Wednesday, July 31, 2002
Hollyday news
Barcelona- Cycling through France with daughter and tent I noticed very little of the big world.
Unfortunately I could not resist buying a Le Monde and read some Kagan articles on the European and US divide. Hammer on the nail.
L'empire et l'Europe
Puissance américaine, faiblesse européenne
Thursday, July 11, 2002
African Union Constituted
On a special conference in Durban (SA), African leaders constituted the African Union, the successor of the Organisation of African Unity.
The African Union is loosly organised in EU style. There will be an pan- African Assembly, a Commission, a court of Justice and in the future a Central Bank. Its goals are to achieve greater unity and promote human rights and democracy on the continent. It will have special commissions on economic development, industry, immigration, education and health.
The African Union is an ambitous project, that can only be compared with the constitution of the European Union in 1956. One can only hope that the EU example will give the Africans the strength to prevail and avoid the mistakes the EU made in its formative years.
+ Constitutive Act of the African Union
+ TREATY ESTABLISHING THE AFRICAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY African Union Site.
+ African Union News
+ African Union Born Radio Netherlands
+ Background on the African Union and the New African Initiative South African Department of Foreign Affairs
+ Africa hopes for new beginning BBC Online.
Wednesday, July 10, 2002
Moderate Palestinian leader Sari Nuseibeh detained on accusation of violating Israelian Security
Sari Nuseibeh President of the Al Quds University in Jerusalem and driving force behind the recent call of Palestinian intellectuals and politicians to stop the suicide attacks on Israeli soil, was detained today. He was accused of violating Israeli sovereignty.
Is Nuseibeh an alternative for Arafat?
Interview in Albawaba
Jedwabne inquiry confirms that Poles were responsible for massacre in 1941
Polish war crimes prosecutor Radoslaw Ignatiew confirmed the Jedwabne story as described by historian Jan T Gross in his book Neighbors.
In 1941 Polish villagers massacred their Jewish neighbours brutally. The Polish authorities always denied the Polish role in the massacre, blaming the Germans for it. In his much acclaimed book Gross describes vividly what happened in the village Jedwabne, a village near the Russian border.
The book started a fierce debate in Poland about the Polish attitude towards Jews in WWII and Polish anti- semitism in general.
Last year the Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski expressed excuses in the name of Poland.He maintained however that: The Polish state was unable to protect its citizens against the crime committed with the Nazi permission, at Nazi instigation.
The prosecutor found, after interviewing about a hundred witnesses, that the Germans played a very limited role on the massacre date, July 10th 1941.
On the internet there is a lot of material to be found on Jedwabne:
+ Ordinary terror:
Communist and Nazi Occupation Policies in Jedwabne, 1939-49
Marek Jan Chodakiewicz On the background of terror in Poland in relation to Jedwabne.
+ A Complicated Coexistence
Polish-Jewish relations through the centuries
+ Voices on the Jedwabne tragedy Gross publisher collection of articles on the book and Jedwabne.
+ Jedwabne
by S³awomir Majman Warsaw Voice article on the Polish debate on the book.
+ The Jedwabne Tragedy
Summery of the tragedy with links to articles and debates.
Weblog Armed and Dangerous calls for a violent clash of civilisations
Eric Steven Raymond is in his weblog Armed and Dangerous, really going for a clash of civilizations. He points his arrows toward the 'warlike religion' Islam, against whom the west must start a nearly holy fight to save the liberal democracy and its accomplishments. Raymond is very strong in his wording and ultimately in his choice of a solution. Is it paranoia to feel relaxed only when the total destruction of the enemy has become reality. Haven't we heard that before or is it this time different? Must we make the defending of democracy and an open society as our prime goal? If yes, consequently, must one also oppose extremist in the western hemisphere who advocate a clamb down of society in the name of security?
Must one propagate war again? And sent in the Starship Troopers and call: "Bug War".
Winning the War Against Terror:
(Final essay of the series.)
Tuesday, July 09, 2002
Trans Atlantic Row: Chris Patten Answers Kagan
EU commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten answers Robert Kagan's call for European consideration for the US stance on the Int. Criminal Court.
Just like Hugo Young he is unable to understand the US concern that the ICC will be abused by anti American forces.
Why Does America Fear This Court? by Chris Patten The Washington Post
Europe should be more sensitive to American concerns
Robert Kagan IHT
Chris Patten EU Site
Saudi's and the Female problem
Why do Saudis spend billions of riyals every year providing free education for women from elementary school through university and then not allow them to fully utilize that education? Why do we provide women education in chemistry, geology, physics, business administration, mathematics, biology, history and geography when many of these fields are closed to them?
