So
many things going on in the world today. Things that appear new and
at times insurmountable. As I sit contemplating events I am reminded
of a book I read a couple years ago. Perhaps you have already read
it, or not, but in any case I wanted to bring it to your attention.
It encompasses a span of time that, for me, was a bit of a gray area
in my education. The book is Fall of Giants by Ken Follett. It
is fiction, but is so well written, with so many historical avenues
explored, that it not only expands your knowledge of the time period
and the events that shaped the world at that time, but makes history
come alive in a fascinating way.
The
book takes place just prior to World War 1 and the Russian
Revolution. Yes, you can probably see where I am going with this.
There are events taking place in the world today that seem to echo a
time where major shifts occurred in various countries of the world.
It isn't always clear at the time that these major shifts are taking
place, it is only as we look back that we realize what the sequence
of events wrought. This is not to say that I believe Russia will
revisit another revolution or that we will slip into a world war, but there do seem to be forces afoot that may affect the major powers
of the world in ways we may not at first understand.
Follett
does a nice job of dovetailing the stories of multiple characters
from different countries, keeping a smooth flow of plot. Their
actions are believable and the historical facts appear accurate. Or
at least those I am aware of, such as dates, times and places. The
descriptions of life style flesh out and provide context for the
events that unfold. What I hadn't been aware of was the difficult
life of the miners in Wales or the extreme situation of the peasants
in Russia. It is easy to see where the rise of socialism came from,
for instance. It is also very illustrative of the class divisions in
Britain at the time. When you have a large schism between the haves
and the have nots you are running a huge risk of violent change, just
like we may be seeing today with the mass migration from poorer
countries to wealthier ones.
This
book is long and is actually part of a trilogy which runs through the
1960's. I have not read the second two books yet so will not get
into those, but have heard from those who have read the entire trilogy
that the first book is really the best. If you have some, okay a
lot, of free time give it a look. It reads very quickly, one of those rare books that you regret ending. and may provide a little background for events taking place today.
88 comments:
I've read that book and thought it was a good one. But way better by Follet IMO are "Pillars of the earth" and the second part "World without end". If you havent read them i can recommend them highly.
I haven't had a chance to read those yet, although I do have them waiting. :) While they've been out longer I hadn't been inclined to read them until recently, being a little put off by the time period being set so far back. But I have since changed my mind about that being a drawback. I will probably try to finish this trilogy before I start them, though.
I'm guessing Cruz and Clinton as winners in Iowa's caucuses tonight. This is not the Conventional Wisdom, which has Trump winning among Republicans (No solid CW on the Democratic side, which has predictions both ways).
"…which has predictions both ways", but does tend to lean a bit towards predicting a Bernie Sanders' victory in Iowa.
This is the first election where I will be watching closely this early. I hope you are right about Iowa.
While Hilary isn't perfect (Huh! what politician is?) I'm not so sure about Sanders. Maybe status quo with Hilary isn't so bad.
Early results put Clinton ahead of Sanders and a surprisingly close battle between Cruz and Rubio. Trump is running third at this time.
Rubio, that dark horse Lee and I talked about earlier.
Looks like Hillary ‘won’ on a technicality; for all practical purposes it was a tie. But, just a few days ago the polls were all saying that Sanders had it won if he could just get his people to the polls. It seems he did that in a big way, but she pulled out a few more votes than he did (and only just a damn few).
Your guesses were pretty accurate Lee. So what does this mean? Does it change anything?
I've read that Rubio could come in third and call it something of a "win" if only his numbers weren't too bad.
Obviously Trump would rather have won so he can't be best pleased but his supporters that I heard comments from didn't seem all that concerned.
Rubio was coming on strong at the end, and Iowa is Bible Thumper Evangelist Christian country; perfect fit for Cruz, which made it all the more illogical that Trump was outpolling Cruz. Rubio came in within a couple thousand votes state-wide to Trump (23% and 24% respectively) and not far behind Cruz at 27%. He'll call that a ‘win’ and claim that he's the guy the ‘Establishment’ Republicans need to get behind to stop Cruz and/or Trump.
