Bill Clinton met with Kim Jong-il

My blog recieved this exclusive photo of Bill Clinton, who visited North Korea today. He met with Kim Jong-il, the dear leader, as this photo shows (sent by a friend from Pyongyang). The two statesmen discussed various issues, from diets to women to American beef. Apparently Kim Jong-il rejected the import of American beef, because he feared riots on the streets of Pyongyang. Apart from these differences, the two wise men got along very well. It is rumoured, that Kim Jong-il will be on the guest list of Bill's barbecue party in Arkansas, that is set for September. The tensions between the two military superpowers seem to be easing up.

Let's hope Laura and Euna can return home safely!

[Photshopped by me]

Iran: Real apathy or fake sympathy?

I said I won't be rambling about Iran anymore. But it's just impossible! Iran is everywhere! People turn their Twitter icons into green to show their support and solidarity, it's non-stop in the news, it's the topic number one (like swine flu used to be a while ago). What troubles me is some Iranian people who commented on my blog and bluntly insulted me or people who tweeted @ me and complained about me or Westerners or USA... I don't know wheather these are the protesters or some people infiltrated on Twitter by the government. They're becoming nastier by the day. It's annoying.
What started as a movement where all the protesters had one goal - to repeat the elections or recount the votes or proclaim Mousavi as the winner - turned into a protest against the Iranian ruthless regime. After the killings and beatings and after so many journalists were silenced, more and more people became nervous and the whole movement seems to have been derailed. I remember when I first linked to my blog posts about Iran, I recieved very good comments and tweets, people were energized and optimistic. Now it seems they are demoralized and highly strung. And same goes for the rest of us in the West and everywhere else around the world. You can be supportive and interested only for a certain period of time. After a while, it's no big news anymore, it does not have any shocking moments and more and more people become apathetic. There was hope up until the Grand Smurf had a speech and crushed the whole movement. We knew this will happen. And as I said before, the Iranian regime only understands crude force, so unless these people get guns and start shooting the riot police (like they are shooting them), nothing will change! Nada. Niente. What we will get is something like Tibet. Iran will be even a bigger police state, they will blame the West on everything, most of the communication in Iran and from Iran will be censored. So it's only in the hands of Iranians. Either they go until the end and are willing to die for their freedom, or they give up and there probably won't be elections any time soon.
The point is, sooner or later we will all become apathetic about Iranians. Let's face it! Weren't we so supportive of movements in Burma and Tibet, when monks stood up to the regime that surpressed and still surpresses them? Yes! It was all the time in the news. And now? Many people were killed, imprisoned or chased out of their homeland. Where's the support now?
We are a media-driven society! And mostly we are apathetic to all the cruelty in the world, unless we see pictures on TV or online all the time. But we can take only so much! How about millions dying in Darfur or Kongo? Not in the news, no solidarity, no sympathy. Who cares about slaves in Brazil, famine in Tahiti or riots in Timor? Not in the news, no solidarity, no sympathy. Anyone changing their Twitter icons to whatever color in support of kids in India who are enslaved as stonecutters? Anyone? Yea, I thought so. Not in the news, no solidarity, no sympathy.
Unless you go to that country and protest with the people or help people out of their misery, I highly doubt that your supportive cheerful tweets or posts are helping anyone of for that matter are any better than someone's apathy. The one who's apathetic is at least honest. Yes, I do support Iranians in their struggle for freedom. But what does this statement mean? It means I wish or I hope they will be free and unharmed, but I know (with all my honesty) that after this is passed, after the media finds an new topic for that will run on TVB non-stop, I will be apathetic and most of other people, who now change their Twitter icons into green, will be, too.
I won't care about the daily struggles of Iranians when these protest are over. Same as I seldom think about Tibetans or Burmese or people in Kongo or Darfur. Let's be honest, do you? If you are any better than me, I commend you. I congratulate you. You're an exceptional human being. If you are no better than me, then please stop with your phony bullshit, don't insult me and leave me alone. I've done my best to express my solidarity with Iranian protesters (read my blog), but that's the best I can do. And most of those now so sympathetic people are like me. We just absorb whatever the media feeds us and do nothing. That's the sad reality of the year 2009.

[Cartoon: Source (writing in the cloud by me), Photos: Source]

Obama can't do everything! He can't fix Iran!

