http://www.globalpolitician.com/ Global Politician is an independent magazine providing objective, in-depth analysis of events in the world today. en-us Sat, 7 Nov 2009 15:35:52 GMT http://www.globalpolitician.com/26019-israel-turkey The Turkey-Israel alliance is over. After two decades plus of close cooperation, the Turkish government is no longer interested in maintaining close cooperation with Israel nor is it—for all practical purposes—willing to do anything much to maintain its good relations with Israel.Wed, 4 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.globalpolitician.com/26018-derivatives-options-futures-forward-contracts The implosion of the markets in some complex derivatives in 2007-9 drew attention to this obscure corner of the financial realm. Derivatives are nothing new. They consist of the transfer of risk to third parties and the creation of a strong correlation or linkage between the prices of one or more underlying assets and the derivative contract or instrument itself. Thus, whenever guarantors sign on ...Tue, 3 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.globalpolitician.com/26017-stocks-recession-depression-stimulus-recovery A prediction I made in February 2009 (when the Dow-Jones was hurtling towards 6500) came true. In an article dated February 22, 2009 and titled "The Next 18 Months: Recession, False Recovery, Depression", I wrote:Tue, 3 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.globalpolitician.com/26016-hillary-clinton-palestine Yesterday I discussed the significance of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s praise for Israel’s policy during her trip to Jerusalem, saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had offered unprecedented concessions to get peace talks started again.Tue, 3 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.globalpolitician.com/26015-foreign-policy A friend of mine who used to be a high-ranking U.S. government official made a very interesting remark: Intelligence does not settle disputes in government, theories do. In other words, no matter how badly an enemy acts, you can interpret it as their building up bargaining chips to make a deal. They are hitting you to force you to offer them a good bargain.Tue, 3 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.globalpolitician.com/26014-morocco King Mohammed VI of Morocco will deliver a highly anticipated speech this November 6th--the anniversary of the Green March of 1975 when 350,000 unarmed Moroccans crossed into the Western Sahara. On this same occasion last year, Morocco’s King presented his “roadmap” to decentralize “all parts of the Kingdom, especially the Moroccan Sahara region” and “usher in a complete change from rigid central...Sun, 1 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.globalpolitician.com/26013-japan-us-foreign-policy The Japan-US security alliance that has remained as the lynchpin of the East Asian security architecture since the World War II is likely to undergo some change under the DPJ-led government of Yukio Hatoyama. Even before Hatoyama won the elections held on 30 August, his views expressed in an op-ed article published in the New York Times in which he spoke of reviewing Japan’s alliance relationships...Sun, 1 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.globalpolitician.com/26012-iran-ashraf-ncri-mek-pmoi The recent uprising of the Iranian people following sham elections in Iran, the formidable confrontation between the Iranian people and its Resistance on the one hand and the Iranian regime on the other, as well as the recent attacks against the People’s Mujahedeen of Iran aimed at destroying their camp in northern Iraq and extraditing its residents to Iran highlighted three major realities more t...Sun, 1 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.globalpolitician.com/26011-celebrity-fame-media-narcissism-cyberspace I know at least ten people whose personal Websites attract as many unique visitors a year as the number of copies sold of Dan Brown's books. Yet, Dan Brown is a global celebrity and they remain largely anonymous. Why is that? Fame is defined as the number of people who have heard about you. If the same number of people learns of your existence online as has heard of Dan Brown, why is it that he is...Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.globalpolitician.com/26010-pears-cyclopedia-reference-penguin "Affection" and "attachment" are terms rarely used in a review of a reference title - but, they are the ones that come to my mind as I contemplate the new (2009-2010) edition of Pears Cyclopedia, one of many editions I possess. I confess to my addiction proudly: control freak that I am, I like holding the Universe of Knowledge in the palm of my hand, in manageable, pocket-sized form.Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT