Skywalker's Space Tour

If everything related to human interventions could be concluded as taking FOCs, there wouldn't be any economic crisis or fluctuations. Since OUR actions will influence OUR observations, we hold strong bonds to the data we are interpreting. Our "theories" will reflect the realities more by changing it than explaining it.

如果你不打算有勇气站出来，有勇气用双手保卫自己的权利，就别指望别人帮助你。自由与其说是来自于斗争，不如说是来自于觉醒。

 

 

 

February 2009's country opinion poll reveals that it is very hard to become a popular big power. The big powers: USA, Russia, China, India, all have a negative view of at least 30 percent. The middle powers: Brazil, South Africa, Britain, France, Germany, Japan and Canada, are getting surprisingly positive views around the globe. The small and pivotal countries: Iran, Israel, North Korea and Pakistan, are all having predominantly negative views.

Let's focus on the big four: USA, Russia, China and India. How come the big four are having a balanced and sometimes negative image? I guess it is because these big guys have to intervene around the world to stop the crime or to provoke a conflict. That's why these big guys are getting extreme views around the world.

On the other side, we get the quiet and peaceful "middle class". Europeans are very popular nowadays. It is partly due to their remaining influence over the post-colonial world, partly because they are not too robust to go around the world anymore. As a result, the world gives the old guys a moderate view. Comparing the old guys, Canada is getting a surprisingly high reputation. I think it is owing the fact the Canadians use their forces cautiously but decisively. Canadians don't appear at worthless warfares such as Iraq. Rather, they fight the real dangers: the Talibans. Canadians don't support the human-rights-abusing regimes because they have no geo-political motives to contain some other big guys. This is a big burden for the big four, seriously.

Think about it, Russians have to support restless Serbs at Bosnia while Chinese have to support North Korea and Myanmar. USA used to fund Mobutu of Zaire and the Somoza dynasty at Nicaragua. India once sent troops to Sri Lanka to help restore "order and peace". These big guys know that if they are taking responsibilities then their minds can't be pure and their hands can't remain bloodless.

That's why the middle powers are so popular and so "middle". British and French are too old to take risks themselves. Germans and Japanese ae still struggling with their guilts. Brazil and South Africa are growing but not enough. Canada is simply too shy to go around alone.

Now let's shift our attention to the "badasses":Iran, Israel, North Korea and Pakistan.

It is inaccurate to put Pakistan in the list. Pakistan does not often agressively commit arson and run away. It just has too much busy things around: containing Taliban, maintaining Democracy, keeping order among the ethnicities and tribes, maintaining secularism, checking India. I can seldomly find another example in the world like Pakistan to have so many challenges while hold so few resources. But this is Pakistan, it survives and it is still kicking!

Iran is often considered as a "badass" in the Western world. According to its geographical location and its curcial territories, it HAS to be a basass: Taking a look, north: Turkmens and Uzbek Taliban-wannabes; east: Talibans and NATO; southeast: Balochis crossbordering with Pakistan; south: the Hormuz straight related to trillions of oil futures at CME; southwest: the "hated" Arabs and Sunnis; west: Iraq; northwest: fellow Azeris, Armenians and Kurds all hating one another with Turkey and Russia watching over. I can understand why Iran has to appear tough.

If Iran has to be a badass, Israel must be brave enough to live. Israel is a born "badass". No single neighbour around Israel will show a simple sympathy if Israel is strike with some kind of natural disaster, such as Tsunami. It is because Israel as a single player IS REAL. Can you find another country with a common religion? Thailand has Laos and Myanmmar. Malaysia has big brother Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. The Philippines has the whole Catholic world. Serbia and Greece have big brother Russia. What does Israel have? NOTHING. In other words, Israel has to live by itself. It is born an orphan. To be an orphan, you have to be a born "badass". Adjectives I can use are all inaccurate: tough, glorious, mean, ruthless, decisive, die hard, villainous, pride...

Now North Korea. Among countries and powers, there are several ways for them to survive. North Korea lives a rusty and rascal life. It has no choice. Ever since the collapse of Soviet Union and the market reform of China, North Korea feels being marginalized from the centre stage of the world. All its neighbours, first Japan, then its southern "rival“brother, then China, later Russia, are all getting rich. North Korea has to find a Raison d'être. So North Korea choose to play bad. It chooses to drag attentions from its neighbours and USA. It has no choice.

To sum up, countries are being viewed differently. Mostly it is not their choice to act as some kind of warmonger or insane douchebags. They choose their ways to survive. It is very Hobbesian. It is called "Realpolitik".