SOME RESPONSES FROM CHINA:

Sarah,

I recently started reading the China Daily; a state-controlled daily newspaper from China.  It is interesting because it states the Chinese government’s opinions about world events.  Today there was an editorial responding to criticism from America.  I’ve listed three American accusations and China’s responses:

Accusation: China engages in unfair trade practices.

Response: China buys American goods.  Last year, in 420 out of 435 US congressional districts, exports to China rose faster than exports to any other country on Earth.

 

Accusation: China is escalating conflict in Syria by blocking UN resolutions to place sanctions on the Assad regime.

Response: Proposals that would help arm the rebels will only lead to more bloodshed.  More aggressive steps in Syria will lead to invasions like the ones in Afghanistan and Iraq.  The U.S. “failed miserably” in both of those campaigns. (The editorial states that there is “conflict in Syria” but does not call it a civil war)

 

Accusation: China is a warmonger that is aggressively building its military.

Response: China has not been involved in a war since the one with Vietnam in 1979.  In contrast, America has been fighting wars continuously for the last three decades.

The rest of the article accused Republicans of trying to sow the seeds of hostility when there is no actual reason for hostility.

Source: China Daily, “An end to the revival of hostilities”, August 31, 2012

THREE RECENT EXAMPLES OF MEXICO’S POLICE FORCE COMMITTING HORRIBLE ACTS:

Sarah,

For the last 6 years Felipe Calderon, Mexico’s outgoing president, spent most of his time trying to clean up Mexico’s police force.  Unfortunately, drug cartels still pay better than the state and corruption remains omnipresent.  Here are three recent incidents in which the “Federales” have committed horrible acts:

1.  This month, an SUV with a United States diplomatic license plate was attacked by plain clothes policemen wielding machine guns.  The car was traveling to a Mexican army base south of Mexico City.  Inside the SUV were two CIA agents; both were injured but survived.  The Mexican Police maintain that the SUV did not stop at a police checkpoint.  Even if that were true, it is unclear if police procedure is to pursue the car and riddle it with bullets from an AK-47, which coincidentally, is not even the gun the Mexican Police use.  Further, ambushing cars at police checkpoints is a common gangland strategy in Mexico. Supposedly, the driver, A CIA agent, saved his passenger’s lives with impressive evasive maneuvers.

2.  Two months ago, two different groups of Mexican police officers engaged in a running shootout against each other in Mexico City’s airport.  One group of officers was trying to arrest the other group of officers for their involvement in a cocaine smuggling operation.  Three officers were killed and after a subsequent investigation revealed the level of corruption at the airport, the entire police unit attached to the airport was fired.

3.  Last September, a businessman in Ciudad Juarez accused police officers of kidnapping him and extorting money from him.  Recently, he was stabbed to death and his corpse was covered with gasoline and set aflame.

In a recent poll, only 8% of Mexicans said they felt confident in the police.

Bottom line: The airport story is blowing my mind.  I just imagine waiting for my Southwest flight and seeing a gunfight erupt between rival airport police in front of a CPK Express.

AMERICA’S WEAPONS EXPORTS ARE FALLING:

Sarah,

Let’s talk about guns.  America has the largest military on Earth.  It is also the largest exporter of weapons.  However, that title is fading.  This week, Foreign Affairs magazine gave an interesting account of why:

Background:

After the fall of the Soviet Union, America became the undisputed leader in arms exports.  This reputation was further enhanced by America’s performance during its first war against Iraq. (can you believe that war happened 22 years ago?)

Since then, America’s market share has dropped from 60% of the world’s weapons sales to 30%.

Why the Drop?

1. Our Weapons Cost Too Much:

America still produces the best weapons available.  The problem is that they are extremely expensive.  After the attacks of 9/11, Congress poured money into the military and cost efficiency went out the window.  America’s newest fighter, the F-35, costs 75% more than its original estimate.

Although some countries still pay for the best weapons money can buy, others are having second thoughts.  Recently, India decided to buy its fighter jets from France instead of America.  Asa result, American contractors lost out on a billion dollar contract.  Even our most reliable buyer, Saudi Arabia, recently chose to buy some of its planes from Great Britain.

Other countries simply can’t afford what we have to offer. 

2. The Competition Is Growing:

Other countries understand that there is a market for cheaper weapons and are cashing in.  Here are some examples of recent arms sales:

-Sweden sold fighter jets to Hungary and Thailand.

-Russia sold fighter jets to Indonesia and Malaysia.

-France sold battleships to Singapore.

Additionally, China is now Pakistan’s largest arms supplier and South Korea has transitioned away from buying our weapons and is producing more of its own. 

Does This Matter?

You could argue it.

Selling weapons to your allies is a win-win.  Your allies grow stronger and you get paid.  The American defense industry employs hundreds of thousands of Americans and more contracts means more business. 

