Archive for February 12th, 2005

3 results.
Feb12

Why I Love Ishihara

by tdaxp on February 12, 2005 at 12:00 am
Posted In: japan

“The Pyongyang Puzzle,” by S.T. Karnick, National Review, http://nationalreview.com/karnick/karnick200502110941.asp, 11 February 2005.

Shintaro Ishihara is my kind of Japanese politician

Their action of yesterday fails to accomplish either of those things, and it isolates North Korea further from other nations. In particular, it is sure to infuriate the United States and Japan, two of the three major powers in the region. After hearing the statement by the North Korean foreign ministry, the governor of Tokyo scoffed and openly dared Pyongyang to fire a missile at Japan.

Considering NKZ‘s and OFK‘s documentation of the DPRK autogenocide, S.T. Karnick is not my kind of pundit

The U.S. must simultaneously assure Pyongyang that we have no intention whatever of bringing down their government but that if North Korea does not suspend development of nuclear weapons we will indeed bring down their government. Squaring that circle is the first great test for President Bush’s second term and Rice’s tenure as secretary of state. If there is an answer short of eventual war, it is by no means clear at this point what it could be.

I would rather Kill Kim and eliminate the threat of nuclear war in Greater East Asia.

And win the Korean War. Finally.

└ Tags: ,
1 Comment
Feb12

Isolated Korea

by tdaxp on February 12, 2005 at 12:00 am
Posted In: Korea

“Chinese News Media Critical of North Korea,” by Keith Bradsher and James Brooke, New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/13/international/asia/13korea.html, 13 February 2005.

State Chinese news sources and censored electronic bulletin boards are critical of North Korea — often stridently so

State-controlled media and censored Internet chat rooms in China have become uncommonly critical of North Korea in the two days since it declared that it had nuclear weapons, even as the Foreign Ministry here has said fairly little.

The criticism by state-run media is important because the Chinese government has tended to take a protective position, at least in public, toward North Korea, its neighbor and sometime ally. China also has more influence with North Korea than any other country does, providing it with much of its fuel, food and other supplies – although even Chinese influence has proved limited at times.

Bush administration officials have made little secret of their hope of recruiting China’s help to put pressure on North Korea. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will speak by phone with Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing of China in the next few days about North Korea, the State Department said on Friday.

Tom Barnett points out that surprisingly low-level U.S. delegates are in China now

National television news on state-run CCTV gave heavy coverage on Saturday to international condemnation of North Korea and demands that it return to regional talks about its nuclear program. Little effort was made to explain North Korea’s position – that it needs a nuclear deterrent to prevent the United States from attacking someday.

“Usually the CCTV reports will be more balanced, or even take a more preferential stand” in favor of North Korea, said Jin Canrong, the associate dean of the School of International Studies at People’s University.

Electronic boards are even more strident…

The postings did not question that some countries might need nuclear weapons – China has them – but suggested that North Korea should not be a nuclear power.

“A kitchen knife is used to cut food, but it can’t be held by children and crazy people,” one posting said. “This is why North Korea can’t be allowed to hold nuclear weapons.”

Let’s hope the Chinese kill Kim.

└ Tags:
 Comment 
Feb12

Comrade Cobuyitaphobe

by tdaxp on February 12, 2005 at 12:00 am
Posted In: Blogosphere, Cobuyitaphobia

“Fortune and Fun,” by Stuart Berman, My Kids’ Dad, http://bermans.blogs.com/opinion/2005/02/fortune_and_fun.html, 3 February 2005.

“Happiness,” by Stuart Berman, My Kids’ Dad, http://bermans.blogs.com/opinion/2005/02/happiness.html, 10 February 2005.

Stuart over at My Kids’ Dad proves himself a fellow cobuyitaphobist, at least when it comes to HP

Great article on HP and Carly Fiorina – they don’t cut her any slack and they shouldn’t. Basically they demonstrate that the HP Compaq merger has been a complete failure and that the shareholders have suffered at the expense of management. The reaction at the top has been to pass the buck, not take responsibility and make excuses (as well as some requisite sacrificial lambs). How many companies are being led by people who really don’t know how to lead?

His reaction to Fiorina’s dismissal is exactly what it should be: self-effacing and insightful

Ooops – I guess my earlier blog about HP was a little premature. Lack of accountability finally caught up with Carly Fiorina.

What my friend Brendan calls “cobuyitaphobia” — fear of merging for the sake of merging — is a practical ideology, at least in the I.T. industry. Hopefully Fiorina’s reign will be its last gasp at HP.

1 Comment