SPENGLER
CHAN AKYA
ASIA HAND 
SUN WUKONG 
THE 
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HENRY C K 
SINOGRAPH Francesco Sisci
SEX IN DEPTH
Stupid
Breitbart
China makes its North Korea move
A long handshake between President Hu Jintao and Kim Jong-il in Jilin province explicitly placed China's Korean Peninsula eggs in the North's basket. The idea that Beijing will acquiesce to the collapse of the Pyongyang regime and reunification under the aegis of South Korea is a discounted commodity. China called South Korea's bluff - and the United States is ill-equipped to respond.
- Peter Lee
(Sep 02, '10)
Is Business
Sheen wearing off Indian growth
India's latest stunning headline growth figures are raising hopes of a 9% economic full-year expansion. Unfortunately, while production charges ahead, demand for factory goods is less strong, and the government is not plugging the gap left by reluctant consumers.
(Sep 02, '10) Pakistan mulls 'flood taxes'
Flood-battered Pakistan, which wants the International Monetary Fund to ease terms for an already obtained multi-billion dollar loan, may impose special taxes to make up washed-out revenue while facing reconstruction bills that can only keep mounting.
(Sep 02, '10) Malaysia reaps reform benefits
Economic reforms instituted by Najib Razak after he took over as Malaysian prime minister less than 18 months ago appear to be paying off. The stock market is driving ahead, exports of oil and electronics have soared, and domestic spending is on the rise. If there is a downside, it isn't showing yet.
(Sep 02, '10) 
THE MOGAMBO GURU
Secret path to riches
The great secret to being poor is to believe that a money-creating government like the present one in Washington is going to preserve the value of your income, pension and savings. The secret to being rich in such circumstances is steadily but surely to accumulate gold!!
(Sep 02, '10) ATimes.net
Al-Qaeda makes a point with Lahore attack
The incident on Wednesday night in Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province, in which at least 35 people were killed and more than 250 injured after three bombs exploded during a Shi'ite procession, is not an isolated attack. Al-Qaeda has set its sights on spreading the tribal-based insurgency to main urban centers.
- Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Sep 02, '10)
THE ROVING EYE
The degree zero of culture
LIFE IN TALIBANISTAN, PART 2
A decade ago it was a sad sight at the University of Kabul to witness a group of eminent professors at what was once one of the best centers of learning in the world being subjected to the sermons of a mediocre madrassa student who never finished the equivalent of primary school. This was Baudrillard's degree zero of culture, remixed by the Taliban.
This is the second article in a three-part report.
PART 1: 'Throw these infidels in jail'
- Pepe Escobar
(Sep 02, '10)
Clawing back credibility in Kyrgyzstan
The United States and Russia have a key role to play in Kyrgyzstan’s fragile attempts to become the first functioning democracy in Central Asia. Many Kyrgyz still suspect, however, that the US is merely continuing its obsessive pursuit of strategic assets in the region, while for Moscow securing the former-Soviet space against religious extremists takes priority.
- Yong Kwon
(Sep 02, '10)
Iraqis uneasy over what happens next
With the 50,000 United States troops left in Iraq serving mostly as a deterrent against large-scale violence, many Iraqis are ill at ease. The nation still has no government, and there are concerns that Iraqi troops and police may fail to hold sectarian peace together as insurgents tied to al-Qaeda continue to launch attacks.
- Heather Maher and Charles Recknagel
(Sep 02, '10)
Hiroshima's poisonous past
While each year Japan solemnly marks the thousands killed by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II, there is no shrine on Okunoshima Island, which lies a short distance from Hiroshima. Here the Imperial Army produced chemical weapons that reaped a deadly harvest.
- Peter J Brown
(Sep 02, '10)
Best of Before
THE ROVING EYE
Throw these infidels in jail
LIFE IN TALIBANISTAN, PART 1
A road trip across Taliban-ruled Afghanistan a decade ago revealed people living in a social, cultural, political and economic nightmare. On the face of it, very little has changed since the sojourn through a strict Kalashnikov culture. If schizophrenia defined the Taliban in power, US schizophrenia still rules. This is the first article in a three-part report.
