Hitchens Weighs in on the Pace University Incident

A great article by Christopher Hitchens on the West's reluctance to take on Islam.

The Pace University incident becomes even more ludicrous and sinister when it is recalled that Islamists are the current leaders in the global book-burning competition. After the rumor of a Quran down the toilet in Guantanamo was irresponsibly spread, a mob in Afghanistan burned down an ancient library that (as President Hamid Karzai pointed out dryly) contained several ancient copies of the same book. Not content with igniting copies of The Satanic Verses, Islamist lynch parties demanded the burning of its author as well. Many distinguished authors, Muslim and non-Muslim, are dead or in hiding because of the words they have put on pages concerning the unbelievable claims of Islam. And it is to appease such a spirit of persecution and intolerance that a student in New York City has been arrested for an expression, however vulgar, of an opinion.

This has to stop, and it has to stop right now.

Amen sister. Does the multi-culti group really believe the nonsense they spout about appreciating other people's cultural heritage and roots and understanding that Amerika's foreign policy is to blame for all the hatred and strife, blah, blah, blah.

Hitchens sums it up nicely.

[T]he advocates and apologists of bigotry and censorship and suicide-assassination cannot be permitted to take shelter any longer under the umbrella of a pluralism that they openly seek to destroy.

-

The Harmonious Society of Government Officials

This explains why government officials drive BMWs and shop at Chanel. Year end bonuses were a tad higher than usual.

Land authorities in six Chinese cities including Beijing have illegally charged 1.1 billion yuan (US$146.7 million) on enterprises so far this year, adding fuel to the nation's soaring housing prices.

This was discovered by the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top planning body, during examinations of charges on businesses in Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Jinan, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Xi'an, the Beijing News said Saturday.

. . . .

Land authorities are not alone in overcharging enterprises. The commission found in May that urban construction departments have overcharged 216 million yuan (US$28.8 million) from construction firms.

More Goodies From China

Here is why we need standards:

The Giant Panda Breeding Center has developed several delicate souvenirs from the dungs of giant pandas, which has impressed a great many tourists from both home and abroad.

And they have set their sights on creating a whole new line for the Olympics. Remember that when little Jimmy is chewing on that notebook that grandma bought for him from Chengdu.

President Hu's Words of Wisdom

Chinese President Hu Jintao has urged officials to keep cleanhanded and devote themselves to the construction of a harmonious and all-around better-off society.

The translation is quit stealing from the people and remember the Communist mantra of a "harmonious society". No speech would be complete without the obligatory reference to the "harmonious society" from the senior government official.

Tainted Ginger

More quality problems from China.

Health officials in California have warned consumers in the northern part of the state against eating fresh ginger imported from China, which tests showed contain an unapproved pesticide, the San Jose Mercury News reported. The ginger contained aldicarb sulfoxide, which is known to cause headaches, dizziness, diarrhea, and difficulty breathing when ingested. State health officials are investigating further, though no illnesses have been reported in connection to the ginger. A Los Angeles importer purchased the ginger before transferring it to a distributor, who then sold it to several supermarkets in northern California.

More Nonsense on the West Coast

On one hand California is paying for prisoners to fornicate while still in prison and on the other we are charging 7th graders with felony sexual assault for swatting another 7th grader on the rear. I think the US has some issues with sex that I don't understand myself.

Mashburn and Cornelison were recently charged with five counts of felony sexual abuse, and District Attorney Bradley Berry has pledged to have them registered for life as sex offenders.

Oh, by the way, the defendants are in the seventh grade.

Messrs Mashburn and Cornelison are pupils at Patton Middle School. They were arrested in February after being observed in the vestibule, swatting girls on the butt. Butt-swatting had apparently become a form of greeting at the school – like "a handshake we do," as one female student put it.

I hope someone steps up and pays their parents' legal bills. And I hope the District Attorney has her license revoked.

Islam's Teachings of Peace and Tolerance

I'm feeling a bit passive agressive today, so I went looking for trouble. Never hard to find it these days. Here is a series of articles explaining how we just don't understand that Islam is a peaceful religion and a few extremists have reoganized its teachings to suit their own purposes.

For instance, I bet you didn't know that:

1. Warfare should be avoided; Muslims should not begin wars and should only use warfare as a last resort.
2. Warfare is a limited enterprise. Its purpose is only defensive and it should only be used to stop aggression and oppression.
3. War should be only conducted against those who fight. Non-combatants should never be targeted and every possible precaution should be taken to protect them.
4. Water resources, animals, agricultural lands and other resources should be protected from harm as much as possible.
5. Warfare should stop as soon as the enemy inclines to peace, and negotiations should be used. All treaties and agreements should be fully observed.

These are almost unanimously accepted guidelines concerning warfare in Islam.

"Unanimously accepted" by whom? Not by CAIR. Not by the Muslim Brotherhood. Not by ANY Saudi I've ever listened to.

Were you aware that Islam is a religion of tolerance?

Islam considers itself to be the true faith and it emphasizes that its followers should adhere to this faith fully and sincerely. Renouncing the faith and backsliding are acts of sin and are very much frowned upon in Islam. . . [W]e find in many places, the Qur’an advocated religious freedom and forbids compulsion and coercion in the matters of religion.

Really? Then how do you get around this little problem:

In Prophet Muhammad’s own statements, known as Hadith, we find some instances where he prescribed ‘death sentence’ against those who renounce Islam.

You have to stretch and twist things a bit, but you wind up with this:

Most scholars take these statements (Hadith) to mean punishment for high treason. According to this interpretation, if anyone leaves the faith, becomes rebellious bellicose (muharib) or joins a rebellious group of non-Muslims who want to revolt against the Muslim state, then such person/persons should be tried and may be subject to capital punishment if proved committing high treason. Thus the punishment is not for changing the religion, per se, but for rebellion and treachery. It is comparable to a US citizen renouncing his citizenship and then joining Al-Qaeda.

And suicide bombings? Really, really bad, unless it is necessary (to kill Jews)-

Suicide-bombing is a by-product of the barbarity of modern warfare. Faced with overwhelming military odds capable of carpet-bombing or “nuking” entire cities, the Japanese kamikaze pilots and Tamil Tigers resorted to suicide missions before this tactic was adopted by Islamist groups. The tactic is perhaps legitimate as a last-resort method only against military targets, due to the Koranic prohibition of suicide.

First Amendment? Alive and well in Islam (but not a single country that widely embraces it).

As far as blasphemy is concerned, Islam is not against religious debates and dialogues... Freedom of speech is a highly respected principle in Islam [a little known fact - ed.].