Trump probably was not concerned; Iowa wasn't the best fit for him anyway; he's looking to win in New Hampshire by much more than the 3-4% that Cruz won Iowa. (Although,New Hampshire can do strange things sometimes.)
I'm getting interested in this. Not because I feel I have a dog in the race but because of the competition itself and the unpredictability of it.
In fact I would say that I to this point feel less informed about the actual issues than in some previous US primaries. But that the gallery of combatants make it interesting in sort of a reality TV-show kind of way.
In some ways I find myself rooting for Trump just because of the middle finger it sends to the "establishment" and the politically correct. But when I think seriously about things I realise, of course, that this is not a game show and that the USA (and the rest of the world - because the US runs/impacts so much of it) will be best off with a good President, and I don't really think Trump is that President.
What I do think is that both Trump and Sanders send a message to the "establishment" that reads: wise up and get your act together! And that that might be needed.
So Lee, now you guessed on Iowa and it was pretty spot on. Wish to take a shot at guessing the rest? Hillary will be president by beating Cruz in the generals, is that your best guess at this point?
"Hillary will be president by beating Cruz in the generals, is that your
best guess at this point?"
If I had to make a bet right now, that's where I'd put my money. However, I don't have to make a bet right now.
I do give Cruz the odds on winning the nomination. I figured it'd be Rubio as a compromise, but the crazies are spread even wider than I'd originally thought, so I pick Cruz or Rubio in that order. Second best guess (tied for second with ‘Rubio wins’) is nobody wins enough delegates to win the nomination on the first round and it goes to the Convention this summer for decision. That used to be called a ‘brokered’ convention. They'll probably stick with the terminology, but there aren't any ‘brokers’ in the Republican Party anymore. It's open warfare in there. They will come up with a nominee, but it'll be a negotiated deal, and it's anybody's guess what happens there (no brokers to put their fingers on the scales) I'd bet Rubio, but it could be Cruz comes out of there. Might even be neither of them (not Trump either--the Republican ‘elite’ will be able to get together enough to put the kibosh on that).
Hillary should take Cruz 55% to 45% (the Republicans could nominate Trump even, and he'd get 40% just ‘cause they want to keep the Democrats out of the White House). I've never seen Rubio campaign one-on-one, so I don't know if she can take him. Odds in her favor I'd reckon, but I've not seen him in real action yet (he's been campaigning the ‘invisible’ Republican primary generally, behind closed doors with the elites of the party--that'll change for the general, also change when it gets down to Trump and Cruz and Rubio, which is where I think it's goin’ next).
Trump and Sanders will win in New Hampshire though. That won't matter in the end.
Still: "not Trump either--the Republican ‘elite’ will be able to get together enough to put the kibosh on that"
You say the Reps wont run with Trump in the general?
I'm saying they retain enough power to be able to ‘fix’ the Convention against Trump if that becomes necessary. And, most of Trump's supporters pick Cruz as their second choice, a plurality at least, if not a majority. They stop Trump (assuming he's racked up the votes for the first ballot) only at the price of getting stuck with Cruz. (Rubio is third choice for Trump supporters.)
Correction here:
"…(assuming he's not racked up the votes for the first ballot)"
Trump comes in with enough votes to win on the first ballot and he'll win on the first ballot--no negotiations necessary for him.
Cruz has been being very nice to Trump, no bad mouthing, just making nice nice. I have to wonder if it isn't just anti-Trump type of behavior to draw in disaffected Republican voters (those who don't like Trump), but as a hole card to leave open the possibility of a Cruz/Trump or Trump/Cruz ticket in the general election?
Any thoughts on that?
In some ways I find myself rooting for Trump just because of the middle finger it sends to the "establishment" and the politically correct.
I think there are many Americans who feel the same way. But speaking as someone who had a governor like Jesse Ventura, I can say that the novelty wears off. Because at the end of the day what is wanted in government is someone who we can respect. The crude behavior of Trump is not going to garner that respect. Real life isn't reality TV.
