Friday, June 30, 2017

A brief history of the empires that were broken in the Hindu Kush.

http://thediplomat.com/2017/06/why-is-afghanistan-the-graveyard-of-empires

MIT professor issues a stark warning to US over dwindling science funds - Business Insider

Yoga more dangerous than previously thought, scientists say

The Slogan ‘Globalization Equals Growth’ Is Wrong

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2017/06/slogan-globalization-equals-growth-wrong.html

The Press Has Always Been a Guest in the President’s Home

https://longreads.com/2017/06/30/the-press-has-always-been-a-guest-in-the-presidents-home/?mc_cid=5c83fba538&mc_eid=9528811089

Abbas's Lies and Palestinian Child Victims

by Bassam Tawil • June 30, 2017 at 5:00 am

Hamas and human rights groups hold Abbas personally responsible for the deaths of the children and the possible deaths of other patients in need of urgent medical treatment not available in Gaza Strip hospitals. One human rights group went so far as to call for the International Criminal Court in The Hague to launch an investigation against Abbas.
In a move of mind-bending irony, we are witnessing a Palestinian president waging war not only against Hamas, but also against the two million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip -- while Israel continues to provide the Palestinians living under Hamas with humanitarian aid.
That is the standard operating procedure of the man who lied straight to the face of President Donald Trump, by claiming that he had stopped incitement against Israel and was promoting a "culture of peace" among his people. Will the last sick Palestinian child please stand up?

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is apparently deeply worried that his political rival, Mohamed Dahlan, and Hamas are close to forming an alliance against him. Pictured above: Abbas (left) and Dahlan (right) in Jericho on June 20, 2003. (Photo by Awad Awad-Pool/Getty)

Palestinian children are the latest victims of the power struggle between the two rival Palestinian factions, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas has declared war on the Gaza Strip as part of his effort to prompt Palestinians living there to revolt against the ruling Hamas administration. It appears that Abbas and Hamas are determined to fight to the last ill Palestinian child.

Abbas is hoping that a series of punitive measures he has taken, which include reducing electricity and medical supplies and cutting off salaries to many Palestinians, will lead to the collapse of Hamas, paving the way for the return of his PA to the Gaza Strip. Abbas has had a grudge against Hamas ever since the Islamist movement expelled his PA and loyalists from the Gaza Strip ten years ago.

Abbas's war on the Hamas may seem justified. Nonetheless, it smacks of hypocrisy and is accompanied by a smear campaign against Israel.

Continue Reading Articlehttps://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10598/palestinian-child-victims

The Real Security Threats on Iran’s Periphery

http://lobelog.com/the-real-security-threats-on-irans-periphery/#more-39989

Israel's Dirty Little Secret

Philip Giraldi ArchiveBlogview

Israel's Dirty Little Secret

How it drives US policies exploiting a spineless Congress and White House

http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/israels-dirty-little-secret/

How Israel Manages Its Message

A new app enables instant pushback

http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/how-israel-manages-its-message/

A War On Globalism

http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/a-war-on-globalism

Health care and health insurance are not the same thing - the fundamental disconnect in health care reform

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/06/29/health-care-and-health-insurance-are-not-same-thing-fundamental-disconnect-in-health-care-reform.html

Petya ransomware attack: What it is, and why this is happening again

Just six weeks on from WannaCry, the world has fallen victim to another fast-spreading ransomware in the form of Petya/GoldenEye. Why haven't lessons been learned?

http://www.zdnet.com/article/petya-ransomware-attack-what-it-is-and-why-this-is-happening-again/?loc=newsletter_large_thumb_related&ftag=TRE5575fdc&bhid=25151283725937532891160407260705

In Trump era, diplomacy charts a new course

http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/in-trump-era-diplomacy-charts-a-new-course

Egypt’s Stake in Case Against Qatar Is Bigger Than You May Think

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-28/terrorism-case-against-qatar-muddied-by-muslim-brotherhood-links

By 2100, Refugees Would Be the Most Populous Country on Earth

Poverty and deadly wars are the major drivers of displacement.

http://www.alternet.org/world/refugees-largest-country

No Common View: Asian Ambivalence Toward Refugees

Presented by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/sponsored/no-common-view-asian-ambivalence-toward-refugees?sp_mid=54392038&sp_rid=bWljaGVsZXRrZWFybmV5QGdtYWlsLmNvbQS2&spMailingID=54392038&spUserID=MjEwNDg3NjAxODc2S0&spJobID=1185076971&spReportId=MTE4NTA3Njk3MQS2

Beijing's Debt Dilemma Why China's Bubble Is a Threat to the Global Economy

Beijing's Debt Dilemma

Why China's Bubble Is a Threat to the Global Economy

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/china/2017-06-29/beijings-debt-dilemma?cid=nlc-twofa-20170629&sp_mid=54392038&sp_rid=bWljaGVsZXRrZWFybmV5QGdtYWlsLmNvbQS2&spMailingID=54392038&spUserID=MjEwNDg3NjAxODc2S0&spJobID=1185076971&spReportId=MTE4NTA3Njk3MQS2

Gaza on the Brink | Foreign Affairs

How to Put the US-South Korean Alliance Back on Track

An American aircraft carrier in Busan, South Korea, July 2010.

