Peace in Korean Peninsula

There is hope for peace in the Korean Peninsula. Moon Jae-in,President of South Korea(ROK) will meet with Kim Jong-un,Supreme Leader of North Korea (DPRK). Kim has gone to China to meet with Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China. Then Donald Trump, President of the United States of America(USA) will meet with Kim Jong-un. This kind of direct meetings is of the highest level between countries. ____________________________________________________________________________ Although I am hopeful for peace, I don't think that we should expect all the problems can be resolved in one go. The Korean war is still technically not yet over. The 1953 agreement was only a truce. It was an armistice agreement, not a peace treaty. Although South Korea was not a signatory to that agreement signed by the U.S., China and North Korea, it should now sign a peace treaty with North Korea, to officially end the Korean War. ____________________________________________________________________________ Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a serious matter. I don't think North Korea is willing to give up its development of nuclear weapons as the U.S. demands, unless its security can be guaranteed. To put it bluntly, Kim Jong-un just doesn't want his country to be invaded and destroyed by the U.S. like what happened to Iraq and Libya. On the other hand, it is hard to imagine that Donald Trump will agree to withdraw all 26,000 U.S. troops in South Korea. One would ask this question: now that both ROC and DPRK want peace, why is the U.S. still here? Shouldn't the U.S. troops go home? It seems clear that the problem is not so much between the two Koreas, but rather between North Korea and the U.S. ____________________________________________________________________________ I think this whole thing of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and working for peace cannot be achieved without the inclusion of the U.S. and China. Donald Trump has been saying that Xi Jinping has helped him a lot in dealing with North Korea. Indeed China has a peaceful foreign policy; there is no reason that President Xi would be against a peaceful Korean Peninsula. ____________________________________________________________________________ As said earlier, we should not expect all the problems can be resolved in one go. If a peace treaty is signed between the two Koreas, backed by the U.S. and China of course, then I'll consider it a success, a first step towards permanent peace. I'm sure that Donald Trump would claim merit, but let him. I would even nominate Trump, Xi, Kim and Moon for a Nobel Peace Prize. If they won, Donald Trump would be able to proudly show Obama that he won due to his competence, while Obama had been undeservedly given the peace prize even before he started to work. Yes, I think there is some kind of personal dislike and vendetta between Trump and Obama. ____________________________________________________________________________ Let's hope for Peace!

Obama in Canada

I watched U.S. President Obama give a speech in the Parliament of Canada. I must say that he is a great speaker. In musical terms, the analogy is that he is a great singer. Whether you give him a good song to sing or not, he can still deliver a great performance. That said, how many listeners ever try to analyze the lyrics of a song and see what it says? And whether the singer actually does what he or she sings? 

I agree that the U.S., Canada and Mexico, actually the whole world should reduce the use of fossil fuels for energy, and switch to using clean, green and renewable energy.

I disagree with Obama that he said gender equality is a universal value. I mean it 'should be' a universal value, but it is not. Many countries are still very backwards, ultra-conservative and unfair. They are still very misogynistic and discriminatory against women. Look at Saudi Arabia. If you are a woman, you are not even allowed to drive there.

Regarding the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), I have talked about it before. Of course, Obama was trying to get Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada to come on side and have the TPP signed and rectified. Is the TPP good or bad for the U.S. and Canada? It depends who you are and whom you ask. If you are interested, you can read what I wrote about the TPP on August 1 and October 5, 2015 in my blog Fast Edi Thoughts and Comments.

Regarding global disputes and conflicts, I'm not sure Obama really meant what he said. Certainly every peace-loving person would choose to resolve such serious problems diplomatically and politically, not militarily. But the U.S. military actions everywhere in the world, and the ' let's drop a bomb ' U.S. foreign policy, just don't concur with what Obama said.

I would like to ask this question: when will Washington (and the world) learn that violence is a problem, not a solution? Being a pacifist, my position is that all disputes and conflicts must be negotiated and settled through peaceful means. No violence, No killing, No war. Thank you.

Syria

Fooling all the people all the time no longer works. Sooner of later, the truth will come out. If George Bush and gang of the U.S. and Tony Blair of the U.K. did not invade Iraq, which was an illegal war, there would  be no ISIS today.

The name of the game is to fight ISIS and the terrorists, but the real objective of Uncle Sam is to get rid of Assad in Syria. Putin is more open. Russia and Syria are long-time allies. The U.S. looks at Assad of Syria as an evil dictator, but Russia looks at the Assad regime as the legitimate government of Syria. The U.S. has been arming the so-called moderate rebels, but the reality is that terrorists are terrorists, and there are very few such so-called moderate rebels. Why do you think so many American weapons and military gear ended up with ISIS?