Men verses women? Total equality -except:

There are, however, some role differences between males and females in Islam.
*In marriage, the husband is the head of the household and it is his responsibility to take care of his wife’s and their family’s needs [that one is loaded - ed.]. . . .
*Regarding polygamy, a man may have more than one wife under Islamic law. . .
*To maintain public morality and honor of women, [Islam] emphasizes that women must appear in public in a modest attire and should not display their beauty to strangers. . . .

I hope these essays were directed at the Muslim community and not at the secular, Christian or Jewish ones. I have learned to believe absolutely nothing of what people tell me and watch how people act of late. Trust but verify and when clobbered, trust no more.

Shaming the Taliban

Afghanistan's government is trying to secure the release of Korean hostiges by shaming the Taliban. Good luck.

Echoing Karzai’s words, Afghanistan’s national council of clerics said the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, taught that no one has the right to kill women.

“Even in the history of Afghanistan, in all its combat and fighting, Afghans respected women, children and elders,” the council said. “The killing of women is against Islam, against the Afghan culture, and they shouldn’t do it.”

Someone needs to mention this theory to Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthayminin the thread below.

Killing Children and Raping Women? No Problem

Check out this thread from LGF:

Impermissible to kill women and children in All circumstances?

The Verdict of Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymin:

The Shaykh, may Allah be merciful towards him, said in a tape recording regarding this topic:

Yes, you can kill children. Yes you can rape women if you capture them and make them slaves first.

These people are animals. And we are worried about flushing their koran down the toilet?

First Amendment Rights Violated

For all those idiots in California (and elsewhere) who are so anxious to claim that their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech have been violated every time they say something stupid and get fired or ostracized, here is what a legitimate violation looks like:

A 23-year-old man was arrested Friday on hate-crime charges after he threw a Quran in a toilet at Pace University on two separate occasions, police said.

The school was accused by Muslim students of not taking the incident seriously enough at first. Pace classified the first desecration of the holy book as an act of vandalism, but university officials later reversed themselves and referred the incident to the New York Police Department's hate crimes unit.

If this were the Old Testament, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

France to Sell Nuclear Reactors to China

Looks like the French have nothing else to export.

China and France will soon agree to build two French nuclear reactors on the mainland, AFP reported. An anonymous source said that a letter of intent would be signed on July 30 between French nuclear group Areva, electrical company EDF and China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp. The project, negotiated in early February, would see two third-generation European pressurized water reactors built in China. The value of the deal is unknown, and neither Areva nor EDF has commented on this information.

China already has the technology, so this isn't earth shattering news. France just doesn't miss an opportunity to pass along its nuclear secrets to thug governments. I'm betting its list of duel use items is fairly short.

France Disappoints Again

What is it with the French? They can't wait to give nuclear technology to any thug with his hand out.

After agreeing to nuclear cooperation with Libya, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the West should trust Arab states to develop such technology for peaceful purposes or risk a war of civilizations.

Here's the thing: No one in their right mind trusts the Arabs to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. The French aren't stupid. They make a nice chunk of change selling technology that no other country is willing to sell and then when everything goes wrong [which it will] the US, Britian, Germany et al will have to step up to the plate to save their sorry %^#$%. Again.

For once it would be nice if we didn't. I hope his wife likes black.

Freedom of Speech Thwarted

A backlash quickly emerged after the Telluride Town Council adopted a resolution last week calling for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

“It’s huge, unbelievable,” said Telluride Mayor John Pryor. “Ski groups are canceling for the winter. Hundreds of people are bailing. The (town) Web site is flooded with people saying they’re canceling their vacations here.”

Look Out Manufacturers

Speak of the devils - plaintiffs' attorneys are being to emerge in China. Of course the legal system is still a total wreck, but with any luck the blood suckers will have added sufficient costs to the price of products that America will be competitive again.

"It's for all of us to fight for our rights," said Wang Hai, the country's most prominent consumer advocate. "Everyone has to do their part. You can't just sit around."

Wang said he files about 100 lawsuits a year — 95 percent of which are successful — and has won back $400,000 to $500,000 for consumers in the past nine years. He added that it's now easier to win cases because both the courts and companies are more aware of consumer rights.

Quality Issues Continue

Quality issues continue to make the headlines and the Chinese government continues to issue flaky responses. Here is the problem in a nutshell:

So far, Beijing's handling of the complaints over its exports has been mixed. While it has promised both stepped-up inspections and more stringent enforcement of regulations, it has also suggested that the problem is overblown by the foreign media.

The Chinese government said on its Web site Wednesday that the Cabinet had passed a draft food safety regulation that "strengthens the responsibility of local governments and increases the punishment for illegal activities." No details were given, or a timetable for adopting the regulations.

The government doesn't get it. They think the problem is created by the international community to keep China down and perpetuated by the media.

Pushing more off one the local governments will get them a great deal of nothing. Beijing has almost no control of local governments, and officials' promotions and pay are tied to growth and output. Quality isn't in the formula. Plus, the local governments aren't well equipped to tackle quality issues. They have had no formal training and most of their resources are committed to building infrastructure to attract more investment.

Multinational corporations who have invested in and closely monitor quality have brought an undeserved level of comfort to retailers back at home looking to increase profits.

But foreign retailers and distributors have begun cutting costs by buying directly from local manufacturers, using Internet-based sourcing and other means to bypass the multinationals. This came partly from market-opening measures agreed to under China's 2001 entry into the World Trade Organization. Prices fell, but quality has suffered.

Once the plaintiffs' attorneys in the US get their hands on a few of these retailers, some of this should change. I've always thought that plaintiffs' attorneys deserved a special place in purgatory. Then I moved here.

Anti-Globalist Opportunity

Expect loud cries of forced labor, sweatshops and corporate abuse from left-wing nut cases on this one.

Wal-Mart has warned two of its Chinese suppliers that purchasing contracts could be canceled in response to alleged labor violations in factories, the Wall Street Journal reported. Hong Kong-listed Mainland Headwear Holdings and Shenzhen-based Yue Wing Cheong were two of four companies mentioned in a report published in June by Playfair, an international alliance of trade unions and nongovernmental organizations. The Playfair report said that manufacturers of official Olympic merchandise were underpaying and overworking employees as well as using child labor. It prompted the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee to launch an investigation, the results of which are due to be released in coming days. A Wal-Mart spokesman said that an audit of Yue Wing Cheong had delivered evidence of overworking but no "hard evidence" of underpayment.

Wal-Mart has single-handedly done more for workers in China than any other manufacturer, individual or country. It performs regular audits on its suppliers and they take those very seriously. Those failing to pay social insurance, minimum wage or violating working conditions risk losing their contracts with Wal-Mart.