Here's a short video, about 15 minutes, on the election in Iowa. You may find it interesting as well, Marcus, as one of the main issues they discuss is the immigration situation here in the States. It is an issue that is big with Trump supporters, I believe. You see we are struggling with a similar problem as Europe, it's just that our immigrants are from Mexico and countries farther to the south, instead of the Middle East and Africa.
"Cruz has been being very nice to Trump, no bad mouthing, just
making nice nice."
Less nice of late. However, even serious badmouthing won't keep them from making an alliance. (I think their egos will.) It was George H.W. Bush who coined the phrase ‘voodoo economics’ to explain Reagan's flight of fantasy about how 'supply side' economic policy would work to the advantage of anybody other than the .01%. Didn't stop Reagan from tagging him for Veep; nor stop him from taking the job.
Could low oil prices sink Iraq? Not a very in-depth article, but worrying nonetheless...
http://uk.businessinsider.com/iraq-oil-price-plunge-fiscal-cliff-2016-2
Excerpts:
...the number of Iraqi government employees is believed to have shot up from around 850,000 at the time of the US-led invasion in 2003 to more than 2.5 million by early 2015. It's a revealing statistic, considering Iraq's transition from a strong, centralized state under Saddam Hussein to a loose and often-violent federation under its current system.
Khedery said that people were added to government rolls because of family, sectarian, or tribal connections. Some officials would pocket money through "ghost job" scams, embezzling salaries from employees that didn't actually exist. Some of the government's oil revenues would go towards militias with ties to official Iraqi political parties — organizations like the powerful Badr Group.
"Why did the number of government employees go up 200%? The reason is that Iraq is a kleptocracy built on systemic corruption and patronage as a means of buying votes," Khedery told Business Insider...
Russia is a major gas exporter, and has a more-diversified economy than many other rentier states. Iraq, on the other hand, has little to show for the nearly half-trillion dollars in oil-export revenue the country received just in the decade after the 2003 invasion. It's largely been stolen, or dispensed to militia groups...
In addition to hastening the country's breakup, a budget plunge would also badly destabilize Basra, the southern export point for the vast majority of Iraq's oil.
The city has already seen increases in violence between Shi'ite militia groups that the federal government has been unable to disarm. Once organizations like Khataib Hezbollah, Jaysh al-Mahdi, and Asaib Ahl al-Haq see their bottom line threatened, the city on which much of the Iraqi economy is dependent could begin to erupt.
"The militias are going to start turning on the state, and they're going to start turning on each other," Khedery told Business Insider. "They're basically vultures who feasted on ethno-sectarian hatreds and high oil prices and patronage. And now they're going to have to start fighting each other for the scraps as the oil-funded pie has shrunk by more than 80%."
"And now they're going to have to start fighting each other for the
scraps as the oil-funded pie has shrunk by more than 80%."
If you check with Marcus you'll find that Putin is immune to these pressures in Russia. Perhaps he can give them some tips.
It appears that The Donald is on Twitter now calling the Cruz' win in Iowa a ‘fraud’ and calling for a new Iowa caucus to be held. (Early tweet said it was an ‘illegal fraud’ but Trump deleted and updated the tweet, dropping the word ‘illegal’ and fixing a spelling typo.)
It seems that Cruz' major offense is that, during the course of the campaign, he said some things that were, strictly speaking, not entirely true.
Meanwhile, on to New Hampshire; Bush, Kasich, and Christy are all takin’ pot shots at Rubio instead of either Trump or Cruz.
However, even serious badmouthing won't keep them from making an alliance. (I think their egos will.)
If it means a foot in the door of the White House, either as number one or number two, they will probably try to make nice.
It seems that Cruz' major offense is that, during the course of the campaign, he said some things that were, strictly speaking, not entirely true.
ROFL! And has The Donald been accurate in everything he has stated?
Could low oil prices sink Iraq?
Not just Iraq. There was an OpEd piece in my paper a couple weeks ago about this. All efforts by Putin aside, the gist was that low prices will be detrimental to all sorts of people. I will have to see if I can find that piece again. It was very good.
