The World's Plaidiest News Source

Banking on the BRICS!!!

The 5th summit of the BRICS group is going down in Durban, South Africa….and the actual heads of state of these rapidly growing economies have plans to evolve the group into much more than a talking shop! A possible BRICS development bank, a currency swap, and even a broadband cable between these countries displays a rapid evolution of this block into a competing source of economic….and political….power on the planet! Dig this BRICS rant to see the seriousness of these shenanigans!

Related Stories:
BRICS Nations Plan New Bank to Bypass World Bank, IMF
Emerging powers China, Brazil move towards non-dollar trade
Brics summit faces challenges over growth

Keywords: BRICS, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, bank, currency swap, broadband cable, IMF, World Bank, UN, Security Council, developing countries, emerging economies, multipolar world, rising powers, capitalism, structural adjustments

Comments Bookmark and Share

America Courting Asian Allies

From Shangri-la to Washington, DC, America has got a fever for the flava’ of Asian alliances! US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta was showing the love to Singapore, VIetnam, and India last week while talking defense strategies in the Asia ‘hood, and elaborating more about the US forces shift to the Asia-Pacific realm. Now Hillary Clinton is hosting an Indian delegation here in the US to further woo the South Asian power into inceased integration and cooperation with the Americans on a variety of other issues. These moves reflect the changing nature of US initiatives, changing US alliances, and also are indicative of how important India is becoming to future US policy on that side of the planet.

Keywords: US, Shangri-La, Singapore, Vietnam, Cam Rahn Bay, India, US-India strategic dialogue, SCO, China, Afghanistan, Asia-Pacific, Pacific, Indian Ocean, military

Comments Bookmark and Share

World Leaders Shake-Down in 2012

As promised last podcast, the Professor now looks forward to the new year of 2012 to inform you of the details of the significant shift of world leadership going down in the next 365 days. From new leaders to be tested in North Korea, Italy and Spain; to election cycles in US, Mexico, France, Russia, and Taiwan; to major turnovers in China, Palestine and possibly Pakistan, Syria, and Yemen…the parade of new faces started in 2011 is going to be accelerated significantly in the coming year, and the Professor wants you to be in the know!

Keywords: world leaders

Comments Bookmark and Share

India Initiates African Race For Influence

Sweet Sub-Saharan salvation! The outside world is finally, finally, finally looking to truly invest in the future of Africa…and this interest in the continent is certainly going to trigger other parties to get into the game as well! The country kicking off this race for investment and influence in Africa is none other than India! Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh just finished a three-day tour of Africa in which billions of dollars of credit and infrastructure aid has been promised, the first-ever serious long-term investment strategy in the region of the planet that has long been marginalized. All the pundits are raging about how this sets India in competition with China, who has long been a investor in Africa focused on resource extraction. But the Avenger knows there is much more to the story than that! Africa stands to gain big-time, long-term from the events being initiated right this second, so tune in an find out the bigger impacts to the region, to India, and the world!

Related Stories:
Counter the Dragon: With $5 billion pledge, India takes big step into Africa
With $300mn aid, for relay line India enters China territory
India Plans $5 Billion Credit Line Over 3 Years for Africa for Development
We fully support African position on Libya: India PM

Keywords: India, Africa, AU, African Union, UN Security Council

Comments Bookmark and Share

Bye Bye Bin Laden! Hello Taliban! (part 2)

Yes, yes, yes, there is tremendous hype and pomp and circumstances surrounding the death of Osama Bin Laden by US forces who covertly invaded Pakistan and took out the head terrorist honcho of al-Qaeda a couple of weeks ago. While much attention has been focused on the man since his death, and the future of his death-wielding terrorist group, and even on how this affects US power/prestige in the world, the Plaid Avenger believes the biggest impacts of bin Laden’s locational transfer to hell will be most felt by the Afghanistan Taliban…who will be ‘legitimized’ and become an accepted power player in Afghan politics.