Can you see the name of the game is fighting ISIS, but the real objective of the U.S. is  using the moderate rebels, severe terrorists, or whatever you call them, to fight Assad? On the other hand, the army of Assad is supported by Russia as the legitimate soldiers and defenders of Syria.

Anyway, it all boils down to a competition of control and influence in Syria and the Middle East between the U.S. and Russia. Obama and Putin just can't see eye-to-eye, and it is very sad. The Syrian civil war is sort of like a proxy war between the U.S. and Russia, while fighting ISIS is only a side show though still important. Uncle Sam wants to get rid of Assad, but Putin says no, so it is like a stalemate.

Why did it take Russia's military action on ISIS in order to wake up Obama, that there is no military solution to the Syrian civil war, I mean for the U.S. to play a military chess game with Putin? Did Obama pretend that he was sleeping? So now John Kerry, Secretary of State, has begun to talk peace and take a diplomatic route, hoping to reach a political solution with Russia. It was a bit laughable that he said having a military alliance with Syria is a wrong strategy. Who was he talking to? Obviously Russia! Putin could  easily say to the U.S. that Russia's having a military alliance with Assad is all legitimate, but Uncle Sam's having a military alliance with the rebels including ISIS is the wrong strategy and illegitimate. Can you see that ISIS is both an enemy and ally of the U.S.? It is like Uncle Sam saying "I want you, ISIS, to help me kill Assad, but that doesn't mean I won't kill you!" Isn't that crazy or what?!      

Military confrontation between two major powers like the U.S. and Russia can only be a problem, not a solution. Obama, Putin, World Leaders: please don't let a war between the U.S. and Russia happen! The Middle East is all a mess. Not sure when PEACE would finally come !!!

Three Powerful Men

I call Putin the Chess Player, Obama the Smooth Talker, and Xi Jinping the Deal Maker. Arguably, they are the 3 most powerful men on earth today.

China - U.S. Cooperation

President Xi Jinping is visiting the U.S.  China and the U.S. must work with each other. If they fight, the whole world will suffer. If they cooperate, which they should, good things can happen that benefit both countries and the world.

Xi To See Obama

Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the United States from Sept. 22 to 25 at the invitation of U.S. President Barack Obama. I said this before, and now again, that China needs the U.S. and the U.S. needs China. The world needs both. Please take the advice of Jimmy Carter: respect each other. Please talk Peace, Protection, and Prosperity for China, USA and the World. 

American War And Peace

There are many dark forces in this world, including the war hawks and neo-cons in America. These warmongers want war, not peace. The U.S. Military Industrial Complex needs to constantly create enemies and conflicts, in order to keep the hugely profitable war business going.

So many conflicts and wars, even terrorists, can be traced back to the root cause of U.S. interventionism. It is a horrific cycle of cause and effect. You may call it negative karma or bad blowback. But hell the warmongers just don't care. It is great for U.S.world dominance and the American war business. Gerald Celente, a renowned American financial commentator and trend forecaster said, "The business of America is war. The business of China is business."

Don't envy the job of the U.S. president. As the U.S. president, you may want peace, but there are powerful dark forces in America which keep pushing you to go to war,  to make troubles and invade other countries, to divide and conquer and drop some bombs, to orchestrate foreign regime changes, and to fight the terrorists whom Uncle Sam created in the first place. In short, it doesn't matter who fight whom, as long as there are war-game players in action, to keep the hugely profitable American war business going!

Sadly, there are people in this world who actually want war, not peace. These dark forces are internal and external, and the U.S. president must deal with them both.  

Obama has re-established diplomatic relations with Cuba, and has succeeded in signing a nuclear peace deal with Iran. There are at least a few more things that he should do, in order to earn his Nobel Peace Prize received in advance:

Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp as promised, and better still, return the lands to Cuba.  

Stop sending drones to kill people, including American citizens who are presumed but not proven terrorists, which will otherwise cause the continued death of more civilians and innocent people.

Reform the racist and corrupted judicial, police, and prison systems in America.

Stop unlimited spying activities on American citizens, your own countrymen, and your allies.

Reduce or take the big money out of American politics. Current lobbying and unlimited donations allowed is a ' buy out the politicians ' program. It is nothing but legalized corruption.

Peace!  

