By Erik L. van Dijk
Whoever pretends to be something of a modern cosmopolitan will have to add Twitter to his online presence. Well, so be it. Today I linked my Twitter page to this blog (see also the widget in the right hand column of this page).
Whenever online and doing or hearing something that might be of interest to you, I will share my views. Would be great to hear yours as well, albeit that I hope to be able to limit the topics to those that are either directly or indirectly related to the tags in this Blog!
Well, looks like fun, and I chose a good first Twitter hour, because I immediately was informed that the Hungarian prime minister has resigned. I consider this – in combination with the French move to provide funding to Renault for increased production of the Clio in France, instead of Slovakia – the first signs that Europe is probably heading for a period of increased protectionism.
With the US at the same time gradually but slowly starting serious talking to Iran. Although the clash of two Navy vessels (one a nuclear submarine) in the Street of Hormuz close to Iranian territorial waters wasn’t helping that much. The more so because it led to the waste of 90,000 liters of diesel fuel. I am sure that the Iranians aren’t amused. The more so because it was the time of the Persian New Year, Nowruz.
With Mir Hussein Mousavi, the popular former Prime Minister who led Iran in the period of the Iran-Iraq war now being the candidate in the so-called reformist camp – with Khatami withdrawing earlier this week – the outcome of the Iranian elections mid-June 2009 is very important and directly of influence to a potential new spring in the Iran-US relationships.
That is the kind of news we need in the world. Not the negative stories related to bankruptcy, unemployment, prime ministers stepping down et cetera. I do believe that we will still get our share of the negative stuff in the coming months, but somehow I have the impression that the balance of power is shifting towards at least some positive surprises. Initially the positive surprises will be more of the type implying that negative results are a bit less negative than expected, but around the summer this might be replaced with the first signs of good news. I wouldn’t be surprised if talks between Iran and the US will be the first real good news stories. I belief that the Iranians are ready for it, so let’s see what Obama and his assistants Clinton and Mitchell will come up with.
Let’s sit and wait, and in the mean time enjoy a nice weekend (at least here in the Netherlands, with for our standards spring-like temperatures).
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