“Can we imagine for even a nanosecond a man like this being elected U.S. president? One doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. ... To understand Newt's success, rather than experts on the electorate, we need an army of psychiatrists and psychoanalysts.”
“In an atmosphere of austerity, it is
an issue that concerns most Western
societies: the lack of equity. In the
United States, where the debate
about tax fairness is red hot, tax inequality is in the public square.”
“The financial crisis hurt average
people badly, and it benefited the
richest part of the country, which came through the crisis very well, thanks to government bailouts. You would have thought that this would pave the way for a rise of
1930s- style left-wing populism.”
“There is always a risk among partisans that they will mistake the reporting of
sad truths for coordinated attacks. Newt Gingrich happens to be a weak candidate.
Drudge can't take the blame for that.”
“Money in U.S. politics was already an elephant in the room. Now the
Supreme Court has given it a laxative, taken away the shovel, and asked us to ignore both the sight
and the terrible stench.”
“All of those who thought Barack Obama would have a hard time taking up his 2012 campaign with his 2008 message of action,
hope and change had to eat
their words last Tuesday.”
“Believing in an illusory, post- partisan world, against all the odds, he has sought agreement with the opposition. In vain.
For years, Republicans have been locked into an extremist ideology that ultimately turns
state and policy into the enemy.”
“Republicans are divided, and
with each primary, the divide is being reinforced. ... Should they choose the hot-headed
and undisciplined Gingrich - who makes George W. Bush
look like a centrist - then the
country is in for a wild ride.”
“By analyzing reactions to campaign ads Republicans will use to dishonor
one another in 'battleground' states,
Obama will know what U.S. citizens
see as their greatest weaknesses.”
“The impostion of a target that is unattainable creates a very dangerous political dynamic. Instead of bringing
member countries closer together, it will drive them to mutual recriminations.”
“We have no quarrel with the Iranian people. But the Iranian leadership has failed to restore international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of
its nuclear program. ... We
will not accept Iran acquiring
a nuclear weapons capability.”
—
German Chancellor Merkel,
French President Sarkozy,
British Prime Minister Cameron
“Far-right Republicans see in Gingrich a mirror image of themselves: a retro- party led by angry White men, whose
frustration with
globalization has
erupted into resentment. Newt Gingrich understands this sentiment better than anyone. And he uses it in the worst way.”
“SOPA now seems doomed, but
the issues it was meant to address
remain. Wealth that once flowed
to Hollywood, record labels and others who controlled the means of creative production is now
being amassed by Silicon Valley.”
“Even his moralizing opponent Newt Gingrich calls Mitt Romney a liar. And rightly so. ... Lying - and we know this in Switzerland - is one of those core competencies of any politician.
In that war, there's hardly anyone more
suited to the presidency than Romney.”
“If America's political system is fractious and prone to gridlock
now, what will it look like if the president starts ignoring
and undermining the judiciary?”
“The U.S. government has
shut down one of the world's largest filesharing Web sites. ... In all, addresses in nine countries including the U.S. were raided as part of massive global operation.”
“One almost hopes that Europe’s own frequently-demanded rating agency will now be created. Such an agency
would either come to the conclusion that the three market leaders in the United States or it would allow itself
to become a lackey of politics.”
“At the moment many Americans find him a bit of an enigma: a flip-
flopper on some issues, wooden
in public and a committed member
of one of earth's odder religions.”
“How can they reconcile undigested
readings of Karl Marx with the most fundamentalist version of the Quran? ... How do you raise the banner of liberty while supporting one of the
fiercest dictatorships in the world?”
“Barack Obama's incapacity to assert himself as leader
is explained by a
childhood
that, due to
an omnipresent mother
and an absent father,
resulted in his castration.”
“Romney is certainly no dream candidate. He has changed his
positions as often as his ties. But
at least one thing is clear: The
man has a head on his shoulders.”
“The elections and changes of leadership in Russia, France,
China and the U.S.will provide information on the strength
of these countries and
their systems of governance.”
“the party must play the hand it is
dealt, which appears to be Romney,
and in light of the extremes and
eccentricities of his rivals, dullness is just what the Republicans need.”
“'Long-standing systematic
problems of U.S. society' are
attributed to 'corruption' and an 'imperfect electoral system.' This is especially
touching, given the protests
against rigged Duma polls.”
