EDITORIAL : THE DIARIO FINANCIERO, CHILE

El uso del dólar como moneda de reserva

El Banco Central de Chile, a través de su Gerencia de Operaciones Financieras, ha señalado que en el curso de los últimos 12 meses se ha registrado un relevante rebalance en el portafolio de monedas que conforman sus reservas internacionales. De acuerdo con los datos, si hace un año el dólar estadounidense representaba un 60% del total de sus reservas monetarias y el euro un 40%, hoy la composición se ha emparejado a una relación donde un 50% está representado por el dólar y la otra mitad por monedas que se parecen bastante más al peso chileno en su trayectoria.
La información tiene doble significación. En lo más inmediato y concreto, porque el Banco Central está empeñado en un programa de compra de divisas por un total de US$ 12.000 millones a razón de US$ 50 millones por día, y en ese contexto resulta importante saber de qué manera se están conformando esas reservas. Y en lo que es más de largo alcance, porque esta decisión se da en un contexto donde desde hace meses se ha instalado el debate sobre el uso del dólar como la moneda de reserva por excelencia, debate que ha promovido con especial fuerza China, el principal acreedor del Tesoro norteamericano que en este tema tiene un interés que está más acá de los principios, y que es bastante más concreto y urgente.

Sin entrar en propuestas de todo tipo que han planteado que unos Derechos Especiales de Giro (DEG) del FMI o el yuan puedan suplir al dólar, lo cierto es que hoy la evidencia indica que EEUU y Europa viven momentos complejos de debilidad que persistirán, lo que hace razonable que entes como el BC y otros inversionistas se anticipen a escenarios que antes no se barajaban.

 

EDITORIAL : THE NINE O'CLOCK, ROMANIA

The world after DSK

“DSK’s resignation from his top position in the aftermath of the scandal was his only honourable exit. Of course that he is presumed innocent under the US justice system, but the world could simply have not coped with having a headless IMF headed by someone who has been prosecuted.”

A deathblow marks the end of de career powerful IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn who also happened to be ranked the first in various polls measuring voting intentions ahead of the 2012 presidential election in France, generating a myriad of comments, especially in his homeland, France, but also in many other countries. One such opinion sounded the depths of European specificities seeking to motivate DSK’s behaviour when he allegedly ‘dashed’ at the maid who unexpectedly walked into his New York hotel room. From invoking Kant and describing DSK’s conduct as ‘heroic’ to the fact that in the US the Police did not hesitate to arrest one of the most powerful men on planet reported to the authorities by an obscure immigrant coming from an African country – this one being really serious and calling for further commenting, as it highlights one of the pillars of the unmatchable strength of the US system – almost nothing seems to have been forgotten. Either it was the geopolitical conspiracies – some really extravagant – Russia allied with France to end the career of the powerful head of the IMF or to punish him for trying to help Greece that is facing bankruptcy – or the differences between the two sides of the Atlantic in what regards the attitude towards sex or power seen as an aphrodisiac, the DSK scandal reverberated in the entire international mass-media as one matching – why not? – the beginning of a regional war of unpredictable proportion.

DSK’s resignation from his top position in the aftermath of the scandal was his only honourable exit. Of course that he is presumed innocent under the US justice system, but the world could simply have not coped with having a headless IMF headed by someone who has been prosecuted. His resignation was rushed by unequivocal statements made by various personalities of the international finance. That is quite understandable, as it all came to the very credibility of the institution without which the world could plunge even deeper into the current financial and economic crisis. The process of identifying a new leader for the IMF has already begun. The ‘parties’ have already made their positions known and are getting ready for the big clash. Holding this crucially important international position at a time of systemic crisis is an asset disputed not just by personalities and economic schools, but especially, although not integrally, by the holder of planetary power engaged in the global competition: major powers, economic blocs/groups or whole continents.

The office held by DSK until last Wednesday (May 18), when he resigned, was instantaneously claimed by other parties. China, India and Brazil said DSK’s place should not be reserved for another European according to the informal agreement made after WWII by the actors of the international financial and economic system (according to which the IMF would be headed by a European and the World Bank by an American). One of the arguments was that the centre of weight of the world economy has suffered major modifications in the meantime. BRIC, that has become in the last ten years a bloc of big emergent powers, at the latest meeting of the group in Beijing, last month, turned into BRICS, after receiving a new member: South Africa. On the other hand, besides the dynamism of all these states and emergent economies, the international system has a specific global economic governance component – G-20 – already formalised in April 2009. Or, under such conditions – analysts say – the selection of the new IMF head should be a transparent process, consistent with the current global realities.

On the other hand, Europe claims the post belongs to it and has therefore mobilised all its influence in that respect. Prime Eu­ropean leaders – German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Eu­ropean Council Pre­sident Herman Van Rompuy – have openly declared their endorsement of a European candidate. The most reliable candidate so far seems to be the current French Mi­nister of Finance, Christine Lagarde, but without excluding others, such as former Bundesbank President Axel Weber or former German Foreign Minister Peer Steinbruck.

The international media have insisted on the fact that, ever since its first sitting, G-20 agreed to keep the old division of power between Europe – the IMF – and the US – the WB. It means that the new emergent powers will now have to put the G-20 to the test to see how well it will work, but, at the same time, we have to admit that everything will probably depend on how fast a consensus can be reached on an own candidate. On the other hand, it has been stressed out that Washington will have the ultimate decision. It is little probable that the US may renounce their position at the World Bank in the foreseeable future, and that will only strengthen the European position. As German newspaper Die Welt was saying: ‘Why should Europe now withdraw from this game and willingly give up influence? Particularly given that there are good reasons at the moment to have an IMF head who has a good understanding of Europe and its complicated internal relations. After all, the insolvent euro-zone countries haven’t yet been brought back from the brink.’

Admitting to the fact that the world economic centre has decisively moved, the same publication was stating: ‘Given the economic rise of Asia, Europe will lose power sooner or later anyway. But it shouldn’t wantonly and prematurely give up influence in places where it still has some.’

So what is the world like after DSK? The same as it has always been: a never-ending fight for keeping influence in the international system of states, but now at an entirely different level than in the previous decades. The Westphalian system is obviously headed to an economic bipolar reality: Asia and Euro-America.

Adrian Severin, heard by EP’s Legal Committee

The MEP Adrian Severin was to be heard, yesterday, by the European Parliament’s Legal Committee in the matter of lifting his immunity in the context of the false “lobbyists”’ scandal. The committee was summoned, according to protocol, to address the lifting of Severin’s immunity, after the National Anti-corruption Directorate filed a petition to this purpose to the European Parliament on April 5. The MEPs will not address charges in Severin’s case as such, but will discuss, exclusively, the grounds for divesting him of his immunity, to allow the initiation of a trial. In practice, Adrian Severin is given, for the first time, a chance to present his own view on the matter, in an institutionalized context. Last Friday, Severin stated he would go to the hearing, which is to take place behind closed doors, but argued he did not think it “elegant and fair to make any public statements before this meeting takes place.” Undercover “Sunday Times” reporters offered Severin and another two MEPs, a Slovenian and an Austrian one, a EUR 100,000-bribe each, in exchange for ensuring the adoption of certain amendments. The three MEPs accepted the bribes and Severin sent an email to the false “lobbyists: “This is just to let you know the amendment you had wanted was filed in time”. Shortly afterwards, he sent a EUR 12,000-bill for “consultancy services.”