The solution to this problem is clear: Saudi males must open their minds and broaden their horizons. Saudi society must realize that it cannot do without the talents and abilities of half its population if it is to develop and prosper. Islam, the glorious religion of which Saudi Arabia is the cradle, honors women and guarantees their rights -- rights currently not available because of "the female problem."
Our 'Female Problem' By Raid Qusti The Washington Post
Monday, July 08, 2002
Trans Atlantic Row and the American Myth
The Americans seems to get very annoyed with European criticism. William Safire sums it all up in six European left wing myth on America.
Safire as the High Noon Marshall calling to stop moaning about America's power play in the International arena.
His criticism certainly hits some nerves. It is more directed towards public opinion than to acts of European governments, who have supported the US more or less full heartedly. The International Criminal Court being the exception. The US and the Europeans defer on the ICC on principle.
The main problem with his criticism is that there is no "European" policy. There is no "European" government setting out a clear cut foreign policy. Solana is trying very hard, but he is restrained by the EU system of multilateral consultations and consensus. In European eyes it is the best we can do for the moment. Further integration through the present Convention must change all that in the eyes of the European Unionists, but their views are in to the opinion of the Europeans not very strong.
So in the mean time a free public opinion is not restrained by American patriotism and politicians do not discuss foreign policy and world affairs with the electorate. The emerging European patriotism is geared up by differences with US policies. Not by taking over the American patriotism.
Myth America 2002
By WILLIAM SAFIRE the New York Times
Saturday, July 06, 2002
Dutch Foreign Policy publications on the Net
The Dutch Foreign Policy Institute Clingendael publishes its Research publications in Dutch and English on a variety of subjects on the Internet. The most recent include articles and essays on the European Union, terrorism and the EU US relations.
Check it out.
Clingendael Research Publications
Friday, July 05, 2002
Kyoto protocol won't work
The simple truth is that the Kyoto Protocol will not work - politically, economically or scientifically. According to one recent 'best case' estimate, compliance with the Kyoto Protocol could cost Germany and Britain around five percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and cause an increase in unemployment of 1.8million and one million respectively; will cost the Netherlands 3.8 percent of GDP and 240,000 jobs; and Spain five percent of GDP and one million jobs (9). Electricity prices could also more than double.
What, then, is the way forward? First, we must recognise that climate change is the norm, not the exception - with or without human influence. Secondly, we must grasp that the idea of maintaining 'a sustainable climate' is an oxymoron too far, unpredictable climate being determined by millions of factors. Indeed, in some scenarios, removing 'greenhouse gas' emissions could prove even more dangerous than emitting them.
Finally, we must accept that we cope with climate change, whatever its direction, by growing and maintaining strong economies, focusing special help on the developing world and diversifying energy sources as and when practical. Unfortunately, the Kyoto Protocol undermines this endeavour.
Quitting Kyoto in Spiked
US war plans against Iraq get serious
Top secret war plans against Iraq were "leaked" to the New York Times. Is there a connection to those plans and the US opposition towards the International Criminal Court?
U.S. Plan for Iraq Is Said to Include Attack on 3 Sides
The Warpath: Pressures Build on Iraq
The real US opposition leader to the Bushes: Gore Vidal
Vidal launched a new collection of essays on American politics that hit the Amazon sales list. And AlterNet interviewed the Grand Old writer. Reading it I asked myself: Am I naive or is this called realistic power politics?
What it was really about -- and you won't get this anywhere at the moment -- is that this is an imperial grab for energy resources. Until now, the Persian Gulf has been our main source for imported oil. We went there, to Afghanistan, not to get Osama and wreak our vengeance. We went to Afghanistan partly because the Taliban -- whom we had installed at the time of the Russian occupation -- were getting too flaky and because Unocal, the California corporation, had made a deal with the Taliban for a pipeline to get the Caspian-area oil, which is the richest oil reserve on Earth. They wanted to get that oil by pipeline through Afghanistan to Pakistan to Karachi and from there to ship it off to China, which would be enormously profitable. Whichever big company could cash in would make a fortune. And you'll see that all these companies go back to Bush or Cheney or to Rumsfeld or someone else on the Gas and Oil Junta, which, along with the Pentagon, governs the United States.
We had planned to occupy Afghanistan in October, and Osama, or whoever it was who hit us in September, launched a pre-emptory strike. They knew we were coming. And this was a warning to throw us off guard.
