Plaidcast  |  World

Sino Sniping Has International Impacts

Synopsis: US-Chinese relations suddenly seem to be at a recent all-time low. The US arms sale to Taiwan, US President meeting with the Dalai Lama, Google China getting hacked, and US Secretary of State Clinton commenting on human rights in China, have collectively caused the Sino-Giant to super-size its rage against the US machine. But the Plaid Avenger tells you why there’s nothing really to fear from this…it is really just business as usual…and it won’t result in any big changes to the relationship between these two world titans. However, China’s fury will be causing impacts on the international agenda of the US and Team West, namely in regard to Iran, North Korea, and even global warming. Check it out!

Other Plaidcasts mentioned:
02.05.10 - Taiwan’s Tricky Sticky Status

10.06.09 - Diplomatic Dali Diss to Save 6-Party

03.11.09 - Chi Slamma’ Lama

U.S.-China growing pains

Testing Time for U.S.-China Relations

US-China tensions continue over Google

China Renews Opposition to Iran Sanctions

Keywords: US, China, Taiwan, Tibet, Iran, North Korea, Obama, Dalai Lama, Hilary Clinton, global warming, human rights, Google

Taiwan’s Tricky Sticky Status

Summary: Holy crap! The US is selling $6.4 billion bucks worth of arms to Taiwan….and China is pissed! This must be the beginning of WW3 and the end of the world! NOT. This arms deal, and China’s reaction to it, is a regular occurrence that has been happening for 60 years. The bigger story is why it is happening, and for that we need to understand the Taiwanese/Chinese relationship, and how the US got in the middle of the mess in the first place. The Avenger outlines how Taiwan got into this strange ‘non-state’ status, and how that relates to US/Chinese relations. Time for a Taiwanese tango!

US arms deal helps deter

US slates China's Taiwan response

China versus Taiwan: How the political standoff may end

Ma Ying-jeou: Creating closer ties (VIDEO!!!)

Keywords: Taiwan, US, China, Ma Ying-jeou, Chen Shui-bian, Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Zedong, Henry Kissinger, Richard Nixon, Taiwan Relations Act

Burka Ban Signifies Shift in Europe

Synopsis: There is talk in France of a nation-wide ban on the wearing of the Islamic full-body covering burka…a proposition supported by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Many have viewed this move as anti-Islamic or Islam-o-phobic, but hold on! This ban, along with a Swiss ban on minarets and anti-immigrant violence in Italy, is indicative of a major shift underway across all of Europe: a move to the conservative right, both socially and politically. The Avenger discusses these issues and the reasons why they have arisen….and what you can expect in European politics and cultural frictions of the future.

France moves toward burqa ban amid concern over Muslim integration

Race Riots Grip Italian Town, and Mafia Is Suspected

The population crash

Fixing Europe's Immigration Problem

Keywords: France, Sarkozy, Switzerland, Italy, Berlusconi, Germany, Merkel, birth rates, immigration, culture, Islam

Why Does Haiti Suck? Part 3: The Political Repercussions of part 1&2

Synopsis: The catastrophic earthquake which hit Haiti on January 12th has killed perhaps a quarter of a million people and economically ravaged the entire state. More importantly, it has laid bare to the world a totally impoverished country that is ill-equipped to take care of itself even in good times, much less when disaster strikes. How is it that Haiti got to this point of sucking so bad?

In this final installment Part 3, the Avenger sums up how the negative aspects of Haiti’s bloody birth and internal people problems have played out over the last 200 years to produce this heavily indebted and desperately poor state which has seen more than its fair share of international intrigue, destructive dictatorships, and political chaos….right on up to the modern earthquake event which has flattened these fatigued folks. But there is hope for the future!!!

A legacy of oppression in Haiti

Where is Haiti's government?

Imagining a Stronger Haiti Past the Pain

Keywords: Haiti, François Duvalier, Papa Doc, Baby Doc, Jean-Claide Duvalier, Tonton Macoute, Voodoo, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Mugabe

Why Does Haiti Suck? Part 2: Problems with Peoples

Synopsis: The catastrophic earthquake which hit Haiti on January 12th has killed perhaps a quarter of a million people and economically ravaged the entire state. More importantly, it has laid bare to the world a totally impoverished country that is ill-equipped to take care of itself even in good times, much less when disaster strikes. How is it that Haiti got to this point of sucking so bad? In this three-part plaidcast, the Plaid Avenger gives you some of the background and chronic problems which have plagued this state since its inception. Part 2 describes contentious issues among the ‘classes’ of color of Haitian citizenry and how this is a core cause of the calamity, within the country and across the Caribbean island of Hispaniola as a whole…

Haiti's History: Revolution, Subjugation

Haiti, Dominican Republic are troubled neighbours

Color Complex: Sammy Sosa's Changing Face

Haiti's history as first black republic creates a special bond with many African-Americans

Keywords: Haiti, mulatto, Dominican Republic, Haitian Revolution, Hispaniola, Carribean, Rafael Trujillo, Jean-Pierre Boyer

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