Who Mattered In Japan In 2009

Yukio Hatoyama: A new beginning
Before its historic landslide victory in August, the Democratic Party of Japan was considered a "lite" version of the LDP and uninterested in major change. In the span of a few months, however, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, along with DPJ shadow master Ichiro Ozawa, has already moved ahead with bold policy iniatives: wrangling power from the bureaucrats, rearranging spending priorities, abandoning postal system privatization and opening a few of the elite press clubs to outside media. Hatoyama himself has also created a new kind of persona for Japan's top politician: slightly aloof but willing to engage in pop culture without the smug self-absorption of predecessor Junichiro Koizumi. And now that Hatoyama has dodged criminal charges on illegal fundraising, he may even continue to be PM in 2010.

Ichiro Ozawa may not be Prime Minister of Japan even though as late as May of this year he seemed poised to assume the reigns of power that was until a scandal erupted involving Nishimatsu construction and illegal campaign contributions. Yet it was Ichiro Ozawa who engineered the political ascension of the Japan's Democratic Party. He matters just as much as Hatayama.

Tadashi Yanai: Clothing the nation
2008 was a standout year for the mass clothing retailer Uniqlo, but in 2009 the company took a near monopoly position in the apparel market. Economic and social conditions have forced us to demand low-priced underwear, sweaters and slacks, but Uniqlo's CEO Tadashi Yanai has figured out how to make us feel good about it. Just this year we saw the ultra-functional Heat Tech line's expectation of selling 50 million units, the Ginza flagship's doubling in size, the overly-successful 6am sale and the auspicious debut of the Jil Sander collaboration +J line. Even Fast Retailing's cheaper brand g.u. scored big news with its ¥990 jeans.

The old 90's image of the Japanese shopper being up scale brand named obsessed has been turned on its head by Uniqlo which has become an important part of Japan's economy.

Noriko Sakai: Fallen angel
The actual criminal case of Noriko Sakai was relatively unsubstantial. The ex-idol singer received a suspended sentence for possessing a tiny amount of amphetamines. Yet the wider drama absorbed the entire country's consciousness this autumn. The story of a good girl turned bad captivated a nation, and while her entertainment career may be over, the scandal did add to her super-stardom: Her song "Aoi Usagi" hit #1 on iTunes despite her label pulling all albums from distribution.

This only matters because CNN missed the reality of what happened. She was charged with having 0.08gm of said drug. An amount so small that one could barely see it with the naked eye. Completely vilified by the press and Japan's political leaders is it any wonder that she broke down on several occasions. What's even more incredible is that this case was brought to trail just to further humiliate her. Instead of ascertaining whether there was a need for treatment or just a mistake made due to peer pressure never occurred anyone.

Manabu Oshio: The dark heart of Japanese celebrity
The criminal case of bad-boy actor and singer Manabu Oshio had a tragic and explosive quality worthy of a Tarantino epic. A drug-related death of a young Ginza hostess in a Roppongi Hills apartment owned by a lingerie tycoon, reports of mysterious bail payments from a legendary business magnate and rumors of another celebrity allegedly admitting prior drug use with Oshio to police. As for Oshio, he received a suspended sentence for using ecstasy. Japan has been gripped by the case and given a glimpse into the nexus of power, fame and money in Tokyo.

Japan at its best: Manubu Oshio was accused of involvement in a far worse crime than Noriko Sakai and instead of being thrown on to the trash heap of fame is treated with kid gloves because he's male. Boy's will be boy's

Yu Darvish: The ¥330 million man
Yu Darvish is Japan's baseball superstar, and this year was his brightest yet. Despite recent trouble with his shoulder, Darvish still became the youngest player ever to sign a contract for over ¥300 million a year. Next year will no doubt see more people ask: When does he defect to the American leagues?

Unlike those who play in the Majors Japanese players are not represented by an agent. They must negotiate with them on their own accord which leaves them vulnerable to abuse by the team they play for.

Haruki Murakami: Writing for the masses
Overseas, Haruki Murakami is one of the most popular Japanese writers of all time, thanks to his highly engaging fictional explorations of the post-modern human condition. Back in Japan, Murakami's latest dark and difficult novel "1Q84" somehow became the best-selling book of the year. With the third volume expected in summer 2010, the 60-year-old writer may repeat the feat next year too. Last year was all about the barely literate "cell phone novel," so Murakami may be single-handedly preventing the dumbing down of Japanese culture.

Seishiro Kato: Driving into your heart
As if people were compensating for the exposure they suffered to the very adult lives of Japan's celeb entertainers, the public collectively fell in love with child actor Seishiro Kato. The 8-year-old has achieved fame for his starring role in Toyota's "Child Store Manager" commercial series. He may be running afoul of the Japanese work ethic by leaving the office to eat apple pie, go swimming -- or attend elementary school -- but he's adorable in so doing.


