Democracy in Peril

Reporting contributed by Maïa de la Baume and Scott Sayare

What the Hell is happening to Democracy, the First Amendment and the entire Constitution of the United States of America. The whole system is in disarray and in close relation to total collapse.

America has been in a witch hunt lately over leaked diplomatic cables from embassies and ambassadors, regarding world leaders from many different countries. Things have been said behind closed doors, things that we have always suspected, and now WikiLeaks has come in possession of some of those remarks, and published them through different media outlets.

If the founder of WikiLeaks is guilty of any crime, so are the medium outlets that are publishing those leaked cables. What is interesting though, is the following article from the New York Times, which I will quote in entirety.

“PARIS — The United States considers itself a shining beacon of democracy and openness, but for many Europeans Washington’s fierce reaction to the flood of secret diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks displays imperial arrogance and hypocrisy, indicating a post-9/11 obsession with secrecy that contradicts American principles.

While the Obama Administration has done nothing in the courts to block the publication of any of the leaked documents, or even, as of yet, tried to indict WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for any crime, American officials and politicians have been widely condemned in the European news media for calling the leaks everything from “terrorism” (Rep. Peter T. King, Rep.-New York) to “an attack against the international community” (Secretary of State Hillary Clinton). Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates called the arrest of Mr. Assange on separate rape charges “good news,” while Sarah Palin called for him to be hunted as an “anti-American operative with blood on his hands” and Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate, said that he should be executed.

For Seumas Milne of The Guardian in London, which has shared the latest WikiLeaks trove with The New York Times, the official American reaction “is tipping over towards derangement.” Most of the leaks are of low-level diplomatic cables, he noted, while concluding: “Not much truck with freedom of information, then, in the land of the free.”

John Naughton, writing in the same British paper, decried the attack on the openness of the Internet and the pressure on companies like Amazon and eBay to evict the WikiLeaks site. “The response has been vicious, coordinated and potentially comprehensive,” he said, and presents a “delicious irony” that “it is now the so-called liberal democracies that are clamoring to shut WikiLeaks down.”

A year ago, he noted, Mrs. Clinton made a major speech about Internet freedom, interpreted as a rebuke to China’s cyber-attack on Google. “Even in authoritarian countries, information networks are helping people to discover new facts and making governments more accountable.” To Mr. Naughton now, “that Clinton speech reads like a satirical masterpiece.”

The Russians missed no opportunity to criticize Washington over the leaks. On Thursday, in Moscow, Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin said that the West had no right to preach to Russia about democracy. Asked about cables depicting him as the “alpha-dog” boss of a corrupt and undemocratic bureaucracy, he said: “Do you think the American diplomatic service is a crystal clean source of information?”

Mr. Putin then criticized the arrest of Mr. Assange. “If it is full democracy, then why have they hidden Mr. Assange in prison? That’s what, democracy?” Mr. Putin asked.

“So, you know, as we say in the village, some people’s cows can moo, but yours should keep quiet. So I would like to shoot the puck back at our American colleagues,” he said.

German newspapers were similarly harsh. Even the Financial Times Deutschland (independent of the English-language Financial Times), said that “the already damaged reputation of the United States will only be further tattered with Assange’s new martyr status. And whether or not the openly embraced hope of the U.S. government that along with Assange, WikiLeaks will disappear from the scene, is questionable.”

Mr. Assange is being hounded, the paper said, “even though no one can explain what crimes Assange allegedly committed with the publication of the secret documents, or why publication by WikiLeaks was an offense, and in The New York Times, it was not.”

The leftish Berliner Zeitung wrote that Washington’s reputation has been damaged by the leaks. But the reputation of U.S. leaders “is being damaged much more right now as they attempt — with all their means — to muzzle WikiLeaks” and Mr. Assange. They are the first, the the paper claimed, to have “used the power of the Internet against the United States. That is why they are being mercilessly pursued. That is why the government is betraying one of the principles of democracy.”

The Berliner Zeitung continued: “The U.S. is betraying one of its founding myths: freedom of information. And they are doing so now, because for the first time since the end of the Cold War, they are threatened with losing worldwide control of information.”