Retaining a monopoly on arms sales also gives America a strategic edge.  Countries are more amenable to our suggestions if they rely on us for their weapons.  In 2005, America threatened to cut off Israel’s supply of jet fighters if Israel continued to sell certain aerospace parts to China.  Additionally, we have used our leverage over Spain and Brazil to stop them from selling weapons to Venezuela.

Bottom line: I’m really curious if these “cheap” but modern jet fighters that are made in Sweden could beat the “expensive” but older fighter planes made in America from Top Gun.  Leave your opinion in the comment section below.

Source: Foreign Affairs, “Arms Away”, September/ October 2012

SOME THEORIES AS TO WHY AMERICA'S CRIME RATE IS DROPPING:

Sarah,

Most of the news these days seems to be negative.  There is one big exception: crime has been steadily dropping nationwide since 1992.  This drop has continued throughout the recession.  To learn why, I read articles from The Atlantic, the Wall Street Journal, and The Economist.  The three publications offered an absurd amount of reasons but no real definitive conclusions.  Therefore, I’m just going to list every theory in no particular order because no one is really sure why the crime rate is dropping.

The Theories:

1. The police have better technology.  Computer systems organize vast amounts of data, show where crimes are concentrated and predict trends.  This has allowed police departments to allocate their resources more efficiently.  It also increases accountability because numbers do not lie. (Unless you’re a cop on The Wire)

2. Officers are working closer with the communities.  The police are more trusted than they were twenty years ago.

3.  America’s absurdly high incarceration rate, fueled by strict drug laws, has removed criminals from the street.  Evidence for this is mixed and usually depends on if your source leans conservative or liberal.  Since I lean liberal in this department, I’ll mention that New York has experienced one of the largest drops in crime but has not incarcerated nearly as many people per capita as the rest of the nation.

2.  Prescriptions of psychiatric drugs have increased.  Less crazy people commit less crime.

3.  Lead has been removed from gas.  Tests show that levels of lead in the average American’s blood dropped dramatically from 1975 to 1992.

4.  The legalization of abortion in the 1970’s reduced the amount of “unwanted children” and these children were more prone to commit crime.  (this very controversial theory is from the book Freakonomics.)

5.  America is aging and an aging population necessarily lowers the crime rate.

6.  Video games have provided young men with an alternative way to spend their time.

7.  The percentage of immigrants in cities has increased.  Studies show that cities with higher proportions of immigrants have lower crime rates.

8.  Aggressive stop and frisk strategies, such as the one employed in New York, have taken guns off the street.

9. More individuals are buying burglar alarms for their homes and LoJack for their cars.

10.  Harder economic times lead people to practice more self-control and rely on family.  The Great Depression also experienced a drop in crime, while crime grew rapidly in the strong economy of the 1960’s.

Which theory is right?  I have no idea.

CHINA AND AMERICA ARE CRASHING AN OBSCURE MEETING OF PACIFIC ISLAND NATIONS:

Sarah,

The geopolitical contest over the Pacific Ocean is heating up.  Last week I wrote about China’s squabbles with its neighbors over the South China Sea.  This week, I’ll describe the politics of the Pacific a little more generally.

 

 

The Pacific Island Forum:

The Pacific Island Forum is a meeting of 16 South Pacific countries.  Other than Australia and New Zealand, almost all of the members are small island nations.  This year, the meeting will be hosted by the Cook Islands which have a population 11,000.  To put that number in perspective, Dodger Stadium holds 55,000, five times the entire population of the country.

This year, China and the United States, who are not members, have decided to crash.  Hilary Clinton, our Secretary of State, bluntly described why: “Let’s just talk, you know, realpolitik.  We are in a competition with China.”  To accommodate Clinton’s entourage, the Cook Islands will be asking individual citizens to lend their cars to her motorcade. 

Why Are They Crashing the Party?

As China grows, it is exerting is political and military influence outwards over the Pacific.  This expansion adds to the already existing disputes.  Here are some of the current flashpoints in the Pacific:

1. South China Sea: China vs. Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines:

China claims all of the South China Sea.  The other countries in the South China Sea hate this.  America is intervening against China and providing military aid to both Vietnam and the Philippines.

2. Diaoyu/ Senkaku Islands: Japan vs. China:

Although these islands are uninhabited, they are fishing grounds that may have oil and gas.  In 1895 Japan beat China in a war and took control of the area.  China still considers the islands their territory because China discovered them.  Recently, Japanese activists planted flags on the islands.  This led to waves of violent anti-Japanese protests throughout China.  Last week, Chinese activists landed on the islands and were deported by Japanese authorities.

