Search Results for: china

Excuse the long absence and the long rant. I meant to announce my absence in advance, before my move last week, but our Internet service was cut before I expected. I just bought my first house, and since then have been single-handedly helping Home Depot and Lowe’s meet their quarterly sales estimates. Last week was full of heavy lifting, moving, painting, cutting, chiseling, sanding, drywalling, prying, painting, and of course, shopping. Like many of you, I’ve been in a deep...

Excuse the long absence and the long rant. I meant to announce my absence in advance, before my move last week, but our Internet service was cut before I expected. I just bought my first house, and since then have been single-handedly helping Home Depot and Lowe’s meet their quarterly sales estimates. Last week was full of heavy lifting, moving, painting, cutting, chiseling, sanding, drywalling, prying, painting, and of course, shopping. Like many of you, I’ve been in a deep...

I have joined the swirling speculation at NKZone about what will come of the North Korean train accident, other than horrific and unnecessary suffering for more innocents. My prediction is . . . even more unnecessary death and suffering. While I don’t think it was an attempt to whack Dr. Evil, he’ll at least suspect it was. My first prediction is that he won’t accept any invitations to China anytime soon. Next prediction–the paranoia and purges this incident will unleash...

I have joined the swirling speculation at NKZone about what will come of the North Korean train accident, other than horrific and unnecessary suffering for more innocents. My prediction is . . . even more unnecessary death and suffering. While I don’t think it was an attempt to whack Dr. Evil, he’ll at least suspect it was. My first prediction is that he won’t accept any invitations to China anytime soon. Next prediction–the paranoia and purges this incident will unleash...

When you can’t get real news, you can only speculate. We can choose to ignore the grainiest theories about why Kim didn’t get his picture taken with Hu, but the North Koreans don’t have that choice. But it’s not enough that they were victims of this terrible accident; soon, heads will roll. Coup or not, the Dear Leader will see one, and so will many common citizens. He will also try to blame the outside world . . . in...

When you can’t get real news, you can only speculate. We can choose to ignore the grainiest theories about why Kim didn’t get his picture taken with Hu, but the North Koreans don’t have that choice. But it’s not enough that they were victims of this terrible accident; soon, heads will roll. Coup or not, the Dear Leader will see one, and so will many common citizens. He will also try to blame the outside world . . . in...

Yes, there is indeed much substance in what doesn’t happen, such as the non-reaction on the streets of Seoul to China shooting and killing a North Korean refugee. His life meant nothing because there weren’t any Americans to blame. On the flip side, here’s a story that drones on for columns, all speculation about the unknowable, secretive workings of Chinese and North Korean diplomacy, spiced up with doltish speculation. I challenge anyone to find a shred of substance in this....

. . . is how I would describe pouring one’s hopes into Chinese arm-twisting of Kim Jong-Il to give up his nukes. The Marmot initially seems optimistic, but by the end of the post, he isn’t falling for it. One point where I agree with Marmot wholeheartedly is the incomprehensible failure by U.S. leaders to talk frankly to the Chinese about the consequences of them not restraining the Norks. One hopes that we have done so privately, and Cheney is...

Yes, there is indeed much substance in what doesn’t happen, such as the non-reaction on the streets of Seoul to China shooting and killing a North Korean refugee. His life meant nothing because there weren’t any Americans to blame. On the flip side, here’s a story that drones on for columns, all speculation about the unknowable, secretive workings of Chinese and North Korean diplomacy, spiced up with doltish speculation. I challenge anyone to find a shred of substance in this....

. . . is how I would describe pouring one’s hopes into Chinese arm-twisting of Kim Jong-Il to give up his nukes. The Marmot initially seems optimistic, but by the end of the post, he isn’t falling for it. One point where I agree with Marmot wholeheartedly is the incomprehensible failure by U.S. leaders to talk frankly to the Chinese about the consequences of them not restraining the Norks. One hopes that we have done so privately, and Cheney is...

Hundreds of thousands of enraged South Koreans did not turn out for a politically charged cande light vigil in front of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul today. The non-rally did not follow a report that Chinese border guards shot a North Korean refugee dead while trying to cross into Mongolia and seek asylum. Twelve other refugees were arrested and are expected to be deported to North Korea, where they face almost certain death in concentration camps. The non-protesters also did...

Hundreds of thousands of enraged South Koreans did not turn out for a politically charged cande light vigil in front of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul today. The non-rally did not follow a report that Chinese border guards shot a North Korean refugee dead while trying to cross into Mongolia and seek asylum. Twelve other refugees were arrested and are expected to be deported to North Korea, where they face almost certain death in concentration camps. The non-protesters also did...

Today comes the sad news that Kang Byong-sop, one of the courageous defectors who told the world about North Korea’s gas chambers, was seen on Pyongyang TV, reading a forced recantation of his charges. Undoubtedly, his days are numbered; one can only hope that his family will somehow manage to survive. China sent him back, of course, in clear violation of international law and the most fundamental principles of morality . . . both of which are clearly meaningless to...

Today comes the sad news that Kang Byong-sop, one of the courageous defectors who told the world about North Korea’s gas chambers, was seen on Pyongyang TV, reading a forced recantation of his charges. Undoubtedly, his days are numbered; one can only hope that his family will somehow manage to survive. China sent him back, of course, in clear violation of international law and the most fundamental principles of morality . . . both of which are clearly meaningless to...

The charge the Chinese prosecutors used neatly encapsulates their cynical contempt for freedom. They called him a “human trafficker” for trying to help North Korean refugees escape from China–where life cowers under the daily threat of deportation back to the death camps in North Korea–to haven in South Korea. The brilliant Claudia Rosett told the story best here, in the Wall Street Journal, where she writes a bi-weekly column. Seok is also a professional photographer and stringer for the New...

Just a day after Muslim terrorists called France an “ally of Satan” (which by definition means they apparently no longer see the United States as Satan), Taiwan’s president Chen Shui-Bian has called France “evil-hearted” for joining China in its recent naval threaxercises that coincidentally come just before Taiwan’s election. Doesn’t Taiwan understand? It’s nothing personal for the French . . . it’s just business. After all, they’re quite willing to make the same moral compromises when they’re selling arms to...

The charge the Chinese prosecutors used neatly encapsulates their cynical contempt for freedom. They called him a “human trafficker” for trying to help North Korean refugees escape from China–where life cowers under the daily threat of deportation back to the death camps in North Korea–to haven in South Korea. The brilliant Claudia Rosett told the story best here, in the Wall Street Journal, where she writes a bi-weekly column. Seok is also a professional photographer and stringer for the New...

Just a day after Muslim terrorists called France an “ally of Satan” (which by definition means they apparently no longer see the United States as Satan), Taiwan’s president Chen Shui-Bian has called France “evil-hearted” for joining China in its recent naval threaxercises that coincidentally come just before Taiwan’s election. Doesn’t Taiwan understand? It’s nothing personal for the French . . . it’s just business. After all, they’re quite willing to make the same moral compromises when they’re selling arms to...