 |
Aug. 2, 2016
|
| All
is quiet on Capitol Hill with Congress in recess until after Labor Day,
but there is still work to be done. Here is your weekly insight:
Lawmakers left town without passing a single appropriations bill,
setting the stage for a showdown in September. Russia says a helicopter
carrying aid was shot down in Syria and a federal appeals court
overturns a voter ID law in North Carolina. We have your conservative
policy solutions right here. Take notes. —Michelle Cordero, Managing Editor, Heritage.org |
| Beware of the zombie Congress. When Congress returns, only a few working days will remain before the end of the fiscal year and a continuing resolution, or CR, is likely. Conservatives are pushing for a long-term CR to avoid a lame-duck session where lawmakers could ram through controversial legislation without consequence. Read our report on the dangers of lame-duck sessions. |
| A Russian humanitarian operation in Syria, or a "ruse"? After a Russian helicopter said to be delivering humanitarian supplies was shot down in Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry said Russia’s recent actions carried "the risk ... of completely breaking apart the level of cooperation" between the U.S. and Russia. U.S. officials also suggested that the so-called Russian-Syrian "humanitarian operation" is a "ruse" to evacuate civilians so that Russian forces can go after militants who oppose Assad's rule. Russian President Vladimir Putin successfully fooled two successive U.S. presidents. Heritage has a strategy on how to stop that. |
| There is no such thing as "voter suppression" in North Carolina. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit struck down a North Carolina voter ID law, ruling it was enacted to suppress minorities from voting. Heritage expert Hans Von Spakovsky has written extensively on this issue and says there is no evidence of a discriminatory intent or effect. In fact, in a previous election after the law went into effect minority voters increased. Read Heritage's report on election reform in North Carolina and the myth of voter suppression. |
HAPPENING AT HERITAGE |
| Today at 3:00 p.m. a panel of experts will discuss the life of economist Milton Friedman and the current state of school choice in the United States. |
| Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Heritage interns will debate Cato Institute interns on conservatism vs. libertarianism. |
POLICY PICTURE  |
| In 2015, major entitlement programs consumed 52 percent of all federal spending, while the portion of spending for other national priorities (such as defense) declined. Check out more powerful charts here. |
| Have a question? Email us at ManagingEditor@heritage.org. |
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Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Beware of the zombie Congress
Lawfare: The South China Sea Ruling
Issue 21
August 2016
Lawfare: The South China Sea Ruling
Welcome to the August 2016 issue of The Diplomat. This month, we look at the diplomatic, strategic, and legal fallout from the July 12 ruling on the South China Sea case. We also evaluate South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s approach to relations with North Korea, look at how Asian journalists covered the Panama Papers, and explore the implications of Hun Sen’s embrace of social media. And, of course, we offer a range of reporting, analysis, and opinion from across the region.
Cover Story
After the Ruling: Lawfare in the South China Sea
The
historic ruling on the status of features in the South China Sea sets
the stage for future diplomatic, political, and military contestations.
Preview
Leads
Trustpolitik on the Korean Peninsula: Dead or Dormant?
Park Geun-hye’s ambitious approach to North Korea was problematic from the start.
Preview
The Asian Panama Papers
Reporters
in Asia overcame government restrictions, fear of lawsuits, and self
censorship to collaborate on a historic project and revive investigative
journalism across the region.
Preview
Cambodia’s Facebooker-in-Chief
How Hun Sen and his Cambodian People’s Party came to adopt social media.
Preview
Interview
Arthur Kroeber
Going beyond the conventional wisdom on China’s economy, Arthur Kroeber looks at the promise and pitfalls of continued growth.
Preview
China
South Korea, THAAD, and the Limits of China’s Influence
The THAAD decision holds a crucial lesson for China as it seeks ways to influence its neighbors.
Preview
Political High Season in Hong Kong
Gearing up for next year’s chief executive elections, Hong Kong wonders who will end up in the top spot.
Preview
Taiwan: South China Sea Ruling 'Completely Unacceptable'
'Land Kings': China's Frenzied Property Deals
The Hidden Benefits of China's Counterfeiting Habit
Northeast Asia
What Would a Trump Presidency Mean for Japan?
Donald Trump’s strident rhetoric makes allies nervous, particularly in Tokyo.
