Communist Kings and Facist Presidents to be

The aftermath of NK's bombing of a SK island.

It may have been a long time since I bothered to write a blog post, in yet another fantastic display of apathy, but the world hasn't stood still in the mean time. It never does of course. Things are heating up and new dangers are brewing, the calamities of tomorrow are that much closer to being today.

I hope (not too optimistically) that you have all heard of North Korea's unprovoked attack on South Korea. The communist regime recently shelled Yeonpyeong island near the countries’ disputed maritime border last week, killing four people. The reasons for this are quite obvious, the country is suffering from an impoverished economy due to economic sanctions and mismanagement. Furthermore South Korea has recently stopped sending aid north in accordance with international sanctions. The reason for the sanctions in case you are wondering is because North Korea insists on developing nuclear weapons and testing missiles.

South Korea has vowed to bombard North Korea with air strikes if the rogue communist state launches another unprovoked attack.Kim Kwan-jin, South Korea’s new defence minister, outlined the tough stance in parliament yesterday.Mr Kim said he does not think North Korea is ready to launch a full-scale war, due to its crippled economy and the transfer of power from leader Kim Jong-il to his son, Kim Jong-un. However South Korea’s spy chief has said another northern attack is likely as tensions continue to grow.

North Korea is very much the problem of today. A permanent solution to the country is difficult to see so don't hold your breath waiting to hear about one.

I've said before that if any Western nation was to slide into fascism it would be the USA. Forget all the land of the free rhetoric, the history of the US is liberally covered in racial discrimination, war based on race, propaganda and no regard for human rights to name but a few. No where is this more personified than in the person of Sarah Palin.

We all know the woman is pretty stupid, just last week she said in a radio interview: “Obviously, we gotta stand with our North Korean allies.”. But she is gifted that with that creepy cunning so many right wing extremists seem gifted with.

She clearly has a head for business or at least employs someone who does. Palin has converted her two months of fame as John McCain’s running-mate in 2008 into a global brand and a fast-growing fortune. Her earnings are private, but her first book, “Going Rogue”, was a runaway bestseller and may have netted her $7m or more. Though I seem to recall another scary right wing extremist who wrote a book...  She is said to earn about $100,000 per speech, and her multi-year broadcasting deal with Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News reputedly earns her $1m a year. 

 She is bold: she embraced the Tea Party, though a nastier little neo facist group I cannot think of, well before their impact became obvious. She is innovative: she has perfected the art of using the new social media to reach over the heads of a hostile press, again much like Hitler. And for all that she lacks the fluency of a Barack Obama, she is a natural communicator. Her Facebook post on “death panels” altered the national debate on health reform. When she asked “How’s that hopey changey thing working out for ya?”, she encapsulated many people’s doubts about their president.  She helped put ratification of the new START treaty on hold. She even turned the president’s articulateness into a weapon against him. “We need a commander-in-chief, not a professor of law,” she told a tea-party convention in Nashville. The idea of Palin as commander-in-chief (President) should scare anyone, remember she once said she could see Russia from Alaska?

Fortunately for the world and for America, it will be very hard for anyone so divisive to win a presidential election. Mr McCain points out that Ronald Reagan, too, was accused of being divisive. But the Reagan was popular among blue-collar Democrats as well as his own party. One poll said only 8% of Democrats have a favourable view of her. Another reported that 34% of Americans saw her “very unfavourably”. She says she can beat Mr Obama, but for as long as those numbers hold nothing would suit him better than for the Republicans to choose her as their nominee for 2012. Though what it says about anyone who would support her candidacy I leave to you.

So. Things aren't all that rosy. This is just the tip of the iceberg of course. Ireland and Greece need bailing out by the EU. The wikileaks is creating a storm, even if its contents aren't that surprising. But then all things considered it could be much much worse. One thing before I sign off. You all oppose the increase in student tuition right? Have you ever read the Browne report? If not your opinion might not be as in the right as you think it is.

Be Casual. Be Happy.