Some officials would pocket money through "ghost job" scams, embezzling salaries from employees that didn't actually exist.
That was an old practice under Saddam. Not surprising it was carried forward to the current political system.
The city has already seen increases in violence between Shi'ite militia groups that the federal government has been unable to disarm.
Once the cat's out of the bag it's hard to put him back in again.
Meanwhile, on to New Hampshire; Bush, Kasich, and Christy are all takin’ pot shots at Rubio instead of either Trump or Cruz.
The lower hanging fruit trying to pick off the next higher up? lol! Well, it probably won't win them the nomination, but it will look good on a resume for VP.
The oil article was a reprint from The Economist.
The New York Times has an alternate theory for the Russian population's quiet acceptance of the fruits of Putin's policies. The Conventional Wisdom is that the Russian people are dazzled by the idea that Putin has made Russia ‘strong’ again. According to the NYT; there may be an alternate explanation; example given.
Sitting here watching a special on the best Super Bowl halftime shows. They just did Springsteen. There is just something about some performers that connects them to the audience, creating an intense experience. You can see it in his performance. He didn't need all the fancy props. I would have loved to have seen him live.
According to the NYT; there may be an alternate explanation; example given.
Sounds a bit like mass hypnosis.
I've not been watching that, but I did set the DVR to catch it in case I got bored this weekend.
I kind of fell asleep during the last part with Beyonce. But that doesn't really count, as I was tired. It was just nice to watch something different. A lot of the recent shows are way too over the top. If you have talent you don't need all the glitz.
Although I do wish I had time to be bored.
We seem to have gotten past the trouble with BCBS, but now I am having difficulty getting back a portion of a security deposit we put down with a Home Health Care agency. *sigh* What is with these companies who seem to drag their feet at returning money? Do they all make a habit of preying on the vulnerable? I am starting to get disgusted with all of them.
It seems that our local ISIL recruits are angling for "combatant immunity". Personally I don't buy it.
"Personally I don't buy it."
I kinda wonder if they're not risking being held as POW's ‘for the duration’, effectively, that would be a life sentence.
Just watched highlights of the eighth GOP debate. Wow! What a circus ... and there weren't any acrobats, only clowns. Nice to see Trump back in the fold -- better to keep all the lunatics in one place. What a thoroughly dislikeable lot, at least, any of them that stand a chance of winning the nomination. As a somewhat right winger, it pains me to say that the best chance of trouncing HRC is now Bernie Sanders.
I kinda wonder if they're not risking being held as POW's ‘for the duration’, effectively, that would be a life sentence.
Probably not the brightest bulbs in the pack. Gotta wonder about their attorneys. They are running a certain risk (to their reputations) with that line of defense. Unless, of course, they are setting themselves up for future clients along similar lines.
Nice to see Trump back in the fold -- better to keep all the lunatics in one place.
lol! Indeed.
As a somewhat right winger, it pains me to say that the best chance of trouncing HRC is now Bernie Sanders.
I know the feeling. It does appear that it is the Democrats election to lose.
Btw, Pete, do you ever listen to Adele? Apparently Trump was playing some of her songs at a rally he had. She wasn't pleased, as she hadn't endorsed him or given permission to play her songs at a public event for him. So I was listening to some of her stuff last night. Very good voice. Contrast her to Katie Perry (who was one of the half time Super Bowl entertainers in a special I just watched).
Katy Perry "Roar"
Adele "Rolling in the Deep"
Both have talent, but if I had to bet, I'd say Adele will be around longer.