Preview
The Complicated Fate of US Prisoners in North Korea
Pyongyang is severing its last diplomatic link to Washington, leaving the path to bringing U.S. prisoners home more difficult.
Preview
The Mysterious Sale of Mongolia's Erdenet Mine
Why Economic Sanctions Have Failed Against North Korea
Japan-China Relations at a Crossroads
South Asia
Hindutva in Modern India
Hindutva
antics in India often grab headlines abroad, but the reality is complex
and multifaceted. Where will this ideology ultimately lead the country?
Preview
Burhan Wani’s Killing Brings Kashmir to a Crossroads
The Battle for the Soul of Bangladesh
The Reality of India-Iran Ties
Will Afghanistan’s Lone Fighter Succeed?
Southeast Asia
Justice Delayed After Vietnamese Fishery Disaster
Despite
promises of reparations from the company reponsible, concerns linger
that Vietnam’s government isn’t truly invested in repairing the
environmental damage.
Preview
A New ASEAN-China ‘Deal’ on the South China Sea?
The
news that the two sides have reached a new agreement is rather
misleading but says a lot about how they intend to take their ties
forward.
Preview
Indonesia Prepares for Another Round of Executions
What Will Duterte Mean for Philippine Foreign Policy?
Villages of the Damned: Cambodia's Begging 'Curse'
Central Asia
Abandoning the Great Game
The phrase doesn’t depict regional geopolitics very well, so why do we cling to it?
Preview
Putin Proposes Another Greater Eurasia Project
To revitalize Eurasia’s worn-down multilaterals, Moscow floats another.
Preview
After Istanbul Attacks, Not Much Clarity on Central Asian Involvement
China's Expanding Security Cooperation With Tajikistan
Kyrgyz Supreme Court Punts Askarov Decision
Oceania
Developing Australia’s Defense Industry
The new government has a minister dedicated entirely to the country’s defense industry development.
Preview
Divergent Currents: Addressing Armed Violence in the Caribbean and Pacific
Urbanization and the Greens of Melbourne
Papua New Guinea's PM Defeats Vote of No Confidence
Security
The Bayonet Charge: How the British Army Conquered India
It was not superior technology alone that made the British such formidable fighters during the conquest of India.
Preview
A Brief History of the Coup d'État in the Asia-Pacific
Could It Make Sense for India to Opt for a Russian Nuclear Aircraft Carrier?
China's Secret Weapon in the South China Sea: Cyber Attacks
Diplomacy
After the Award
The
final and binding nature of the international tribunal's award over the
South China Sea disputes leaves attempts at bilateralism between Manila
and Beijing with poor prospects.
Preview
Should Pakistan Put All Its Eggs in the China Basket?
Far From a Slam Dunk: Eyeing the Risks of the TPP for Vietnam
Asia Life
Perfect Balance: A Thai Street Food Primer
As the flavors of its street food attest, Thailand is the culinary crossroads of Southeast Asia.
Preview
The Social Media 'War' Over the South China Sea
Major League Baseball: Meet Japan's All-Time "Hit King"
It’s not just the election but the whole system that is RIGGED
It’s not that a rigged election is the main problem, Mr. Trump, it’s that’ NO ONE’S doing diddly squat to find the way to de-rig it and the horrific lifestyle greedy government leaders have planned for us
It’s not just the election but the whole system that is RIGGED
By Judi McLeod —— Bio and Archives August 2, 201641 Comments | Print Friendly | Subscribe | Email Us
Is the election, as Donald J. Trump contends, rigged?You can bet the farm that it is.
Special:
Rigged
is precisely what the candidate the Democratic National Committee
nominated at last week’s circus called a convention is, a many times
proven congenital liar who enriched herself through the Clinton
Foundation as she prepared herself for the 2016 presidential election
after her stint as the worst Secretary of State ever appointed.Rigged is a president who works from the White House to impose his will on the outcome of the November 8 election.
“Can you recall an incumbent outgoing president being this involved in an election?” Radio talk show giant Rush Limbaugh asked today.
Special:“This is unprecedented. This is exactly what he is going to do after election.”
“Obama is worried about his agenda and legacy being unraveled if Trump wins.”
