1. The NY Post ran an interesting book review, leaving us with some intriguing thoughts (about the book and its subject matter). You can read it here.
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2. The President is soon to visit Vietnam. And to show how pleased the Vietnamese government is with it, they release a jailed dissident. Not complaining mind you, but I wonder how many visits it's going to take to get the rest out. I also wonder, how do those that served in Vietnam feel about doing business with them?
I know it's been over thirty years since the pull-out, but old scars run deep sometimes, and understandably so.
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3. Well, as of this writing, Paris Hilton is still in jail. There has been no funny business like the stunt that was pulled just a little over four calendar days, after the fact. But I guess she's not doing so well.
"Being in jail is by far the hardest thing I have ever done," Hilton, 26, said in a written statement issued by her attorney, Richard Hutton.
Doing nothing but passing the time away in a boring cell is hard? Try doing it in a terrorist cell's dungeon, not knowing if the next time the guards come in you may lose your head. That would seem little bit harder, to me. Maybe if someone close to her could point that out to her, she could gain some better insight and perspective.
Nah, forget I said anything. (It ain't gonna happen.)
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4. Foreign policy officials and pundits had better start thinking about this next story now. It's not a matter of if any more, but when? Either we let them have it or we don't. If we don't, fine, then there had better be a plan in place. If we do, there's no need to waste any time, saying we don't and just going through the motions with lip service so everyone can feel good about themselves.
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5. A new era in French politics may be emerging, as the Sarkozy camp is expected to do very well today in parliamentary elections. Don't look for too much though. Too much embracing of the U.S. too quick will throw things into disequilibrium, way too fast for the system to catch up with it. It's just nice knowing that although there will always be fundamental differences between the two nations, there won't be a slithering snake in the Champ-Elysees trying to undermine everything the U.S, tries or wants to do. No more mixed messages from Paris.
Well, that's all I have time for right now, folks. Count this as the Monday morning post, as I am just too damned tired to think of anything else to write.
8 comments:
On Taiwan, if I were President, I'd say quite bluntly that Taiwan is independent and China should just learn to deal with it. And if they can't deal, then they can find a new trading partner.
I think we have a tendency to overestimate our military capabilities, while underestimating our commercial power. The Chinese are too addicted to their new economy to waste it over an island that has been de facto independent for a couple of generations now.
Is it safe to say the conservative shift in France is a de facto endorsement of Bush's policies regards the GWoT (despite the fact we're told that French conservatives would be called liberals in America)?
When added to Germany and Canada it certainly seems like a trend.
Tell me about some Hollywood brat being in jail for a couple of weeks
The below story is sickening and shows how long we also have to go in America as per justice and forgiveness
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/11/teen.sex.case/index.html
Regarding Rocket's CNN story...
That the change in GA law was not retroactive is simply unconscionable. Is that a case of law makers and enforcers taking their work (rather themselves) too seriously? Or what?
AC,
//When added to Germany and Canada it certainly seems like a trend.//
It certainly looks that way from where I sit too. Politics have always been and always will be, cyclical. The pendulum is swinging back to the right in Europe, somewhat.
BTW, in my opinion, the pendulum in France right now would be parked to the left of Giuliani on social issues, and maybe right where Rudy is on fiscal issues. Not altogether sure about that, but that would be my best guess until someone with more insight to French politics could shed more light on the subject.
Greg,
/I think we have a tendency to overestimate our military capabilities, while underestimating our commercial power.The Chinese are too addicted to their new economy to waste it over an island that has been de facto independent for a couple of generations now.//
Sounds good, but who in the government or in the business world has the guts to make good on the threat of standing them down economically? They hold the notes to a few loans of ours. Some prominent California officials have a lot of money invested in China. They are not going to be willing to lose the millions and possibly billions, it would be required, to mount such an effort.
No, I hear you. It's a good idea. But, it's not likely to happen.
Anonim and Rocket,
I am somewhat familiar (but not overly so) with this case. And I put this with the Duke case, and the jerk judge (Roy Pearson) from DC that continues to bring countless frivolous legal actions against a Korean dry cleaner to put them out of business.
This stinks of some kind of vindictiveness that I cannot truly understand.
On a somewhat related issue...
About that judge who is sueing the dry cleaner for $50+ millions over his pants... Apparently he had to take a break during his court testimony because he was crying. Isn't that touching?
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