Definitely both talented, Lynnette. I'm not a fan of that light poppy kind of stuff, but there's no denying there's some awesome talent around in the performance department. I think you're right about Adele -- I heard the other day that she was heading for being a billionaire at age twenty-six. That reminds me: didn't Trump tell the debate audience the other night that he didn't need their money? Well it sounds like Adele doesn't need his ;-)
I like that these talented new singers can hold their own in a live performance. It separates the wheat from the boy/girl band chaff. Modern techniques like heavy vocal fry and overuse of melisma turn me off a bit, as do fake accents (by which I mean different fake accents to the ones I grew up with ... I am just an old git ;-)
But Adele also has a bit of depth. Here's one I really like, done "live in studio". Could be part of the marketing campaign, but she does seem to regularly get emotional about her own songs, and is quite self-deprecating in interview. Every budding singer on this side of the pond wants to be her, which leads to a lot of derivative schlock, but the real thing stands out, even in a group of wannabees.
P.S. Did you see her Late Late Show "car share" appearance?
[Lynnette]: " It does appear that it is the Democrats election to lose."
Don't get me wrong. I don't think they're any better. But Sanders might die in office before inflicting a second term. And Hillary might die in jail before getting a first one! ;-o
Lynnette -- ever come across any of the singers in this playlist: Jarosz, Watkins, O'Donovan? All sorts of Americana and some Celtic connections too, with great musicianship as well as great singing. The bluegrass version of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" is hilarious. (Sorry, don't know how to control the order of the playlist so you'll have to hunt around). All new to me, but I think I'll be doing some more listening.
Hmmm. Maybe this was the playlist I meant. Not sure. The first song is a bit tame compared to the Nina Simone original.
Al-Monitor says the Turks and Russians have been slowly ramping up tensions over Russian air incursions and nobody in the press has been paying particular attention to it.
By the way, Rubio crashed and burned in that debate. He got stuck in some kind of programming loop and kept repeating the same lines even when they were obvious non-sequiturs to the new questions.
I'll have to listen to and read the links tonight.
I noticed that the US is shifting some forces to shore up the Afghans fight against the Taliban.
Katy Perry has a voice, but her material isn't as intricate or unique as is Adele's. I think the up beat, optimistic style has a place, yes, but it can be delivered with more depth.
Adele's singing voice is gorgeous, but her speaking voice can be rather grating. I noticed that when I listened to her in an interview. But she does seem to be a down to earth modest kind of person, which makes her very likable.
The fake audition for the Adele wannabes was brilliant. I loved the reactions of the other "Adeles" at the end. lol!
I've never heard of Jarosz, Watkins or O'Donovan. I tend to only have time to listen to music on the radio in the car or at work and unless a musician can reach the top of the charts I'm going to draw a blank, which is rather unfortunate, because I will miss good music like that. I listened to quite a few of their songs in the playlist you linked to and enjoyed them all. I haven't run across "Crazy" yet. I kinda ran out of time. I'll have to hunt around, like you suggested, for that one.
I'm going to say that I think I liked the remake of the Nina Simone original better than the original. With all due respect to Nina. She had a great voice, but I liked the blend of voices in the Jarosz, Watkins & O'Donovan better. I did find some of the lyrics a little depressing though. But sometimes reality is like that, I guess.
Strange, but as I was listening to the original Nina Simone song there was a piece on CNN about Beyonce's Superbowl halftime performance. They were discussing the political statement she might have been making with regards to the black lives matter protest movement here in the States. You kind of have to listen to the lyrics closely. While performances have changed the role of music to get across a message hasn't.
Lee, why do I suspect that the Russian incursions into Turkey are merely another way of probing for the United State's reaction? Although I see in your article that the author feels the same way. I agree that this is a dangerous chess game that Putin is playing. The Middle East is complicated enough without throwing a East/West confrontation into the mix. The next President might not be quite so laid back as Obama has seemed to be.
"Lee, why do I suspect that the Russian incursions into Turkey are
merely another way of probing for the United State's reaction?"
Vanity. Americans are encouraged by politicians of a certain stripe to always think that everything is about us. That often works because it appeals to human vanity.
"The next President might not be quite so laid back as Obama has
seemed to be."
Patience is not often a prevailing American political virtue. The pols too often want a solution by the end of the news cycle. Obama is something of an exception; this virtue has not been seen in an American President since Eisenhower I don't reckon.
Americans are encouraged by politicians of a certain stripe to always think that everything is about us.
lol! And not necessarily American politicians!
