No Tax ?

CNN News: Reports that the idea to tax the bonuses of AIG has been pushed in to the long grass. The reason Obama Administration is stalling is simple, they need private business to take up the bad debt of the banks, private business is not a charity, they will want to make money. If your a private company are you going to bailout the Administration if your profits are going to be taxed. Thus the popular anger against bonuses has meet business reality. I would be very surprised if the tax bill ever gets passed the Senate and if Obama would even sign it, he needs private business he cant seduce them and then make them pay for the room.

Hamid Karzai in Office but with no Power!

The Times: Reports that the USA and the UK is planing to force President Karazi of Afghanistan to appoint a powerful Chief of Staff who would run Afghanistan, Karazi would just be the figure head for the nation. This is a follow up to the Guardian report of yesterday, the Obama Administration and the UK see that Karazi has having failed at reforming the Government in Kabul. As without the support of the West the Government would fall in Kabul, the Obama Administration has a lot of power in Afghanistan. The one critic that can be postulated is that the Obama Administration might be making the same mistake as Kennedy did in 1963 by allowing the Military to remove Diem, the Government of South Vietnam was never stable after the coup, thus better to keep the devil you know, just makes sure that he follows your plan. The Afghan people might think this is the British Empire all over again if you try to displace President Kazai, thus not sure this idea of appointing a powerful Chief of Staff is a good idea, even less so since it has leaked. This could be the time to go back and have another look at this policy.

W. Directed by Oliver Stone

Just bought the the DVD of W. Directed by Oliver Stone. I was fan of JFK ( even if I didn't agree with the conspiracy angle of the film ) and Nixon ( very sympathetic look at Nixon ). I was expecting to be honest a hatched job on Bush 43, I can say I was wrong, the film is many respects is quite sympathetic to Bush 43, critical yes but on the whole fair. The DVD is full of great extras and a PDF of the historical information. If you liked the above films have a look at W. But have to ask when is Mr Stone going to do a film on Ronald Reagan.

Hamid Karzai is Diem of Vietnam

Guardian: Reports that the Obama Administration will try as Kennedy did in 1963 in Vietnam to improve the political and military situation on the ground in Afghanistan by placing their own man in power. If I recall in 1963 that was a disaster, Kennedy gave the green light for the Army to take over, the USA was stuck in Vietnam till 1975. The Afghans are a proud people, they wont like the idea that the USA is playing an Imperial role in the government of Afghanistan. Thus expects things to get worse before they get better, if they get better, Obama and his West Wing crew could out of their depth when it comes to Afghanistan.

New Bailout in trouble before its go Public!

The Times: Reports that new Obama bailout could be in trouble even before it goes public, with the public wrath to the bonuses to AIG, business is concerned that it will take heat for helping the Government. At the end of the day private business wants to make money, its about the green stuff in their bank accounts, thus any deal with the Obama Administration has to take in to account that business wants to make a money out of it, how is the tax payer go to react that news, if they want private help to make the banks solvent again the Obama Administration cant berate business one minute and ask for help afterwards. Obama will have to take on the his left wing, otherwise he will be a one term President.

USA out of Afghanistan ?

The New York Times: Reports that President Obama has stated that the USA does have an exit route out of Afghanistan, he wants to make sure that Afghanistan can not be used by the terrorists to attack the USA. This is an excellent idea, also the idea that Pakistan should control the Tribal areas on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the problem with both ideas is that they are rubbish, it comes from someone who has spent to much time in the seminar room and not enough time in the real world. Afghanistan will never be a place that the USA can leave it it wants to protect the USA. Afghanistan has the title the Graveyard of Empires, it didn't get that as a joke, the British Empire had problems, we lost thousands in the 19th Century, the Soviet Union was broken in the mountains of Afghanistan. The border between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been a nightmare for the British Empire, now its a problem for Pakistan, the Tribal areas are a law on to themselves. If this is the best Obama can come up with the West is in trouble.

Threat from North Korea

Bloomberg.com: Reports that North Korea will closed down its Air Space in April as to launch its satellite. This will be crisis time for the Obama Administration, will they have to shoot down the missile, will Japan take action if it thinks Japan is in danger from the missile. These could be critical days for the region and Obama, is this Obama's Cuban Missile Crisis. President Kennedy is great for his handling of the missile crisis, but the question has to be asked is Obama up to the job as POTUS.