Nicole Bacharan, a scholar of the United States at the Institut d’Études Politiques, said that in France, “there is a fracture between those who consider that American diplomacy is efficient and understands the world and has a positive influence and those who are distrustful of the objectives of that diplomacy.” What struck her most, she said, is that “pro-Americans have been harsher than the anti-Americans here.”

But Renaud Girard, a respected reporter for the center-right Le Figaro, said that he was impressed by the generally high quality of the American diplomatic corps. “What is most fascinating is that we see no cynicism in U.S. diplomacy,” he said. “They really believe in human rights in African and China and Russia and Asia. They really believe in democracy and human rights. People accuse the Americans of double standards all the time. But it’s not true here. If anything, the diplomats are almost naïve, and I don’t think these leaks will jeopardize the United States. Most will see the diplomats as honest, sincere and not so cynical.” Even Laurent Joffrin, the editor of the leftist daily Libération, defended the right to diplomatic secrecy and said one must reflect on a “demand for transparency at any price.” States must have secrets, he said, so long as they have oversight from elected representatives. “It is a paradox to see WikiLeaks concentrate its attacks essentially on democracies,” Mr. Joffrin said. “And it is rather comforting to see that the secret exchanges of the great diplomatic powers are very little different in content from what they say in public.”

The strongest attack on WikiLeaks came from Figaro’s editor, Étienne Mougeotte, who called the publication of cables like the one listing sites considered strategic by Washington “a precious gift” to terrorists. The leaks, he said, serve “those who decided to harm American power, to destabilize the world’s large industrial nations, to put in place a maximum of disorder in international relations.”

Mr. Assange, he wrote, “is not the kind, righter of wrongs of the Web that some have wished to present to us – he is at best a dangerous, irresponsible man, or at worst a perverse delinquent.”

Russian officials, above all, seem to be delighting in the Americans’ embarrassment, with some suggesting that Mr. Assange get the Nobel Peace Prize. Dmitry Rogozin, Russia’s cheeky and quotable ambassador to NATO, suggested that Mr. Assange’s arrest demonstrated that there was “no media freedom” in the West. His “fate,” Mr. Rogozin opined, amounted to “political persecution” and a disregard for human rights.”

Reporting contributed by Maïa de la Baume and Scott Sayare.

And then there is this article…..

“THE Australian lawyer for Julian Assange has written to the Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, asking him to take action against prominent North American figures calling for Mr Assange to be harmed.

Robert Stary, pictured, has requested that Mr McClelland order the investigation of those who may have broken part 5.4 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code which prohibits a person, here or overseas, deliberately or recklessly causing physical harm or harm to a person's mental health.

Sources close to Mr Assange have concerns for his mental health due to his rising anxiety that he may be assassinated.

An adviser to Canada's Prime Minister, Tom Flanagan, has said lightly Mr Assange ''should be assassinated''.

''The government should be clear to their American counterparts that threats against Mr Assange's life will be taken seriously by this country,'' Mr Stary said.”

Poor old Gerry Harvey! Is headed for the poor farm and welfare payments? He told shareholders that this Christmas the retail sector of Harvey Normans retail chain would be down, compared to last year. I guess this has to do with people shopping online and getting better deals that what they can get at their local Harvey Norman store.

Now Gerry Harvey wants the federal government to put a 10% GST on all items purchased online from overseas.

I am not against hard working, smart investors making millions of dollars, but seriously Gerry, why not share the wealth!

The problem I have always found with millionaires is that when they open their eyes first thing in the morning, their first thought is, "How can I make another dollar today?" I find that very sad.

Gerry, if you really want to win shoppers this Christmas, then lower your prices and become competitive with online retailers. A simple solution that I find amazing you haven't already thought of this.

Oh and by the way Gerry, do you remember an interview in 2008 where you described giving charity to the homeless as "a waste", and went on to say that it was "helping a whole heap of no-hopers to survive for no good reason".

