"Don't Be Evil" ( If it's bad business)

Gotta love Google's new stance in China. After a few years of being criticized for looking the other way with regard to censorship and human rights abuses in order to "open" up a Google market in China, Sergei and the boys are now threatening to pull out of China entirely after learning of Gmail hacking and strong-handed government tactics bent on uncovering the identities of dissidents and human rights activists.

It's fairly clear that Google's corporate mantra of "don't be evil" was probably applied after more of a cost/benefit analysis than an actual human soul-search. Shareholder complaints combined with the fact that Google.cn was not that profitable to begin with undoubtedly made the lights go on in Google's mind that they could get more mileage and credibility through moral grandstanding than by sitting around and continuously waiting for some elusive and mythical "massive Chinese market potential" to appear.

Yet, the move has real promise and could signal a change in how the world views China. For the last two decades, every greedy Western business has spoken in hushed tones about China's potential and how easily they are offended if one mentions small trivial things like:

-Lead Tainted Toys

-Counter-intuitive government intervention in private business

-Strict currency manipulation designed for Chinese advantages against open market societies

-Poisonous dry-wall products

-Poisonous milk products

-Poisonous anti-coagulation medicines

-The complete murder and decimation of fully 1/6 of all Tibetans and Tibetan culture.

-The complete murder and imprisonment of Uighur society.

-The shrill condemnation and interference in any activity by any country deemed "anti-China"

-The imprisonment and murder of a British citizen for drug trafficking.

-The support of despotic regimes in Burma and North Korea.

Yet, we only have our greedy, hegemonic Western arrogance to blame. We blithely think that China is an "emerging" democracy and will eventually see things our way. Bunk. Martin Jacques in his new book When China Rules the World makes a strong case for the ideas that many of us have known for years: China plays along with the rest of the world for the ultimate benefit of China. China doesn't want to be part of the world, they eventually want the world to be part of China. And, China will always use their "market potential" as a decoy and a shield to hide their barbaric human rights and economic practices.

Google, ultimate motivations aside and to their credit, is the first major corporation to say enough is enough. For that we must applaud them and hope they are the spear tip of a much larger change in world perception of China. Perhaps it has already begun. Duncan Clark, a Beijing consultant, notes these shifting winds: "People (in the Chinese government) here think no-one can do without China, and I think now some companies are thinking no-one can deal with China.."

-=blogdai

Cleaning out the Inventory

blogdai has been following our government and its sense of frustration at the United Nations and its meddling in Nepal's internal affairs. The UN is insisting that Makune form a unity government. The little elf, to his credit, basic told the UN to go to hell and let Nepal make its own government. blogdai has also told the UN to go to hell on many an occasion, and this column will be no exception. In fact its time to take inventory of anyone we can think of who is worthless, burned-out, meddlesome and just plain incompetent and get them out of the country. It would be a wishful fantasy to request that the entire UNMIN leave Nepal, so let's just focus on some key idiots, shall we? Oh, and blogdai's wrath will not be limited to just members of the UN.

First, the worst....

LEAVE NEPAL NOW

1. Larry Robertson, UNICEF. This buffoon is the classic waste-your-time bureaucrat. Had the nerve to tell blogdai that UNICEF should be the only group conducting sanitation programs in Nepal and that all other groups are "ruining" our plans. Considering that Larry provides sanitation and water at a snail-like pace to maybe one or two villages a year tell us that saving children who are dying from diarrhea at an epidemic pace is not his priority. Hey Larry, lots of groups have lots of good ideas and Nepalis know best about how to help other Nepalis, so step aside, you monkey. Or would letting other groups help out "ruin" your job security? Larry's office is Near Patan, across from the zoo where the smart monkeys live. Drop in and blow him a ration of shit for being an autocratic prick.

2. Richard Ragan, WFP. We all had such high hopes for Richard. Young guy, can-do attitude. Turns out his innovative spirit was allowed to fester under the weight of Nepal's geographical obstacles and bureacracy. Hey Richard, you are not stuck buying rice from the Indian mafia. Food is available if you are creative. I'm sure Richard is patting himself on the back for winning some flimsy award for innovation. It seems he gave satellite phones to his remote employees and that was supposed to be a good thing. That's right, hide behind technology and call it progress. I don't recall a satellite phone ever providing food for the hungry. WFP's budget in Nepal is already down to zero, so why did you waste time and money on stupid Sat phones? It seems the only thing poor Richard is good for these days is writing articles about snow boarding in Nepal. Ol, Richard likes to take helicopters out on the WFP budget and snow board up by Manang. He's also fond of taking his staff up to the Last Resort off the Kodari highway for still more money wasting weekends. He's milking the international gravy train now and its time for him to go.

LEAVE NEPAL SOON

1. Kanak Mani Dixit. What's the point of his constant pro-India posturing? Do you think you are better than Nepalis?

2. King Gyenendra. That's right, ol' G. Told Prateek Pradhan of La Republica that the Nepali people "should get nothing" while slamming a glass of wine to the ground. You and your family are done. We don't want to see any more Shahs until your grandson is old enough.

3. Bal Mandir Orphanage. A child trafficking front run by the Koiralas. Fill out the phony paperwork, pay your money, look the other way, and buy a baby. Tragic.