Vadim Tudor calls on EP to defend his immunity

The case of the MEP Corneliu Vadim Tudor also came to the attention of the European Parliament’s Legal Committee, as a petition to safeguard his immunity came up on the committee’s agenda. The committee was to appoint, yesterday, a rapporteur in this case. Vadim Tudor is the object of a criminal investigation for outrage in Romania in a case in which he acted in defiance of a court order for eviction from the Greater Romania Party (PRM – the party whose leader Vadim Tudor is) office.

Libyan rebels in Turkey, Russia

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds separate talks with Libyan rebels and Palestinian officials, in Moscow.

ANKARA/MOSCOW – Libya’s rebels took their diplomatic offensive to NATO’s sole Muslim member Turkey today, a day after the European Union opened a mission in their Benghazi bastion, The Herald Sun reports. Mustafa Abdul Jalil, the head of the rebels’ provisional administration, was to meet President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu during his two-day visit, the foreign ministry said. The meetings mark the highest-level contact so far between Turkey and the rebels. Ankara has toughened its tone in recent weeks after initially criticising the US-led air strikes on Libya launched on March 19 and insisting on a limited combat role for NATO once the alliance took over command.

Earlier this month, Erdogan urged Muammar Gaddafi to “immediately” cede power and leave Libya. Turkey has proposed a “roadmap” to end the Libyan turmoil, urging an immediate ceasefire, the lifting of sieges by regime forces of rebel-held towns and the launch of a “transformation process” that would lead to free elections.

In Moscow, a rebel representative was due to hold talks with Foreign Minister Minister Sergei Lavrov a week after the top Russia diplomat met emissaries of Gaddafi. Russia is offering a helping hand to both Libyans and Palestinians, in an effort to negotiate peace agreements in the respective regions. According to Russia Today, the main issues of the meeting with Libyan opposition are preconditions for a ceasefire.

EDITORIAL : THE TAIPEI TIMES, TAIWAN

Chen Bingde wasn’t lying, entirely

People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Chief of General Staff Chen Bingde (陳炳德), who visited Washington last week, caused a bit of a stir when he claimed that China only had a garrison deployment across from Taiwan and did not have operational deployments, much less missiles, stationed there.

While those comments were immediately ridiculed by Taiwanese authorities and the US Department of Defense, the fact of the matter is that Chen wasn’t lying outright — the veracity of his claim depends on how one defines “across from Taiwan.”

One thing that history should have taught us about negotiating with China is that it’s all about the context. If what Chen meant by “across from Taiwan” was China’s Fujian Province, then technically he was telling the truth, as the Second Artillery — the unit responsible for the bulk of China’s missile arsenal — has maintained a garrison in Fujian for more than a decade and it is not altogether impossible that missiles are not permanently deployed there.

As is often the case, however, the pith of the matter lies in what Chinese officials did not say. In the present case, what Chen omitted is that elsewhere in China, the missile threat against Taiwan continues to expand and is doing so despite ostensibly warmer relations between Taipei and Beijing. As the range, precision and potential destructiveness of the PLA missile arsenal grows, “across from Taiwan” loses all meaning, at least up to the point where the missiles are no longer within range.

This may sound trivial, but this would not be so if Beijing were to offer to dismantle its missiles targeting Taiwan — as the US and Taipei have long demanded — whereupon specificity, rather than vagueness, will be key. If, at some point, Beijing were to take “seriously” requests that it dismantle or pull back its missiles, lack of specificity could allow it to get away with murder (“If the missiles don’t exist, how can we dismantle them?” China could rightly ask).

The Second Artillery’s Base 52, which is headquartered “across from Taiwan” in Huangshan, Anhui Province, has at least six short-range missile brigades in Fujian, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces, all intended for a Taiwan contingency. Several of the delivery systems are road mobile, while other missiles and their components can be distributed to any of the six brigades throughout Southeast China and launched from there.

The 70-year-old Chen wasn’t showing signs of senility when he made those comments in Washington, nor did he think that US officials, who have substantial imagery intelligence proving the contrary, were fools. Rather, he was setting the scene for what could eventually become the parameters for negotiations on Taiwan. While we can already expect Beijing to observe commitments in the breach, it is also known that it will exploit to the fullest whatever room to maneuver it is given as a result of the other side’s failure to request specifics. This is China’s negotiating style, as any British official who handled talks in the 1980s ahead of Hong Kong’s retrocession in 1997 would tell us.

Chinese officials aren’t being vague out of carelessness or some ideological proclivity for imprecision; they know exactly what they are doing and they thrive on our failure to see their game, or when we approach negotiations with a sense of cultural superiority.

Salary slip highlights pay divide

On May 12, Central Personnel Administration Minister Wu Tai-cheng (吳泰成) made a slip of the tongue during a legislative question-and-answer session when he said that military personnel, civil servants and public school teachers earn low to mid-level incomes. The claim has caused much public controversy, and Wu has been criticized for not understanding the public’s hardships and trying to portray the government’s vote-buying policy of raising the salaries of military personnel, civil servants and school teachers by 3 percent in a better light.

In response to the criticism, Wu quickly issued a statement saying that his comments were rash and that he had oversimplified the issue. He also apologized if his comments had been the cause of any misunderstanding.

Whether oversimplified or just a slip of the tongue, Wu’s claim reflects the general attitude of government officials. The income, employment benefits and retirement pension received by military personnel, civil servants and school teachers are in fact better than those of salaried employees.

However, just like President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), most officials have risen through the ranks of the civil service. They are isolated and out of touch with the world around them, thinking they are a disadvantaged group and that if the government doesn’t give them special treatment, they are not showed the appreciation due to them for their contributions to the nation. Taiwan’s current economic data may appear superficially outstanding, but most workers have not shared in the results. Apart from wanting to attract votes in next year’s elections, another reason for the 3 percent raise for government employees is the misconception that military personnel, civil servants and school teachers belong to the lower and middle classes.

There is in fact a very simple number that will tell us if these groups really belong to the lower and middle income levels. According to Wu, the average monthly salary of civil servants is about NT$60,000. However, data from the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics tells us that anyone with a monthly salary of NT$60,000 belongs to the upper income levels, because almost half of Taiwan’s almost 8 million salaried employees — including civil servants — earn less than NT$30,000 per month, and less than 10 percent of them earn more than NT$60,000 per month.

In addition, the average monthly pay for salaried employees, excluding civil servants, was NT$36,000 last year, far less than the NT$60,000 average earned by civil servants.

Among them, 1.038 million people, or 12.9 percent, earned less than NT$20,000 per month and 3.597 million people, 44.6 percent, earned less than NT$30,000. Only 716,000 people, 8.9 percent, earned more than NT$60,000 per month. In other words, it is those among Taiwan’s salaried employees who earn less than NT$30,000 per month who earn a low or mid-level income. Those making NT$60,000 or more per month belong to the top 10 percent, the upper level of Taiwan’s salary earners.

We are not criticizing Wu for highlighting the income gap between military personnel, civil servants and school teachers on the one hand and the general public on the other, nor are we trying to stir up hatred between different groups. Government employee salaries and benefits are a result both of historical factors and long-term policy, and not an intentional attempt to form a privileged class superior to a majority of the public. Our point is that most government officials are unaware of the public’s hardships, living as they do in their own little world, making their decisions in their ivory towers, and that they do not know that most salaried employees will never earn the NT$60,000 government employees earn every month.