(Sep 01, '10)A road trip across Taliban-ruled Afghanistan a decade ago revealed people living in a social, cultural, political and economic nightmare. On the face of it, very little has changed since the sojourn through a strict Kalashnikov culture. If schizophrenia defined the Taliban in power, US schizophrenia still rules. This is the first article in a three-part report.
SINOGRAPH
Stillness conquers heat
Laozi's Biography, a quasi novel by Yu Shicun about the central figure in Taoism, could be the beginning of a watershed, elevate the sage's cryptic verses on Chinese culture's inner workings in the same way as a modern interpretation by Yu Dan started the Confucian craze. Setting up Tao Institutes would help to reveal what foreigners do not grasp about basic Chinese ideas.
(Sep 01, '10)US Southeast Asian pose risks China clash
A show of force from China appears to have left the United States undeterred in flexing its military muscle in Southeast Asia. As Washington steps up military assistance to Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia to support its "soft power" interests in the region, its pose risks provoking a "hard power" confrontation with a China already on edge over naval maneuvers further afield.
(Aug 31, '10)Jobs deficit lays bare failure of Obamanomics
The grim state of US unemployment is expected to have worsened again in August, as small businesses wither and large corporations continue to head to China. The Obama administration's rejection of demands for higher duties to counter the effects of a weak yuan does nothing to improve the prospects of the jobless.
(Sep 01, '10)
Latest Posts
Inside the minds of our senior financial analysts.
Most Recent Posts
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Here's a likely model for the US economy during the next couple of years. From Wikipedia: "The Kübler-Ross model, commonly known as the five stages of grief, ...
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(Aug 29, '10)
Japan-Style Stagnation? You Should Be So Lucky
Last week some old comrades-in-arms from the financial industry turned up in New York from their present haunts in Europe and Asia; at the end of the week we al ... -
(Aug 24, '10)
Dave's New Top Ten Reasons to Fade the Economy
In February I summarized why the US economy would not recover, just when the market was getting bulled up and a stream of suspect numbers appeared to indicate t ... -
In the crudest version of the dividend discount model, the stock price P is a function of earnings and the discount rate, such that P = E/r. That this is an ina ...
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(Aug 20, '10)
In Memorium, Allen Quicke
Asia Times Online's editor Allen Quicke died earlier this week. He was only 57. It is a great loss for journalism, and greater for those of us who knew him. Bar ...
We Hear You
I want to assure our subscribers that atimes.net will continue to publish despite the loss we have endured. I ask only that you give me a bit of time as I get my legs working to follow in the path that Allen has forged.
Great Hot Shot photo today, but it raises thoughts about what''s going on. It just made me think, "really?!" - but in situations like wild fires, as an American Expat, I can say that a large part of California (and local states), spends quite a bit of time on fire. This does does not mitigate my sadness for the situation Russia, really, but instead makes me wonder 'international crisis', vs a 'local [usual] problem. Good luck to Russiq.
Good luck to Basic Channel: Germany to beat Spain in today's semi .
For sale: One second-hand vuvuzela.
All up! Whew.
Apologies for the late edition. Website came under attack. We'll be publishing asap.
tjohn, aquicke: it works perfect now! Thanks a lot for your work!
I will check it out. It is a security feature of course, and therefore would have to pry into the users computer and create a 'marker' of sorts (cookie?), to remember the user. Nowadays, many browsers and anti-virus programs frown on such prying. I'll have a look though! Cheers!
gmaruzz, indeed. I'll pass it on but I'm pretty sure that if it were possible we would have done it.
Dear aquicke, would be really nice if subscribers that choose so can be recognized by the web site, not having to remember to click on "login" each time. Not of paramount importance, obviously, but something for your webmaster to toy with in his spare time :). -giovanni
Two weeks later ... the Ed returns.
atimes.net comes to you by a roundabout route for the next 2 weeks: via KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. The Editor is truly globalized!
Stand by, devotees of The Mogambo Guru. He's back!
Nice shot today.