Obama and Nobel Peace Prize (2)

On September 7, 2013, I wrote about Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize given to him in advance. Now that he has re-established U.S. diplomatic relationship with Cuba, and succeeded in the U.S. Iran nuclear deal, I think he should be allowed to keep the Nobel Peace Prize. But has he fully earned it yet, what do you think?

Patrick Rushing

Patrick Rushing, the mayor of Airway Heights, a small town near Spokane, Washington State, called President Obama the "Monkey Man" and his wife Michelle "Gorilla Face", but he insisted that he was not racist and refused to resign. Patrick Rushing is a Christian. Oh Jesus please forgive him !!!.

The U.S. Iran Nuclear Deal

The U.S. Iran nuclear deal is seen by many as President Obama's greatest diplomatic achievement. But there are also people who are adamantly against it. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the deal a historic mistake. Angry war hawks and neo-con Republicans in Washington condemn it. Obama says if Congress tries to kill the deal, he will veto the opposition. Whether you think it is a bad deal, an average deal, or a good deal, it looks like it is going to be a done deal.

The geopolitics in Middle East is not a simple matter. In addition to money and power, it is further complicated by oil and religion. Sunni and oil-rich Saudi Arabia does not like Shite and oil-rich Iran. Sunni and Shite Muslims have been fighting each other to this day since the death of prophet Mohammed in 632 A.D. Arabs fight against the Jews, Persians (Iranians) and non-Arabs. Muslims fight against the Jews and Christians. Muslims fight against other Muslims. Netanyahu feels threatened by Iran's building a nuclear bomb. The Israel Palestine issue remains an unresolved conundrum. There is mess where there is oil (pun intended).The oil-rich Middle East is a big mess!

Netanyahu's accusation of Iran building a nuclear bomb has more to do with his own political fear than proven fact. There is a difference between building a nuclear bomb and having the ability to build one, not to mention that Israel itself is a nuclear power, the only one in the Middle East.

I am not saying that Netanyahu should not be concerned about Iran's ability to build a nuclear bomb. We should all be concerned. But it is untrue that Iran is actually and already building a nuclear bomb. Why does Netanyahu call this U.S. Iran nuclear deal a historic mistake, when it addresses his very concern, to forestall and prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb?

This U.S. Iran nuclear deal is the result of hard negotiation, with the participation of Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (U.S.A., U.K., France, Russia, China) and Germany. Are these countries all stupid? Of course not. Is it pre-mature, presumptive, or prejudiced, for Netanyahu to call this nuclear deal made by these definitely-not-stupid world powers a historic mistake? Why is it a historic mistake and not a historic achievement? At the least, we must wait and see, instead of jumping to negative conclusion.

I don't blindly take side with one country against another. I always take side with peace. I am not against the U.S., Iran, Israel or any country. I am against violence, killing and war. Those who are against this U.S. Iran nuclear deal must tell us what the alternative is. If you don't choose a political and diplomatic solution, then the only alternative left is military action and war. The question is this: do you want peace, or do you want war?   

Speaking as a pacifist, there is no wrong peace. Is this U.S. Iran nuclear deal a bad deal, average deal or good deal? Since there is no wrong peace, all peace deals are better than no peace deal at all. Peace !!!      

Please Shake Hands

Chinese President Xi Jinping met US Secretary of State John Kerry in Beijing. Both looked relaxed and shook hands.

Shaking Hands is always better than Shooting Bullets and Dropping Bombs. When is Obama going to shake hands with Putin? I hope soon !!!

Racism in America

In the news, South Carolina police officer Michael Slager is charged with murder, for shooting dead of an unarmed black man Walter Scott.

White American policeman shot unarmed black man dead. It is nothing new really, but so bad and so sad !!! Yes, black life does matter. Actually all human lives matter. Does racism exist in U.S.A.? Yes, it does. It still does.

Martin Luther King's beautiful dream has not been fully realized. Even Obama, the first U.S. black president, has to face this ugly truth of racism in America. You have very poor eyesight if you don't see it !   

I Don't Get No Respect

Politics could be so ugly. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, went directly to address the U.S. Congress, ignoring President Barack Obama and proper protocol between world leaders of different countries. Obama refused to see Netanyahu. He must be pissed off.  

Netanyahu is against any U.S. nuclear deal with Iran being worked on by Obama. Washington is divided over new sanctions against Iran. White House official says Netanyahu "spat in our face". This new tension between Israel and the U.S. cannot be a good thing. It makes things difficult in the already much dangerous and complicated  Middle East.