“American legislation is being applied to other countries. As a result, people are arrested
or abducted in the third world
and subjected to prosecution or abuse on fabricated charges.”
“In conflict areas from the
Mideast to Africa and Asia, there is scant prospect of
relief in 2012 and strong grounds for believing that worse is to come.”
“We have many things wrong here. But you excited monkeys who
have your mirrors dirty better wipe them off
and take a good look at yourselves for a change.”
“The long wave of terrorism that
with the collapse of New York's
Twin Towers has done damage to a fundamental principle: the free
flow of information on which the
world of science research depends.”
“With the death of dictator
Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un has inherited a country facing an
uncertain future where many
many dream of prosperity
and joys of Western luxury.”
—
— REPORTERS Manfred Ertel, Mathieu Von Rohr, Sandra Schulz and Wieland Wagner
“The way things stand now, to use an ancient metaphor, Great Britain is the Trojan horse for Anglo-Saxon financial interests in the
very heart of E.U.-Europe.”
“In the U.S. as in Britain, the prevailing opinion holds that the malaise can be overcome if no one looks too closely at
the national debt. This is an
idea no longer shared here.”
“Hundreds of journalists and thousands of protesters from
around the world are likely
to turn up as a military court addresses the question of
whether Manning is a hero or an irresponsible hacker.”
—
REPORTERS Marcel Rosenbach and Gregor Peter Schmitz
“The worldwide release of greenhouse gasses is still growing at record rates ... Neither the global financial crisis nor the plunge into
recession in top economies has made any difference.”
“The eurozone is in danger of being downgraded, but panic has yet to break out.
The MAJOR credit rating agencies are themselves to blame. Confidence in their professionalism is waning -
their message unnecessary.”
“It is science with numbers arbitrarily plucked from thin air, helter-skelter,
for no other reason than to deliver control of the world to 1% of 1% of
1% of the people – roughly 7,000
people in the U.N.'s headquarters.”
“If it were known that the White
House is directly influencing Egypt's
domestic affairs, it would be a boon
to the Islamists, who are always fast
to wave the national torch and
jeer friends of the Jewish state.”
“His looming reincarnation
as the all-powerful, executive
president – in Chinese parlance
the nation's 'paramount leader' – poses a stark challenge for
which the U.S., U.K. and other
beleaguered Western powers seem ill-prepared.”
“When they begin motivating organizations inside the country which claim to be domestic but are funded from abroad … this
is unacceptable. Punishment for those cooperating with foreign
governments must be toughened.”
“Iran has completed development
of a nuclear weapon and waits only
a sign from the Supreme Leader,
Ayatollah Khamenei, to begin the
assembly of its first nuclear weapon.”
—
-- Military Intelligence Chief Major General Aviv Kochavi
“If one closely observes developments unfolding in Syria, it becomes clear that the United States has hatched a plot against the
country. Unfortunately,
certain foreign and nearby
countries are involved.”
— Iran's
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei
“A portable floating base
will aid countermeasures
against mines Iran has said
it will plant in the Strait of
Hormuz in reprisal for the oil embargo and expand the range of
commandos into coastal
areas. Navy SEALs will take on Iran's
large fleet of speedboats.”
“Simply, Americans and Israelis don't understand one another. We dance around the fact, we shy away from truly examining it, but we are, as communities and as individuals, in many, many respects, total strangers.”
“We must study carefully all the options, including the option of acquiring
WMDs. We cannot simply
leave it for somebody else
to make the choice for us.”
—
Saudi Intelligence Chief, Prince Turki al-Faisal
“This is the history of the Shia ... all of their political parties,
Chalabi and his ilk, Ayad Allawi,
they all work for the Americans ... they formed ties outside of the country, and then returned.”
“These dear martyrs are worthy of honor for two reasons: First, because of their
research and their competence handling sensitive information vital to the nation's
interests; and second, because of
the divine and spiritual nature of the young.”
“By trading in gold, New Delhi and soon Beijing, enable Iran to bypass the oil embargo and the upcoming freeze
on the
assets of the Iran Central Bank. ... The vast sums involved in
are expected to lift the price of gold and depress the value of the dollar on world markets.”
