COLOMBIA-VENEZUELA: Severed Ties, Fresh Ground for New Problems
OPS_admin | Jul 25, 2010 | Comments 0
The break in diplomatic relations between neighbours Colombia and Venezuela, ordered Thursday by the latter’s President Hugo Chávez, bodes an escalation of tensions — the outcome of which largely will be decided by Colombia’s president-elect Juan Manuel Santos.
“This is a fateful day for the people of both countries, who are the losers in the severing of relations, and the first loser is Santos,” Carlos Romero, professor of international studies at the Central University of Venezuela, told IPS.
In his view, “the bilateral relationship will be marked by a heavy tension, and Santos will have to make an effort and perhaps sacrifice more to find a way to rebuild it. In the meantime the void will be filled with problems of border security, trade, and transit of peoples from one country to the other.”
Fellow international relations professor Adolfo Salgueiro believes the moves that led to the severing of ties were coordinated by Santos and out-going President Álvaro Uribe so that the new president can begin Aug. 7 to elaborate the terms necessary to repair relations.
Full Story: COLOMBIA-VENEZUELA: Severed Ties, Fresh Ground for New Problems – IPS ipsnews.net.
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If we don't change our ways soon...
A new report by the Royal Society, chaired by Nobel prize-winning biologist Sir John Sulston warns that world population must be stabilized and consumption in wealthy nations must be reduced or the entire planet is in big trouble. As the report reads: "The number of people living on the planet has never been higher, their levels of consumption are unprecedented and vast changes are taking place in the environment. We can choose to rebalance the use of resources to a more egalitarian pattern of consumption... or we can choose to do nothing and to drift into a downward spiral of economic and environmental ills leading to a more unequal and inhospitable future."This is the same warning that President Jimmy Carter gave Americans back in the 1970's - but it was ignored when Ronald Reagan came to power with a "more positive" message basically telling Americans we can do whatever we want. And then after 9/11 - Bush told us all we should go shopping and consume ever more.And now with corporations calling the shots in Washington - long-term sustainability of the planet takes a back seat to short-term profits. If we don't change our ways soon - and embrace clean, alternative energy and educate women around the plant - then we all could be headed for a rough century.-Thom(Is there any chance we will learn in time? Tell us here.) -
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The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. 
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