In most cases, Chinese would rather work for a foreign manufacturer because the working conditions are much better than Chinese factories. The lighting, air quality, emergency systems and pay schedules are often better and most western companies are diligent in paying social insurance (medical, housing etc.)

International Pressure for Quality Continues

A number of the quotes from top leaders on quality issues facing China have been less than encouraging. It appears from Kuneva's statements below she is still encountering some resistence.

EU product safety chief Meglena Kuneva said on Wednesday that she is willing to block China's access to European markets if the country doesn't improve its manufacturing standards, the Wall Street Journal reported. After visiting a toy-testing center and a doll factory in eastern Jiangsu province, the EU consumer commissioner noted that the Chinese regulators have shown a willingness to work at fixing the safety problems that have aroused worldwide concern. But she said she was also open to playing tough by banning a wider array of goods than those specifically recalled. According to the EU's rapid alert system, half of all unsafe goods recalled in 2006 were found to have originated in China.

Real Estate Woes

Expectations are that there will be more restraining policies on the property sector over the next half-year due to spiraling property prices and investment despite government efforts to rein in the sector. Although implementation of policies adopted last year remains the focus of 2007, soaring property prices could continue to pose a risk in the next six months, raising the possibility that further cooling measures could be on the horizon, said Zhu Zhongyi, secretary-general of the China Real Estate Association.

This is an interesting issue over here. In the residential market, there is virtually no correlation between market rent and fair market value. Market rent might be US $2,000 per month; the sale price might be $1,000,000. Many landlords purchase new residential properties and never complete the fit out inside the apartment. There is no plan to lease the unit; it is a short term investment with no income stream.

Eventually there should be an adjustment because there is excess inventory in the market and yet a shortage of units available for rent.

Racism Found

Under the category: Disaffected Youth Suffer from Sins of Muslim Brethren, this story. In September 2006, six Yemeni-American men were arrested and plead guilty for training in Al Qaeda terrorist camps. Since then, the remaining Muslims in the town have fought to disassociate themselves from the Lackawanna Six. How to clear your good name?

A flare up last October involving the Lackawanna High School varsity soccer team illustrates how the terror case still vexes the entire community. After losing a playoff match against Akron (a whiter, wealthier nearby town), Lackawanna players spit and swore at the other team, according to reports filed with the Lackawanna School District. Some of the players even turned on their own coach and athletic director, directing abuse at both. One team captain was arrested on harassment charges for allegedly shoving an official, according to The Buffalo News, but the charges were eventually dismissed.

Note the reference to the wealthy white team. I agree with the Muslim leaders in the town. This doesn't sound related to the Lackawanna Six; this sounds like a simple case of poorly behaved town thugs. For their behavior, their soccer season is over.

Abdul Noman, the team’s coach, thinks the punishment is more severe because of the terror case. “After Lackawanna Six, people started picking on us. This is nothing more than racism,” he tells NEWSWEEK.

Meanwhile, the documented behavior of the team suggests otherwise.

While the “terror taunts” aren’t fair, there’s no denying that Lackawanna plays a rougher game. According to Section 6, the team has accumulated more red and yellow cards than any other program in its league over the past six years. “I don’t know if it’s a cultural thing, because soccer’s not like that for the U.S.,” says opposing coach Jim McCready of the Tri-Town United team in neighboring Elma.

I don't think this is such a cultural thing. The article suggests these folks have been in the US for a while ("Muslim families, mostly Yemeni, began pouring into the town to work at Bethlehem Steel in the 1930s"). Bad behavior is bad behavior whether you are Muslim, Christian, white, black.

Professor Seeking Job

The University of Colorado Board of Regents voted to fire Ward Churchill last night for referring to the victims of 9-11 as little Eichmanns.

"The university has, over the last two and a half years, orchestrated an amazing performance, in some ways, of creating the illusion of scholarly review," said Churchill during a news conference with his attorney, David Lane. "We will be going into court to expose the nature of that fraud."

I have to agree with him there. Most universities create an illusion of scholarly review despite employing otherwise unemployables like Ward Churchill.

When Churchill arrived for the vote, he was carrying two very long poles, which are a Native American symbol. People with Churchill also brought drums.

What was the University of Colorado thinking when they employed this guy in the first place. Keep in mind that in the years since he made those statements, hundreds of students have received college credits for classes with this nut case. No wonder people are so concerned about China.

About 20 Churchill supporters gathered outside of the building where the meeting took place. Among them was Russell Means, a Native American activist and actor.

The University of Colorado is a pretty big place, and college students tend to be more liberal and pliable than most of society. If he could only garner support from 20 people, many of whom appear to have brought drums, he must not have been very popular.

"It sends absolutely an atrocious message to the academic community all over the country, which is: if you stick your neck out and make politically inflammatory comments, your reputation will be destroyed by the university bent on destroying you and ultimately your tenured position will be forfeited," said Lane. "To the public at large the message is: there will be a payback for free speech."

Ok. Big beef here. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FREE SPEECH. What is it with liberals that when they say something utterly unintelligible and offensive, they whine about violations of their right to speak freely when the general public is disgusted. He's not in jail. The government didn't seize his property. His mouth wasn't taped shut. He said what he wanted to say, and people were appauled.

If I tell my boss I think he is a fat moron, I expect to be handed a box. Churchill has the right to say what he wants, but there are consequences. Getting fired from you job is one potential consequence. He should have been canned six years ago, but the Board of Regents didn't have the brass ones for the job.

Some Positive Food News

"Chinese and European Union (EU) quality control officials yesterday agreed to share more information on seizures of substandard consumer products and strengthen law enforcement to better combat unsafe goods.

The two sides will have to thrash out the details of the action plan.

For now, safety watchdogs from the two sides will exchange more information on unsafe products in the EU rapid alert system for non-food products, known as RAPEX, to help them better select targets for enforcement."

Disconnect Exposed. Again

"Local authorities in China are ignoring central government orders and continuing to invest in dirty, resource-intensive industries, state media reported. "The central government is committed to achieving the [green] targets but some local governments have turned a blind eye to them," said He Bingguang, a deputy director at the National Development and Reform Commission. He added that Beijing realized worsening environmental degradation could "indirectly hinder social harmony". Some regions are said to be still actively developing heavy industries such as steel and cement in order to maintain their fast pace of economic growth. This doesn't tally with China's ambition to reduce energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 20% between 2006 and 2010."

It doesn't matter what laws you pass if they aren't enforced.

