Section: The Huffington Post (USA)
How the Vacuum Left by America Bolsters China’s ‘Asia for Asians’ Strategy
SEOUL — China spent much of 2014 seeking to revive a concept that Japan proclaimed seven decades ago, when it was an imperial power seeking to impose its will on the region: “Asia for the Asians.” But that effort may not end as badly for China as it did for Japan. International relations tend to become destabilized by rapid...
Davos 2015 Wrap-Up: Get Ready for Breakthroughs About the Brain
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos is over for another year. Amazingly, most of what was discussed this year had not been on the radar a year ago. A year ago there was no discussion of oil prices dropping to, say, $50; the acronym “ISIS” was never mentioned; conflict over the Ukraine or any other state conflicts were not...
The World Misery Index: 108 Countries
Every country aims to lower inflation, unemployment and lending rates, while increasing gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Through a simple sum of the former three rates, minus year-on-year per capita GDP growth, I constructed a misery index that comprehensively ranks 108 countries based on “misery.” Below the jump are the index...
Will Greece’s New Government Be a Western Mouthpiece for Putin?
ATHENS — The recent election win by Greece’s far-left Syriza party has focused attention on the economic consequences of its policies for the Eurozone. What has been overlooked is the effect this victory may have on the foreign policy of the EU countries as well as on NATO. That this latter aspect would come to predominate...
Mr. Netanyahu Goes to Washington: What to Say
With the prospect of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the U.S. Congress looming, it seems necessary to revisit the possibility that Israeli leaders, increasingly isolated because of Iran’s foreign policy — support of Hamas, Hezbollah and now the Houthis in Yemen — might once again feel compelled to...
Israel at a Turning Point
The news today about Israel is often negative. While 135 nations have recognized a Palestinian state, the PLO has gained admission to the International Criminal Court where it wants Israel to be found guilty of war crimes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A recent study found that the State Department has cited Israel as the #4 state in the world...
Obama Reconsidering Lethal Assistance To Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is reconsidering sending lethal assistance to Ukraine, a senior administration official said Monday, but continues to have concerns about taking that step.This official, who requested anonymity to speak because the person wasn’t authorized to talk publicly about internal deliberations, said the...
Why Netanyahu’s Use of the Holocaust Is a Vile Form of Propaganda
Some things should remain sacred enough never to be used for political gain or as justification for military operations. Take a look at these photos published in The Atlantic and think of the emotions evoked by such horrifying images. Think of the 33,771 Jews murdered at a ravine named Babi Yar in the Ukraine. According to page 63 of The Good Old...
Civilians Flee East Ukraine Town Debaltseve As Fighting Intensifies
DEBALTSEVE, Ukraine (AP) — Outgoing heavy-caliber fire boomed incessantly, shaking the ground and rattling windows around the besieged town. Residents of Debaltseve, seemingly inured to the racket, listened impassively as they mustered at the town hall on Saturday to be evacuated with as many belongings as they could carry.The government-held...
Weekend Roundup: Greece Revolts!
No sooner did the global elites leave their annual talking shop high in the Alps at Davos last week than the people spoke in Greece. In a mutiny against an untenable status quo, those who are run over have revolted against those who run things. Now righteous populism must face economic, financial and political realities if other European states...
