Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Hiding Facts of History by Erick San Juan

 Hiding Facts of History by Erick San Juan


The forthcoming visit of US President Barack Obama in this part of the region particularly to its allies Japan and South Korea seemed to put pressure on the two allies to iron out its long-standing issue on the war crimes committed by the Japanese army during the Second World War particularly on the issue of the ‘comfort women’ as sex slaves.

From the report of Alastair Gale of Wall Street Journal online – “Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye met for the first time late last month at a three-way summit with Pres. Barack Obama in The Hague. That meeting was carefully brokered to focus on regional security and avoid the flashpoint topics of Japan's wartime behavior, which have been at the center of the deterioration in the bilateral relationship.

One of the most contentious of those topics is that of the "comfort women," or women coerced into servitude in brothels used by the Japanese military in the 1930s and 1940s. Many of the women were Korean. South Korea is seeking a new formal apology to the women and a state-funded compensation scheme that acknowledges the government's role in the coercion.”

Remember in February 28, 2014 Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga stated that the country’s government has intended to recheck the credibility of the victims among women from Korea and other states who had been exploited in field Japanese army brothels during WWII. (The words of 16 “comfort women” served as a basis for acknowledging by the former Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan Yohei Kono in 1993 of the fact that sexual slavery had taken place).

Yoshihide Suga underlined the Abe administration was still insisting on the absence of the documents showing the violent nature of Korean women mobilization. It is worth noting that the result of the surveys of Japanese citizens by local media showed that almost 60 percent of the country’s population supported this ‘recheck’ initiated by the Abe administration.

No less provocative words came from the CEO of NHK TV company Katsuo Momii. He said creation of field brothels where the locals had been exploited had been a common practice for all countries participated in WWII and “it seemed wrong only from the standpoint of modern morality.”

As of this writing, Japan Broadcasting Corp.’s (NHK) president apologized on national television. Speaking on the weekly digest program called Totteoki Sunday, Katsuo Momii expressed regret for his previous comments on the issue of “comfort women.”  (After he earned the ire of the public and requests for his resignation.)

Japanese high-ranking policymakers’ attempts to deny the obvious facts of the past have been criticized by the Chinese Foreign Ministry and stated that Japan’s militarists actions were crimes against humanity, the proof of which no one can deny.

Tokyo’s last steps impressively showed that Japan didn’t intend to listen to the voice of Asian countries affected by the crimes during WWII as well as many of the world leading nations that were concerned about the rise of nationalism in Japan and forced buildup of its military capabilities.

Although South Korea and Japan held rare high-level talks Wednesday (April 16) on the extremely sensitive issue of wartime sex slavery, which has contributed to a virtual freeze in diplomatic ties.

Kyodo News cited an unnamed government official as saying the Japanese side would indicate Tokyo is mulling an official apology and money for the so-called comfort women forced to work in military brothels.

Seoul said the meeting between Junichi Ihara, head of the Japanese foreign ministry's Asia and Oceania affairs bureau, and Lee Sang-deok, South Korea's director-general for Northeast Asian Affairs, marked the first time high-level officials had discussed the comfort woman issue in isolation.

Briefing domestic reporters after the talks, a South Korean official would only reveal that both sides had laid out their respective stances and agreed to meet again soon.

“They shared the opinion that this issue should be settled speedily in order to remove obstacles in South Korea-Japan relations,” Yonhap news agency quoted the official as saying.

This event to patch up the problem between Seoul and Tokyo came only because the ‘master’ said so but the bottom line here is that the ‘mulling over’ by Japan on such an important matter as the issue on the comfort women is not an assurance that they will do something about it in the near future. 

It was also reported (from various online news network) that Japanese politicians have expressed exasperation at Seoul's repeated requests for contrition.

Repeated wavering since the apology among senior right-wing politicians has contributed to a feeling in South Korea that Japan is in denial and not sufficiently remorseful.

Historians say up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea but also from China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan, were forced to work in Japanese army brothels. There are only 55 surviving former comfort women left in South Korea.

When people try to hide the facts of history and will do anything to change it will someday find itself in the same situation and will regret what they did, and 'karma' will catch up with them in the end.
 

Sunday, April 20, 2014

TPP and the Asean Economic Integration by Erick San Juan

 TPP and the Asean Economic Integration by Erick San Juan

Experts believe that the meeting of trade ministers from the countries participating in negotiations on Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) ended in Singapore last February 25, 2014 has not given results.  Kuala Lumpur is convinced that the task of this trade agreement to reach a conclusion in 2014 is impossible. The main reason for the ‘failure’ of the Singapore round of negotiations was the reluctance of the US to make concessions with its negotiating partners.

