Transnational news - 11 January 2008

Editor's pick: Articles of the week

	Bush in the Middle East: Iran over Palestine, Israel over all Phyllis Bennis Bush's current visit to the Middle East, despite the official central message of supporting an Israeli-Palestinian peace process, has far more to do with Iran. See also Phyllis Bennis debating the US, Britain and the 'making' of the modern world on TV Ontario

	The commons, the state and transformative politics Hilary Wainwright New technology and new forms of organisation are coming together to transform the left and labour movements, political representation and democracy.

	A voice for a different Europe Interview with Susan George The defeated EU Constitution has been repackaged as the Reform Treaty, which does not say a single word about social Europe. Rejecting it is crucial to defend democracy. See also: Rejecting the Reform Treaty is the first step in building an alternative, progressive EU

	Pakistan's Plight Tariq Ali With Pervez Musharraf trying to cling to power whatever the cost, a farcical succession within the Pakistan People's Party, and continued US interference, Pakistan's dark night is far from over. See also: Pakistan deserves better than this feudal charade, and A tragedy born of military despotism and anarchy

	The President's Fate Boris Kagarlitsky With Dmitry Medvedev - Putin's favoured candidate - as President, Russia could be in for a new bout of liberalisation. But Putin will not take a back seat as Prime Minister and political conflict looks a likely outcome. See also: The President's blunder

Global outlook stories

The assassin's age: Pakistan in the world
Benazir Bhutto's political life and death belong to a wider pattern of destabilising assaults on figures of power, says Fred Halliday.
See also an interview with Jochen Hippler: Derzeit kann niemand Bhuttos Rolle übernehmen

Fighting false solutions
Leslie Berliant talks to Kevin Smith and Jutta Kill
This wide-ranging interview sets out the US role in formulating the Kyoto Protocol, discusses the role of corporate power on climate policy, and underlines how voluntary carbon 'offsets' delay more systemic solutions to reducing fossil fuel dependency by personalising responsibility for action on climate change.
See also The case against carbon trading, by Kevin Smith, and
Carbon credits used to fund GMOs, by Craig Mackintosh

Bali: A Missed Opportunity
Walden Bello
The UN climate conference in Bali was a missed opportunity to act on the greatest challenge in our generation, with a 'road map' agreed. The sketchy Bali Roadmap was the result of getting the US on board at any cost.
See also reports on the Bali conference by Daphne Wysham, Patrick Bond and Janet Redman

The left needs rethinking, not abject apologia
Praful Bidwai
The last thing the Communist Party of India (Marxist) needs are apologists for its role in the Nadrigam carnage. It has to seriously rethink its policies and change course.
See also: Final Interim Report of an Independent Citizens' Team from Kolkata on the Current State of Affairs in Nandigram <

A region of dangers
Mariano Aguirre
We can expect the traditional US policy of support for Israeli repression to continue also in 2008, with predictable results: more repression generates more deadly radicalism. The similar pattern can be seen also in Pakistan.

Going ballistic
Praful Bidwai
Instead of wasting resources on strategically dubious ballistic missile defence (BMD), which will destabilise regional security, India should aim at improving its Human Development record.

Why Gujarat?
Praful Bidwai
The Congress could not have defeated Narendra Modi without grasping why Hindutva is so uniquely powerful in Gujarat and without confronting it at its roots.
See also: Democracy's dark side: the BJP's return to power in Gujarat

Bush snatched defeat from the jaws of victory
Saul Landau
Insisting on Iran's nuclear threat despite the opposite findings of an intelligence report is a part of Bush's well-rehearsed tactic of spreading fear to keep power.

Reflections: 60 years of empire
Saul Landau
George W. Bush has led the United States from a bright dream toward an incipient nightmare.

In memoriam: Philip Agee
We are saddened to learn of the death on 7 January of Philip Agee, a former TNI fellow who was resident at the Institute in the summer of 1977.

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Selección del editor

	El complicado viaje de Bush a Oriente Medio Mariano Aguirre George W. Bush viaja esta semana a Oriente Medio para promover el acuerdo de paz entre Israel y Palestina, aislar a Irán, buscar apoyo en su guerra en Iraq, y tratar de contener el alza del precio del petróleo. Muchas tareas para un presidente en su último año en la Casa Blanca.

El referéndum sobre la reforma constitucional: El proceso político en Venezuela entra en una encrucijada crítica
Edgardo Lander
Con la derrota del referéndum sobre la reforma propuesta por Chávez y por la Asamblea Nacional a la Constitución del año 1999, se inicia una encrucijada crítica para el futuro del proceso de cambio que ha venido ocurriendo en el país durante los últimos nueve años.

	"La guerra contra las drogas ha fracasado" Entrevista con Ricardo Soberón Garrido No hay un problema mundial de drogas: hay problemas nacionales y hay que permitir que los países adopten sus propias prioridades.

Perspectiva global

Los países ricos dominan las negociaciones en Bali
Sara Plaza
La cumbre de Bali sobre el cambio climático estuvo marcada por las presiones de los países del Norte hacia los países del Sur y por la ausencia de voz de los movimientos sociales.

El asesinato de Benazir Bhutto lleva a Pakistán a la desesperación
Tariq Alí
El asesinato de Benazir Bhutto ha provocado un estallido de desesperación en Pakistán. Ahora, su partido se debe reconstruir como organización democrática.

Bush arrancó la derrota de las garras de la victoria
Saul Landau
Insistir en la amenaza nuclear de Irán pese a las conclusiones contrarias de un informe de inteligencia forma parte de la deliberada táctica de Bush de sembrar el miedo para conservar el poder.

Reflexiones: 60 años de imperio
Saul Landau
George W. Bush llevó a Estados Unidos desde un brillante sueño hasta una incipiente pesadilla.

Gadafi, su gira y nosotros
Pere Vilanova
La reciente gira del señor Gadafi por diversas capitales europeas ha sido una excelente ocasión para que unos y otros, gobernantes y gobernados, afrontásemos una vez más el espinoso examen de la relación entre política y derechos humanos.