Saving for retirement

At my age most people would say, "what already saving?" To some degree I would agree with them, but retirement savings at my age are opportunistic. In other words, if given the chance to save a bit on the side.. I should.

So now I should be setup to contribute 20% of my paycheck a month (10% bi-monthly) to my retirement. Do I expect to hit it big? No, but who knows. 

From one perspective I could say that I have about 40 years of working in front of me. That's 40 years of potential growth & gain. If anything it's fun to play with.

I mean... come on... it's only money right?

~J out

Busy, Flustered, and bummed

Quite a change from the last post, but yesterday just spelled doom in many ways. My sailing class that I had looked forward to since spring was cancelled. On my way home... my car overheated and the work load at work has doubled.

This morning wasn't too much better. My car overheated again, but it was b/c my radiator was dry and my oil was low. I fixed all that and hope everything just get's mo~ bettah!

back to werk!

~J out

Steering Knobs, CB's, & Stickshifts

Two new additions to the car... A second hand CB from my Dad and a New Steering knob for my wheel. Wow! What a difference it makes.

So this morning I tried the knob out.. turning left then right then left again. The steering stayed the same, but I had way more control to steer with my left and shift with my right. Ole' German town road felt way easier when I could make those quick 3rd to 4th shifts while steering around the curves (safely I might add).

The CB was a groovy addition too. Cruising for the 10-15 min on I-5 I got hardly nothing over the CB. I realized that it was the fact that the antenna that I bought was inside the car sitting in the back. I guess I felt self-conscious with a big ole antenna stick'n up on top of my roof, but w/o that thing I wasn't gett'n the s&*t talk from the truckers.. I decided on Interstate Dr. to pull over and put that thing up top. Like an instant change, that radio lit up and truckers from all around piped in. I was hot and rar'n to go. I actually can't wait to get out on the 5's today just to hear the truckers.

Speaking on which, I start my sailing classes at LC today so from work I head over to learn all about sailing! Woot! I'm excited. Hopefully I'll learn something worth sharing on the blog....

I'll stop there! Looks like a good start to a great day!

~J out

The first day of Summer at last

I know that I've been on cruise control since May (at least from school) but somehow the first day of Summer really makes things feel... summery. Today just happens to be my Mom's b-day and my half-birthday.. My un-birthday you could say :)

Also today happens to be natl. flip-flop day (I think) so all you flip-floppers (Kerry) I hope you wore your flip-flops today!

~J out

A Sober Situation of Legality

As the United States rumbles on into the next century I can't help but wonder on the future of long standing traditional laws that will be targeted for reversal. One long standing debate that continues to be beaten up is the legalization of intoxicating substances.. In layman's terms: The legalization of Pot, drugs, and home-distillation. The last one may or may not shock you, but indeed the home-distillation of alcohol is illegal to do in the United States. I won't comment on the other two, but on the third I think soon this piece of law will come under serious fire. Lets consider it..

Under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Section 5176 I think) it prohibits the production of distilled spirits on certain premises (i.e. your home or garage). After looking around the Internet on why such a law exists I found basically two reasons or explanations.

1. The production of distilled spirits can and may produce methanol which is poisonous to humans if consumed.
2. Licensed Producers of distilled spirits pay a tax to produce alcohol and that money goes fund certain programs in congress (likely the general fund).

Basically that's the two primary reasons. So to produce hard liquor you need a license which the government issues on the promise that you will pay a tax on your selling of that substance (mind you this is different then the tax we pay to buy alcohol). Now these reasons for prohibiting home-brewers from distilling seems somewhat valid, but that's only if a home brewer is distilling and drinking his product or selling his product to other people. What if that home brewer wasn't doing either? What if that home brewer was distilling high proof alcohol into Ethanol to run in his E85 flex-fuel car? He wouldn't be consuming the potentially dangerous substance and he wouldn't be selling it either (because it was for personal use).

