PandaGate – Panda Pandering

Okay last of three,  this time we talked about how Canada got our panda loan.

We have already talked about pandas and how the Chinese government has used them as an aspect of their foreign diplomacy. This leads us to the big question…

So, why did Toronto get some panda?

When Nixon went to China, it was a political gambit. The relationship between China and the Soviet Union was at a low and this was seen as a good time to widen the wedge between the world’s dominant Communist nations.

In hindsight, it seems to have worked.

Harper has put economics ahead of politics, in hopes of creating a “strategic partnership” with China.

To put it in the devils…er, I mean Harper’s words…
“Our country is looking for new markets for our goods and services and…is an area of tremendous opportunity…We hope to expand on our strategic partnership with China and, in particular, we hope to deepen the economic and trade ties between our two countries.”

Peter Harder, a former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and now president of the Canada China Business Council put it like this “I would attach great significance to the fact that China would place in Canada’s care the pandas that are coming…It’s a signal of their desire to have economic as well as cultural and people-to-people relationships, and to that extent, I think it’s a significant development.”

The Panda Politic in this case has been thrown in reverse. Instead of China seeking the favour of a foreign nation with the offer of Pandas, Canada is attempting to show it is willing to play ball with China. Pandas now being lent to nations that have pleased the Chinese government as a sign of fealty.

Some observers, notably the Financial Post, see it as an economic sellout to China that has too much influence in Canada already with little regard to playing by ‘western’ rules such as intellectual property rights or industrial espionage.

Is it appropriate for Harper to greet the Pandas while ignoring ‘more important’ events?

There has been a lot of criticism about Harper’s taking time out of his schedule to ‘officially’ welcome the landing of the Pandas. They will not actually be viewable for several weeks as they spend time in standard quarantine.

It is a question of priorities. What is more important? The issues of the nation or Harper’s personal legacy of sowing sufficient fidelity to the Chinese state?

While in Toronto, Harper missed a chance to address a crowd of thousands of the Idle No More movement as they welcomed over 400 “Cree Walkers” who traveled by snowshoes to Ottawa, some from over 1600 Km away.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt, did say he will eventually meet the Cree Walkers to hear what they have to say.

Another criticism was of Harper being able to clear time for the Pandas but has not placed the same importance on meeting with the provincial Premiers as a group to discuss the economy, healthcare…anything really. He actually snubbed the Premiers late last year when they held their annual meeting on provincial affairs.

It might have been nice for him to get some face-to-face opinions about the then upcoming but just recently presented budget or shall we say ‘Economic Plan’.

Recent leaks and document releases have shown that when it comes to Big Oil and other corporate interests, the Harper government seems to take great effort and time to ensure they serve the needs of the business class. Likewise, the main function of the mission to China a year ago was not to get pandas but to ensure that China knew Canada was for sale…er, open for business. The Pandas were the reward for confirming Canada was a vassal, er…compliant…er, I mean a nation ‘Open for business’.

It seems that the successful request for the Pandas came directly from Harper but under the ‘implied’ condition by the Chinese government that Harper travel to China to make the announcement personally.

So far it seems the arrival of the Pandas is a perfect photo opportunity for Harper…a man known to manufacture stage sets to make him look more…more…um, more human. So far so good…for him.

One could wonder what else was put on the table to entice the Chinese, who had been refusing earlier requests for over a decade, to loan us the pandas?

Correlation, not causation, shows that Canada has signed the China-Canada Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, which many on the left, right and center complain is very one sided. It strengthens Chinese private and state owned corporation’s rights at the expense of Canadian sovereignty.

China in the middle of last year purchased a major player in the Tar Sands, much to the consternation of those who worry about a foreign nation owning a Canadian resource in the purchase of Nexen for over 15 billion by China National Offshore Oil Corporation.

Encana sold half its share in Alberta Shale gas to PetroChina just prior to the Chinese changing their mind on the Pandas.

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation purchased for 2 billion the Canadian oil and gas firm Daylight Energy about the same time. It previously got the Harper Government approval for a 4.65 billion stake in Syncrude Canada, one of the world’s largest producers of synthetic crude oil from oil sands and the largest single source producer in Canada. At the time, many commentators worried about the influence of the Chinese government had over Canada…and its politics.

Well, it seems things have gone quite well…for China, but at least we get to look at some Pandas (not without a hefty price tag) for a decade…YEAH Harper…NOT!!

 —————————–

References:

• Panda politics: the cuddly face of Chinese diplomacy
• Panda politics: It’s trickier than you think
• Scrutinizing Canada’s pipeline to Beijing
• Premiers set to meet on the economy…without Stephen Harper
• Harper snub threatens to overshadow premiers meeting
• Harper’s Absence At Premiers Meeting On Economy Doesn’t Sit Well With Some
• Giant pandas move to Toronto Zoo after greeting by PM
• Harper’s China visit ends with panda pact
• Is Stephen Harper choosing pandas over premiers?
• China-Canada FIPA: Rick Mercer Slams Harper Over Secret Trade Deal
• Canada-China trade deal is too one-sided
• China trade agreement: what you need to know
• Encana’s Duvernay Shale
• Roll out the red carpet: Giant pandas touchdown in Toronto
• Wikipedia – Panda diplomacy
• Panda Diplomacy
• Giant Panda
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
• How China plays politics with pandas

PandaGate – Panda Primer

This is a three part series about pandas, their politics and the Canadian connection.

