As Barack Obama kicks off a reconsideration of US policy in Afghanistan, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has waded into the debate on troop numbers. On Facebook. Unsurprisingly, she called on the US to stay the course and, again perhaps unsurprisingly, there is nothing particularly new or incisive about her critique:

‘We can win in Afghanistan by helping the Afghans build a stable representative state able to defend itself. And we must do what it takes to prevail. The stakes are very high. The 9/11 attacks were planned in Afghanistan, and if we are not successful there, al-Qaeda will once again find a safe haven, the Taliban will impose its cruelty on the Afghan people, and Pakistan will be less stable.’

But, for better or worse she’s still news, and still extremely popular among the grassroots of the Republican Party.

Anyone looking for an interesting take on the problems in Afghanistan, though, should check out the ‘Rethinking Security’ blog, run by security analyst Adam Elkus. Yesterday he picked up on an interesting op-ed by Joshua Foust questioning the wisdom of trying to bribe the tribes in Afghanistan.

“Despite three horrible, bloody wars that killed tens of thousands of British citizens (not just soldiers, but their families as well), [pundits] claim the [19th century] British policy 'worked adequately.' ... Then again, we already tried that. It didn’t work, in part because in Afghanistan the word “tribe” is so ambiguous as to have almost no meaning. ...It’s been decades since anthropologists really thought of 'tribe' as a useful descriptor for Afghan communities—'tribe' is a flexible concept, with identical names applying to different levels of genealogy. It also implies a hierarchy where none exists—if you know someone is from a 'tribe' that is 'higher' than his neighbor’s 'clan,' will that give you any tools for leveraging influence or power? I assure you, it will not.”

A new exhibition at Taipei’s National Palace Museum has optimists talking progress over Taiwan-China relations. Last year, China surpassed the US to become Taiwan’s second largest importer. But this major art collaboration goes beyond the merely practical and economic. The exhibit, Harmony and Integrity: The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times opened yesterday and runs until early next year.

Meanwhile, Chinese PM Wen Jiabao’s 3-day visit to North Korea has also sparked speculation of improving relations between these two countries, though here I think we can assume that there are no cooperative art projects on the horizon.

Like everything else in the DPRK, the art scene is a mystery to outsiders. According to Canadian Content, all artists in North Korea are registered members of the Korean Artists’ Federation and receive monthly salaries to produce a certain number of works. The KWP Central Committee’s Propaganda and Agitation Department and the Culture and Arts Department reportedly control all art in North Korea and forbid abstract or conceptual art. There’s a national art exhibition every year.

And according to some sources, the philosophy of Juche guides all North Korean art. Prior to 1970, Juche limited themes to those portraying the General, the military, the creation of socialism, national pride etc. Later, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il is said to have stated that, ‘The idea of describing nature in a socialist country is to promote patriotism, heighten the national pride and confidence of the public…’ prompting a huge increase in the number of oil painted natural landscapes.

North Korean media also has in the past reported a cultural renaissance under Kim Jong-Il. And Kim is said to be an avid consumer of Western popular culture as evidenced in a CNN report some time back claiming Kim has a collection of approximately 20,000 videotapes, including the full James Bond movie series.

The climate change talks going on in Bangkok close tomorrow. But so far there’s little sign of a breakthrough in negotiations ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference being held in Copenhagen in December, where a successor to the Kyoto Protocol is supposed to be agreed.

Unsurprisingly, the negotiations have been marked by spats between developing and developed nations, with China, India and other G77 nations lamenting the ‘murder’ of the Kyoto Protocol by a  ‘handful of countries’.

Critics of the US have periodically accused it of trying to sabotage the negotiations. These kinds of accusations are what’s come to be expected, especially on an issue where it’s fair to say the US isn’t exactly an enthusiastic global leader. But it hasn’t helped itself if this report in The Times of India is true:

“The industrialised countries have still not made a single offer of financial compensation to poor and developing countries for their mitigation actions.

“[And] at Bangkok negotiations, the US turned around instead to demand that India and other developing countries put their entire set of emissions reducing actions under international scrutiny.”

The US must have known this was going to raise the hackles of developing countries, especially when it hasn't been forthcoming with the pledges of financial assistance developing countries are seeking from it to help them implement emissions cuts.

That said, as our China correspondent noted to me recently, China also needs to make up its mind whether it wants to be seen as a developing country or not -- it seems to change its professed status to suit.

At the end of the day developing countries are going to have to accept that it's all very well pointing out that they aren't responsible for much of the mess we're in, but that trotting out this mantra isn’t going to bring about progress in finding solutions to a problem many will be bearing the brunt of. And developed countries, especially the US, need to realize that there are some real win-win opportunities for them in the long-term through investing in developing country eco-efforts, an attitude Japan could actually teach a few countries a thing or two about..

Before (and since) coming to power, the Democratic Party of Japan promised that policymaking would become more transparent. This was a welcome pledge, and shining a light on the cosy ties between politicians, bureaucrats and business should have myriad benefits for Japan.