With gas prices fluctuating so often between $2.90 a gal & $3.50 (maybe $4) a gal people are looking for alternatives. One alternative is home brewing alcohol into ethanol, but that's illegal right now.. So perhaps it wouldn't take much to rephrase the law to allow for personal fuel refinement... Sounds good for us right? Not so easy.

Like all money/tax schemes. this law (if kept as is) gives ethanol producers a monopoly on the market. Makers of ethanol need a license that is issued by the government who could refuse to issue one to competitors (like us citizens). So if lawmakers (in this case) got campaign contributions from ethanol producers and then got elected, then had access to money from ethanol taxes, why on earth would they legalize home brewing? It would hurt their campaign sponsors and it would reduce the money in the general fund for stuff...

Now this law doesn't apply to bio-diesel which is why the alternative fuel campaign isn't pushing for that. I hope you smell a rat like I do. E85 products (cars) lines the pockets of auto-makers, ethanol makers, and congressmen... The government makes money from taxes which likely goes into the general fund which is what we fund the war in Iraq with. It is no doubt why they're pushing for E85!

Just another case of slippery backwards profiteering by those sworn to protect the rights of it's citizens which is why true supporters of alternative fuel should back bio-diesel (before that gets outlawed next! :)

~J out

1. 
   

Dreading the Black Pi Spot

You've heard of it before... No Child left behind (NCLB). Just in its name you think that maybe there was a time when a child *was* left behind. I, myself, wonder if I was left behind during my k-12. Clearly NCLB should spark alarm across the board.

In conjunction to NCLB is what to do to make sure no child gets left behind. The solution thus far is to test, test, test. Somehow... through the work of psychiatrists, early development specialists, and expert education specialists we can create a test that would test every boy and girl... universally and fairly... and then based on that information we could literally grade schools. A passing school is rewarded with more education opportunities... a failing school is punished with the black "Program Improvement" or "PI" mark. A PI mark is not with a ton of benchmarks and guidelines that a failing school needs to do pronto or else.

You see if a school fails for too long then it's the X for that school. Now... for me failing is somewhat subjective. I would venture to say that kids are different. A child in New Mexico is going to face challenges that a child in Maine or Up-state New York is going to face.. Yet.. We grade them all the same using a universal standard.

Teachers (according to a NPR interview with teachers this morning) call this charade a game which (no doubt) is taking away from real education. Tests do show results.. that much is certain, but they are not the end-all/tell-all that solves everything. Kids are as unique as the teachers who teach them and no where in a test is that going to be revealed. Tests also change the dynamic of an education. I lived in a country where tests were the end-all/tell all and what I saw wasn't my host brother learning English as much as he was learning the right answers to a test.

What does this all really mean? Tests are a tool, but lack the ability to teach. Like everything else in this country (immigration) there is no silver bullet that the federal government can implement... So stop trying to use fear tactics and benchmark programs when the real solution would be leaving it up to the states! Hmmm?

~J out

A new musical discovery

So here's how it all began..

I was sitting at home watching the premere of NBC's Last Comic Standing. Between some hallarious acts was a commercial break. One commercial which I'm sure everybody has seen at least once is the Geico Caveman in the airport commercial where he walks past that notorious sign "Even a caveman can do it." So the commercial has some really good elevator music that I found myself humming to as I made myself some tea. At that point my curiosity grew... Who did that song? Was it commissioned by Geico? A little research revealed that the song was made by a Norwegian Electronic Band known as Royksopp (Smoking Mushroom in Norsk).

Tagged as Chillout, Ambient, Dance, Electronic, Electronica, Indie, Norwegian, and Trip-hop(?)... Last.fm has this to say about them...

Röyksopp (sometimes misspelled as 'Royksopp' or 'Røyksopp' even "Royskopp") is an electronic and chill-out music duo based in Bergen, Norway, but the members are originally from Tromsø, Norway. The band consists of Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge. The group formed officially in 1998 and released their debut album Melody A.M. in 2001. In Norwegian, "The word "Röyksopp", which literally means "(a) smoke mushroom", refers to a type of mushroom that will make a smoky cloud when touched. (The English term is fuzz ball or puffball).