 

In case you missed it, Er Shun, a 5-year-old female, and Da Mao, a 4-year-old male, ‘guest’ panda’s from China will spend five years at the Toronto Zoo and then five years at the Calgary Zoo. This will be the first long-term stay for the monochrome fuzzies in Canada. The Toronto, Calgary and Winnipeg Zoos played host to bear pairs for a few weeks in 1985, 1988, and 1989 respectively.

This led me to a couple of questions…some innocent…other less so. So, what is a panda and what’s up with the term Panda Politics? In another post I will address why WE (i.e. Canada, Harper, et al) are playing Panda Politics.

What are pandas and why does anyone care?

Although very iconic, my first thought was besides being black and white and bear all over…what are they?

The pandas we got are of the giant panda kind, in contrast to the Red Panda. The giant panda is a bear, as opposed to its name sake which is actually related to the raccoon.

They are native to central-western and south-western China. Of course we all know the iconic image of the black and white fur balls.

Interestingly enough, although a bear and thus a member of the order carnivore, Giant Pandas eat about 99% bamboo; they are the vegans of the bear world. You find very little of the carnivore (i.e. meat) in their diet.

That said, they will in the wild munch on other plants…like grass or tubers…and if opportunity arises will chow down on a bird or rodent…and are not above nibbling on a bit of carrion if given the chance. Maybe not so much Vegan but a really lazy carnivore?

In captivity, they may be fed honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges, or bananas along with specially prepared food and of course bamboo which will be flown in twice weekly from Memphis.

Why Memphis? Well they have a couple of Pandas who will be returning to China this year. Also bamboo grows better in Tennessee than Ontario and they already have the “bamboo plantation”…I hope we get a discount on the “Fed-Ex” shipping considering their name was ALL over this transfer…more so than either China or Canada. Viva the corporatization of environmentalism?

Your typical panda lives about two decades in the wild and a third decade in captivity with the oldest one living to 34.

Pandas are an endangered species which is not as bad as it may sound. They are at risk of extinction in the near future but in the scale of risk established by international treaties…kind of like a scale of 1 to 7…they are only half way to extinction.

It’s kind of weird system, established by the treaties. You have 7 classifications, two are not really at risk, two that are already extinct…from the wild and from the planet…then they have a set of three in the middle which are the ones we often think about.

There are those who are vulnerable…so, creatures that could go extinct if we don’t keep an eye out in the future…think flying squirrel or harbour seal.

There are the critically endangered, who are likely to go extinct very soon…game over man…think Java Rhino or Mountain Gorilla which may already be extinct by the time you read this…REALLY!

Then you have the Panda…right in the middle being JUST endangered…not in immediate risk of extinction but all signs point to that in the near future. It could be a goner. Although considering its celebrity status it’s unlikely to go the “way of the dodo”. It is one of almost 4000 animals on the list. All of which are more likely to go extinct…less cute and cuddly?

The wild population of panda is believed to be less than 2000 and a captive community of about 300.

The biggest threat to the panda population is loss of habitat and their puritan values.

What is that you say? Puritan values?

Well, besides being famous as lazy bamboo chompers…it seems the reproductive instinct in the Panda is how shall we say…a tad on the sluggish side.

The female goes into estrus for 48 hours, plus or minus, a year…so, you’d think the males would be…well eager for the event.

It seems, at least in captivity, the males are more interested in lying around than LAYING around (wink wink-nudge nudge). Desperate, conservationists have resorted to artificial insemination, keeping the perspective couple in very close approximation. They have used Viagra on the males and even resorted to panda porn.

YES, panda porn…I suspect some of you are right this moment checking it out.

Now, they have improved their technique by studying the Black Bear population and it seems the females are really only interested in sex every couple of years…a very British sounding couple.

Okay, so now you know WHAT a panda is. Next in the series we will discus how Panda’s have become an integral part of China’s diplomatic team.

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References:

• Panda politics: the cuddly face of Chinese diplomacy
• Panda politics: It’s trickier than you think
• Scrutinizing Canada’s pipeline to Beijing
• Premiers set to meet on the economy…without Stephen Harper
• Harper snub threatens to overshadow premiers meeting
• Harper’s Absence At Premiers Meeting On Economy Doesn’t Sit Well With Some
• Giant pandas move to Toronto Zoo after greeting by PM
• Harper’s China visit ends with panda pact
• Is Stephen Harper choosing pandas over premiers?
• China-Canada FIPA: Rick Mercer Slams Harper Over Secret Trade Deal
• Canada-China trade deal is too one-sided
• China trade agreement: what you need to know
• Encana’s Duvernay Shale
• Roll out the red carpet: Giant pandas touchdown in Toronto
• Wikipedia – Panda diplomacy
• Panda Diplomacy
• Giant Panda
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
• How China plays politics with pandas

Korean War Redux

Unless you have been hiding in a bomb shelter or perhaps were visiting another planet, you probably have heard that it appears that North Korea and South Korea are at a state of war…again!

To be fair, they have been at war ever since North Korea attempted a ‘manual’ unification of the Korean Peninsula in 1950.

“Let’s drive the US imperialists out and reunite the fatherland!”
North Korean propaganda poster

I say war but definitions differ depending on who you are. The North Koreans see it as ‘liberating’ their own people/territory from capitalist imperialism. China and Russia think it an ‘internal dispute’. The USA sees it as the prelude to Vietnam (and then gets very sad and introspective). And then there are the South Koreans who see it as…well a war.

The rest of the world though sees it as something unique. It’s a police action. North Korea was charged with a “breach of the peace” by the UN and member nations were asked to help restore the peace…with of course… their guns.

It is unique in that it is one of the few times the Security Council has authorized what most of us would call a war, especially when the belligerent is/was a strong ally of the USSR which has a veto on the Security Council. The only other comparable example I could find was the 1990 ‘police action’ after the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq.

This happened because the USSR was boycotting the Council at the time in protest of Taiwan being given the ‘China’ seat on the Council. So the USA managed to get the Council to pass Resolution 82…and ensured that the USSR would be present at every Council vote thereafter.

The Korean conflict, as those who watched the classic show MASH are familiar… had the North reduce the South to a few hundred square KM, then the UN forces pushed back to the Chinese border only to be repelled well south of the 48^th parallel to end up with a stable front about at the 48^th parallel.

Now, most of us think that the war is old news…I mean, didn’t it end in 1954? Well, yes and no.

What happened in 1953 was an armistice…which is NOT a peace treaty but an agreement on the cessation of hostilities. The idea of course being that the parties would then sit down and come up with a permanent solution to their problems and then sign a for-real peace treaty.

It’s been 60 plus years and there is still no peace treaty, so North Korean and South Korea are still technically at war. I say technically but more than that and this leads to a lot of the current headlines in the news today.

The border between the two nations is an armed no-man’s land 4 miles wide with each side having thousands of troops ready to resume battle.

Ironically enough, the KDMZ or Korean Demilitarized Zone has created one of the most important ‘wild life’ preserves because no one is allowed to live in the zone (there are two minor exceptions…but mostly no-man’s land). So, endangered creatures like the Korean Leopard have found safe refuge on the world oldest war front.

Okay, so besides the presence of military forces, the USA has regularly held joint military exercises with the South Korean military.

From the South’s point of view, this is to ensure that the North will never catch the South flat-footed like it did in 1950.

Conversely, the North has seen the exercise as the South’s preparation for an attack on the North.

“Do not forget the US imperialist wolves!”
North Korean Anti-US propaganda poster

The North has always seen itself as the David of David and Goliath fame. Before the Vietnamese, the North Koreans stood up to the US and its UN allies and, in its eyes, won. And it only did this by being aggressive and showing the world it will not be pushed around.

There was a rocky warming of relationships between North and South during the 90’s but when in 2002, GW Bush included North Korea in its “Axis of Evil” the recent downward spiral began.

With the collapse of the USSR and the ever closer relationship between the US and China, North Korea figured it was time to renew serious efforts to develop the ultimate deterrent to the American provocations – the bomb!!

The US has organized a global effort to impose sanctions on North Korea to stop it developing nuclear weapons…an effort we know failed.

In the last few years, and especially with the ascension of Kim Il-Un, there has been a ratcheting up of tensions between the North and South.

It is a common belief that North Korea is a backwards, poor, isolated nation ruled by a cadre of fanatical nut-bags.

 

Well, they maybe many things but they are not crazy.

North Korea has managed to remain staunchly independent by a very flexible, pragmatic and at times Machiavellian diplomatic policy. The current leadership of Kim Jung Un has managed to consolidate power internally while keeping US and Chinese imperialist at bay.

The USA has tried to cut North Korea off but it has not isolated the nation.

North Korea has a large disparage between the urban and rural people and the farmers still experience starvation…but rarely.

That said, it has a higher GDP than Nicaragua, Niger, Bahamas, Kenya, Cambodia…don’t get me wrong, compared to Canada or even South Korea, their economy is nothing but considering the international sanctions, one must be impressed with how well it is doing

And it is not China that is propping it up. The constant refrain that North Korea is isolated and must ‘lock in’ its people ignored the fact that thousands travel to China and Mongolia to work in factories. Others work in Russia’s lumber industry. Kuwait hires them for major construction projects. The North Koreans are building the visitor pavilion at Amkor Watt in Cambodia.

Part of that project includes 3D interactive attractions which leads me to mention one of the areas North Korea has gained a favourable reputation is in computer programming  Pyongyang is the center of an information technology sector that is an outsourcing destination for other countries, even developing software and apps for the iPhone.

They are still famous for their animation…just check out the Simpsons for proof.

It’s also important that from day one, North Korea believed in the philosophy of self-reliance…that it should be able to supply all of its own needs. This is one of the reasons that when natural disasters hit the North, there is such great suffering.

The flip side of this coin is when ‘international sanctions’ are applied, their effect on the North is limited at best. It literally doesn’t need anyone’s business. Unlike China, Canada or the USA.

Of course some assume that China could just snap its fingers and North Korea…apparently dependent, as we just said this is not completely true…one snap and North Korea would act nice.

Well, again North Korea has been playing this game a long time and knows how to play one side against the other and work on the insecurities of countries like China who only want stable borders with peaceful neighbours. North Korea has been using the “loud bark” and hinted bit for generations to punch FAR FAR above its weight.

In its eyes, it has defeated a super power…the US…cow-towed another…China…and feels very much in a corner where only more the same will ensure its independence and prosperity…

Last word, should we be afraid of North Korea?

As Canadians, no. Although they brag they have rockets that could hit the lower 48 States, evidence shows the technology they have could barely reach the USA (and accidentally hit Canada)…and that tech would be limited in numbers and likely easily shot down.

As a Korean…not that I am but let’s pretend…or even Japanese; well then I would say yes, be afraid. I don’t think Pyongyang WANTS a war, but when you play chicken, sometimes you get hit.

North Korea has nuclear weapons that could hit Seoul maybe even parts of Japan. North Korea has a military of over a million and reserves that number above 8 million. If it wanted to smother South Korea, it has the manpower.

South Korea has a large army itself and much more advanced weapons. Although outnumbered, the North Korean army may turn out to be the paper tiger Saddam Hassan army proved to be.