“Panetta is the first high-ranking U.S. official to give Tehran an ultimatum:
Accept America's offer to negotiate
the terms for halting your nuclear
weapon program, or face up to the
mighty fleet of U.S. aircraft carriers.”
“Obama has written a cunning
letter that intends to claim that
the United States is responsible for maintaining security in the
Strait of Hormuz and Persian
Gulf, when it is Iran which is responsible for maintaining
security around this region.”
—
Expediency Discernment Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaii
“Washington was taken aback by the decision. It was perceived as a mark of Israel's disapproval for
the U.S. administration's
hesitancy to impose tougher sanction on Iran.”
“We strongly condemn the baseless and inappropriate allegations. ... people who aspire to posts with great responsibility, like the U.S. presidency, should be more knowledgeable about the world and more careful in the statements they make.”
“Whoever the culprit of
of the latest bomb attack
against an Iranian nuclear
scientist is, these murders
constitute war carried
out under another name.”
“Who can say whether Obama
in the U.S. or France's Sarkozy, potentially outgoing incumbents who have had to confront the worst economic crises that their nations have ever known, will manage to retain their posts?”
“The bombing attack in
Tehran that killed Iran nuclear scientist Mostafa
Ahmadi-Roshan resulted an angry phone call from U.S. President Obama to Prime Minister Netanyahu.”
“Military sources report that in
preparation for Tehran to carry out its threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, a buildup of Western naval forces opposite Iran in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea has taken place in the last 48 hours.”
“We hate war, as it only results in destruction, orphans and widows - and because its victims are often
our brothers. But if U.S. launches
a fourth war, it will be its last.”
“Riyadh has been leaning hard on
the White House not to let Tehran
get away with its warning and to react with 'full force' to Iranian
pretensions to control sea traffic
transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”
“We advise, warn and recommend to them not to station this carrier where it recently was in the Persian Gulf. We aren't used to repeating our warnings. We issue
them once and only once.”
—
Commander-in-Chief of Iran Army, Ataollah Salehi
“Not only have the volatile voices opposing America's
pullout ruined any chance
for greater gains, they've also begun warning about
a terrifying future and a government collapse.”
“The bill, targeting anyone dealing
with the Iranian Central Bank seeks to force other countries to choose between buying oil from Iran or being shut out of transactions with
U.S. banks and financial institutions.”
“Tehran is expected to strike back hard by sowing mines in the Strait of Hormuz and in waters opposite
the oil fields and terminals of other
Gulf oil producer like Saudi Arabia.”
“It seems rather than examining Iraq's military preparedness, the stubborn among us have dug in their heels, insisting on labeling a reduced American presence as 'occupation of the Iraqi state.' This is illogical and ridiculous.”
“For it to become an ex-empire, the United States needs another president like George Bush Jr.
Undoubtedly, Newt Gingrich is perfectly suited to the task.”
“This man, who accuses overly- accommodating Mahmoud Abbas
of having an 'enormous desire' to destroy Israel, himself clearly displays a compulsive desire to destroy all Palestinians, whose existence he doesn't recognize.”
“This virtual U.S. embassy is illegal.
Under the 1961 Vienna Convention, the establishment of diplomatic relations between states - and of permanent diplomatic missions -
takes place by mutual consent only.”
“Soon, such women didn't hesitate to try and lure others into working with occupation forces. It wasn't long before the courageous men of the resistance confronted each and every female that allowed herself
to work for the criminal invaders.”
“Military sources say that
the knowledge gleaned by Iran compels
the U.S. and Israel to revise their plans of attack for aborting the Iranian nuclear program.”
“When risk endangers their plans, the capitalist powers that stand behind all underground economic activity rush to create a crisis wherever they deem necessary - for example, by conjuring up a pretext for 'fighting terrorism.'
In fact, it wouldn't be too far-
fetched to say that terrorism was
created by them for that purpose.”
“The U.S. secretary of state is
astonished by Knesset initiatives
in favor of restricting left-wing NGOs, as well as by the exclusion
of women from public
spaces and other phenomena.”
“The U.S. could set a good
example but we all know
the situation of the U.S.
at home. It's very hard for
the Obama Administration to move forward with climate change because of the situation in Congress.”
