Masters of the World: The Arrogance of China's Leadership
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The West hopes that China's growing prosperity will also lead to political liberalization. But the reverse is likely to be true. The Communist Party's increasing confidence means China is set to become more of a troublemaker on the international stage, and more brutal in its crackdown on dissidents.

China's Communist Party is omnipotent. It can move mountains, as it did when it built the world's largest hydroelectric plant on the Yangtze River. It can build the world's highest railway line, as it proved when it constructed the rail link to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.

It can even organize reincarnations, something it achieved when it anointed a man who is loyal to Beijing as Tibet's second-highest spiritual leader, or Panchen Lama -- a particularly impressive feat for an atheistic party which regards religion as a corrupting opium of the people. The Communist Party bosses briefly turned spiritual in order to get their man in place as successor to the Dalai Lama, 74. But the Dalai Lama has chosen his own spiritual deputy. And he's also thinking about selecting a woman to be his reincarnation, he told SPIEGEL. Besides, he doesn't want to do Beijing the favour of dying anytime soon.

Last Thursday, US President Barack Obama shook hands with the Tibetan Nobel Peace Prize winner in the White House. It's something his predecessors had also done, as had the French and German government leaders. Usually Beijing just responded to such meetings by uttering the usual protests. The Communist Party's complaints against US arms shipments to Taiwan have been similarly muted in the past because it was well aware that US presidents are bound by law to help Taiwan.

But it's different this time. Beijing reacted with uncommonly vocal fury to the latest Dalai Lama meeting and Washington's new Taiwan arms deal, and has threatened consequences. Companies like Boeing might be excluded from Chinese deals, and bilateral talks among military officials have been cancelled. Self-Confidence Bordering on Arrogance >>> A commentary by Erich Follath | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Pat Condell: The Arrogance of Clergy

Obama’s Charm Wearing Off
YNET NEWS – OPINION: Recent ceremony reinforces sense that Obama no more than great orator

Last week, American President Barack Obama awarded 16 international figures with the Medal of Freedom. The list of recipients included Desmond Tutu from South Africa, Mary Robinson of the Durban Conference, black hole expert Steven Hawking and others.

The Fox Network offered a live broadcast of the ceremony, which is the equivalent of our Israel Prize, only much more compact: The audience in attendance was rather small, and there were no tiring speeches. The record of each award recipient was only reviewed in brief.

As opposed to what is customary around here, the recipients did not get money, but rather, only a medal. Obama did not even bother to shake their hand before he awarded the medal. He quickly kissed the women and slightly nodded at the men.

He was even stingy when it came to flashing his trademark smile, as if this was some kind of budgetary burden that the bankrupt Washington cannot afford at this difficult time.

Overall, the admired president was incredible cold and arrogant. He barely spoke to the medal recipients. His body language conveyed a sense of disinterest. Even Hawking obviously bored him. Cold and arrogant >>> Hagai Segal | Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Church Demand on Our Voting Choice Is Arrogant
'RATHER SILLY': Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams. Photo courtesy of the Daily Express
SUNDAY EXPRESS: Five days from now we shall have voted, or more likely according to the opinion polls not have voted, in the European elections and the ecclesiastical establishment is getting its gaiters in a twist over its fear that we shall do something stupid.

The well-intentioned although from time to time rather silly Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams has been joined by the usually sensible Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu in issuing a rare joint statement.

Recognising the anger that exposure of the House of Commons expenses scandal has caused they urge that at a time of turbulence and disgust with the main political parties voters must avoid voting for the British National Party.

Their unprecedented intervention may have been prompted by an opinion poll that found that more than 25 per cent of the electorate is planning to reject the Westminster Establishment in the June 4 elections.

Yet the Church may have already undermined its authority to lecture the country about its behaviour. For one thing it supports multiculturalism and open-door immigration, outraging the vast majority of the population who were never asked if that was what they wanted, and the Archbishops have given the oxygen of publicity to a political party which is only a marginal force.

They may also have compounded their mistakes by assuming that we will put up with being told how we must, or must not, vote. The Archbishops’ intervention has been arrogant, patronising and unnecessary. >>> Jimmy Young | Sunday, May 31, 2009

The Arrogance and Ignorance of Obama

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