Taiwan has to stand up to China’s black swan

Ever since coming into office, Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has followed a policy of rapprochement with China. His government inked the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) alongside 15 other agreements and Ma has taken great pride in the warming of cross-strait relations. Other nations, including the US, have also been seen to applaud this approach, as — on the surface — it reduces tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

So far, the perception of China is that it is comparable to the white swan from the recent movie Black Swan, dancing gracefully and elegantly in the ballet of the international political theater.

However, the black swan has already started to make the occasional appearance, indicating perhaps that the image of the white swan is fleeting. Beijing can only fake its white swan appearance briefly.

In spite of the cross-strait rapprochement, Beijing has continued its breakneck military buildup across the Taiwan Strait. Military spending in the People’s Republic of China will rise 12.6 percent this year, and — despite pronouncements to the contrary from People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Chief of Staff General Chen Bingde (陳炳德) during his recent visit to Washington, Beijing continues to aim at least 1,600 ballistic missiles at Taiwan.

China also continues to restrict Taiwan’s international space. The great “breakthrough” claimed by the Ma administration in 2009, when it was “allowed” to be an observer at the World Health Assembly (WHA), the annual get-together of the WHO was revealed to be an empty position when an internal WHO memo showed explicit instructions that Taiwan be referred to as a “province of China.”

The memo, dated Sept. 14, 2010, also indicated that procedures used by the WHO to facilitate relations with Taiwan were subject to Chinese approval. The memo further stated that Taiwan, “as a province of China, cannot be party to the IHR [International Health Regulations].”

This memo showed a total disregard for Taiwan’s sovereignty and status as a free and democratic nation, providing instead an example of international kowtowing to the authoritarian regime in Beijing.

The WHO added insult to injury when it refused access to the WHA’s Geneva meeting to the WHO Membership for Taiwan Alliance, a coalition of Taiwanese civic groups that support Taiwan’s membership in the international organization.

Alliance members were previously always allowed to observe WHA proceedings. Suddenly, new “rules” were produced this year banning entry to anyone with a passport from Taiwan.

The Ma administration made a feeble attempt to respond to the leaked memo. On May 14, Department of Health Minister Chiu Wen-ta (邱文達) attended the WHA meeting and lodged a “strong protest” in a letter to the WHO.

Ironically, this “protest” letter itself became quite controversial when it was discovered that phrases concerning Taiwan’s sovereignty, which appeared in the Chinese----language version and which were clearly for domestic consumption, disappeared in the English version. Terms referring to “the nation” or “our country” in the Chinese text were mysteriously translated into English as “my,” “I” and “our.”

Both in Taiwan and internationally, we need to work harder to ensure the white swans gain the upper hand.

Jean Wu is a graduate in diplomacy and international relations from Seton Hall University in New Jersey. She works at the Formosan Association for Public Affairs in Washington.

EDITORIAL : THE CITIZEN, TANZANIA

Only proper marketing will benefit farmers

For producers or sellers of any merchandise, the importance of marketing cannot be overemphasised. By way of marketing, products in abundance in one area can be hauled to others that are facing shortages. As a result, prices would be pushed down for the benefit of consumers.
It was most likely with this in mind that recently, the Kilindi district commissioner, Mr Charles Gishuli, suggested that the crop marketing system in that district should be improved to enable farmers to sell their produce smoothly.
He was speaking to the management of the Rural, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Support Programme.This programme sees to it that sunflower and citrus projects are supported by the Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO) and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), an arm of the United Nations.
The DC’s advice should not be taken lightly, considering that this country has in the past been badly affected by poor marketing systems. Stories abound of areas in the country facing food shortages while in others food stocks pile up because of poor transportation systems.This is a paradox that needs an urgent solution like intensive marketing strategies. However, to make them effective, there is a need, among other things, to upgrade our transportation infrastructure.
This includes roads, railways and to some extent air travel, all of which need massive investments.
It is encouraging that, according to the last budget, infrastructure was allocated Sh1,505.1 billion.
This is more than the Sh1,096.6 billion of 2009/10, and represents an increase of 37.3 per cent. Yet it is not enough considering that ours is a vast country, covering some 362,340 square miles.We hope that as the country’s economy grows the government will apportion more funds to this sector in order to realise the marketing strategy as suggested by the Kilindi DC.

Train more teachers

Reports showing that a region with a requirement of 3,470 teachers has been provided with only 1,344 is disheartening, for that is equivalent  to a shortage of more than 50 per cent!
We are talking about Dodoma Region where, of the 18,121 students who sat their final national exams last year, 11, 326 failed.
Which is no wonder, for without teachers, pre-high school students can’t learn much. It is a great pity that while the whole world is embracing science and technology, we put our children in schools where they hardly learn anything.
 According to the acting Dodoma regional education officer, 30 per cent of students who registered for the 2008 national examinations did not turn up for the papers.

Most likely, a good number of the no-show candidates considered it a waste of time to sit the exams, since they had not been prepared for them in the first place.Our concern is that the damning report on the Dodoma education situation could be a mere tip of the iceberg.
Boasting that 70 per cent of our children who pass their national primary exams join secondary school is not good enough. Our young should join secondary school to gain quality education. That means, among other things, having for them enough and qualified teachers. The government has no choice but to train more teachers.

 

EDITORIAL : THE EL UNIVERSAL, COLOMBIA

A investigar inscripción de cédulas

El artículo 389 del Código Penal Colombiano tipifica, dentro de los delitos contra mecanismos de participación democrática, el de fraude por inscripción de cédulas y fija una pena de 3 a 6 años de prisión a quien “por cualquier medio indebido logre que personas habilitadas para votar inscriban documento o cédula de ciudadanía en una localidad, municipio o distrito diferente a aquel donde hayan nacido o residan, con el propósito de obtener ventaja en elección popular, plebiscito, referendo, consulta popular o revocatoria del mandato”.
A juicio de algunos tratadistas y magistrados de la Corte Suprema de Justicia, no sólo comete un delito el que lleve a otros a inscribirse en sitio distinto al de su residencia, sino también quien acepte inscribir de esa manera irregular su cédula, en este caso el delito de falso testimonio, ya que al momento de realizar la inscripción, está declarando bajo juramento una falsedad.
Si se tiene evidencia de que una persona reside en determinado sector de la ciudad y la Registraduría constata en los registros que inscribió su cédula en otro, sin haber cambiado de residencia, puede ser objeto de un proceso que podría significar que se anule esa inscripción y que sea acusado posteriormente de participar en un delito electoral.
Por supuesto, la conducta ilícita se agrava si los ciudadanos inscribieron su cédula a cambio de recibir dinero o prebendas, pues el artículo 390 del Código Penal establece penas de 1 a 2 años de prisión al “sufragante que acepte la promesa, el dinero o la dádiva”.
La Plataforma Cartagena de la Misión de Observación Electoral (MOE) recibió el domingo pasado numerosas denuncias de inscripción irregular, especialmente en el puesto de la Universidad Tecnológica del barrio Manga, donde supuestamente se inscribieron de manera masiva personas que no habitan allí, lo cual debe ser investigado rigurosamente por el Consejo Nacional Electoral (CNE), pues el artículo primero de la Resolución 0215 de 2007 de ese tribunal le permite iniciar de oficio tal diligencia, comisionando para ello a los delegados de la Registraduría Nacional.
Bastaría con que tomaran la lista de los inscritos en Manga y la cotejaran con los datos de su residencia, según constan en sus registros del Sistema de Seguridad Social en Salud, contributivo o subsidiado, lo cual puede ser solicitado por el magistrado sustanciador, como lo establece el artículo décimo de la citada Resolución 0215.
Desde este medio pedimos formalmente al CNE que, en cumplimiento de la norma anterior, empiece de oficio la investigación correspondiente sobre la inscripción de cédulas en el puesto de Manga, y si hay denuncias sobre igual situación en otros puestos, como el de Bocagrande, también lo haga allí.
De esa manera, los ciudadanos honrados y respetuosos de la ley y la democracia que formularon sus denuncias a las organizaciones de veeduría y observación electoral tendrán la seguridad de que su esfuerzo valió la pena y las elecciones del próximo mes de octubre se realizarán con más garantías de transparencia y legalidad.