But, as has been frequently noted by outsiders, these cosy ties also extend to relations between politicians and the press. As Japan expert Chalmers Johnson noted some years ago, the so-called kisha club (reporters’ club) operates ‘under an implicit agreement that, in return for access to a government agency, political party or industrial group, nothing embarrassing will be printed.’

Hardly healthy, and clearly hardly what Japanese voters need if they’re to make informed choices on how their country is run. So it was good to hear from our Tokyo correspondent Takehiko Kambayashi that Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada last week opened up press briefings at the ministry to all media outlets, including freelance journalists, as he had promised.

“Briefings were opened to only kisha club members before, that is, those who belong to Japanese major new organizations,” Takehiko told me. “Only kisha club members are basically allowed to attend news briefings at government ministries and agencies. Some critics have called this system an information cartel.”

 “Okada’s move seems to be one of his efforts to show the difference from previous administrations. He’s dubbed ‘Mr Clean’ for his straight-laced image and apparently also wanted his message conveyed. At his first news conference, Okada asserted the new government should focus in its 100 days on its assistance to Pakistan and Afghanistan.”

But the picture is still a little mixed by the sounds of it – Takehiko added that Okada’s move came after the Prime Minister’s office denied some journalists access to Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama’s first press conference on Sep. 16th, despite his repeated promises before taking office they would be allowed in.



Journalists are supposed to be reporters not part of the government press kit. Their failure to ask the tough questions begs the obvious question -- what exactly do they think they’re there for?

Close to one million Indian women of low socioeconomic status are said ready to boycott the upcoming Oct.13 assembly elections in the Maharashtra state. *Note the Maharashtra region is, according to recent GDP stats, the richest in India. Many of them are from the devadasi class—‘married’ to a god or deity—and have fallen victim to a now-diminishing traditional Hindu custom. Their low level of education and savings are major liabilities in their increasingly modern, capital-based society.

The issue such news raises about women’s status in society brings me to my final post (for now) on the topic of ethical travel. Eco-tourism is more successful than ever, while region-specific tips are increasingly available on-line and in travel books. But for the conscientious traveler, it’s still paramount—on top of using common sense—to investigate a little bit further.

For example, Nepal is deemed one of the worst countries for treatment of women in the world. Early marriage (at an average age of 16) and childbirth is commonplace. Girls who aren't married off may be sold to traffickers before they reach their teens. The country is also the ‘deadliest place in the world to give birth outside Afghanistan and a clutch of countries in sub-Saharan Africa,’ according to a recent report by the International Federation of the Red Cross.

However, shops in Nepal sell handicrafts made by low-income women. Most of these shops are run by non-profit development organizations and the money goes to the craftspeople in a fair wage-form -- www.mahaguthi.org: ‘Craft with a Conscience’ and www.acp.org.jp: Association of Craft Producers, are a couple such groups. ACP works with a network of 1,200 artisans from 15 districts of Nepal, of which 90% are women. The organization says it is: ‘Committed to its social welfare programs, which provide strong benefits to the artisans, such as a savings program, school scholarships focusing on girls’ education.’

As mentioned in an earlier post, landmine warnings as t-shirt graphics and child labor-produced Burmese jade goods raise some serious questions about the ethics of ‘souvenir-ing’ in Asia.

Let’s expand a bit and think about war-related souvenirs in Vietnam. Just as a reminder, The Vietnam War cost the US a tragic 58,000 lives and Vietnam a devastating 1.5 million (a rough estimate, excluding civilian casualties). Yet, souvenir shops in certain Vietnamese museums (such as the National Vietnam War Museum) sell an extensive range of war-themed souvenirs—from US compasses and field glasses to NVA helmets and medals to shiny artillery cartridges turned flower vases and tiny sets of US flag earrings.

Ho Chi Minh t-shirts and NVM paraphernalia in particular may offend Vietnamese living overseas and thus should be displayed (or hidden) with sensitivity.

But that said, perhaps with enough time old wounds can heal…and items sold without too much meaning attached. The best example here is camouflage—the pattern itself.   

American military began wearing camouflage during the Vietnam War. The black and green pattern was well suited to jungle warfare and was adopted by armies around the world in different variations of color and print. But in the ‘60s, camouflage became a symbol of anti-war protests when some disenchanted American Vietnam veterans demonstrated wearing their uniforms. Over time it became a symbol of group identity and a statement of anti-establishment or general rebellion. Now it’s simply a common and benign part of modern pop culture and fashion.

Andy Warhol used camouflage as inspiration. The Gagosian Gallery in NY commented on the iconic artist’s ‘Camouflage’ painting series:?‘This historically burdened design was brightened and lightened by colours to such an extent that we stand…ready to lose ourselves in the camouflages as in a landscape.’

Following on from my post yesterday on the apparently gloomy prospects for the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan following their recent thumping at the polls, I asked our India correspondent Madhav Nalapat about how things are shaping up for the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in India.

The party was in power from 1998 until 2004, but suffered a shock defeat in mid-2004 to a coalition led by The Congress Party. The party then lost further ground in the general election earlier this year.

And judging by what Madhav says, the party is still struggling to pull itself together.