Röyksopp have won many prizes for their music, one of them in MTV Europe Music Awards 2002 for the best music video (Remind Me). Remind Me was also used in the popular Geico insurance "Caveman" TV commercials while their first single "So Easy" became popular in the UK after it was used in an T-Mobile advert.

The song "Eple" was licensed by Apple for use as the welcome music to Mac OS X Panther operating system, playing the first time a user booted a new Mac.

July 12th, 2005 the band released their second album The Understanding, which was preceded by the hit single "Only This Moment" on June 27th. The album's second single, "49 Percent" was released September 26th same year, followed by their third single, "What Else Is There?", December 5th, 2005, which is a collaboration with Karin Dreijer from the Swedish electronic band, The Knife. The fourth single, "Beautiful Day Without You", was released on June 26, 2006.

weblinks:
- http://www.royksopp.com (official site)
- http://www.royksopp.de
- http://www.royksopp.net

Their song Remind me (the one on the Geico Commercial) is what really got me going. I found their song on iTunes and decided to get the album as well. I've grown to really like their laid-back tempo and solid beat. I can't help but wonder if the bit of Norwegian-ness in me is what fueled my curiosity to know more about them.

Regardless... this is good music. So for your listening pleasure I've posted below a music video with their song in full. Enjoy!



~J out

The Big Play

It's likely that everybody knows that there's two religious groups that dominate politics, society, wealth, etc. They are the Evangelical Christians and the Jews. Christians are outspoken on the issue of supporting Israel, almost to the point of ignoring blatant human rights violations. One question we should ponder deeply about is why Christians are so adamant to protect Israel. In the here and now, it looks like Christians are just blindly following the herd by saying Israel needs our support, but more deeply, what does a successful Israel mean for Christian nation?

You may or may not know about the Christian theory of the end times. During the first G.W. term we thought that Bush was working America with the ideology that the end times are coming so... if God is just going to rapture us, then why do we need to care about anything? You've heard of this yes? Well.. these people (dominion-ists as they're called) have made a biblical check list...

• One World Order
  
• Anti-Christ
• 100% evangelizing of God's Word to the world
• An United Israel

That last one.. an united Israel is found in the checklist and is why most Christians support Israel. A united Israel is what will allow Jesus to come back and save us all, but did Jesus say that Jews get a free pass? I don't think so. Oh! Wait a minute... I remember Jesus saying that to get to heaven or to get raptured you have to believe in him.. right?

we on track yet?

So... A united Israel doesn't mean the complete salvation of Israel or Jews. The belief is that after the rapture of Jesus believers, those who didn't believe in Jesus are going to perish (die) in Armageddon's blood bath. However.. these end times can't come without an United Israel so there we have it. Like a bad episode of Survivor.. the Evangelicals have made an alliance with Jews just so that Israel will unite and expedite the end times into happening sooner.

Before you think you've been played (and you have) realize that this is the big play. Perhaps the relationship between Evangelicals & Jews is a marriage of convenience which will abruptly end when either Israel is whole (i.e. has all of Jerusalem) or when Evangelicals believe the end times are upon us.

My job is not to pass judgement on this predicament, but perhaps (to use a biblical phrase) the writing is on the wall... on the wall for you, for me, for Israel and Jews, and for the world. Everything has a reason, and while most Evangelicals might not know why they support Israel, the leaders of the Evangelical movement do... and that's enough.

a lot to ponder ain't it?.. Of course I could be wrong too.

~J out

Giving God a shout out ='s good policy?

In the recent human embryo debacle, Nancy Peloci gave God a shout out when she said, "The ability to destroy human embryos to cure diseases is a 'gift from God.'" Speaking from her mostly Catholic religious background, Peloci is using a 
new democratic strategy to sweep in 'disenchanted republicans.' While perhaps this is supposed to be progressive, what is it really 
doing to help democrats?