Nobutada Saji: Whiskey baron
In July, booze group Suntory announced a merger with rival brewery Kirin, with Suntory Chairman Nobutada Saji taking the lead. Both companies have the same mission to tap into overseas markets, requiring greater economy of scale, and the tie-up fulfills that objective. Although the merger still has some hurdles, we give temporary points to Suntory now for its successful resuscitation of the "highball" after a long period of ridicule as an old man drink.

These fools once tried to make artificial Tequila and no Suntory Whiskey isn't that great

Hideki Matsui: American hit
Hideki "Godzilla" Matsui has long been a baseball hero to the Japanese nation, and he has even been beloved in America for his hard-hittin' work for the New York Yankees since 2003. His World Series MVP this year, however, took him up to legendary status. Matsui is now the first Japanese-born player to ever win that accolade.

When it was announced that Hideki Matsui would be playing for the Yankees I bet 98% of the Japanese public believed he would play center field in New York. Talk about high expectations. It was obvious that he had neither the speed or range to play center field in America.

Who Mattered Most in Japan 2009

Who was important in China

Who Mattered Most in China 2009

Obama: A presidential visit
From controversial “Obamao” T-shirts to the media's hasty declaration of the president’s visit as a disappointment, Obama’s first trip to China’s was filled with highs and well-publicized lows. However, with a few weeks of reflection comes a more positive picture of the historic event. Sure, Obama skirted human rights issues and made a mouthful of his distaste for censorship, but his Shanghai townhall talk was -- after much debate -- broadcast online and live (on a station reaching 100 million households), and real progress was made on a host of other issues. If nothing else, it gave netizens fodder for one great video.

Why isn't Liu Xiaobo someone matters?
The trial, from which Western diplomats and journalists were barred, followed Mr Liu's co-authorship of a document last year urging political reform.
Several people were apparently hurt at a Hong Kong protest over the sentence.
The human rights group Amnesty International condemned the sentence, saying freedom of speech was at stake.
The US also denounced the sentence. China has accused Washington and the EU of meddling in its affairs.
The BBC's Michael Bristow in Beijing says the sentence shows China does not want anyone to challenge its authority.

Ma Ming: Whistle blower
“All gold medals were actually pre-determined ahead of time!” With this line, thus did Ma Ming (not her real name) reveal the dirty secret behind this year’s National Games diving competition, as well as the reason for her resignation as referee. Correctly predicting the “winner” of the next four golds, Ma told a reporter that Zhou Jihong, the national team’s head coach, controlled “who lived and died.”

Chinese football cleans up its act
China, which has been storming ahead dramatically over the past decade, has one glaring Achilles heel: football.

It claims to have invented the game, way back in the Han dynasty (206BC to 220 AD), when men and women in long robes first began kicking a stitched leather ball around. Today the modern version has more fans in China – one-quarter of its 1.3 billion population follow the game – than in any other country in the world.

Ai Weiwei: Artist with a mission
Ai is never far from the headlines, but this year it wasn’t for his art. His campaign to document student casualties in last year’s Sichuan earthquakes led to a run-in with authorities in Chengdu at the trial of his friend Tan Zuoren, and a subsequent trip to a German hospital to be treated for head injuries.

Chinese laborers: Getting back their good name
The proliferation of shanzhai brands has led to the degradation of the "Made in China" label. To improve the image of Chinese products, the nation's four industry associations have launched an unprecedented advertising campaign on CNN. The 30-second commercial has been airing on CNN Asia since November 23 and has raised debate across the country about national branding and the direction of Chinese industry.

Jia Zhangke: Politics and film
Acclaimed by many as the greatest living Chinese film director -- and seen by some as something of a rebel -- Jia faced a backlash abroad this year for his decision to withdraw from the Melbourne International Film Festival. It would be, he said, “emotionally intolerable and practically inappropriate” to share a platform with Rebiya Kadeer so soon after the Xinjiang riots. Not everyone found this a surprise.

Apple: Phone wars
This October marked the official launch of the iPhone in China. The smart phone is sold through China Unicom from RMB 4,999. Internet users might be disappointed because the official iPhone doesn't support WiFi. According to The Wall Street Journal, China Unicom had sold more than 100,000 iPhones by early December. However, things look different online. Chinanews reports only five iPhone were sold through China Unicom's Taobao page. The iPhone’s launch shone a spotlight on China’s grey markets, where the iPhone has already been available for months, as well as on the resilience of the Chinese shanzhai market, which has already introduced iPhone innovations like the iPhone mini.