Nail Design

Artistic nails are very popular in China. I haven't seen any as elaborate as those displayed in the link, however, glitter and designs on false nails are abundant. I had to suggest to someone in my office who regularly meets with clients that her overdone nails were a tad inappropriate. I've also had to suggest that skirts worn in the office should at least cover your underwear.

Culinary Arts to Take a Hit in Southern China

The term "wild game" conjures up images of buffalo, elk, ostrich, antelope, boar, etc. Not so in southern China where the Chinese will eat ANYTHING that moves.

"According to Guangdong Provincial Industrial and Commercial Administration, it will conduct a comprehensive check in restaurants for wild animals, particularly to ban those "underground" game food restaurants. From now on, no restaurants will be allowed to put "game food" on their signboards.

The check will be focused on rats, hamsters, civet cats and pangolins, which are common on the recipes of many wild animal restaurants in Guangdong."

This is a pangolin in case you were wondering.

More in Global Warming News

Researchers determine that China's pollution may be good for the earth:

One tainted export from China can't be avoided in North America -- air.

An outpouring of dust layered with man-made sulfates, smog, industrial fumes, carbon grit and nitrates is crossing the Pacific Ocean on prevailing winds from booming Asian economies in plumes so vast they alter the climate. These rivers of polluted air can be wider than the Amazon and deeper than the Grand Canyon.

Until now, the pollution choking so many communities in Asia may have tempered the pace of global warming. As China and other countries eliminate their sulfate emissions, however, world temperatures may heat up even faster than predicted.

China Prepares for Protesters

What to do with the protesters and troublemakers during the Olympics. . .

"Like all Olympic hosts post-Sept. 11, China's security services are concerned about terrorism. Attacks by militant Islamic groups, some of them homegrown, top the list of scenarios the police and the military are preparing for, Chinese and foreign security experts said.

Yet China also faces a plethora of disaffected domestic groups—Tibetans eager to cast off Chinese rule, farmers upset at land confiscations and Falun Gong, a once-popular spiritual movement the government suppressed as a cult. A research institute involved in crisis-planning for the Olympics has looked into possible unrest by unemployed workers, analysts at the think tank said."

I'm conflicted. Like the Chinese, I'd like a benevolent dictator in China.

Now there are almost zero terrorism worries - the lack of civil rights means the government doesn't need a reason to keep someone out of the country. If the government doesn't like the color of your turban, you're not making it out of the airport. There are no "disaffected youth" burning cars or raping and killing inappropriately dressed women. And CAIR representatives would never be handed a visa, let alone a microphone to complain about the mistreatment and social ostracism of its members. No multi-cultural guilt trips. May the best and the brightest win. I like that.

Unfortunately, that is one of the few positives of the system. Taking into account the balance of totalitarianism, I have to defer to capitalism.

China will be tested during the Olympics. I hope they respond with moderation.

China Solves Forestation Problem

"The "China Furniture Industry Green Union" is established. Union members are drafting a new regulation for China's furniture industry. It will be issued in 2007."

Use other country's trees.

Comfort Food

"A national production standard for food fillings has been formulated and is likely to be published by the end of this year, the China General Chamber of Commerce (CGCC) announced on Monday as public doubts linger over the cardboard bun saga. The standard will be applied to most mass-produced food with fillings that are consumed on a daily basis such as buns, dumplings, cakes, bread, and ice-cream. However, it will not cover hand-made food fillings in restaurants and from vendors. Quick-frozen dumpling fillings are also not included in the list because of the "wide variety and complexity" of the fillings."

Enforcement?

China Issues Environment Regs

"China has issued its clean production evaluation systems for six industries amid efforts to curb air and water pollution. The State Development and Reform Commission Thursday published on its official Website the systems for sectors including cement, fermentation, soda ash, machinery, sulphuric acid and leather. The six sets of standards became effective on the day of issuance on a trial basis in a bid to help better use of natural resources and cut pollutant emissions, said the commission. The standards will be revised with the economic development and improvement of technology, according to the commission."

We'll see how enforcement goes.

France To Put Pressure on the EU

"President Nicolas Sarkozy of France is to push for a more assertive European Union exchange-rate policy towards China this autumn to try to shore up ailing exporters hit by the strong euro.

The move is the first concrete sign of Mr Sarkozy’s efforts – causing concern in Frankfurt – to influence the European Central Bank’s exchange-rate policy. French officials told the Financial Times they intended to raise concerns about the Chinese currency with Jean-Claude Trichet, the bank’s president, at a meeting of eurozone finance ministers before an EU-China summit in November.

But Mr Trichet has so far responded with icy disdain to any French attempts to influence the bank’s policy and there are concerns elsewhere in Europe about Mr Sarkozy’s ratcheting up the rhetoric towards Beijing.

Jean-Claude Juncker, the Luxembourg prime minister, who chairs the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, has adopted a softly-softly approach in his dealings with China – a policy backed by Mr Trichet and Joaquín Almunia, the EU monetary affairs commissioner."

I do like Sarkozy. I wish him luck on his efforts to influence China's exchange-rate policy and Mr. Jean-Claude Trichet.

Hollywood's Best and Brightest Team Up with Algore

"Al Gore & Cameron Diaz Team Up For Climate Contest" called "Sixty Seconds to Save the Earth". Not alarmist.

I am so glad these people don't vote Republican. We have enough problems.

More CA Nonsense

Numerous blogs and online journals have established creative categories for stories like this. James Tarranto has a reoccuring column called "Spot the Idiot" which pays tribute to the First Amendment's guarantee that even the most intellectually challenged among us has a right to be heard. This prevents the rest of the population from overestimating his/her capabilities.

Charles Johnson's Little Green Footballs has something similar, and there are plenty of other examples. I like these stories because they remind me that being a reactionary has its drawbacks. On both sides of the aisle.

First, if you are the West Hollywood city council, who cares what resolution you pass (other than the 30,000 potential voters in your district) particularly on matters which are clearly outside your jurisdiction. Second, if you are from California, every action you take is automatically discounted by the long history of absurd positions taken by your neighbors (many of whom are on the 9th District Court of Appeals).

For these reasons reactionary groups like PETA, Greenpeace, Amesty International etc, only make progress with the fringe population. Most people believe in protecting animals, the environment and the downtrodden, but as soon as their name appears, most Americans change the channel.

Piracy

Piracy is always a hot topic with MNC's in China. Piracy is rampant in every area from automotive parts to designer clothes to oranges. This article tries to offer some suggestions for combating piracy, but the players are at the very top of the MNC ladder with tremendous amounts of cash to throw at the problem. In most cases, it is too early to measure success.

