[DAWN] BACK in July 1979, the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) mounted a decisive assault on Managua, the Nicaraguan capital, from a nearby town called Masaya, overthrowing the nearly four-decade-old Somoza dictatorship. Last week, a report from Masaya described it as almost completely controlled by rebels opposed to President Daniel Ortega’s continued rule.
There is irony in that development, given that Ortega, one of the main Sandinista commanders, emerged as head of the administration setup in 1979, and as a symbol of the revolutionary transformation Nicaragua underwent subsequently. He is known to visit Masaya, recognised as the cradle of Sandinismo, annually, not least to commemorate the death of a brother killed 40 years ago by Anastasio Somoza’s dreaded National Guard.
He is no longer welcome there. Popular unrest sparked on April 19 this year by pension ’reforms’ whereby workers (and businesses) would contribute more and receive less at retirement spiralled out of control when security forces and government supporters responded with violence against the protesters. Ortega rescinded the pension changes, but it was too late. Pent-up resentments related to other various issues kept emotions on the boil.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/13/2018 00:00 ||
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U.S. President Donald Trump was left to talk up a poor deal on Tuesday afternoon as he emerged from a day of photo ops and brief discussions with North Korean leader Kim.
Commentators worldwide were quick to point out that far from achieving a commitment to "complete, verifiable and irreversible" de-nuclearization that he had trumpeted ahead of the summit, Trump merely persuaded Kim to work "towards" de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Rome - not built Monday.
While President Moon hailed the summit, conservative pundits in South Korea were unimpressed.
[The] former chief of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said, "The agreement made no mention of complete, verifiable and irreversible de-nuclearization or a deadline on nuclear dismantlement."
What alarmed them more was Trump's throwaway promise to end "war games" with South Korea, which he described as "very expensive" and "very provocative." [He] denounced it as a "bombshell announcement." But more importantly, Trump didn't ask us for permission to make a promise! [A professor] at Korea University said, "With the latest agreement, we can kiss goodbye to the prospect of North Korean denuclearization." [Another Professor] also weighed into the debate. "If joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises are halted, the role of the Combined Forces Command ends and U.S. troop numbers will naturally decline," he claimed.
[Yet another Professor] went further, slamming the agreement as "the scam of the century that reflected 99 percent of North Korea's wishes." He pointed out that a close look at the agreement shows no binding commitments and only agreements in principle. No argument there, genius. So what? read on.
[A]former chief presidential secretary for foreign affairs, said Trump "denied the value of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and the legitimacy of joint military drills. It looks like the alliance is on the road to dismantlement." Takes two to tango, buckaroo.
[A cooler head] at the Institute for National Security Strategy was calmer. "It is true that the results are weaker than expected," he said. "It seems Trump got too greedy and settled for agreements in principle while failing to tackle the technical problems." I, too, am disappointed the Versailles Treaty wasn't signed the first day.
But he admitted that the fact of the meeting itself and the atmosphere it creates should not be underestimated. "It's significant that North Korea and the U.S., which maintained hostile relations for decades, have taken steps to begin a new relationship," he added. I deleted the Korean names, because they wouldn't mean anything to you anyway. Hit the link if you're curious. I also figure word-searches by copyright queens are less likely to find something offensive.
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/13/2018 10:28 ||
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#1
Sorry, I thought I clicked "Opinion" once. Please adjust.
Done.
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/13/2018 10:46 Comments ||
Top||
#2
What alarmed them more was Trump's throwaway promise to end "war games" with South Korea
#3
Righthaven went out of business; there is no further need to fear copyright vigilantes.
They just hate Trump so much that they're going to criticize anything he does.
Posted by: Herb McCoy ||
06/13/2018 12:41 Comments ||
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#4
What alarmed them more was Trump's throwaway promise to end "war games" with South Korea
I'm guessing the war games provide cash and fabulous prizes to the SKor mil/gov. Or at least justify someone's existence and ever-expanding budget. The crunching noise you hear is the sound of rice bowls breaking
#5
Should we have an alliance with folks who's intellectuals are so blind and stupid? Okay, I take that back, most intellectuals fit that definition these days.
#6
Not so Fast.
Righthaven is Kaput, yes but the bureaucrats at the EU are working hard to destroy the Fair Use Exemption by attacking the ISPs and Survey Engine side... [Sanizdata] The EU vs. The Internet
Reaction in South Korea, and indeed across the world, to the first summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea has, as you would expect in this age of social media, been loud and mixed.
But if you cut away opinion, which is set alight by reluctance to credit the players ― North Korea's Kim Jong-un, U.S. President Donald Trump and, here in South Korea, President Moon Jae-in ― and if you discount the impatient expectation of some kind of Versailles-peace-treaty-in-a-day ― there is a common thread to the reaction. 'mpatient expectation of a peace treaty in a day'. Nice turn of a phrase.
It comes in the form of a question: May we now dare to hope? At least now, there is reason to hope, yet again.
We dared to hope, but were let down because, it turned out, North Korea just wanted our money. So, we ask now, have things really changed? But, but ... Trump gave him a promise. Can Fat Boy buy more caviar with Trump's promise?
On the yes side, we note two differences. First, South Koreans are not alone. The story now is about the United States getting cozy with North Korea. In their statement on Tuesday, Trump and Kim Jong-un committed to "establish new U.S.-DPRK relations … for peace and prosperity." This, in my opinion, is the most significant of the four points of their joint declaration ― the others (a peace structure, denuclearization and recovery of war remains) are conditions for that new relationship to happen.
Second, this time it is the North Koreans who are initiating change. Whether driven to by Trump's belligerence last year or not, it was Kim Jong-un who signaled his willingness to reach out. To his credit, and unexpectedly for leaders who take a path of belligerence, Trump's decision to break with the U.S. tradition of refusing to meet North Korean leaders has brought us thus far. Hat tip: The Donald.
Is Kim Jong-un on his own letting go of all that has sustained his family's dynasty? Or is this outbreak of peace simply a change of strategy?
The answer is that we don't know yet, but right now, we dare to hope.
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/13/2018 10:19 ||
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#1
Trump has probably pointed out that you can be hated by half the country and still be totally safe. Being hated by some is a mark of honor.
#4
Refusing to make the right enemies is a mark of ineffectiveness, even shame. --Posted by: Iblis
John McCain's long love affair with the MSM and Across the Aisle™ and what did it get him? Treachery just means your are useful in the short term...
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Commentators worldwide were quick to point out that far from achieving a commitment to "complete, verifiable and irreversible" de-nuclearization that he had trumpeted ahead of the summit, Trump merely persuaded Kim to work "towards" de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
[A professor] at Korea University said, "With the latest agreement, we can kiss goodbye to the prospect of North Korean denuclearization." [Another Professor] also weighed into the debate. "If joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises are halted, the role of the Combined Forces Command ends and U.S. troop numbers will naturally decline," he claimed.