Han Han: The bad boy
Precocious polymath Han Han made waves this year with audacious plans for his own literary magazine, which launched amid much controversy and several false starts in November. Offering up to 40 times the standard pay rate for articles, and with a dedicated “braindead” column for controversial or substandard articles, the novelist-blogger-racecar driver received 10,000 submissions within five days.

Mickey Mouse: Disney's world domination
It won’t be long before Hong Kong's Disneyland has a sibling in China. Shanghai Municipal Government announced in November that the city will be home to the sixth Disneyland worldwide. To be completed in 2014, this RMB 25 billion joint venture will cover 10 square kilometers and is estimated to bring in more than RMB 10 million per year after opening its doors.

Bo Xilai: Corruption on the agenda
The governor of Chongqing had a year so good that he’s now projected to succeed Hu Jintao. With the city long paralyzed by gang activity and high-level corruption, Bo launched an unprecedented crackdown that saw some 5,000 people taken into custody. Among them was Wen Qiang, head of the city’s Justice Bureau, and alleged recipient of more than RMB 100 million in bribes.

Shanghai cabbies: Expensive rides
Due to the rise in oil prices and operation cost, Shanghai’s famously low taxi prices were raised in October. The unit price went from RMB 2.1 to RMB 2.4 per kilometer. The base-rate for downtown taxis increased to RMB 12 during the day and RMB 16 after 11pm. The new price structure will add approximately 10 percent to rider's next taxi bill. Needless to say Shanghailanders and Shanghairen alike didn’t welcome the increase with open arms.

Zhou Libo: Shanghainese-only please
Zhou Libo, 42, is arguably the most sought-after entertainment personality of 2009. The homegrown stand-up comedian reliably sells out shows and has introduced a modern vibe previously missing from Shanghainese dialect. He recently published the best-selling Shanghai dictionary "Hui Ci Dian” and controversially declined an invitation to perform in next year's CCTV Spring Gala.

The collapsed building: Corruption in the city
A 13-story residential building in Minhang -- still under construction -- toppled over in its entirety in June 2009, causing one death, but huge repercussion and protests among the local population concerning issues of local corruption. According to government officials, this well-publicized accident was caused by the digging of an underground garage nearby, but questions remain. The building site was cleared in August and the local government investigated and took action against the local parties they deemed responsible.

2010 Expo Chinglish censors: The 2010 rule book
Shanghai is determined to wipe out Chinglish expressions on signs citywide before the 2010 Expo. In August, the Shanghai Language Work Committee dispatched student volunteers to check the English translations on public signs, raising objections from locals who contend that the signs are a part of Shanghai culture and the city's appeal.

Xu Zhiyong: Home-bound activist
Legal scholar and activist Xu Zhiyong made the cover of August's Esquire this year, despite spending most of the month under house arrest. His Open Constitution Initiative, a non-profit human rights group that had been working on civil action in the tainted milk scandal, was shut down in July, and Xu himself was held for tax evasion, drawing worldwide criticism. He was released on bail after three weeks.
Of course the parents who demanded answers about school collapses after the Sichuan earthquake are completely ignored


Lou Jing (娄婧): Race relations
The 20-year-old college student unwittingly became a poster child for China's mixed race citizenry. The child of a Shanghainese woman and a black man (who returned to his home country before her birth), Lou Jing’s appearance on a local TV talent show provoked a maelstrom of ugly racist comments on the internet, but perhaps prompted many to rethink what it means to be Chinese.
Its not like the Chinese treat their own minorities any better: Tibetans, Uighur's and those from Fujian just to name a few.

Shanghai straphangers: Metro Line Expo
Metro Line 7, Shanghai's ninth subway route, opened to limited use on December 5. The line roars through five districts, including the densely populated, outlying Baoshan and Putuo district, and is expected to transport 1 million passengers everyday. Nicknamed the "Metro Line Expo," it also contains five stops within the 2010 Expo area in Pudong and will form the backbone of the Expo's public transportation system.

China Executes British Citizen

Akmal Shaikh a British citizen was executed today after being convicted last year of heroin smuggling when customs officers discovered 4kg of the drug in his luggage. Mr.Shaikh had not known he was to be executed until being informed by his two cousins on Monday during a meeting at the prison where he was incarcerated. Akmal Shaikh with his execution became the first European to have such a sentence carried out by Chinese authorities for more than 50 years.
The British government made more than 20 appeals for clemency based upon such issues as mental illness as his family claims he is bi-polar. Given all of this and the world wide condemnation of the execution shows just how conservative China's government really is. Never ones to accept criticism or advice from those either inside or especially outside from the worlds governments or Human Rights campaigners.