EDITORIAL : THE BUSINESS DAY, SOUTH AFRICA

                           



Give emerging markets their due

IT IS nothing short of bizarre that the question of merit versus archaic tradition should even be a topic for debate when it comes to appointing a new head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s resignation, following his arrest for an alleged sexual assault on a hotel maid, has naturally elevated the succession issue to the top of the IMF board’s lengthy list of crises that need to be addressed with urgency. And it is inevitable such a prominent position in global finance should be hotly contested, with the regional blocs all anxious to ensure their special interests are not relegated to the backburner.
The world is only just emerging from the 2008 credit crisis and market collapse, with the IMF playing an important role in co- ordinating the recovery and ensuring vulnerable economies with excessive debt burdens are not dragged back into recession.
But neither the need to find a replacement for Mr Strauss-Kahn who can hit the ground running on the most pressing issues facing the world, nor the fact that the fragile state of the European economy is chief among them, justifies sticking to the "convention" that the head of the IMF should be European.
It is gratifying that SA’s stance on this point of principle is supported by the Group of 20, whose committee on IMF reform happens to be co-chaired by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, as well as prominent Europeans such as former UK prime minister Gordon Brown, himself a candidate for the job.
The state of the world economy demands a strong and credible IMF; sticking to an outdated way of finding the best person to replace Mr Strauss-Kahn would undermine the organisation’s legitimacy in emerging markets in particular, at a time when their importance to the world’s financial health is rising.
As Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan commented, the most suitable candidate may well be European, although this newspaper believes the IMF board could do a lot worse than Planning Minister Trevor Manuel , who would bring a perspective to the organisation that it has lacked for the past 60 years.
Merit is a subjective concept, and there will inevitably be some diplomatic horse-trading associated with such international appointments. That may make it difficult for the major emerging countries to agree on a candidate, and so weaken their position. However, there are solid arguments against another European getting the job at this juncture, especially because there is fundamental disagreement within Europe on how the banking and sovereign debt crises that continue to beset the region should be resolved.
Could French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, who has emerged as an early favourite for the IMF job, really be trusted to make unbiased judgments on issues such as rescue packages for defaulting European Union (EU) members when she has already nailed her colours so firmly to the mast of the French government? Can it be taken for granted that what is good for the EU and the survival of the European monetary union is necessarily also good for the rest of the world?
Europe is an important part of the world economy but it is no longer the financial centre around which all other nations revolve. Nor for that matter is the US, which makes a similar informal claim to the top job in the World Bank, for similarly unjustifiable reasons. For the developed nations of the northern hemisphere to cling to such privileges is shortsighted, since the tide of history is turning against them. China is the new epicentre of the world economy, in effect financing the global recovery by buying US debt.
The failure of the EU to prevent member countries from defaulting would be a significant setback, but the fate of Europe is arguably less important to the global financial system than the continued growth of the leading emerging markets that have so far helped avoid a repeat of the Great Depression.


The IEC must fix its mistake

THE Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has been lauded for once again pulling off a well- organised election with minimum violence and delivering results quickly, which is praise profoundly deserved.
But, unfortunately, it has let itself down on the finishing line.
The one thing you really want from an electoral commission is the ability to add. Yet the IEC has put out the wrong results, which is bad enough, but it then dragged its feet in correcting them.
The problem lies with what the commission did with the results in calculating the general support of the parties. There is no reason to think there is any malfeasance or deliberate attempt to mislead; it seems like someone just made a silly mistake. The IEC did in fact use the correct figures in a presentation on Saturday, but has so far not really acknowledged the mistake.
The problem lies in the fact that the local government elections are complicated because, in some areas, people vote twice, and in other areas three times. This is because of the inclusion of district councils. Voters outside the metro areas vote for ward candidates. They also cast a proportional representation vote, and they vote for district councils. Metro voters only do the first two.
However, electoral analysis requires an assessment of not only these specific results, but also how the general support for differing parties is panning out. In an effort to provide this tally, the IEC decided to take each party’s support in each of the categories, and divide by three. This figure was the one widely quoted in the press.
However, doing so distorts the picture since it ascribes more weight to rural voters than in fact exists. The error is partly rectified by the fact that the weighting of the "district council" column is reduced to 40% of its value.
But the error remains because the third vote for district councils should be discarded entirely, not simply given a lesser weighting.
How did this affect the results? The ANC, for example, won a total of 60,98% of the ward votes, 62,93% of the proportional representation votes and 69,43% of the district council votes. The IEC therefore pegs its final proportion of the vote at 63,65%. The calculation was not made for the 2006 elections, so the most quoted figure is the proportional representation level the ANC gained in 2006, of about 65% of the votes. Hence, it appears that the ANC lost only a bit less than 1,35 percentage points.
In fact, it lost more than double that figure. With its support predominantly in the metro areas, the DA won 23,9% of the vote, not 21,9% as the IEC says.
For the sake of its credibility, the commission needs to publicly correct the error.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

EDITORIAL : THE ASHARQ ALAWSAT, SAUDI ARABIA, published in LONDON

A Message to Khaled Mishal

Khaled Mishal, the leader of the Hamas movement, demonstrated strong political pragmatism after the uprising witnessed by Syria, as the inter-Palestinian reconciliation agreement was completed quickly in Cairo after years of procrastination. The question today is: does Mishal demonstrate as much political intelligence as pragmatism?

We all saw how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Obama's speech and his statement that the Palestinian borders must be [based on] those of 1967. We watched the “tense” meeting between the two men in the White House, when Netanyahu told Obama that what he is proposing is “unrealistic.” It is no secret that since the beginning of his presidency, Obama's relationship with Netanyahu has not been amicable, and it is not farfetched to say that Obama will be elected for another term; but what concerns us here is that the conditions in the [Middle East] region are changing today in numerous ways and by no means these are not all negative.
Moreover there is an increased concern in Israel today and among some circles in the US that are sympathetic to Israel that Mahmoud Abbas will succeed in his threat to go to the Security Council to propose the issue of recognizing the Palestinian state. Abbas might fail...this is true, but he has been able to weaken the Israeli position internationally. When we say that the conditions in the region are changing, we have [for example] heard the Turkish President Abdullah Gul renew his demand to Khaled Mishal that Hamas must recognize Israel, and we all know how the Turks sympathize with Hamas and even defend it. Therefore reconciliation and political intelligence require Khaled Mishal to take a political stance that consolidates the position of the Palestinian Authority in negotiations and presses Israel even more in front of the international community, the US and Obama in particular.
What is required from Khaled Mishal today is not recognition of Israel without any real cost that would work in the interest of the Palestinian cause but rather that Mishal comes out and openly states that Mahmoud Abbas is an authorized leader for all Palestinians and that he has the right to negotiate with Israel for a period of three years and without conditions set by Hamas with the exception of one condition that nobody can be lenient towards and that is relinquishing Jerusalem. [Mishal must also state that] Hamas is also obligated to what Abbas is obligated to for the sake of establishing a Palestinian state. At that point Netanyahu would not be able to brag by saying that there is no Palestinian side to negotiate with or repeat slogans for media consumption and levy the international community against the PA and Hamas by saying that Israel is asking for a Palestinian clarification of the meaning of reconciliation with Hamas.
Mishal can do this today in the interest of the Palestinian cause, just as Hamas previously served the interests of the Syrian regime, Iran and Hezbollah for a long time and caused escalation in the region when the region did not need escalating. Hamas then went back to restraining its rockets when the Iranian triangle in the region decided to restrain the rockets and to stop the escalation. What is required from Mishal today is not to serve tactical goals but to work towards the bigger and more superior goal; reaching the Palestinian state.
If Mishal does this he will have rendered a service to the cause and helped to put Israel under more pressure as well as Washington. The issue is not one of good intentions but about interest because the conditions in the region as a whole are not in the interest of Mishal and Hamas. The question here is will Mishal do it and follow a “true” policy? Let us see.

