US President Barack Obama shakes hands with Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong after their meeting in Washington on 7 July 2015. Obama is to visit Vietnam and Japan from 21 to 28 May, 2016 (Credit: Hanoi News, August 25, … [Read more...] about Southeast Asia Heats Up – Again!
Sol Sanders
Unseemly Behavior*
Left: "HE’S GOT THE MOVES: US President Barack Obama dances tango with a dancer during a state dinner in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. (AFP)" Arab News, March 25, 2016 For an Administration, which supposedly excels in its appreciation and manipulation … [Read more...] about Unseemly Behavior*
From the Head, But From the Heart?*
Credit: White House Pool / Reuters What was most striking about the President’s speech from the Oval Office – only his third in seven years – was that it “read” but did not “speak”. For despite his fame as an orator, the talk somehow lacked the … [Read more...] about From the Head, But From the Heart?*
Vive la France!
Left: Eiffel Tower goes dark, after Paris terrorist attacks, Nov. 13, 2015 There are perhaps three all engulfing observations to be made from the horrific events in France this past Friday evening as the Muslim day of prayer and rest ended: The … [Read more...] about Vive la France!
The incremental Road To Hell*
If there were one lesson from America’s tragic Vietnam encounter – and as some dead white man has said, all historical analogies are odious — it is that incremental approaches to war inevitably result in disaster. News reports suggest that Pres. … [Read more...] about The incremental Road To Hell*
Weekly Review, Oct 18-23, 2015
Taiwan's Democracy Needs U.S. Arms - Sol W. Sanders - If there was any doubt that Taiwan is the first democratic state in the long history of the Chinese, it came this week in the buildup to January presidential election. The current ruling … [Read more...] about Weekly Review, Oct 18-23, 2015
Martyrs unremarked*
Left: Syrian Christians are being murdered, kidnapped, driven out of their country, or displaced within Syria. (Photo/AFP) One of the many mysteries of the current political and media scene is the neglect which accompanies a growing worldwide … [Read more...] about Martyrs unremarked*
Weekly Review, September 7-11, 2015
Europe’s refugee crisis a warning to Israel - Norman A. Bailey - There are certain situations that do not lend themselves to any reasonable solution which will fulfill all the objectives of the actors in the drama. The tidal wave of political and … [Read more...] about Weekly Review, September 7-11, 2015
Russians facing up to a Syrian climax?
Left: Syria has reportedly received six MiG-31"Foxhound" interceptor aircraft from Russia, although there has so far been no official confirmation of this. Source: Russian Air Force With Pres. Obama’s self admission that the U.S. has no Syria … [Read more...] about Russians facing up to a Syrian climax?
Turkey’s Growing Instability*
Left: Credit: political cartoonist Latuff, for التقرير (Altagreer) Once NATO’s formidable eastern anchor, Turkey is increasingly becoming a major problem for Washington policymakers and a contributor to the Mideast chaos. The change is all the more … [Read more...] about Turkey’s Growing Instability*