4. The Maoists. Your movement is tired and people don't believe what you say anymore. Get out or get killed. Memo to Prachanda: I hear there's lots of work to be had all up and down the east side of India these days--lots for a Maoist to do. Shall I send a letter of introduction to Bihar for you?

SPECIAL MENTION

These guys never seem to get out of the way:

Ian Martin. Deposed and disgraced former head of the UNMIN. Begged to keep his job once and now continues to return for "trekking." Someone confiscate his diplomatic passport for the good of us all.

Girija Babu Koirala. Well despite blogdai's many predictions, it's clear that the old man will probably never die--ever. Fortunately, he and the Nepali Congress are becoming increasingly irrelevant so perhaps this is the best fate for the biggest and most selfish and power mad ego in Nepal. Sit back, watch, and deteriorate ol' babu; you've got it comming.

-=blogdai

Kathmandu is Dead

So Long, old friend....

blogdai is hesitant to write this column. It is sad. No pictures and no funny comments this time.

Kathmandu is officially dead.

The facts:

--Traffic jams so bad it takes up to two hours to get from Lazimpat to Patan across town.

--Pollution is at its worst. Locals and tourist wear masks on the street and those not accustomed to the stench are instantly taken ill.

--Our recent revival in tourism has seen new arrivals get immediately on a plane to Pokhara in order to avoid Kathmandu.

--Dance bars and cabin clubs sprout up every day with no end in sight.

--Nigerian drug dealers patrol the streets in increasing numbers looking for business.

--Municipal police are now openly taking bribes and allowing petty street crimes.

--Up to 8 hours of electrical outages per day paralyze business and tourism.

We have no functioning central government that recognizes or even cares about the conditions in our once lovely city. Basic city functions are worthless.

Are we happy with our little cars, our greedy lifestyles and our disastrous jana andolan that gave us a worthless Maoist leadership?

Are we ever going to care enough to change?

blogdai feels that about a million of us need to die in order for Kathmandu to survive. At the current rate of events, either a major civil war or widespread disease is inevitable-----

That should do the trick.

-=blogdai

You Had Your Chance

Nepalis flee renegade APF moto-cross riders attempting to fleece gas money from rally attendees.

Enough already. blogdai sees the pictures of Maoist affilliated students protesting and throwing rocks at PM Makune and I look through my files: Just like 2000, just like 2001, just like 2003 and just like Jana Andolan. Do we ever get tired of this?

Sure the new government is incompetent and the only reason Nepal is not classified as a failed state is that there is no compelling reason for the world to label it as such. Makune will fare no better than the many administrations of Girija, Deuba, or any one else from the old guard, but until Nepalis unite and speak with one singular voice of reason, the whole exercise of angered student protest is moot.

What irritates blogdai is that these same little boy protesters don't realize that the Maoists had their chance and blew it. Prachanda tried to put the oppressive "Mao style" hammer on Nepali politics and got burned. I guess that's one thing the old guard got right: kicking out the Maoist bums before they turned the whole country into an oppressive Communist collective.

Hey little boys! You trying to be as obnoxious as all those Yank politicians and protestors? How very pathetic and how very unoriginal.

All of you students represent Nepal's future. Your education is a priveledge and a gift. Stop throwing rocks like a bunch of goddam Manangis and start solving the problems that you will inherit someday. That is why you are in a university. Not to get your cheap degree and go to Dubai as someone's servant, but to save your country. Now, knock it off and get to the real work!

-=blogdai

Clinton in India

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton smiles bravely while trying to take down junior Forestry Minister Jairam Ramesh in a hand shake death match.

Amazingly stupid move on India's part this week. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton paid a visit to Nepal's big brother this week and the overtones should have been obvious. Just by the tone and temperature of Clinton's appearance, it was clear that the U.S. was testing Indian waters for the future. Clinton kept fawning over how much she loved India, ate WAY too much of the wonderful cuisine there and giggled like a school girl while chumming around with the girls at the SEWA foundation. Oh, she also opened up new nuclear agreements as well as trade and energy technology sharing contracts.

So, now any one of us who pays attention to such things should not view such things lightly. Sec. Clinton came to India ready to listen and trade--a real U.S. priority shift.

BUT NO.... Intellectually as well as politically junior minister Jairam Ramesh had to lecture the Secretary on India's carbon footprint. Ramesh must have felt this was his shot at the Big Time as he scolded Clinton on India's emmissions and said there was “no case” for the West to push India to reduce carbon dioxide emissions when it already had among the lowest levels of emissions on a per-capita basis. He later went on to threaten tariffs of some sort against the U.S.

Bravo junior minister idiot! Way to spin world pollution standards in India's favor. India always comes out ahead when they measure on a per capita basis since Indians can't seem to stop having dozens of children at a time and their "per capita" output of the same has now eclipsed China.

Typical Indian political arrogance. Puff yourselves up by pretending to lecture the most important people you can find on the merits of Indian policy. Well, you guys might have blown it. Clinton was in Delhi for a very specific reason. The U.S. wants a new partner in the region. A little preparation on your behalf, minister moron, and you would have known that environmental issues are a hot button with the new U.S. administration. A little diplomacy would have gone a long way but India turned the issue into cheap Delhi street brawl.