3. Liancourt Rocks: South Korea vs. Japan

Japan conquered a large amount of area in World War II.  After it was defeated, Japan renounced claims to much of its Asian territory.  There is a dispute as to if this group of islands is included in the renunciation.  There are also a number of competing historical claims to the islands.

4. Kuril Islands: Japan vs. Russia:

In 1855 Russia gave Japan ownership of the Southern Kuril Islands.  At the end of World War II, Russia reconquered the territory and deported its Japanese citizens.  After the war, a dispute as to who owns the islands was never diplomatically resolved and as a result Russia and Japan never signed formal peace treaty to end World War II.  Technically, Russia and Japan are still at war.

5. Competition for Influence: Everyone vs. Everyone:

Almost all major powers compete for influence in the smaller countries of Asia.  Even Australia, a seemingly peaceful country, maintains a fierce rivalry with China for influence in the islands of the South Pacific.  The two countries aggressively offer loans for everything from roads to stadiums in far flung places like Tonga and Fiji.

Given the number of reasons for political instability, both China and America feel the need to compete for influence in the Pacific Ocean.

Bottom line: I can’t believe Russia and Japan never signed a peace treaty after World War II!

ANOTHER RUSSIAN ACTIVIST CONVICTED:

Sarah,

I’ve written a lot about Putin, his crackdown on dissent, and recent arrests in Russia.  The trend continued today with the sentencing of Taisiya Osipova:

-Osipova and her husband are senior members of a political party that opposes Putin.

-Her charge is possession of four grams of heroin which the opposition claim was planted by Russian police.

-Even if the small amount of heroin was hers, the sentence would be harsh.  The judge gave her 8 years; double the time sought by prosecutors.

-Human rights observers claim that this case shows a willingness by Putin to retaliate against women who oppose him.  (last week, three female members of the band Pussy Riot were sentenced for singing an offensive song in a church)

CHINESE GANGS IN AFRICA:

Sarah,

I write a lot about China, I write a lot about Africa, and I write a lot about crime.  So I definitely can’t pass up a story about Chinese gangsters in Africa.  Last week, 37 people were extradited from Angola to China to face charges of kidnapping, armed robbery, human trafficking, and extortion.  Let’s start the story with Angola:

 

Angola:

Angola lies on the Atlantic Coast in Southern Africa.  Portugal arrived in Angola as early as 1500 because Angola was on the way to India and the Portuguese were some of the first explorers.  You might remember from 4^th grade that Bartolomeu Dias, a Portuguese explorer, was the first to round the Cape of Africa.

Portugal ruled Angola for about 500 years and engaged in the slave trade enthusiastically.  Portugal spent most of this time near the coast, but around 1900 they attempted to consolidate their hold on the whole country.  In 1961, a war for independence broke out and lasted until 1974.  Immediately after Portugal left, a far more brutal internal civil war erupted and lasted until 2002.  So basically, the country was at war from the time of JFK’s presidency all the way to the attacks on 9/11.

Since the end of the civil war, Angola’s economy has grown incredibly fast.  This is because the country has an extraordinary amount of oil, diamonds, copper, and gold.  Almost all of Angola’s economic growth stems for the export of these commodities.

Unfortunately, the wealth from these exports has remained in the hands the elite.  A handful of powerful government officials and insiders have managed to enrich themselves at the expense of the rest of the population.  As a result, Angola suffers from staggering social inequality.  The differences between the cities and the countryside are arguably more dramatic than anywhere else in the world.  This rural poverty is compounded by the fact that the countryside is still littered with landmines from 40 years of war.

China:

When peace came, the Chinese entered and brokered deals with Angola’s corrupt government.  Since 2002, China has loaned Angola billions of dollars and managed to become Angola’s main trading partner.  As a result, most of Angola’s oil, gold, and copper end up in China. 

Because of this trade, many Chinese have migrated to the country and thousands of Chinese citizens currently live there.  However, not all of these migrants are successful Chinese businessmen.  Many are poorer, uneducated Chinese citizens that have roots in Chinese gang culture.

These gangsters thrive in Africa because of a general lack of security and political instability.  It’s much easier to kidnap and ransom a wealthy businessman in Angola than in Beijing.  Accordingly, many businessmen operating in Angola are forced to hire bodyguards and buy bullet proof cars.  Some have even abandoned their businesses.  Further, the gangsters allegedly operate human trafficking schemes in which young women are promised jobs in Africa but are immediately sold into prostitution once they arrive.

Now China is taking steps to fight back and defend its image.  It sent a special police force to Angola to target 12 different gangs and rescue victims.  As a result of their efforts, 14 victims were freed and 37 Chinese gangsters are now back in China and awaiting trial.

Bottom line: Exporting crime to Africa?  That seems really messed up.  Also, I bet the officers in that special Chinese police force were total bad asses.  This story would make a great action movie.