Superpower rivalry, Sino-Indian style | Kapil Komireddi | guardian.co.uk

Posted by Matt in October 25th, 2009 | no comment

Published in China, India, Aggressive Stance, Asian Development Bank, Bank Loan, beijing, Broadside Against, China Claims, Communist Party, Guardian Co Uk, Guardian Uk, Imagination, India, Indian Style, Mouthpiece, Neighbour, Peace, rivalry, State Of Arunachal Pradesh, superpower, Triumph, Unprecedented Attempt

China’s aggressive stance is set to leave a deep mark on the century. India must stand firm against its expansionist neighbour
The idea of China’s “peaceful rise” has always represented the triumph of imagination over reality. But over the last several months, Beijing has done enough to shatter every hope of peace in Asia. It began [...]

The Next Chinese Revolution

Posted by Matt in October 5th, 2009 | no comment

Published in China, 60th Anniversary, Chinese Revolution, Communist Party, Economic Growth, Economic Inequality, Far Eastern Economic Review, Job Losses, Military Parades, Political Upheaval, Republic Of China, Slowdown, Speeches, Troubled Economy, Verge

Posted October 1, 2009
Today marks the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. There will be massive military parades and many speeches by the leaders of the Communist Party. But no one will mention the very real possibility of political upheaval in the near future, or the economic inequality, job losses and slowdown in [...]

Latvia to abandon Soviet-era nuclear bomb shelters

Posted by Matt in June 5th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Nuclear, Shelters, Begging For Help, China, Communist Party, Disrepair, Era, International Monetary Fund, Labyrinth, Latvia, Missiles, Nuclear Attack, Nuclear Bomb Shelters, Party Bosses, Population, Public Servants, Russia, Sneak Attack, Soviet Union, Surprise Attack, Underground Bomb Shelters, Waste Of Time, Western Countries

Latvia figured out that these shelters were pointless. They will only accommodate 5 percent of Latvia’s population, so why bother?
Why is it that Western countries never built that many nuclear bomb shelters, and the few they did build have fallen into disrepair?
Why is it that both Russia and China are focusing on building underground bomb [...]

Pakistan exchanged Nuclear technology for North Korean long range missiles: US

Posted by Matt in June 2nd, 2009 | no comment

Published in Koreas, Missiles, Nuclear, Pakistan, centrifuges, Communist Party, Congressional Report, Heu, Hwang Jang Yop, Jang, Lawmakers, Missile Technology, North-Korea, Nuclear Scientist, Nuclear Technology, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Party Secretary, Range Missile, Range Missiles, Uranium Enrichment

North Korea received designs for uranium enrichment centrifuges from Pakistan’s disgraced nuclear scientist A Q Khan in return for its long-range missiles, a Congressional report has told US lawmakers.
“Hwang Jang-yop, a Communist Party secretary who defected in 1997, has stated that North Korea and Pakistan agreed in the summer of 1996 to trade North Korean [...]

Civil unrest in Russia mounts

Posted by Matt in April 14th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Russia, Activists, Civil Unrest, Communist Party, Discontent, Dozens, Economic Decline, Leadership, moscow, Observers, Political Demonstrations, Prime Minister, Protest, Russia, Security Fears, Social Unrest, Spite, Vladimir Putin, Vladivostok

In spite of security fears, activists try to capitalize on discontent caused by economic decline.
Dozens of demonstrations were held across Russia this weekend, attracting about 2,000 people in the far eastern city of Vladivostok and about the same number in Moscow, where a Communist Party protest had the largest showing.
The numbers are small, but in [...]

Obama Is Dead Wrong on Nuclear Weapons

Posted by Matt in April 11th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Nuclear, U.S., Bleak Outlook, China Economic Times, Communist Party, Das Boot, Deep Freeze, Economic Slowdown, Former President, Global Financial Crisis, Mainstream Media, Medvedev, Nuclear Arms Reduction, Nuclear Weapons, Redistribution Of Wealth, Regimes, Robbery, Scapegoat, Serious Trouble, Social Stability, Social Turmoil, Social Unrest, World Today

Both Russia and China have serious internal problems due to demographics and the global financial crisis. If the global financial crisis doesn’t end in the next year or two then their respective regimes could be in serious trouble.
With Russia’s Economy in a Deep Freeze, Is Medvedev Gearing Up to Give Putin Das Boot?
The rising level [...]

Russian Orthodox church a growing political force

Posted by Matt in April 5th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Russia, Atheist, Clerics, Commercial Success, Communist Government, Communist Party, Creeds, Criminals, Decade, Defrocking, Former Soviet Union, Keston Institute, Lepers, Mikhail Gorbachev, Moscow Patriarchate, Nemesis, Politburo, Russian Orthodox Church, Soviet Leader, Spiritual Authority, Tens Of Thousands

These events would have been unimaginable in the Soviet era, when the officially atheist Communist government treated the devout like moral lepers and criminals, defrocking and imprisoning tens of thousands of clerics of all creeds. Now the church “has become a serious power in society,” former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev told The Associated Press in [...]

Will China’s Communist Party Survive the Crisis?

Posted by Matt in March 18th, 2009 | no comment

Published in China, Administrative Expenses, Asset Investments, Ccp, Communist Party, Communist Party Survival, Constituencies, Domestic Interests, Economic Growth, Economic Hardship, Elites, Factories, Financial Resources, Glue, Government Budget, Patronage System, Political Advantage, Political Entrepreneurs, Rivals, Social Discontent, Social Unrest, Upper Ranks, Warehouses

So far, the real glue that has held the CCP together is a vast patronage system that has been underwritten by a long period of economic growth. The regime has used its financial resources to balance domestic interests, satisfy different constituencies, and purchase the contingent support of China’s social elites. But this patronage system is [...]

China – It’s economy falling apart. Will the government soon follow?

Posted by Matt in March 1st, 2009 | no comment

Published in China, Economy, China, China Economy, Communist Party, Dries, Economic Success, Economy, Financial Crisis, Financial Meltdown, Global Financial Crisis, Insider, Money, Populists, Tiananmen

A financial meltdown in China promises to test the Communist Party’s power in ways not seen since Tiananmen. But theirs is a house divided, as princelings take on populists and Pekinologists try to make sense of it all. Will this team built for economic success implode once the money dries up? An insider’s guide to [...]