EDITORIAL : THE NIGERIAN TRIBUNE, NIGERIA

YUGUDA’S 1,000 EMPLOYEES

AS the witch hovel symbolise the approach of spring, so also does the month of May, at the global level, remain the harbinger of joy and high expectations for workers. For Bauchi State political office holders, however, the approach of the month of May comes with exasperation and excruciating palpitation. This is the month, when the state governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, loves to give the “May Day” so to say, gift, in form of loss of appointments to his unwieldy population of political office holders.

IN May 2009, exactly nine hundred and eleven (911) political appointees were swept away by Yuguda’s in-house “tsunami”. This action, which instantly attracted the sarcarstic sobriquet of “Yuguda 911”, was upped again in May this year when over one thousand political office holders were booted out by the governor.

THE release stated that “determined to inject new blood into his new administration for the next four years, the governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda has approved the disengagement of all political office holders and other appointees numbering over one thousand employees.”

THAT a state governor who has always complained of a meagre monthly allocation,  could keep over one thousand political officers in his employment portfolio, definitely shows an unfortunate and high level of official profligacy, which has become the sordid trademark of democratic governance in Nigeria.

IT is very important to ask about the quantifiable contributions of these political appointees to the productive sector of the state? If there is anything, they must have constituted themselves as socio-economic leakages to the state and, therefore, represent economic liabilities to Bauchi State. This kind of attitudinal approach to governance, more often than not, confirms the widespread impression that the country’s leaders’ extravagance and graft in governance were part of the reasons behind the failure of successive administrations in all the three tiers of governments in Nigeria, which in effect, shows the shameful vegetation of the country in both socio-economic and technological spheres.

THE administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, we strongly believe, will terminate this ignoble state of non-performance and indiscipline. As is the tradition, the political class has been running from pillar to post, not on how President Jonathan can bring succour to the teeming and hungry Nigerians or on how he would fulfil his election promises, but their sole energy is dissipated on allocating the political “dividends” in form of ministerial, ambassadorial and board appointments.

DESPITE the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC)’s concern over the increasing high cost of governance in Nigeria, and the attendant advice to the president to reduce same drastically, the politicians still see electioneering battle and victory as war, where positions are booties of war, only to be shared with reckless abandon. This is what Jonathan must resist with vehemence.
WHILE acknowledging the right of the leaders of he ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to be briefed on the composition of the Jonathan’s cabinet, we strongly believe that this should never be at the expense of merit and competence. The president should realise that his countrywide acceptance, which cuts across party boundaries is a clear attestation on the wholesale acceptance of his electioneering agenda by the electorate.

A burgeoning cabinet, as the outgoing one, is patently antithetical to financial discipline. Nigeria with 42 ministers and multitude of special advisers, compared with United States of America’s (from where the country copied our presidential system of government) having only 15 secretaries (ministers), makes it a laughing stock in the comity of nations.

IN Great Britain for instance, only the prime minister and the governor of central bank (Exchequer) are allocated official cars. In fact, in the United States of America, the president uses the Airforce plane. Here in Nigeria, the Senate President and his counterpart in the House of Representatives have to themselves an official jet each.

PRESIDENT Jonathan, must always realise that he already had a covenant with Nigerians and cannot afford to fail them. He should be able to take bold decisions on those to work with him, without capitulating to party pressure or parochial considerations. In keeping faith with the spirit of the federal character principle and the provision in Section 147(3) of the constitution, Jonathan must make strenuous search for competent hands in both Nigeria and in diaspora.

IT is saying the obvious that Nigerians have suffered hopelessly in the hands of mindless and acutely clueless leaders and are therefore looking for socio-political and economic liberation with their votes in the just concluded election.

WE believe that a situation where a significant quantum of the nation’s resources is expended on the maintenance of public office holders only to reserve a meagre proportion for the larger population and infrastructural development is not only hypocritical but also not in conformity with the practice of true democracy.

WE need to remind the president that the quality of his ministers and other members of his team will be a visible barometer with which Nigerians and the rest of the world will predict and judge the success or otherwise of his government. We hope as others, that he cannot afford to disappoint Nigerians as expectations are really high.

EDITORIAL : THE DAILY OUTLOOK, AFGANISTAN

                 

 

Marginalize Taliban/Omar’s Thinking Line

It has been almost two decades that Taliban line of thinking, which is inspired by broader Al-Qaeda thought, has served as a source of conflict and violence in Afghanistan and the region as a whole. This extremist line of thinking neither reflects the core and essence of Islamic teachings nor does it allow for development and prosperity of the societies.

The leader of Al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, who blurred the image of Islam, which is a religion of peace and coexistence, by spreading violence and terror was killed and it is hoped his violent philosophy will also die and give its place to the, as in Obama's word, "moral force of non-violence" spearhead the peaceful youths in Arab world. But the leader of Taliban, which is regarded to be as satellite branch of Al-Qaeda network, is still alive and continues to order the fringes under his command to kill, slaughter, wound and kidnap innocent people in Afghanistan.

On Monday, May 23, 2011 it was reported that the one-eyed leader of the Taliban has been killed in Pakistan province of Balochistan. But the militants' spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid has denied the reports saying, "This is absolutely wrong. It's only propaganda and we completely deny these rumors. He is inside Afghanistan and he is busy directing military operations with his commanders."

No doubt, Afghan families who have lost their loved ones in terrorist and insurgents' attacks led by Mullah Omar almost in the last two decades will be happy to hear his death. Whether he is killed or kept alive, it is important to marginalize and kill his thinking line that claims to have the key to truth, and kills whoever refuses to subscribe to it. Afghan people have already been witnesses to the legacy of Taliban thinking: massacres of their fellow-citizens in different parts of the country, destruction of their cultural heritages, years of deprivation of education and obstruction of progress and development.

Even today Afghan people continue to beg aid from international community to build schools to educate themselves and rebuild their country but since the militants are not defeated and dismantled, Afghans see the signs of Taliban and Mullah Mohammad Omar's thinking in torched schools, bombed roads, destroyed bridges and sometimes cruelly beheaded men and women of their country. Afghanistan deserves to be home to new thinking that would attach value to human life, stimulate development and civilization and allow interaction with civilized world.