Hatayama's Budget For Japan

The Liberal Democratic Party(LDP) ruled Japan from the mid 1950's until August 30, 2009 when the Democratic Party of Japan(DPJ) was voted into office. In the last 20 years of its rule the LDP has led Japan to near ruin. It was their economic policies that allowed the Bubble Economy and when it collapsed, the party out of fear did nothing. Which in turn brought about 10 years of rescission and almost zero economic growth. The economy severely contracted because the Japanese afraid for their own economic well being started saving even larger amounts of money and sending even less.
Successive LDP governments in stupid and vain attempts to revive the economy decided that public works projects were just the ticket. So, using shady bidding practices contracts were handed out like so much Christmas candy to greedy construction companies who then proceeded to build roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects that benefited no one but the LDP and the construction companies. Two perfect examples are the Rainbow bridge which goes from Tokyo to Yokohama and the Aqua Line which goes from Chiba to Yokohama because both were so expensive to construct the tolls had to reflect this. Thus they were so high that both bridges were underused based upon there actual carrying capacity. That was until out desperation the LDP lower the tolls on weekends and holidays to ￥1000.
When it became apparent that most of Japans banks were near collapse the government finally stepped in and allowed some banks to fail out right and others to merge thereby consolidating Japans banking sector to just a few major banks.
Almost everything the LDP did seemed benefit the LDP and its major corporate backers.
Like when the Japan Post was privatized helping to enrich its major stock holders while leaving those they were supposed to serve the public with little or nothing, These are just a few of the messes created by the LDP's incompetence that must be cleaned up by the DPJ.

The DPJ in its budget has proposed that fees paid by students to attend public high schools at a rate of $3,000 a year should be born by the government thus making attending high school in Japan free for the first time. They will also provide assistance to those attending private schools based upon income. Further they want to give families a child allowance with no income restrictions on who can receive them. Fees for doctors will be raised for the first time in 20 years to help alleviate the current shortage of doctors. As for those public works projects? A number of them have either been put on hold or scrapped altogether so that the money allocated for these projects can be returned to the general fund to used for social safety programs the government as also asked that all unspent funds allocated to the various Ministries be returned so that they can be used for the same purpose to help the average citizen.
Will it that's a question yet to answered but given the disaster handed to them by the LDP those who support or voted for change by electing the DPJ should be patient and give their polices a chance to work.

Late Night Karaoke

So, Obama Ruined Copenhagen! Wrong It Was China

Someone once described China as a country that doesn't like to be told what do to. Just glazing at this past decade is proof enough. Told or asked to improve its human rights record upon being awarded the Olympics the opposite occurred. With the Yuan artificially over valued by the Chinese government the U.S. dollar even before the financial collapse of last year was losing ground to the worlds major currencies the U.S. Treasury Department asked the Chinese to revalue its currency they refused. Time and again China when even asked to contribute to the simplest measures which offer help or relief to others they have said no. That is exactly what China did at the COP15 conference in Denmark.

After two weeks and meetings at the ministerial level to work out an agreement on how to reduce the worlds CO2 out put China made sure that the conference was a failure by refusing to allow any target numbers, numbers which had been agreed to by the participating nations which would lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions to be placed in the final document at the conferences end. Remember that several countries including the United States which had previously shied away from concrete numbers on CO2 emissions changed course pledged to reduce their emissions through concrete numbers and target dates.

China's strategy was simple: block the open negotiations for two weeks, and then ensure that the closed-door deal made it look as if the west had failed the world's poor once again. And sure enough, the aid agencies, civil society movements and environmental groups all took the bait. The failure was "the inevitable result of rich countries refusing adequately and fairly to shoulder their overwhelming responsibility", said Christian Aid. "Rich countries have bullied developing nations," fumed Friends of the Earth International.

It just kept getting better and better.

What I saw was profoundly shocking. The Chinese premier, Wen Jinbao, did not deign to attend the meetings personally, instead sending a second-tier official in the country's foreign ministry to sit opposite Obama himself. The diplomatic snub was obvious and brutal, as was the practical implication: several times during the session, the world's most powerful heads of state were forced to wait around as the Chinese delegate went off to make telephone calls to his "superiors".

Shifting the blame

To those who would blame Obama and rich countries in general, know this: it was China's representative who insisted that industrialised country targets, previously agreed as an 80% cut by 2050, be taken out of the deal. "Why can't we even mention our own targets?" demanded a furious Angela Merkel. Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, was annoyed enough to bang his microphone. Brazil's representative too pointed out the illogicality of China's position. Why should rich countries not announce even this unilateral cut? The Chinese delegate said no, and I watched, aghast, as Merkel threw up her hands in despair and conceded the point. Now we know why – because China bet, correctly, that Obama would get the blame for the Copenhagen accord's lack of ambition.

