A European Military

Well, not exactly. But it's close. It seems that Britain and France will be sharing aircraft carriers if all goes according to a plan currently being drafted by Cameron and Sarkozy. The details must be fascinating as I'm not entirely sure how such a plan would work out. I think that it must presume peace for the foreseeable future and that the only reason either power even needs carriers is for peacetime power projection and to not look like a couple of dunces next to the other world powers. It's a gamble and I'mnot entirely certain how it's going to work out.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3118476/UK-and-France-tobr-share-aircraft-carriers.html

Lessons from China's economic ascendecy

I thought this article really summed up the important facts regarding China's overtaking of Japan as the world's number 2 economy. A number of lessons are going to be learned from China's rise, and even more mis-lessons are going to be taken from it as well. The most important mis-lesson is: Authoritarianism works.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/29/AR2010082902898.html

More on Venezuela

Iconic Photos has the banned image of Venezuela's Morgue. Read and see it here.

Venezuela more deadly than Iraq or Mexico

Well, according to this article it is. The interesting difference between the two are that in Iraq and Mexico, the murder rates are accompanied by political instability whereas in Venezuela, the government has a much tighter control over its opposition.

Read about it here.

The Taiwan-China issue

Is the Taiwan-China dispute heating up? Recent releases from the US military have stated a growing concern for China's military endeavors and concerns over the sovereignty of Taiwan is growing. This short article on what the USA needs to do if it is to avoid conflict with China over Taiwan and I whole-hearted agree. The primary problem is American ambiguity over the status of Taiwan and by not committing to its sovereignty the USA is inviting China to take a chance to regain its lost province.

5 barriers to a Russian-Western partnership

I thought this was an interesting read coming out of the Moscow Times. Essentially it works though the main barriers between Russian and western cooperation, highlighting a number of items which this blog has covered. Such as, the NATO expansion in eastern Europe and attempts by the USA to dominate the former states of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan or Georgia for example.

Read the article here.

Arms Sales and Peace in the Middle East

This article caught my attention over at RealClearWorld.com.

To sum it up, it details the pending sale of arms to Saudi Arabia as part of a new US policy to build up regional alliances to counter an Iranian threat. It also makes mention of the initial Israeli hostility to such a sale, fearing that the US weapons could be used against Israel, rather than Iran. However, Israel has backed down its opposition in the face of a new Iranian threat, which it apparently deems far greater.

So it has occurred to me that the latest US solution to the middle eastern problem is to create a common enemy and a sort of little entente in the middle east to counter what it regards as a threat to its interests abroad.

However things aren't so pleasant in the middle east for such a 'little entente' to work out so smoothly. Recently, US-Turkish relations are souring over issues like the recent flotilla incident and the recurring Armenian Genocide bill. And in Iraq, the situation is threatening to prevent US withdrawal, after all, does the United States truly want a weak neighbor on the border with Iran? In order to prevent the problem which plagued the original Little Entente, the USA is going to need to have strong nations to work with towards a common goal, as seen with the recent strengthening of Saudi Arabia. But pulling out of Iraq too early could prove fatal and provoke conflict between the two nations which have a past. It is certainly a juggling act the USA has taken on, but whether or not it will pay off remains to be seen.

India is preparing for another war with China

Well, not immediately, but it is China they have in mind with the latest upgrades to their military. While India's primary concern is and will likely remain in counter-insurgency, they do need to be prepared for interstate conflict. Pakistan, obviously, seems to be the more likely candidate than China given their disputed occupation of Kashmir and the deteriorating situation in Islamabad. But let's not forget that China has obtained for itself a little chunk of Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh. India needs to be prepared for China in any case.

Read the article here.

Using Google Earth to Spy on N. Korea

I thought this was an interesting site. The creators use Google Earth to create a heavily notated map of North Korea, pointing out the locations of electricity grids, anti-air batteries, railroads, ect.

Check it out here:
http://www.nkeconwatch.com/north-korea-uncovered-google-earth/

China reacts to Hanoi-Washington Deal

BEIJING: China, which has recently dominated the security situation in North Asia, appeared shaken by a surprise move by the US administration to begin negotiations for a civilian nuclear deal with Vietnam.

