On YouTube

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Canada, Judge Brown, NATO, Russia, Ukraine, US Senate, US Supreme court, war

Yesterday I decided to watch for a short while the hearing in the American Senate of Judge Kentaji Brown Jackson for the position of Supreme Court nominee. The American process is very different from the Canadian one for Supreme Court Justices.

In Canada there is no confirmation process, Justices are selected from a list prepared for the Prime Minister by various bodies like the Law Society of Canada and consultative committees who will recommend a list of people and one will be chosen after vetting by the Privy Consul of Her Majesty. A name will then be given to the Prime Minister who will announce who is being nominated. That is it, no partisan nonsense. Judges in Canada are all politically neutral and if they want to keep their jobs better keep to that. The only time you hear from them is when they render a judgement. The Supreme Court in Canada is the Third pillar of our Constitutional Order, independent of any political interference or pressure. A few years ago Conservative PM Harper was unhappy with some judgement of the Supreme Court and made a point of criticizing openly the Chief Justice of the time Beverly MacLachlin, Harper said that the Judges where activists and rewriting laws, etc…

Not only is this totally inappropriate for a PM to do that as head of Government but it creates sort of an American atmosphere of trying to pressure the Court. The Chief Justice never replied to him, kept silent which only reinforced her hand and he looked foolish. PM Harper lost 16 cases at the Supreme Court because the Laws being contested were unconstitutional and poorly written. He was not happy about that, thus his criticism of the Court. He also lost despite trying to name people who he thought conservative and would see matters his way, that backfired and he realized too late that you cannot control the Supreme Court.

In this case I watched Judge Brown being questioned by Senator Cruz, Cotton, Graham, what fools. Cotton implied that she was rewriting laws, his questions were poor, confusing, he did not seem to understand that Laws are written and directions is given by Congress and Judges must abide by the Congress wishes, this is what Judge Brown reminded him time and again. Nope, Cotton did not get that at all. Cruz apparently went to the same Law school as Judge Brown and he raised the whole Race Theory agenda and the Child pornography laws, trying to give the impression that Judge Brown was an activist and soft on crime. As for Graham, what a clown, in an underhanded way, he called her a skunk, saying he had heard that from another senator, he asked her about her religion and if she went to Church, often, how many times in a year, was she some kind of religious freak. He also attacked Biden and his past record and without saying it implied that Biden was not a good choice for President. The abuse the poor woman had to put up with was unbelievable and had nothing to do with her record as a judge. It was a partisan attack to smear her. For someone watching from a foreign country it really does not show the USA in a good light. The Republican are also fascinated with pedophilia, this topic came back time and again. Graham went on and on about it. To the credit of Judge Brown she kept her composure, she spoke very clearly and well, level headed, not taking the bait, not getting angry at the terrible comments and the abuse. She has a superior intellect and that is clear. I stopped watching it, it is simply a disgrace to watch.

More important things are happening at NATO HQ in Brussels this week and our collective fate is in the balance. NATO is a 30 member States, it was revealed today by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, that battleships from various nations including Canada are gathering in the Baltic and Black Sea, NATO nations have readied their Air Force, Canada has sent our F-18 to Poland and armies are being massed in Eastern Europe, the USA has 100,000 troops, all on high alert. Tomorrow Thursday a Special Meeting of NATO is taking place and we will know what measures will be taken to stop Russia. From listening to various European experts and from our own Canadian Ambassadors, something is going to happen Thursday.

China has also been implicated now as complicit with Russia in this war and may face severe economic sanctions.

We are now at a very dangerous moment in the history of the World. We can only hope that Putin can step back, can save face and make a compromise. Putin has refused despite repeated demands by NATO that he not use Nuclear Weapons or chemical or biological weapons, if he does, well the response will be very strong from NATO.

On the map below not shown is Canada and the USA as NATO members.

Foods good and bad

Tags

dachshunds, dogs, economy, Food, Oil, Ukraine, war

To continue with my story about Nicky and Nora, Nick will not jump on anything, so I have to lift him up unto the sofa. Nora just jumps and is very independent. Nick is the whiner, not only do you have to lift him up, he then expects you to tuck him into his blanket and say a few soothing words and a cuddle. Nora needs no help and she keeps one eye on you at all times, Nick falls asleep. He is happiest if I am sitting next to him and he snuggles up in his blanket and I put my arm over him. Then he feels perfectly safe and falls into a very deep sleep and dreams. Last night he was sound asleep when all of a sudden he starts to dream and he huffs and puffs, his face twitches, his eyebrows move up and down and he starts to have muffled barks and growls, his claws come out. I do not wake him up it’s his dream. It passes soon enough and when he wakes up, he looks at me as if to say, where am I. Nora also dreams and also has these little episodes, we always wonder what they are dreaming about.

About food, when shopping at the grocery store I am continually surprised that we have so much on offer, from frozen foods of all kinds, to a large variety of meatless products, natural, bio, gluten free, halal meat, we do not have kosher on the island despite our Jewish community of 260 people. Then the ancient grains and other combinations. Apparently ancient grains are so much better for you, your ancestor the cave guy ate them all the time. There are a lot of food fads around and they do not last. What about these doctors who beg you not to eat this or that fruit or vegetable, where does that come from? There are a lot of scams out there.