The nightmare scenario is that North Korea will launch a surprise…with US surveillance tech, I am unsure HOW they could, but let’s again pretend. Like in 1950, they swamp the South Koreans but this time there is no Inchon and the whole country falls.

The North installs a new puppet government in the South that either surrenders or calls for reunification.

Of course the rest of the world will condemn the action but there will be no UN Security Council resolution. The US will not be able to ‘come to the rescue’ if too much of the South is lost, it is already involved in three war fronts, not to mention its Global ‘war on terror’.

China will welcome the increased stability a unified Korea would offer. And depending on how North Korea deals with the South…will it be like Israel and bleed it into submission or like China and Hong Kong where given enough rope to subdue itself…only time will tell.

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Note: I was looking at one of the photos of North Korean border guards and I noticed he was filming the photographer…well, you would think film…that cellulite they used in the old days but what passes as high-tech in the backwards north…well, he was using a current model Sony camcorder.

We think their tech in 1950’s	But the reality is they have modern tech

Note: In late 2009 North Korea revalued its currency, effectively confiscating all privately held money above the equivalent of US$35 per person. The revaluation effectively wiped out the savings of many North Koreans. Days after the revaluation the Won dropped 96% against the United States Dollar. Pak Nam-gi, the Director of the Planning and Finance Department of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, was blamed for the disaster and later executed in 2010. And what did the US do when its financial leaders did something like this? Nothing! No, they gave them bonuses….

Note: It’s important to note that the US use of the B-52 and the B-2 Stealth bomber signals a significant ‘raising of the stakes’. North Korea has stated that “Nuclear weapons were the life’s blood of the nation” and threatened to use them in “self-defense”. This is the first time that the US and South Korea has threatened ‘right back’ and threatened to use their bombers to drop nuclear bombs on North Korea.

Radio Freethinker Episode 171 – Living Wage Edition

This week:

– Chinese rockets,

– Neanderthal painters,

– The crime of atheism,

– Reproductive music,

– The poor and working poor (Part 2 of 2 interview with Iglika Ivanova)

Download the episode here!

Topics: China’s rockets

China launched a manned mission Shenzhou 9 to their orbiting space station Tiangong 1. We talk about the future of China’s space program.Find out more:

• China’s Space program
• Historic Chinese space mission docks successfully

Neanderthal painters

Resent research pushed back the date of the earliest cave art to about 41,000 years old. The new twist is homo-sapiens were thought to be the only species to create cave art but humans were not suppose to have arrived in the region until 35,000 years ago. Some people are now speculating that Neanderthals may have been the artist.Find out more:

• Uranium Dating Reveals Europe’s Oldest Cave Art
• U-Series Dating of Paleolithic Art
• World’s Oldest Cave Art Found—Made by Neanderthals?

The crime of being an atheist

An atheist in Indonesia has been sentence to 10 years on jail for professing his atheism. A Kuwaiti man faces 10 years of hard labour in prison and feel lucky he avoided a potential death sentence for blasphemy. We discuss the criminalization of atheist around the world, the need to be vigilant and globally supportive. Find out more:

• Autism study strengthens idea that we read God’s mind
• Is there room for atheists in Indonesia?
• Assassinated Pakistan Official Supported Religious Tolerance
• M F Husain loses home over nude ‘Mother India’
• Pune cops book Orkut user
• Death Penalty Amendment for Blasphemy Cases
• Kuwaiti jailed for 10 years for Twitter ‘blasphemy

Reproductive music Research has shown the obvious that sex sells but how it manifest itself in different genre of music and the dubious link to evolutionary advantage make it an interesting topic for the show. Find out more:

• Songs as reproductive messages
• Whip it good, hold me closer, and other reproductive music messages
• If Cole Porter Were An Evolutionary Psychologist

The poor and working poor

Don’s sits down with Iglika Ivanova in the Radio Free Thinker virtual studio and discusses poverty and Living wage. Iglika Ivanova is a research economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives for BC. Find out more:

• Canadian Centre for Policy Alternative
• The changing face of poverty in Canada
• Living Wage Canada
• Poverty in Canada has ‘child’s face’
• Working for a Living Wage 2011
• A guaranteed annual income? From Mincome to the millennium
• Dauphin’s great experiment

Skeptical Highlights:

Walk for Peace

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Walk for Peace march. In 1982, 35,000 people marched from Kitsilano to the West End calling for world peace. By 1984, the march had grown to 100,000 people. Keeping with the Humanist commitment to global peace, BC Humanist Association invites you to join them in the walk to help raise their banner and the humanist commitment to peace, respect and a civil society

When: Saturday, June 30 at Noon Where: Sunset Beach or meet up at the Sunset Grill around 11:50 am Cost: Free

Humanist Brunch for Peace?

The BC Humanist Association doesn’t want to you walk on empty stomachs, so before the march, they are planning to meet at the Sunset Grill for brunch at 10:00 am. Afterward, they will join the march which departs at noon and wraps up at 2pm at Sunset Beach for entertainment, music, and celebration.

Please RSVP if you plan to join them for brunch (so they can confirm our reservation) RSVPs close on Wednesday, June 27th.

When: Saturday, June 30 at 10:00 am Where: Sunset Grill (Yew and York Street) Cost: Whatever you order off the menu

Aan’s Legal Defence Fund

Atheist Alliance International has launched an appeal for donations to help pay for Aan’s legal costs and to support the Aan family’s living expenses while he is in jail.

