World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

US President Trump has publicly called out China for selling oil to North Korea despite the UN Security Council prohibitions on doing so.  In a Twitter post today, Trump said:

“Caught RED HANDED – very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!”

Satellite photos show Chinese and North Korean vessels transferring oil while in the Yellow Sea.  The photos were released by South Korean but were likely taken by US spy satellites.  China has made it clear that it does not support any sanctions that harm ordinary North Koreans and that it does not wish the regime in North Korea to fall.  President Trump does not seem to understand China’s interests in this dispute and he clearly expects China to support US objectives without reservation.  It is very difficult to understand how publicly shaming China’s behavior serves US interests in this matter.  In fact, Trump’s actions will likely alienate China even further.

Satellite Photos of Chinese and North Korean Ships Transferring Oil at Sea

The US military would have us believe that it has defeated Daesh (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria, but while it no longer controls extensive territory in those countries it is far from being defeated.  Indeed, the group has launched a brutal attack in Afghanistan where the US military has been engaged in its longest war.  The group attacked a Shi’ite cultural center in Kabul and the primary victims were children.  There is no military solution to the problem of violent extremism.  The US (as well as the Russians, the Kurds, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and the Syrian Army) have killed many supporters of ISIS, but the movement has proven to be highly resilient.

It is cold in South Hadley!!!  Much colder than we are used to in December and the forecast does not offer much hope for a warm-up very soon.  The rest of the world, however, seems to be enjoying warmer than usual temperatures.  Note how much warmer than normal it seems to be in the Arctic.