Disqus - Latest Comments for Cernig

Re: How WikiLeaks Just Set Back Democracy in Zimbabwe - Christopher R. Albon - Politics - The Atlantic

Steve Hynd — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 02:48:08 -0000

Tsvangirai, according to Dell, is "a flawed figure, not readily open to advice, indecisive and with questionable judgment". He is, Dell wrote, "an indispensable element for opposition success … but possibly an albatross around their necks once in power. In short … Zimbabwe needs him, but should not rely on his executive abilities to lead the country's recovery."

...Tsvangirai encapsulates the dilemma of the revolution donated from abroad: for the west, he raises the question of what to do about a pro-democracy leader who is not all that he should be, but represents the best alternative to the regimeit is fighting. Dell compared him to Lech Walesa, but he is more like Hamid Karzai. Like the Afghan leader, he is a deeply flawed man whose success is nonetheless essential to the interests of the US and its allies, and who, flawed as he is, still offers a better alternative to the regime he is fighting.

But the strategy of uncritically supporting the lesser of two evils has been to the detriment of politics in Zimbabwe, and indeed, to its democratic development. Tsvangirai may be a lesser evil, but there is still much about him that causes discomfort. Supporting him has led to multiple contradictions and hypocrisies, both for the people of Zimbabwe and the MDC's western allies. So while Mugabe is castigated for hanging on to power, and refusing to let democratic processes take place both within his party and the country, Tsvangirai, who intends to stay on as MDC president beyond the constitutional limits imposed by his party's constitution, is considered essential to democracy. In effect, undemocratic means are used to advance supposedly democratic outcomes. And in pushing and supporting a man who as patently flawed as Tsvangirai, they may effectively be creating a monster.

Source: "The WikiLeaks cables are rightly scathing about Morgan Tsvangirai" by Pettina Gappah in African Legal Brief, Friday 3rd Dec.
http://www.africalegalbrief...

Re: Senator Bernie Sanders: “We Need A Real National Discussion Of Exit Strategy”

Steve Hynd — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:12:42 -0000

Shabash, Zaid!

Re: Will Lockerbie Bomber Release Topple Scottish Government?

Steve Hynd — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:36:56 -0000

Joe, thanks for the link. The latest from the UK is that the New Labourites have pulled back from threatening a vote of no confidence since they've realised they'd lose it now that revelations of their part in setting the Scottish Executive up is rapidly coming to light. No Scottish government toppling to be done, apparently.

Regards, Steve

Re: Metric Agonistes

Steve Hynd — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:27:07 -0000

"The lack of metrics indicates confusion over how to understand measuring success, let alone actually measuring it. And that’s a clear indication of strategic drift"

Agreed, and I told you so.

But five months? He released his plan in a speech on March 29. I'd count that as four.

/pedant

Regards, Steve

Re: Murdoch’s News Corp in trouble again

Steve Hynd — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:40:21 -0000

CJR.org:

Now, we normally wouldn’t write about a tabloid scandal in Britain. But the executive who oversaw News’ UK papers at the time is Les Hinton, who is now CEO of Dow Jones & Company, parent of The Wall Street Journal. The Guardian writes that he has “misled” Parliament and the public, “albeit in good faith.” Basically, the exec ultimately responsible for News of the World at the time of the scandal is now the guy in charge of The Wall Street Journal.

Re: Civilians in Helmand: An Update

Steve Hynd — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:38:05 -0000

Spencer, can you ask them how many speak the lingo? The last I saw any data, the State Department’s Bureau of Human Resources has turned out a total of only 18 Foreign Service officers who can speak Pashto, and only two of them are now serving in Afghanistan – both apparently in Kabul.

Regards, Steve

Re: U.S. Shifts Afghan Drug Policy To Another Which Has Not Worked

Steve Hynd — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:01:28 -0000

The "cocaine from opium poppies" nonsense utterly undermines any point you may have. If you don't know even that much, then why are you writing on the subject at all?

Re: Baghdad Recognizes Kurds’ Oil Claims

Steve Hynd — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:38:52 -0000

"BAGHDAD, May 11 (Reuters) - The Iraqi Oil Ministry still considers contracts signed by the largely autonomous Kurdish region with foreign oil firms illegal, despite news this week it would allow exports from Kurdish fields through a national pipeline, a senior official said on Monday. "The Oil Ministry's position has not changed regarding the contracts signed by the Kurdish regional government with the foreign oil companies. Approving the Kurds to export does not mean approving the contracts they have signed," ministry spokesman Asim Jihad told Reuters."

