Synopsis: The Plaid Avenger travels deep into central Asia to report on on the on-going ethnic violence plaguing the Xinjiang Autonomous Province in northwestern China. He explains how and why this Han/Uyghur friction has accelerated in the last few decades, how ti is manifesting itself today in these bizarre needle attacks reported widely in the news, and the greater repercussions they hold for the central Chinese leadership as they ponder what to do about their Wang.
Synopsis: As Iran continues to develop its nuclear energy industry, the US and Team West as a whole are increasingly worried that the Iranians are actually wanting to develop a nuclear weapon. The P5 +1 (5 members of the UN Permanent Security Council + Germany) are debating about increasing sanctions and/or incentives on Iran in order to reel in their nuclear ambition. Whether any of the P5 + 1 actions will actually work is anybody’s guess, but the Plaid Avenger wants you to be aware that the whole situation marks a new era in assertive foreign policy for two of the EU’s super-powers: Germany & France. Merkel & Sarkozy: a new axis of ass-kicking foreign policy?
Synopsis: His Holiness the Dalai Lama is an internationally recognized figure that is respected and venerated by most folks in the world?but not all. The Lama is currently visiting Taiwanese typhoon victims, which is seriously pissing off China. Who is this guy, what is the deal with this place called Tibet, and why do the Chinese hate him so damn much? The Plaid Avenger tackles the backstory to these sticky Asian issues, and outlines the current Chinese challenges of Tibet, Taiwan, and the Lama too.
Synopsis: Holy Suzuki! Big change is underway in the staunchly stoic country of Japan! After over fifty years of continuous hold on the Diet (the Congress of Japan) and the Prime Minister position, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan is getting ready to get trashed in today?s election?.thus paving the way for the major opposition party of Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) to take power. This is the first time since World War 2 that a new political voice will be expressed in the home state of Godzilla. This plaidcast covers who these parties are, why the LDP is losing power, and how this political change in the Pokemon state will be affecting its relationship with the US, Asia, and the world.
Synopsis: While most of the world sits idly by, the US-led NATO mission in Afghanistan is quickly going to hell in a hand-basket. Despite US President Barack Obama sending an additional 17,000 US troops to stabilize the country (mostly in an effort to have the recent elections go smoothly), the US and its NATO allies are losing ground to the Taliban…badly. This plaidcast covers some of the reasons for the Taliban resurgence, why this effort is not solely a US one, and most importantly why the entire world has a vested interest in the US not losing this fight.
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Keywords: Afghanistan, Taliban, al-Qaeda, US, NATO, Hamid Karzai, Pakistan, India, Russia, China
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