No one can doubt or discard the recent surge of power by this new group of Americans "the neo-cons," they represent a huge voting bloc and are responsible for the president's rise 
to power. Many of them are swayed by religious motives and like many, they want a stronger commentment to the morals emphasized in Christianity. All of this isn't the problem... Where the line has recently been blur'd is where politicians are having to 'shout out' or 'give reference' to God to justify their view on a topic like actors, in the last Emmy Awards, giving Jack Nicholson a shout out when they've won something.

I'm not saying Jack Nicholson rivals with God (?) what I'm saying is that in (what I thought) a secular state where religion and government has been purposefully separated, our leaders feel like they have to pander to the religious base.

This is all because Christians, who feel they're at the center of everything, think that choice needs to be legislated so that the options out there are ok with them first. What I mean is that... In our public schools, instead of parents teaching their kids that there's also creationism, these people want teachers to teach both... While there's a element of laziness here, the worst aspect is that Politicians think that they have to do it.

Listen.... A parent's job since parenthood is to first find your morals and truth's and then teach your kids to choose the right path (what ever that maybe). Making government (which is supposed to be fair and unreligious) teach your kids morals is wrong, because the Government will always fail. There is a myth that our founding fathers we're raving Christians and that our
republic was founded on God-only pricipals. If that were true then America would like that of a sharea-law state, instead of where there is Islam there would Christian law. In fact there is no such elements of that in our government, and the reality is that such a God-centric republic was what the early settlers were running from in England. 

America origins come from the enlightenment period, where people with ideas and philosophies could work on them with an element of freedom. To say that if you want progress in science you need to find a God-spin on it is unnessary and a mockery of the real principals America *should* stand for. Religion (whatever it maybe) is a personal thing that should remain in the house, not in politics or law. 

If we continue to endorse such behavior, I'm afraid that next Christians will be violently persecuting Athiests and Athiests persecuting Christians with some sort 
of endorsement by the government.

~J out

Rainy Day Pirating

If you were out on Saturday and enjoyed yourself then you've offically earned the title of "nor'westerner."

Long standing traditions of a soggy, cold, and miserable rose parade 
repeated itself as if it was destiny. Tink and I were out in Pirate outfits
trying to do the pirate thing, but the longer I waded into the storm the
more I felt the misery of real pirating.

It was all good I suppose. Typically the rose festival does mark the end of the rainy season, but don't put any stock in that. I wouldn't be suprised if we see yet more days of rain.

Good think I got a newer set of wipers... Funny to think that when I bought them durring that week long sunny spell, I believed I was wasting my money b/c I would never use them till next fall... wishful thinking I suppose.

~J out

A Relience on the in-tire-net

Work'n for an internet based company can be funny sometimes. 

Our network went down for about an hour while the system admin went to lunch unaware. That meant that no-one could work for an hour even though the lights were on, our computers were on, even our screens had something on them, but the in-tire-net was down so... here we sat.. eating lunch... until our admin came back.

funny how stuff like that happens

~J out

Derrr... Yeah

From the daily News & Analysis (DNA):

HEILGENDAMM: US President George W Bush on Wednesday expressed surprise at the need for a German translation of his comments to the press at the G8 summit at Heiligendamm.

"Everybody speaks English, right?" Bush asked, after a German interpreter began to translate his brief statement to the press following talks with G8 summit host German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

A laughing Merkel asked the US leader to "be patient" and gestured for him to wait by her side while the interpreter did his job.

"Is that what I said?" Bush asked Merkel with a grin after his words were translated.

"Almost 100 per cent," laughingly answered Merkel, speaking in English.

Merkel and other German politicians have made it a point to speak German both at G8 gatherings and at European Union meetings in a bid to boost the global standing of their language.

This is in contrast to other nations, including Austria and Finland, whose leaders and ministers frequently spoke English during their stint as EU president.

The European Commission, the EU's executive body, also increasingly uses English.