I still suspect that the Russians are testing the waters to see what the temperature is. And considering that the United States is a rather significant member of NATO that would include us. That's not to say that Europe isn't also being tested.
"…considering that the United States is a rather significant member of
NATO that would include us. That's not to say that Europe isn't also
being tested."
Perhaps we don't see it so very differently after all. The author is worried about his neck of the woods, and so is most closely interested in whether or not the Evil Merkins can be again persuaded to fight his fights for him (having little hope of talking the Euroweenies into fighting his fights for him). Putin, however, has a broader horizon than just the Syrian front.
New Hampshire returns for Republicans
Trump -- 35%
Kasich -- 16%
Cruz -- 12%
Bush -- 11%
Rubio -- 11%
Christie -- 8%
Fiorina -- 4%
Carson -- 2%
Rand Paul -- 1%
Huckabee and Santorum > ½%
For Democrats
Sanders -- 60%
Clinton -- 38%
Rubio stalled himself with that poor debate performance; Clinton's still got the nomination; Sanders ain't gonna get it, in spite of New Hampshire.
Christie and the Missus headed home to New Jersey instead of on to South Carolina (next in the nominating process). He may be getting ready to drop out. At this point it doesn't matter what rest of the single digit folks do.
Yup, it looks like Christie dropped out. But we knew that would happen.
Despite his age Sanders seems to be the choice of younger voters. For the Democrats it's a tug of war between the older establishment types and those who are looking for a farther left approach to governing, I'm thinking. Sanders appeals to those people.
The Republican race is actually the more interesting. It seems to be really taking the pulse of people's fears.
I don't know if you watched that one video I linked to about Iowa, but the one woman who had spoken to Trump on his stance on Muslims coming to America said that his statement was to get people's attention. I think he is adept at playing to people's fears and using that to his advantage. It will be interesting to see if the American voter can see through his act and avoid being manipulated.
"I don't know if you watched that one video I linked to about Iowa…"
I didn't watch the whole thing. A little ways into it I decided you'd posted it mostly for the benefit of the Europeans who flit among us on occasion.
The thing to watch… Nevada: If Bernie Sanders can win in Nevada then I'll sit up and pay attention. It's a caucus state for Democrats, which plays best to Sanders' enthusiastic extremist types, but it's also a heterogeneous Democratic Party out there--lots of Latinos, which is supposed to play better for Hillary. If Sanders can pick them Nevada we might actually have a race. (Hillary's got South Carolina in the bag, just like Sanders had New Hampshire. Of course, if he should win there, which he won't, one would have to say Hillary is in big trouble.)
It looks like it gets tougher from here for Sanders.
Strange, even though I don't like him Trump has made this election far more interesting to watch than others in the past. I don't usually take much of an interest in it until after the primaries.
"It looks like it gets tougher from here for Sanders."
What have I been tellin’ ya?
Reporters wanna get published (or, put on-air, as the case may be). That means the reporters covering Clinton and Sanders gonna pretend Sanders has a chance, on account of tellin’ us there's nothin’ to see there ain't gonna get ‘em any time with the audience, just means the rival reporters coverin’ the Republican race get all the business.
(And, just by the way, the last of Hillary's e-mails are due to become public in the next month or so. That means there's not gonna be this impending sense of potential doom hangin’ much longer for the reporters to build up. Unless there's somethin’ shows up with some substance, and I don't think there will be, or the FBI recommends an indictment (which is highly unlikely) then that one just sorta peters out long time before the elections.)
Why it matters.
"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened to flood
Europe with migrants in November if European Union leaders did not
offer him a better deal to help manage the refugee crisis, a Greek
news website said yesterday (8 February)."
EURActive.com
Of course, the Greeks already don't like Erdoğan, but they do claim to have a transcript of the meeting.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
"The Islamic State has been in control of the facility since early
2014. A senior Turkish official said that after its seizure, Stroytransgaz,
through its subcontractor Hesco, continued the facility’s construction
with the Islamic State’s permission. He also claimed that Russian
engineers have been working at the facility to complete the project."