I'm sick of those petty criticisms of Obama, coming from the left and right. He can't do everything! He can't please everbody. It seems like whatever he does, he get criticised for it. Either he does too much at the same time or too little. I know that criticism applied to Bush, too. But not in his first year, much later after Iraq became a big blunder. It's understandable that people are frustrated these days. We're living in some pretty dark times. Obama was seen as a kind of messiah, who will snap his fingers and the whole recession will go away. But in the end, he's just human. He's placed in a rigid system, where he only has small room to do something he's proposed last year. He must overcome all the obstacles at home and abroad, deal with a world that's partly in shambles. He fixed a lot, he will fix a lot, but he can't fix everything. And the latest petty criticism comes from people who want him to do more or say more on the Iranian election and events after. Why? Should he give a fiery speech like George Bush would do, talking about axis of evil and urging the regime to give the power to the people? If he does so, the regime will use it to fire up the nationalists, who support Ahmadinejad and they'll repeat that America is behind everything, America wants to put Iran in shambles... It's much more smart to be cautious and let the events unfold without meddling. What could America do anyway? Start another war? Impossible. So there's two options left: Be pragmatic and stay in the background, let Iranians solve the issues with their government or try to interfere, give strong speeches, threaten with sanctions. Well, I think he's doing great so far. I rather see him not go out there up front and start another conflict. And ain't it funny, if he doesn't do it, there's nobody else who would wanna play a 'George Bush'. You have the French president, the British prime minister or German chancellor - they are all quiet and observing the events in Iran to unfold! Is that the new pragmatism? Or just a normal common sense? I don't know for sure, but what I do know is, we have enough conflicts in this world and the West can't solve all of them. Middle East, Afganistan, Pakistan, China, Korea, Burma, Darfur, Kongo - we're living with these problems and we'll have to live with them for a long time and the US president won't be able to solve them, the West won't be able to solve them - the people there will have to solve it themselves.

[Photo: Source]

Iranian brutal regime kills people, destroys computers

Mr. president, please answer me: Is your Iran a peaceful country? Or is it peaceful only when you, the regime, brutally surpress the people by intimidation and force? Do you really need to send riot police and the Basij militia to kill people, beat them up, destroy their property and send them to jail, where you will torture them or kill them anyway? Islamic nation of Iran is in shambles and ruins, because people don't want to buy your bullshit anymore. Islam is peace, you like to say. If that was true, why do you behave in such a non-islamic way? Give power to the people, who cast their vote and want their voice to be heard. Stop the violence now. Let's put you and Khamenei to jail, you are crooks and criminals! What would your god want? Violence? A rigged election? Unhappy people?

These photos tell the truth:

Tear down the regime! she possibly shouted.
[check more stunning pics of the protests here]

Women helping a man beaten by the militia! [source]

A government's shot in the monitor! [source]

Government's university dorm raid! [source]

Government destroys communication! [source]

Dear protesters, we're with you! Don't stop fighting for your freedoms and human rights! Fight for democracy, Iranians. Tear down the dictatorship that makes your life a living hell! Now is the time. The momentum is here! They can't stop you if you won't stop! Keep going... and best of luck to you!

Netizens of the World

Iranian regime showing its ugly face

These are some of the craziest times of modern history

Iranian protester on the streets of Tehran.

So, Iran! Where's your big mouth now? I'm talking to those in charge there, not to the surpressed people. Where's your 'death to America' and 'death to Israel' now? Your fasho-islamic dictatorship is shaking, your people are showing to the rest of the world how rotten your regime is [Photo above: Source], how you rigged the elections and how they wanna have an actual democracy, not a phony one. I'm sure even if Mousavi had won, nothing would've changed. He and Ahmadinejad are puppets in the hands of few clerics called ayatollahs. It's just nice to have a fool like Ahmadinejad in the forefront doing the dirty work, while those long-bearded "wise men" pull the strings behind him. That's why people who protest today, protest the whole rigid system, not only the recent elections. I guess they need a bit more than a sack of potatoes to be calmed down.
So how does your own medicine taste, Iran? That's what you exported to Bagdad, Beirut and Jerusalem. Now you have it at home in Tehran. What goes around comes around! I'm realistic enough to know that with these protests your brutal dictatorship won't fall apart. But it's a start and I hope it'll become a movement. Maybe in my lifetime I'll see some of those ayatollahs tried and convicted in a new democratic Iran, where elections will be the reflection of the people's will and not just a puppet theater for the masses.

Power to the people!

Elections in Iran are worth a sack of potatoes

People rioting in Teheran (Photo: AP, Politico). The elections were rigged. The ugly dictatorship showed it's true face: Sending police on the street who are beating everyone senseless who doesn't look like he voted 'properly' (that means 'for Ahmadinejad'). That clown can declare victory, continue to spew his nonsense and hatered, while making his country even a bigger joke, but I feel bad for those young Iranians who honestly wanted change. They are influenced by the West, they wanna be part of the world, but have a brutal regime with almost no freedoms (it's basically not allowed that a man and a woman say 'hello' on the street unless they're married). And did you see on TV how Ahmadinejad campaigned? When he came to the country side, people greeted him with 'death to America' shoutouts. And to convince them to vote for him, he was giving some of them sacks of potatoes and cash. Unbelievable! Countryside Iranians can be so stupid sometimes. And if you ask me, these elections are one big fat joke, too!