Obama’s been undermining our system of government for, lo these past almost eight years, Rush. All he’s doing now is doing it flagrantly and openly, and getting away with it.
Rigged is where we are right now.
We’re rigged everyday by not only a mainstream media who show no shame for being the running dogs with the progressives called Democrats, but rigged by sanctimonious politically correct social media, one of which even runs Hillary Clinton’s deceitful election campaign.
We’re rigged by sanctimonious mothers like Jeb Bush advisor Sally Bradshaw who step up and say: “As much as I don’t want another four years of (President Barack) Obama’s policies, I can’t look my children in the eye and tell them I voted for Donald Trump. I can’t tell them to love their neighbor and treat others the way they wanted to be treated, and then vote for Donald Trump. I won’t do it.” …
No one in the mainstream media, the alternate media, or the social media, no one with their own daily radio show with the small exception of Tom Bauerle at WBEN is telling listeners the truth. (Listen Here)
No one is telling people where the rigging of the American presidential election is taking America and the Free West which depends on it.
To a one world government that allows all leaders to easy and convenient control of the masses; where the only protests are ones like Black Lives Matter and other activist malcontents approved by Big Government; to a society which kills off life in the womb, denies medical care for veterans, the aged and the infirm, and is now well on its way to convincing people self-defense against the tyranny of Islamic terrorism is not acceptable.
It’s not that a rigged election is the main problem, Mr. Trump, it’s that’ NO ONE’S doing diddly squat to find the way to de-rig it and the horrific lifestyle greedy government leaders have planned for us.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Is Pope Francis Promoting A One World Religion And New World Order?
Is Pope Francis Promoting A One World Religion And New World Order?
By Michael Snyder - End of The America Dream Blog August 02, 2016
Share this article:
On Sunday, Pope Francis told hundreds of thousands of young people
gathered for World Youth Day in Poland that they need to "believe in a
new humanity" and that they should refuse "to see borders as barriers".
Every two or three years, Catholics from
all over the planet converge for one of these giant conferences, and as
you will see below the Pope has not been shy about using historic
occasions to promote his agenda. Unfortunately, it has become
exceedingly clear that his agenda includes moving humanity toward a one
world religion and a new world order.
Of
course Pope Francis is not going to use those exact phrases, but at this
point it is very obvious what he is trying to do. If you don't believe
me now, perhaps you will see things differently after you have viewed
the evidence that I have compiled in the rest of this article.
Let's start with what the Pope had to say at the World Youth Day conference on Sunday...
"People
may judge you to be dreamers, because you believe in a new humanity,
one that rejects hatred between peoples, one that refuses to see borders
as barriers and can cherish its own traditions without being
self-centered or small-minded," Francis told his flock.
By
itself, this statement is not that dramatic. But when you put it into
the context of everything else Pope Francis has done and said over the
past couple of years, a clear pattern begins to emerge...
May
2016: Pope Francis welcomed one of the top Sunni clerics in the world
to the Vatican, and he reportedly told the cleric that "our meeting is
the message". And mainstream news outlets all over the planet clearly
understood what was being communicated. For example, the Daily Mail article about this meeting was entitled "Pope embraces grand imam at historic Vatican meeting in a bid to bring the Catholic and Muslim churches together".
January
2016: The Vatican releases an extremely disturbing video in which Pope
Francis declared that all of the major world religions are "seeking God
or meeting God in different ways" and that ultimately "we are all
children of God". The video also featured leaders from various major
religions, and they are shown declaring fidelity to their particular
gods. First, we see a female Buddhist cleric tell us "I have confidence
in the Buddha", and that is followed by a Jewish rabbi declaring "I
believe in God". As the video goes on, a Catholic priest announces "I
believe in Jesus Christ", and last of all an Islamic leader boldly
declares "I believe in God, Allah". If you have not seen the video yet,
you can watch the entire thing right here. After watching that video, nobody can deny that the Vatican is openly promoting a one world religion.
November
2015: Pope Francis declared that fundamentalism, even Christian
fundamentalism, is a "sickness" during remarks in which he stressed the
similarity of the major religions.
September
2015: Pope Francis traveled to New York City to deliver a speech that
kicked off a conference during which the United Nations unveiled a "new
universal agenda" for humanity.
