The state of Maharashtra in India has decided to enforce a total ban on the sale of cattle for consumption. Cows are sacred in the Hindu religion but bans on their slaughter were rarely enforced until the election of Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP emphasizes the Hindu national character of India and has elevated Hindu tradition into law. The ban on slaughtering cows has had a serious effect on the livelihoods of many in India, the world’s largest exporter of beef. The ban is also profoundly discriminatory against non-Hindus in India.
Russia plans to build a naval base on one of the Kurile Islands. Those islands were “awarded” to the Soviet Union as part of the settlement of World War II but Japan has never officially recognized Russian sovereignty over the islands. The dispute has prevented the two countries from ever signing a formal peace treaty to end World War II. The Russian move comes at a time when Japan is moving to expand its military capabilities beyond the purely defensive posture imposed on it by the terms of the American-written Constitution.
The ability of terrorist attacks to manipulate public opinion is undeniable. But the threat of terrorism has an effect which is disproportionate to the likelihood of it occurring; there are many other threats which are far more likely and deadly that the public tends to discount. Jeremy Shapiro has an interesting article on how terrorism is able to achieve its ends.
World Politics News 
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