Category: Politics & government

Categories
Economics Politics & government

[1083] Of passing the buck too quickly

Earlier at BBC News, I read on how President Bush is planning to reduce the US budget deficit:

US President George W Bush has said his forthcoming budget plans will seek to curb domestic spending.

“Cutting the deficit during a time of war requires us to restrain spending in other areas,” Mr Bush said in his weekly radio address.

He said his plans for the next fiscal year would show that his aim of erasing the deficit by 2012 could be achieved without giving up tax cuts.

I beginning to notice the in trend right now. Reduce fossil fuel consumption, reduce carbon emission, reduce budget deficit, etc, etc, after he steps down as the President.

I realize that there are issues that demand attention that spans several generations. Nevertheless, I cannot help but wonder if that is the case or it is simply Bush passing the buck.

Regardless, I think President Bush is trying to cut the wrong corners:

Mr Bush said the budget for the year starting in October 2007 would underline the need to tighten spending on domestic programmes – including on education, energy and health.

The Washington Post newspaper said domestic spending would increase by 1% – less than inflation.

Meanwhile military spending in Iraq and Afghanistan would increase.

Certain areas, especially education, are too critical to see spending tightening. At time when globalization is at nearly full steam, I do not think anybody could afford to cut spending on education. Not Malaysia. Not Egypt. Not the Netherlands. Not the United States.

If I were Bush, I would slow down on the military spending instead. The first step in reducing military spending is to avoid too many military conflicts.

Some might call this a gun and butter model. Maybe it is, to some extent.

Categories
Economics Liberty Politics & government

[1077] Of Malaysia-US FTA is under threat

With respect to the current negotiation on Malaysia-US FTA, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Democrat Tom Lantos made the most unhelpful comment:

The recently-announced oil and gas deal between Iran and Malaysia is equally abhorrent. That is why today I am sending a letter to our trade representative, Susan Schwab, requesting that all negotiations between the United States and Malaysia on a free trade agreement be suspended until Malaysia renounces this proposed deal.

According to Bernama, “abhorrent” deal refers to this:

Abdullah was reacting to a statement made by US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Lantos who demanded that US President George W. Bush suspend all FTA negotiations with Malaysia, in protest over the US$16 billion (RM57.6 billion) deal signed last month between Malaysia’s SKS Group and the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company.

All this is on top the fact that negotiation is tough:

A proposed Malaysia-U.S. free trade pact may falter if negotiators fail to make firm progress in bridging differences at a fifth round of talks next week, a U.S. official warned on Wednesday.

Negotiators will meet again for a week starting Monday in Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo island, where they will seek a compromise over opening up of Malaysia’s services and government contracts – two key hurdles to a deal – said Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Karan Bhatia.

Labor and environmental issues are also holding up talks, he said.

Further at Forbes by Associated Press :

Malaysia has warned it will drop free trade talks with the United States if it is asked to scrap a multi-billion-dollar gas deal with Iran, a news report said Friday.

[…]

In an angry reaction, Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz told Washington to stay out of Malaysia’s affairs and warned the government will not bow to any threats, the Malay-language Utusan Malaysia reported

While I am very keen of the Malaysia-US FTA, I have to agree with Rafidah Aziz. No one shall dictate Malaysian relationship with Iran. Besides, that oil and gas cooperation is not a government-to-government dealing.

Malaysia must have the liberty to forge relationship with anybody. It is our liberty and in my priority list, liberty sits higher than an FTA.

Despite that, I urge both the Malaysian and the American negotiators to ignore Lantos and realize a closer relationship between the two countries. It is only through trade could we guarantee our prosperity. In Kant’s words, “the spirit of trade cannot coexist with war.”

Further, what better way for Malaysia to get back at Lantos other than having a successful fair FTA?

Categories
Environment Politics & government

[1072] Of rebirth of environmentalism

Not too long ago, an essay entitled Death of Environmentalism was published. It is influential among greens for so many reasons. Now, like a phoenix, environmentalism, if it had died, is experiencing a rebirth in the United States. The green movement is regaining the popularity it once had.

One of the contributing factors for the rebirth is the support coming from the Republican party in the United State. According to The Economist:

Many factors lie behind the party’s shift. Most have to do not with sudden sentimentality in the face of Nature, but with national security (a motivation that lies, too, behind Ms Pelosi’s new committee and Mrs Clinton’s patriotic posturing). Fiscal hawks fret about the impact of growing oil imports on the dollar. Military types fear global conflict for dwindling resources in the event of catastrophic global warming. Neoconservatives worry about America’s dependence on oil imports from unstable if not openly hostile countries in Latin America and the Middle East. Some think the solution is simply to pump more oil at home, but others argue that America needs to move away from oil altogether. One such figure, Jim Woolsey, a former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, pointedly drives a Toyota Prius, a famously fuel-efficient car.

At the same time, a growing number of evangelical Christians are beginning to see global warming as a moral issue. They argue that mankind, as steward of God’s creation, has a duty to protect the environment. One outfit, the Evangelical Climate Initiative, encourages prominent pastors and theologians to sign a “Call to Action”. Another group, the Evangelical Environmental Network, runs a website called “What would Jesus drive?” Last year Pat Robertson, a prominent televangelist, told his flock, “We really need to address the burning of fossil fuels.”

I think modern environmentalism have undergone three revolutions. In my opinion, the three revolutions could be associated with certain personalities.

The first: John Muir.

Second: Rachel Carson.

Third and current: Al Gore.

Categories
Politics & government Society This blog WDYT

[1066] Of WDYT: BN in the next general election

I am testing two new plugins. So, let us begin!

In light of current development, if a general election is held in 2008, how many seats in term of percentage would Barisan Nasional control as the result of the election?

  • 80% or above (32%, 10 Votes)
  • Between 70% and 80% (19%, 6 Votes)
  • Anywhere from 60% to 70% (29%, 9 Votes)
  • Below 60% (19%, 6 Votes)

Total Voters: 31

Loading ... Loading ...

This survey is not as nearly as scientific at all. So, if there is any statistician wannabe out there, spare me the lecture.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

p/s — The Background is probably Third Eye Blind’s most underrated song.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

pp/s — this is a sticky post. I intend to keep the poll open until next Friday. And please vote only once. I have taken the necessary basic steps to ensure one vote per unique visitor but it is not too hard to circumvent the rules I (or rather, the author of the plugin) have set in place.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

ppp/s — I changed my mind. Until Thursday instead of Friday. I need to make Metblog KL as a sticky post.

Categories
Conflict & disaster Politics & government

[1064] Of secret Israeli-Syrian peace treaty?

Peace at last?

In the NYT today:

ISRAEL’S newspapers are rife with reports of a peace agreement secretly forged between Israeli and Syrian negotiators. Though both the Syrian and Israeli governments have denied any involvement in the talks, past experience shows that such disavowals are often the first indication of truth behind the rumors.

Certainly, there is nothing new about the details of the purported plan, which involves a staged Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights, occupied since 1967, and the full normalization of relations between Damascus and Jerusalem. Nor is there a precedent in the willingness of Israeli and Arab leaders to enter into direct discussions without the participation or knowledge of the United States.

Though an editorial piece, I cannot help but notice that the author mentions Jerusalem instead of Tel Aviv.