La Respuesta de EUA al Incidente de la Flotilla Turka Conformará el Futuro del Medio Oriente
Global Viewpoint - Spanish
http://bit.ly/dyFyia
Suat Kiniklioglu es el vicepresidente de asuntos externos del partido AK (Justicia y Desarrollo) y miembro del Consejo Ejecutivo Central del Partido AK.
Suat Kiniklioglu
ANKARA, Turquía -- Soy el único político turco que ha visitado Israel desde que desataron la Guerra de Gaza, y el incidente de Davos entre el presidente israelí Shimon Peres y el primer ministro truco Recep Tayyip Erdogan acentuó las diferencias entre nuestros países. Tengo muchos amigos en Israel, y no dudé en visitar Israel cuando un grupo intelectual israelí me extendió una invitación. A pesar de los muchos retos, mantuve mi optimismo de que Turquía e Israel podría resolver sus diferencias a pesar de los desacuerdos sobre la situación humanitaria en Gaza.
Sin embargo, el lunes fue un punto clave para mí y los 72 millones de ciudadano de mi país. El lunes, Turquía se conmocionó al saber que comandos israelíes estaban atacando una flotilla turca cargada de abastos médicos, juguetes y alimentos con destino a Gaza, matando cuando menos a nueve activistas de la paz en el proceso. El ataque en sí fue ilegal ya que ocurrió en aguas internacionales y, según el exembajador británico Craig Murray, equivale a una "guerra ilegal." Los 600 activistas del barco incluían al Premio Nobel Mairead Corrigan-Maguire, abogados, periodistas y empresarios alemanes y un superviviente del Holocausto de 86 años de edad -- difícilmente objetivos que pudieran presentar una amenaza para los bien armados comandos de Israel.
Los reportes de algunos activistas liberados indican claramente que los comandos israelíes que abordaron el más grande barco de la flotilla dispararon a matar y usaron armas eléctricas paralizantes. Estos reportes difieren agudamente de los que vienen de los políticos y del ejército israelí. Por ello es imperativo que se realice una oportuna, imparcial creíble y transparente investigación conforme a estándares internacionales sobre las muertes de cuando menos nueve civiles a manos de comandos israelíes. La ONU, los turcos y la opinión pública internacional demandan saber qué ocurrió, por qué y quién es responsable de la muerte de estos nueve activista de la paz.
La misión de la flotilla tiene dos dimensiones. Primero, ha dañado irrevocablemente las relaciones entre Turquía e Israel al nivel bilateral. Turquía demanda -- al igual que la ONU -- una investigación independiente por el asesinato de nueve activistas y quiere una disculpa y compensación para aquellos asesinados por comandos israelíes. Ankara también quiere que los responsables de este crimen sean castigados. Nada menos que estas medidas será suficiente. Lo que el gobierno israelí actual no parece comprender es que este asesinato premeditado ha hecho que se pase un umbral crítico en las percepciones turcas vis-a-vis Israel sin importar la persuasión política.
Desde el lunes, los turcos consideramos al actual gobierno israelí como no amigo. No hay duda de que el rompimiento tiene el potencial de escalar si Israel no responde rápida y responsablemente.
Segundo, Hay una importante dimensión internacional en el fiasco de la flotilla. El asesinato de nueva activistas de la paz por Israel de nuevo demostró el claro desacato de las normas internacionales y la ley por parte del gobierno israelí. Más importantemente, La respuesta de los EUA al desproporcionado uso de violencia por los israelíes contra civiles inocentes constituye una prueba para la credibilidad de los EUA en el Medio Oriente. Como muchas naciones europeas, la ONU y la opinión pública, EUA tiene la responsabilidad moral de condenar la violencia de Israel como lo que es. Turquía monitorea estrechamente la respuesta de EUA. Como elocuentemente observó el ministro turco del exterior Ahmet Davutoglu, esta no es una decisión entre Turquía e Israel. Es una decisión entre el bien y el mal. Entre lo legal y lo ilegal.
En muchos aspectos, el Medio Oriente se aproxima a una importante encrucijada.
EUA determinará con qué clase de Medio Oriente estará tratando en el futuro por su respuesta a las acciones de Israel. Esto no podría ser más urgente dada la tensión alrededor del programa nuclear israelí, la precaria situación en Irak y la continua guerra en Afganistán
Además, el ataque contra la flotilla ha acentuado una vez más que el bloque en Gaza no es ya sostenible. Israel no puede ya justificar su inhumano bloqueo en contra de los palestinos en Gaza. Gaza constituye actualmente una prisión al aire libre. Según Amnistía Internacional, 1.4 millones de palestinos son sometidos al castigo colectivo que pretende sofocar a la Franja de Gaza. Desempleo masivo, extrema pobreza y aumentos en los pecios de los alimentos causados por las crisis han dejado a cuatro de cada cinco habitantes en Gaza dependiente de la ayuda humanitaria. Por ello es que la Flotilla de la Libertad quería entregar los auxilios que transportaba. También quería señalar la necesidad de permitir que los habitantes de Gaza comercien e interactúen con el resto del mundo.
