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Strategies & Market Trends : 2026 TeoTwawKi ... 2032 Darkest Interregnum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: brian h who wrote (1844)	11/4/2005 3:55:18 AM
From: TobagoJack	Respond to of 218268

are you now saying that the japanese soldiers of wwii were not good guys ? or are you saying lee tung hui did not betray his colleagues? or are you changing your story again?

To: brian h who wrote (1844)	11/5/2005 1:42:45 AM
From: TobagoJack	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 218268

Naughty, extremely ... Hmmmn, bye bye DDP and hello KMT?! You think? Maybe? Perhaps? Just possibly? Let's watch and enjoy the revelations ... delicious Even more so, Stratfor is counting on Japan's help :0) Precious :0) I will bet you that at some point Chen's ancestral graves will be relocated ;0) It is what, after all, happens when the will of the people gets in tune with what must inevitably be. Taiwan: A Scandal Threatens a President and Regional Stability Nov 04, 2005 Summary Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian is engaged in a political dogfight with far-reaching international implications. Details of a political scandal involving corruption and the employment of illegal Thai immigrants during the construction of a mass transit system in Kaohsiung continue to come to light, and a growing number of officials in Chen's administration are being implicated. Chen's political options are narrowing as opposition parties rally public dissent against the president. The Chen administration's political implosion could draw in neighboring nations, thus heightening tensions in an already tense region. Analysis Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian is currently embroiled in a growing political scandal involving corruption and illegal Thai immigrant workers employed during the construction of the mass transit system in Kaohsiung. Chen has been on the political ropes for some time, especially since Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou became the party chairman of the Taiwanese opposition Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT). With three more years in his final term, the embattled president's political options are fast dwindling. This latest scandal further weakens Chen's position within Taiwan's domestic political scene and reduces his regional clout. And the growing domestic maelstrom could grow into a regional affair, potentially drawing in Japan and mainland China. This latest political battle arose from the accusations that foreign workers were illegally employed in the building of the transit system, and from allegations that the contract brokers involved in hiring the workers received illegal kickbacks. How big the scandal will grow remains to be seen. Already, Chen's former deputy presidential secretary-general, Chen Che-nan, has been implicated in the scandal -- and fired because of it. Prime Minister Frank Hsieh also has been thrown into the political dogfighting, having to defend his position -- and seemingly his integrity -- in front of Taiwan's legislature. Adding fuel to the scandal fire, the Chen administration has threatened to shut down TVBS, the news station that broke the case and continues to investigate the scandal. This threat has subjected Chen to a volley of public backlash. Protests -- and threats of even larger protests were the station shut down -- forced Chen to public announce Nov. 2 that he would not revoke the cable station's operating license. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials, however, continue to review the station's operations, and are prepared to come down on TVBS for any infractions. Domestically, the ongoing scandal gives the KMT a new front in which to go after the DPP, attacking the integrity of high-ranking DPP officials. Though the average lifespan of political scandals is relatively short, and the next round of parliamentary elections will not take place until 2007, the KMT will use the scandal to further isolate Chen -- or at least his DPP -- from the people. KMT plans to reach out to China, well received by most Taiwanese, have restricted Chen's ability to divert the public from the scandal by redirecting attention to the behemoth across the Taiwan Strait. County magistrate elections set for the end of 2005 serve as a more immediate gauge of the Taiwan political scene than the 2007 elections, however. The public is beginning to turn against the DPP, and Chen's time-tested China-bashing tactic has become less effective now that the KMT has launched its Pineapple diplomacy, which saw the opening of fruit exports from Taiwan to China, and since the mainland is still running mounting a charm offensive. Chen's political options are narrowing, since trying to jump on board the new China initiatives risks alienating his base, while appealing to his core DPP support base could raise regional tensions. Thus, Chen finds himself being forced into a political corner over a domestic issue. When he has needed to rally support and solidify his base in the past, Chen has lashed out against China. And formerly, he could always count on the mainland to rattle its saber, thus allowing him to reap the political benefit of taking a defiant stance against a much larger aggressor. But times have changed. China's new charm offensive toward Taiwan has diminished the value of the option of encouraging cross-strait tensions, and Chen's rhetoric against China has fallen flat. Nevertheless, if desperate enough, Chen could again try to incite a Chinese response. If China remains unfazed by the Taiwanese president's independence rhetoric, Chen could turn to Japan. As a long-time regional ally and political rival of China, increasing cooperation with Japan represents Chen's most viable means to elicit a Chinese response. Bringing Tokyo into the mix would force China to respond -- something Beijing has sought to avoid. Copyright 2005 Strategic Forecasting Inc. All rights reserved.

To: brian h who wrote (1844)	11/7/2005 6:46:01 AM
From: elmatador	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 218268

Europe will face bleak future. Declining populations in North, south, east and west Europe. Right across the Mediterranean an overpopulated Middle East and Africa. See what’s happening right now: Desperate Africans crossing the Mediterranean to Spain. Desperate North Africans and Balkan people crossing to Italy is going to be the order of the day. New generation of blacks and Muslins wreacking havoc in the France. Countries with big immigrant populations Germany and Sweden will face the same problems as France is facing today. I was in Slovakia and Czech Republic lat month. The young people are leaving for western Europe and the old people are being left behind. Now Europe has to deal with the problem of bringing Turkey into the EU fold and then things start looking really worrying. China problems are nothing compared with what is going to happen in Europe.