Even if you were the U.S. President, you may still get no respect. Remember the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield ? It was funny when he said "I don't get no respect". But when Obama said " I don't get no respect", there was nothing funny about it.     

Unity Rally In Paris

Je suis Charlie. Où est Obama?

Unity ? The world leaders were not even with the crowds. They only had a Photo Op holding hands at a separate location. A good number of these world leaders showed support to freedom of speech in France, while banning or censoring free speech in their own countries, even harassing journalists and putting them to jail.

This is my guess why Obama did not attend this so-called Unity March: 

The world of Islam is huge. There are billions of Muslims just as there are billions of Christians in this world. The Muslim World is not only one small country like North Korea that Obama could easily pick on. Obama himself has a Muslim family background and spent some childhood years living in Indonesia, the country with a very large Muslim population. Some people even believe that Obama is a closet Muslim, although he claims that he is a Christian. 

The point I want to make is this: Obama understands that one may not create an image or picture of Mohammed, the Muslims' prophet. While freedom of speech is a fundamental right available in most countries in the West, creating an image or picture of prophet Mohammed is an unforgivable blasphemy to the Muslims. Obama is not a stupid man. I believe he decided not to attend the rally. Had he gone to attend the freedom of speech rally in Paris, that would have offended the Muslim world, and be seen taking side with France and the West against Islam and  the Muslims in the world. Instead, he just sent his spokesperson to issue sort of an apology or excuse afterwards. Well, it is only my guess. 

All said, it is my opinion that all violence, killing, war and terrorism are wrong. Love and Peace are always right. Unfortunately, in the name of God, Religion, Democracy, Nationalism, or Whatever, some people would justify the use of violence, killing, war and terrorism. And then some others who are against terrorism are ironically terrorists themselves. Oh, so much hypocrisy, so much failure ! Yes, we still live in a messy and 'uncivilized' world ! What do you think ? 

U.S. Sanction Against Russia

U.S. sanction against Russia, and probably also the dropping of oil prices, got to be an economic, geopolitical and currency war of the U.S. against Russia.

Does sanction work? Yes and No, if you ask Obama. For Cuba, with whom the U.S. has just re-established diplomatic relationship, Obama said No. For Russia, Obama said Yes. If it didn't work on small Cuba, having been proved for more than 50 years, how would it be possible to work and hurt big Russia ? Mr. President Obama, please tell us ! 

U.S. sanction would hurt Russia and make it difficult for Putin for a while, yes, but not for a long time. It won't take 50 years or more, like in the case of Cuba, to find out. We'll wait and see. 

Sanction, in my opinion, largely hurts only the people - your own people, those of your allies, and those of the sanctioned country you try to hurt, but not so much the elites and governments in power. 

U.S. sanction against Russia has pushed Russia even closer to China. It hurts not only Russia, but also Europeans who do business with Russia. Maybe Germany, France and a few other European countries didn't really like the sanction against Russia, but wouldn't dare not to "obey" Uncle Sam, being under political pressure to follow.

Torture (2)

Back on November 6, 2011, I wrote about Torture in my blog ' Fast Edi Thoughts and Comments'. More particularly, I wrote about the so-called enhanced interrogation techniques used by the CIA against the suspected terrorists, which had been approved by Dick Cheney and George Bush, and supported by their obedient gang.

Torture was / is against the Geneva Convention, human rights and international laws. War crimes were committed, but who would be held responsible, prosecuted and brought to justice? Yet another example of American Double Standard and Exceptionalism! Uncle Sam would do, and did, bad things to others, but nobody seems to have the guts or means to bring him to justice.

A CIA Torture Report is out. President Obama admits that the U.S. did many things right, but torture was wrong, but what is he going to do ?

John O. Brennan, the CIA Director comes out and tries to defend the CIA. Well, people are not stupid. The CIA Torture Report is just too shocking and indefensible. He says the CIA is made of humans, and humans are not perfect, and they made mistakes. He says, " I will leave to others how they might want to label these activities." 

While I understand it was difficult for John O. Brennan to give an appropriate speech to satisfy everyone regarding this serious matter, I would like to point out the fact that the subject matter is not about just a label or small mistake. It is about torture and the alleged or actual criminal activities of the CIA. Just calling torture an enhanced interrogation technique, or whatever, did not, does not, and will not change the fact that torture is torture.

