The prime minister of the Czech Republic and current president of the European Union, Mirek Topolanek is trying desperately to crawl out of a quicksand of undermined credibility. Certainly his predecessor (and acclaimed playwright) Vaclav Havel had more of a flair for hearts and minds.

Topolanek on NATO – Wall Street Journal

Maintaing Relevance Amidst Collapse of Czech Government – NY Times

The article is but a succinct and provocative note; simply food for thought. Interestingly, Hutchinson fails to mention that while the Weimar Republic was over-printing currency, they were also using that falsely-valued money to pay back deficits and balance the budget (a move that was theoretically foolish in 1923 and proven to be plain stupid for 2009).

Additionally, I have a personal gripe: Hutchinson quotes the “great economist Maynard Keynes,” who seems to be universally loved by all Britons. Talk about buzzword name-dropping; must every self-important scholar invoke Keynes? The man was undeniably influential, but now that Alan Greenspan has lost his demi-god status, must it be granted to Keynes posthumously by overly romantic jargonists? 

Full Story at the Telegraph

As world leaders assembled in London this week for the G20, two of the most-covered stories have been surrounding Queen Elizabeth II of England. Michelle Obama famously broke protocol with the Queen by reciprocating her embrace, which has caused quite a stir. Though much of the international response has been that of shock, perhaps the ipod presented to her by Barack Obama helped smooth things over.

Meanwhile, the Queen has “gone viral” in a YouTube video in which she shushes in exasperation the Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, known for his boisterous behavior.

Full Story at NY Times

Beijing, in an expected assertion of hegemony, is making quite clear to its Western counterparts that they must remain silent on the issues of Tibet and support for the Dalai Lama. In the advent of China’s surging global influence, Tibet has now accompanied human rights issues on the back burner of foreign relations. 

Such polarizing issues are often politicized in the name of “national interest,” which two disparate reports demonstrate:

China and U.S. Should Cooperate – China Post

China vs. the Dalai Lama – Japan Times

“An Arab summit embraces the butcher of Darfur.” 

The Washington Post published a very salient editorial today, pointing out the double standards of genocide demonstrated at the recent Arab League summit in Doha, Qatar.

Despite his outstanding warrant for arrest from the International Criminal Court, the Arab League stood in solidarity with the Sudanese dictator Bashir. Amidst claims of genocide committed by Israelis against Palestinians, the League conveniently overlooked the atrocities that continue in Darfur. 

The editorial does have a pro-Israel tinge, which I think is emblematic of the state of journalism in which writers subtly undermine their credibility.  However, the key points made here are absolutely undeniable.

Full Article at Washington Post

Russian president Dmitry Medvedev claims to have pressed the “reset” button on US-Russia relations.  Just in case you believed it, make sure you go through the rhetorical checklist first:

• Does he admit some small flaw or challenge? Check. 

“It is hard to dispute the pessimistic assessments of the Russian-American relationship that prevailed at the end of last year.”

• Does he talk about some multilateral solution that involves a map or some other illustrative metaphor? Check. 

“The exchange of letters between myself and President Obama this year showed mutual readiness to build mature bilateral relations in a pragmatic and businesslike manner. For that we have a “road map” — the Strategic Framework Declaration our countries signed in Sochi in 2008″

• Does he quote some historical figure, as if the words predetermine foreign relations? Check. 

“Long ago, Alexis de Tocqueville predicted a great future for our two nations. So far, each country has tried to prove the truth of those words to itself and the world by acting on its own. I firmly believe that at this turn of history, we should work together.”

Speaking of which, the geniuses at the Council on Foreign Relations have done it again; another thorough report FYI. It’s not exactly a current event, but the issue of missile defense is definitely a contentious one that threatens to subtly undermine our already-tepid relations with Russia. 

Check out this CFR report on the origins and status of missile defense capability, and the perceived first-strike threat that keeps even our foreign allies from truly trusting the United States.

Story and Video from BBC

Full Story at NYTimes.com

P.S. Is it worth noting the linguistic liberties in the headlines? NY Times has “U.S. Takes Over as Britain Begins Basra Pullout,” as opposed to the BBC reporting, “U.K. Troops Begin Iraqi Withdrawal.” NYT chose very assertive, borderline pro-US wording; BBC doesn’t even mention the US. Make of it what you will.

The Guardian chose to focus on the more ceremonial aspects of the hand-over by making a Douglas Adams reference in their headline and reporting on the “golden jewel encrusted ornamental fish presented to Major General Andy Salmon.” (see the questionably composed photograph below). 

The Mediterranean basin has historically served as a migration route between North Africa and Europe. In these increasingly tough economic times, immigration has crept into its status as a hot-button issue. Those who immigrate typically have fewer and fewer options in their homelands, and motivations to migrate (jobs, remittances, education, less persecution, etc.) become undeniable. Meanwhile, those in receiving countries, in light of the global financial crisis, are seeing immigrants as a drain on job opportunities and public funding, and the mounting backlash appears inevitable.

But are these financial reasons mere excuses for insidious attitudes towards the “other” from traditionally homogeneous  nations? 

Hundreds Dead as Migrant Boat Sinks off Libya – NYTimes.com

Migrants Break out of Italian Camp – Al Jazeera