Going To Pakistan Uninvited

As more is reveled about the Bush administration and its many appalling misadventures yet another one is brought out into the light by The Guardian.

Former Nato officer reveals secret night operations in border region which America kept quiet

American special forces have conducted multiple clandestine raids into Pakistan's tribal areas as part of a secret war in the border region where Washington is pressing to expand its drone assassination programme.

A former Nato officer said the incursions, only one of which has been previously reported, occurred between 2003 and 2008, involved helicopter-borne elite soldiers stealing across the border at night, and were never declared to the Pakistani government.

"The Pakistanis were kept entirely in the dark about it. It was one of those things we wouldn't confirm officially with them," said the source, who had detailed knowledge of the operations.

This seems to remind one of another secret war: Perhaps the one conducted in Cambodia by the Nixon administration.

After the only publicly acknowledged special forces raid in September 2008, Pakistan's foreign office condemned it as "a grave provocation" while the military threatened retaliatory action.

Pakistan's citizens barely tolerate the use of U.S Drones against Taliban and Al Qaeda in the Northwest Frontier Provence. More important is the fragility of Pakistan's current government. Would Pakistan's military step-in and remove Asif Zardari from office thus returning the to a military dictatorship? Given Asif Zardari's current legal problems based on corruption charges from his past business and political dealings.
The C.I.A's Drone program which is run out of Baluchistan which boarders both Iran and Afghanistan has become a focal point in the war as the Obama administration believes attacks into Afghanistan are originating from there. Given that provinces complete lack of trust of the government in Islamabad this area could quickly become an unintended conflict zone.
With all that in mind any of these policies could lead to the complete destabilization of the entire region.

Who owns Okinawa?

That may seem like a completely stupid and obvious question as Okinawa is a part of Japan. Yet someone else controls 20% of that small island and no its not Japan. The United States has about 38,000 Marines stationed on Okinawa as part of the U.S. Japan defense treaty which has been in place since the end of the Second World War. Okinawa's citizens have grown weary of this arrangement because crime, noise and various forms of pollution among other complaints. It is their fervent wish to have these bases located outside of Okinawa. After all the reason for their existence has faded into history. As the Soviet Union no longer exists and the Cold War has come to an end. Yukio Hatayama and his coalition partners in the newly elected government would like to bring some relief and positive change to the people of Okinawa by giving the people what they want moving a majority of the Marines outside of Okinawa.

Yet the U.S. acts like they own the place and are refusing to even discuss any changes presented as it would upset their Western Pacific Defense posture. Who remembers the U.S. Navel base at Subic Bay in the Philippines? When the American's acted in a similar fashion the government of the Philippines forced the closure of the base and the American's left. The U.S. has treated the Koreans just as poorly when the Korean government negotiated a secret agreement to have Yongson Garrison moved to a new base 60km south of Seoul. Under the original agreement the Koreans were forced to fund 85% of the cost of the relocation and construction costs. That was until the agreement was leaked to the press and a more equitable agreement was reached.

Shouldn't the people of Okinawa and the government have a say in how they are treated buy the U.S? Of course they should. Its time for the U.S. to stop treating them as if they are second class and treat them as equals as it they, the people of Okinawa that must live with the outcome of any agreement that is reached.

Learning from China

Time magazine recently did a cover story entitled 5 Things We Can Learn From China. Here are some things we can learn from China.

China has banned individuals from registering internet domain names in Beijing's toughest move so far to tighten online censorship.

From Monday, people registering a domain name in China would have to present a company seal and a business licence, the China Internet Network Information Center, a government-backed body, said in a statement.

Service providers said they had started to review their clients for potentially fraudulent or "harmful" individually-owned sites.

"We have started to review domain names registered by individuals, as requested by CNNIC," said an official at HiNet, one of China's largest internet service providers.

We learn how better operate as an authoritarian government by blocking access to all information not produced by the government.

What else can we learn from China

BEIJING — A lengthy prison sentence for a rights activist shows the determination of Chinese officials to suppress any vestige of dissent related to shoddy construction and unnecessary deaths in last year’s devastating earthquake in Sichuan Province, fellow activists said.
Huang Qi, 46, who helped parents press their grievances against the local government after their children died when their schools collapsed, was given a three-year prison term on Monday. He was convicted of illegal possession of state secrets, a common charge used to punish people who defy the authorities.

That those who should be held accountable for the shoddy workmanship involved in school construction get away with no penalty. While those who seek answers are jailed.