Say what? Yeah, confusing stuff! That’s why the Avenger did this two-part series to unpack it for you:
Part 1 goes over the differences between the main groups involved in the chaos in this neighborhood, including the goals and objectives of the Afghan Taliban, the Pakistani Taliban, and al-Qaeda.
Part 2 offers 5 reasons why the death of Osama bin Laden will influence the US, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the wider world to accept the Afghan Taliban as a legitimate component of a future stabilized Afghanistan.

The Avenger also points out some relevant insight into the dangers of a growing Pakistani Taliban, and what this might mean for future US/Pakistani relations. And he wants your opinion on how that should be proceeding as well…

Related Stories:
Kabul and Islamabad upgrade Taliban peace bid
Indian PM sees change after bin Laden's death
U.S. Speeds Up Direct Talks With Taliban
Q+A: Pakistan's Taliban: who are they what can they do?

Keywords: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Taliban, Afghan Taliban, Pakistani Taliban, al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, ISI

Comments Bookmark and Share

Page 1 of 3 pages  1 2 3 > 

Keep in Touch with Plaid Updates

Get the University Textbook

The Plaid Avenger's World

Are you a college professor teaching World Regions or Global Political classes? Pick up the cutting edge, most entertainly educating textbook currently on the market.

Preview

Get the Comic Books

Issue 2: Battle For Burma

Well, the battle for the heart and soul of this country is on, but no one outside Burma seems to be able to do a damn thing about it! Why not?