OK, the CIA workers are humans, and they made mistakes. But are the suspected or actual terrorists also humans, and they could also have made mistakes? Is it O.K. to commit a crime against a criminal? Is it O.K. for a human to torture another human? Are American lives worth more than other lives? Is it O.K. for Uncle Sam to kill  non-Americans, whether they are innocent or not, in order to protect Americans?

Dick Cheney is much worse than John O. Brennan. He comes out and growls. He says the CIA Torture Report is full of crap. He says the lawyers stated that such enhanced interrogation techniques were deemed to be legal. Who were these U.S. lawyers? So much bullshit. Yeah, I am God. Whatever I do is deemed to be right, even when it is wrong !

And where is George Bush? Would he dare to come out and talk about the CIA Torture Report or the Iraq War? I think it is better for him to stay low, and keep up with his new hobby of painting instead.          

Obama Chewed Gum at APEC

I do agree that Obama looked bad, in being one of the world leaders and walked around chewing gum in such formal APEC summit. Some people said Obama was rude. I am not against chewing gum (Singapore is), but Obama did look like trying to be cool only with the opposite effect. Xi Jin Ping and Putin looked more like statesmen than Obama.

Ukraine

I'm not an expert in Ukraine politics, but here are my thoughts and comments anyway:

To understand the deep-rooted problems and issues, you can't just look at Ukraine from the perspectives of USA and the West. You must also look at this whole mess from the Russian perspectives.

The current Ukraine Government was created, only after the elected president Viktor Yanukovych ran for his life, left Ukraine and went to Moscow for protection. It was a forced exile. He still considers himself the president of Ukraine. There was agreement signed between Yanukovych and the opposition party, which is no longer honored, so from the Russian perspectives, it was a coup or forced exile. Russia doesn't recognize the current Ukraine Government as legitimate.

Especially about Crimea, you need to know its history and current strategic importance to Russia, etc. etc., before you should completely take side with USA and the West. Every coin has 2 sides. To be a referee and fair judge, you need to look at both sides of the coin. There is no way Russia will "give up" Crimea.

American and Western media only showed Ukrainian people died, but they didn't show the death of ethnic Russian people and police. There was violence on both sides.

Ukraine is a divisive country: some are pro-West, some are pro-Russia, and everyone needs money and wants peace. The mess is all international dirty politics.

Regarding invasion and occupation of a sovereign country, USA and the West broke the UN rules themselves many times over, so they have no moral authority to lecture and accuse Russia of occupation or invasion of Ukraine. Man, don't tell me Ukraine will split into two: pro-west West Ukraine, and pro-Russia East Ukraine and Crimea. Interference of internal affairs of Ukraine ? Both USA and the West on one side, and Russia on the other side, have been doing so for years. All a mess !!!!

Obama and Nobel Peace Prize

The majority of peoples and countries are against Obama taking military action against Syria. Do you agree that Obama must return his Nobel Peace Prize if he goes ahead and drops some bombs or sends some missiles onto Syria ?

Obama's Drones and Kill List

Just finished watching a CBC program on Obama's drones and his kill list.Peaceful people are not to worry, as they are not on this kill list.Only suspected terrorists and dangerous people are.Still,I doubt it is legal under international laws,for a U.S. president to unilaterally send an American drone to go inside a foreign country, to kill a suspected terrorist or any person,without the approval of the government of that sovereign country. ************************************************************ The kill list is no laughing matter.Even if you are an American citizen,you are not protected by the U.S.Constitution,although you are supposed to.Obama could,and did,approve the killing of an American citizen anywhere, at home or abroad,without giving that suspected terrorist or alleged trouble maker any trial and due process of the law.Obama could issue an order and lock you up in jail for life.And he received a Nobel Peace Prize in advance:take it first, do the work later.What work? Work of a peace maker, not work of a warrior and killer.What is your opinion? Do you think Obama has earned his Nobel Peace Prize given to him in advance? ************************************************************* It upset me to hear from Bush, and now Obama, to keep talking about the protection of American lives and children, as if other human lives and children are worthless.It is simply wrong to kill innocent people whether they are Americans or not.Thousands of Pakistani civilians were killed by American drones.No use to justify any drone attack by calling the death of civilians a collateral damage only.No wonder Pakistan is stepping farther away from Uncle Sam. ************************************************************* Unilateral drone attack on other countries is not only a stupid foreign policy, it is also an illegal military action. Other countries can do the same, by sending a drone to attack your country.Bet you Uncle Sam won't play this kind of game with Russia or China,only with Pakistan and Yemen for now.