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23. januar 2007
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Michael Totten, who has followed the developments in Lebanon first-hand, speaks about the recent Hezbollah escalation.
While I was in Lebanon gathering the material I've been publishing, Hezbollah kept threatening to strangle the country by seizing major roads, including the one that leads to the airport. I was worried I might get stuck there, but I didn't. Today, though, they finally make good on their threat. Palestinian guerillas are reportedly helping.
Future TV and LBC say there are clashes between rioters and commuters. Cars, as well as tires, are burning.
The fall of the elected government, no matter its apparent weaknesses and failures, could become an unmitigated disaster for Lebanon and the whole region, especially if Hezbollah and its allies grab power.
Update: The strike is called off, but:
A senior opposition member says the road blocks will be removed, but warned if the government did not respond to its demands the protests would resume.
It's difficult to see a good ending to this.
8:45:38 PM 
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Despite a campaign to boycott Israel by the Socialist Left (SV), a junior party in Norway's coalition government party, our trade with Israel increased in 2006, according to preliminary reports from Statistics Norway. Imports from Israel increased by 15.3 %, while exports to Israel increased by 31.3 %, from 2005 to 2006.
Trade with Israel accounts for no more than 0.2 % of Norway's import of non-oil related goods and services.
Already back in April all the facts indicated the boycott calls had been ignored by everyone outside the loony left, and these figures demonstrate the fact, as I said, most Norwegians are far smarter than their politicians.
The Norway Post notes that the Socialist Left are not amused. Backspin muses that the original boycott calls were based on biased anti-Israeli reporting in the press. This bias has undoubtedly contributed to the echo chamber mentality where socialists believed this was something they would make people go along with, and also that the campaign gathered at least some lip service. It's just hard to fool all the people all the time.
Tip via mail from SoccerDad.
7:57:47 PM
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I don't get to real movie premieres very often, but a friend invited me along to a special showing of 2006' best Norwegian film, Joachim Trier's "Reprise" (lit: Rerun). Now it's coming to Sundance, and if you get a chance, go and see it.
Even smaller - and even better - is “Reprise,” this year’s Norwegian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, getting its American premiere at Sundance. This razor-sharp drama follows the rising and falling fortunes of two young men who dream of becoming famous novelists. Director Joachim Trier is inspired by the great `60s French New Wave films of Francois Truffaut, but his observations feel completely of the moment - especially about how a mixture of rudderlessness and entitlement seems to have crippled the most promising members of Generation Y.
 Yada, yada, yada! The critics' description of Reprise (IMDB) was a clear turn-off for me, so it was lucky I never read it before I watched the movie. Very fun, great acting, playful humour and not as much a commentary on the lifestyles of 'the young of today' as a good story well told. Best Norwegian movie in many, many years, and a breath of fresh air in a quite stale local industry.
Victoria Winge (picure), acting in her first motion picture and doing a great job, is certainly worth a look, too. It's true that the camera just loves her; no still picture can do her justice.
12:54:17 AM
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© Copyright 2007 Jan Haugland.
Last update: 01.02.2007; 06:24:15.
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