Polish Missile Joke Revisited

This Polish missile-defense system walks into a bar at noon and says, "Give me six shots of vodka." "How can you afford to get drunk in the middle of a business day?" the bartender asks. "Easy," the Polish missile-defense system replies. "I don’t work." There’s a good reason nobody ever accused John McCain of being … Continue reading “Polish Missile Joke Revisited”

UN’s Big Powers World’s Top Military Spenders

UNITED NATIONS – The world’s biggest military spenders last year were countries that were either permanent members of the Security Council or aspiring to hold that privileged rank, according to the latest figures released Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The United States, China, France, Britain, and Russia – all veto-wielding members … Continue reading “UN’s Big Powers World’s Top Military Spenders”

The West’s Reckless Approach to Russia

The failure last week of Russian talks with the European Union on energy supplies to Europe is one more occasion for Russian-Western tension. This has sent the Europeans off to look for other energy sources. The Russians have in past winters turned the gas off when it suited them, and the Europeans would like more … Continue reading “The West’s Reckless Approach to Russia”

Drive for Sanctions Likely in Wake of North Korean Test

Sunday’s underground nuclear test by North Korea drew strong condemnation Monday from U.S. President Barack Obama, who suggested that Washington will seek strong international sanctions by the UN Security Council and possibly impose tough unilateral measures of its own. According to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) in Vienna, the blast slightly exceeded … Continue reading “Drive for Sanctions Likely in Wake of North Korean Test”

Pipelineistan Goes Af-Pak

Back in March, Pepe Escobar, that itchy, edgy global reporter for one of my favorite online publications, Asia Times, began laying out the great, ongoing energy struggle across Eurasia, or what he likes to call Pipelineistan for its web of oil and natural gas pipelines. In his first report, he dealt with the embattled energy … Continue reading “Pipelineistan Goes Af-Pak”

How Bush Pushed North Korea to Nukes

Back in October of 2007, after two years of negotiations, China, Russia, Japan, the two Koreas and the United States reached agreement on "Second-Phase Actions" for the Implementation of the Six-Party Joint Agreement of September 15, 2005. The neo-crazies (and human-rights activist fellow-travelers) opposed those negotiations from the git-go and they’re still at, vowing to … Continue reading “How Bush Pushed North Korea to Nukes”