Of course you did go on to qualify that remark by stating you believe in helping "develop people to their potential", because, "when they achieve [their potential] they will put a lot more back into the community"..

What a load of bullshit Mr Harvey, but Merry Christmas anyway....

About a decade ago…..

How did Australia lose the status of flavor of the month with overseas visitors? It was sometime shortly after Paul Hogan stopped throwing shrimp on the Barbie that Australian tourism hit a brick wall.

Clive Dorman wrote in a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald, “In online forums during the past year, many Australians have expressed dissatisfaction with what they regard as high prices, poor value for money and poor customer service in Australia.” I believe he is referring to the domestic market. He also concedes “Australian tourism has hit rock-bottom. Like an addict looking for a road to recovery, the industry finally conceded last week there is a problem.”

Oh really!

The federal governments Tourism Research Australia agency released a report, “State of the Industry”, which sited, tourism to Australia and within Australia was headed for the pits more than 10 years ago.

Oh really!

What is really tragic is that tourists from around the globe still rate Australia as one place on their’ bucket list’. Tourism Australia managing director, Andrew McEvoy wants to double the spending, from $70 billion to $140 billion dollars. He actually believes doubling the expenditure is the aim; he also believes that building luxury accommodation is the answer. Let state here and now, you, Andrew, are unequivocally wrong. Just because you love luxury accommodation doesn’t mean everyone visiting Australia can afford it, or wants it. (And your accommodation is probably paid for by the government anyway!) What about the Northern Territory and northwest Western Australia, where tourism numbers are steadily growing with outback adventures.

Let’s look at the figures:

· Australians traveling to overseas destinations increased by 80%

· Domestic visitor nights have fallen 13%

Now, to achieve the goal of a new strategic approach, in other words turn these figures around, Australian tourism will need a massive turnaround from virtually zero growth, low investment and low returns, according to a report by Tourism Research Australia (I would like to know where they are going to find investor that will accept a low return for their input. All my millionaire friends certainly wouldn’t.) It seems people at Tourism Australia actually believe that an increase of 50,000 hotel rooms (across Australia), will increase annual growth of about 7.5 per cent in overnight expenditure for the next decade.

(I would like to know where they are going to find investor that will accept a low return for their input. All my millionaire friends certainly wouldn’t.)

Let me tell you now, this will only help in a very small way. What needs to happen, workers in the tourism and hospitality industry need to be properly trained, be more professional in their approach to their positions and give more of their Australian personality to the clients?

Southeast Asia increases their tourism revenue each year, by giving top service, even at the lowest levels. Okay, so your argument is, “but the wages in Southeast Asian countries are so small, if we gave that sort of attention, wages of Australian workers would be prohibitive, so that in Australia, tourism operators would go broke very quickly”. I don’t for one moment believe that argument! If you give exceptional service to your clients, they will reciprocate financially to your efforts. I have found that arguments over remuneration for services only happen when the service is mediocre or really bad. In online forums during the past year, many Australians have expressed dissatisfaction with what they regard as high prices, poor value for money and poor customer service in Australia.

Then Tourism Australia chooses a slogan with the negative word “nothing” in it, “There is nothing like Australia…” They are certainly right about that! The Victorians wasted money building a 5 star resort that has recently fallen into receivership and Andrew McEvoy wants 50,000 more deluxe rooms built?

Christopher Brown, head of the Tourism Task Force also says Australia needs an expanded aviation capacity, but with Qantas being protected on many routes, I cannot see that happening in the near future. Qantas needs to get rid of their fears of competition, and realize competition is healthy and good for the traveling public. It is true that Australia needs unique and authentic experiences for the overseas traveler if operators are to reach a higher target and better revenue.

But I want to end this blog with this comment, which I find shocking, This grand plan to increase tourism and revenue in tourism related industries, does not directly address the concerns of domestic travelers, who contribute about three-quarters of the industry's $93 billion annual revenue.

It is a time for a changing of the guard at Australian Tourism, time to get fresh blood, fresh innovative ideas that will address the problems of Australian tourism, both internationally and domestically. Get rid of the cocktail sucking hangers on, the deadwood, and get some real work done by someone who is interested in what they are doing, instead of what freebies there are on offer.