The Yanks don't like to be lectured so don't be surprised if Clinton takes her wicket and balls to some other nation. Did you see how she cozied up to Thailand after her India visit? Who can blame Clinton if she wants to take U.S. business elsewhere. Unconfirmed rumors have spotted Clinton measuring floor space in one of those fancy new Bangkok skyscrapers; just enough space to fill all the call center and customer service jobs she plans to take out of Bangalore--so the rumor goes.

The Larger Implications

The U.S. is fed up with China. They've spoken in hushed tones over the last decade or so; afraid to upset some nebulous concept of this great Chinese market that will soon be tapped into by American goods and services. They've patiently watched tainted products, Chinese government interference in transactions, a falsley supported Chinese Yuan distorting the true market, and gross, barbaric and childish human rights violations against just about any group that does not toe the Party line in Beijing. Now, the Chinese brand is tainted. They don't "get it" with regard to world market credibility and the U.S. is going somewhere else. THAT is what the Clinton visit to India was about and THAT, New Delhi, is why you'd better learn to control your renegade low-level politicians.

-=blogdai

Ian Martin and the Tapes

Oops, looks like long time blogdai nemesis Ian Martin of the tattered UNMIN has finally met his match.

Sorry Ian, apparently, one of the most difficult things for a UN employee to be is an idealogue.

It seem poor Ian gave an inflammatory report to the UN that was highly critical of Israeli intentions

Another Oops for poor Ian: Our dear deposed PM Prachanda was caught on tape confessing that he exaggerated the strength of the Maoist forces by some factor of five. Compound this with the latest news that Maoists claim that they never turned over their weaponry per sir Ian's request and instead kept the best and most lethal armaments away from UNMIN scrutiny and inventory bodes poorly for the efficacy of such UN missions in Nepal.

Per Ian Martin's request as well, monitors were to be stationed at all Nepali polling places during the last elections. blogdai immediately shouted "fraud" and "incompetance" at the idea. Having first hand knowledge (and photos, mind you) blogdai can assure all gentle readers that the UN delegation never made it out of the Kathmandu valley during election time. I saw most of them at club 1905 and they had no intention of leaving the valley for any "rough" travel to polling stations in the village.

Ian Martin's legacy in Nepal is one of abject failure. The worst of which is his idea of containing Maoists in cantonments. A complete an unmitigated failure of both concept, policy and implementation, this was. Maoists chose who would reside in said cantonments, had no sense of restricted movement, and basically carried on as usual. Such is the legacy that Israeli critics capatilized upon.

A career in ruins:

Well, that's it for Ian, finally. After blogdai has been calling for his removal from the world stage for the last couple of years, the pompous grandstander with the English pedigree has finally been brought down by Israeli scrutiny. They've rightly pointed to his failures in Nepal as an example of how he should not be allowed to conceive any report on Israel that bears any international credibility whatsoever. The so called "Martin Report" on Israel will now live as the penultimate example of the UN's perception of its own hegemonic inluence, and its ultimate failure as a policy.

So long Ian Martin. Stick a fork in him: he's done.

-=blogdai

First Photos from Everest

blogdai is a proud supporter of Pemba Dorje Sherpa. Pemba and his brothers summited Chomolungma this May 19, but failed to stay atop the worlds highest peak for 24 hours as planned. Apparently, weather drove them down after 2 hours.

The first available photos of Pemba Dorje Sherpa at the summit of Everest sent exclusively to blogdai. So piss off you spoiled brat white American climbers.

Pemba, as you all remember, holds the worlds speed record for climbing Everest at just over 8 hours. He was attempting to bring the symbols of each of the world's major religions to the summit and pray during this record attempting period. Pity, but no sadness is required. Pemba will do it again. In fact, there are probably 100 active climbing Sherpas who could conceivably attempt world record type feats on Everest. Insanely strong people, these Sherpas, with an insanely high hematocrit.

As a blogdai friend, our first words from Pemba indicated that his two brothers were getting sick at camp II and that the endurance record would not be attempted. Still Pemba acheived his 10th summit of Sagarmatha: no failure in any human's opinion.

MEMO TO CHINA: Have a look at these pictures. This is what a real, non-simulated summit looks like. Cloud and mountain references in the background. Tibetans and Sherpas don't need your phony Olympic torch ceremony to get them up the mountain; they were born for this and find your politics distasteful. More on this later as blogdai is beginning to boil at the topic.

Anyway, Pemba says a direct "thank you" to all who've supported this effort. Peace and Namaste to all

-=blogdai

Start the Countdown

Deposed General Katawal deep in contemplation about where best to begin his army coup.

Here we go. After giving Prachanda and his thugs plenty of breathing room with ample time and resources to complete the Peace Process and consolidate a government, the Fierce One once again proves his ideological narrow-mindedness.

I've been screaming this at the top of my lungs since Joke-Andalan and most haven't listened. Now, after a few years of the sing-song appeasement journalism of the BBC's Charles Haviland and others, do we all finally get it? YOU CAN'T GOVERN WITH A RIGID IDEOLOGY. The American Repuglicans will be the first to confirm this, I'm sure, but Nepal, what were we thinking? At every turn, Prachanda kept dropping bombs that he wanted to govern with an iron hand and turn our country into a Communist autocracy. Is it finally clear to all that we've given this idiot one chance too many?