Preview
click to profile Moon Jae-in Moon Jae-in President
click to profile Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Macron President
click to profile António Guterres António Guterres Secretary-General
click to profile Bill English Bill English Prime Minister
click to profile Qamar Bajwa Qamar Bajwa Chief of Army Staff
click to profile Paolo Gentiloni Paolo Gentiloni Prime Minister
click to profile James Mattis James Mattis Secretary of Defense
click to profile Rex Tillerson Rex Tillerson Secretary of State
click to profile Michael Pence Michael Pence Vice President
click to profile Donald Trump Donald Trump President
click to profile Lee Hsien Loong Lee Hsien Loong Prime Minister
click to profile Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Turnbull Prime Minister
click to profile Jens Stoltenberg Jens Stoltenberg Secretary General
click to profile Muhammadu Buhari Muhammadu Buhari President
click to profile Tsai Ing-wen Tsai Ing-wen President
click to profile Htin Kyaw Htin Kyaw President
click to profile General Prayut Chan-o-cha General Prayut Chan-o-cha Prime Minister
click to profile Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Duterte President
click to profile Ashraf Ghani Ashraf Ghani President
click to profile Haider al-Abadi Haider al-Abadi Prime Minister
click to profile Alexis Tsipras Alexis Tsipras Prime Minister
click to profile Andrzej Duda Andrzej Duda President
click to profile Petro Poroshenko Petro Poroshenko President
click to profile Mauricio Macri Mauricio Macri President
click to profile Pedro Pablo Kuczynski Pedro Pablo Kuczynski President
click to profile Michel Temer Michel Temer President
click to profile Justin Trudeau Justin Trudeau Prime Minister
click to profile Teresa May Teresa May Prime Minister
click to profile Ashton Carter Ashton Carter Secretary of Defense
click to profile Joko Widodo Joko Widodo President
click to profile Leung Chun-ying Leung Chun-ying Chief Executive
click to profile Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina Prime Minister
click to profile Raheel Sharif Raheel Sharif Chief of Army Staff
click to profile Juan Carlos Varela Juan Carlos Varela President
click to profile Sergei Lavrov Sergei Lavrov Foreign Affairs Minister
click to profile Narendra Modi Narendra Modi Prime Minister
click to profile Matteo Renzi Matteo Renzi Prime Minister
click to profile Nawaz Sharif Nawaz Sharif Prime Minister
click to profile Hassan Rouhani Hassan Rouhani President
click to profile Abdel Fattah el-Sisi Abdel Fattah el-Sisi President
click to profile Nicolás Maduro Nicolás Maduro President
click to profile Janet Yellen Janet Yellen 15th Chair of the Federal Reserve
click to profile Tony Abbott Tony Abbott Prime Minister
click to profile Uhuru Kenyatta Uhuru Kenyatta President
click to profile Chuck Hagel Chuck Hagel Secretary of Defense
click to profile John Kerry John Kerry Secretary of State
click to profile Pope Francis Pope Francis Pope
click to profile The Muslim Brotherhood The Muslim Brotherhood ~
click to profile Li Keqiang Li Keqiang Premier
click to profile John Key John Key Prime Minister
click to profile Shinzō Abe Shinzō Abe Prime Minister
click to profile Park Geun-hye Park Geun-hye President
click to profile Enrique Peña Nieto Enrique Peña Nieto President
click to profile Hailemariam Desalegn Hailemariam Desalegn Prime Minister
click to profile Yoweri Museveni Yoweri Museveni President
click to profile Mwai Kibaki Mwai Kibaki Former President
click to profile Paul Kagame Paul Kagame President
click to profile Girma Wolde-Giorgis Girma Wolde-Giorgis President
click to profile Christine Lagarde Christine Lagarde Managing Director
click to profile Jim Yong Kim Jim Yong Kim President
click to profile Mohamed Morsi Mohamed Morsi Former President
click to profile Herman Van Rompuy Herman Van Rompuy President of the European Council
click to profile José Manuel Barroso José Manuel Barroso President of the European Commission
click to profile Tomislav Nikolić Tomislav Nikolić President
click to profile François Hollande François Hollande President
click to profile Thein Sein Thein Sein President
click to profile Mario Monti Mario Monti Prime Minister
click to profile Mariano Rajoy Mariano Rajoy Prime Minister
click to profile Kim Jong-un Kim Jong-un Heir leader
click to profile Yoshihiko Noda Yoshihiko Noda Prime Minister
click to profile Salva Kiir Salva Kiir President
click to profile Bronisław Komorowski Bronisław Komorowski President
click to profile Ollanta Humala Ollanta Humala President
click to profile Leon Panetta Leon Panetta Secretary of Defense
click to profile Ali Abdullah Saleh Ali Abdullah Saleh President
click to profile Abdelaziz Bouteflika Abdelaziz Bouteflika President
click to profile Alexander Lukashenko Alexander Lukashenko President
click to profile Rupert Murdoch Rupert Murdoch Chairman and CEO of News Corporation
click to profile Warren Buffett Warren Buffett CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
click to profile Liang Guanglie Liang Guanglie Minister for National Defense
click to profile Zhou Xiaochuan Zhou Xiaochuan Governor of the People's Bank
click to profile Ashfaq Kayani Ashfaq Kayani Former Chief of Army Staff
click to profile Jeffrey Immelt Jeffrey Immelt CEO
click to profile Li Changchun Li Changchun Propaganda Chief of China
click to profile King Abdullah II King Abdullah II King of Jordon
click to profile Alan Garcia Alan Garcia President
click to profile Ben Bernanke Ben Bernanke 14th Chairman of the Federal Reserve
click to profile Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton Secretary of State
click to profile Xi Jinping Xi Jinping President
click to profile Robert Gates Robert Gates Secretary of Defense
click to profile Robert Zoellick Robert Zoellick President
click to profile Steve Jobs Steve Jobs Chairman and CEO, Apple Inc
click to profile Ricardo Martinelli Ricardo Martinelli President
click to profile Dilma Rousseff Dilma Rousseff President
click to profile Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Jonathan President
click to profile Juan Manuel Santos Juan Manuel Santos President
click to profile Sebastián Piñera Sebastián Piñera President
click to profile Naoto Kan Naoto Kan Prime Minister
click to profile Julia Gillard Julia Gillard Former Prime Minister
click to profile David Cameron David Cameron Prime Minister