How to Put the U.S.–South Korean Alliance Back on Track

And What to Expect from the Trump-Moon Summit

By Adam Mount

The Week with IPS 6/30/2017

2017/6/30	Click here for the online version of this IPS newsletter


	Ending Child Marriage Could Add Trillions to World Economy Roshni Majumdar The benefits of ending child marriage are many—boosting a young girl’s morale and increasing her chances of education and work, and by that virtue, curbing high population rates in developing economies and boosting growth. Still, more than 15 million children, under 18 years of age, are ... MORE > >

	Southeast Asia: From Miracle To Debacle Jomo Kwame Sundaram The World Bank and other influential international financial institutions and development agencies have been touting Southeast Asian (SEA) newly industrializing countries as models for emulation, especially by African developing countries seeking to accelerate their development transformations. But ... MORE > >

	Insurance: A Valuable Incentive for Small Farmers’ Climate Resilience Friday Phiri Frequent extreme weather and climate shifts pose a challenge to already vulnerable groups such as smallholder farmers in the developing world. Between 2004 and 2014, farmers are said to have endured the brunt of the 100-billion-dollar cost of climate-related disasters. With traditional insurance ... MORE > >

	Education, a Building Block for Sustainable Peace Tharanga Yakupitiyage Millions lack access to quality education around the world—but how can the international community change this? Two years into the adoption of the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of which includes a goal to provide inclusive, equitable, and quality education and lifelong ... MORE > >

	Chilean President’s Apology to the Mapuche People Considered “Insufficient” Orlando Milesi Chilean President Michelle Bachelet’s formal apology to the country’s Mapuche Indians, for the “mistakes and atrocities” committed against them by the Chilean state, is seen by indigenous and social activists in the central region of Araucanía – the heartland of the Mapuche people - as falling ... MORE > >

	Did Arab Coalition Threaten to Pull Out of UN in Protest? Thalif Deen When Saudi Arabia – which has been spearheading a coalition of Arab states in a devastating war against Yemen since 2015 – was accused of bombing civilians, and particularly children caught up in the conflict, the government in Riyadh threatened to cut off humanitarian funding to the world ... MORE > >

	China Drives Nuclear Expansion in Argentina, but with Strings Attached Daniel Gutman Two new nuclear power plants, to cost 14 billion dollars, will give a new impetus to Argentina’s relation with atomic energy, which began over 60 years ago. President Mauricio Macri made the announcement from China, the country that is to finance 85 per cent of the works. But besides the fact ... MORE > >

	Any Way to Help Slow Down Climate Change... Individually? IPS World Desk It is no secret that the biggest responsible for climate change is greed. The greed of the world’s largest private corporations, which blindly seek unlimited high financial benefits. And the greed of those politicians who are also blindly keen about holding their temporary power at any cost, thus ... MORE > >

	Europe Stands by Caribbean on Climate Funding Desmond Brown A senior European Union (EU) official in the Caribbean said Europe is ready to continue the global leadership on the fight against climate change, including helping the poor and vulnerable countries in the region. Underlining the challenges posed by climate change, Head of the European Union ... MORE > >

	Putting the Spotlight on Women Migrant Workers Roshni Majumdar Migrant workers, and their economic contribution to the development of both the country of origin and the host country, have caught the eye of governments and policymakers worldwide. But the hardships faced by women migrants, who disproportionately bear the brunt of discrimination at work, are ... MORE > >

	Global Devaluation of Work Drives Up Unemployment in Brazil Mario Osava In addition to driving up the number of unemployed people to 14.2 million, the severe recession of the last two years led Brazil to join the global trend of flexibilisation of labour laws in order to further reduce labour costs. Creating more jobs without affecting rights is the basic argument ... MORE > >

	The World Is Burning IPS World Desk Record high temperatures are gripping much of the globe and more hot weather are to come. This implies more drought, more food insecurity, more famine and more massive human displacements. In fact, extremely high May and June temperatures have broken records in parts of Europe, the Middle ... MORE > >