The author estimates that 86% of all software in China is pirated - probably an accurate figure. In response Microsoft has pushed hard on the government to both end the use of pirated Microsoft products in government offices (that would be a good start) and to change the way computers are sold (Microsoft products will be loaded onto the system prior to sale and the price of the computer reflects that).

But Microsoft has leverage. It has spent large sums of money on infrastructure in new development zones and has bought its way into the hearts and souls of government officials.

In a different approach, the movie industry has struck out against pirated DVDs by drastically dropping the prices of DVDs and attempting to beat the pirates to market. They are promising authorized products will hit the market within two weeks of release of the movie in theatres in the US. The movies will retail for 20 kuai (a little over US $2). Being a consumer of pirated DVDs, I think the marketing technique is likely to work.

In China, there are virtually no venues to acquire full price DVDs, and HBO only shows B movies from the 80's so pirated DVDs in almost every expat home. But I sound as if I am apologizing when I'm not.

The solutions have limited appeal for most companies. Few have the resources to pressure the Chinese government available to Microsoft and dropping your price 88.5% is generally not an attractive alternative.

Most Chinese don't understand the concept of intellectual property. If they can copy your product and get others to buy it, they don't see the issue. Unless it is their weird little whatevers they are using to promote the Olympics. Then they seem to get it.

Share the Memories

When you get tired of watching Oprah reruns and you've finished polishing your tin spoon collection from Branson, MSNBC has a new activity for you:

"At the end of August, MSNBC.com is marking the tenth anniversary of the death of Britain’s Princess Diana with a special section — and we want you to be involved! In particular, we would like to hear your thoughts and memories of a woman whose life and death touched the hearts of millions. Where you were when you learned that she had been killed in a Paris tunnel? How did you hear about her tragic death? What did you think about the outpouring of grief in the United Kingdom and around the world? Using the forms below, please send in your stories, photos and video. Your contribution will be very welcome."

Lucky Southerners

"Live rats are being trucked from central China, suffering a plague of a reported 2 billion rodents displaced by a flooded lake, to the south to end up in restaurant dishes, Chinese media reported. Some vendors, who declined to reveal their names, had asked people from a village in Hunan province, near Dongting Lake, to sell them live rats, the Beijing News said Monday."

Why anyone is surprised that food quality is an issue over here is a mystery.

Toe the Party Line

The Chinese government is still scrambling in an attempt to manage the world's perception of China's quality "issues".

"Media workers must keep their political responsibilities firmly in mind, not bring shame upon their historical mission, carry out propaganda work on quality inspection well and escort and guide the "made in China" label," Zhi Shuping, deputy head of the quality and supervision watchdog

.
This is going to be a slow and painful process. It is evident from Mr. Zhi's statements that the government doesn't understand the issue. They see this purely as a public relations problem. They think they can turn a sack of melamine tainted dog food into a Nike tennis shoe with the right PR.

"Zhi reminded the domestic media -- already tightly controlled by the government -- that they must toe the Communist Party line in reporting quality problems, and that it was their job to put a positive spin on things."

Michael Moore, CNN in Sicko Feud

Something for the "I Could Care Less" category....

"Root Causes" of China's Problems

This article (link requires subscription) by Emily Parker in the Wall Street Journal is a good read on the topic of quality in China. I started a post earlier arguing that China is a good example of how Christopher Hitchens's theory of religion falls short - that in their race for the yuan, the Chinese would sell their soul, and yours too, to the highest bidder. I didn't post it because I lack sufficient knowledge of the industrial revolution in the US to make distinctions (i.e. to refute the argument that China is just experiencing growing pains), and I don't think or write well enough to launch a convincing argument against Christopher Hitchens (I recall the 11th Commandment: know thy limitations).

Ms. Parker's article raises the argument that there may be some moral lapses in China not found in countries with a Christian base:

"What is clear from all these safety scandals is that something is seriously wrong, and Beijing's doling out punishments is not going to fix it. Even assuming that the central government has good intentions, it might still be powerless to rein in shady local officials or individual businesses. The larger problem is that in a country without a real rule of law, where everything is subject to Communist Party "interpretation," there is no codified set of ethics to guide national behavior. A political system without popular elections or an effective system of checks and balances has helped create a culture in which the Chinese are not accountable to each other."

If you can get your hands on the article, read it.

Food Wars

More signs that China is serious about health and safety:

"The quality wars across the Pacific have picked up speed, as Chinese government agencies now say American food is not suitable for consumption. According to local media, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China and the Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau have identified excessive use of red dye in drinks exported from the United States to China. AQSIQ says the sugar-free drink in question was produced by Sturm Foods and it did not meet China's relevant health standards. The drinks have been returned to the U.S. manufacturer."

More Work for the FDA

This isn't a problem.

"Dumplings stuffed with cardboard and bogus rabies vaccines are the focus of the latest health scares in China, where the government has banned an industrial solvent used in toothpaste after a spate of global recalls. The Beijing Industry and Commerce Bureau had uncovered an unlicensed snack vendor selling steamed dumplings with traditional pork filling padded out with cardboard husks, the Beijing News said on Thursday, citing an investigative report by state-owned China Central Television. Beijing was also investigating bogus rabies vaccines, the Beijing Times said, after a woman bitten by a neighbor's dog injected vaccine she bought from a local hospital. Authorities found the hospital had been selling phials of vaccine taken off shelves two years earlier for quality problems, the paper said."

Surprise!

"At a time when Chinese imports are under fire for being contaminated or defective, federal records suggest that China is not the only country that has problems with its exports. In fact, federal inspectors have stopped more food shipments from India and Mexico in the last year than they have from China, an analysis of data maintained by the Food and Drug Administration shows. The F.D.A. database does not necessarily capture a full and accurate picture of product quality from other countries. For one thing, only one year of data is available on the agency’s Web site, and F.D.A. officials declined to provide more data without a formal Freedom of Information request, a process that can take months, if not years. In addition, the F.D.A. inspects only about 1 percent of the imports that fall under its jurisdiction. So the agency may miss many of the products that are contaminated or defective. The F.D.A. database also fails to disclose the quantity of products that are refused, so it is impossible to know whether just a box of cucumbers was refused or a shipload. The agency, he said, was currently working on a plan to revise how it monitored food safety, both for domestic food and imported, which should be released in the fall. The plan will depend on the F.D.A. working with foreign governments and American companies to identify potential risks to the food supply before they reach ports in the United States."

It isn't surprising, but it is a bit unnerving. My hope and expectation is that importers pay attention to the quality of items they are importing. The federal government doesn't have the time or resources (nor do I want them spending my money to acquire the resources) to test every item that comes into the US.