CFI Transnational wants to make the voices of those who support Alexander loud and clear to the Indonesian government. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is organizing a letter-writing campaign on Alexander’s behalf, and CFI urges you to take part. They have created a custom letter which you can sign or add to and add your voice to those fighting for Aan’s freedom.

Please support Atheist around the world in their struggle against persecution by donating here.

How Libya killed hundreds in Syria

An UN Security Council proposal to invoke its charter for “responsibility to protect” was vetoed by China and Russia last week. Now many people have questioned why we, the West, intervened into Libya to ‘protect’ those civilians and yet we stand by and watch a government slaughter its own people in Syria?

Well, you can blame Libya or at least how we did the job there. One of the concerns by international governments (like Russia and China) was that the UN mission was not actually to protect the people instead, an opportunity to get rid of an internationally unpopular dictator…i.e. regime change was the real point.

As it turned out, they were right.

The role of NATO (the instrument of UN protection) seemed not to limit or prevent Gaddafi’s ability to punish his people but to act as an unofficial air force for the ‘liberation’ rebels. Now, it could be argued that getting rid of Gaddafi was a good; however the poor choice of mechanism for regime change has come home to roost and the people of Syria are paying the price.

Assad, Syria’s ruler, unlike Gaddafi has some strong supporters in the international community; Iran, Russia and China being the most notable and important. Even though I think (grant me a moment of sentimentality) that as much as the political leadership of these countries desperately want to see the end of the deaths in Syria; they do not want to get rid of Assad who is too important to their geo-political machinations. They fear, and Libya seems to have proven, that UN intervention will not be limited to protecting civilians but will be used as a means of regime change.

Sadly, they are probably right.

Of course some may argue that if NATO actually did the work in Libya and WE, the West, control NATO, why not have NATO unilaterally intervene?

Fears of western imperialism not new

First, intervene could risk war with Russia and China (okay not likely but tension would rise…never a good thing). Beyond that, without UN cover, it is likely…no for certain, that Arabs would will not see this as humanitarian help especially by Syrian allies Turkey, embattled Egypt and Iran (also paranoid with reason).

I have used the term ‘the West’ a few times because to those in the region this term means something…they do not see democracy or  philanthropy but they know two wars in Iraq, one still going in Afghanistan, drone attacks in Yemen and Pakistan, Israeli settlements in Palestine, Gaza blockade, Libyan collateral damage, the constant threats to Iran, the habitual silence over Israel…they do not automatically assume our acts/intentions are noble but are instead another example of western (American/Israeli?) imperialism – right or wrong, this is how they feel.

These Arab nations could make operations in Syria difficult at best and at worst they may ‘defend Syria’s rightful government’ with military force. Because this operation would lack the legitimacy of an UN Security Council resolution, they would be right…technically (and really?) it would be an act of war for NATO to intervene militarily.

Better the devil I know

Secondly, Syria has a military. One of the facts that led to the defeat of Gaddafi was his relatively small aged and ineffective military. Libya had been on the arms embargo list for decades; Syria has large forces, well organized and equipped with modern and deadly weaponry. Libya’s forces were largely used to suppress its own people; Syrian forces are in constant preparation for a war with Israel…a major threat to Syria (let us not forget these countries are still technically at war and Israel bombed Syria in 2007). Syria’s military is, at least conventionally, able to deal with a major Israel threat; NATO would be minor compared to what Israel could do.

Arab spring or swapping jockeys

The only hope the people of Syria have is the Arab League of Nations…their local UN. The Arab league has sent in observes to judge the level of violence and quickly left because the levels of savagery they saw shocked even ‘professionals’ like them. They have condemned Syria and attempted to isolate it politically. However, the Arab League is composed of 21 Arab nations like Egypt and Saudi Arabia; these nations have had difficulty presenting a unified front in the past and there are few military that could take on Syria.

Of course another major issue is that after the “Arab Spring” most of the oppressive nations, like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, do not want to promote ‘liberation movements’. The Saudi’s sent troops into Bahrain to stop uprisings there and the Egyptian military is trying to maintain its control over Egypt after the loss of Mubarak. Economically, Russia and China (and India, Brazil, South Africa) see Syria as valuable for economic, political or geo-strategic imperatives.

Short vs. Long term

I came out strongly in favor of the intervention in Libya to “protect innocent civilians” and at the time I mentioned my fears that western powers would use this noble (and necessary) principle for a more opportunistic agenda (regime change). Well, my trust in humanity (as principled and tentative as it was) was misplaced. That said, there is a lesson to be learnt.

One of the goals of Radio Free Thinker, is to expand the frontier of skeptical thinking; taking the tools of critical thinking and the scientific method beyond their traditional limited spheres of science. We have a learning opportunity here; one I hope political leaders will learn from. Libya and Syria are empirical data points about what happens then noble and just actions are hijacked for more cynical political gains. That if politicians hope to elevate the state of humanity and create a better world for themselves (and maybe by accident for us all) they need to learn from the lessons of the past…that when we are dogmatic, be it in religion, history or politics, we are condemned to death, destruction and failure.

{End note – As my loyal readers know, I like to have a good supply of images in my posts. Often I use cartoons. When I was looking for images for this post I was struck by the number I found in Arabic…most poignant ones were ‘local’. I have not found this for any other blog I have done to date; I think this is saying something and if I were Assad, I would be looking for a place to retire sooner than later.}

Pre-infected PCs

In a recent hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Greg Schaffer (acting deputy undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security National Protection and Programs Directorate) stated that there were instances where consumer electronics were imported with hardware/software security risks[1]…These risks were implied to be purposeful and with the intent of surveillance, spying or as a potential weapon (as in a kill switch on electronics). In plan speak; it was the judgment of DHS that there were actual attempts at ‘cyber surveillance’ and perhaps ‘cyber sabotage’.

