Month: May 2012

Science & Technology

The PRC’s Shenlong (‘Divine Dragon’) Space Plane and the Pentagon’s Assessment of China’s Military Space Program

The Pentagon produces an annual report about the People’s Republic of China’s military with regard to its capabilities in space. This report is similar to a Cold War-era document published by the Department of Defense titled Soviet Military Power (SMP), a mix of propaganda showing photographs and illustrations of future Soviet weaponry as well as a […]

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News

Yi Seok: Heir of Korea’s Jeonju Yi Dynasty

After the Japanese transformed Korea into a colony, the Joseon Dynasty’s Jeonju Yi clan were maintained as puppet rulers of the formerly independent Korean Empire. Yi Seok, grandson of Gojong and the Yi household’s successor, would be King of Korea today if not for the colonial period and ensuing years of war and division of […]

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News

Germany Threatens to Cut Greece Off

Responding to Greek leftist coalition Syriza’s leader Alexis Tsipras’ vow to abandon the debt resettlement terms, German leaders vowed today to cut Greece off from any international monetary aid if they fail to support the debt renegotiation settlement terms. Struggling to form a government in the wake of the May 6 elections, Greece’s leadership has […]

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News

Wall Street: The Intersection of Money and Power in the American Empire, Part 2

Watch Money, Power and Wall Street: Part One on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE. Part II of the PBS special documentary about money, power and politics in the United States. Politics, money, and power are three concepts typically associated together, particularly with regard to the American political system. Often cited by critics as one of […]

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News

Greek Political Crisis Emerges as Leftist Coalition Syriza’s Leader Alexis Tsipras Vows to Reject Austerity

The fate of Greece rests in the hands of a newly elected far-left leader, Alexis Tsipras, propelled to power on a platform that Greece could no longer support her international loan agreements. The anti-austerity, leftist coalition, Syriza, emerged surprisingly strong after this past weekend’s poll, winning 16.8% of the vote. News of Greek anti-austerity measures […]

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News

Wall Street: The Intersection of Money and Power in the American Empire, Part 1

Watch Money, Power and Wall Street: Part One on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE. Politics, money, and power are three concepts typically associated together, particularly with regard to the American political system. Often cited by critics as one of the main democratic deficiencies of the American political system, the convenient marriage of money and power […]

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News

People’s Republic of China Expels Al-Jazeera

The Emirates-based Al-Jazeera satellite television news network was expelled from China yesterday, May 7, after Beijing refused to renew the press credentials for correspondent Melissa Chan, a normally routine process. Such an action represents the first time in over 14 years that Beijing has refused to renew press credentials for a foreign network. Though no […]

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News

The Chongqing Model: After Bo Xilai, the Mega-City Moves Forward

The Bo Xilai case has brought to the forefront China’s unique model of economic development; namely, the political scandal has exposed to the world the very different philosophical strains driving Chinese politics, a stark contrast to the heretofore monolithic image the Chinese Communist Party has managed to present thus far. State-directed development influenced by socialist […]

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Television

Game of Thrones – Season 2, Episode 6 – ‘The Old Gods and the New’ Review and Synopsis

This episode opens with Winterfell under siege by Theon and his men. He proves, once and for all, what a slimy bastard he is. Of course, what fate may befall Theon might ultimately make us pity him but for now not so much. Maester Luwin sends a raven to Pyke and to Deepwood Motte to […]

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