Politics and economics are always laggard ideas; the ideas that truly move societies come from the arts. The Enlightenment could never have happened without the Renaissance. There is a young Vietnamese, Nguyen Vu Son, currently studying in Oklahoma who has issued a You Tube video entitled “Fuck Communism.” Needless to say, this video is considered highly subversive in Vietnam and Son has risked a great deal for himself and his family. The video, however, has been viewed many times in Vietnam so apparently there are some who think much like him about the corruption in Vietnamese government.
One of the conditions for the Greek bailout was that Greece put up for sale a number of public assets to private investors. The sale is supposed to raise 50 billion euro, but it is unlikely to be that successful. But the list of assets that are subject to the sale is large, and involve some industries that clearly involve the public interest such as ports, water and sewage facilities, airports, and oil and natural gas companies. The sale of some of these assets will be difficult for many Greeks to accept and will likely cause some resistance to the plan.
Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza has won a disputed third term even though he was constitutionally prohibited from a third term. The opposition refused to participate in the election, and most outside powers have signaled their unwillingness to work with Nkurunziza. The outcome is likely to produce an unsettled and possibly violent situation in Burundi.
US President Obama cam into office with two ongoing wars: Iraq and Afghanistan. His campaign promises were to end both wars, and, indeed, he has announced the end of “combat” missions in both countries. But he has also continued to extend the US presence in both countries and the US is still bombing in both. In fact, the wars have not ended, and the US is increasingly involved in the conflicts in both Libya and Syria. At the end of his Administration, the US is likely to be involved in four wars. On the other hand, Obama has overseen the opening of Myanmar, the restoration of ties with Cuba, and the Iranian nuclear agreement. Quite a mixed bag.
Myanmar sentenced 152 Chinese nationals to life imprisonment for illegal logging in the northern part of the state. The sentences are especially harsh and suggest that Myanmar authorities are angry about the attention the Bejing government has given to Myanmar opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. The arrests were made in Kachin province which has been the site of rebel activity against the Myanmar government for many years. The sentences suggest that China and Myanmar, once the closest of allies, have drifted very far apart.
Israeli Prime Minister had made it very clear that he regards the nuclear agreement with Iran as an “historic mistake.” There is also considerable evidence that many supporters of Netanyahu are gearing up to oppose the deal in Congress. However, it is a serious mistake to regard Israeli views on the agreement as monolithic. Israel is an incredibly diverse country, and there are many there who regard the agreement as consistent with Israeli national interests.
The US, Japan, and India are planning joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean, a move that will likely antagonize China. Such exercises are designed to familiarize the militaries of the different countries with weapons capabilities and the compatibilities of communications. India has been reluctant to host such activities in the recent past, but the Chinese have docked their submarines in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and India apparently believes it needs to demonstrate its alliances to maintain its independence.
In 2009, US President Obama promised to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Those plans have never been realized because the US Congress refused to have any of the prisoners sent to US jails and many countries refused to take in their citizens. It appears as if Obama is finally going to honor his promise and close the facility that has been a terrible stain on the honor of the United States.
The Pew Research Center has done a study on the growth of the global middle class in recent years. The study suggests that, while the world has made progress in reducing absolute poverty, the effort to raise living standards remains a painfully slow process. The study finds that:
“In 2011, only 16% of the world’s population was living on $20 or more daily, a little above the U.S. poverty line. By global standards, that constitutes an upper-middle or high-income existence. And most of these people still lived in the economically advanced countries in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.”
The article has an interactive feature which allows readers to compute their annual incomes relative to the rest of the world. For those of us who reside in the higher income countries, the results give a good indication of how privileged we are.
Anti-immigrant sentiment is spiking in Germany as the country is confronted with a large number of refugees and asylum-seekers. The sentiment has led to the torching of refugee shelters in Germany–as many as 150 shelters have been set on fire in the first six months of 2015. Unfortunately, the flow of refugees is not expected to diminish at all. There is no country in the world that is not experiencing this antipathy toward immigrants, and the trend is politically very dangerous and morally indefensible.
The UN Security Council unanimously endorsed the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1. The act means that the first step toward lifting the sanctions against Iran has been taken. If the IAEA verifies that Iran has taken the necessary steps, all UN sanctions will be lifted. Those sanctions are different from the ones placed by the US Congress which need Congressional approval in order to end. Some in Congress are angry that the Security Council has taken action before the Congress had a chance to approve the agreement. The UN sanctions were, in fact, more serious than the Congressional sanctions since the US sanctions only affected US trade with Iran which was non-existent after 1979. The UN sanctions involved other countries which had a much more substantial economic relations with Iran and were therefore more powerful. And the UN certainly does not need US approval to take action.
The Cuban Embassy in Washington raised the Cuban flag for the first time in 54 years as the US and Cuba re-established diplomatic relations. There are still a number of issues that divide the two countries, but the same is true for a very large number of countries with who the US has diplomatic relations. The step is long overdue and the US and Cuba have a very large number of common interests. Let us hope that both countries have the wisdom to recognize them.
