A WORLD VIEW
( GLOBALISATION , THE US , MIDDLE EAST , IRELAND ETC . )
See also : MIDDLE EAST
Last update : Thursday, 25 January 2007
( Note : This page was written in September , 2003 . )
This page attempts to show what is happening ( in our " big picture " view ) , in the world .
The contents of this page are not from secret sources , They are available if you seek them out but who has the time or interest ?
The past centaury saw two World Wars , the ATLANTIC CHARTER , formation of the United Nations and the Cold War .
The outcome of all of these events ultimately rested on the manufacturing capacity and economic strength of the US . The US predominance today is a fact of life , not by force of arms , so much , as through pre-eminence in technology and the media . Any event of world significance must be seen in a context of US opinion . This is not to say that the US can control individual outcomes , they can not .
What is needed is a change in policy to support democratically elected governments and not dictatorships which appear to be friendly towards the West . The strategic need to contain Communism etc is gone . This policy has had many recent tragic results .
The US has it's interests just as the rest of the world has theirs . No one can go it alone . The fact that the US , Australia and Canada have been condemned on their present approach to GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS is an example of how global pressure may be brought on individual states on specific issues .
THE MIDDLE EAST
Since the end of the First World War this part of the world was important for one reason , oil . The Western Desert Campaign in World War II and the Gulf War were all about oil .
Any proposed attack upon Iraq is about oil . Until the West lessens it's dependence on oil the situation will remain as it is .
We have had 10 years to change this situation both for environmental and political reasons and little has been done . What has happened to the development of alternative energy sources ( solar , wind , tidal , fuel cells , LPG etc ) ?
Now there is an administration in Washington which is publicly beholding to the energy lobby . The present Australian government is little better in this respect .
PALESTINE
The present situation in Palestine grew out of a compromise made after the Second World War in the United Nations . A Jewish state was superimposed upon a Palestinian area . The Jewish claim to some of these areas goes back several thousand years , but so does the Palestinian .
The 1947 solution may still work today , if the two sides are separated by a neutral force .
There can be no doubt that the current heightened tension is mostly due to present Israelii Government policy . This policy is short sighted , with no vision for the future .
The US must develop a uniform policy and be engaged in this peace process The final solution should be under the auspicious of the UN . To this end the supply of state of the art weapons systems to Israel must be curtailed and their nuclear capability dismantled . Additionally the 1947 borders should be returned to and all " settlers " removed from the presently occupied areas , unless the Clinton Proposals of late 2000 can be resurrected . ( We can not understand why the Palestinians did not agree to these Proposals , the Israeli position had significantly moved . ) For that matter we do not understand why the Palestinians have allowed the " Refugee " camps to exist for years longer than needed .
There is one overriding truth to this conflict and that is that BOTH STATES HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXIST . The sooner that this is recognised the better it is for the world .
There are no Arab Armies poised to swoop on Israel . Put bluntly , the Arab nations are politically and militarily , a disorganised rabble . In any event , Israel should be in no doubt that it will be immediately protected in the event of an Arab attack , there will be no more Holocausts . Israel must learn to treat others as it wishes for itself to be treated . At present it loses respect by the hour .
Since both sides have repeatedly shown their stupidity in learning to live at peace with each other , a peace keeping force will be required for some time to stabilise the situation and stop this carnage . This force must involve the US for reasons on several levels , including it's ability to deploy overwhelming force in the field . With goodwill , this force could be changed to a peace monitoring force after 12 months .
If we allow this to keep on as it is at present , September 11 , 2001 was only a taste of things to come . Now is the time for the UN , the US , Israel and the Palestinian Authorities to get their acts together .
We acknowledge that there are many world strategic interests in the region . But , quite frankly , we are sick of seeing innocents murdered and the daily use of heavy weapons systems , all for seemingly stupid pseudo political reasons .
Christians may be interested in the above picture , it is the religion's holiest site because of what occurred here 2002 years and 94 days ago . Today there are Palestinians and Christians inside and the Israeli Army outside .
At least this sorry occupation is finished .
( Mid September , 2002 )
This conflict is not being helped by US actions over Iraq and the support of
Israel
( which is now taking more Palestinian liberties away ) . A political settlement
is required , a military one will not work , only more hatred is generated . As
usual , Israel will only listen to the US ( which only seems to understand half
of the problem ) .
By now we hope that you may want to do something to stop this madness . We suggest sending an email or two . Tell them who you are , where you live and what you think of what is happening . Make the message title " Palestine " . Get your friends to do the same , use bulletin and message boards . If you get stuck for words , copy some of ours and paste them to your message or send them the whole page !
Some addresses :
ISRAEL
Israel
Mission to the European Union, Brussels -
EUBrussels@israel.org
Israel Mission to the United Nations, New York -
UN@israel.org
Israel Mission to the United Nations, Geneva -
Geneva@israel.org
( For local addresses - http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH010m0 )
PALESTINE
mission@palestine-un.org
( Many of these sites are down - http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=palestinian+authority
)
US
( http://www.whitehouse.gov )
Secretary@state.gov
( http://www.state.gov/ )
" The
Storms of Violence can not go on . "
.... Pres G W Bush
If so , why does he send his Secretary of State the long way to Israel in the full knowledge that the fighting should stop upon the Secretaries arrival ? Further why use words that lead to semantic arguments ?
Well , the Secretary has just arrived and so far we were wrong in suggesting that the fighting would stop upon his arrival . Many of history's great peacemakers have had military careers . May the next few days be fruitful , maybe the world will have a glimpse of why this man should have been in the Whitehouse .
Clearly there is a split in the US Administration and the coming mid term election rhetoric has thrown rational and long term thought out the window .
TO BE CONTINUED
US ACTIONS
US actions affecting the environment and free trade ( steel , timber and agriculture ) have the ability to damage world peace more than any of the recent series of terrorist actions .
In particular the so called Farm Bill will bring about dumping of subsidised products on world markets . Good if your a farmer in the US , not good if you are a farmer in Canada , Australia or Europe . It is a disaster for subsistence farmers in Africa , South America and Asia . These producers sell what surplus they may have in local markets , it is the only way they can raise cash . If these markets are swamped with subsidised products many of the farmers end up loosing their land in one or two seasons and move away , generally to the cities . This is a world trend and produces discontent with the local government and is the crucible for for terrorist organisations . These effects generally are irreversible and last long after the results of the US mid term elections are forgotten .
This policy is all the worse as it reverses the Clinton Administration policy of gradually reducing subsidies . In the long term this change of direction means that the US consumer pays more for farm products and the inevitable change is much more dramatic when the final crunch comes . Other countries have found ways of dealing with this problem without subsidies . Properties can grow a variety of crops , even trees and timber are viable , farm crayfish . Start an aero school or a farm school . Of course there is always the Dude Ranch !
Why not take a part of these subsides and do some research into rural diversification ( and fuel diversification while you are at it ) ?
"This is the worst president ever. He's the worst president in all of American history." ...... quote from Society of Professional Journalists gathering in Los Angeles re G. W. Bush