An America First Korea Policy

http://buchanan.org/blog/america-first-korea-policy-127282

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Are Canadian fish being poisoned by radiation from Japan? | Cosmos

Putin’s Sending a Tough Guy as Ambassador to the U.S.—He’ll Fit Right In With Trump’s Washington

Anatoly Antonov oversaw Russia’s intervention in Ukraine and its showdown with Turkey. No more Mr. Nice Guy.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/putins-sending-a-tough-guy-as-ambassador-to-the-ushe-should-fit-right-in-to-trumps-washington?source=email&via=desktop

For Energy Week, Trump should stop trying to cut innovation research

Donald Trump’s Washington is paralysed

In the Thick of It A blog on the U.S.-Russia relationship

In the Thick of It

A blog on the U.S.-Russia relationship
https://www.russiamatters.org/blog/how-think-russians-partisan-perception-chart-improving-us-russian-relations?utm_source=CGI+Daily+Russia+Brief&utm_campaign=6bc2e064a2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_06_29&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_814a2b3260-6bc2e064a2-281717789&mc_cid=6bc2e064a2&mc_eid=fac81ed64d

Kill Lists | Clive Stafford Smith on state-sponsored assassination

Surprise House Vote Rolls Back Authority for the ‘War on Terror’ | Foreign Policy

How will the Belt and Road Initiative advance China’s interests? | ChinaPower Project

Trump Unpopular Worldwide, American Image Suffers | Pew Research Center

Present at the Destruction: How Rex Tillerson Is Wrecking the State Department - POLITICO Magazine

Qatar Looks to Iran and Iraq « LobeLog

What Happened to 'America First'? | The National Interest

The Folly of the Next Afghan “Surge” « LobeLog

News from The Associated Press

Saudi Arabia’s New Crown Prince Is a Bumbling Hothead. Trump Needs to Treat Him Like One. - POLITICO Magazine

The Age of No Privacy: the Surveillance State Shifts into High Gear

Three years to safeguard our climate : Nature News & Comment

A million bottles a minute: world's plastic binge 'as dangerous as climate change' | Environment | The Guardian

Inequality: How We Got Here, and What Should Be Done | naked capitalism

Seymour Hersh: Trump Ignored Intel Before Bombing Syria | naked capitalism

US Backs Away from Blanket Laptop Ban, Imposes New Airline Security Regime Instead | naked capitalism

Tillerson blows up at top White House aide - POLITICO

Ransomware in disguise: Experts say Petya out to destroy not ransom

Security experts have said the Petya malware is out to irrecoverably wipe information, not hold to it to ransom.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/ransomware-in-disguise-experts-say-petya-out-to-destroy-not-ransom/?loc=newsletter_large_thumb_featured&ftag=TRE-03-10aaa6b&bhid=25151283725937532891160407260705

American "Fear of Sharia" Is Anything but "Silly"

by A. Z. Mohamed • June 29, 2017 at 4:00 am

To allay fears inspired in Americans by what he called a "right-wing caricature" of Islamic jurisprudence, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf claimed, falsely, that it "does not presume to replace American law. It agrees with its underlying values and promotes them." In fact, both founders of political Islam, Sayyed Qutb and Hassan al-Banna, openly explained that Islam wishes to destroy all states and governments.
A new problem seems to have sprung up: some disembodied entity at Google apparently decided, with a few swipes of a bear-paw, to censor all the contents from these historically accurate think-tank postings. What is Google trying to keep you from knowing? Material that would be more dangerous for you to know or more dangerous for you not to know? How considerate of Google to have made this decision for you!
American fear of sharia is anything but "silly." It comes not a minute too soon.

Both founders of political Islam, Sayyed Qutb (right) and Hassan al-Banna (left), openly explained that Islam wishes to destroy all states and governments. (Images source: Wikimedia Commons)

In a recent op-ed in the New York Daily News, Kuwaiti American Sufi cleric and activist Feisal Abdul Rauf -- who served more than 25 years as the imam of the Masjid al-Farah Mosque in New York City -- argued that nobody in the United States should be worried about the incorporation of Islamic law, sharia, into the legal system or should be protesting it. To allay fears inspired in Americans by what he called a "right-wing caricature" of Islamic jurisprudence, Rauf claimed, falsely, that sharia "does not presume to replace American law. It agrees with its underlying values and promotes them." In fact, both founders of political Islam, Sayyed Qutb[1] and Hassan al-Banna, openly explained that Islam wishes to destroy all states and governments.