However, recognizing that the international press is largely composed of English-speakers, Merkel and her foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier often bring along interpreters when speaking to reporters.

*Sigh* .... No commentary needed... I'm sure you know what I would say anyway.

Kudo's to German Chancellor Angela Merkel for handling the situation so well.

~J out

Installing Missile Defense or a big Ear?

By now you've probably heard about the contested "missile defense shield" that's being put in the Czech Republic and Poland. The project consists of two parts.. one part will be (likely) a battery of Patriot Missiles the other part will be a "Radar station." From the get-go Russia's President Vladimir Putin has been against it and now China is joining in with the anti-installation rhetoric. President Bush responded today saying that, "The Cold War is over" implying that Putin is still riddled with Cold War skepticism. All of this has a hint of bizarreness to it that's intrigued me to think on whether there's more to it then just missiles.

When it comes to conspiracy theories I typically fall for the ones with a hint of realism. Every morning the T.V. Channel 11 always seems to have something that reeks of conspiracy, but one show particularly interested me. The argument the speaker was suggesting was that under the auspices of "missile defense" the United States has been building a global intelligence network. In other words, a big 'ole ear to listen in on every one's conversations. At first, it sounded like something out of a movie, but when Russia and now China, and of course Iran all jumped on it I've been thinking maybe the former KGB intelligence officer knows something I don't. Lets look at the plans...

The entire plan is to build two centers one with missile that is likely to be similar to these PAC-3 missiles which are stationed in Japan. As mentioned here these missiles are designed to seek out missiles with an on board tracking system and then bring them down. The second facility will be the radar system that will be built separately (and in a different region) then the missile battery. One report by NBC showed the two facilities on either side of the country. The whole plan is supposedly a joint US-NATO plan to protect Europe from offensive missiles... The clear objective is not really clear. This morning on NBC's today show, the objective was stated to protect eastern European countries from rogue terrorist missiles, however another report from Angus Reid Global Monitor states, "The idea of installing military equipment [is] to deter a potential attack from "rogue states" such as Iran or North Korea against the U.S. or its European allies. Clearly the goal of a defense shield varies, but the opposition to the shield is all but unclear. Putin, since last Tuesday, has made claims of an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) that can penetrate this shield, while also saying that such protection is unnecessary due to Russia already protecting the region. Putin has stated firmly that if the US were to continue on then they would be forced to point their arsenal towards Europe (mainly the missile facility). Why such the opposition? Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani said Sunday to the Islamic Republic News Agency yesterday, "Europe is the most important commercial partner of Iran. So, why should we ever target them?" On the reason why such claims are made, the Iranian official said one might reasonably suppose that the US is following a bigger plan and thus resorts to such propaganda to divert the public opinion away from their other objectives. What objectives might those be? From this photo you can see that the radar coverage covers most of Eastern Europe and Parts of Russia and the Middle East (Namely Turkey). What if what is being called "a radar" is really an intelligence station to listen in on conversations between Russia and Iran? Sounds crazy 'eh? Maybe not...

Why would the United States be so interested in putting a Missile Defense system there to listen in on the region? A number of reasons...

1. Russia, so far, has been the supplier of Uranium for Iran's Nuclear Energy Project,
2. Russia has been hesitant to put serious sanctions on Iran, including a call for Iran to dismantle all of their Nuclear programs.
3. Russia is one of the biggest critics of the War on Terror and especially the War in Iraq.
4. The president of Russia is a former Soviet KGB Intelligence officer and perhaps there's a belief that old habits die hard,
5. Finally, Democracy in both Iran and Russia have been weak. Russia has done little to fully embrace democracy and constantly touts that democracy is laborious and bureaucratic.
   

What would be gained by listening in on conversations between Russia and it's neighbors?

1. Perhaps evidence of corruption and deal making on Uranium between Russia and Iran
2. If such evidence existed then Russia's position in NATO and the UN would overwhelmingly compromised

My last comment/question about all of this is what (to me) doesn't add up completely here?