On my world travels I have found a large amount of people that want to come to Australia, it has long been their dream. Let us look at how we can help them realise their dreams.

The G20 Summit has ended with really no results for Barack Obama. Pundits are saying he has lost his appeal to a severe degree on the international stage, because a free trade agreement could not be worked out with the Republic Of South Korea. I cannot blame the American president for wanting to insure more jobs, through exports, for the US workers.

Farmers and auto workers are the big losers if a agreement cannot be worked out.
The last thing Obama did before he left Korea was to blame China for devaluing their currancy, the Yuan (RMB). But isn't this exactly what the American government is doing, by buying more treasury bonds (printing 3 trillion more dollars). How does this move help the current financial situation?

Answer: It doesn't!

My prediction is, towards the end of 2011, into 2012, the world will go into a depression, with consequences worse than the great depression of the 20's. Inflation will more than quadruple, unemployment with reach 50%, crime will increase 300 fold and people on the streets of America will starve, ranking America, for the first time, a third world country.

Now is the time for world leaders to come to the realisation that if they just continue to sit back and do nothing, the world we know today, will end for many people.

I hope this prediction never comes true, but all I can now do is what world leaders are doing, waiting to see what will happen. These leaders need to do more.

How much more? Whatever it takes!

Banks are the bane of society, necessary but evil! The managers and board members forget what it is like to be a struggling human, one who lives payday to payday. Oh, they will tell you that it is not a good life, doing that, that you need to have money in the bank to back up your dreams and wishes.

But no matter what country in the world you live in, banks are the ruin of many people, families and businesses. Exorbitant charges, low interest paid on your savings and no interest paid on your checking account, yet banks charge like the old proverbial wounded bull, if you require their services.

Yet you have to ask, who is responsible for the world financial crisis we are experiencing? Easy answer, the Government and Banks! It does not matter if you live in Australia or the United States; banks are the bane of society.

The head of the Commonwealth Bank in Australia, Mr. Norris, makes $A16 million each year, yet, he made the decision (I will say it again..."He made the decision") to raise interest rates well above the government recommendation. Stating that he knows the average household will have a hard time finding the extra money for the new payment schedules, he claims the only way his bank can stay viable is to hurt the little battler.

This Norris guy comes from New Zealand, where he grew up in a housing commission flat, but he seems to forget his upbringing, how his parents must have scrambled to make ends meet. Well good on ya Mr. Norris, for making it in the big city, but shame on you for hurting the people that keep you bank afloat. I can only hope you lose enough customers that you may be forced to take a (heaven forbid) pay cut.

The Sydney Morning Herald wrote, “Commonwealth Bank shocked borrowers by lifting their mortgage rate 45 basis points, almost double the level of the Reserve Bank's 25 basis point increase, last week. The three remaining major Banks in Australia. The ANZ Bank, National Australia Bank, and Westpac have not announced their moves.”

What is life like living in a third world country?

In this country, in the past 6 months, two different elections have been held, the first to elect a new president and government for the country. The most recent election was for a new local government. The local elections are very important as councilors are elected and these are the people that make the real decisions on what is happening in their Barangay (council area). Although voting is not mandatory, almost everyone turns up at the polls so they can have their say. The only problem with this is, if the person you are standing next to doesn't like what you have to say, they may just pull out a gun and shoot you dead for having a opinion they don't share. Every election there are many people gunned down, along with their supporters.

Pollution is terrible, not only from transport vehicles, but from wood fires and garbage fires. Let me explain garbage fires. The Lapu Lapu council does not have regular waste removal. So the trash builds up on the side of the roads. These people do not care about aesthetics, they litter everywhere. But some do care and decide to burn all their refuse, diapers, plastic bottles and everything else that contains deadly chemical mixes which are released when fired. The waterways are choked with plastic bags and litter, so much so that when it rains the backup causes floods across main roads and other low lying areas.