September 2015:
During a stop at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Pope Francis stressed the
unity between Christianity and Islam. These words were directly spoken
by him...
I would like to express two
sentiments for my Muslim brothers and sisters: Firstly, my greetings as
they celebrate the feast of sacrifice. I would have wished my greeting
to be warmer. My sentiments of closeness, my sentiments of closeness in
the face of tragedy. The tragedy that they suffered in Mecca.
In this moment, I give assurances of my prayers. I unite myself with you all. A prayer to almighty god, all merciful.
July 2015: During a trip to Ecuador, Pope
Francis spoke of the need for "a new economic and ecological world
order" in which the wealth of the planet is "shared by everyone".
July 2015: Pope Francis denounced global capitalism and refers to its excesses as the "dung of the devil".
June
2015: Pope Francis called for "a new global political authority" that
would have the resources necessary "to deal with the world's economic
problems and injustices".
October 2014: Pope Francis publicly embraced the theory of evolution by making statements such as these...
-"When
we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was
a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not
so."
-"The Big Bang, which today we hold to be
the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the
divine creator but, rather, requires it."
-"Evolution
in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because
evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve."
By
fully embracing the theory of evolution, Pope Francis has aligned
himself with the leftist social engineers that are seeking to merge
humanity into a socialist new world order, and he has aligned himself
against "fundamentalists" that believe that there is one true God that
created the heavens and the earth.
June 2014:
For the first time in the history of Catholicism, Pope Francis
authorized "Islamic prayers and readings from the Quran" at the Vatican.
In ancient times, this would have been considered blasphemy, but today
nobody really even notices when something like this happens.
March 2013:
During
his very first ecumenical meeting as Pope, Francis made it very clear
that he believes that Christians and Muslims both "worship the one
God"...
I then greet and cordially thank you
all, dear friends belonging to other religious traditions; first of all
the Muslims, who worship the one God, living and merciful, and call upon
Him in prayer, and all of you. I really appreciate your presence: in it
I see a tangible sign of the will to grow in mutual esteem and
cooperation for the common good of humanity.
The
Catholic Church is aware of the importance of promoting friendship and
respect between men and women of different religious traditions - I wish
to repeat this: promoting friendship and respect between men and women
of different religious traditions - it also attests the valuable work
that the Pontifical Council for interreligious dialogue performs.
Can you see the pattern?
Pope
Francis is all about bringing people together. He wants to bring
nations together, and he wants to bring religions together. But in the
end, what is the purpose for all of this unity?
An
increasing number of "fundamentalist" Christians are concerned that
Pope Francis is setting the stage for a one world religion and a new
world order.
Merging all of the countries of
the world into a giant superstate and merging all of the religions of
the world into a single faith may sound like a good idea to many, but
the truth is that it would just result in a level of tyranny that most
people would not even dare to imagine.
Famous Economist Issues DIRE WARNING On Impending Economic Collapse: The Most Devastating In American History
Famous Economist Issues DIRE WARNING
On Impending Economic Collapse:
The Most Devastating In American History
On Impending Economic Collapse:
The Most Devastating In American History
The Dent
Research team has just released a disturbing new video about an event
that will be more devastating than anything in history. It is Harry
Dent’s most dire warning in three decades.
Recently, supplies of a 200,000-year old commodity went inexplicably into freefall...signaling the demise of the most valuable commodity in the economic universe.
And the consequences will be devastating…completely decimating the US economy, piece by piece. And there's nothing any geologist, scientist, or physicist can do to stop it.
This
commodity, a commodity that archaeologists and scientists believe dates
back over 200,000 years, is known as "the ultimate resource."
And the shortage of this precious resource has already kick-started a devastating domino effect within the global economy…
An effect so potentially explosive it could trigger the biggest financial crisis since The Great Depression.
One
of America’s most popular investments will crash and burn as a result.
When it does… when its $25.7 trillion bubble pops…it will erase the
retirement dreams of millions of Americans in an instant.
More
specifically, the 35 million American adults over 50 who are counting
on this investment to fund their retirements… are in for a rude
awakening.
But before we panic – there is a solution.
World-renowned economist Harry Dent says it isn’t all doom and gloom - there is
a way we can protect ourselves against the coming carnage. There are
ways you can hedge against what’s to come…ways to rescue – and grow –
the bulk of your wealth.