Laura and Euna: 12 years in gulag

Laura Ling and Euna Lee, two US journalists, were sentenced to 12 years in labour camps, just because they were supposedly crossing the border to North Korea illegally, some 3 months ago. Experts say they will be used as bargaining chips and get released eventually. If not, then this is really a cruel sentence. Cruel and inhumane!

Lisa Ling is about to go public!

A moment ago I read some of Lisa Ling's (凌志慧 ) tweets that said the following (regarding her sister's trial in North Korea):

Our families have decided to go public. The girls' trial starts June 4, we must get the message of diplomacy out. We'll start with the Today Show Mon morning, Larry King, Nightline Mon night. Anderson Cooper during the week as the trial begins. Please help us spread the message.

Thank you

Finally. I respect the family to decide what's best to do in this situation. But eventually the media has to start talking about this sad case. Quiet diplomacy is good, but recent North Korean behavior prooves it didn't work. And poor Laura Ling and Euna Lee will be used for propaganda by the North Koreans rather than some leverage for the negotiations. Seems like they're going nuts. They're challenging the world's patience and threatening the world peace and it looks like they're preparing themselves for war. Gates' comments made me a little worried when he said it was not a crisis and no additional troups would be deployed. I hope he lied. I hope that's tactics and behind the scenes USA, Japan and South Korea have a good plan to take down the evil Kim Jong-il down, if he decides to start a war. In I really hope it won't be necessary, because millions could die and we could forget the case of Laura and Euna. Who knows what these nut-cases in North Korea are willing to do to show how ruthless they are.

North Korea launches nuclear missiles

And what are we hearing from the media and politicians?

Harsh words - denouncing - threat to stability - warnings - concerns - act of defiance - options - latest development - Pyongyang - Chinese propose dialogue and negotiations - 6 party talks - framework - UN Security council - tougher resolutions - frustrations - sanctions - influence NK behind the scenes - strong statements - offering - commitment - reciprocate with commitment - action from United States - what can we do? - stern action - special crisis task force to deal with the threat - new diplomatic push - what happens now? - dilemma - statement from the White House - the data - blatant - grave concern - recklessly challenging the international community - Brown condemned the test - isolation - analysis - security breach at Buckingham palace.

IT'S JUST WORDS WORDS WORDS!
NOTHING BUT WORDS!

As usually, nothing will happen! No action, no change! A big fuss for nothing. And the old evil Kim will laugh today, when he'll take a crap and read the newspaper reports on the international reaction to his missile test. He's mocking the whole world and noone does anything. G8: You're pathetic!

A communist joke

It ain't funny, if it's funny

Three workers find themselves locked up, and they ask each other what they’re in for. The first man says: “I was always ten minutes late to work, so I was accused of sabotage.” The second man says: “I was always ten minutes early to work, so I was accused of espionage.” The third man says: “I always got to work on time, so I was accused of having a Western watch.”

[joke source]

Laura Ling and Euna Lee, we are with you!

The two American journalists abducted by North Korean brutal regime, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, are in their captivity since 17th March. People in their communities gathered to support them (source). I ask myself when will the media wake up and report more on this case? I've been closely following this situation and I really hope these two brave women will survive their ordeal in one of the most brutal regimes in the world - North Korea. I just hope for people to wake up, show more support. I feel for the families of these two women. Forget about human rights in North Korea! Forget about freedoms! Forget about humane treatment. Unless they are going to use these women to blackmail America with something, they won't treat them with any dignity. Let's hope they get released soon! I hope quiet diplomacy is working. It must be. It must.

Students and community gather in support of Euna and Laura.

Please, release Laura and Euna immediately!

[Photos: Source]

Bloggers fight for Laura Ling and Euna Lee!

Today I read that the two US journalists captured by North Korea, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, are about to be tried in Pyongyang probably for alleged espionage. We can expect this trial to be higly unfair. It is another way for the North Korean rotten dictatorship flexing it's muscles towards the rest of the world and especially towards America. I just wonder, how can we instantly have a big media outrage if something like that happens in Iran, but when it comes to this case in North Korea, the media is almost quiet. These two women deserve the same attention like any other illegally captured journalist around the world. I wish that the mainstream media would pay more attention to this case! And the politicians should follow. It is a shame!