A western manufacturer has federal/state/local agency(ies) standing over him applying pressure on quality issues. Right by their side are his insurance company, banker, a swarm of hungry plaintiffs' attorneys and any number of other social checks and balances to ensure that lease agreement on the Benz and the wife's Neiman Marcus card are always at the forefront of his mind lest his conscience go on holiday.

These checks and balances don't exist in third world countries. Most of the time, the only thing standing in the way of you and a faulty third world break system is the western importer.

There are a number of industries that require some form of testing certification; however, this concept needs to expanded to most other industries, even as it drives up costs. This would not only level the playing field a bit, but citizens of the China's of the world would start demanding the same level of quality in their own products.

And that would be a good thing.

Chinese = Quality

"Foreign media have fuelled unfounded fears about Chinese products, the nation's top quality official has said, as China blocked a U.S. protein powder shipment while the two countries sparred over safety worries. Chinese inspectors announced that a protein powder from a U.S. supplier contained too much selenium and was being sent back, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Monday. An editorial in the overseas edition of the People's Daily, the ruling Communist Party's official paper, said it was inevitable that the country's rising exports would face tighter scrutiny from choosy foreign customers. But it also blamed foreign forces seeking to undermine Chinese industry."

The problem with the Chinese reaction to substandard food/products is it suggests they aren't taking the problem as seriously as the situation merits. Sometimes the Chinese government behaves like a young spoiled child: when caught off guard or with its hand in the cookie jar, it goes hunting for scapegoat. More frightening still is that it often believes its own propoganda.

East Meets West

It is always a pleasure to watch the Chinese government squirm at the hands of the western media. Officials haven't developed the PR skill set, to their detriment, so they just swat at imaginary flies in the air.

"Two senior quality control officials have lashed out at a section of the foreign media for inciting fears over the safety of Chinese products. "Some foreign media, especially those based in the US, have wantonly reported on so called unsafe Chinese products. They are turning white to black," Minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine Li Changjiang said during inspection of some food enterprises in Beijing yesterday. This is the first time the administration has used such strong words against foreign media reports on China's food safety. Li conceded that there were problems with certain domestic companies, but said: "One company's problem doesn't make it a country's problem. If some food products are below standard, you can't say all the country's food is unsafe [ed - I think you could go beyond "some" to "many"]." During another inspection in neighboring Tianjin Municipality, the administration's Party Secretary Li Chuanqing, too, criticized the foreign media for arousing unnecessary fears."

VDH takes on The Times

Victor Davis Hanson takes on the NYT in The New York Times Surrenders

Fraud

If you get the following letter in the mail or by email, it is a fraud.

"Dear CEO,

We are Shanghai SQL Network Information Technology Co., Ltd, which is the domain name registrar centre in China. We have something need to confirm with you.

On the June 29, 2007, we received an application formally. One company named "Saibo Investment(China) Co.,Ltd " applied for the Internet Brand name"[your company's name here] " and the domain name "[company name].tm/ [company name].net.cn /[company name].org.cn".

These days we are dealing with it, hope to get the affirmation of your company because that may relate to your intellectual property on internet. Now we have not finished the registration of Saibo company yet,in order to deal with this issue better, please let someone who is responsible for trademark or domain name contact me as soon as possible."

Shanghai SQL Network Information Technology Co., Ltd, is not a licensed agent for domain name registrations. They want your money. They will offer to register your domain name for a price and then hire a filing agent to perform the registration. Obviously this will cost more than hiring an agent directly.

Call your lawyer or have a Chinese employee call Shanghai SQL and threaten to turn it into the local AIC if Shanghai SQL does not immediately recant its claim. Then register your domain name which you should have done anyway.

Put Your Woks Away

Eating Mice Won't Stop Plague

Unlikely.

Editor Needed

Must be fluent in Chinglish and capable of preventing conflicting headlines from running in the China News on the same day:

China to suffer from long-term labor surplus

China might encounter labor shortage by 2015

Danone Gets Clobbered by the Chinese

This political disaster illustrates how MNC's still get trampled in China. The Chinese see the French as the corrupt foreign business partner in this one. Normally when it comes to the French, I'm inclined to agree. However, in this case I'll give the French a reprive. This is a classic Chinese JV gotcha:

"It began in 2005, when executives at Groupe Danone, the French beverage and yogurt giant, say they noticed something peculiar in the financial figures coming from their joint venture in China with the Wahaha Group.

After a lengthy investigation, Danone officials concluded that their closest partner in China, Wahaha's longtime chairman, Zong Qinghou, was operating secret companies outside the joint venture - companies that were mimicking the joint venture and siphoning off millions of dollars."

This happens every day of the week. The foreign company finds a partner it thinks it can trust, cuts a fair deal making everyone wealthy and then gets taken to the cleaners.

"In late 2006, after Danone says it discovered the parallel companies, Zong agreed to sell a majority stake in those companies to Danone, which intended to fold them into the joint venture.

But after signing the agreement, Danone says, Zong pulled out of the deal and then began creating even more mirror companies, including his own separate sales division."

You CANNOT run a business in China as if you are a silent partner. You will lose every time.

Freedom of Speech with Chinese Characteristics

In a move geared towards loosening media restrictions ahead of the Olympics, Beijing shuts down the China Development Brief.

FDA Crackdowns

The government is getting Tough with the pharmaceutical companies -

"Companies that send in fake medicine samples for approvals will be fined as much as 30,000 yuan ($3,967) and face a three- year ban from drug tests, said Wu Zhen, deputy head of the State Food and Drug Administration's supervision department, in a Webcast today on the agency's Web site."

Well, maybe not Tough. How about a little jail time?

Then we have some deep and profound thoughts from Sidney Wolfe, the director of health research at something called the Public Citizen consumer group in Washington:

"One of the downsides of globalization is that you have countries race to the bottom."

I guess there are always two ways of looking at things. I would say that China was already at the bottom. Globalization just keeps it from digging.

Tax Law Changes

For anyone interested in other major ramifications of China's tax law changes, this is a good article.

First Head Rolls

China executed Zheng Xiaoyu, the former head of the China FDA, yesterday. Good riddance.

This is just in from Beijing. I've often looked at the water jug in my house and wondered why I should feel comfortable drinking out of it. That holds true with the brands of Chinese bottled water in the stores. There doesn't appear to be much preventing someone from filling jugs up with a water hose.

When my aunt first came to Shanghai years ago, she watched a woman on a street corner sticking Sunkist tags on oranges and the selling them. That still happens of course, but now the people put the stickers on behind closed doors. I frequently see Sunkist labels on fruit at small sidewalk vendors.