• Why Bush's response to Putin is that "the cold war is over."
• Why we should believe Administration that this is just missile defense when we know that with the freedom act, the government has been listening in to us.
• Why the two stations are so far apart.. Seems to be that you would want instant notification which would be achieved if you the facility in the same place as the missiles.
• Why the US Government doesn't suspend plans until after negotiations have taken place.
• If the Cold War is over why is the US:
• A. Building further Missile Defense systems in Europe when Euro-Iran economic relations are flourishing. As in, Iran's main target with their missile wouldn't be Europe at all so why build a defense shield?
• B. Why are we spending 100 billion USD on missile defense technology?
• C. Why are we concerned with North Korea? There's no way they could send a missile to Poland, not to mention why they would to begin with.
• With something so major as Russia threatening to point their arsenal at Europe, why is the Administration so unconcerned?

There's a lot that doesn't add up here and I smell a fish... a bad one. The White House is treating this like it's no big deal, but it really is one big deal. I thought our goal was missile non-proliferation, I thought the EU's goal was non-proliferation, but here we have two European nations accepting the deal and a global crisis ISN'T erupting? Hmmm. I don't like where this is going. Carelessness leads to bad things Mr. President! Time to really ask if whether this really is what you say it is.

Source Links:
US shield makes Europe ‘powder keg’: Putin
The Unpopular U.S. Missile Shield: Angus Reid Global Monitor
Missile shield ups chance of atomic conflict: Putin | Reuters
Larujani: US Claim on missile project 'joke of the year' - IRNA
Bush: Russians Have Derailed Reforms - washingtonpost.com
China Criticizes US Plan for Missile Shield in Eastern Europe- VOA News

~J out

Just a short spurt of random thought

Recently over the weekend my mind has been in a world of my own, I have been floating the idea of a sailing escapade unlike anything conceivable as of recent. For most of the ancient period, the seas were the mode and the wind was the catalyst for exploration. One could say that the twenty-first century has been depreciated by aero-technology, only that we no longer need to “set sail” anymore. Admittedly, this voyage of mine would be for recreational purposes, since there’s little to no way to truly justify a circumnavigation of the world.

I’ve honestly never been known to think on the details of such a grandiose expedition. I have thoughts on boat designs and equipment, and of course the expenditure of it all weighs heavy on my mind, but in respect to myself I truly have been besieged with the idea of originality. There be many a man who have sailed the great seas, some have sailed the shortest route, some have sailed the fastest route, and some have sailed the cultural route. Each man has had his or her own venture; some have even shared this quest with a cohort or companion. So what certainly would make my sailing adventure so inimitable?

Today is an early dawn of a new era known furtively through our 20^th century minds as the new-age 21^st century. When you procure a new 2007 model car it is officially a twenty-first century car. Same goes with houses, jobs, boats, and adventures. My saga, my escapade would be to explore the planet as it is, in the twenty-first century. My dream is to report my adventure instantaneously, using modern technology, to bring to you places across the globe as they are when I saw them. Astonishing as it is, there is a satellite up there with technology here that would allow a small sailboat to transmit daily from anywhere on the planet. In a sense, that would encompass my new founded ardor for mass communiqué in terms that I am even tickled to contemplate.

To be fair, I wonder if this ostentatious idea and philosophy is just my ego contending with my dreams. Perhaps sailing, to me, is a metaphor for "absolute autonomy." By absolute autonomy, I mean a freedom unlike the kind offered by my magnificent America. A freedom not just to select your path, but that these choices hold with it real world consequences… It is not too often that a human being, in the twenty-first century will ever have such liberty. Unlike our fathers and their fathers, the American freedom that we aver to have, seems to be too genteel and cultured, not that this is terrible, but minus 9/11 and school shootings, our lives go on unabated by the veracities and plights of the rest of the world. To placate ourselves, I feel that a true bubble has been put around us so that true freedom is substituted with a shell of its former self. It is with this burden of truth that I find my mind setting sail for a possibility to be truly free, or at the least, to have a better sensitivity of what true-freedom feels like.