ForeignPolicy.com
"Stroytransgaz…is owned by billionaire Gennady Timchenko, a
close associate of Putin. The company’s link to the Kremlin is
well-documented: The U.S. Treasury Department previously sanctioned
Stroytransgaz, along with the other Timchenko-owned companies, for
engaging in activities “directly linked to Putin” amidst the confrontation
over Ukraine."
Ibid.
"At the very moment that the United Nations convened peace talks to
try to work out a solution to the bloody civil war in Syria, the
government of Syrian President Bashar Assad and its Russian and
Iranian allies mounted a ferocious offensive to resolve the struggle on
their terms. That group is determined to reduce the battle to two sets
of forces — the current government in Syria and the most radical,
abhorrent opposition. That means wiping out any moderate opposition
forces around which the international community could rally to replace
Assad. Assad and his backers appear to be succeeding."
JapanTimes
Thomas Friedman in the NY Times is being fairly pessimistic this day.
I rather hope he's wrong about Israel having abandoned all hope for a peaceful coexistence with a Palestinian state, but he may be right. I'm afraid I agree with him on most of the rest of it.
Why it matters.
I saw a headline in my morning paper about this. Interesting that you should put it first in your list of links. Intentional, or no, that was the appropriate place of importance. It places us in a rather difficult position with regard to the Paris Accord, unless we can limit CO2 emissions through other means than limits on emissions from coal plants.
If the Supreme Court rules against the administration on this that just delays even further action on climate change. Pity the children.
I noticed at the end there the comment about the next President picking justices. How many are up for retirement?
There is no mandatory retirement age for Federal Court Judges (nor the Justices on the Supreme Court), but there are three (3) Justices over the age of 75 plus Bryer at 74.
"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened to flood
Europe with migrants in November if European Union leaders did not
offer him a better deal to help manage the refugee crisis, a Greek
news website said yesterday (8 February)."
It sure seemed(s) like someone was/is! They have always seemed like someone's pawns.
Of course, the Greeks already don't like Erdoğan,...
I'm not sure they actually like much of Europe either. Didn't they also threaten to open the floodgates for refugees/migrants into Europe?
He also claimed that Russian engineers have been working at the facility to complete the project.
Interesting, considering that foreigners are prime hostage targets for Daesh. Now if I were a conspiracy theorist I would have to wonder about this, considering Russia's seeming to soft pedal bombing Daesh in favor of other rebel groups.
That group is determined to reduce the battle to two sets
of forces — the current government in Syria and the most radical,
abhorrent opposition.
And partition Syria between Assad's government and Daesh controlled territory? That reminds me of that phrase...be careful playing with fire, you might get burned. Or something like that.
"Now if I were a conspiracy theorist I would have to wonder about this…
Word is the company is kicking back $50,000 per month to Da’esh.
As you know I've always thought Thomas Friedman an intelligent analyst.
It’s a wholly different beast now, slouching toward Bethlehem.
I think it's gone beyond Israel now. It may be Russia, or it may be a combination of players in that arena, but I believe any slouching beast is being herded toward Europe. Israel is small potatoes now.
(But I still think all of this will end up being a sad side note to human history, compared to climate change.)
Word is the company is kicking back $50,000 per month to Da’esh.
One would think that would make that complex a prime target for those who are targeting Daesh's revenue stream...hmmm?
Nah, they'd undertake repairs and still have to pay the $50,000 per….
"In the first six weeks of this year, 70,400 refugees and migrants
have crossed from Turkey into Greece — almost ten times as many as
in the same period last year. The pace will probably intensify as the
weather warms up, just in time for the referendum on Britain’s EU
membership. The great migration may be just beginning."
Spectator
I decided to watch the Democratic debate just ‘cause I wanted a good look at Bernie Sanders. I like Bernie; he's an idealist; I kinda admire that, but he's not practical. I don't particularly like Hillary; never have, but she is practical. I give the debate to her on points. But, she did not blow him out.
