Taiwan’s Tricky Sticky Status
watch on iPhone/iPod TouchSummary: 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 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
watch on iPhone/iPod TouchSynopsis: 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
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
watch on iPhone/iPod TouchSynopsis: 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
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
watch on iPhone/iPod TouchSynopsis: 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
Why Does Haiti Suck? Part 1: Bloody Birth
watch on iPhone/iPod TouchSynopsis: 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 1 chronicles the bloody birth of Haiti and how it set the stage for future problems of the state.
Haiti's History Is One of Pain and Perseverance
Too Hard for the White Folks? Americans and the Haitian Revolution
Keywords: Haiti, Haitian Revolution, France, US, pirates
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