Tariff lines are not fully harmonized and Malaysians cannot make concessions on important issues such as state procurement, activities of state corporations, intellectual property rights, environmental protection and human resources. They therefore expect Washington to propose constructive initiatives to resolve the situation, however, the US administration does not put forward any suggestions. Kuala Lumpur without parliamentary debate, the approval of the business community and public understanding would not sign an agreement on TPP no matter how insistent President Obama’s pressure is.

Complexity of the situation is exacerbated by the fact that Washington was unable to reach a compromise with its closest Asian ally - Japan. According to analysts, Tokyo is not inclined to designate a time frame for reaching a final agreement, thereby makes it clear that the Japanese are not going to rush the process in the absence of concessions from the US.

The ministerial meeting ended in Singapore, according to experts indicated that negotiations on TPP are steps away from the impasse. The key moment to the assessment of the interim results of negotiations will be a meeting of the countries’ trade ministers during APEC Summit in the Chinese City of Qingdao. In the absence of a breakthrough, negotiators on TPP agreement will have to take many months break due to a shift of emphasis and attention of the Americans on their domestic politics in the light of the November elections in the US Congress.

Looking back, in October 2010, as BusinessWorld reports - Assistant US Trade Representative Barbara Weisel has welcomed the Philippines interest on joining the TPP, but has warned that doing so will involve 'significant legal reforms', including a strong IP - intellectual property rights system and the near-total opening up of the services sector.

Ms. Weisel said she understood that opening up the Philippines’ service sector, which accounts for more than half of the domestic economy, would require changes in legislation and even amendments to the 1987 Constitution, which limits or bars foreign ownership in sectors such as utilities, transportation, media, education, and the practice of professions.

The Aquino administration will have to generate "consensus domestically," she said.

Back then, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) -- the lead agency for negotiating service sector liberalization -- said Philippine participation in TPP talks would take time because of constitutional restrictions.

Former NEDA Deputy Director-General Augusto B. Santos saw then that amending the 1987 Constitution is not going to be that easy, therefore the country cannot even negotiate such deal as the TPP ahead of a charter change.

Remember that PNoy himself said several times already, every time the talk of changing the constitution comes up, that he is not interested and that there are other problems far more important than changing the charter of the land.

But here, and now, PNoy’s Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, said that - a US-backed Pacific free trade pact could cause resentment in Southeast Asia as it would leave some nations in the region better positioned to access America's market than others. So he proposed inviting all 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, even if most of them can't for now meet the conditions for joining.(businessmirror)

ASEAN is itself striving to reduce trade barriers among its members, but only four of them are in TPP. They are Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. Those outside TPP are Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand.

``If there's a lag between the joining of the others in a high-quality agreement such as TPP, there can be resentment especially as we continue to integrate,'' Purisima told the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. (Manila Bulletin 4/12/2014)

The bottomline here is that the Finance secretary himself wanted a “constitutional or legislative changes needed for coming into TPP if exclusion from the pact was hurting businesses and jobs.” Whether we like it or not.

It is very clear that what PNoy is not saying (or wanting), like amending the constitution, one member of his official family is saying. Is this part and parcel of what Uncle Sam wanted aside from the so-called military modernization?

It always boils down to economics because in order to materialize US pivot to Asia( one of US President Barack Obama's agenda in his visit to Asia this week) the economy should be one of the important pillars. And to think, China is not included, mmmmm, just a coincidence?

Is economic integration possible without China in the picture?  Just asking....

 

US Interest Groups by Erick San Juan

 US Interest Groups by Erick San Juan

Remember the classic global war on terror wherein countries were forced to believe that Iraq under Saddam Hussein was actually keeping weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and that nations had to form a coalition of the willing in order to put an end to this ‘madness’ by a madman. In the end, there was no WMD and the sovereign nation of Iraq was destroyed and killed thousands of innocent civilians and put the country in chaos for the price of regime change in order to establish a democratic government and save Iraqi people from human rights violation, no thanks to 'Washington interest groups'.

Once again, this time in Ukraine the US WIG used the pretext of protecting democracy and human rights to interfere in the internal affairs of state and overthrowing the disagreeable political regime (another American WIG regime change). WIG has supported right-wing extremists groups in Ukraine standing for the spread of ultranationalist ideas under the principle: ”Ukraine for Ukranians”.

The West was not reportedly troubled by the fact that as a result of the rebellion, democratically elected president  who had won the elections that were recognized by the OSCE as open and transparent, was ousted. Rather than wait for the elections in 2015 and try to change the Ukranian leadership democratically, emissaries of the West have provoked illegal military option ignoring all rules of democracy. The so-called Ukranian revolution was accompanied by extreme violence by protesters while Western pro-US media replicated TV reports covering allegedly peaceful protest movement.