“When profit is deified, scam artists become prophets. Gloss
over secularism and liberal deregulation as we might, its
high priests are theologians
of both injustice and famine.”
“America did this because its plan
to withdraw from Iraq is anything but permanent. In fact, America doesn't want to leave at all, so it
has to dream up reasons to stay.”
“Iraq will not participate directly
in the anticipated outbreak with
Iran. But that won't allay fears for
Iraq's security when the sides take to the field to settle their accounts.”
“Chinese officials haven't hesitated
to talk about the risk of a 'currency
war,' and have warned America's
senate against the adoption of a bill
that provides for penalties against
products of countries of concern.”
“This victory will be all the more tricky to manage because it must inevitably be shared - by way of commercial contracts - with the
powers that contributed to it.”
“Every year, Washington sends
a lease payment to Havana for its presence, but Cuba doesn't
cash the $4,085 checks. Dignity cannot be leased. Cuba keeps
the checks for a museum that doesn’t yet exist: the one that will open right there when
the United States liberates that section of sun-drenched bay.”
“The absence of any mention of North Korea's nuclear program
was puzzling. This glaring lack of
acknowledgement could send the
wrong message to Pyongyang.”
“This is frivolous, to put it mildly. We are committed to non-interference in Afghanistan and expect all other states to strictly adhere to this principle.”
“The tragedy of the Latin American countries, with
their ugly background of exploitation, misery and
de-culturation, has
only one set of enemies: European neo-colonialism
and American imperialism.”
“The U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples sets forth in detail and protect the rights of U.S.
tribes and their members in relation
to the Washington Government. ”
“Due to our ultra-sensitivity
and disregard for principles of free speech, we run the risk of becoming a global
laughing stock. Nations with
pretensions of superpower
status can't behave this way.”
“I have no idea how India Ambassador to the U.S. Nirupama Raofelt felt, but some of us squirmed in embarrassment
when India's government protested to
NBC TV over a picture of
the Golden
Temple in Jay Leno's nightly program.”
“The absence of any mention
of the U.S. crisis with Pakistan, something that lasted all of last year and that shows every sign of being important in the
months to come, is a surprise.”
“As helpful as it is to Apple
profits, its product launch
strategy inevitably results
in mass hysteria. ... If
Apple continues this
strategy, it is only a matter
of time before a product
launch ends in tragedy.”
“U.S. presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has been facing questions over his wealth,
and many Sikhs are angered
that the Golden Temple was
shown as a place for the rich.”
“Although Beijing has
rebuffed requests from the West to reduce its oil imports from Iran,
his choice of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as the only destinations
in Wen's Mideast trip
tell us another tale.”
— Vice Dean
of the Jindal School of International Affairs, Sreeram Chaulia
“For many weeks we've received
threats from violent, terrorist-tied
sectors in Miami. Everyone must be
aware that a group of Venezuelan fugitives from justice celebrated and sponsored this decision against the interests of Venezuela.”
“Facilitating visas for entry into
the U.S. will benefit very large numbers of Brazilians who want to travel there, but it will also
aggravate a macroeconomic
problem. The amount of money Brazilians spend abroad already
weighs heavily on the country's balance sheet, and it will weigh
even more with a rise in travel.”
“Both are erecting obstacles for their opponents - obstacles that
are typical for electoral processes. ... Both are preparing for them in grand form and at a time when their opponents are struggling to coalesce around a single candidate.”
“China is much more than what Republicans think. ... Should we be angry that China figures so
prominently in an election on the other side of the Pacific? If the Republicans can be so absurd
on the campaign trail, can they really be taken seriously?”
“The corollary to this attempt to
stifle the free flow of information
over the Internet is a system of intellectual property that, first of all, favors large corporations.”
“It is not unlikely that for losing this war, U.S. generals will make Pakistan into a contemporary equivalent of Cambodia or Laos. The Islamabad establishment had
better ponder this and prepare.”
“Now, when there is a chance to
start talking to the Taliban, comes
what Barack Obama called simply an 'inhumane act.' … For political reasons alone, Washington should quickly fulfill its moral obligation to punish those involved, using all the rigor of the military code.”
“The regime's intention is to aggressively promote an image of peace by accepting media from the Western world. ... The North Korean authorities will only permit the release of
data it wants to be reported.”
