Beijing Seeks Paradigm Shift in Geopolitics – The Jamestown Foundation

Posted by Matt in March 8th, 2010 | no comment

Published in China, beijing, Chinese Communist Party, Hardball, Jamestown, Jamestown Foundation, Leadership, National Interests, New Game, Paradigm Shift, Rules Of The Game, superpower

More importantly, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership is gunning for a paradigm shift in geopolitics, namely, new rules of the game whereby the fast-rising quasi-superpower will be playing a more forceful role. In particular, Beijing has served notice that it won’t be shy about playing hardball to safeguard what it claims to be “core [...]

Russia’s Military Doctrine: New Dangers Appear – The Jamestown Foundation

Posted by Matt in February 22nd, 2010 | no comment

Published in Russia, Aftermath, Chief Source, Conventional Conflict, Conventional Military Capabilities, Dmitry Medvedev, Gap, Jamestown, Jamestown Foundation, Leadership, Military Doctrine, NATO, Nuclear Weapons, Preemptive Nuclear Strike, Realistic Portrayal, Reliance, Russia, Russian Authors, Russian Federation, Russian Military

In the immediate aftermath of President Dmitry Medvedev signing the new Russian military doctrine most attention focused on the fact that a first preemptive nuclear strike was not mentioned in the document and on the attention given to NATO as the chief source of “danger” to the security of the Russian Federation. Comments by NATO’s [...]

Growing strength of China masks doubts about future | World news | The Observer

Posted by Matt in February 13th, 2010 | no comment

Published in general, China News, Doubts, Economy And Society, Economy China, Future World, Globe, Leadership, Many Fear, Masks, News Observer, Tiger, True Strength, World News, Year Of The Tiger

As Chinese around the globe celebrate the Year of the Tiger, many fear that the newly confident world power will try to thwart the west at every turn. But the leadership remains anxious about the true strength of its economy and society
Growing strength of China masks doubts about future | World news | The Observer

War Games Explore Military Options for Iran

Posted by Matt in February 7th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Iran, War, Confrontations, Hardline, Iran, Iranian Nuclear Threat, Leadership, Military Options, Nuclear Issue, Nuclear Weapons Issue, Prospects, Regime, Serious Games, tanks, Vengeance, War Games

What if Iran’s hardline leadership emerges from the current confrontations at home strengthened and emboldened? If so, the nuclear issue will be back with a vengeance. And three recent war games focused on the Iranian nuclear weapons issue suggest that the prospects for halting the regime’s progress toward nuclear weapons are not good.
The games — [...]

Russian Protests Grow as Economic Hardships Persist – The Jamestown Foundation

Posted by Matt in February 4th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Russia, Decline, Economic Crisis, Economic Downturn, Economic Hardships, Gdp, inflation, Jamestown, Jamestown Foundation, Leadership, Political Discontent, Populace, Prime Minister, Propaganda, prosperity, Protests, Recession, Russia, Stagflation, Stagnation, Vladimir Putin

The economic downturn in Russia seems to have transmuted into growing political discontent within the populace and the governing structures. Since last summer, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been proclaiming publicly that “the worst of the recession is over and growth is resuming” (Interfax, June 9). The populace believed the vocal state-run propaganda, hoping that [...]

Obama aide says Iran may lash out at Israel – washingtonpost.com

Posted by Matt in January 29th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Iran, Israel, International Sanctions, Iran, Israel, Leadership, Presidential Election, Street Protests, Washingtonpost

Jones also alluded to the prospect of additional international sanctions being applied to Iran as one factor in making Iran feel greater pressure. He said another factor is internal pressure – an apparent reference to street protests against the Iranian leadership over the disputed presidential election last summer.
Obama aide says Iran may lash out [...]

The Secret Nuclear Dossier: Intelligence from Tehran Elevates Concern in the West

Posted by Matt in January 25th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Iran, Nuclear, Bomb, Daneshjoo, Defense Ministry, Intelligence, Iran Nuclear, Leadership, Military Branch, Nuclear Program, Nuclear Research, Secret Tests, Secret Weapons, Spiegel, Suspicous, Technology, tehran

The West has long been suspicous of Iran’s nuclear program. SPIEGEL has obtained new documents on secret tests and leadership structures that call into question Tehran’s claims to be exclusively interested in the peaceful use of the technology.
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According to the classified document, there is a secret military branch of Iran’s nuclear research program that answers [...]

The West has ‘lost’ Iran and Turkey, with an assist from Russia and to China’s benefit

Posted by Matt in December 7th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Iran, Turkey, Benefit, China, Clerical Power, Confidence, Energy Network, Extent, Fact That Iran, Factions, Isolation, Leadership, LOST, moscow, Nuclear Power, Nuclear Weapons, Russia, Turkey, Weapons Programs, Western Intervention

The fact that the West has “lost” Turkey and Iran (and the fact that Iran is now working closely with Turkey on a range of issues, but motivated mutually by the energy network controlled by Moscow) to some extent empowers the Iranian clerical leadership, but this may be insufficient to paper over the differences between [...]

Taking a deep breath and looking at Iran geostrategically

Posted by Matt in November 23rd, 2009 | no comment

Published in Iran, Catapult, Clerical Regime, Deep Breath, Iran Nuclear, Islamic Republic, Leadership, Negotiations, Nuclear War, Pressure Proof, sanctions, Theocratic

A nuclear Iran under the leadership of a Jihadist theocratic regime will bring more harm than good to Iran, it will catapult the entire region to war and may even cause a nuclear war. The Islamic Republic is not going to be rational and will not change its course of action under pressure of international [...]

The Coming Crisis in China – MoneyShow.com

Posted by Matt in November 3rd, 2009 | no comment

Published in China, Favorites, 60th Anniversary, Anniversary Party, China Economy, China S Economy, Communist Party Rule, Dignitaries, Face, Leadership, Moneyshow, Overcapacity, Sharp, Slowdown, Train Wreck

China’s economy may face big problems as overcapacity and overheated bank lending result in a sharp slowdown.
As China’s leadership celebrates the 60th anniversary of Communist party rule, I wonder how many party dignitaries realize the potential economic train wreck coming at them.
The Coming Crisis in China – MoneyShow.com