Education Chinese style

Chinese lawyers have formally charged a democracy activist and former university professor with "inciting subversion," a year after he co-wrote a call for sweeping political change in China.After the country controversially hosted the 2008 Olympic Games, human rights in China are supposed to be improving. But thee case of human rights activist Liu Xiaobo, 53, who has spent most of the past 20 years in prison or under arrest, speaks volumes about what is going on beneath the glossy surface of the new China.Mr Lui’s lawyer received the prosecution papers Friday, and said Liu had been formally charged the day before. The lawyer expects a trial anytime after December 20. After a trial likely to last only half a day, Liu could get up to 15 years jail time, with a five- to 15-year sentence, which is "very likely," because China's courts are under the total control of the ruling Communist party.

Upon being awarded the 2008 Olympic Games the Chinese government promised to improve its human rights record and allow for a more open and equitable society. Look how well that has worked out.

One last fun thing we can learn from China

BEIJING — It read like a muckraking expose: A magazine revealed a system of secret detention centers in Beijing where Chinese citizens are forcibly held and sometimes beaten to prevent them from lodging formal complaints with the central government.
But the report appeared in the state-run magazine Liaowang (Outlook), which is written for the government elite and published by China's official Xinhua News Agency.
For some activist groups, the two state-sanctioned articles published Tuesday signal a possible willingness by the Communist leadership to openly acknowledge a problem it has long denied.
"They have categorically denied there are even black jails. This is the first time an official, high-level magazine acknowledges that they exist. This is fairly significant," said Wang Songlian, research coordinator with the China-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders.

Go to Beijing for redress of problems encountered at the local or state level of government and get thrown in jail. Even though this has always been part of the contract between the people and the Chinese government

See look at all the fun things we can learn from China. Isn't it exciting

Blackwater The C.I.A and Aghanistan

Failure and the Bush Administration had a symbiotic relationship from its inception following through to its inglorious end this past January. Even as it pasted into the annals of history its misadventures continue to haunt America its political leadership and its allies in central Asia. So, once again information has come to the fore concerning Blackwater its contracts with the C.I.A and their operations in Pakistan against the Taliban.

Members of Congress have increasingly become alarmed by the implications of what they are learning about Blackwater, notably in regard to questions of accountability. While Congress has direct oversight of the CIA and its operations overseas, that oversight crumbles if some of that work, some of it apparently of the most sensitive nature, is handed over to people who essentially are guns for hire.

The CIA yesterday denied that any line had been crossed in its use of the firm. "This agency, like many others, uses contractors in roles that complement and enhance the skills of our own workforce, just as American law permits," a spokesman, George Little, said in response to the article. However, the current CIA director, Leon Panetta, ordered a review of the agency's relationship with the company in July.

Blackwater has been an embarrassment ever since they became involved with the U.S. government starting with their involvement in Iraq with such incidents as the 4 Blackwater employees killed in Faluja, the murder of an Iraqi security guard who worked for one of the ministries in the Green Zone or the 17 people gunned by a Blackwater convoy in September of 2006. The C.I.A has denied any further Blackwater involvement in its operations yet reporting by Jeremy Scahill of the Nation has shed further light on just how involved Blackwater really is in America's War On Terror.
Blackwater (Xe Services) is nothing more than a mercenary army used by the U.S. the government for operations that are possibly legal violations but these contracts continue much to the detriment of America.

Sarah Palin Doesn't Like Asian's and Pacific Islanders Much

Sarah Palin America's Hockey mom who claims to speak for "the people"
has a small problem to along with her small mind. She felt uncomfortable living amongst the Asian and Pacific Islander population whilst attending university in Hawaii. You know Hawaii that America state which is 5,000km from the mainland of the United States in the middle of the Pacific ocean. So imagine poor racist Sarah's surprise when she discovered that this Pacific Island was populated with people from other Pacific Islands and Asia oh the horror of it all. Suddenly Sarah the racist is in the minority oh the horror. What's the spawn of Richard Nixon to do? Leave immediately after all Sarah the racist shouldn't have to face the reality minorities in the United States face everyday because she might actually learn something not only about other people and their culture.

Oh The Horror Of It All

Afhgan Pakistan War

Last Tuesday President Obama laid for the the American public and the world his policy concerning America's future and continuing involvement in Afghanistan with the main component being an infusion of an additional 30,000 combat troops in what was described as an effort to help stabilize the cities and regain control over Afghanistan's southeast the area of the country which borders Pakistan. Large numbers on Americas left have sighted parallels to Vietnam and Lyndon Johnson's escalation in that countries war in 1965. Perhaps there are some comparisons but not the ones you may think even though they are there for all to see.