Washington has confirmed it in negotiation a deal with Vietnam similar to the one it has signed with India. The move has implications for India, which faced Chinese resistance to its nuclear deal with the US. India is also wary about what it regards as China's non-transparent move to sell two more nuclear reactors to Pakistan.

Read the article here...

Washington and Hanoi to reach Nuclear Agreement

"The US is said to be negotiating a controversial agreement with Vietnam to provide nuclear fuel and technology without the usual constraints on enriching uranium to prevent proliferation.

The deal has been under discussion for several months following Hanoi's announcement of plans to build 14 nuclear stations over the next 20 years, according to the Wall Street Journal."

Read the rest here...

I found this an interesting read considering the USA and Vietnam's past as well as the current situation with Iran. Apparently, the USA is willing to work with totalitarian states to spread nuclear technology. Given all the rhetoric over the past ten years (note that talks began in 2001 under Bush) you'd think such a move would never happen...

Russian Defense Spending to rise 60%!

Since Putin took control of Russia it seemed that the crumbled Soviet Empire of the 1990s was not going to last. Russia's latest move in strengthening its global position has been to increase defense spending by 60%! As anticipated, Russia is continuing to rise to take the place of the former Soviet Union.

Missile Shields in Europe

The U.S. is nearing the point of activating a missile defense shield in Southern Europe, the Washington Post reports. What strikes me as interesting about the whole European Missile Defense Shield program is that is smacks of wholehearted American Imperialism.

Allegedly, Iran is the primary concern in this situation but everyone knows that it is designed against Russia. What purpose would Iran have in launching a missile at Bulgaria, Italy or even Germany or France (the latter of the two did not participate in the Second Gulf War). The intent is the same as it was when Reagan pitched the idea in the 80s, limit Russia's capability in Europe.

Furthermore, why is the United States defending Southern Europe from Iran? Well, obviously there is a strong economic interest in the region and its quite valuable to the United States. But the method in which the U.S. is taking such proactive and costly measures to defend the European Union creates the illusion that these are American States we're protecting. Granted there are U.S. bases in Germany which could be targeted by Iran, the very fact that there continue to be U.S. bases in Germany 65 years after the end of World War II reinforces the notion that American leadership regards these European states as much more than foreign states.

When it is considered that these measures are designed to protect Europe from Russia, the situation takes on a whole new light. Essentially, America is trying to reconstruct the Cold War situation and put Europe in its back pocket again. This is especially important considering so many of the former communist states are now included in America's sphere of influence. The missile shield is a consolidation of power in Europe after post-Cold War gains.

On a side note, I find Barack Obama's position on the shield worthy of note. He campaigned on the premise of reducing America's activism abroad, or at least produced the illusion of this. He rejected the Bush style missile shield in Europe during the campaigning season and before, but once he'd achieved the high office his position resembles Bush's more than it contrasts with it. Upon taking office he elaborated that his disagreements with the Bush admin over the missile shield were that it was too rigid and he favored a more flexible system. Bush had wanted bases in Poland, much to Russia's chagrin. Obama wanted to remove these bases to improve relations with Russia... but only to place them in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria instead... much to the same intended effect as Bush. These developments regarding the missile shield prove that the Obama administration is much more Imperial than it seems...

Tensions rise between Columbia and Venezuela

A row has been developing between Venezuela and Columbia on the grounds that Columbia was stirring up a war with Venezuela, alleging that FARC rebels were being hidden in Venezuela. Chavez naturally denied it and cut off diplomatic ties, usually a sign that war was imminent. However, Chavez pulled this stunt two years ago during the South American Diplomatic Crisis of 2008 and it should be noted that tensions were lowered. While I don't think there will be a war at this point, I think the growing tension between Columbia and Venezuela is worth noting. I think it is likely that conflict will develop over time as long as Venezuela is anti-US and Columbia is well supported by the US.

More on Chavez breaking diplomatic ties...

On a another note, it seems FARC is willing to speak with the new Columbian leadership in hopes to resolve the 46-year long conflict. We'll have to see where this goes as Columbia has been making strong inroads against the rebels in recent times and may not be willing to settle.

More on FARC and Columbia...