The symolic hard-line control move of sacking RNA supremo General Rookmangud Katawal smacked of Communist arrogance and started the ball rolling downhill for our government. In response, the UML quits the government, the usual street protests ensue, President Ram Baran Yadav goes against the PM and tries to get the General to return; and finally, Prachanda--sensining a government in flames--turns tail and jumps ship. Bravo Fierce Fleeing One!

So where does that leave us? The upheaval caused by tampering with the military shows who is really in charge in Nepal. In fact, the RNA is the ONLY entity keeping our beloved country from dissolving into failed-state status.

I wasn't kidding when I said to "start the countdown." In fact we probably should have started the countdown when the usual gang of political idiots, plus the King, held their not too secret meetings with the big shots in Delhi.

Next up: Koirala and the other old fools will usurpt government control until the military initiates a formal coup and takes over.(You didn't think they were beefing up their forces over the last few months just for fun, did you?) Tours and garbage on the grounds of the Royal Palace will end soon as King G. will only be too happy to move back in to that ugly bus station looking facility and supervise the education of his King-to-be grandson.

All of this because we were too lazy to care in the first place.

-=blogdai

"People's Federal Democratic National Republic"

Thats a mouthful for sure.  

Those brilliant  Maoists have been banging their heads together for six days to try and mend a catastrophic rift in their party.  It seems most of the hard-liners want to announce an all Communist "People's Republic"  immediately; while Prachanda wants to go a little slower so as not to throw the country back into chaos.  After what blogdai can only assume to be and excruciating application of sheer brainpower, our boys in red have decided to call Nepal the "People's Federal Democratic National Republic."  Just think of the expense in stationary this will incur!  PFDNR Nepal. 

What this title tells us, just by looking at it, is that the Maoists are still deeply divided and deeply factionalized. it's as if the Maoists threw every point of contention they had into the title, not caring if it worked or even made sense.  Nepal is now the "agree to disagree" nation from its title.  

Maoist honcho's called this new title a "synthesis" of party policy documents. blogdai sees it as an "emulsion:"  hurredly mixing together things that don't belong.   

Imagine if we left the Maoists to rename our popular Kathmandu watering holes:   

Fire and Ice Pizza would be:  "Cold Firey Hot Pizza Ice"

Tom and Jerry Pub:  "Jerry's Pub with Tom's Name but mostly Jerry's unless it' Not"

Yin/Yang Bar:   "Yin or Yang both at once with no balance or compromise Bar."

Let's break down this new title and look at it.  Both the words that are used and their positioning tell us quite a lot about what went on in that Maoist meeting.  

People's  

Only ideologically totalitarian or Communist governments use this word to describe their country.  The fact that it occurs first in the title tells blogdai that the hard-line Communist ideologues in the Maoist party holding sway.  It also shows that every Maoists eventually wants a Communist Nepal.  

Federal

Means a type of representative government; the type that no Nepali can adequately describe, but is supposed to limit the chaos of pure democracy by letting elected representative speak for the majority of people in any given district or "federated" sub-unit of a nation.  It is the second term used in the new Maoist title and probably sits there to appease the NC and UML.  

Democratic

Dead in the middle of the new title.  It is in the weakest position for emphasis--almost an afterthought.  Maoists know that if you use any variation of the word "democracy," to describe yourself, whether applicable or not, the U.S. will leave you alone, the world media will fawn all over you, and foreign aid will keep arriving.  It's a lot like all of those ridiculous military medals that despots like to create and wear on their uniforms:  No real meaning but gives a good impression. 

National

A poor thinker's stab at national unity.  Mainly, it's just the Maoists way of saying that they've finally made it to the big leagues.  No factionalizing, they tell us, "we are now a national brand."  Thanks to Ian Martin and James Moriarty.  

Republic

If you read the new title quickly, you find that Nepal is actually called a "People's Republic"  Notice how "People's" and "Republic" frame all other words?  They are the two most strategically placed words in the title.  Republic, next to Federal and sometimes Democracy, is unnecessary and redundant.  All three terms share concepts and mechanisms.  

This new title shows what can happen when a room full of hog butchers begins to squabble.  We get nothing approaching compromise, but we can infer quite a lot about the Maoist's intentions from the mish-mash of a title they want to slap on Nepal:  We are on our way to a Communist state.

-=blogdai

President Obama and Nepal: What to Expect

It's done, finally.  What a long haul for those poor Yanks.  As former British Prime Minister Tony Blair once said:  "America eventually does the right thing."  Too bad it took eight years of the "wrong thing" before Mr. Blair could be proven correct.   

What will an Obama presidency mean for Nepal?  Let's have a first look.....

It's the economy, stupid---------------------

The American economy is going through a major shit-storm and threatens to sink the world economy as it goes down.  Obama's first priority will be to deal with this catastrophy, period.  

A few things will come from this.  Look for India to get very nervous as most of those outsourced jobs that Mr. Obama wants to bring back to the U.S. are jobs that have been stationed in India over the past decade.  Nepalis working in phone service centers in Bangalore, say, should explore the job market now and keep all options open.  