Continue Reading Articlehttps://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10575/sharia-fear

The West: Too Tired to Defend Freedom?

by Giulio Meotti • June 29, 2017 at 5:30 am

"We are kidding ourselves if we think we yet live in a tolerant, liberal society" — UK Liberal Democrats party leader Tim Farron, who resigned after giving "politically incorrect" answers on homosexual sex and abortion.
Wherever he went, Jeremy Corbyn seemed as if he were a voluntary collaborator with an Iranian regime that executes gays. But Corbyn was never questioned about this affiliation the way the media obsessively questioned Farron.
Muslim supremacists murder gays in Orlando? Instead of being proud of an open society, defending it from Islamic jihadists, and accepting the freedom to be homosexual as a positive difference between the West and Islam, our liberals make it a case for more "inclusion".

Liberal Democrats party leader Tim Farron saw his political career sacrificed because the British media found it unacceptable that, in his Christian conscience, he could have considered homosexual sex a sin. (Image source: Liberal Democrats/Flickr)

After the recent terror attacks in Britain, The Spectator wrote: "After five centuries, religious war has returned to England". The reference is to 1535, when Thomas More was executed for his Catholic beliefs. Tim Farron, a British MP and party leader of the Liberal Democrats who, after refusing for several days to state whether he considers homosexual sex a sin, and gave ambiguous answers on abortion, was not brought to the Tower of London for a public execution. However, almost 500 years after More, Farron saw his political career sacrificed on an almost identical ideological altar as More.

Farron resigned his position as party leader with a dramatic speech. The Daily Mail condemned the "liberal fascism" of the "moral pygmies". The progressive New Statesman headlined its story on Farron's resignation as the "decline of liberalism". Farron said: "We are kidding ourselves if we think we yet live in a tolerant, liberal society".

Continue Reading Articlehttps://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10593/defend-freedom

Revived U.S. travel ban sows confusion, anger in Middle East | Reuters

Read between the US lines | The Indian Express

Scarborough: State Department 'rotting' under Tillerson | TheHill

Ex-Weapons Inspector: Trump’s Sarin Claims Built on ‘Lie’ | The American Conservative

Tread Carefully The Folly of the Next Afghan “Surge”

Tread Carefully
The Folly of the Next Afghan “Surge”
By Danny Sjursen
We walked in a single file. Not because it was tactically sound. It wasn’t -- at least according to standard infantry doctrine. Patrolling southern Afghanistan in column formation limited maneuverability, made it difficult to mass fire, and exposed us to enfilading machine-gun bursts. Still, in 2011, in the Pashmul District of Kandahar Province, single file was our best bet.
The reason was simple enough: improvised bombs not just along roads but seemingly everywhere. Hundreds of them, maybe thousands. Who knew?
Click here to read more of this dispatch.
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176302/tomgram%3A_danny_sjursen%2C_fighting_the_war_you_know_%28even_if_it_won%27t_work%29/#more

Nikki Haley and Trump’s Doctrine of Diplomatic Chaos

Nikki Haley and Trump’s Doctrine of Diplomatic Chaos

By Colum Lynch
June 28, 2017 - 4:45 pm http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/06/28/nikki-haley-and-trumps-doctrine-of-diplomatic-chaos/

Washington Monthly | Mitch McConnell’s Sinister Role in the Russian Hacks

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Bishop Barron: No Fear of Death

https://s68.podbean.com/pb/cef9ef72a70fe5ef660ab947dae4f120/595414f0/data1/fs95/1224144/uploads/Sermon_7_2_17.mp3

CNN's Van Jones Describes Russia Story as 'Nothing Burger'

One Of The Main Reasons Congress Is Getting So Little Done Is Because They Will Have 218 Days Off In 2017

http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/one-of-the-main-reasons-congress-is-getting-so-little-done-is-because-they-will-have-218-days-off-in-2017

Cannabis Capitalism

https://www.edelsoninstitute.com/commodities/cannabis-capitalism/?sc=WAV-E

‘May the Martyrs’ Example Make Us Convincing Witnesses’ – ZENIT – English

‘Martyrs in Daily Lives Seek to Love God Without Reservation,’ Pope Tells Middle East Pilgrims – ZENIT – English

Pope Francis’ Homily at Consistory for Creation of New Cardinals – ZENIT – English

Rate of sea level rise accelerated 50% since 1993, study shows - Business Insider

Hillary Clinton and the Fear of War With Russia - Book Excerpt - Truthdig

Obama’s Criminal Enterprise Collapsing By Daniel John Sobieski

Obama’s Criminal Enterprise Collapsing

By Daniel John Sobieski

http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2017/06/obamas_criminal_enterprise_collapsing.html