With that background, it now becomes explicable why the first thing Bush did after we were hit was to get Senator Daschle and beg him not to hold an investigation of the sort any normal country would have done. When Pearl Harbor was struck, within 20 minutes the Senate and the House had a joint committee ready. Roosevelt beat them to it, because he knew why we had been hit, so he set up his own committee. But none of this was to come out, and it hasn't come out.
+ Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace Amazon.co.uk
+ Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace Amazon.com
+ The Last Defender of the American Republic? by Marc Cooper/ Alternet
BBC Online winner of European Web Awards 2002
The BBC Online is the big winner in the 2002 European Web Awards contest organized by NetMedia. The Beeb won seven of the 16 awards. The Spanish site Elmundo.es is a good second with three awards. Weblog awards were not given yet. Do weblogs not meet the standards of journalism, or did the phenomenon escape the attention of NetMedia?
NetMedia Web Awards
BBC News Online big European winners
Holdthefrontpage is Europe's best!
Best News story by IWPR: Romania: Back Comes the Blue Pencil
Weblogging and the IFJ Declaration on the conduct of journalists
Among webloggers there is a discussion if their craft is a new kind of journalism. Some make a big thing out of it, boasting on their independence, opposing the "biased" established newsmedia.
The International Federation of Journalists proclaimed a standard for the conduct in journalism. It is a nine point declaration focusing on the integrity and truthfulness of journalism.
If webloggers are serious in their claim, they should adopt the IFJ Declaration as their own.
IFJ Declaration on the conduct of journalists
Thursday, July 04, 2002
US Power or Justice for all
Good article by Hugo Young of the Guardian on the ICC troubles and power politics of the US.
He tries very hard to understand the American position, but he can't.
I agree that the chances of US military personnel being indicted is zero.
Possible rogue prosecutors are screened behind a three-judge panel, with the UN security council retaining ultimate powers to stop the case. National courts will always be able to forestall the ICC by taking up the case themselves. The chances of any American, from soldier to president, being indicted for their actions in Afghanistan or Bosnia are zero - as France and Britain, equally engaged in peacekeeping and other sharp-end activities, have recognized by their consistent support, through every American tantrum, for the ICC.
There is one big but. It is not simple for the Americans to get an indictment stopped by the Security Council.
The Council, according to article 16, can delay an indictment by twelfth months.
Article 16
Deferral of investigation or prosecution
No investigation or prosecution may be commenced or proceeded with under this Statute for a period of 12 months after the Security Council, in a resolution adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, has requested the Court to that effect; that request may be renewed by the Council under the same conditions.
To prevent an indictment against an American the US government needs a resolution from the Council. And that resolution has to get a majority and should not be vetoed by one of the permanent members.
The US is therefor not able very easily to stop an indictment. It needs other members. And this is exactly what the present US administration loathes.
We can't allow US tantrums to scupper global justice by Hugo Young
International Criminal Court
Webcast of April coming into force of the Rome treaty
Arabs at the Crossroads
It is always nice to read a comment from a distinguished columnist in which he comes to the same conclusions as yourself in a difficult and far reaching subject. Thomas Friedman of the New York Times in his latest column draws the same line from the Arab Development report to the Bush speech on the Middle East. Although he does not ad the word revolution to the changes that the report advocates.
Arabs at the Crossroads
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
See the Apilog post of yesterday
UN Report calls for Arabian Renaissance
CDA, LPF en VVD klaar voor nieuw kabinet. AP publiceert het regeerakkoord
De inhoudelijke onderhandelingen over het nieuwe kabinet zijn afgerond. Het regeerakkoord is klaar.
Deze is te vinden bij de Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst in doc en pdf.
The Amsterdam Post heeft tevens een HTML versie beschikbaar van het Regeerakkoord 2002.
Wednesday, July 03, 2002
The Guardian lists Apilog on its logpages
This morning I discovered that The Guardian included Apilog in its weblog pages. I coudn't suppres a smile and say thank you.
The Guardian Your Weblogs
UN Report calls for Arabian Renaissance
In the just released UN Arabian development report the UN Arabian office calls for an Arabian renaissance to combat "institutional inertia" poverty, the lack of freedom and gender inequality.
After 9/11 the dominant theory explaining the Arabian resentment against the west was the "breeding ground theory".
The theory held that the terrorists motives came from poverty, exploitation and injustice upheld by the west. So the terrorists acted out of resentment and hatred that had its origins in the policies of the west and America in particular.
Although the UN report does not answer this guilt question, it does describe the state of Arabian "human development" affairs. And that doesn't look very good.
