My apologies for not posting yesterday. My cold has settled down into my chest and I’ve spent most of yesterday and today coughing. I think I’m getting better, but it’s very hard to tell.
The Russians and the Chinese vetoed the latest Security Council resolution condemning the violence in Syria. The vetoes are pretty straightforward–neither the Russians nor the Chinese like the idea of interference in the internal affairs of a state. Such principled stands are of little comfort to the many thousands who have died in the rioting. On the other hand, I cannot even imagine how the Security Council could intervene to stop the violence. It seems as if only the departure of Assad will bring an end to the protests. Perhaps someone in Assad’s inner circle will defect and open a door.
The protests in Russia also continued despite sub-minus temperatures. Putin is unlikely to be moved by these protests, but they will erode his authority over time. One should suspect that there will be a tightening of governmental control soon–the Russian government is going to be flush with money as the cold temperatures in Europe riase the prices for oil and gas exported by Russia to Europe.
The pressures on Iran continue to mount, but it is hard to see how the sanctions can be enforced when so many countries are dependent on Iranian oil. India is a case in point–it wishes to support the alliance against Iran, but does not really have many alternatives to Iranian oil. Meanwhile, the rhetorical war between Iran and Israel continues to heat up.
World Politics News 
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