“Despite their poor showing in two successive general elections, the team of [BJP lower house leader Lal Krishna] Advani comprises the same individuals that have been active within the BJP for the six years that the party was in power. With Vajpayee too ill to any more participate in political activity, it’s become the responsibility of Advani to try and engineer a comeback for the BJP. But thus far, his preferred strategy has been to walk out (with other BJP MPs) from Parliament, giving the government an opportunity for opposition-free passage of legislation.”

He goes on to talk speculate about some possible personnel changes at the top of the party:

“Although there’s been talk that Advani will soon be asked to leave by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh -- the Hindu organisation that supplies the BJP with more than 80% of its cadres -- the chances are he’ll remain as “Chairperson" of the BJP in Parliament, and hand over his office as Leader of the Opposition to a trusted confidant, the female MP Sushma Swaraj. Other Advani supporters, such as former BJP President V Naidu and former Minister A Kumar, are likely to play key roles in the "post-Advani" dispensation.”

But he added the party is still its own worst enemy:

“While Vajpayee's belief that Sonia Gandhi was an asset to the BJP proved to be untrue in 2004 and again in 2009, it seems clear the present BJP leadership is the most potent asset in the armoury of the ruling Congress Party. Small wonder that the Manmohan Singh government seemed to go off for a well-deserved siesta soon after winning the elections.

China’s 60th anniversary has come and gone. And surely, those who made their way out to take part in the main festivities have gone home with some precious memories. And the thought that some may have left with souvenirs marking the event reminded me of the fake commemorative coins that caused a ripple of a scandal back in August.

Supposedly issued by the People's Bank of China, the set of 6 coins was being sold for about $80 US; the Chinese government promptly issued a public warning about the scam. But if the buyer remains unaware, does it really matter?

Ethical ‘souvenir-ing’ is still something to think about in Asia. Besides the most obvious—unethical purchasing of illegal exotic animal parts—there are many other cases where a well-meant or innocent purchase could have dark or complicated issues connected.

Activists at the summer Beijing Olympics urged visitors to avoid buying jewelry and souvenirs made of Burmese ‘blood Jade,’ claiming that, ‘the military-controlled industry is plagued with deplorable working conditions…HIV/AIDS epidemic, and environmental destruction.’ (Article: ‘BURMA/CHINA: Avoid 'Blood Jade' Olympic Souvenirs - Activists’) Another recent article mentions Burmese Jade as an industry that utilizes child labor. (AFP: ‘Porn, fireworks, diamonds made with child labor: US’)

In Cambodia, there has reportedly been a trend of collecting old landmines as souvenirs. Apparently locals and visitors alike, including humanitarian workers, take and display parts of mines in their homes and offices. They can also be used as ashtrays, paperweights and doorstops. Also, official landmine zone warning signs and images (depicting a skull and bones) are now often used to decorate anything from office walls to t-shirts. This is clearly worrisome on a number of levels.

And there are other ethical issues to be considered in Asia, such as the sale of war-themed paraphernalia in Vietnam, that I’ll discuss in a future post.

Japan news today. The big story is the death of former Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa, who was found dead at his home in Tokyo yesterday. Early reports suggest the police think it unlikely Nakagawa, who lost his House of Representatives seat at the recent general election, committed suicide. But whatever the cause, the death is still a blow to the Liberal Democratic Party, which was routed at the same poll, where it lost power for virtually the first time in more than five decades.

Nakagawa may not have been an LDP lawmaker anymore after his shock defeat in August (appearing incoherent and apparently drunk at a G-7 meeting earlier this year undoubtedly contributed to that result), but he had been a key member of a party that is desperately trying to pull itself together after its devastating loss.

I’m working on an in-depth piece looking at the challenges facing the Democratic Party of Japan, which has just taken power. But inevitably discussions I’ve had with leading commentators have turned to the future of the defeated LDP.

Akira Nakamura, a professor at Meiji University’s School of Political Science and Economics, was pretty downbeat. He told me: ‘I don’t think LDP has a chance to get back to the mainstream of Japanese politics. The election was a death blow to the party. It may split into many mini parties. I am sure if Taro Kono wouldn’t get elected as a party president [which he didn’t] he will leave the LDP…to form another party. Fragmentation of the LDP will help the DPJ to stay in power.’

A lot of great graphs have been appearing on the internet lately—really modern and easy-to-understand ones with good topics. Here are a couple of great examples getting a lot of hits today:

First, this one called ‘Costs Around the World: Internet Access’ compares the average internet speeds and usage costs of 30 countries around the globe. Japan is number one for both efficiency and price, with Korea (presumably South!) coming in a close second. Australia is ranked 26th. And China, despite having the largest number of internet users in the world (an estimated 253 million), is not there at all.

Another interesting one may not be such welcome reading for Toyota, who had to recall almost 4 million cars this week for hazardous floor mats. It is a simple what-to-do flowchart called ‘Floor mat-Triggered Fiery Death Avoidance Chart.’



And…in China there’s news that 7-11 has launched its first convenience cafe in Hong Kong, called 7 café, serving sushi, curry and more. A nice article in Time offers some local perspectives.