A couple of British looks at
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher died Monday April 8
at age 87. Prime Minister of the UK from 1979 to 1990, her time in
office overlapped the Presidency of the similarly conservative Ronald
Reagan. Her impact on the politics of Great Britain was as great as
that of Reagan on the politics of the US, if not more so. Here are links to two
Guardian articles. In the first, Gary Younge notes that: "Hers
is a living legacy of marketisation, privatisation, economic
stratification and social dislocation. Its victims and beneficiaries
are not only still alive; they are still being born."
Best-selling English author and screenwriter Ian McEwan says that Margaret Thatcher "forced us
to decide what was truly important." Reflecting on the change
to the postwar British welfare state she brought to Britain: "We have paid for that transformation
with a world that is
harder-edged, more competitive, and certainly more intently aware of
the lure of cash. "
China and South Korea news comments
on the North Korean situation
As the US (and world) press get their
collective knickers in a knot over the rhetoric emanating from North
Korea, there is a calmer atmosphere closer to the blustering.
South Korean newspaper The Hankyoreh
reports that "as US
Secretary of State John Kerry began his visit to South Korea, China,
and Japan on Apr. 12, there were signs that North Korea was adopting
a more cautious stance about launching a missile." Praising
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's decision on April 5 to delay the
test-launch of a new ICBM while tensions remain high, the article
speculates on how North Korea might respond to overtures for
dialogue.
The Global Times, an English language Chinese newspaper published under the auspices of the People's Daily,
notes in this op-ed that the air raid drills "the appearance of
a few vehicles with camouflage netting" in Pyongyang are nothing
new - typical of the North Korean response when the US and South
Korea engage in their annual military exercises. The author
concludes that "whatever its views of North Korea, which are
complex and nuanced, China has consistently called for restraint from
all sides. For the Chinese, the solution to the current problem is
for all sides to stop raising the tension with shows of military
might and return to the negotiating table. And, despite all the
noises, there are signs that this might happen."
Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz
took the occasion of Secretary of State Kerry's most recent visit to
Israel to take the Netanyahu administration to task for its position
on peace negotiations with the Palestinians. The newly formed
government's position is "undercutting the US peace plan."
Decrying what they call Israeli "rejectionism", the
editiorial notes that Israel's "demand to discuss all the core
issues could possibly be construed as another way of avoiding serious
negotiation....It is impossible to understand this ... position,
which blocks even the possibility of being able to discuss a sketch
of the map of Israel and guaranteeing its security needs. These two
important issues are the basis for progress."
Russia's Pravda,
providing its take on the Palestinian view of Kerry's shuttle diplomacy,
is even more downbeat: "As Obama's visit, the presence of Kerry
has not been greeted with optimism by Palestinian organizations and
movements who have lost confidence in a U.S. commitment to a just
solution to the conflict. However, the PA [Palestinian Authority] stated they would strive
to 'give a chance' to American attempts and proposals, as a way to
demonstrate good will."
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