Los turcos dimos la bienvenida a los judíos que escapaban de la inquisición en España en 1492. Nuestros diplomáticos han arriesgado sus vidas para salvar a los judíos europeos de los nazis. El Imperio Otomano y Turquía han tradicionalmente sido hospitalarios para los judíos por siglos. Habiendo dicho eso, no podemos ya tolerar las brutales políticas del actual gobierno de Israel, especialmente al costo de las vidas de nuestros ciudadanos. Ni la conciencia de Turquía ni la de la comunidad internacional pueden continuar soportando el peso de las irresponsables políticas del gobierno de Netanyahu.
Como concluye el editorial del Washington Post, el Sr. Netanyahu necesita también ampliar su gobierno para incluir a los partidos pacifistas; uno de los principales problemas son los halcones de su gabinete que han hecho que el término diplomacia israelí sea una incongruencia.
Tanto Israel como Turquía merecen algo mejor.
http://bit.ly/dyFyia
(c) GLOBAL VIEWPOINT NETWORK/TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES
jueves, 3 de junio de 2010
martes, 1 de junio de 2010
GOOD FITNESS GOALS ARE MORE THAN MIND OVER MATTER
Good Fitness Goals Are More Than Mind Over Matter
By Eric Heiden, M.D., Tribune Media Services
Eric Heiden
http://bit.ly/b1dY5p
This time of year, everyone is talking about their fitness goals for the summer. It's a pleasant reprieve from all the news about rising obesity levels and our nation's lack of attention to fitness, no doubt.
I get worried, however, when I hear about the money, sweat and enthusiasm people are investing in outsized fitness goals -- say, a marathon veteran working to trim two hours off her marathon time, or someone trying to go from couch-condition to super athlete in a few weeks. Many people are led to believe that they can succeed at anything they put their mind to, if only they want it badly enough.
It's very easy to fall prey to such utterly unfounded proclamations. Throughout much of my life I have been considered a very goal-oriented person. Much of the success I have had has been the result of some dreaming, lots of planning, plenty of hard work and sweat, and a great deal of focus, dedication and concentration. But it's important to distinguish between the scientifically measurable motivation of realistic goals and "mind over matter" thinking.
Goals are key. They can play a significant role in your getting out the door every day to exercise. You need to harness that motivation in your quest for fitness. Your brain holds a great deal of power over exaggerating or minimizing the way you experience training. You often see this in top athletes: At the end of a grueling event, when everyone is exhausted, something happens that motivates them, and they are suddenly fresh and able to take off with renewed power. This shows how dramatically your brain can modulate the way you feel fatigue and other sensations. But it's crucial that your goals work in tandem with reality and that they do not inadvertently thwart your efforts by handing you disappointments instead. Here are some guidelines.
-- If your purpose is to excel at a certain sport, and you have been at it for some time with little improvement, you may have already topped out. If so, concentrate on sharpening components of your performance -- your muscular endurance, skills, flexibility, nutrition and mental focus; carefully plot your training and tapering; or work on achieving a personal best.
-- If you're new to exercise this summer, you may discover steady improvement, but if your improvement isn't as fast or dramatic as you hope, don't give up. People often stop exercising even when they do improve or lose weight because they were hoping they would get even faster or lose even more weight. In other words, they cease their quest for fitness not because they aren't achieving it, but because they aren't achieving some unrealistic ideal of it. So along the way, remember that any improvement is improvement.
-- Likewise, keep a clear head about what to expect regarding physical changes to your body. A person who gets fit does not look like the people in the "after" pictures in the fitness advertisements so ubiquitous this time of year. Many people who have never been exposed to the science of fitness expect real fitness to look like the images used in the marketing of fitness. Models used to market fitness products look that good only with the benefit of special lighting, makeup, airbrushing and other effects.
The real-world reward of fitness is not as dramatic as those 60-second commercials would lead you to expect. Instead, be on the lookout for indications that you have achieved a new level of health, vitality or ability.
(Eric Heiden, M.D., a five-time Olympic gold medalist speed skater, is now an orthopedic surgeon in Utah. He co-authored "Faster, Better, Stronger: Your Fitness Bible" (HarperCollins) with exercise performance physician Max Testa, M.D., and DeAnne Musolf. Visit www.fasterbetterstronger.com.)
http://bit.ly/b1dY5p
(c) 2010 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
By Eric Heiden, M.D., Tribune Media Services
Eric Heiden
http://bit.ly/b1dY5p
This time of year, everyone is talking about their fitness goals for the summer. It's a pleasant reprieve from all the news about rising obesity levels and our nation's lack of attention to fitness, no doubt.