Dependence on Foreign Aid! Until When?

According to economic experts Afghanistan will need foreign economic aid at least until 2023. But that is just estimation. Keeping in view the current economic standing of Afghanistan, one can easily say that Afghanistan – in order to stand on its own feet– would need longer terms. If the international aid poured in Afghanistan in last ten years had been properly utilized, the condition would be much better today. Afghanistan stands among the most corrupt countries of the world and over the time this problem has become more severe making all financial assistance go futile.

For an economy to nurture, investment plays the role of a backbone. As we can see, both domestic and foreign investments are negligible in Afghanistan due to high business risks. These risks are given birth by lingering insecurity and political and social instability. The security expenditure is so high in Afghanistan that if it could have moved to this country's reconstruction, we would see miracles. Unfortunately, despite huge investment on security, the situation seems to be deteriorating further.

Afghanistan is a country where every sector requires investment – mining, construction, energy, telecommunication, agriculture, transport and education, to name a few. But again security is the biggest problem which has made Afghanistan a hard place for doing business. Businessmen face serious obstacles. If they somehow try to overcome the strict policies of government at hand, on the other they have to keep themselves and their businesses safe from terrorists, kidnappers and other criminals.

Although the government has failed to address the hindrances in the economic sector, Afghanistan cannot remain a burden on the shoulders of international community. Afghans are needed to be taught to catch fish, rather than being gifted. Afghanistan has vast deposits of natural resources. For centuries, these resources have remained unutilized. Afghanistan with trillions of dollars worth mineral resources beneath its earth is one of the poorest countries of the world. It is felt like the time has come to properly utilizes Afghanistan's own deposits for its development and reconstruction. This is the only way economic prosperity can be achieved in Afghanistan.

The Assault on Mehran Base

The assault on Mehran Base in Karachi, Pakistan has added another episode in the terror of Taliban who have been terrorizing the country vehemently since the death of Osama Bin Laden. Though it was not the first target of their retaliatory mission as earlier they had targeted the paramilitary cadets, which killed about 80 cadets, it was more serious than that. Not because of the casualties it caused but because of the questions that are raised after the assault regarding the security lapse.

Mehran Base is not a sort of naval bases that can be neglected by any sense. Penetration through the security checkposts and the ability to vie the Pakistani forces for almost 17 hours are the matters of concern. It must be added that the attackers were also able to destruct two US-made surveillance planes, kill 10 Navy and 2 Ranger personals and injure 15 others. They were heavily equipped with guns, grenades and RPG's and suicide vests; such bulk of weaponry cannot be easily hidden under arms and are not easily portable.

International community is already questioning the security measures regarding the Nuclear weapons of the country, this lapse would further appreciate the world to do so. From Pakistan's point of view the assault adds another question mark regarding the security of the important assets of the country. People of Pakistan have been deprived of their basic requirements because of the heavy costs of keeping such an expensive defense mechanism and yet the security arrangements are to provide the country with solid defense. Even the security forces and the assets of the security forces themselves do not seem much secure.

The point that can be raised here regarding the nature of the attack made by Taliban on Mehran Base, which seems to be not very different from some of the attacks made recently in Afghanistan by the Taliban, especially the attack carried out in Kandahar, is the initiation of the attack by suicide bombers which is then followed by extensive firing and firing grenades.

Such attacks are really hard to counter as the attackers are ready to die, and they have no intention to avoid any casualty. In that regard the carelessness regarding the security arrangements must not be exaggerated but the questions can be raised regarding the role of secret agencies that are working in Pakistan and have had important role in the security of the country. How couldn't they have even the slightest of the ideas that Taliban were to carry on such a major assault, though such assaults require planning for weeks, and the country was already expecting retaliatory reaction from Taliban.

EDITORIAL : THE KHALEEJ TIMES, UAE

Saleh’s endgame

The fiasco in Yemen where President Ali Abdullah Saleh refused to sign the Gulf Cooperation Council’s transition deal has resulted in the GCC suspending the initiative.

Moreover, the entrapping of the GCC envoys by armed men in the UAE embassy to prevent them from going to the presidential palace is bound to create a souring of relations between the Gulf states and President Saleh. No wonder that the regional Gulf Council decided to withdraw after the third attempt to get the obdurate Yemeni leader to sign the GCC deal failed. Saleh’s contention this time around was that the opposition parties that had previously signed the deal in private were not present at the occasion of the signing by him at the Presidential palace.

Under pressure from protesters, the opposition had chosen to sign the deal beforehand at the behest of the GCC in order to avoid further aspersions of compromise cast on them. Considering the Yemeni ruler’s recent record of broken commitments, he is obviously prolonging agreeing to any agreement whereby he has to leave office within a stipulated time period. Unfortunately, Saleh may have lost his one good chance to have a peaceful exit and one that offered him immunity from prosecution.  More importantly, by refusing this opportunity, he may have prolonged the instability and opened the door to further violence. So far, the opposition had tried to control the situation from escalating in order to pave the way for the implementation of the proposed GCC deal. With the GCC withdrawing the deal in view of the recent developments, the situation could now tilt either way.

Even as Saleh cited the threat from Al Qaeda that according to him would exploit the political and security vacuum in case of his forced exit, the warning rings hollow. Al Qaeda is more likely to exploit the present phase where the battle lines between Saleh’s camp and the opposition are seething with the growing anger of the masses. This time is actually best suited for the terrorist organisation and its affiliated groups to entrench themselves deeper and use the infighting between the government and the opposition to their advantage. By choosing to engage in confrontation over a peaceful exit, Saleh has pitted the state into a needless phase of 
further instability.

He may have also lost the regional states’ help in providing mediation and counsel to end the violence and instability that has now gripped Yemen since many months. One can only  hope for better sense to prevail among the president’s camp so as to persuade him to reach out and do the needful.

Kim’s yatra ignites hope

Every time Kim Jong-il travels to China, hopes are rekindled. The North Korean leader who is known for his art of maintaining secrecy, this time however chose to visit Beijing on a declared itinerary.

His weeklong visit to the giant communist neighbour, the third within a span of one year, is not without a purpose. China, which has taken a back seat as far as meddling in the affairs of Pyongyang is concerned, cannot afford to sit back and watch as the reclusive leadership plays to the gallery. There are a host of issues pending on the table for long, and the Stalinist state has preferred to maintain an ostrich syndrome to critical aspects of peace and security in the region.

The foremost thing that the Chinese need to do is to convince Kim to return to the Six-plus-two talks on disarmament and denuclearisation. The country’s clandestine nuclear profile and its obsession to fire missiles across the high seas have kept the region and the world at large on tenterhooks. Further to compound the situation has been the row with South Korea since the sinking of its war vessel at the hands of the North.

Extensive shuttle diplomacy and personalised visits by former US presidents to Pyongyang hadn’t made a difference, as the communist state hasn’t budged an inch from his adamant attitude. The simmering socio-economic unrest is what bothers the world the most, as millions of North Koreans are living a life of the destitute without any recourse to civic amenities of life and proper food and clothing.

While Beijing has proudly informed Seoul that the visit is part of Kim’s learning exercise on country’s economic development, the ‘Dear Leader’ should literally learn a lesson or two on reconciliation and interdependence. All it needs to do is to closely study the sense of interaction and conduit that the Chinese have maintained with the corporate and capitalist world, and yet have been able to retain a particular socialist-cum-communist identity of its own. Pyongyang too is in a similar module. It’s desire for recognition from the Western world and its pressing economic needs can be met if it opens itself for interaction with the outside world by ending its self-imposed isolation. As an immediate outcome, the political process of unification should get a shot in the arm, and both the Koreas should be made to sit across the table.

