“Lin's success could help change stereotypes and prejudice regarding Chinese-Americans, who are usually thought of as doctors, lawyers, financial analysts or musicians rather than athletes. ... the hard work, discipline and creativity Lin displays on the court will help boost China's image. And he will help reignite the passion for the sport among Chinese fans that faded after Yao Ming's retirement.”
“German union IG Metall will appoint Bob King to Opel's supervisory board. … King's hope is that IG Metall will push companies in Germany into relinquishing their anti-union stance in the United States.”
“A Saudi accused of associating with September 11 hijackers and who disappeared from his
home in the U.S. just before the
attacks is in London
and works for his country's state oil company.”
—
REPORTERS Anthony Summers, Neil Tweedie, Dan Christensen
“A unified computer database
that is gathering and refining information on millions of
voters is at the
forefront of campaign technology – and
could be the key to victory.”
“Egypt's military intends - on its own and without outside pressure
- to establish the rhythm as well as
the limits of the democratization
that the nation is now engaged in.”
“For some, China is today what America once was: a rising and vigorous power. So the visit by China's heir apparent, Xi Jinping, cannot pass without a subliminal
political comment from Obama.”
“Unlike for the last half-century, U.S. hegemony can no longer be relied on to keep the peace. To craft a new Pax Pacifica is therefore the great strategic challenge of our time.”
“The Taliban oppose equal
rights and education for girls
and women, and enjoys the
widespread support of the male population
Sometimes
politics is just that simple.”
“Brown introduced her to cocaine and the most harmful version of the drug, crack. That would be dangerous to anyone, but for a singer, it is suicide.
Nothing damages vocal cords as badly.”
“In private, Obama also pressed Xi on China's widely
criticized record in human
rights and the detention of
specific activists. Xi implicitly
acknowledged past abuses.”
“What is most urgent now is to prevent war and chaos so that the Syrian people will be freed from greater sufferings. ... China will absolutely not protect any party, including the government of Syria.”
“There is one thing Americans
could never be accused of: the sending of six million Jews to
their deaths and plunging
half of the world into conflict.”
“Heavenly Father, we thank you for sharing our sister Whitney with us. ... Though she is gone too soon, we
remain blessed to have
been touched by her beautiful spirit.”
“How to convince skeptics that Uncle
Sam's troops should follow the path of Alexander of Macedon and conquer the descendants of the Persian Empire? This is where a strategy of 'false flags'
could prove useful to Washington.”
“A twenty-year-old kid founds his own business just to prove he can, and eight years later finds himself the leader of a business valued at
$100 billion. It's an improbable tale
that could happen only in the U.S.”
“There seems no reason
in why we should
not be equally blessed with
the entrepreneurial drive
that produced Facebook,
Twitter and other wealth
spawning companies.”
“Young people in America have a declining tendency toward patriotic bravado and perceive
the idea of American greatness
more calmly and with less pathos.”
“While Blacks have dressed like
hoodlums for decades, they've
finally understood, thanks to the
tutelage of Whites - that they
should pay more attention to
their appearance. That was the
tenor of the blog post by Elle.”
—
SIGNED LETTER by leading
French celebrities, journalists
“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.”
“Netanyahu has said he feels cheated. By its actions the Obama administration leaves Israel with no recourse other than to grapple with the Iranian menace on its own.”
“It is a truism to say that Russia has never bet on a winning horse. But sad to say, the most painful turn of events has been the conversion of China into the acolyte of a mafia-controlled country.”
“Maps were found at the
offices of the International Republican Institute. Judge
Abu-Zeid said that the maps divide Egypt's governerates into four regions. The first area is named 'Canal,' the second 'Greater Cairo,' the third 'Delta' and the fourth
was lebeled 'Upper Egypt.'”
“This goes beyond the issue of planning to assassinate the governor. It goes to the fact that the Americans who were detained have been involved with dirty operations before.”
“Just like China and Russia,
perhaps the U.S. isn't too
eager to intervene in Syria.
Maybe the U.S. judges it
better hiding behind a Russia veto to claim that the latter is solely responsible for non-intervention in Syria.”
“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.”
“We should point out the willingness of the United States to exaggerate the importance of this man.
It was the U.S. and no one else that propagated an inflated and exalted image of this individual. ... The ultimate goal of the U.S. is to be able to say 'Let us resolve the problems that the Mexicans cannot.'”
“Today, our presence here, in this mournful Ciudad Juárez, demands
we make a new and respectful call to the government, Congress and people of the United States. We
need their help to stop the violence. … That is why we say: no more
weapons to Mexico, no more!”
“Some countries want to find a balance between
China and the U.S. But by no means does this mean that they are interested
in taking part in a Cold War
style 'balance of terror.'”
“If this continues, the region will see more frigates, attack
boats, subs and military planes navigating the skies and seas, ensuring greater devastation
if the new cold war turns hot.”
“Welcome to the United States. I have always believed that the best way to truly understand a country is to see it with your own eyes. As you know there
is an old Chinese says, 'It is better to travel 10,000 miles than to read 10,000 books.'”
“As the U.S. steps up to engage the Taliban and al-Qaeda in peace talks, elements of the Taliban have initiated their own
plan, focused on regaining
the power lost in 2001.”
—
CORRESPONDENTS Hamza Ameer, Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud
“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.”
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