The Nicaragua Canal: Will It Ever be Built?

Everyone knows about the Panama Canal, and how it connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. However, not everyone knows that the United States originally wanted to build this canal through Nicaragua, information on which can be found in NicaFSBO. It was only through the efforts of a few lobbyists and the French intention to sell their interests on the Panama Canal that this plan was diverted. Early Proposals Like the Panama Canal, ideas for the construction of trans-oceanic canal through Nicaragua had been proposed by Spanish colonial administrations. As for Nicaragua, the Federal Republic of Central America —... Read more »

Obama Fallacy Will Open Gates of Hell in The Middle East

Hamas is waiting, and hoping, for an Obama victory in November. During the Doha Debates (BBC, May 27, 2008), leading Hamas spokesman Mahmoud Al Zahar categorically implied that the only way out of the current impasse in the Gaza strip would be a neutral and balanced administration in Washington. Senator Obama can claim that he rejects any endorsement by Hamas that, however, is not the point. The first relevant question Americans have to ask themselves is this: why are the worst religious extremists... Read more »

The Conservation Policies Of Presidential Candidates

We all know our Earth is in serious trouble. If there is one person who can really turn around things in our country it is the president. With elections round the corner and a line-up of presidential candidates, don’t all of us want to know who truly supports the green movement? Here’s a run down on the top candidates and their perspective of the environment: Hillary Clinton She has been known for citing serious environmental hazards in all of her speeches. However, it wasn’t until late 2007 that she actually drafted a comprehensive solution to the problem. This plan is essentially more like a cap trade mechanism which aims at reducing emissions by as much as 80%! A two-pronged approach focusing on investment and efficiency seems to be the primary strategy as of now. While the efficiency focus deals with elevating standards on vehicles, buildings... Read more »

New York Times Fooled by Mexican Populist Demagogue

In 2006 Mexico averted what would have been a disaster for Mexico, the United States and Latin America. Felipe Calderon of the PAN party narrowly defeated Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador or AMLO of the PRD party in one of the closest and most amazing national elections ever held in the Western Hemisphere. In January 2006 AMLO was ahead in the polls outdistancing his nearest rivals by two to one; an insurmountable lead in a three party race. Through a series of incredible political blunders and what was later determined to be pure arrogance, AMLO saw his lead diminish to the point where he narrowly lost the July Mexican presidential election to PAN candidate... Read more »

Diamond Minds, Metro Europe - Libya Wants In!

When we see and hear leaders of Europe on a British television, it is refreshing to hear such diamond thinking. What they say has great and good events coming at us, even through all the gloom of the moment. They speak to a delegate from Russia, and from Serbia, and we hear of their amazing brilliant thinking. Their minds are of peace and so beyond those of the warrior man from Russia and the man from Serbia. The man from Russia, we know, is there as ethnic bully big brother Slav to protest that Kosovo wants to be an independent state, as the population is 90 percent Albanian, not Serb. As with elsewhere... Read more »

Greek Antiques, Democracies, China Today - More on Web than America - But Watch What You Say

The irony that from ancient Chinese antiques history, when the Economist says China was by far the richest nation in the world. Marco Polo was thought mad for all his wild stories of this fabled land, even though diamonds and gemstones, riches and silks that he wore ten layers thick under his beggars poor coat. There was also this advance in civilization called gunpowder, which was to change Europe forever. In fact, the first use of gunpowder in Europe was not so far from Venice, over in those always feuding Balkin areas. Some genius filled a long narrow church bell with hard things and gunpowder and turned it sideways, and wicked it, lit it, again and again, and call me George or Dick but the... Read more »

Free Tibet by Boycotting Chinese Goods, Olympic Advertisers and the Olympics

The timing could not have been worse or better depending on one’s perspective despite the efforts of the Chinese Communist Party to pull out all the stops to make sure the upcoming Summer Olympics is a great show. Too bad. It’s certainly hard to penalize the athletes that have worked so hard but the Olympic Committee knew when they picked China this might happen and the Committee should have known better. The Committee was obviously trying to make a political statement by saying ’see, all is well in China.’ But all is not well... Read more »

Healthy Lifestyles, Unhealthy Evolutions - Idealist Chairman Mao to Now

Healthy lifestyles would not have suggested you be a capitalist in 1948 Shanghai when Chairman Mao came to power. And history well knows indeed, for the decade to succeed, it was off with their lives, a million bullets a month, for those months to proceed. By 1950, the Panda was so secure in its new throne, while North Korea was a distraction, it took over Tibet. And while we all huffed and we puffed, and defended Seoul to the end. Korea, unlike far away Tibet, was on a peninsula so easy to defend. Our navy supreme, it would be impossible, obscene, that we be thrown back into the sea at that small south eastern... Read more »

Greek Antiques Democracy - Now In Bhutan, Right Beside Tibet

What a day of irony on the international news from London! From the hopes of Greek antiques democracy, the torch being lit in Olympus near Athens, to views of Chinese police in Tibet walking the streets, running at and hitting to the ground any saffron robed young man. And then just now to election which have today concluded in Bhutan, the mountain kingdom just over those very high hills from Tibet. In fact, I noticed, in seeing the long lines of peoples of Bhutan lining up to vote, they are mostly a Chinese people here, even on this divide of the mountains. I suspect there is a mountain pass here, as in contrast the next door neighbors in Nepal seem more of India. Which then makes this sad contrast even more enlightening. When in 1950 China under Chairman Mao... Read more »

Chinese Antiques, Modern China - The Children Show The Way

The British television show I have been watching the past several days has had our camera man and an interpreter follow and listen two young lads through their day, at home and at school. They are unhappy with each other, and we see on the screen what they are saying as they speak. The slightly taller boy is the Hall Monitor, and the other boy says he speaks for the others when he asks the Hall Monitor to not pull them by their shirts, but speak to them. The hall monitor is fending off these remarks very quickly with defensive remarks. Surely, they can all straighten their shirts, what is the problem, if he is not strict they do not pay attention. And the smaller boy shouts that is not right and when he does that he is being a bully, and a dictator,... Read more »