The Korean syndrome can no more be left at the whims and wishes of a reclusive person. It’s time to meddle it out with him.

EDITORIAL : RFI english, FRANCE

 

 

French press review

 

 

Gold, helicopters, internet and predictions in this morning's papers...

I suppose we have to start with the end of the world. It was scheduled to start at six o'clock last Saturday evening, in New Zealand, and then move across the time zones to culminate in a cataclysmic, world-destroying ball of fire on 21 October next.
Saturday, you'll understand, was the 7,000^th anniversary of the biblical flood, according to Harold Camping, founder of Family Radio International, a christian ministry of the airwaves, who has been issuing the warning to the faithful for a while now.
He earlier warned that the end of everything was going to be 1994, but it wasn't. Harold said he'd made a mistake in his calculations.
This time, he was absolutely sure, Saturday was it, no doubt, no debate. He was wrong again, but only about the start date. Watch out for 21 October.
Harold's ministry is broadcast in 61 languages, and is a serious going concern, even if the man is a flop when it comes to predictions.
In 2009, Harold Camping declared his personal wealth for tax purposes as 74 million euros, and his income for the year as 13 million euros in donations. The end of the world is clearly big business.
Harold, by the way, is 89 years old.

Dossier: Strauss-Kahn

The French papers seem to be over the worst of their recent bout of Dominique Strauss-Kahn-itis.
The main story in business daily Les Echos looks at French economic growth statistics, lamenting the fact that the country is not making the most of the opportunities offered by the internet.
On the eve of something called the "e-G8", a summit of world leaders in the electronic marketplace, due to open here in Paris tomorrow, Les Echos points out that a quarter of French growth over the past ten years is thanks to the internet, but that France lags behind the United States in investment in high-speed electronic communication.
In general, Europe is losing the technological and softwear battles because of lack of innovation and the absence of internet service companies and providers.
According to analysts, the establishment of a nationwide fibre-optic system would cost 2 billion euros every year over the next decade, but would generate 4 billion euros each year in additional growth.
The basic problem is that the investors in the wires and fibres have not yet figured out how to make those who use the equipment (people like Google, for example) actually pay for doing it.

THE BATTLE FOR LIBYA

Right-wing Le Figaro's main story concerns the French decision to send combat helicopters to Libya.
In what the government-friendly daily describes as "a major change in strategic direction", twelve French choppers will join the battle to dislodge Muamer Kadhafi, with an increase in the number of ground personnel, the so-called special forces, the most likely next move by Paris.
Le Figaro says France would like to see the Libyan conflict resolved in favour of the anti-Kadhafi forces before the middle of July.
La Croix, looking at the same story, is less than optimistic.
The Catholic daily reminds us that the UN Security Council decision to use force against Muamar Kadhafi was made on 17 March, and that it was all going to be over in no time.
It isn't yet, and there are signs that the whole situation has bogged down so totally, that it will remain deadlocked unless the major military powers decide to send in ground troops, something they can't legally do as things currently stand at the Security Council.

Dossier: Eurozone in crisis

On inside pages, Le Monde looks to the Democratic Republic of Congo, under the headline "The West encouraged to boycott stolen minerals".
The non-governmental organisation Global Witness says that there's currently a unique window of opportunity for consumers of the DRC's mineral wealth to stop, or at least slow, the flow of stolen gold, uranium and coltan from Congo-Kinshasa.
It's conservatively reckoned that 80 per cent of the DRC's mining output is illegally marketed, most of it through Rwanda.
The window of opportunity sounds like a bit of a hole in the wall, but Global Witness is encouraged.
First of all, there are currently no soldiers in the eastern town of Bisié, recognised as the hub of the illicit mining trade.
That means that the authorities in far away Kinshasa have a chance, before any future re-deployment, to actually take the whole operation in hand.
And then there's the Dodd Frank legislation, passed by the United States last year, soon to come into effect.
The law will oblige operations like Microsoft, Intel and Apple to make all reasonable efforts to establish the sources of the minerals they use. I'll bet the mining moguls of the Kivu provinces are quaking in their well-heeled boots.

EDITORIAL : THE TODAY'S ZAMAN, TURKEY

               

 

The president, in black and white

What is it about Barack Obama’s race that makes some people act crazy, if not downright vicious? The latest sign of unchecked insanity turned up in the recent anti-Obama diatribe of Princeton professor Cornel West.
The president of the United States, said West, is “a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats.” Now isn’t that a tad bit nasty and delusional?

But such rantings are not limited to West. Nor do they start with him.

Diane Fedele, a California local Republican leader, displayed her own meanness in 2008 when she included in her party’s newsletter a picture that showed the face of Obama surrounded by watermelon, ribs and a bucket of fried chicken. The photo, which was shaped as a currency note, had the inscription “Obama Bucks” under his picture.

Associating black people with poverty programs is a shopworn tactic of bigots. The same year Fedele produced her pictorial, a joke circulated on the Internet that listed American presidents and the currency denominations that bore their faces. It read: “Washington, $1 dollar bill,” “Jefferson, $2 dollar bill,” “Lincoln, $5 dollar bill,” “Hamilton, $10 dollar bill,” “Jackson, $20 dollar bill.” Then it said, “Obama, Food Stamps.”

So it should have come as no surprise when Newt Gingrich, well known for his slurs, took to the podium before a Republican crowd in Georgia last week and described President Obama as “the food stamp president.” Gingrich was trumpeting an old, bigoted line.

Fedele said she produced her newsletter photo because she was offended that Obama had at one point during the campaign called attention to his race. He was coming across as black. Duh!

West, on the other hand, finds Obama’s blackness wanting. He charged that Obama is “most comfortable with upper middle-class white and Jewish men who consider themselves very smart ... and very effective in getting what they want.” Not stopping there, West looked inside the president’s head and declared that Obama “has a certain fear of free black men.” Continuing his analysis, West opined that Obama grew up in “a white context” and “he’s always had to fear being a white man with black skin. All he has known culturally is white.”

Au contraire, say those on the other side. They look at that caramel-colored president and see the incarnation of all that they fear and loathe.

Hear Rush Limbaugh on Obama’s race:

-- “If Obama weren’t black, he’d be a tour guide in Honolulu.”

-- Obama wouldn’t have given the order to take out the Somali pirates if he had known they were “actually young black Muslim teenagers.”

-- “Obama has disowned his white half … he’s decided to go all in on the black side.”

-- In “Obama’s America, the white kids now get beat up with the black kids cheering.”

-- Obama is “more African in his roots than he is American” and is “behaving like an African colonial despot.”

-- “Obama’s entire economic program is reparations.” Thus the debate among those who view everything through a racial prism: “Obama’s too black!” “He’s not black enough!”

It’s absurd. In truth, it reveals more about those who indulge in this pastime than about the president of the United States, who seems absolutely comfortable in his own skin.

The antagonists are the ones who are warped.

Short of renouncing his race, buck dancing on the White House lawn and singing the virtues of white supremacy, Obama will never please the likes of Limbaugh, Gingrich, et al.

Likewise, authenticators of “blackness” like West will never give Obama a passing grade. Judging who’s black enough is their schtick.

