: Why Climate Scientists’ Hair is on Fire
http://www.juancole.com/2013/12/extinction-climate-scientists.htmlThe Sixth Mass Extinction: Why Climate Scientists’ Hair is on Fire
By Juan Cole | Dec. 18, 2013
(By Dahr Jamail)
I grew up planning for my future, wondering which college I would attend, what to study, and later on, where to work, which articles to write, what my next book might be, how to pay a mortgage, and which mountaineering trip I might like to take next.
~snip~
“We as a species have never experienced 400 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” Guy McPherson, professor emeritus of evolutionary biology, natural resources, and ecology at the University of Arizona and a climate change expert of 25 years, told me. “We’ve never been on a planet with no Arctic ice, and we will hit the average of 400 ppm… within the next couple of years. At that time, we’ll also see the loss of Arctic ice in the summers… This planet has not experienced an ice-free Arctic for at least the last three million years.”
For the uninitiated, in the simplest terms, here’s what an ice-free Arctic would mean when it comes to heating the planet: minus the reflective ice cover on Arctic waters, solar radiation would be absorbed, not reflected, by the Arctic Ocean. That would heat those waters, and hence the planet, further. This effect has the potential to change global weather patterns, vary the flow of winds, and even someday possibly alter the position of the jet stream. Polar jet streams are fast flowing rivers of wind positioned high in the Earth’s atmosphere that push cold and warm air masses around, playing a critical role in determining the weather of our planet.
McPherson, who maintains the blog Nature Bats Last, added, “We’ve never been here as a species and the implications are truly dire and profound for our species and the rest of the living planet.”
December 17, 2013
Singapore in 'no particular hurry' for F-35
Jon Grevatt, Bangkok - IHS Jane's Defence Industry
15 December 2013
Singapore is continuing its assessment of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter but is in "no particular hurry" to purchase the aircraft, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on 12 December.
The comments followed a meeting in Washington between Ng and US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. During a joint news conference, Ng referred to a statement he made in March in which he indicated that the F-35 is being considered as a replacement for the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) Northrop F-5s and Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds.
Ng said: "I've said in parliament during the last budget that Singapore is seriously looking at the F-35s to replace our F-5s.
Singapore in 'no particular hurry' for F-35
http://www.janes.com/article/31645/singapore-in-no-particular-hurry-for-f-35Singapore in 'no particular hurry' for F-35
Jon Grevatt, Bangkok - IHS Jane's Defence Industry
15 December 2013
Singapore is continuing its assessment of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter but is in "no particular hurry" to purchase the aircraft, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on 12 December.
The comments followed a meeting in Washington between Ng and US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. During a joint news conference, Ng referred to a statement he made in March in which he indicated that the F-35 is being considered as a replacement for the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) Northrop F-5s and Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds.
Ng said: "I've said in parliament during the last budget that Singapore is seriously looking at the F-35s to replace our F-5s.
December 17, 2013
Senators fight cuts to veteran benefits ahead of key budget test vote
Published December 17, 2013
FoxNews.com
Republican senators were making a last-ditch bid to undo cuts to military retiree benefits in the House-passed budget deal ahead of a crucial vote Tuesday morning in the Senate.
Alabama GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions filed an amendment late Monday to restore money that was cut from veteran and military retiree pension benefits by closing a loophole that allows illegal immigrants to qualify for child tax credits.
His move comes after several GOP senators voiced complaints about the budget package, which sailed out of the House last week on a strong bipartisan vote. Those senators were also calling on their colleagues Tuesday morning to spare military retirees from the cuts.
However, late-breaking endorsements from several GOP senators could help lift the budget bill over the finish line, and it's unclear whether changes to the military retiree provision will be considered.
Senators fight cuts to veteran benefits ahead of key budget test vote
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/17/sen-tries-to-undo-cuts-to-military-retiree-benefits-ahead-senate-budget-vote/Senators fight cuts to veteran benefits ahead of key budget test vote
Published December 17, 2013
FoxNews.com
Republican senators were making a last-ditch bid to undo cuts to military retiree benefits in the House-passed budget deal ahead of a crucial vote Tuesday morning in the Senate.
Alabama GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions filed an amendment late Monday to restore money that was cut from veteran and military retiree pension benefits by closing a loophole that allows illegal immigrants to qualify for child tax credits.
His move comes after several GOP senators voiced complaints about the budget package, which sailed out of the House last week on a strong bipartisan vote. Those senators were also calling on their colleagues Tuesday morning to spare military retirees from the cuts.
However, late-breaking endorsements from several GOP senators could help lift the budget bill over the finish line, and it's unclear whether changes to the military retiree provision will be considered.
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