The electricity is interrupted for a couple of hours each day as supply from the main power plants in Manila runs short. The average citizen does not have air conditioning or refrigeration, so it matters little to them. Traffic enforcers control the flow of traffic, whether there are traffic lights or not, and the majority of them are not very good at their jobs. In any case, traffic lights are not regulated, you may get a 30 second green light followed by a 7 minute red light. There is certainly no sense to traffic flow in this country and drivers are really reckless. I had the experience of a minor mishap a couple of weeks ago, where a taxi swerved into the land my taxi was speeding down. They collided, but no names or other information was exchanged, both drivers cursed the other, then drove off to continue their business. When I tried to explain to my driver the accident would not have happened if he had not been speeding, he immediately went quiet and upon reaching my destination wanted to charge me extra for the entertainment.

Small children dodge traffic to beg for small coins so they can buy rice. I tried to help one organisation, telling them I would contribute a 50 kg bag of rice every month to help feed these orphans, but they never got back to me. I have friends in America that wanted to help by sending donations to help these kids, but the Christian Charity never got back to me. After 3 attempts to help, I finally gave up. You can only chase a snowball so long before it melts.

I recently had two cameras stolen, a Canon EOS 50D and a Canon SX20IS, worth about $US2000. I reported it to the police who really did not give a hoot in hell about my loss. Crime is at an all time high and has been for quite some time. Graft and corruption run rampant through all government offices, except for maybe the new president, who is vowing to address the problem. Let's just hope somebody doesn't buy him out in the meantime.

With all the crap we put up with it is still worth living here, in this nation of 7000 islands.

I want to publish this article that was in the New York Times on the 26th of September. I believe it epitomizes exactly what I think about the political situation between the United States and China. More cooperation between these two super powers is definitely needed, here is the article (as published):

"WASHINGTON — The Obama administration, facing a vexed relationship with China on exchange rates, trade and security issues, is stiffening its approach toward Beijing, seeking allies to confront a newly assertive power that officials now say has little intention of working with the United States.

In a shift from its assiduous one-on-one courtship of Beijing, the administration is trying to line up coalitions — among China’s next-door neighbors and far-flung trading partners — to present Chinese leaders with a unified front on thorny issues like the currency and their country’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The advantages and limitations of this new approach were on display over the weekend at a meeting of the world’s largest economies in South Korea. The United States won support for a concrete pledge to reduce trade imbalances, which will put more pressure on China to allow its currency to rise in value.

But Germany, Italy and Russia balked at an American proposal to place numerical limits on these imbalances, a step that would have further isolated Beijing. That left the Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, to make an unscheduled stop in China on his way home from South Korea to discuss the deepening tensions over exchange rates with a top Chinese finance official.

Administration officials speak of an alarming loss of trust and confidence between China and the United States over the past two years, forcing them to scale back hopes of working with the Chinese on major challenges like climate change, nuclear nonproliferation and a new global economic order.

The latest source of tension is over reports that China is withholding shipments of rare-earth minerals, which the United States uses to make advanced equipment like guided missiles. Administration officials, clearly worried, said they did not know whether Beijing’s motivation was strategic or economic.

“This administration came in with one dominant idea: make China a global partner in facing global challenges,” said David Shambaugh, director of the China policy program at George Washington University. “China failed to step up and play that role. Now, they realize they’re dealing with an increasingly narrow-minded, self-interested, truculent, hyper-nationalist and powerful country.”

To counter what some officials view as a surge of Chinese triumphalism, the United States is reinvigorating cold-war alliances with Japan and South Korea, and shoring up its presence elsewhere in Asia. This week, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will visit Vietnam for the second time in four months, to attend an East Asian summit meeting likely to be dominated by the China questions.

Next month, President Obama plans to tour four major Asian democracies — Japan, Indonesia, India and South Korea — while bypassing China. The itinerary is not meant as a snub: Mr. Obama has already been to Beijing once, and his visit to Indonesia has long been delayed. But the symbolism is not lost on administration officials.

Jeffrey A. Bader, a major China policy adviser in the White House, said China’s muscle-flexing became especially noticeable after the 2008 economic crisis, in part because Beijing’s faster rebound led to a “widespread judgment that the U.S. was a declining power and that China was a rising power.”