—
Choi Jin-wook, researcher, Korean
Institute of National Unification
“Like the ancient Greeks, the Lakota named stars, constellations, and other
heavenly bodies. Myth often relayed
morals as well as scientific information.”
“The worship of Apple is no less
reasonable than the worship of
true religious idols. Perhaps the
situation simply reflects a lack
of Chinese idols to put faith in.”
“We welcome you with jubilation. We don't care
that you deny the Jewish
Holocaust or that you intend to wipe Israel off
the map. The complaints
of our key trade partner
[the U.S.] are no concern.”
“Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's four
'anti-imperial' Latin American 'friends' never criticized the undemocratic methods of their Persian ally because they
themselves make use of them.”
“2012 could be pivotal to the direction Taiwan takes.
One is further integration
with the People’s Republic
of China, and the other is maintaining the 'status quo' of a de facto independence.”
“A Chavez-Ahmadinejad alliance would be seen as a threat to both the petroleum that passes through the Strait of Hormuz and the vast oil reserves of Venezuela.
What benefits might this
bring Venezuela? None!”
“We welcome you with jubilation. We don't care
that you deny the Jewish
Holocaust or that you intend to wipe Israel off
the map. The complaints
of our key trade partner
[the U.S.] are no concern.”
“We welcome President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with jubilation - and not only to Venezuela. Welcome to our America. The America of the Indian is standing up again. Our America has begun walking on its own two feet. We are free; we
are no longer anyone's colonies.”
“The 20th century suffered under an insurmountable contradiction:
on one hand, economic ties were
internationalized, making various national systems more and more dependent on one another; and on the other, we developed an incapacity to politically oversee the internationalization process.”
“Now we'll see what those
who've been maneuvering on ‘the darkside’ of the U.S. Capitol Dome have in store for the American people as we move toward a period of great transition on the Mayan Calendar in 2012.”
—
Steven Newcomb is Shawnee- Lenape and co-founder of the Indigenous Law Institute
“It is difficult to explain what is happening to some of us in Latin America. ... Would it be strange if the U.S had developed the
technology to induce cancer?”
“Pakistan has to make it clear that it won't accept this type of cavalier
treatment from a supposed ally that not only refuses to acknowledge the sacrifices Pakistan has made to America's war, but adds to its losses.”
“'Dear Leader' Kim was a
serial
committer of crimes against humanity. … The Korean Peninsula now has a chance to write a new chapter in its history.
Reunification is the way.”
“If the U.S. government makes the wrong assessment, it could
deal a critical blow to Obama's
reelection hopes. ... If Beijing attempts to hastily show off its ever-stronger influence over
North Korea, it will backfire.”
“He suffered an acute myocardial infarction, complicated by serious heart shock brought on by great mental and physical strain due to uninterrupted field guidance for building a thriving nation.”
“Since things aren't going its way, Washington appears to be working on a complicated
plan creating schisms between political and military leaders in this country and to degrade
the military in people's eyes.”
“Although democracy is ripping through the Arab world today, Iraq has had nothing to do
with it - and the desired
domino effect the Iraq
invasion was supposed to
cause never happened.”
“Pakistan must reconsider - in its
its entirety - the alliance with the
U.S. Being an ally has proved to be
no protection against unprovoked attack. It is therefore only logical for Pakistan to stop being part
of America's war against terror.”
“The virtual embassy, whatever its sinister intentions, is a small diplomatic step forward, and in 2012 it will be put to a test: will
it help the United States make
peace - or war - with Tehran?”
“As the Congress finds itself in gridlock, it would be wise to step back and study the history
and resolve of the American
Indian to see that there is another path - one that leads to cooperation and a better future.”
“At present, the north looks south with suspicion, afraid of what we might be able to do, since this process not only reaffirms our union of nation states, but of people in - as Martí
called it - Our America.”
“doubts have been sown about whether the region can actually achieve independence without the United States. What is true is that Latin America has placed
great importance on autonomy.”
Help Support Worldmeets.us
Worldmeets.us is a non-partisan, volunteer-based, not-for-profit organization that operates solely in the public interest. The opinions expressed in articles posted by Worldmeets.us are not necessarily those of Worldmeets.us, its sponsors or its volunteers.
January 25, 00:01:35 
