Source:
New York Times

Chinese officials acknowledge their differences with the United States but appear to share American frustrations at the junta’s handling of the country’s economy and at times show impatience at the slow pace of political change.

As the United States searches for new ways to nudge Myanmar toward democratic change, it may find an unexpected ally in China, according to secret diplomatic cables.

Internal State Department correspondence shows a much less adversarial relationship between the United States and China over Myanmar than the language of official statements or years of posturing at the United Nations might suggest.

Source:
The Independent (UK)

Once again, our great imperial fleets sail – but who is the robber?

Who imagined that in 2009, the world's governments would be declaring a new War on Pirates? As you read this, the British Royal Navy – backed by the ships of more than two dozen nations, from the US to China – is sailing into Somalian waters to take on men we still picture as parrot-on-the-shoulder pantomime villains. They will soon be fighting Somalian ships and even chasing the pirates onto land, into one of the most broken countries on earth. But behind the arrr-me-hearties oddness of this tale, there is an untold scandal.

Your Most Basic Right as an American is Under Attack. Your Most Trusted Duty as a Citizen Hangs in the Balance.

Are You Paying Attention?

You've seen the bumper sticker: "If you don't vote, then don't complain about the government." But on Election Day 2004 millions of voters had a lot to complain about: they waited in line for hours to cast ballots, many of the requested provisional ballots never arrived, others were tossed in the trash and the final tallies from voting machines showed gross inaccuracies while officials played partisan politics with the voting rules.