The Standard

Poland Elects Pro-EU Government

Pro-Market, Pro-EU Leader Pledges Policy Shifts

Polish voters have turned out in numbers not seen since the fall of Communism to elect the Civic Platform party into power. 

With 99% percent of the vote counted the pro-EU party led by Donald Tusk is set to claim 41% of the vote, setting the party up to form a coalition with the moderate Polish Peasants party.

The ousted Law and Justice party, led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, took a combative political approach to EU affairs that has alienated Poland from the rest of Europe.

Mr. Kaczynksi often played on old nationalist sentiments and stirred up World War II resentments.

Mr. Tusk's Civic Platform party has vowed to repair relations with the EU and focus on Polish opportunities that derive from political cooperation with the rest of the European community.

Mr. Tusk is also seen as pro-business and a proponent of the free market.

EU politicians and European newspapers breathed a sigh of relief on Monday.

Jose Manuel Barrosso, EU commission president, reacted with the words: "I am confident that there can be fruitful cooperation with the next Polish government." He added: "I'm pleased by the Democratic process in Poland."

Battles With President Loom

Mr. Tusk will not have free hand in crafting Polish policy.

Lech Kazcynski, twin brother to Jaroslaw and fellow conservative nationalist, holds the Polish presidency until elections in 2010.

He has vowed to use his veto power to combat Civic Platform party proposals.

Mr. Tusk will need to hold together a broad coalition in parliament to meet his party's objectives.

Week In Review: International

*** Labor Day made it a short week in the US, where economic data continued to suggest the economy was moving toward recession.

*** Sources out of Washington told the Financial Times that the Chinese PLA were very likely to have hacked Pentagon computers, but cyber-spying on the information infrastructure of the US Department of Defense doesn't elicit much of a response from the White House these days.

Perhaps it was busy planning its upcoming war with Iran?

Barnett Rubin thinks so.

*** Across the Atlantic, Russian officials threw a public hissy fit when the EU mentioned the prospect of legislation that would prevent Russian state-controlled corporations from taking over European energy companies.

Later in the week, Russia sent eight bombers up above the Barents sea, apparently just to see if the UK and Norway would pay attention to them. They did, but EU leaders seem a little hush-hush about the group rendez-vous up in the skies.

*** And where would our week have been if we hadn't caught Vladimir Putin shirtless, strolling by an evergreen shielded stream in his crucifix and military fatigues?

Mr. Brown? Ms. Merkel? We're waiting...

Bare-Chested Putin Hits Russian Tabloids

Alpha-Male PR: Russian Style

In the US, Bush likes to wear his cowboy hat.

In France, they airbrush Sarkozy's lovehandles.

So in Russia, how do we give Putin that extra PR punch?

Strip off his shirt and give him a rifle, of course.

These pictures were first published in the Russian tabloid, Argumenty i fakty, which, for the record, translates into "Arguments and Facts". The shots weren't fervently handed out to the Western press, but thanks to the work of the people at Der Spiegel, Putin's broad and very leader-like pectoral muscles can now be viewed in a number of different poses and positions by all the world.

Just looking at them makes me want to change the Russian constitution and install him as Russian leader for life.

(Note crucifix and military fatigues)

Russia: EU Energy Measures "Totally Unfair"

Russian government officials and energy company executives (they're the same people) reacted to proposed EU energy legislation at the end of last week with what can only be properly described as a hissy fit.

The European Union has recently considered lessening state-control of the energy sector within Europe but fears that 'unbundling' energy companies might leave them open to purchase by Russian companies that are directly controled by members of the Kremlin.

A number of legislative measures will be discussed in Brussels on Sep 19.

The Kremlin is not so pleased.

Really, it seems they're quite offended.

Alexander Medvedev called the proposed measures 'economic nationalism'.

The deputy press secretary for the Kremlin also chimed in, declaring: "measures to discriminate against Russian companies would be totally unfair."

Poor, poor Kremlin.