Ignore
the stock market pundits. Harry says the one investment that everyone
is telling you to sell right now will actually continue to soar…as he
has been forecasting for years. It's the one investment that hasn't
gotten pumped up on cheap credit… that thrives when there's chaos… that
peaks when the market sinks… and that you should start hoarding right
away.
And investors who flock to it now could realize a decade's worth of gains in just years.
He has NEVER been more certain of anything in over 30 years of economic forecasting.
Dent
and his research team have recently finished putting together a free
online presentation explaining everything you need to know. However, viewership is limited to only those who provide their email address below.
And in doing so, you will be among the 300,000 people receiving Dent’s daily updates through Economy and Markets Daily – with hundreds more joining every day.
Editor’s Note: To Watch the Video, Simply Enter Your Email Address Below and Click the Red Button.
Can China Really Ignore International Law?
Can China Really Ignore International Law?
“[N]one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council have ever accepted any international court’s ruling when (in their view) it infringed their sovereignty or national security interests,” Allison argues. “Thus, when China rejects the Court’s decision in this case, it will be doing just what the other great powers have repeatedly done for decades.”
Allison also fell short of mentioning some key facts as far as great powers’ compliance with international arbitration is concerned. For instance, it was not the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) that decided on the Philippines’ complaint against China, but an Arbitral Tribunal constituted under Article 287, Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The PCA only serves as a registry.
Such seemingly minute legal facts inform the nature and implications of the Philippines’ landmark lawfare against China. Crucially, Allison didn’t mention that there have been encouraging instances whereby major powers rejected arbitration, and subsequently an unfavorable verdict, but still ended up complying with it anyway. After all, even for great powers, which aspire to leadership and seek respect and predictability in the international system, ignoring international arbitration carries immense costs.
More Than Meets the Eye
In an authoritative article for The European Journal of International Law, legal scholar Aloysius P. Llamzon (2008) shows that “through complex mechanisms of authority signal and the political inertia induced by [international court] decisions, almost all of the [International Court of Justice] decisions have achieved substantial, albeit imperfect, compliance.”
Keep in mind: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) oversees extremely delicate, if not seemingly intractable, cases such as territorial sovereignty. Take for example, the 1986 Nicaragua vs. the United States case filed before the International Court of Justice. At first, America took a hardline position, arrogantly refusing to participate in the arbitration proceedings at all. Similar to China, it also dismissed the unfavorable verdict. Nicaragua, however, relentlessly stepped up international pressure on America by rallying developing world support behind it. The U.S. refused to pay $370.2 million in damages, but after years of successful Nicaragua-led diplomatic pressure, Washington ended up compensating its Latin American neighbor by offering an even larger development aid package during the Victoria Chamorro administration.
True, the United States continues to alienate allies and undermine its moral authority by failing to ratify UNCLOS. And it is high time for belligerent elements within the U.S. Senate to change course. But the U.S. government, as a signatory, has actually complied with the relevant provisions of UNCLOS as a matter of customary international law.
This was more than evident when Washington allowed Chinese warships to pass through America’s two-hundred-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Pacific, while magnanimously respecting Chinese warships’ right to innocent passage within America’s territorial sea in the shores of Alaska.
In contrast, China, which has ratified UNCLOS, has consistently refused to reciprocate America’s operational observance of prevailing international law, placing restrictions on the movement of foreign military assets well beyond its territorial sea and contiguous zone. Chinese harassment of America’s lawful reconnaissance missions and warships operating in international waters has increased over the years.
Monday, August 1, 2016
New Video: Six European Countries Facing Turmoil
| YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR THE UNBIASED MARKET COMMENTARY YOU WON’T GET FROM WALL STREET | ||||
| ||||
Dear Subscriber,
The key point: Despite all of our troubles at home, the instability overseas is far more extreme. And more than anything else, this is what’s helping to drive a continuing flow of flight capital to U.S. shores. In today’s video, I name:
Then, to give me your feedback for a lively debate on this subject, go here. Good luck and God bless! Martin P.S. If you missed my prior video, “The Next Black Swans,” which has sparked so much controversy and discussion, you can still watch it here. And if you’re interested in reader feedback for that video along with my responses, go to this column. |
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