The risks come in two forms, first direct inclusion…where the actual devices are ‘altered’ at the source. So, for example, a number of business security experts have suspected that china has used it manufactural ‘centrality’ (ie. Everything is “made in China”) to facilitate industrial espionage. Others also suspect that the Chinese (or Indians, Israel, Russians, etc…) have included security back doors for political/military spying or added command code to shut down critical systems.

Another risk comes from the globality of production. There has been some concern about supply-chain security[2], as computers, portable devices and other electronic devices pass through several suppliers before the final product goes on sale. A federal report released January on the supply chain between the United States and China speculated the possibility that somewhere along the line someone could compromise a component or design a capability that could enable cyber-attacks. These inclusion expand the possible perpetrators of ‘cybercrime’ to non-obvious industry, third-party nations or non-government groups (such as terrorist et al). It seems highly unlikely, and the importance of Schaffers comments, that such ‘cyber-attacks’ have already occurred and is perhaps as common an issue as ‘civilian’ viruses on the internet.

Of course there is a difficulty between identifying ‘real’ intent versus accidental. During the design phase of software (including that imbedded in hardware) or hardware, it is common practice to include back-doors, quick-switches and tracking logs to facilitate debugging[3]. Occasionally…well actually often, this code gets left in due to forgetfulness. Anyone who plays video games knows there are all kinds of ‘hacks’ that can be used to ‘alter’ game play. Almost all were created not for the benefit of the player but to make the life of the programmer easier. Of course it is almost impossible to determine whether these ‘developmental’ tools where left in on-purpose or accidental.

Occasionally, infection happens accidentally. At a recent conference IBM was embarrassed to discover on a USB memory stick they were handing out was malware[4]. It was via this ‘accidental’ contamination that the Stuxnet virus[5] made its way to the Iranian processing plants.

The Stuxnet virus[6] stunned the tech world. For those who do not know, Stuxnet was a virus that most analysts believe was created by either or both Israel and the US to delay Iran’s attempts at developing a nuclear power. The unique thing about this virus vs. the billions already breeding on the Internet is the specificity of this one. It seems it was designed to infect ANYTHING it came in contact with but to only ‘damage’ Iranian centrifuge motors…from what I understand; they could cause the motors to spin out of control to the point of self-destruction.

The creation of the Stuxnet virus…the suspected attacks on Lithuania by Russian nationals in response to ‘political dispute’[7]…an attack on Georgia “from the former soviet countries” as a prelude to ‘physical’ attack[8]…the numerous claims that Chinese ‘hackers’ have infiltrated US (and others) military networks[9]…all these point to another major issue that has arisen – the militarization of the internet.

This can be a huge issue these days because in a recent press release, the US Pentagon added cyber-attacks as a legitimate causa-belli or justification for war[10]. This means that if there is a major malfunction of some key hardware/software and the US believe the source pre-infected electronics from…let’s say China…it could see this as an act of war and respond militarily.

As innocents, we the people are placed in a bad spot…on the one hand we have to be worried that electronics we are purchasing may come ‘pre-infected’ with spy war (targeting not only our own personal data but that of our infrastructure or government) while knowing that our own espionage agencies are likewise turning the internet into the next battlefield. I think what worries me the most is not the loss of privacy or even the fact my own country is actively participating in contaminating yet another miracle of science for military use…no what worries me is the mis-call.

For those of us who grew up during the latter part of the cold war was not the possibility that the USSR and the USA would actual launch a nuclear war but that due to some electronic malfunction (movie: Failsafe) or rogue individual (movie: Dr. Strangelove) a war would occur by accident. When I look at the power and more importantly the accessibility of the internet I worry.

In the old days, if an individual ‘went rogue’ they picked up a gun and shoot a number of people…lots of local harm but no real risk of global conflagration…or that a fanatic would have to ‘pass as normal’ until they attained a unique position of power from which they could launch a ‘meaningful’ attack. No, now it is possible for a series of simple accidents…a youthful hacker creates a ‘virus’ to do ‘cool things’ (maybe cause motors to spin out of control or electrical circuits to shut down during the full moon) and a lax or lazy official who downloads this virus (like onto an USB stick of music to play at work) and contaminates a ‘critical network’ (like nuclear power plant control system). This combined with the rapidity of contagion via the internet; the uncertainty of knowing if an ‘attack’ was deliberate or accidental’ and lastly the now stated policy of nuclear powers to see cyber-attacks as ‘acts of war’ (allowing for physical attacks in response to cyber-attacks)…all these factors remind me all too well of the time when I went to bed uncertain I would wake to the world I knew or to a nuclear holocaust…perhaps an existential fear for the ‘cyber generation’.

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[1] http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/08/7043349-us-official-says-pre-infected-computer-tech-entering-country

[2] http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/DHS-Claims-Foreign-Suppliers-Have-Embedded-Malware-in-USElectronics-832422/

[3] http://www.veracode.com/security/backdoors

[4] http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20005673-245.html

[5] https://www.infosecisland.com/blogview/15296-Iran-Still-Struggling-With-Stuxnet-Virus-Infestation.html

[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuxnet

[7] http://www.scmagazine.com.au/News/115647,russians-launch-cyber-attack-on-lithuania-media-reports.aspx

[8] http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/technology/13cyber.html?em

[9] http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/9dba9ba2-5a3b-11dc-9bcd-0000779fd2ac.html#axzz1TMpsvd86

[10] http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=6673087&c=POL&s=TOP

Science, Tool of colonial imperialism?