The position of the US WIG closest allies in the EU and the Pacific region are stipulated by conservative vision of the world formed by Washington, forced them to sacrifice their own economic interests for the sake of achieving the US WIG controlled foreign policy goals. Japan following the order from Washington has pledged economic aid in the amount of $1.5 billion to Ukraine and has frozen profitable investment cooperation with Moscow, the UK has stopped the delivery of military items to Russia and Germany has suspended the military contract costing 120 million euros. Following the risky course of Washington interest group has caused economic and political damage to ministers and other EU leaders who openly marched among the radical nationalists who profess racist and xenophobic ideas.

In condition of unprecedented pressure by the US and EU associated with the referendum in Crimea on international community, the BRICS countries have taken an independent stand and on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Hague have issued a statement condemning the use of sanctions during Ukranian crisis resolution. They have pointed out that the policy of force and economic sanctions are futile and not conducive to a balanced and peaceful resolution of the crisis.

As Dr. Paul Craig Roberts writes “the American, UK, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, EU propaganda machine has blamed Putin for all the trouble.  But so far the Russian government has not had to do anything except comply with the self-determination of the people in the Russian areas of Ukraine.  Much of Ukraine, as it exists or existed today, consists of Russian territories added to Ukraine by Soviet rulers.

When Ukraine became independent with Russia’s agreement when the Soviet Union collapsed, had the Russian territories first been put back into Russia from whence they came, Washington’s coup would not have resulted in the same level of crisis.

Instead, under Washington’s pressure, the Russian territory was retained by Ukraine, and in compensation Russia was given a 50-year lease on Sevastopol, Russia’s Black Sea naval base.

The purpose of the Washington financed and orchestrated coup in Kiev was to put  Ukraine, with its artificial boundaries, into the EU and NATO and to evict Russia from its warm water port and ring Russia with US missile bases.  Washington and its European puppets described this as “bringing democracy to Ukraine.”

Ukraine already had democracy, a young one trying to put down roots, and Washington destroyed it.  As Russian President Putin observed, overthrowing a brand new democracy destroys democracy. Washington’s coup established for Ukraine the precedent  that force and propaganda rule, not democracy.

But Washington cares not for democracy, only for its agenda.  And Russia, China, and Iran are in the way.

The neoconservatives, who have controlled US foreign policy since the Clinton regime,  concluded that the Soviet collapse meant that history has chosen America as the socio-economic system for the world. They declared the US to be “exceptional” and “indispensable” and above international law.  Washington had a free pass to invade, murder, destroy, and dominate.  The neoconservative claims of “American exceptionalism” sound like Hitler’s claims for the German nation. When the White House sock puppet expressed in a speech the claim of American exceptionalism, Putin replied: “God made us all equal.”

Washington’s opinion is that the exceptional and indispensable nation–the US–is above not only all other nations but also above law. What Washington does is legal.  What anyone else does in opposition is illegal.” Dr. Roberts concluded.

So what else is new? The continuing effort of 'Washington Interest group' through their government witting tool agents together with its willing allies will put the entire planet into the brink of another war.

This is what Putin thinks (taken from the article by Dr. Roberts), Americans have no intention of working anything out. They intend to subjugate Russia. Washington wants Russia powerless, surrounded with ABM bases that degrade our strategic deterrent to uselessness.  These Americans will not work with me.  They will not listen to me or to Russia’s Foreign Minister.  They only hear their own call for American hegemony over the world.  My only alternative is to prepare for war.

What was not told was that the puppet master in China is believed to be secretly dealing with the US WIG to save themselves from the peoples anger, fanning intrigues and also pushing the government of China to analyze Washington’s war plans for war against China and be fully aware of Washington’s “pivot to Asia,” in which the “indispensable nation” announced its “safe-guarding of peace” by surrounding China with naval and air bases, understands that it has the same Washington enemy as does Russia.

What the entire world faces, every country, every individual regardless of their political orientation, is a global reptilian elite engineered confrontation with US against Russia and China. This confrontation is enabled by WIG's bought-and-paid-for European and UK puppet states. Without the cover provided by Europe, Washington’s acts of aggression would result in war crimes charges against the government in Washington.  The world would not be able to enforce these charges without war, but Washington would be isolated.