But the administration, he said, is determined “to effectively counteract that impression by renewing American leadership.”

Political factors at home have contributed to the administration’s tougher posture. With the economy sputtering and unemployment high, Beijing has become an all-purpose target. In this Congressional election season, candidates in at least 30 races are demonizing China as a threat to American jobs.

At a time of partisan paralysis in Congress, anger over China’s currency has been one of the few areas of bipartisan agreement, culminating in the House’s overwhelming vote in September to threaten China with tariffs on its exports if Beijing did not let its currency, the renminbi, appreciate.

The trouble is that China’s own domestic forces may cause it to dig in its heels. With the Communist Party embarking on a transfer of leadership from President Hu Jintao to his anointed successor, Xi Jinping, the leadership is wary of changes that could hobble China’s growth.

There are also increasingly sharp divisions between China’s civilian leaders and elements of the People’s Liberation Army. Many Chinese military officers are openly hostile toward the United States, convinced that its recent naval exercises in the Yellow Sea amount to a policy of encircling China.

Even the administration’s efforts to collaborate with China on climate change and nonproliferation are viewed with suspicion by some in Beijing.

Mr. Obama’s aides, many of them veterans of the Clinton years, understand that especially on economic issues, there are elements of brinkmanship in the relationship, which can imply more acrimony than actually exists.

But the White House was concerned enough that last month it sent a high-level delegation to Beijing that included Mr. Bader; Lawrence H. Summers, the departing director of the National Economic Council; and Thomas E. Donilon, who has since been named national security adviser.
“We were struck by the seriousness with which they shared our commitment to managing differences and recognizing that our two countries were going to have a very large effect on the global economy,” Mr. Summers said.

Just before the meeting, China began allowing the renminbi to rise at a somewhat faster rate, though its total appreciation, since Beijing announced in June that it would loosen exchange-rate controls, still amounts to less than 3 percent. Economists estimate that the currency is undervalued by at least 20 percent.

Meanwhile, trade tensions between the two sides are flaring anew. The administration recently agreed to investigate charges by the United Steelworkers that China is violating trade laws with its state support of clean-energy technologies. That prompted China’s top energy official, Zhang Guobao, to accuse the administration of trying to win votes — a barb that angered White House officials.

Of the halt in shipments of rare-earth minerals, Mr. Summers said, “There are serious questions, both in the economic and in the strategy realm, that are going to require close study within our government.”

Beijing had earlier withheld these shipments to Japan, after a spat over a Chinese fishing vessel that collided with Japanese patrol boats near disputed islands. It was one of several recent provocative moves by Beijing toward its neighbors — including one that prompted the administration to enter the fray.

In Hanoi in July, Mrs. Clinton said the United States would help facilitate talks between Beijing and its neighbors over disputed islands in the South China Sea. Chinese officials were livid when it became clear that the United States had lined up 12 countries behind the American position.

With President Hu set to visit Washington early next year, administration officials said Mrs. Clinton would strike a more harmonious note in Asia this week. For now, they said, the United States feels it has made its point.

“The signal to Beijing ought to be clear,” Mr. Shambaugh said. “The U.S. has other closer, deeper friends in the region.”

China’s main Communist Party newspaper bluntly rejected calls for speedier political reform on Wednesday, publishing a front-page commentary that said any changes in China’s political system should not emulate Western democracies, but “consolidate the party’s leadership so that the party commands the overall situation.”
Related

The opinion article in People’s Daily, signed with what appeared to be a pseudonym, appeared at least obliquely aimed at Prime MinisterWen Jiabao. He has argued in speeches and media interviews that China’s economic progress threatens to stall without systemic reforms, including an independent judiciary, greater oversight of government by the press and improvements in China’s sharply limited form of elections.

One has to remember that the United States of America does not rule the world, although they give it a damn good try. America must remember that democracy is not wanted by every country on this planet.

Many years ago, when I was growing up, our parents used the term, ‘Reds under the bed”, a fear instilling remark that made us glad we were born and raised in America instead of Russia or China. The word communism was bantered about to keep us aware the United States was the best country in the world. We shivered at the thought of communism. But it seems things have gone full circle. Now, democracy is bantered around the world, with children quaking with fear. Democracy is the only thing currently to be feared, especially if you live in a third world country, but I will tell you, democracy does not work in all countries. Although India has elections, they by no means are a democracy, same with Pakistan. Burma, Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam would certainly not welcome democratic reform.

One thing that always irritated me is the phrase Americans use for their president, “Leader of the Free World”. That is a phrase that is totally hated by foreigners of the United States. I personally really despise that saying. I am Australian as well as American, a duel national, and I choose to live in Australia. We are a free country with a very strong economy and our own leader. I have lived in the Philippines; they are a democracy and a member of the free world and have their own leader. The British, I am sure, would not like to think of the American president as their leader.

Many years ago, when the Soviet Union collapsed, Russia tried Capitalism. They wanted to emulate the west, namely America. It failed miserably. Now it looks as though democracy is even failing in the United States. The financial system is in ruins, promises that cannot possibly be kept, are being made to the population, money is being printed at the quickest rate in America’s history, housing foreclosures are at a record high and unemployment is very high .

The US Dollar is in crisis, the deficit is the largest in America’s history and the US is trying to dictate to China and other countries what they should do with their currency and how to run their country. At this time in history, America must run their own country to its fullest capacity and not worry about other countries. Right or wrong, these other countries will run themselves, good or bad, right or wrong, with or without corruption, with or without human rights. Yes, human rights would be a God send if leaders of other countries believed in them, but not everyone does. That is very much a reality.

Other countries do not want America interfering with their domestic politics. Not at all! America would be better off correcting their own domestic problems before attacking other countries practices. Yes, human rights would be a God send if leaders of other countries believed in them, but not everyone does. And why is the United States fighting on two fronts? Wouldn’t the money being spent on wars far from the shores of America be better off spent on education reforms, social security and health care (just to name a few).

An article in the Chinese newspaper People’s Daily suggests China’s main Communist Party bluntly reject calls for speedier political reform. A front-page commentary that said any changes in China’s political system should not emulate Western democracies, but “consolidate the party’s leadership so that the party commands the overall situation.”

The opinion article was aimed at Prime Minister Wen Jiabo. Wen Jiabo has argued in speeches and media interviews that China’s economic progress threatens to stall without systemic reforms, including an independent judiciary, greater oversight of government by the press and improvements in China’s sharply limited form of elections. But in no means does this mean democracy has a place in any reform. Democracy simply would not work in China.

Sad but true, America is in big, big trouble! But empires come and go, i.e., the Roman Empire, Assyrian, Babylonian, Cho son, Egyptian, Greek, Hittite, Minoan, Persian, Phoenician, Shang, Sumerian and Yamato, the British Empire, etc, etc, etc. The real problem is, the people of America do not think it can happen to them. How ignorant can a nation of people be! I feel sorry for the average American, because when it all comes tumbling down around their ears, they will wonder why they were kept in the dark.

Take the time to have a close look at my favourite, red blooded, all Australian women. Nicole Kidman, Sophie Monk and Nikki Webster. WOW! It would seem I have no preference in age.

Australia is certainly the land of plenty as there are thousands upon thousands of beautiful women that grace the shores and countryside of this remote island continent.

If you get a chance to travel downunder, welcome. I am sure you will not be disappointed.

Prince Walid bin Talal with Thomas Enders, chief of Airbus. Just how much money does one person need in life…..

The price of crude oil extended its slide today after a prominent energy group lowered its estimate for worldwide oil demand, saying high prices were harming consumption.Oil fell $3.45, or 3.7 percent, to $91.17 a barrel in New York. Last week, oil futures reached a high of $98.62 a barrel. Oil prices, which have more than quadrupled over the last four years, are close to the historic record of $101.70 a barrel from April 1980 after adjusting for inflation.