Source.

Re: A Couple Of Overlooked Points About The Torture Investigation Debate

Steve Hynd — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:14:10 -0000

"Wouldn't it be nice if a "moderate" perspective did not rely exclusively on an extremist web site for its discussion?"

Wouldn't it be nice if these stories didn't have to come from an "extremist web site"?

:-p

Steve Hynd, Newshoggers
Senior Comrade Licentious Nihilist Extremist

Re: The Long List of Gitmo Returnees to Terrorism

Steve Hynd — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:44:15 -0000

Is there any particular reason you haven't mentioned that this guy was released by Bush political appointees over the advice of the military and without any trial or even review of the evidence?

Re: Clinton to Create State Dept. Post for Iran Outreach

Steve Hynd — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:11:40 -0000

ZalKhal has his eyes on the Afghan presidency, with the backing of his bff Zardari

Re: 'President Bush Should Have No Regrets about Faulty Iraq Intelligence': Kurdish Media, Iraqi Kurdistan

Steve Hynd — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:05:20 -0000

It really is essential, when interpreting Ahmedi's article, to know that he went to college in, and still lives in, Atlanta Georgia. He could've saved worldmeetsus the effort and re-written his op-ed in English for them. He's the head of the Kurdish American youth movement and a part - if minor - of the chorus that called for invasion in the first place and assured the Bush administration they would be greeted as liberators.

Re: America's Home-Coming

Steve Hynd — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:54:36 -0000

It's maybe worth noticing that the UK tabloid using Armstrong's words to laud Obama is a Rupert Murdoch publication.

Re: Georgia Declares War & Conflict Expands: A News Round-up (and Some Background)

Steve Hynd — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:57:32 -0000

Dave in Boca was always "there", whichever "there" happens to be the current foreign policy region of interest. There must be at least a dozen clones of him. Despite this, others who were also - and proveably - "there" often dispute his accounts of events.

But he has a hate-on for me :-)

Re: Responding to Iran: Compare and contrast

Steve Hynd — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:46:52 -0000

Jazz, What the US media isn't reporting - but the European media did, yesterday - is that the Iranian war games are in response to a new US Naval exersize in the Gulf. Same as the old US/Soviet pattern of competing war games.

Regards, C

Re: Rick Moran: Cynic Savant

Steve Hynd — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 17:05:37 -0000

I think Rick's a great writer of long-post blogging, even when I disagree with him. Unfortunately, whenever he comes around my blog to comment he just comes across as boorish and unthinking.

Re: How Not to Deal with Iran

Steve Hynd — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:23:51 -0000

Jazz, chill. It's a story by serial fabulist Uzi Mahnaimi.

Why the London Times gives him any space for his delusions is beyond me.

Regards, C

Re: AP comments on Drudge Retort DMCA takedowns

Steve Hynd — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 03:56:58 -0000

Kennedy is talking shite, of course.

He writes: "our interests in that regard extend only to instances that go beyond brief references and direct links to our coverage."

So why are the DMCA takedowns issued against Drudge Retort for brief references (up to about 40 words) and direct links to the original piece?

Regards, C

Re: International Negligence

Steve Hynd — Thu, 29 May 2008 19:28:26 -0000

Great post, Jeb. I've been saying for a couple of years now that the geopolitical changes brought about by climate change (of which the opening of the NW Passage is just one) are a massive FP challenge - but no-one has seemed to want to face the fact that Russia, Canada, Normay, the UK and others have stolen a head start on making the most of those changes while the denialists have left America back on the starting line.

Regards, C

Re: Cheney's Man in Iraq?

Steve Hynd — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:03:25 -0000

Then again, the reporter is Sarah Baxter, a neocon mouthpiece who has been used to pass neocon think-tank agitprop into the mainstream before. The Telegraph report should be seen as a part of that push too. I think they're trying to set a ground level for discussion in which what Petraeus will actually say about Iran can easily be hyped.

Regards, Cernig

Re: Shameless Slimeball of the Millennium

Steve Hynd — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:27:53 -0000

Try a thought experiment. Replace "Harry Windsor" with, say "James McCain" and imagine his dad is president. Now imagine Drudge had leaked the location and unit of said presidential son on deployment in Iraq. Can you imagine the outrage? Drudge would be finished, if not in jail.