Feedback is invaluable, even if it's negative. Wish there was more of it. Thanks for yours, gmarruz
Great Notes and Quotes today, January 15, "Them's the brakes". Bravo!
gmaruzz, in case you're right, and the US DoD is fibbing, 'Hot Spot' (not very aptly named) now features some real Afghan snow. PS, click it to view the pic full size.
the picture "Dreaming of a white", in the home page of January 4th, seems more a fixed camera with a long exposure time (during night) that get the stars moving in the sky during the hours around the North Star (Polaris).
A huge edition for our year-ender. Hope it keeps you occupied for a few days. We're back full-time on Jan 4. Best wishes to all.
All seems to be working again, as of Saturday. - Editor
Apologies: ATol is a bit thin today. The atimes.com server is down as of our Friday afternoon, reason unknown, and email is sporadic. - Editor
Thank you, and welcome gmaruzz. You now have full access.
Best Wishes to the ATol crew! Keep up the good jpb!
I think the latest poll about what to do in Afghanistan is interesting and certainly timely, but sadly none the options offered would probably work at this point. Not that there are many options after that though.
In space, nobody can hear you scream. In cyberspace, we CAN.
Is there anybody out there?
This is a nice little addition to the site - ATol's version of Twitter!
July 20 ... In orbit. Can you hear me Major Tom?
July 19 ... Countdown to launch is progressing smoothly ...
All comments made via full text pages before Jul 17, are about to be deleted. Sorry - there is a glitch that needs fixing. Thurlow, thank you.
Notes and Quotes
Sheer Camaraderie
"In the future, North Korea will consolidate and develop exchanges and cooperation with China in every sphere, and make increasing efforts to strengthen friendly cooperation between our two militaries," North Korean military leader Kim Yong-nam told People's Liberation Army (PLA) commander Zhang Youxia saying that their two countries' military forces should grow closer.Kim added, "[their] traditional friendship has withstood the test of history and shown great vitality," to Zhang during a meeting of senior North Korean military leaders this week. (source: Xinhua)
China is just as edgy about the joint US and South Korean military exercises in international waters south of the Korean peninsula as North Korea. Even still it is unlikely that any substantive military aid will be given to North Korea, as China works hard to become one of the world's leading nations. North Korea meanwhile is reclusive and generally recognized throughout the world community as a nation that stirs up trouble - something China can't be too closely associated with as it develops and moves forward. For more analysis see Peter Lee's story today titled "China makes its North Korea move". (tjohn)
Tipping Points
Re Israel's Fifth Column
I would suggest that those interested in Holocaust denial and other aspects of rationalizing the slaughter of Jews have all the resources they require on the multitude of internet websites on the subject. Those wishing to put the activities of Hitler "in context" likewise have a multitude of primitive organizations they may join. After all it was not that many Jews he had gassed, etc. - what's 6,000,000 Jews to the 25 or 30 million Russians who died during WWII? - Jim the Moron
I actually do agree with many of the comments made by each of you, and also know that Jim can be a bit snarky or sarcastic at times (no worries), your comparison of Russians versus Jews lost during the war troubles me though.
Of course I wish no one was lost, but that is not the reality of war. However Jews were herded like cattle on to trains and taken to gas chambers, whereas Russians (many civilians unfortunately), were mostly soldiers. Ill-equipped as they were, they still had a fighting chance, where the Jews did not. - tjohn
Reviews
The key to global British power
GCHQ: The uncensored story of Britain's most secret intelligence agency by Richard J Aldrich
The main task of Britain's Government Communication Headquarters is to attack the encryption systems of other countries, entities and individuals. The author does a good job to explain the spy agency's highly technical and complex work to the lay reader, but the book suffers from key flaws.
- Mahan Abedin
(Aug 27, '10)
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Speaking Freely
Fraud muck hits Chinese central bank
Punishment may be in store for leadership at the Chinese central bank after rumors that it suffered a loss of $430 billion through dubious trading operations in the bond market. The Governor, Zhou Xiaochuan, may not have defected to the US as grapevine has it, but he could be facing the axe soon.
(Aug 31 '10)
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