A friend of mine asked me if it wasn’t true that science…WESTERN science is really just part of the whole colonial imperialist baggage intended, and used, to diminish ‘local’ indigenous knowledge and elevate the superiority of ‘western ways of thinking’. As a believer in science, I knew he was wrong…then as an even better skeptic I thought I should exam the question.

To start with we should point out there are several ways to look at the question. First is the idea that science made ‘western’ domination possible, then the fact that science may be (claimed to be) neutral but scientists are not and lastly the idea of Scientism. I should also note that I used Europe and European but mean Western which would include Canada, the USA and those non-European countries/colonies that were largely populated by Europeans AND their ideas.

Now, it is a fact (or a quirk of history) that Europe took knowledge and technology from other cultures…altered and improved many…eventually applying them to world exploration and then domination. Europeans did not invent gunpowder but they did ‘perfect’ its use as a weapon. They did not invent oceanic travel but they did improve both the technology of ship-building and

by Jerad Diamond

navigation to the point where they could not only circumnavigate the globe but to do so regularly. Now, I don’t want to go into the why or even how Europe did this expropriation of technology that is a different question (I recommend checking out “Guns, Germs and Steel” and the response to the book). They were not the first imperial power and probably not the last, they were however the first global power.

There is a paradox in colonialism with regard to how science was able to both create and destroy civilizations. One of the greatest crimes Europeans committed (at time accidental – other times with purpose) against the indigenous people of the world was the spread of disease. However through transportation (plagues) and medicine, science was fundamental to Europe’s ability to dominate. Science caused the loss of many indigenous cultures while creating an entirely new one  for both Europeans and those they dominated.

Trade routes facilitated the spread of the plague

First you had the science of transportation. Not only did this allow Europeans to travel around the globe encountering new peoples in new lands but to take with them (unknowingly) a plethora of diseases from one continent to another. Ironically, because of the endless waves of plague and disease that ravaged Europe (also due to scientific advances in trade and travel), Europeans became a reservoir of ‘biological weapons’ like smallpox as well as the science to ‘deal’ with it like vaccination and drugs.

Painting of massive deaths in Europe due to bubonic plague

When Europeans first encountered indigenous peoples, local medicine was only adapted to local conditions…which would have little experience with highly ‘communicability’ of disease. Europeans, thanks to extensive Euro-Asian trade, were better equipped both biologically (ie natural immunity) as well as culturally to deal with ‘new’ communicable disease. Thus indigenous people died by the millions while Europeans only died by the hundreds.

Colonial governments vaccinating indigenous population

To add irony to this, science had first enabled Europeans to infect and decimate indigenous populations then, thanks to the ever increasing medical advances (spurred by the challenges to overcome new disease), science then provided a salvation for the locals to ‘save them’ from the very disease the Europeans had brought as well as the local ‘incurables’. Thus Europeans were cast as both the takers of life (because of  things like small pox) and the saviours of life (especially in the 19^th century when ‘modern’ medicine really started), allowing them to take on the persona of gods while instilling a sense of inferiority in the locals.

Nigerian solder keeping guard over slaves

Now this give-and-take of science had its parallels in agriculture, mining, manufacturing and a great number of other areas of life that allowed Europeans to dominate most indigenous cultures both physically as well as psychologically. The most notable of these “other” areas is the science of warfare and in particular weapons.

Haitian revolt for independence from France

First it allowed Europeans to dominate local power structures but then provided the means for locals (friendly to the Europeans of course) to dominate their own rivals as well as offer the only effective resistance to the colonial powers. You had a situation where the only way to defend the local people from colonial invaders was to adopt the science of those very same imperialist.

Europeans splitting the Chinese pie

Now as an aside, this analysis may not completely explain colonization of the ‘old’ culture like China but if goes some ways. Of course having gotten rich and fat from the New World, when Europe turned its eyes on the ‘old’ cultures of the middle east and Asia, it was not as much science but brute force that allowed Europe to become a global power.

Okay, enough of the first part…the HOW science made western imperialism possible. Now let’s look at the idea that science is itself used as a tool of domination.

What do we mean when we say that…science is tool of domination? By this I mean that not only the fruits of science have allowed for imperialism (as already discussed) but the idea, authority or method of science itself has been used to re-enforce that dominance. This is done in two ways; first local knowledge, such as herbalism or shamanism was seen as backwards and ‘primitive’…that the only real medicine was found in a test-tube. Another way it has done this is to use (or misuse) the tools of science to make dogma seem natural and right…giving it an air of authority by the fact it is a  ‘scientific fact’ therefore supporting cultural (political, etc.) truths; for example the attempt to use biology to PROVE the superiority of whites over blacks. Another example is the Piltdown man fake.

Piltdown Man skull

For those who are not acquainted with Piltdown Man, it was a partial ‘humanoid’ skull (jaw and scull fragments). In 1912, this “missing link” was found in England by Charles Dawson. It’s ready acceptance in the scientific community was because it fit with the cultural prejudices of the time…England was THE superpower, the birth place of the industrial revolution and the ruler of billions of people around the globe. It was obvious, to those at the time that England had to be the birth place of ‘intelligent’ man. It also confirmed the assumption at the time that the brain drove the evolution of the body…ie big brains with ape bodies evolved into big brains with human bodies…notably the jaw in the Piltdown man was ape-like and the brain case human-like.