Foreign Aid Revamp----------------------

Obama has the rare perspective of being someone who has actually lived in countries that were direct beneficiaries of U.S. foreign aid.  Unlike Bush, Obama knows that arrogant U.S. aid policies that simply throw money and staff at underdeveloped countries are bound to fail and must be revamped.  Remember the economy?  That big gorilla pulling down every plan and every program?  Well, the economy, and more specifically, the need to reduce spending, will combine with Obama's knowledge of how aid actually works to form one of  Obama's oft repeated budget strategies:  "Pay as you go."  Nepal, gone are the days when USAID writes a blank check to some clueless minister.   If you want to scam the system like before, your best bet will be to try and squeeze money from the UN.  Obama will apply an more "incremental" form of aid to Nepal: show initial progress on a program and funding will come for the next phase and so on.  Get ready for half of your Gross National Product to arrive with strings attached from now on.  

Prachanda and Politics--------------------

The Maoists won't fool Obama.  His step-father was detained by a military coup in Indonesia and Obama has seen plenty of insurgent groups masquerading as representatives of "the people" only to pull a bait-and-switch and fall back on their outdated ideological archetypes.  Obama is also aware of the misuse of the concept of "democracy." He seldom uses it. At the one spot in his acceptance speech where the term would have fit nicely, he chose the word "freedom" instead. So, the simple use of the term by a regime will mean nothing to the Obama administration unless it is backed by true reforms and a committment to citizen self-determination.  He'll punish any Maoist back-sliding by freezing foreign aid;  A suggestion proposed by former U.S. ambassador Ralph Frank during a peak period of Maoist activity in 1998.  

Fireworks in Pakistan---------------------------

Mr. Obama has made constant statements regarding his desire to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq and go after Osama Bin Laden in the mountains of Pakistan, should evidence support such a move.   Since Kathmandu already has a direct flight from Karachi, look for our Capital to play host to a lot more pissed-off and demoralized Muslims looking for revenge.  There are already some rumblings about an Al Quaida cell stretching its wings in our fair valley, so look for Kathmandu to evolve into more of a refuge for those of a "plotting" nature.  

India---------

Hard to read this one.  The Obama administration will get a security briefing on Nepal that will basically say that India, as a staunch U.S. partner,  has the best insight in the region and to trust New Delhi's Judgement,  BUT, India is spending up U.S. goodwill and may not call the shots for much longer.   Bush's disasterous nuclear proliferation give-away policy towards India is something Obama has bristled towards in the past and will probably manifest itself as a "trust but verify" relationship with New Delhi in the future.  Obama knows India pulled a fast one on Bush.  It won't happen again, so any opinion or suggestion coming from New Delhi on how best to handle Nepal and the region will be scrutinized. 

Human Rights------------

Obama's is a pro-Tibet, anti-repression administration. They will not simply tolerate abuses in order to keep stability in any given region.   Look for harsh reprimands and yes, more aid conditions, Nepal, everytime you kow-tow to China's demands for Tibetan imprisonment and/or repatriation.  Pay attention to your treatment of Bhutanese refugees as well.  Your precious foreign aid will also be held up if the army goes haywire and kills a bunch of Madhesis.

 Don't think, however, that the Americans will look down upon any defensive move you make. Obama was the first candidate to imply that Georgia had no business straying opportunistically into splittist areas.  It would be similar to say, Sikkim deciding to break away from a repressive  India and join Nepal.  Remember again:  self-determination is the key.   If you want to keep the U.S. gravy train flowing to Nepal, don't mess with innocent people trying to live their lives.  

-=blogdai

Army Integration: A Change of Heart

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer"

---Sun-tzu

Ol' blogdai has had a change of heart regarding Prachanda's big push to have Maoist combatants integrated into the Nepali army.

I say, "let em' in!"

Draw them out of the woods and villages and offer pay, training and discipline. Follow it up with a stern law against armed groups terrorizing villagers. After integration, no extortion, armed bullying or cooercion by any group claiming to be Maoist would be deemed lawful, as there would be no need for such groups-- only the Nepal Army.

Integrated Maoists won't need to raise money anymore and they won't need to force villagers to attend rallies. Without their oppressive presence in the villages, Maoist propaganda and ideology cannot spread.

The reality is, offering the Maoists a job in a real army would, let's face it, amount to a high-security form of cantonement. Something that Ian Martin and his ridiculously uniformed concepts never could have achieved.

Do the Maoists actually believe they would be accepted into the Nepal Army as equals? As "brothers in arms?" Hardly. What we would see would be the gradual sidelining of the poorly-trained Maoists, if not outright hostility and abuse, at the hands of Nepal's professional soldiers. Perhaps a fitting end for those who have killed and abused innocents in the past.

Ram Poudel and whats left of the Nepali Congress are dead opposed to the idea. Is there any wonder? The Maoists are the only real physical force the NC can allign with to press their demands. Integrating them into the Nepal Army would take away a key political pawn for Girija and his newly rabbled party. They would no longer be able to make the threat of another deal-with-the-devil Jana Andolan. The integration of the Maoists into theNepal Army would render the Nepali Congress toothless and impotent. Frankly, Girija's screaming little NC student wing just doesn't have the power to influence Nepali politics on a national level like those big-bad Maoist murderers did during Jana Andolan.