If they heard Obama had a helping of pigs feet and collard greens in the White House last night, they would knock him for not going back for seconds. Both sides fail to understand realities of the presidency.

There simply is no black or white way to wage war against terrorism, address global warming, compete with China, bring peace to the Middle East or reduce the national debt. Just as there is no black or white way to think about abortion, gay marriage or the nuclear threat.

There are progressive vs. conservative approaches to tackling unemployment, poor schools, income inequality and a host of other domestic and foreign problems. But those competing approaches are grounded in experience, values and economic and social policy perspectives, not skin color.

Ah, but looking at it that way isn’t as much fun as viewing issues and people through a racial lens.
 

What is it about Barack Obama’s race that makes some people act crazy, if not downright vicious? The latest sign of unchecked insanity turned up in the recent anti-Obama diatribe of Princeton professor Cornel West.

The president of the United States, said West, is “a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats.” Now isn’t that a tad bit nasty and delusional? But such rantings are not limited to West. Nor do they start with him. Diane Fedele, a California local Republican leader, displayed her own meanness in 2008 when she included in her party’s newsletter a picture that showed the face of Obama surrounded by watermelon, ribs and a bucket of fried chicken. The photo, which was shaped as a currency note, had the inscription “Obama Bucks” under his picture. Associating black people with poverty programs is a shopworn tactic of bigots. The same year Fedele produced her pictorial, a joke circulated on the Internet that listed American presidents and the currency denominations that bore their faces. It read: “Washington, $1 dollar bill,” “Jefferson, $2 dollar bill,” “Lincoln, $5 dollar bill,” “Hamilton, $10 dollar bill,” “Jackson, $20 dollar bill.” Then it said, “Obama, Food Stamps.”

What is it about Barack Obama’s race that makes some people act crazy, if not downright vicious? The latest sign of unchecked insanity turned up in the recent anti-Obama diatribe of Princeton professor Cornel West.

The president of the United States, said West, is “a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats.” Now isn’t that a tad bit nasty and delusional? But such rantings are not limited to West. Nor do they start with him. Diane Fedele, a California local Republican leader, displayed her own meanness in 2008 when she included in her party’s newsletter a picture that showed the face of Obama surrounded by watermelon, ribs and a bucket of fried chicken. The photo, which was shaped as a currency note, had the inscription “Obama Bucks” under his picture. Associating black people with poverty programs is a shopworn tactic of bigots. The same year Fedele produced her pictorial, a joke circulated on the Internet that listed American presidents and the currency denominations that bore their faces. It read: “Washington, $1 dollar bill,” “Jefferson, $2 dollar bill,” “Lincoln, $5 dollar bill,” “Hamilton, $10 dollar bill,” “Jackson, $20 dollar bill.” Then it said, “Obama, Food Stamps.” So it should have come as no surprise when Newt Gingrich, well known for his slurs, took to the podium before a Republican crowd in Georgia last week and described President Obama as “the food stamp president.” Gingrich was trumpeting an old, bigoted line. Fedele said she produced her newsletter photo because she was offended that Obama had at one point during the campaign called attention to his race. He was coming across as black. Duh! West, on the other hand, finds Obama’s blackness wanting. He charged that Obama is “most comfortable with upper middle-class white and Jewish men who consider themselves very smart ... and very effective in getting what they want.” Not stopping there, West looked inside the president’s head and declared that Obama “has a certain fear of free black men.” Continuing his analysis, West opined that Obama grew up in “a white context” and “he’s always had to fear being a white man with black skin. All he has known culturally is white.” Au contraire, say those on the other side. They look at that caramel-colored president and see the incarnation of all that they fear and loathe. Hear Rush Limbaugh on Obama’s race: -- “If Obama weren’t black, he’d be a tour guide in Honolulu.” -- Obama wouldn’t have given the order to take out the Somali pirates if he had known they were “actually young black Muslim teenagers.” -- “Obama has disowned his white half … he’s decided to go all in on the black side.” -- In “Obama’s America, the white kids now get beat up with the black kids cheering.” -- Obama is “more African in his roots than he is American” and is “behaving like an African colonial despot.” -- “Obama’s entire economic program is reparations.” Thus the debate among those who view everything through a racial prism: “Obama’s too black!” “He’s not black enough!” It’s absurd. In truth, it reveals more about those who indulge in this pastime than about the president of the United States, who seems absolutely comfortable in his own skin. The antagonists are the ones who are warped. Short of renouncing his race, buck dancing on the White House lawn and singing the virtues of white supremacy, Obama will never please the likes of Limbaugh, Gingrich, et al. Likewise, authenticators of “blackness” like West will never give Obama a passing grade. Judging who’s black enough is their schtick. If they heard Obama had a helping of pigs feet and collard greens in the White House last night, they would knock him for not going back for seconds. Both sides fail to understand realities of the presidency. There simply is no black or white way to wage war against terrorism, address global warming, compete with China, bring peace to the Middle East or reduce the national debt. Just as there is no black or white way to think about abortion, gay marriage or the nuclear threat. There are progressive vs. conservative approaches to tackling unemployment, poor schools, income inequality and a host of other domestic and foreign problems. But those competing approaches are grounded in experience, values and economic and social policy perspectives, not skin color. Ah, but looking at it that way isn’t as much fun as viewing issues and people through a racial lens.

What is it about Barack Obama’s race that makes some people act crazy, if not downright vicious? The latest sign of unchecked insanity turned up in the recent anti-Obama diatribe of Princeton professor Cornel West.

The president of the United States, said West, is “a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats.” Now isn’t that a tad bit nasty and delusional? But such rantings are not limited to West. Nor do they start with him. Diane Fedele, a California local Republican leader, displayed her own meanness in 2008 when she included in her party’s newsletter a picture that showed the face of Obama surrounded by watermelon, ribs and a bucket of fried chicken. The photo, which was shaped as a currency note, had the inscription “Obama Bucks” under his picture. Associating black people with poverty programs is a shopworn tactic of bigots. The same year Fedele produced her pictorial, a joke circulated on the Internet that listed American presidents and the currency denominations that bore their faces. It read: “Washington, $1 dollar bill,” “Jefferson, $2 dollar bill,” “Lincoln, $5 dollar bill,” “Hamilton, $10 dollar bill,” “Jackson, $20 dollar bill.” Then it said, “Obama, Food Stamps.”

What is it about Barack Obama’s race that makes some people act crazy, if not downright vicious? The latest sign of unchecked insanity turned up in the recent anti-Obama diatribe of Princeton professor Cornel West.

The president of the United States, said West, is “a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats.” Now isn’t that a tad bit nasty and delusional? But such rantings are not limited to West. Nor do they start with him. Diane Fedele, a California local Republican leader, displayed her own meanness in 2008 when she included in her party’s newsletter a picture that showed the face of Obama surrounded by watermelon, ribs and a bucket of fried chicken. The photo, which was shaped as a currency note, had the inscription “Obama Bucks” under his picture. Associating black people with poverty programs is a shopworn tactic of bigots. The same year Fedele produced her pictorial, a joke circulated on the Internet that listed American presidents and the currency denominations that bore their faces. It read: “Washington, $1 dollar bill,” “Jefferson, $2 dollar bill,” “Lincoln, $5 dollar bill,” “Hamilton, $10 dollar bill,” “Jackson, $20 dollar bill.” Then it said, “Obama, Food Stamps.”