Why is big, mean Europe being so "totally unfair?"

Here are a few suggestions.

1) There was last week. Yes... There was one remaining private oil company in Russia (it had a whole 3% of the market). The Kremlin forced the owner to sell his company to a Kremlin insider after pressure from trumped-up charges. Then Moscow courts issued warrants for his arrest. Rumor has it, he's in Britain now. Hmm... I wonder if he likes Polonium in his tea?

2) Then there were those textbooks. Remember those? The ultra-nationalist textbooks that declared the England was 'totalitarian' and said, I quote:

"The development of the global political process will depend on Russia's decision on where to send its oil and gas. It's enough to deprive a rival of energy for development – in the geopolitical battle, such an act could be a defining moment."

When you indoctrinate your school children to understand that you're going to use energy supplies to extort other countries politically, the other countries might suspect you plan to do it.

3) There's just something about forming huge, state-controlled, corporate monopolies, putting ex-KGB men at the top of them, and giving all of their employees the legal right to carry firearms, that makes everyone a little nervous.

In fact, after writing this out, it's pretty clear to me that these measures in some form are critical for European security.

Sorry guys, maybe those years in the KGB never really hammered home life's sad, sad truth -- sometimes things just aren't fair.

China Hacked Pentagon Computers

The Financial Times has reported that the Chinese military successfully attacked the computers of the US Department of Defense.

Reports say that the US was forced to shut down a part of the Pentagon computer system.

Some good speak here:

"Another person familiar with the event said there was a 'very high level of confidence...tending toward total certainty' that the People's Liberation Army was responsible."

Translation:

China did it.

Bad Habits

Hacking into the computer systems of Western governments is becoming a regular past time for the Chinese military.

Last week, you may or may not remember, Spiegel reported that the China had hacked into the computer systems of various German government ministries.

Hmm...

I've been thinking...

You know... Germany is getting cyber-attacked by China... the US Department Defense is getting cyber-attacked by China...

The US and Germany have this history of cooperation thing. Both democracies. Cold War allies. Then there's that whole free market and efficiency thing we have in common.

Maybe somebody wants to say the word 'NATO'. Or 'free world'. Loudly.

Oh, don't worry Beijing. Google or Yahoo! can block that search, too.

Nobody outside of the communist party will have to know.

Der Spiegel: Chinese PLA Hacked German Government Computers

German Der Spiegel reports that Chinese spyware was detected in mulitple German government computer networks.

These included the chancellery, the foreign ministry, and the ministries of economy and research.

German intelligence services discovered the operation in May.

Information networks were infected with "Trojan" spyware when Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files containing the virus were opened.

Hackers based in the northwest Chinese province, Lanzhou, used this software to steal German governmental information on a daily basis until German intelligence services took countermeasures.

German officials told Spiegel they believed the People's Liberation Army of China was directing the operations.

China's rapid economic development over the last decade has also seen it rise as a more potent player in the international game of power.

In mid-August, the Chinese and Russian militaries staged war games in Russia to mark the end of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) summit. The war games brought together 6,000 military personnel from Russia, China, and four other Central Asian nations.

Germany Presses China On Climate Change

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pressed China to address climate change in her first day of a three day visit to the country.

Chinese industry has been fueling its rapid economic growth largely with dirty coal and oil.

Chinese air quality has suffered as a result.

Only 1% of Chinese citizens breathe air considered safe by EU standards.

Chinese pollution also clouds the air of Tokyo, Seoul, and Los Angeles.

The International Energy Commission has reported that China will overtake the US as world leader in greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this year.

According to the Netherlands Environment Assessment Agency, China has already passed that level.

Much like the United States government, the Chinese government has refused to take responsibility for its enormous hand in worldwide environmental damage.

It has provided excuses and appears to value short-term economic expansion at the expense of long-term economic stablity.

As in the US, the thrill and comfort of profit in the short-term is preferred to preserving a prosperous and habitable world for future generations of humankind.

Add political inefficiency to the rap sheet, too.