Dear All,
I am writing this like a true journalist at a costa coffee, looking onto fairly busy traffic infront of a desert, oh how wonderful is Qatar!, the only thing i think im missing is the cigarette!!
Well i had a busy few days, work is killing me at the moment, im getting alot more responsibility, and given a shorter time to learn and do things, but its ok, im slowly getting there..i think.
At the weekends, i like to lie in a bit, as during the week i have to get up at 6am Qatar time(3am UK time) so at the weekends i like to sleep till like 10am-11am, Qatar time, then on Fridays I have to go to Friday prayer which begins around 11.15am and ends an hour later. This morning i was going to sleep a bit longer, but then the construction work next door woke me up at 6am, and though i managed to get back to sleep decided to awake at 10am and go for my weekend walks, this time taking me to HSBC, which is like X-pat central, ull find everyone with a UK accent da,well majority and the rest with a US one, at least at the weekends anyway!
I been reading a interesting article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6189793.stm) the end of the Neo-Con dream, which I foolishy used to mistake as a zionist themed organisation, however over the last few months I have started reading alot more into it, and its not exactly the case though the two certainly over-lap...(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism)
The influence of neoconservatism in the Bush administration appeared to have found its purpose in the shift from the threat of Communism to the threat of Islamic terrorism. The administration undertook an invasion of Afghanistan shortly after the September 11 attacks, to remove the al-Qaeda-supporting Taliban from power. The administration also began planning and obtaining political and diplomatic support for an invasion of Iraq, citing Iraq's dictatorial government, support for terrorism, purported links to al-Qaeda, work on chemical and nuclear weapons, and refusal to abide by U.N. resolutions regarding inspection of weapons programs.
Neoconservative identification with the State of Israel's struggle against terrorism was furthered by the September 11 attacks, which served to create a perceived parallel between the United States and Israel as democratic nations under the threat of terrorist attack. Moreover, some neoconservatives have long advocated that the United States should emulate Israel's tactics of pre-emptive attacks, especially Israel's strikes in the 1980s on nuclear facilities in Libya and Osirak, Iraq.
However I dont c Islam itself as the enemy, and like the above article states, its more people were looking for a enemy after the cold war, and they found it in the form of 'Islamic terrorism' (like there is any other??). I think its fine personally the philopshpy of trying to exert ur influence onto other countries, especialy if u have a good idea, and i do feel democracy is good, and because i of it i have lived a relatively safe life for the last 23 years, however what I dont agree with is the means.
For example In China when I went in the Summer, its a prosperous country, and it is enhancing the lives for all of its citizens, and though the free speech there is rather limited, I feel that they are doing a hell of a better job than India and USA at improving the lives of its citizens, Yet people in the USA wanted a confortation into the means by which China freespeach and human rights records. (again wikipedia)
Thus, neoconservative thinkers were eager to implement a new foreign policy with the change in Administrations from Clinton to George W. Bush. Despite this, the Bush campaign and then the early Bush Administration did not appear to exhibit strong support for neoconservative principles, as candidate Bush stated his opposition to the idea of "nation-building" and an early foreign policy confrontation with China was handled without the vociferous confrontation suggested by some neoconservative thinkers. Also early in the Administration, some neoconservatives criticized Bush's Administration as insufficiently supportive of the State of Israel, and suggested Bush's foreign policies were not substantially different from those of President Clinton.
I by no means am a supporter of the state of China, and I do think its a oppressive Goverment and I have seen first hand how they treat the minorites, be it Chritistian , Muslim, Mongalian, its not that different from the regimes in charge of the arab countries, where there are tiers in society, and people cant practice faith or carry out acts as they wish, I know for Muslims in China, though there are thousands of Mosques throughout China, what the muslim leaders can talk about it severly limited, and with all media controlled by the Goverment, any knowledge the muslims in China have about the struggles other muslims are having in other parts of the world such as Somalia, Palestine, Iraq, Chechnaya, all go unnoticed, and they assume the muslims to around the world dont know about their plight that they have. The same goes for the Christians I met, they cant practice their faith the way they want, and all sermons need to go through the goverment, they too have little knowledge about the Christian sufferings though the middle east, like again in Palestine, and throughout the middle east (read http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6205299.stm). and I think this lack of knowledge only fuels the anger and hatred within the those communities towards the goverment.
So that is why I think rather than the supposedly liberalised soceity of the US and the strict society impossed by the goverment of China and the Gulf countries, the UK and Europe in general has found the right balance. No-one country will ever be perfect or suit everybody however I feel that it has the best it can, and though i have plenty of compliants about it, I definiely would stay there in Europe of any other country in the world. Europe is similar in its idea of demoracy however for me the fundamental difference between them and the Neo-cons is the means it wants to exert its influence, the EU doesnt need a strong mililary presense, and that is what I admire and that I feel is what some of the Neo-cons are starting to realise and maybe fear that the way forward, is to practice what you preach....
Thats all for todays sorry if I got any of my information wrong and feel free to correct me.
Take care
Asif
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