High crude oil prices are helping sales of new, more fuel efficient models such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. The Middle East's largest low-cost carrier, Air Arabia, along with Saudi Arabian Airlines and Oman Air, have announced deals for Airbus planes worth a combined $6 billion this week.

Prince Walid bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, the world’s 13th-richest man, will soon be able to claim the bragging rights to the world’s largest private jet. Putting an end to months of speculation, Airbus announced Monday that the Saudi billionaire had become the first VIP customer for the A380 superjumbo jet, the winged colossus that the European plane maker prices at just over $300 million.

Reportedly, Airbus and Boeing did deals in Dubai topping more than $83 US billion dollars at the weekend.

Prince Walid, who currently makes do with a customized Boeing 747-400, signed the contract for a new flying palace at a ceremony with senior Airbus executives at the Dubai air show.

He expects to take delivery in 2010.

With its 240-foot double-deck fuselage and 262-foot wingspan, the 560-ton A380 dwarfs the rides of the world’s most powerful leaders. In comparison, Air Force One, the presidential jet, is a relatively modest conveyance, a Boeing 747-200 weighing just 333 tons.

“This is a very overt sign of the tremendous wealth that’s being created in the Middle East these days,” said Doug McVitie, managing director of Arran Aerospace, a consultancy in Dinan, France. With oil prices edging toward $100 a barrel, he said, building private jumbo jets for Arab customers “is definitely a growing market.”

Saudi Arabia may be the biggest oil-producing nation, but oil is not the main source of Prince Walid’s fortune, which Forbes magazine estimates to be $20.3 billion. The prince, 52, controls Kingdom Holding, an enterprise with stakes in scores of blue-chip companies, like Citigroup, the News Corporation, and the Walt Disney Company. The company, based in Riyadh, also owns stakes in some of the world’s most prestigious hotels, including the George V in Paris and the Savoy in London.

The company’s computer models include a bedroom, office, bathroom and “wellness area” in the back of the plane’s upper deck, along with two guest rooms equipped with showers. A private lounge with numerous divans as well as a modern galley and buffet are laid out in the front section.

The main deck is reserved for meeting rooms, a dining room, and a spacious royal lounge. The rear section would feature first- and business-class style seats for courtiers, advisers and other staff.

Industry analysts estimate that manufacturers produce as many as 1,000 private airliners a year, with sales during the next decade predicted to reach as much as $200 billion.

But most of the planes are relatively small craft made by the likes of Cessna, Gulfstream, and Dassault, which sell for around $2 million to $5 million. Both Airbus and Boeing offer VIP versions of the A320 and the 737, which sell for around $70 million.

With its 6,460 square feet of floor space, customizing an A380 for private use represents a significant investment in itself. The $300 million Airbus price tag does not include the cost of the plane’s interiors, which can run into hundreds of millions of dollars, limited only by a buyer’s own extravagance.

“The very size of the A380 allows the VIP to customize the airplane and to spend far more on the interior than on the aircraft itself,” Mr. McVitie said. “It’s a huge canvas to work with.”
Prince Walid reportedly travels with an average entourage of around 50 people — far fewer than the nearly 900 seats that can be squeezed into an A380 with an all-economy class configuration.

The head of Airbus said Monday he expects a record year for orders and deliveries despite a weak dollar and delays to its A380 superjumbo plane.

The state-owned Dubai Aerospace Enterprise announced on Monday at the air show that it would buy 100 Airbus planes for $13.5 billion.

Dubai Aerospace, which develops airports and leases and finances aircraft, also said it would buy 100 aircraft from Boeing, a rival of Airbus, in a deal worth $13.7 billion. That order comprises 70 Boeing 737s and 30 wide-body aircraft, Boeing said. The wide-body fleet will be split among 787s, 777s and the freighter 747s. The price incorporates a deal with General Electric, for engines, valued at more than $1.9 billion (1.29 billion Euros).

The Emirates-based low-cost carrier Air Arabia said it would buy up to 49 Airbus A320 aircraft in a deal worth $3.5 billion. It signed a contract for 34 aircraft with an option for 15 more.