~J out

China's Million Businessman Army

Welcome to June! The month of Summer. I thought it would never come, but behold! Here we are and I assume that in no time it'll be gone...

Today, for my lucky 77th post, I want to talk about a little known, but powerful, tool of international relations. It's called "soft-power" (perhaps even charm power) and traditionally it's been the main tool of Europe in governing international affairs since World War 2. Now the tides are turning and China is starting to pick up soft power steam. An article in the Asia Sentinel goes into depth on soft power and China's slow acquisition of it, so I'll use their definition (which I thought was quite good):

More than a decade ago, the Harvard academic Joseph Nye invented a concept he called soft power—a concept that then entered foreign policy discourse. As Nye explained, “soft power rests on the ability to shape the preferences of others. . . . It is leading by example and attracting others to do what you want.” “If I can get you to do what I want, then I do not have to use carrots or sticks to make you do it,” Nye wrote.

This attractiveness could be called a nation’s “brand,” and it can be conveyed through various means, including a country’s popular and elite culture, its public diplomacy (government-funded programs intended to influence public opinion abroad), its businesses’ actions abroad, international perception of its government’s policies, and the gravitational pull of a nation’s economic strength, among other factors. When Nye coined the term soft power he excluded elements like investment and trade and formal diplomacy and aid—elements he considered more concrete carrots and sticks.

“Soft power is not merely the same as influence,” Nye wrote. “After all, influence can also rest on the hard power of threats or payments.” Nye focused purely on the attractiveness of a nation’s brand, of its values and ideals and norms.

Thanks to the media, we've all seen China's happy business man, now China's president Hu Jintao just happens to be the happiest China man in town. His new emerging empire is aimed at using this million businessman army to wield control of, not just Asia, but the world. Perhaps you've been told this, but the first symbol for China "中" means at-the-center or middle. Often the word translates to "Middle Empire," indeed at one time in history, China occupied the role of being the richest and most powerful & populated country in the world. As of late, only the later (most populated) has retained its value, but Hu Jintao pledges all of that is about to change.

“Charm Offensive” traces trace how China has built its global soft power, analyzes how China uses that power, and considers how nations are responding to Beijing. It focuses primarily on China’s wooing of developing nations in Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Central Asia, but occasionally addresses how China woos other key nations in Asia, like Australia, South Korea, or Russia. It does not, however, directly analyze the US-Chinese relationship, or China’s relationship with wealthy nations in Europe or the Middle East.

Charm Offensive is a new strategy that aims at offering riches to countries that America might not deal with (i.e. Sudan), saying that China doesn't care what your domestic or foreign policy is, "We are so happy to do business with you!" Charming as that maybe we should not forget that China still owns a very big stick. We must also not forget that for years, China used hard power (the power of military) to define its strength and it's likely that, in its early stages, China may wield this newfounded soft power like it wielded its hard power...

China now can wield this kind of soft power, and may use it to remake the world. China’s policies could make it easier for Chinese actors, from language schools to businesspeople to Chinese pop stars, to have an impact on the ground. And China’s new benign image, in places from Australia to Argentina, will help Beijing execute its foreign policy more successfully.

Unlike Europe, who uses its soft power (read: guilt & trip laying power) to change the world, China's case may be different. It's unthinkable to suggest that cheap tee-shirts and plastic goods might control our foreign policy one day, but wait a minute... So far China has bank-rolled our mission in Iraq.. I say that our focus has been deferred long enough. It's already unfortunate that the '08 elections will be focused on Iraq and not East-Asian Policy. I think that people still see China as being the "mysterious other" and its just that image that could potentially zap us in the (Chinese made) fly zapper 2000 faster then any middle eastern country can.

Link to the Asia Sentinel: A Newly Diplomatic China Courts the World

~J out