So fully integrate the Maoist, says blogdai. Give them a hot meal and a hearty bonus just for showing up at their local army post. Give them clean and snappy uniforms and teach them to march.

Maybe, just maybe, this will dissolve the worst cancer to infest human lives in Nepal's history.

-=blogdai

A New Prime Murderer

Unwilling to be contained any longer, new PM Prachanda's plan for Nepal balloons out and escapes from the side of his head.

A good title for Prachanda's biography: "Killing your way to the top."

*

Take a good look, Nepal. This is what you get when you don't pay attention to National politics.


Charles Haviland of the BBC and others gushingly say this election of Maoist strong-man Prachanda to the Prime Ministership paves the way for the creation of a "democratic government." How woefully uninformed. I especially love it when people like Haviland breathlessly chirp that the Maoists have "wide support in the villages." Dear God. They have wide support because people don't want to get killed for not supporting them. Hey Charles, if they are so well loved in the countryside, how come the poplulation of Kathmandu has tripled over the last 5 years? The capital city is swollen to the breaking point with refugees from the countryside. I guess they need a little break from all that "wide support" they're giving the Maoists, right?

Give him his due, Prachanda's may be the biggest political genius of all. He's found the one thing that unites Nepalis into a Nation: FEAR.

Hopefully it will be short lived. In what could be the perfect corner for "The Fierce One" (who incidentally didn't look so fierce with all those flower Mallas strangling him) to trap himself, Prachanda can no longer run back into the woods and hide. He's got to perform now. His biggest tool had always been the threat of "taking to the streets" in protest when things didn't go his way, now he will be forced to find political solutions to difficult issues or risk being labeled as yet another weak and ineffective Nepali Prime Minister. And don't think those vanquished politicians are going to sit quietly. They've got plenty of skill and power and will be looking to form any wedge they can in a Prachanda government.

*

The good part:

With any luck, the trappings of power and world attention will dilute Prachanda's violent and radical tendencies. Blinded by the light, blogdai hopes. He looked a bit overwhelmed by his victory so let's hope he stays overwhelmed by all the world attention and doesn't drop the repressive Mao hammer on the people.

Also, a Prime Minister as volatile as Prachanda will give Nepal what it sorely lacks in government: a true system of checks and balances. The RNA will keep its distance and monitor developments critically from now on. They're already an independent lot and won't tolerate Prachanda's continued insistence that Maoist fighters be integrated into the National army. Our army boys will be only too willing to step into the fray should Prachanda trigger a Communist ideological melt-down.

Next, new president Ram Baran Yadav genuinely seems to be a man of integrity and personal conviction. Forget his claimed "crisis" in Nepal; Yadav blatently snubbed the Chinese and their invitation to the Olympics. His very election threw the Maoists into a tantrum whereby they threatened to not form a government. He'll be no rubber stamp for Maoist plans, that's for sure.

The best part is that Girija is officially GONE! blogdai can barely contain the political joy at the prospects. Plus, Deuba, Makune, and Oli are relegated to the status of opposition party. As we said in past columns, if the Maoists can do nothing else right, we owe them some form of thanks for removing these greedy idiots and obstacles to progress from the halls of power.

The bad part:

I can see it now, YCL cadres seizing suites at the Radisson and demanding free room service.

Maoist cadres running wild in the villages sparking retalliatory killings and looting at will.

Prachanda's penchant for seizing property could take on grand proportions in Kathmandu.

The world community determines Nepal to be a rogue state and drastically curtails foreign aid.

Too many of these scenarios to list, I'm afraid....


The bottom line is: The new leader of Nepal has more blood on his hands than all the Rana kings combined. Our pain and suffering will be on the ground and in the villages, not in the halls of government. We are in for more turbulence, not less. When will we wake up?

At least we got rid of Girija.

-=blogdai

No Summit for China

China's alleged torch summit of Everest, complete with no bearing for verification, a casual lack of exertion on the part of the participants, and moist breath with no rime ice.

In light of the new information being reported on the wires about Chinese olympic "ethics," such as the reversal to allow journalists unfettered access to the internet, the blatant forging of 14 year old gymnast He Kexin's olympic application so that she appears 16 and thus, within olympic rules; and the increase, rather than decrease of stringent clamp-downs on all manner of dissent; we here at blogdai feel its time to report on a story we've been working on for a few months now. Most of you know of blogdai and June's repulsion at Chinese bullying, so we have been very careful to verify sources, interview those present, and intensely study all film footage involved so as not to present the facade of impeachable bias against the Chinese. So, after almost 2 months of research we here at blogdai have concluded:

China faked their olympic torch run to Mt. Everest.

We have friends who were among the first to summit Everest after the climbing ban was lifted. Their comments help inform this report. Plus, we've interviewed climbers, famous and lesser for their opinions and their startling insights.

Some observations supporting our theory:

----No "money shot." All photos taken are from close range making verification of the summit difficult. Most, if not all expeditions take the photo proof shot, regardless of weather. Proof lies in showing a recognizable land feature or peak who's perspective in a summit photo proves the altitude and angle that confirms a successful bid. The Chinese offered nothing more than close-in shots. Even an "immediate space" shot was not available (at least none that we could find) to verify the approximate dimensions of the summit area. Also, there was no apparent evidence of the old, faded prayer flags that mark the summit and have been known to stay in place for a few seasons or more. Prayer flags in Chinese photos stand alone and look newly placed.