Whatever we may think of Erdogan Turkey has taken in a lot of people, 2.5 million people would strain anyone's resources. In the end financial help from Europe is not unreasonable. As long as it actually gets to the proper destination.
Right now the people who are responsible for what we are seeing now are the Russians, and while I can't see what the future holds I have to wonder if there won't come a reckoning for them in all of this as well. It just may not be something that is obvious now. Call it the law of unintended consequences.
I took a nap so didn't get a chance to watch any TV tonight.
I like Bernie; he's an idealist;...
Probably why he's so popular with younger voters.
I don't particularly like Hillary; never have, but she is practical.
Yeah, I know. But if it's between her or Trump I will take her. So far there is no candidate that really makes me sit up and take notice as being someone I would support whole heartedly. But sad to say that's kind of been the norm for awhile now. It's just more extreme this time around.
I suspect Bernie's popularity with the college crowd has a lot to do with his ideals prominently including free college, legalized marijuana, and free universal health care. As for myself, I don't vote for idealism, at least, not unless it's tempered with a serious pragmatic streak.
A slight change of subject. I noticed this article in my paper the other day. In our many discussions on alternate forms of energy we had talked about the lack of storage for alternative energy sources. It seems that a solution may be right under our noses. :)
Btw, I paid $1.25 for gas today.
Russian military sources have released a photograph of a Russian Sukhoi Su-34 'Fullback' bomber operating in Syria with a mounted anti-ship missle.
Janes
So far as I know, ISIS has no navy. It's not clear whether the release of the photo was a threat or an oops.
$1.19
Ya know it's beginning to look like Rubio did himself some serious, long-term damage with that crash and burn during the New Hampshire debates. I'm gonna reallocate odds here. Rubio getting the nomination is no longer tied for second place to the idea that they'll go to the Cleveland Convention without a candidate already selected. I'm gonna go, in order: Cruz wins, nobody wins and they gotta hash it out at the Convention; Trump wins; Rubio wins; Bush wins. In that order of probability.
Or, maybe Trump wins and Rubio wins tied for third; that was a pretty close call for me there.
So far as I know, ISIS has no navy.
I believe Turkey does...
It's not clear whether the release of the photo was a threat or an oops.
It could be either one, considering Putin likes to flex his...er...Russia's muscles.
Cruz does seem to be pulling ahead of Rubio as the anti-Trump. Hopefully the anti-Trumpers will prevail, whoever they choose to anoint.
"I believe Turkey does..."
I was thinking it may have been intended to discourage prospective NATO efforts to intercept and interdict the human smugglers working out of Turkey (EurAsian coyotes on the loose over there).
Perhaps. The refugees do seem to be in Russia's interest. But I can't imagine that Putin would be that foolish as to fire on NATO ships and risk an even hotter confrontation.
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has died. Strange, we were just talking about the longevity of the Supreme Court Justices the other day. This may upset the apple cart. It sounds like Obama will nominate someone despite noises from the Republican controlled legislature that this is best decided after the election. I have a feeling there's going to be a hot time in the old town tonight!
"It sounds like Obama will nominate someone despite noises from the
Republican controlled legislature…"
Unlikely to have his nominee confirmed; the Republicans control the Senate. It's a breach of protocol to hang up a nomination of this magnitude for for the elections. (It's done all the time with lower court nominations, but the Supreme Court has always been considered ‘different’ and beyond such shenanigans.) But, I have no doubt that this Republican Senate will toss the historical precedents into the wind, and refuse to consider any appointments here.
The Republican debate is over. Cruz vs Trump; Trump vs Cruz; Cruz vs Rubio; Rubio vs Cruz; Rubio vs Trump; Trump vs Bush; Bush vs Trump; Bush vs Kasich. Lot's of heat; not much light.
Rubio managed to not screw up this time. Trump looked out of his depth the first 40 minutes or so (foreign policy). Wasn't much fire between Rubio and Bush, but everybody else was shooting every which way. Fairly unremarkable other than that. Lotta heat; not much light.
Oh, yeah, and Ben Carson was there, intermittently.
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