US vs. Ahmadinejad

from the BBC :

"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to become the target of a lawsuit which accuses him of inciting genocide against Israel."

WTF? A lawsuit against a guy who likes to talk shit? Who knew that the world would slip so far from a global perspective and so deep into a American one.

"The suit is expected to be launched by a panel of international lawyers and former diplomats in New York."

Wait...

"The former US envoy to the UN, John Bolton, is backing the move, which is led by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations."

WTF! Americans, now, are utilizing international laws -- laws that are widely disregarded by America and her federal administrations -- to attack the figurehead president of another country. All because he talks shit about the Jews. And, to top it all off, a man who once declared that taking the top 10 floors off of UN headquarters would go unnoticed -- a man who now represents America at the UN -- is supporting the move.

I guess that turnabout is fair play. Ahmedinejad denies the Holocaust on small stage in an out of the way place, and Jewish organizations everywhere address it. To strike back, they get the grizzled American UN Ambassador to back the use of international law to stop him from having an odious opinion. But, if America wants to use international laws, they ought to accept that the same international laws apply to Americans.

The smart play would have been to stay out of the fray, let this "Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations" make their case, and avoid the embarrassment of opening yet another double standard in an unstable political relationship.

Wait, that's how America gets by. Sole authority for a nuclear first-strike, preemptive military strikes against clear-and-present dangers (like Nicaragua and Iraq), and now using much- flaunted international laws as cannon fodder... where will it end?

And seriously, Mahmoud, you're a [figure]head of state. Act the part. Bring prestige to your nation. Bring harmony to the world. We get it: you don't like Jews and you really don't like Israel. Calling for its annihilation is a little much for a "President" to put out there, don't you think? A little more diplomacy, perhaps? Holocaust denial is sort of unpopular too. It'll make the world believe that you don't represent your people. I mean, you were elected -- but that doesn't make you the Supreme Leader. If he wants to spout hate, I say let him. You, you're an elected official. Represent the people, the 60.8% that elected you. I know, you like the hard line, just like that Ariel Sharon character in... some other country. You talk big like W. Just get other people to get your hate on for you, like back-up dancers or a hype-man. Then, you can skip all this needless litigation.

The New Bond

No Q
No moneypenny
Not untouchable

This new bond is hardened. Dirtier. Aggressive. Driven. This new Bond is a Bond for the new world. Notwithstanding the 9/11 (and, interestingly enough, 9/12) references in the film, the new world that Bond operates within is one of international businessmen, personal relations, and money.

Not only is his female counterpart alluring and intelligent, she is an accountant. Not only does the plot hinge on a terrorist attack for financial gain, it then shifts to $100 million poker showdown; which bothers me, but I had to accept. This is the contemporary Bond, and I am certain that most baccarat dealers are out of work. Bond is, furthermore, elevated through status symbols: from Ford to a '64 Aston Martin, won at a poker table, to the newest DB7 coupe. He promptly destroys the coupe, proving that nothing about this film is untouchable.

The Bond of the new world is a sign of the times. No longer does Her Majesty's Secret Service serve the interests of international peace and security. No longer do the conflicts and actions intiated by villainous men seek to spark conflicts between nations. No, this new world is guided by ambiguity, plausible deniability, and greed. No one can be trusted. Even M cannot "trust" Bond. She must only keep him alive as long as he is useful and can get a job done.

In this new world no-one is untouchable.
In this new world, Moneypenny dies.
In this new world, Q and his gadgets appear only in commercials for TBS super station.
For this new world, a new Bond.