----China's dubious ascent in 1960. They've done this before, apparently. Sketchy verification of a summit bid in 1960 is still in dispute in some climbing circles. They claimed to have climbed it at night so verification was difficult. Hmm.

----The claim of "mysterious lights" near the summit. Hard to buy since Nepal maintained armed guards from camp II upwards on the Nepal side to prevent anyone sneaking up on the Chinese. What were those "lights" then? Perhaps a loose-lipped expeditioner was seeing members of his own support team near the much lower level that they were actually reporting from.

----Chatter boxes. Through the summit torch lighting ceremony on Youtube video, women climbers are heard chattering away in the background with out a hint of the exertion expert climbers feel at the summit of Everest. They are talking in long, single-breath sentences. Ask anyone who's summited Everest and they'll tell you it's not a place for a monologue. Short, clipped sentences are all most can manage at that altitude.

----Moisture. No one we've spoken with who has summited Everest has ever remembered there being fog-like moisture coming from a climber's breath. They few times moisture has been present in the atmosphere near, but much lower than the summit, other phenomenon present themselves as one of our experts mentions below:

The one thing that struck me funny about the footage; if you watch it, you see peoples breath. In my 8 years on that hill, the air is too dry on top to see your breath that much. They were also not that iced up, if it indeed was a moist enough storm to see breath, they would have been covered in rime ice. They would have seen no other lights, as the military at camp 2 on the Nepal side made sure no one went above them.

Friends of blogdai at summit of Everest just a few weeks after the China's alleged summit. Peaks in the background give reasonable verification. "Game's Over: Free Tibet" banner was a nice touch.

---- Chinese footage on Youtube showing a long line of climbers traversing a long pitch is not recognizable as a portion of the north face ascent of Everest and may be tied to a secondary peak.

----Climbers and blogdai contributors who were among the first to summit Everest after the alleged Chinese bid report no new flags, momentos or any evidence that the olympic torch ever reached the summit.

----By their own claims, the Chinese torch bid was doomed to fail simply by their planning hubris. A quick, alpine-style ascent is a sure recipe for failure on Everest (Unless you are Reinhold Messner) Our blogdai consultant was waiting to summit from the Nepal side during this time and filed this dispatch:

The (Chinese) truly (expletive) themselves with an elementary mistake, by the sounds. Drop your camps in the windy spots, don’t leave them up unattended to get ripped apart...

_____________________

So, blogdai has a request: climbers and anyone who knows, chime in here. Thousands of you were in the Khumbu at the time of the Nepal ban and the Chinese attempt. We want to hear from you. In the interest of fairness, we will give first priority to those who can offer definitive PROOF that the Chinese actually made the summit of Everest with their damn torch.

Even more, blogdai opens up the discussion to anyone with an opinion on this. Get informed first. Google "China Everest Torch" or anything similar; go to Youtube.com and watch all the footage you can on the Chinese bid and report your opinions here. Good luck and good hunting.

-=blogdai

China goes back on its words

Like a commenter said, should anyone be surprised about this? China has decided to reverse its pledge to offer complete media freedom, and will censor the Internet used by foreign media during the Olympics.

Sorry, Sun Weide, your so-called "sufficient access to the Internet for reporters" is not sufficient. China had pledged to offer complete media freedom and China has an obligation to keep its words. China has gone back on its own words on an international stage. China has slapped itself in its own face.

China prohibits reporters from accessing sites regarding "Falungong spiritual movement". What is China so afraid of Falungong for? Falungong is just a type of exercise while promoting truth, compassion and tolerance. Like Tai Chi or Judo, Falungong has its philosophy that comes with the territory. It is beyond the free world why China has been convinced that Falungong will create a "movement" that will overturn the corrupted Chinese government. Is Falungong promoting everything that China government is not? Why the paranoia?

The spokesman said that there were other unspecified sites unavailable to journalists. Let me guess, those sites couldn't have anything to do with the themes of "Free Tibet" or 1989 Chinese government massacring students, could they?

China completely disgusts the free world. This Olympic Game has been way over China's head. While China is boasting this August 8, 2008 (8.8.8) Olympics as its demonstration of its powerfulness to the world, the world sees a 666 instead. You heard me. China is nothing but a nasty BEAST for its notorious human rights record. China government has blood on its hands from almost every family in China. It is a shame that China seems to be the only member in the international society that does not understand how horrific China's human rights record is. China will not get away if it's using this opportunity to crack down on Tibet. Free world, don't let it happen in front of our eyes again like in 1989!

This is the report:

China will censor the Internet used by foreign media during the Olympics, an organising committee official confirmed Wednesday, reversing a pledge to offer complete media freedom at the games.

"During the Olympic Games we will provide sufficient access to the Internet for reporters," said Sun Weide, spokesman for the organising committee.

He confirmed, however, that journalists would not be able to access information or websites connected to the Falungong spiritual movement which is banned in China.

Other sites were also unavailable to journalists, he said, without specifying which ones.

Copyright AFP 2008, AFP stories and photos shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium

No Maoist Gov't. Next up: No Constituent Assembly

U-turn quitsville. Today the Maoists decided not to form their government.