The cat is out! According to Brian Wingfield of Bloomberg news (April13,2014 Businessmirror), Washington Interest Groups owe Russian President Vladimir Putin a big thank you. Putin's annexation of Crimea is being cited in Washington as a reason to do everything, from building an oil pipeline to accelerating private space flight and even boosting export of natural gas. US is also dependent on Russian made rocket engines.     
                                                                                                                                            
What emboldened China to bully us? Despite the published support of the US to the Asian against the bullying of China, action speaks more than words. It's not a secret anymore that US owe China trillions of dollars. US first lady Michelle Obama, Defense secretary Chuck Hagel even visited Beijing lately. There's even a talk concerning the US-China Bilateral Investment Treaty(BIT). It is now clear that these super elites self-interest among superpowers dictate the global scenarios coming. Not even governments and leaders can stop their evil agenda.                                                                

Be wary!!!

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Angel and Demon by Erick San Juan

Angel and Demon by Erick San Juan


The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) signed in April 4, 1949, by which the 'Parties' agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all; and each of them will assist the attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other 'Parties', such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed forces. NATO's headquarter is in Brussels. Belgium is one of the 28 member states across North America and Europe, the newest of which, Albania and Croatia, joined in April 2009.

NATO is just one of the many treaties that United States had entered into and to put it blatantly, there are about fifty-four countries that the US is legally obligated to militarily protect and defend if they get into their own conflicts. (antiwar.com)

And here we are where PNoy administration is so eager to push through another agreement with Uncle Sam tagged as ‘enhanced military cooperation’ in time for US President Barack Obama’s visit late this month.

Thanks to so many American patriots like Patrick Buchanan, among others who have been sending us a lot of information and giving the other side of the truth on how America was manipulated and controlled by a 'chosen' few. Now America's foreign policy is in shambles. HM, a patriot friend believed that 'Reptilians' disguised as bumbling Americans are buffoons and becoming incompetent  leading everyone to war.  And it sounds like if our decrepit navy gets into a shooting war with China, we are on our own. Like Cuba, the Philippines will realize all too soon, the bases are not here to protect us, but to enslave us. When are we going to wake up and realize that we are being taken for a ride again (translation – ‘chubibo’) by the big brother in the guise that they are really against China and using us as its cannon fodders?

Uncle Sam's corporats and war business complex have the luxury of fighting so many fronts because there are fools like us who will kowtow to its whims of staging a war where peace and interdependence is very much the trend instead of conflict and prejudice towards neighboring countries.

That is why even the former US Senator Mike Gravel said, “you are going to find that the back draft on what we’re doing is going to create more terror, put more Americans at risk than if we paid attention to our own defense, rather than being around the world with our 700 plus bases, that we feel threatened by people who dislike us.”

Press TV reports that the former US senator says the United States plays “policeman of the world”, a role that will drag America into its greatest problem.

“All you have got to do is just to travel around the world and you realize the amount of hatred that Americans are incurring as a result of wantonly feeling that we’re the policeman of the world and we can go kill, subjugate and intimidate anybody in the world,” said former US Senator Mike Gravel.

As what America is doing in the Crimean crisis.

From the viewpoint of Pat Buchanan – “Yet, the immediate problem is how to avoid a military confrontation or clash with Vladimir Putin's Russia over Crimea, which almost no American wants."

"Apparently, the West has decided to start down the sanctions road."

"But where does that road lead?"

"While sanctions may cripple the Russian economy, will they break Putin? Did they break Castro? Did they break Kim Il Sung or Kim Jong Il? Did they break the Ayatollah? Does Putin look like someone who will respond to an economic squeeze by crying uncle?"

"Moreover, in this age of interdependence that America did so much to launch, sanctions are a two-edged sword."

"If Ukraine cuts off oil, gas, water and electricity into a seceded Crimea, whose tourist trade is drying up, this could provoke Putin into invading Eastern Ukraine and seizing the lone land bridge onto the peninsula."

"It could provoke Russia into cutting off imports from Ukraine, turning off the oil and gas, and calling in Ukraine's debts. This would precipitate a default by Ukraine, without more Western aid than the $35 billion it is now estimated Kiev will need by 2016."

"Are House Republicans willing to vote America's share of that vast sum and make Ukraine a recipient of U.S. foreign aid roughly equal to what we provide annually to Israel and Egypt?"

"And if we severely sanction Russia, she could cut off oil and gas to Europe, cause a recession in the eurozone, and move closer to China."

"Nixon's great achievement was to split China off from Moscow. President Reagan's great achievement was to preside over the conversion of the "evil empire" into a country where he was cheered in Red Square."

"What our Greatest Generation presidents accomplished, our Baby Boomer presidents appear to have booted away.”

Remember that there are still a lot of good guys in America, the problem is some top people there are playing the angel and demon operation and dragging the whole American populace as the bad guy.

Here at home, we have our own bungling inept fools in the government kowtowing to western pressure, while our money continues to go into wide open pockets - for nothing.

God help us all.