Many in Europe are beginning to raise questions about who the euro serves: Europe or Germany? Germany has benefited tremendously due to the fact that the euro is valued less than what a German Deutchsmark would be valued under current circumstances. The undervaluation of the euro gives Germany a huge advantage in exports. That advantage makes a real difference in the unemployment rates in Germany and in Europe as a whole.
The Greek outcome also raises questions about how Germany regards other countries in the Union.
Spiegel conducted an interview with the German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble. Schäuble offers a very specific and precise defense of the bailout deal offered to Greece–his answers are not at all defensive. When asked about the charges made against Germany because of its exercise of power, he simply says:
“There is no German dominance. Germany is in a good position economically, that is undeniable. But in contrast to France and Great Britain, Germany is not a member of the United Nations Security Council. For that reason alone, you cannot talk about being in a position of political supremacy. Still, the balance in Europe has shifted since the fall of the Iron Curtain. Baltic countries, Slovakia and Slovenia also now speak up when they don’t like the positions taken by others.”
His self-assuredness is palpable in the interview, perhaps no small part of the explanation for the feelings of domination expressed by some within Europe.
The Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, reopened after being refurbished from the damage inflicted by al Shabab extremists in September 2013. The attack was a devastating blow to Kenya, and was in response to Kenyan efforts to limit the influence of the extremists in East Africa. The situation between Kenya and the extremists, who are based in Somalia, has festered for many years, and the attacks have continued. The reopening of the mall is an important psychological step forward for Kenyan.
Boko Haram targeted a market, a mosque and prayer ground as families celebrated Eid al-Fitr as Ramadan ended. According to reports, three young women–one as young as ten-years–had bombs strapped under their gowns which might have been remotely detonated. President Buhari has taken strong steps to try to arrest the violence in Nigeria, but the brazenness of the attacks is indicative of the difficulties he faces. Buhari is getting ready to fly to Washington, DC to meet with US President Obama to ask for US assistance in addressing Boko Haram’s violence.
The German success in holding the line on the Greek bailout has been popular in Germany, but there has been a backlash against Germany in other European countries. The complete capitulation of Greece to the terms of the deal has raised concerns that Germany is wielding its economic power at the expense of smaller and weaker powers. Such a backlash was to be expected, but it is unclear how the German people will react to the negative response–in some very curious ways, the outcome of the negotiations raises fears of the German past.
The evidence is mounting that 2015 will be the hottest year ever recorded–by a wide margin. Last June was the hottest June ever recorded on the planet, and a very strong el Niño is building in the Eastern Pacific. Fortunately, a strong el Niño usually means that the West Coast of the US will have higher rainfall in the winter months, so perhaps the US Southwest will get some relief from the drought.
Jürgen Habermas is one of the world’s leading public intellectuals: a philosopher, sociologist, and critical theorist. He was interviewed by The Guardian about the Greek bailout deal. His critique is representative of the left-wing’s critique of neoliberalism and is biting, frank, and an excellent example of political reasoning.
The Obama Administration moved quickly to reassure its Arab allies that the US was committed to their defense against Iranian provocations. The effort was an attempt to lessen anxieties, particularly among the Saudis, that the Iranian nuclear agreement would embolden the Iranians to exploit the agreement. The gesture is important, but I suspect that the Saudis continue to feel betrayed.
Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza is running for a third term which is prohibited by the nation’s constitution. His decision to run again has led to outbreaks of violence in the country, and the UN Security Council has been advised by several human rights organizations that it must take effective action to prevent mass atrocities prior to the election which is scheduled for 21 July. There are diplomatic efforts to persuade Nkurunziza not to run, but it is unlikely that he will change his mind.
It is hard to describe the amount of airtime and newsprint that has been allocated to the Iranian nuclear deal. It is also very difficult to sort through the cascade of half-truths and deliberate omissions of fact that pervade much of the so-called discussion. Over the next few days, I will likely work through some of these issues. One of the persistent themes in the critique of the agreement is that the Arab world is united in its opposition to Iran, often conveyed in a manner that suggests that the Arab world and Israel are in agreement on Iran’s status in the Middle East. There is an element of truth in the assertion, particularly if one substitutes Arab “elites” with the Arab “world.” Public opinion polls, however, suggest that most Arabs think less about Iran than the pundits imagine. And there is significantly less hostility towards Iran than is suggested.
Since the end of World War II, Japan’s constitution has not allowed Japan to maintain a military and to defend itself only if facing a direct attack. Today, the lower house of the Japanese Parliament approved legislation that would change that rule, allowing the Japanese military to be deployed overseas and to aid another country if that country is attacked. The measure is part of Prime Minister Abe’s desire to return Japan to the status of a “normal” country and to counter what Abe considers to be the Chinese threat to Japan. The opposition parties protested vigorously, but the measure is considered likely to become law. Whether the law is constitutional is a matter the Japanese courts will have to decide.
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