The Maoists hit the brick wall that is called Nepali politics. Political mud slowed them to a crawl.

Pity. They had such high hopes. Prachanda, ever the ideologue, felt he could turn his coerced election victory to some sort of etherial mandate whereby Girija and his goons would simply welcome the Maoists into the government as conquering heroes and give them the keys of power.

Not a chance.

Ever wonder why, after years of steadfast refusal to hold elections, Girija finally relented and let elections be held? He was told by his leash-holders in India that the Maoists would never come to power, win or lose. Just deny them everything and hold out as long as you can, and eventually the old impatient communists would give up. And they did!

Today, Delhi officially recommeded Girija be appointed (not nominated or elected) Prime Minister once again. How neat and tidy.

So, where does that leave our beloved new Constituent Assembly? blogdai mentioned over a year ago that the mere election of a Constituent Assembly(CA) would be worthless in a country where politicians decide who has the power and what parts of the Constitution are convenient enough to be obeyed. There was never any provision for enforcement of CA power as a balancing body. Essentially, according to the rules that exist, the CA can meet and determine whatever they want and the Parliament is under no practical obligation to listen to a word they say. No wonder Girija was all in favor of electing this new and august body!

The CA will be marginalized just like the Maoists and business as ineffectively as always will rule the day once again.

Shoot Girija. We need a REAL revolution

-=blogdai

Blogdai the (Temporary) Maoist

Seen enough yet? blogdai has.

Girija has hung on stubbornly to his Prime Ministership against the will of the Maoists and against the will of the (coerced) voters.

Now he threatens us with the horror of saying his Nepali Congress Party will not participate in the new government, sniff, sniff. blogdai thinks that's just like Charles Sobraj threatening to not babysit for your child.

Apparently, the cloyingly single-minded badgering of Maoists politicos has begun to work its magic. Old Girija may have just had enough and may, just may step down shortly.

Prachanda will have succeded in doing what no other entity (violent or otherwise) has been able to do: pry the immobile Koirala barnacle away from the hull of the Nepali ship of State.

Why stop there? How about sending in a few hundred YCL morons with lathis to smack down all the other politicians who, since the elections, have done nothing but squabble and grind government to a halt.

These old parties with their immobility are like a rat that keeps having babies and just won't stay out of your kitchen. Hard to catch and even harder to get rid of.

So, blogdai says: let's all join the Maoists for a while. Let them do all the necessary dirty work of eliminating the entire diasporic community of crooked and inept politicians.

blogdai is willing to look the other way and ignore Maoist murders and atrocities for a time. Let's let Prachanda's poisoned rats infect our political system and clean out the whole thing.

When it is all done, we'll bring the Maoists to justice for their crimes; but why stop this wonderful political momentum of theirs if it wipes the governmental tables clear of the old guard?

-=blogdai

American Strategy

(Left) In a clear demonstration of American strategy, Ambassador Nancy Powell and two well-dressed YCL cadres return to Tribhuvan Airport after a whirlwind shopping trip to New York City

What gives?

The Maoists appear to steal an election at gunpoint and the Yanks welcome them with open arms?

A few explanations are in order, says blogdai. American policy, as blundered by George Bush and Co., can be summed up briefly and simply:

Any process that calls itself "democratic" should be viewed as an American foreign policy victory.

Maybe, to a small extent, they're right. Regardless of whether they were forced at gunpoint; and regardless of the fact that they were coerced and manipulated into a polling process that almost no one understood, Nepali citizens turned out to vote. At the very least they learned that their choices, coerced or not, can influence Nepal's political climate. This bodes well for the future.

The value of elections is just now starting to sink in with Nepalis. It would have been worse if the Yanks, Indians, Girija or whomever stepped in and nullified the process. What faith in the system would the average rural Nepali be left with in that situation? Most world bodies did not care for the resulting Maoist victories yet the respect shown to the election process by letting the results stand leaves a permanent impression on the average voter. Remember, faith in the electoral process, and ultimately democracy, lies in how well we all tolerate decisions and choices we don't like. It's easy to be a winner, it's democratic to take your losses with dignity.

So, Nancy Powell and the various U.S. State Department underlings are all talking with the Maoists and dangling the carrot of removing them from the Yank list of terrorist organizations. Watch for the following strategies to take hold:

--Prachanda will be swept up in a tide of diplomacy and increased foreign aid to the point where he is ideologically neutered and becomes just another greedy Nepal politico. Assimilation through dilution.

--You'll see no "ideological support" during this time. The Maoists will be pushed into playing by the rules. To assist in this, no new arms will be sold, given or shipped to this Maoist regime. The Yanks, just today, grilled Prachanda on how he plains to contain his YCL thugs.

--The Maoists may just blow it in front of the world's eyes. This would confirm to Nepalis, in the most concrete of terms, that we all knew the Maoists were a bad choice yet we respect your right to elect whomever you please--further demonstrating the principle pillar of democracy: protect elections uber alles.

--Prachanda has served the purpose of cleaning the political house. Girija and his inept administration have been maddeningly frustrating to work with from a competence and capacity standpoint. The Maoists will be no better, but the Yanks can now hope for a better day.

-=blogdai