Very little is as it appears to be.

Generally I shop at the western market in our building. US $10 for a box of cereal. US $1.20 for an imported Coke. Cheap insurance.

Dining out is a bit sketchier. Most western places where I eat are probably safe. Most Chinese places are probably not.

Thailand II

More Thailand. This is very disorganized. But that is what happens when you download your pictures every 2 years rather than in some uniform fashion.

This is one mode of transportation in Bangkok. Always negotiate price first. They are dangerous, but fun.



Here is the neighborhood food vendor. We have them on every corner in Shanghai. The food usually looks pretty good but (not surprisingly) they are completely unregulated and guaranteed to result in gastrointestinal distress if part of a routine.



Back to Phuket. This is Mom Tri's Villa Royale. Mom Tri is a Thai architect; he has another place just down the road called the Boathouse.







This was our porch just outside our room. It is an outdoor bath, not private so we used it as a very large foot bath.



This is the rest of the "resort". It is very small - under 50 rooms I think - and isn't well suited for children. If you have kids, consider the Boathouse. It is on the beach, whereas Mom Tri's is on a cliff with beach access.











Part of the outdoor restaurant - there is another outdoor seating area on the other side of the bar. The food is excellent as are the margaritas.

Hong Kong II

Here is the view from my aunt and uncle's balcony of their old flat. I spent a lot of time on that balcony - it was a wonderful place to sit and read or share a bottle of wine with my aunt and uncle and chat into the evening.

They are greatly missed.

Vietnam II

More Vietnam.

I love the hats.



Check out this gal's bag. Is that dinner or is she taking her pet for a ride?



An outdoor veggie market. They are all over Asia.



A flower market.




A temple. No shortage of these either. They are all bright and cheery, but the people are very serious in their worship. There is enough food to keep the Ethiopians stuffed for a fortnight. I wonder whether it all gets thrown out or whether the monks eat it? They also burn incense - everyone goes in loaded for bear and you can hardly breath. Many of my photos are so smokey that you can only make out outlines of people.



This is also typical in Asia - check out the power lines. How in the world do you know what to replace when something happens?



This little guy was having a grand ole' time.



These two were just the right size for one another. In a couple more months, the cat will definitely have the advantage to the shame of the dog owner.

News of the Weird

World's largest public restroom facility opens

"We are spreading toilet culture. People can listen to gentle music and watch TV," said Lu Xiaoqing, an official with the Yangrenjie, or "Foreigners Street," tourist area where the bathroom is located. "After they use the bathroom they will be very, very happy."

If this is true, it will make the Guinness World Records for being the first public restroom in China that doesn't qualify as a Superfund Site.

Hope That Works

France takes a lesson from Beijing: Campaign to dissolve rude reputation launches with first Paris Tourist Day

I would recommend sending all the Parisians to Bolivia. That would help.

Quality with Chinese Characteristics

Living here you realize that China is not going swallow America in the next decade. There are so many problems here, and the problems aren't small. You don't regularly hear developed nations expressing angst over stability - in China, it is always an issue.

My aunt referred to Shanghai as a movie set in an old western. You walk down the streets in awe of the buildings, lights and infrastructure. But when you walk behind the set, there was nothing there.

I have never had a CEO tell me he is so impressed with the quality of the merchandise supplied by manufacturers in China that he doesn't worry about quality control. Quality control is a number one headache. The Chinese DO NOT CARE about the quality of the goods being manufactured.

A friend of mine in the sourcing business was trying to explain to his manufacturer the concept of quality. Would you pay 2,000,0000 kuai for that rusty Toyota over there? Of course not, the manufacturer replied. What if I told you it had a Rolls Royce engine in it? Would you pay 2,000,000 kuai then? I would still not pay that much because the car is old and doesn't look good. Then why do you expect my client to pay for a new widget that is all pitted and poorly assembled, even if it works.

This article from Newsweek is right on the money. Someone has to pay attention to quality, and it isn't going to be the factory owners, and it isn't going to be the Chinese government. The owners don't understand and don't care - they are short term thinkers. They live in the here and now. The government doesn't have the knowledge or resources.

I mentioned in an earlier entry that ventures in China do not work if the western company doesn't play an active role in the day to day management of the subsidiary. That is true for sourcing too. If you are not involved in quality management you are going to be the lucky owner of tires that wear out in 5,000 miles or less or fish tainted with antibiotics.

Legislation for the Other Person

Chinese officials are finding the one child policy to be too restrictive. Particularly when their young mistresses want in on the "child" thing.

In other corruption news today, those "wily" public officials are giving the Chinese judiciary a run for their money.

Update: This isn't exactly accurate. You can have more than one child if you pay 3 times your combined annual salary to the government. Most Chinese aren't in a position to do that.

A Fine Example of the Local Government Examining the "Root Causes" of Social Unrest

Here is a fine example of local officials cracking down on protests. Citizens are not pleased that Xiamen, which is a beautiful East Coast Chinese city across from Taiwan, is about to receive a chemical feedstock plant. Given the Chinese track record on the evironment, the plant will undoubtedly turn an otherwise attractive Chinese city into Chernobyl.

Rather than address citizens' concerns, the government cracks down on the internet. Blogs are no longer permitted to be anonymous (although the government admits it doesn't know how to implement this). There is some disagreement among local government officials about the cause of the proposed new rules. Mr. Tian, deputy minister of the local AIC missed the briefing where they explained that the new rules have nothing whatsoever to do with opposition to the new plant. Instead, Mr. Tian makes the mistake of a bit of honesty: “After the opposition [to] the PX project, the [city] government felt that it should have some control over web content”. Oops.

Thailand

I'm on a roll - this is Thailand from November 2005. I've been back a number of times since, but I'm starting with the earlier photos.

The Oriental -




The Oriental river taxi (a number of the hotels have them).



This is Phuket - the best place to do nothing in the world.





I've been staying at Kata Beach. There is no lack of 4 legged creatures and they seem pretty happy.



This gentleman was kind enough to treat us all to his speedoo in downtown Kata.

Hong Kong

A few Hong Kong pics



Here are the steps at my aunt and uncle's old place. Nothin' like climbing these after a good run.

Vietnam

Over Chinese New Years, I went to Vietnam with some friends. Being generally well organized and technically proficient, I'm just now downloading my pics. Here are a few - I post others as time permits.

These are from the Mekong Delta. I did not see John Kerry or his magic hat while I was there.






This is Hoi An. A lovely little tourist trap.






Also Hoi An. She made me pay her a few dong for taking her picture. I believe she's done this before...