I get worried, however, when I hear about the money, sweat and enthusiasm people are investing in outsized fitness goals -- say, a marathon veteran working to trim two hours off her marathon time, or someone trying to go from couch-condition to super athlete in a few weeks. Many people are led to believe that they can succeed at anything they put their mind to, if only they want it badly enough.
It's very easy to fall prey to such utterly unfounded proclamations. Throughout much of my life I have been considered a very goal-oriented person. Much of the success I have had has been the result of some dreaming, lots of planning, plenty of hard work and sweat, and a great deal of focus, dedication and concentration. But it's important to distinguish between the scientifically measurable motivation of realistic goals and "mind over matter" thinking.
Goals are key. They can play a significant role in your getting out the door every day to exercise. You need to harness that motivation in your quest for fitness. Your brain holds a great deal of power over exaggerating or minimizing the way you experience training. You often see this in top athletes: At the end of a grueling event, when everyone is exhausted, something happens that motivates them, and they are suddenly fresh and able to take off with renewed power. This shows how dramatically your brain can modulate the way you feel fatigue and other sensations. But it's crucial that your goals work in tandem with reality and that they do not inadvertently thwart your efforts by handing you disappointments instead. Here are some guidelines.
-- If your purpose is to excel at a certain sport, and you have been at it for some time with little improvement, you may have already topped out. If so, concentrate on sharpening components of your performance -- your muscular endurance, skills, flexibility, nutrition and mental focus; carefully plot your training and tapering; or work on achieving a personal best.
-- If you're new to exercise this summer, you may discover steady improvement, but if your improvement isn't as fast or dramatic as you hope, don't give up. People often stop exercising even when they do improve or lose weight because they were hoping they would get even faster or lose even more weight. In other words, they cease their quest for fitness not because they aren't achieving it, but because they aren't achieving some unrealistic ideal of it. So along the way, remember that any improvement is improvement.
-- Likewise, keep a clear head about what to expect regarding physical changes to your body. A person who gets fit does not look like the people in the "after" pictures in the fitness advertisements so ubiquitous this time of year. Many people who have never been exposed to the science of fitness expect real fitness to look like the images used in the marketing of fitness. Models used to market fitness products look that good only with the benefit of special lighting, makeup, airbrushing and other effects.
The real-world reward of fitness is not as dramatic as those 60-second commercials would lead you to expect. Instead, be on the lookout for indications that you have achieved a new level of health, vitality or ability.
(Eric Heiden, M.D., a five-time Olympic gold medalist speed skater, is now an orthopedic surgeon in Utah. He co-authored "Faster, Better, Stronger: Your Fitness Bible" (HarperCollins) with exercise performance physician Max Testa, M.D., and DeAnne Musolf. Visit www.fasterbetterstronger.com.)
http://bit.ly/b1dY5p
(c) 2010 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
EU FUNDING PROPOSAL IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
EU Funding Proposal Is Only the Beginning
By Ian Bremmer and Preston Keat, Tribune Media Services
Bremmer, Ian
The dramatic EU funding proposal is an important first step. Next comes enforcement of tough fiscal reform guidelines, which introduces a series of new political challenges and risks.
EXCITEMENT AND APPREHENSION
The high-stakes deal among the key member states to provide a huge lending facility for "fiscally challenged" countries was a historic breakthrough. Exhausted EU policy makers expressed a mixture of and excitement and apprehension. Their jobs just got more important, and harder.
On the excitement front -- it buys the eurozone time in the eyes of market participants, and also demonstrates that in a moment of true crisis, the big players (i.e. Germany and France) can compromise and take bold, coordinated policy moves. The deal also implies at least a partial "federalization" of the EU budget, so if all goes well, the primacy and relevance of the EU will be enhanced. Finally, there was a sense of relief that the "fiscal laggards" will finally be held to account in a more credible and systematic manner.
On the apprehension front -- the hard work now begins. It's one thing to announce a huge headline number, but quite another to devise, negotiate and implement that more "credible and systematic" fiscal policy regime.
The tensions and competing fiscal reform agendas were papered over but not truly resolved. The bureaucratic coordination and country-level political challenges will be persistent and real.