In the 22 Arabian countries researched, (1) the factor productivity declined annually by 0.2% in the 1960- 1990 period, while it accelerated in other parts of the world, (2) in 1960 the per capita output was higher in the Arabian countries compared to the Asian Tigers, now it is half that in Korea, (3) in 1960 the productivity of Arab industrial labour was 32% of the North American level. In 1990 it had fallen to 19%.
According to the UN report the human development in the Arab world is a "cause for concern". The indicators show that the Arab region is richer than it is developed. The Arab region limps because of a special kind of poverty: poverty of capabilities and poverty of opportunities.
Not only does the region have to accelerate economic growth to bridge the gap with the rest of the world, it has to address the root causes of its poverty that lies in three main deficits: freedom, women's empowerment and knowledge.
These root causes were analyzed already by Bernard Lewis in his book; What went wrong?. He holds that the Muslim world did not fully modernize because of the cultural inability to (1) change the position of women, (2) to separate religion and the state, (3) to fully grasp the meaning of modernity.
Stanley Kurtz ads in his essay on Lewis another important root cause of the inability for Muslim society to fully adopt modernity. The tribal structure of society.
According to Lewis the Muslim societies should follow the Kemalist (Turkish) example. This would mean: If the fundamental principles by which Muslim society is organized are profoundly incompatible with modernity, a total break with tradition might seem to be in order. But, of course, the very centrality of kin-based structures to Muslim society makes such a break very hard to sustain (as Turkeys Kemalists have discovered of late). (Kurtz)
The UN report advocates exactly such a road of change for the Arab world. It advocates; (1) legal reform, (2) reforming the essence of governance by "activating the voice of the people" through representation, in other words: democratization. (3) Liberating human capabilities by strengthening institutions of local governance, liberating civil- society organizations and fostering free and responsible media.
The report also argues that the Arabian region should be digitizing its cultural heritage and publish it on the internet. Artists, writers, professionals, scholars and students should therefore have the freedom to choose what to publish.
The report reveals a stunning figure. In the last thousand years the books translated into Arabic is 100.000. This equals the translations of Spain in one year. Arabic speaking people must find themselves in a cultural desert.
In essence this report calls for a total revolution of the Arab society. The call of President Bush, in his last speech on the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, for reform of the Palestinian Authority is completely in line with the UN report. Although the report says that the ongoing conflict has a very negative impact on the Arabian region, you can not deny that the conditions for peace laid out by Bush are the core argument of the UN report analyzing the bad state of affaires in the Arab world.
Reading the executive summary of the report one can conclude that the part of the "breeding ground theory" in which the west is to blame for creating evil itself by suppressing the Arabian people is nonsense. The problem is far to big and the root causes lay far to deep in Arabian culture and society. To put the blame of poverty and degradation of the Arab world on the west is a diversion of thinking that can only harm Arabians themselves.
Arab Human Development Report
Monday, July 01, 2002
Moet Europa opnieuw versnipperen?
Martien van Winden schrijft in zijn column in @Europa dat met de monetaire eenwording de grenzen van het Europese project bereikt zijn. De democratie in Europa stelt volgens van Winden immers niets voor. Terug naar het nationale?
Wordt decentralisatie omarmd als het uiteindelijke antwoord? Wie weet hebben wij dat punt al bereikt en is de Europese democratie al over zijn hoogtepunt heen. En wie weet blijkt achteraf dat de monetaire eenwording het maximaal haalbare is in Europees verband. Decentralisatie en herstel van de autonomie geeft nationale overheden weer ruimte zich te concentreren op nationale problemen.
Het komt mij voor dat het een achterhaald idee is dat door decentralisatie de democratie in Europa wederom zal zegevieren en dat nationale problemen dan opgelost kunnen worden.
Het getuigd van een grenzeloos pessimisme over Europa om het gehele project zo af te schrijven. In de grote wereld van nu is een sterk Europa meer dan ooit nodig. Een Europa waar elites inderdaad, zoals van Winden schrijft, een belangrijke rol spelen en een Europa waar burgers hun eigen verantwoordelijkheid nemen door het belang ervan in te zien. Het is aan de elites om, met steun van de bevolking, van Europa een open samenleving te maken. Het is aan de elites om duidelijk te maken dat een onafhankelijk Europa alleen kan bestaan door verdere eenwording.
Versplintering zal vooral op het terrein van de buitenlandse politiek een nog grotere afhankelijkheid van de Verenigde Staten betekenen. Europa wordt dan een speelbal in de stormen die de wereld nog zullen teisteren.
Raakt de democratie in verval? door Martien van Winden in @europa
Op dit werk is een Creative Commons Licentie van toepassing.