Last August a Presidential election was held in Afghanistan in less than 24 hours Harmid Karzai was declared the winner by a landslide within days of this declaration evidence began surfacing that suggested the out of the "election" had been fixed through among other things ballot box stuffing and the old vote early vote often method for winning elections you are about to lose. Peter Galbraith the U.S representative for the UN blew the whistle and was fired. Karzai's government is corrupt, powerless and completely incompetent and is seen as illegitimate my the Afghan people. President Karzai's brother is suspected of being a major player in poppy production in that country.
Vietnam's government: That being the South Vietnam was just as corrupt and incompetent and was given just as much support even though they were following the same path as that being taken in Afghanistan. Payoff's, bribery, nepotism and election fraud are just some of the obvious comparisons.

Americas reason or purpose for its actions in Afghanistan is its War on Terror. Which is meant to root out terrorist organizations which pose a threat to America. Here's a question how does one fight against an idea or beliefs which are set in religious extremism and fed by hate of another set of ideas as represented by America and its allies.

Vietnam and Americas war there was the result of another set of ideas or in this case a theory. The Domino Theory set out the principles by which Western Dominatrices especially the United States which become involved in wars or conflicts that it was believed could lead to the Soviet domination of a region or the world.

Even though America isn't "officially" conducting operations in Pakistan one can draw a line between what is happening there and Nixon's Secret War in Cambodia which was exposed with the publication of the Pentagon Papers by the New York Times which revealed that American forces had made incursions into Cambodia and Laos even though neither country was involved in the conflict along with the revelation that the U.S. Air Force had been secretly bombing North Vietnam.

Jeremy Scahill of the Nation recently published an article which shows those secret wars haven't gone out of fashion. In the article Scahill provides information showing Blackwater (Xe services) continued presence in helping America fight its War on Terror.

At a covert forward operating base run by the US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, members of an elite division of Blackwater are at the center of a secret program in which they plan targeted assassinations of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, "snatch and grabs" of high-value targets and other sensitive action inside and outside Pakistan, an investigation by The Nation has found. The Blackwater operatives also assist in gathering intelligence and help direct a secret US military drone bombing campaign that runs parallel to the well-documented CIA predator strikes, according to a well-placed source within the US military intelligence apparatus.
The source, who has worked on covert US military programs for years, including in Afghanistan and Pakistan, has direct knowledge of Blackwater's involvement. He spoke to The Nation on condition of anonymity because the program is classified. The source said that the program is so "compartmentalized" that senior figures within the Obama administration and the US military chain of command may not be aware of its existence.

Vietnam can be and should be used as a means or base for discussion concerning Americas actions and presence in Afghanistan as there are many obvious parallels. But, there are no obvious answers as to how to resolve the current situation when the only policy seems to be the military one.

Some Observations

Watching the news in Japan is like viewing the world through a very narrow tunnel or perhaps in a locked room with the lights turned out. If one didn't know any better you might think that Japan was only country on the planet. even though news happens throughout Asia and the world Japanese news programs just ignore it. After all what's more important having an informed populace about the world or hours of news about an actress found with 0.08 grams of drugs. The drugs of course.

Korea is a place where it seems its confidence is easily unnerved. Example the Dokdo islands just off the Korean coast. Korea controls these islands and has controlled since the end of World War II. Yet the countries nerves become jangled when ever some bone headed local politician in Japan claims those islands belong to Japan. Remember Korea controls the islands.

When does something belong to you when it really belonged to someone else. Take Tibet heres a place where the people have developed a completely different culture, society and language but somehow it belongs to China. Or Taiwan which again has an indigenous population with its own language and culture but China claims Taiwan is apart of CHina. How one justifies these claims takes a lot of pretzel making.

The LDP Acting Like Spoiled Children

Funny thing about elections people tend to vote in them and not always in the way one would like. On 30 August of this year Japan held its first general election in four years. After more than five decades in power the Liberal Democratic Party lost in a huge landslide victory for the Democratic Party of Japan.
It was an historic event as this would be the first time a true opposition party would take power in Japan with a clear majority in the Diet. Elections as Americans say have consequences one day your party controls government and the next day it does not that's how politics works.

For the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan losing its grip on power has been a burden they are unable to deal with or comprehend. Instead of acting like an opposition party which they now are they have acted like spoiled children who have decided to take their ball and go home. Yet their failures fall squarely on their shoulders. Japan Post Privatization: Which has led to nothing but problems from the closing of post offices in rural areas to their attempt to sell holdings at less than market value in an attempt to enrich directors and the companies they were doing business with. Passing of the Temporary Worker Dispatch law: Which allowed Japanese corporations to hire thousands of workers on short term contracts thus avoiding having to give them all the benefits that would be afforded those with full time status along with making it quite easy to fire them. Which happened after the financial crisis last year leaving literally hundreds of thousands out of a job. National Pension Plan: Because of poor or shoddy record keeping 300.00 people in Japan had no actual records of their having paid into the system because they were either lost, erased or thrown away. Those are just some of their recent failures.
Yet, these fools can't understand why they are no longer in power and no one will listen to them.