I think America made a big mistake when they invaded Afganistan with no exit strategy and Iraq with a fabricated reason and a fabricated outcome! So, all we keep hearing in recent years is Taliban, Saddam, Iran, Pakistan, Afganistan... All the media is focused on these 3 states plus Israel. As if that's the biggest threat to the world! How about North Korea? USA and NATO are so involved in these useless, never ending and money consuming wars that they reclessly neglect North Korea and it's poor brainwashed people. People who would really deserve to be liberated from a dictator who's constantly mocking the USA and the rest of the world by doing whatever he wants! He can blackmail and threaten! Where is the outrage! The clown Ahmadinejad utters some nonsense and the media grabs it, makes it big! Come on!!! Iran would never attack Israel or USA or Europe! Why? Because all three of them could obliterate it in few days! For what would they risk attacking or invading another country? They're surrounded by US forces. Media just can't have enough of Iran, USA and Israel. It's like a big circus! I'm just sick of these games played by Israel and Iran and partly USA, it's like verbal ping pong. And where is the logic! If Iran had the nuclear bomb or other nuclear weapons, why would they want to attack Israel? First of all, Jerusalem is a muslim holy city. Only thing they could do is destroy Tel Aviv! And then? They know the USA and Israel would retaliate few times harder. I'm not convinced by the rightwing media trying to portray the Iranian regime as nuts. If there's a nuts regime, it's the North Korean! They have 1.2 million active soldier's (plus 7.7 million reservists) and the whole population is only 22.6 million. 5.3% percent of the population are soldiers, most of them brainwashed, higly motivated to destroy their 'devil' the USA. Like the fanatic jihadists, they would die for their 'divine' leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-il. Compare that to the 300 million Americans and their regular army of 550,000 soldiers! With all the reservists and the Army National Guard they barely put together 1.1 million soldiers. The only difference is that the US army has a superior training and wapons, but are the US soldiers as fanatic to kill and fight for democracy as the jihadists are willing to fight for their supposed God or the North Koreans are willing to fight for their rotten and evil communist state? Probably not. In a free Western society, where you can pursue your own path of life, career, political engagement, where you can open your own business, experss your opinion, it just makes you have an open mind. I guess that's why we invest more in technology rather than in brutal merciless soldiers. But North Korea does so! And we should do something to change it! So many times the media says Kim Jong-il will die and then we will have something better. What!? We won't get a democrat in power! In best case, we will have a copy of the Chinese regime, which will even more strengthen the commies and we can forget democracy and the unification of both Koreas for a long time.

That's why I urge America and other free nations to focus on North Korea and do something to remove that fat* clown in Pyongyang, who's mocking the whole world, while his people starve and have no rights or freedoms like we have! And do everything to free Euna Lee and Laura Ling, 2 brave journalists, who deserve to be free and report about these evil communist states! They put their lives on the line for us. We should do everything in our power to get them released!

Some photos from the internet:

1 Laura and Lisa, her famous sister, she was host of 'The View'.

2 Laura Ling in 2009.
3 Euna Lee, unfortunately the only photo of her.

4 South Korean protesters remind us of Laura and Euna.
5 Why are they mocking our freedom?
6 Do the faces of evil look like this?

* apparently he's not fat anymore, due to recent illness.

Related post: Tribute to Laura Ling and Euna Lee

Jackie Chan disappointed me, again.

Jackie Chan's recent remarks "I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not, I'm really confused now. If you're too free, you're like the way Hong Kong is now. It's very chaotic. Taiwan is also chaotic"..."I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want" sparked an uproar in Hong Kong and Taiwan. And now his spokesman tried to fix the damage by saying people meanspiritedly misinterpreted Chan's words. He added that he was merely talking about the film industry, not Chinese people as a whole. But an AP reporter confirmed, Chan was talking about China the country and not the film industry. Why would uncensored films (if that's what he says he was discussing) make Hong Kong and Taiwan chaotic? It just doesn't make sense. He clearly talked about the free Chinese societies in Hong Kong and Taiwan. I'd just wish he'd admit he was wrong and say something critical of China. Only then he can avert further damage to his image in the world.

[Photo: Source]

Tribute to Laura Ling and Euna Lee

Two American reporters, Laura Ling (on the left) and Euna Lee (on the right) were detained by North Korea. Allegedly they were illegally intruding in the great state of North Korea, crossing the border from China. I don't know what they were doing in those areas, but I hope they won't get harmed or abused in the great state of the beloved leader Kim Jong-gravely-ill. If you google Laura Ling, you'll see she's quite famous, while Euna is less so. Nevertheless, let's hope both of them will return safe and sound out of the great state of North Korea and won't be used for North Korean propaganda against the USA.

[Photos: Yahoo]

What an august 2008!

This part of the year really puts me down. Sure, I shouldn't follow the news or the Olympics... It only makes me more depressed. The fake child singer and the fake fireworks at the opening ceremony and Russia's attack on Georgia... crazy... An American has been killed on the streets of Beijing by a chinese man. What's going on in this sick world? Honesty is lost, security is gone, what appears to be true is fake! The more the world's population grows, the more individual life is expendable? Humans, persons are just numbers... becoming nameless casualties... These Olympic games are overshadowed by all this phony and horrible events that really makes me wonder how to escape all this crap. I guess by the time I figure that out, these games will be already over. And hopefully the war in Georga.