However the scientific method moved on and by mid to late 20’s other discoveries (such as Peking Man and the Tsaung Child) showed that the human body (i.e. the jaw, upright walking et al) evolved first then the brain. By 1930, Piltdown man was seen as at best an anomaly and at worst fraud…and proven a fraud by improved dating mechanism in the 1940’s.

Another great example is herbal or folk remedies. One of the greatest growth areas in pharmaceuticals is in  the natural pharmacy of evolution, found in the plants and animals of the world. Modern science is checking out rainforest plants to see if they have chemicals that help fight infections…remedies that sometimes were already known, albeit in an anecdotal way, to local ‘medicine’ men.

Aztec medicine man applying herbal remedies

Of course this leads us to the difference between scientist and science. Now medicine men may have, by trial and error, discovered some remedies in the flora/fauna of their habitat however they were not using the scientific method so were not scientists. This is an important distinction. Although it may have been wrong to ‘off handedly’ dismiss local knowledge it was still true that the average life span of the indigenous was perhaps 30, whereas

Longevity through the ages

Europeans (at least the upper classes) lived to 50-80…it was bad science to write-off local medicine without investigating but it was also obvious (now and at the time) that Europeans lived longer and thus it would be just human nature for the Europeans to be so dismissive. It became dogma (not without supporting evidence…ie. Global empires) that Europe, Europeans and the ‘western’ ways were always superior to ‘foreign’ and ‘primitive’ alternatives.

To be fair to the medicine men, they did not have the scientific method; they had to use spiritualism and religious/cultural dogma as their guides for discovery. It is by allowing dogma to rule that retarded the development of ‘traditional’ cultures (this included Europe during the religious or dark ages). Now this putting dogma ahead of the scientific method is not limited to the ‘primitive’ cultures, sadly it is all too common in modern science. The saving grace of science though is the scientific method…the method will in the long run correct the errors made by scientist be those errors purposeful or institutional/systemic.

Anatomical "proof" of racism

A great example of this ‘corrective’ nature of the method on the scientist can be seen in the ‘science’ of race and racism. Science once showed that whites were the top of a biological tree of humanity. However, in attempting to affirm previous generations results, assumptions and predictions; the scientific method began to show new generations the holes in the ‘old’ theories…they had to adjust the theory to match the evidence…they had to abandon (however slowly and reluctantly) cultural biases in the light of scientific evidence. It must be accepted that the scientific method is independent of culture but scientist are the products of culture. As such, they often carry the baggage and assumptions of the dogmas of their society which can affect how they apply the scientific method and how willing they are to follow its path.

The Scientific Method writ large

Now what do we mean by scientific method? In this context it has really three parts. One – observe the world, create a model of the world that predicts its outcomes, test those predictions, and adjust the model based on the test results then repeat.

The Second part is a commitment to follow the evidence; this is where scientists occasionally fail. Part of the method is the willingness to accept the fact that, given sufficient evidence, ANY and ALL beliefs, theories and models may be wrong and need to be adjusted to match the reality…even if that means abandoning long held ideas…like racism.

The last element is not often acknowledged as part of the method and that is intellectual compaction…that driving need all scientists have to expand the boundaries of knowledge. For those who say that once an scientific idea becomes established it cannot be challenged misses this concept…every up-and-coming scientist wants to make his name in the field…to gain immortality for their contribution to the project of human knowledge.

To that end, one of the best ways to gain this immortality is to prove the ‘old’ way of thinking wrong…to prove an established model is either incomplete or wrong. This means that every generation of scientist, by their very nature, challenge anything that had become ‘dogma’ in science and are, when successful, rewarded greatly for that challenge.

The first supper of sceince

Lastly Scientism; there are two versions of this term (both derogatory), the first is the misuse of scientific claims in fields of study they were not intended or do not apply; an example is the often misuse of quantum science by spiritualist. This definition is not the one that concerns us now; our Scientism is the idea that science itself is dogma…that the ONLY truth…the ONLY way to find the Truth is in and with science. Now this criticism is in some ways a straw man. It is true most scientists and skeptics believe that science if the best way to know the ‘truth’ about anything but that does not mean that they believe science can, in actuality, be applied (or at least applied perfectly) to every question humanity may ask.

On a recent episode we discussed the role of science in ethics. One of the points that came out was the idea that IF science could, with the same accuracy, certainty and predictability as found in physics, be applied to ethics then it could provide ALL the answers. It seems plainly true that science has absolute answers when it comes to launching a satellite into space because the problem, formulas and results are so well known and predictable. IF we could say the same for ethical questions, such as abortion, why would we NOT follow the same path?

However, it was reiterated that (at least for now and probably forever) science could not achieve this level of knowledge and that in the gaps (often very large gaps) the traditions of philosophy have their place. That, because of the complexity of the human mind and society, the role of  science may be quite limited in many of the ‘big’ questions.

This however does not mean we should not TRY and apply science (acknowledging its limitations) and TRY and limit the number of inaccuracies, misconceptions and uncertainties so as to allow scientific predictions to guide our moral and philosophical inquiries as far as they can. For example, we may debate when euthanasia is right but science can at least inform us as the possibility of ‘health’ recovery or not.

So, to answer my friend’s question, which started us on this intellectual journey, is science a tool of imperialism? No, the technology it produces has been used for that purpose but it could have been used otherwise…that  even when scientists reinforce cultural superiority, the scientific method will eventually bring down their house of cards and that the belief…no the faith…that science can answer all questions is healthy provided that faith does not itself blind you to science’s own limitations. Faith is not in itself bad, it is only when it is blind to the reality around you that it becomes the handmaiden of dogma and the assassin of truth and progress.