Will China Save the American Economy? | RealClearPolicy

The Promise and Pitfalls of Privatizing Public Assets

http://www.realclearpolicy.com/2017/06/28/the_promise_and_pitfalls_of_privatizing_public_assets_35403.html

The closest look yet at Chinese economic engagement in Africa | McKinsey & Company

An Extraordinary Plea for U.S. Engagement from the UN's Chief | HuffPost

Is Trump “Objectively Progressive?”

http://grahamefuller.com/is-trump-objectively-progressive/

Trump Aide Scaramucci Admitted Meeting with CEO of Sanctioned Russian Sovereign Wealth Fund Entity; Senators Warren-Cardin Requested Investigation; Treasury Sec Promised to Investigate

https://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2017/06/27/trump-aide-scaramucci-admitted-meeting-with-ceo-of-sanctioned-russian-sovereign-wealth-fund-entity-senators-warren-cardin-requested-investigation-treasury-sec-promised-to-investigate/

Petya ransomware attack: What it is, and why this is happening again | ZDNet

Fr. Bob Warren's Week Reflection Do Not Fear

THIS WEEK'S REFLECTION from Fr. Bob Warren, SA

Do Not Fear

Our gospel tells us today not to let anyone intimidate you and to not be afraid of anything. Sounds wonderful, but what is the reality? Just take a look at our world. Sometimes you just do not want to watch the news or read the paper because of the crime, the drugs, the tragedies, the anger and the hurt. Even in our families some have left the church, switched religions or just dropped out.

It seems that we are inundated with bad news as a daily diet. Our newscasts and our papers fill us with endless images of infidelity, war, torture and moral mayhem. Our movies and TV can desensitize us to violence and suffering. So often our young look on divorce as inevitable and out of wedlock births as commonplace. So much of the time, it feels like we are forced to concentrate on life's horrors.

We may want to repeat the question we find in scripture and ask Jesus, "What happened to all the good things you promised? Are you the one who is to come or should we look for another? "Didn't you tell us that we should fear nothing and that we are worth more than an entire flock of sparrows?" Jesus might reply, "You are the victims of too much bad news. Take time to look at the good news and then you will perceive the Kingdom." So, where is the good news?

Well, right now as we sit here there are countless catechists in countless parishes letting in the light of the gospel to our young. Our Catholic Schools, with great hardship, in our big cities are educating hundreds of thousands of under‑privileged children. Many of the children are non‑Catholic. For the most part, these schools are staffed by dedicated, hardworking and underpaid staff and teachers. New churches are being built, but we only read about parish closings.

People recover from addictions, accidents, illness and depression in so many Catholic institutions. Catholic Relief Services is the largest single private charitable service in the world. Every day the corporal and spiritual works of mercy are being carried out in hundreds of ways, but they never make the news. Look around at this parish ‑ the great kids, the wonderful parents and how you all simply care about each other.

We take all of these things for granted. For example ‑ I have always maintained that all parents are guaranteed Heaven. Remember there is only one place in the gospel where Jesus gives the credence of who gets to Heaven. In MT. 25, "When I was hungry, you gave me to eat. When I was thirsty, you gave me to drink. When I was ill, you visited me. As long as you did it to one of the least of my brothers or sisters, you did it to me. Enter into the joy of the Lord."

The corporal and spiritual works of mercy are built into family life by nature.

That is why I say that all parents are guaranteed heaven.

"Mom, what will I wear?", counseling the doubtful.

"Dad, will you help with my math homework?", instructing the ignorant.

The 2 am bottle, giving drink to the thirsty.

Changing diapers, clothing the naked.

Preparing meals, feeding the hungry.

The cat died, burying the dead.

"Are you still in the bathroom?", visiting the imprisoned.

And, being good parents you will say, "I have to do these things, it is my job and my duty." As if that made it less wonderful, less meritorious, less the fulfillment of Jesus' criteria for Heaven.

My point is these things go on all the time. The Kingdom of Jesus is here ‑ Goodness abounds, love is given and received, people are faithful and caring, courtesy and good deeds are commonplace. Do not let the daily diet of bad news trip you up. When we look around at a world out of control, we all have doubts at times. I guess that is one good reason why we come to church every week to recover our sense of vision, to celebrate the God we bumped into all week without knowing it, to handle the word and the bread and to see this very congregation with the new realization that such ordinary stuff as the word, the bread and wine, the people all harbor the very presence of God.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Robert Warren, S.A.

Spiritual Director

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