EU policy makers think there are a number of possible outcomes: (1) an exit from the euro by one of the "big two" troubled countries (Spain and Italy); (2) a German exit from the euro in the intermediate term (4-5 years); (3) the crisis has effectively been resolved by the funding announcement and initial implementation moves, and the eurozone returns to sustainable growth and stability; (4) a muddle-through story where the euro remains credible and generally resilient, but this is accompanied by ad-hoc responses to mini crises, generally constrained growth and a real risk of political tensions over time among a number of core EU member states.
Scenario four is by far the most likely scenario. The crisis has generated a fiscal consolidation consensus in Europe. And there will be mechanisms to enforce fiscal reforms. In broad terms this consensus will hold in for the rest of 2010.
But there will also be serious tensions, particularly in the intermediate term. At the strategic level, Germany and France still have fundamentally different views about how to manage the trade-offs between inflation and growth (with Germany being more hawkish with regard to inflation), and this will continue to inform their approaches to fiscal reform. At the national level, countries such as Spain will be making dramatic cuts to spending and entitlements. This may prove to be politically unsustainable over time. And at a third, cross-regional level, Eastern European EU member states such as Poland will be inclined to agree with Germany's push for deep fiscal reform in Southern Europe.
What this sets us up for is a complex process of negotiation among competing bureaucracies and countries. If the eurozone is to survive as we know it, this entire new enterprise needs to work well enough. But there will be interconnected political risks emerging in Brussels, among coalitions of EU member states and within individual countries, regarding the costs and benefits of reform.
(Ian Bremmer is president of Eurasia Group, a political-risk consultancy, and the author of "The End of the Free Market: Who Wins the War Between States and Corporations?" Preston Keat is director of research for Eurasia Group. They can be reached via e-mail at research@eurasiagroup.net.)
http://bit.ly/bb5SSJ
(C) 2010 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
By Ian Bremmer and Preston Keat, Tribune Media Services
Bremmer, Ian
The dramatic EU funding proposal is an important first step. Next comes enforcement of tough fiscal reform guidelines, which introduces a series of new political challenges and risks.
EXCITEMENT AND APPREHENSION
The high-stakes deal among the key member states to provide a huge lending facility for "fiscally challenged" countries was a historic breakthrough. Exhausted EU policy makers expressed a mixture of and excitement and apprehension. Their jobs just got more important, and harder.
On the excitement front -- it buys the eurozone time in the eyes of market participants, and also demonstrates that in a moment of true crisis, the big players (i.e. Germany and France) can compromise and take bold, coordinated policy moves. The deal also implies at least a partial "federalization" of the EU budget, so if all goes well, the primacy and relevance of the EU will be enhanced. Finally, there was a sense of relief that the "fiscal laggards" will finally be held to account in a more credible and systematic manner.
On the apprehension front -- the hard work now begins. It's one thing to announce a huge headline number, but quite another to devise, negotiate and implement that more "credible and systematic" fiscal policy regime.
The tensions and competing fiscal reform agendas were papered over but not truly resolved. The bureaucratic coordination and country-level political challenges will be persistent and real.
EU policy makers think there are a number of possible outcomes: (1) an exit from the euro by one of the "big two" troubled countries (Spain and Italy); (2) a German exit from the euro in the intermediate term (4-5 years); (3) the crisis has effectively been resolved by the funding announcement and initial implementation moves, and the eurozone returns to sustainable growth and stability; (4) a muddle-through story where the euro remains credible and generally resilient, but this is accompanied by ad-hoc responses to mini crises, generally constrained growth and a real risk of political tensions over time among a number of core EU member states.
Scenario four is by far the most likely scenario. The crisis has generated a fiscal consolidation consensus in Europe. And there will be mechanisms to enforce fiscal reforms. In broad terms this consensus will hold in for the rest of 2010.
But there will also be serious tensions, particularly in the intermediate term. At the strategic level, Germany and France still have fundamentally different views about how to manage the trade-offs between inflation and growth (with Germany being more hawkish with regard to inflation), and this will continue to inform their approaches to fiscal reform. At the national level, countries such as Spain will be making dramatic cuts to spending and entitlements. This may prove to be politically unsustainable over time. And at a third, cross-regional level, Eastern European EU member states such as Poland will be inclined to agree with Germany's push for deep fiscal reform in Southern Europe.
What this sets us up for is a complex process of negotiation among competing bureaucracies and countries. If the eurozone is to survive as we know it, this entire new enterprise needs to work well enough. But there will be interconnected political risks emerging in Brussels, among coalitions of EU member states and within individual countries, regarding the costs and benefits of reform.
(Ian Bremmer is president of Eurasia Group, a political-risk consultancy, and the author of "The End of the Free Market: Who Wins the War Between States and Corporations?" Preston Keat is director of research for Eurasia Group. They can be reached via e-mail at research@eurasiagroup.net.)
http://bit.ly/bb5SSJ
(C) 2010 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
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