mike in manila- eclectic views

“World War III”: Newt and Mahathir both call it…

July 17th, 2006 Edit

There can be no more opposite views of the ‘realpolitik’ that flows in the world than the former Speaker of the House of representatives and the former Malaysian Prime Minister.

Both seem to be reading from the same page and seem to be saying what most in the world do not want to hear… but both are saying looking at today’s news out of the middle east and Lebanon; that the worst is still to come.

Newt :[] …. “Wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, this week’s bomb attacks in India, North Korean nuclear threats, terrorist arrests and investigations in Florida, Canada and Britain, and violence in Israel and Lebanon as evidence of World War III. He said Bush needs to deliver a speech to Congress and “connect all the dots” for Americans.” Gingrich says it’s World War III by David Postman… “[]

Mahathir: [] “… Mahathir: The Third World War Is Here by Mahathir bin Mohamad …TheGlobalist.com is a daily online magazine and think tank publishing features on the key issues, people, companies and organizations shaping global ….[]
Mahathir calls this ‘a phase’ and even more alarming that World War Four is the next major thing the world needs to fear.

All of this makes for interesting reading to political science students, analysts, and others the news makes sence the pronouncement however by major leaders seems to be something they do not want to do.

Americans and Western Europeans are increasingly shying away from news of the current conflict unable to comprehend for many the total globalization of a war that to them seems to be led by a few men hiding in caves - a image they can’t seem to comprehend - considering how with no waiting, instant lives they live and full gratification provided by the lives and technology offered to them this is not what seems to be a popular theme.

The global scale of this thing has yet to hit home for many. It really all started with a fathwah that dates back to 1995. With a Fathwah issued by the cabal this is Al qaeda and stretches to today.

Mahathir and Gringrich have very different views on the causes and solutions:

[]…” Actually we are in the midst of the Third World War, not the war against terrorists but the war between terrorists and the peace loving anti-terrorist alliance, the war between the Axis of Evil and Satan. … ” []

Mahathir bin Mohamad Adding further:

Out-terrorising the terrorists will not work. But removing the causes for terrorism will.

[]… Both sides are convinced that they are right, that theirs is the fight against evil. Evil and Satan must be destroyed.

Frightened, the world is taking measures to secure and defend at tremendous cost. But the main result is not security or freedom from terror attacks. “…[]

To Newt Gringrich in the Seattle Times;

[] “…. the reluctance to put those pieces together and see one global conflict is hurting America’s interests. He said people, including some in the Bush Administration, who urge a restrained response from Israel are wrong “because they haven’t crossed the bridge of realizing this is a war.”

“This is World War III,” Gingrich said. And once that’s accepted, he said calls for restraint would fall away:

“Israel wouldn’t leave southern Lebanon as long as there was a single missile there. I would go in and clean them all out and I would announce that any Iranian airplane trying to bring missiles to re-supply them would be shot down. This idea that we have this one-sided war where the other team gets to plan how to kill us and we get to talk, is nuts.”

There is a public relations value, too. Gingrich said that public opinion can change “the minute you use the language” of World War III. The message then, he said, is “‘OK, if we’re in the third world war, which side do you think should win?” .… [] ” Gingrich says it’s World War III by David Postman”

Obviously the men are playing to different audiences, obviously one speaks for a voice to rally support around a crumbling leadership in the US whose level of public support and perception of a wider conflict could boost that groups leadership position and salvage party rule.

Mahathir on the other hand the elder statesman speaking from the Mountaintop seems to be more clearly trying to address the root causes and get people to wake up and see the light at the end of the tunnel may be glow and fires of new world war coming he calls World War 4.

Many may have a very narrow view of what occurs and many may see these men as politically icons of two very different backgrounds. indeed they are - one a successful leader in Asia who took a backwater former colony of the UK to a economic standard that has made his country one of the few to become 1st world from the SE Asia’s developing world - with growth still rising.

Newt… well he’s seen a global leader in his time slowly lose its industrial prowess and views the world from the shores of the Potomac’s in either blue or red of US Politics- not global real politik- but both calling it as they see it - both calling for people to recognize this War on Terror for what it is - is indeed a clear view my old teachers told me in Journalism, the old two source rule - makes it clearly something to ponder.

So this is World War III? hmmm… If Einstien is to be followed, the next phase as predicted by Mahathir is WW IV, Albert E. said that will be fought with rocks and stones -perhaps now we know why one side is already hiding in caves.

Oh-Boy…. and just when I was learning to like the Internet.

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OFW Hero from the past: Where is Corazon Amurao?

July 10th, 2006

Corazon Amurao where is she now? And did she have any children? Are there more like her willing to come forth after surviving the ordeal of seeing 7 of your roommates raped and murdered to come forth and shock not only a courtroom but the world with how she with her testimony put away one of the worst killers and rapists who terrorized young women and tortured them in Chicago in 1967.

I often wonder how many others like her out there- hero’s we knew from the past and of late are rarely talked about. So much living the present that we forget the past has so many inspirations to follow in this country. Of people not afraid to stand up and be counted- even if for a time they have to survive by hiding in corner of room under a bed - but then are able to come forward and given the chance show the world who did it! Someday perhaps people like this will be looked upon to talk of things happening now - images they see but for survivals sake keep silent.

Perhaps one day- one will be able to see other Corazon’s, Corazon Amurao’s to inspire and show that justice can be at hand when people are not afraid and perpetrators in a crime caught face them and point and say like she did- ” He did- here is the man…”.

[] … Chicago Sun-Times

She was on the witness stand describing how a man with black clothes, marks on his face and a gun in his hand launched a night of horror with four knocks on her bedroom door. The prosecutor asked her if she saw the man in the courtroom. Corazon Amurao unlatched the door to the witness box, stepped down and walked across the room. “This is the man,” she said, her finger nearly touching the forehead of Richard Franklin Speck. …[]

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