Given 5 decades of chances the Japanese voter finally threw the bums out just what they deserved. So now they are boycotting the current Diet session. Please don't stop the country can't handle any more of your stupidity or disastrous decision and policy making.

Economic Reform North Korean Style: Kill It

When the Soviet Union and the East Bloc collapsed North Korea would have followed if not for the intervention of China. That was the precursor to the famine which is estimate to have killed at least 1 million North Korean citizens. If not for intervention from the UN's World Food Program and charities such as Oxfam many more would've perished. Then Kim Dae-jung was elected President of South Korea and who through his Sunshine policy managed some rapprochement with the North including the building of tourist resort, allowing separated families to hold reunions and the building of the Kaesong industrial complex located a short distance inside North Korea. Kim Jong-il even allowed for some private enterprise to exist. Yet on Monday that was all brought to halt when the North Korean government decided to devalue won by removing a couple of zero's which made the currency worthless on top of which they gave the people one week to exchange their old currency. Given how poor North Koreans already were before Monday's announcement one might ask why you would then want to make them even poorer. Because then government seems to be afraid of several things: A growing income gap, the existence of private as well as Black Markets and of course control of the population.
The reaction of the populace was quite surprising in that they actually held protests against the changes.

North Korea once agian shows just how far a small group of elites is willing to go just to retain their power no matter the cost.

Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia

Anwar Ibrahim once Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia seemed to be on the political fast track. A protege of former Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad he seemed all but assured to be Mahathir's successor once he stepped a side. 1998 would prove to be a pivotal year for both men with Ibrahim attempting remove himself from the shadow of Mahathir bin Mohamad and his ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO). Ibrahim wanted to rid the UMNO of cronyism and nepotism through its Youth Wing by waging a national campaign against these practices. Mahathir retaliated by publishing lists of those who benefited from these practices among listed were his father Datuk Ibrahim Abdul Rahman and his brothers, Farizan and Marzukh all of them hold large numbers of shares from national and international corporations based in Malaysia. Though the published clearly showed his family benefited the rampant cronyism within the UMNO Ibrahim continued his assault Mahathir's administration accusing it of being corrupt while advocating for a more transparent and open government.

Malaysia like several other "so called" democracies in Asia (Singapore, Uzbekistan, Cambodia and until recently Japan) is a one party state which uses the countries courts to suppress dissent. One always needs "proof" for any allegations to become charges filed against the accused.

At the UMNO General Assembly, a book, 50 Dalil Kenapa Anwar Tidak Boleh Jadi PM ("50 Reasons Why Anwar Cannot Become Prime Minister") was circulated containing graphic allegations as well as accusations of corruption against Anwar. This book carried the byline Khalid Jafri, an ex-editor of the government-controlled newspaper Utusan Malaysia and former editor-in-chief of a failed magazine, Harian National.

Even though Anwar Ibrahim was able to get a court injunction against any further publication of the book and would eventually be awarded civil damages in the the millions it didn't stop the government from laying charges of sodomy and corruption against Ibrahim. His first court appearance would lead to large protests

On September 29, 1998 Anwar appeared in court and pleaded innocent to charges of corruption and sodomy. A photo of Anwar with a black eye (which he incurred from a beating by then Inspector General of Police Rahim Noor) and one hand raised became a symbol of the political opposition in many reformasi posters.

Convicted on both counts on April 14, 1999 he was given a six year prison term for corruption and a nine year sentence for sodomy which were to be served concurrently. He was released from prison in 2004 after the High Court voted 2-1 overturning the sodomy conviction even though they didn't seem to believe in their ruling. "We find evidence to confirm that the appellants were involved in homosexual activities and we are more inclined to believe that the alleged incident at Tivoli Villa did happen."

Anwar Ibrahim made a political come-back in March of 2008 when as the head of three party coalition managed not only to win seat in Parliament for himself but his coalition took 1/3 of the seats giving the ruling UMNO its worst showing since coming to power 5 decades ago. The government has continued to pursue charges of sodomy against Ibrahim which were filed once again in 2008.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — A Malaysian court Tuesday rejected Anwar Ibrahim's bid to stop his sodomy trial from going forward, dealing another blow to the opposition leader's fluctuating fortunes since he achieved spectacular election results last year.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court denied Anwar's application to have the case thrown out before it is heard in court, and set the trial date for Jan. 25. Anwar's lawyer Sankara Nair said he will appeal the decision in the Appeal Court.

"I didn't expect anything different," Anwar, 62, told reporters after the ruling by Justice Mohamad Zabidin Diah.

"The manner in which the case is proceeding seems worrying. I think we are in for a tough battle but we have compelling arguments. We have facts.