The Xinhua editorial calling for a “de-Americanized” world has been resonating throughout the foreign press, although it has received very little attention within the American media. Pepe Escobar is a regular contributor to the Asia TImes and I think that he is a very perceptive observer of world affairs. He picks up the Xinhua theme and makes some very good points, as well as some outlandish ones. The theme certainly picked up steam given the circus in Washington these last few weeks, but it would be a serious mistake to think that a structural shift away from US power is imminent. It will happen, but less quickly than many believe. Der Spiegel has a solid essay on the problems facing the emerging powers.
The Overseas Development Institute, one of the oldest and prestigious global poverty think tanks, has published a report that links extreme weather events to poverty. The poor are most susceptible to the disruptions caused by drought, flooding, and extreme rainfall. The poor also lack the resources to recover fully from such calamities. The number of people who are living in regions that are experiencing increased numbers of extreme weather events is considerable, and addressing this aspect of climate change is of urgent importance.
One of the great unknowns of the US-Iraq war that began in 2003 was the number of Iraqis killed. The US quite deliberately did not keep count of the enemy killed because it wanted to avoid the trap of keeping a “body count” as it did in Vietnam. It was also very difficult for the press and international and non-governmental organizations to operate within Iraq. The University of Washington Department of Global Health conducted a meticulous study in Iraq and has published its findings: the study estimates that the number of Iraqis killed as a result of US actions at 461,000. The number is consistent with previous estimates, but is considerably higher than most people think.
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