Christopher Guest Makes Special Appearance

For those of you who miss Spinal Tap, a few words of wisdom on Global Warming.

Trouble in Paradise?

Social Discontent is on the rise. "According to the most recent publicised government figures, 87,000 "mass incidents" were reported across China in 2005, up 6.6 per cent on 2004 and 50 per cent on 2003." Those are just the numbers Beijing is willing to release.

The Chinese will tolerate corruption to a point. When it starts to affect them personally, the government hears about it. I believe most demonstrations occur in the rural areas where corruption is worse and the people can least afford it. Beijing has demanded that local authorities determine the root causes of these problems, and where social discontent is most prominent, local officials will be punished.

This is a bit like asking the fox to guard the hen house. In those places where local officials are the "root cause" of the demonstrations, authorities are not going to be gentle in trying to quash unrest.

Beijing is already putting its spin on the problem. "Fugitive criminals and underworld gangs, as well as those who steal rural production materials, produce or sell fake and substandard commodities, kidnap children and women and smuggle drugs, explosives and guns will be targeted," Mr Liu the vice minister of public security explained.

I think they are mixing their problems. Social unrest generally occurs when local officials "steal" farmers' land, require exorbitant bribes from people who are least likely to have the means to pay them, or deny some basic civil liberty to individuals. Criminals are another matter altogether.

Corruption Lottery Continues

The problems continue at the Food and Drug Administration. Cao Wenzhuang, the former director of drug registration approvals, was recently sentenced to death for accepting $300,000 in bribes from pharmecutical companies to approve fake drugs. The expectation is that his sentence will be commuted to life in prison.

The Times suggests that "[T]he death sentences appear to be a strong signal that China is determined to crack down on rampant fraud, corruption and counterfeiting in the nation’s food and drug industries." I am told by local Chinese that this is more a function of cleaning house of political enemies than cleaning house at the FDA. International embarrassment is a convenient excuse, but if these folks were close friends of President Hu, they might be reassigned to a less lucrative post or left alone entirely.

The simple fact is that this type of corruption is systemic - it exists throughout the Chinese bureaucracy from the banking industry to the real estate industry to customs to local governments. We'll see if these actions signal changes. Perhaps the international reaction to the discovery of melamine-tainted wheat glutin in dog food, diethylene glycol in toothpaste and nitrofuran, malachite green, gentian violet and fluoroquinolones in fish coming from China has caused a change in heart and strategy for the Chinese government. For the Chinese citizens and for the expats living here, I hope so.

Thug Train

My opinion of Algore just dropped a few notches. Cat Stevens, aka Yusef Islam, the Islamic terrorist thug who isn't even allowed in the US, played in Hamburg.

NYTiglish

The New York Times takes a well deserved clobbering for its indiscriminate and puzzling use of the words "disinfranchised South Asian population" when referring to wealthy terrorists who drive Mercedes and have MDs.

Mark Steyn provides an English lesson to his comrades with the assistance of Webster's.

Pens for Progress

For anyone interested in helping our men and women in Afghanistan, here is an easy, inexpensive way you can make a difference. Pens for Progress was started by Wesley Bauguess to help her husband Major Larry Bauguess on his daily missions. Here is the heart wrenching story that accompanies the request.

The soldiers began giving the Afghan children, who have absolutely nothing, pens, pencils, construction paper and small toys when the children's fascination for the pens affixed to the soldiers' uniforms became apparent.

They need supplies from home, wherever your home may be, to pass out. For only $8.95 plus the cost of the pens, paper and toys, you can send a package to the folks responsible for making a difference in the lives of the Afghans and for giving them hope where they had none under the Taliban rule. You simply pick up a Flat Rate Box at the post office, fill out the customs form and you will only pay domestic mail service prices.

Here are two addresses you can use to mail the supplies:

MAJ Todd A. Berry
F2
CTF Fury, 4th BCT, 508th PIR, 82nd Airborne Division
FOB Salerno, AFG

OR

MAJ Mary Hannah & SFC Martin Johnson
Attn: Zhergoon Ana School Project
C Co, 782nd Brigade Support Battalion
FOB Salerno
APO AE 09314

One Less Gucci Customer

If this were a crime, there would be no Communist Party officials.

True Bravery

A brief respite from the China silliness. A high school acquaintance is serving in the Army in Afghanistan. He wrote to his friends back at home to fill folks in on the achievements of the US and Afghan forces in the region that you would never read about in the international papers.

To offset his frustration, he sent a letter to the news organizations to share the positive events which he ran by a reporter from one of the news services. The reporter explained that "reporters" don't decide what to report; they are told by the rumpled suits back in corporate. Corporate decides based on what the public wants to read.

My friend politely disagreed. I would have impolitely disagreed.

He wrote that his unit is working for the Afghan National Army (ANA) now. The ANA and the Afghan National Police continue to gain the trust of the locals and continue to increase their capacity and capability as security forces.

The number of deaths is not a useful military statistic in a counterinsurgency fight he explained, and the press' preoccupation with casualties is misplaced. The key to a counterinsurgency fight is winning over the population. Whoever wins the population, wins the battle. Each individual supporting you is an individual who won't pick up arms against you, and since the population is relatively static, that individual isn't replaced by an enemy. Each person in the community who's support your enemy wins is another person fighting against you. And the environment is changing for the better.

Each day more and more of the Afghan population decide they want the Taliban out of their community. The only offerings of the Taliban are death, destruction and oppression. The Afghan people have seen what the American troops and the Afghan government offer: medical clinics, schools, hope. They are choosing hope. The people are telling the Taliban to get out of their communities. My friend was in awe of the bravery of individuals to take these positions when the lives of their families are at stake.

"The people do not want oppression and continued violence; they want their children to go to the school of the parent's choice; they want to work in a place of their choosing; they want to go to sleep at night without fear of a night letter left on their door or an attack against their home; and they want to live the life of an honorable Afghan. That is the story that needs to be told."

I think most Americans would like to know about the good things their Armed Services are doing. Most Americans value and respect the men and women of the US Army, Navy and Air force as the best and most honorable people that America has to offer. Most Americans are aware that without our best in uniform, there would be no more 4th of July celebrations, no Labor Day, no McDonald's, no WalMart, no Nascar, no NFL, no martinis, no Anheuser Busch, no Fred Flinstone, no America. These people volunteer to be in harm's way, to wear heavy, hot, protective uniforms in 120 degree weather and to live thousands of miles away from their families for extended periods of time so that the rest of us can enjoy normal lives.

I didn't do it. I didn't have the guts.

And I thank God for my friend and the thousands of others like him who are willing to do what I am not. God bless them all.