Economist, David Korten at CommonDreams asks what is the big picture? Planet Earth is threatened now like never before, he says, by three factors: Climate change and the environmental crisis, a consumption economy with no regard for environmental and human consequences, and political institutions that systematically deny human potential while enriching the few at the expense of the many. Read more »
The natural disasters that have befallen China and Burma have reached considerable magnitude in terms of lives and people made homeless. These will not be the last disasters faced by the world. The role that the Secretary-General of UN is significant, more so in Burma than China. Various ideologies have sought to downplay the role of the United Nations and of International Law.
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The International Criminal Court, or Cour Penale Internationale, has been active since July, 2002. War crimes are part of its mandate, but its jurisdiction is limited by the acceptance of national governments, and the major holdout is the bastion of international law, the United States of America.
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The problem it seems it not so much the elephant in the room, but the elephant in the china shop. According to The Independent, the price of oil would be $40 per barrel and not the record $135 per barrel recorded last week. Of course at $40 per barrel, oil would have appeared to be much higher than previously, and no doubt many would have been bemoaning the fact. The invasion and occupation, that noble yet criminal venture, according to the newspaper have cost $6 trillion dollars in higher energy prices - however much that might be. Read more »
The earthquake in China and the cyclone in Burma are tragic events for the people involved, as they are a contrast in response. The BBC reports that the earthquake may have killed 12,000 people, but there is a major search and rescue operation under weigh. It is as they suggest, “Chaotic, yet organized”. As far as I know the Chinese have not refused international relief assistance and aid, whereas that is exactly what the Burmese Government has done. By delaying assistance they have effectively considerably worsened the situation. The scale of the disaster has clearly overwhelmed the national capacity to deal with it, and that could happen anywhere. Read more »
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