On instagram there is a plethora of physical fitness, training instructors who constantly push diets, eat this and eat that. Do’s and don’ts, carb and protein, etc. I simply cannot pay attention to any of it. Also most of these guys are under 30, there entire life is at the gym, morning, noon, night. When not at the gym they travel to Mexico or Thailand for a vacation. I found them vacuous during the height of Covid, it was party, party in packed discos and now with war in Europe, they look mindless, their lives appear out of any real context, it’s still party time, not a care in the world. They must all be millionaires or….

What is also the fascination with Dubai? I don’t get it. To me Dubai is and was a duty free city and nothing else. It is all about shopping for luxury products and cars. Again why would you want to live there for an extended period of time, as a young person. It is all very strange.

Gas in PEI is now $7.90 a gallon. the price went up another .10 cents this morning. It had gone up .12 cents 2 days ago and I am sure it is going to continue to rise even more. The big question here on the Island is what to do, people love buying big gas guzzlers, F-150 trucks and giant SUV, you can well imagine the cost now at the pump. It is all about putting priority on status symbols. An interview this morning on the radio, asking people will they consider buying an electric car, no comes the reply, this hike is just temporary. HELLO!!!! no it’s not, but they will find out soon enough with the war in Europe and the disruption it brings to the world economy. Next came a report on the price of food, Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe and Canada is a huge producer of wheat, we had a very bad harvest in the last 2 years due to climate change, guess what, food prices will continue to climb. This with rising interest rates will create a storm for many who have over extended themselves. Economists have shown that the average Canadian for every $1.00 earned owes $1.64 in debt. How do you get out of that one? Too many hope the Government will provide a miracle cure. I am always surprise how few understand basic economics.

At doom’s doorstep:It is 100 seconds to midnight

Tags

Canada., climate change, covid, life, nuclear war, PEI, Russia, Ukraine, war

Since January 2020 things have not gone well in the world. COVIC has taken it’s toll on all of us and many are beyond tired of the disinformation and the general selfishness, me first attitude of many. Climate change is ever present and the weather is becoming weird and dangerous.

I thought that 2022 would be different but no, now we have the threat of Nuclear War which comes from Vladimir Putin. His language is more and more bellicose and you cannot afford to think that he may be bluffing, the consequences are too dire for us all. Canada is a sitting duck, we have a long border with Russia in the Artic region, and the USA on the 49th parallel. Both great nuclear powers and it is easy to believe that Canada in the middle could be sacrificed. Few believe that nuclear war could happen given that this would mean death to millions of people in a few minutes and make life on Earth impossible for the survivors. Because it is so unbelievable most prefer to think that no it is just a Russian bluff. Canada has the largest Ukrainian population in the World at 1.3 million people outside of The Ukraine. Living mostly in Western Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Canada has closed its airspace to all flights from Russia, European Union and the UK have done the same. We also closed our waterways and ports to all Russian ships. Politicians are hoping that DEFCON and NORAD which is in need of upgrading will protect us. Canada does not have much of an airforce our planes are old F18. Same with the navy and our army. As for emergency preparedness we saw in Ottawa a few weeks ago how unprepared the city was to occupation by a small group of Qanon and anti-vax individuals, the city’s administration collapsed, the police collapsed and the Chief resigned. No one knew what to do in a city of 1 million people and the capital of Canada. The Opposition party in Parliament gave their support to the so called Freedom Convoy, called on the Prime Minister to resign and go talk with the protesters. A terrible situation, not to mention all the US right wing media and Trump attacking Canada.

Here is PEI the little racist drama of PEI HOCKEY continues, some 16 yr old and their parents using racist language towards other players of colour, Hockey PEI at first pretended they did not know or where unaware, but in the glare of the media were forced to admit wrong doing. Many Islanders resent deeply the presence of non-Islanders as permanent resident of their Island Province. You will not encounter this in other parts of Canada where large populations drown out such voices. The population of the Island is growing quickly and the new comers are from other parts of Canada or immigrants. Investments in general come from Canada or is international. There is a continuing whining about the good old days before the Bridge over the Strait was built in 1997, when only white people lived here. It is said that Islanders are generous but not kind, that is true. It’s the ugly side you don’t see covered up by the myth of the cradle of the sea.

So yes life is somewhat complicated right now, but one can always remain optimistic, Spring is around the corner and COVID is retreating now. So let’s keep smiling, what else can we do, walk on the sunny side of the street. However one cannot help worrying about nuclear war and an unstable dictator in Russia, the repercussion of economic sanctions, the position of China and India in this crisis both are hedging their bets either with Putin or with the West.

Tomorrow is another day.

What a day

Tags

Afghanistan, disaster, end, life, war

So on this Sunday 15 August it’s Ferragosto the third most important holiday in Italy, after Christmas and Easter. Everyone is going on vacation in Italy this is a very old tradition. Ferragosto goes back to ancient times, it marks the end of the harvest and people celebrate.

Here you have it the classic FIAT 500 loaded up going to the beach or the mountains for that vacation. The big wicker basket or bottle on the roof is in fact home made wine. Essential for your vacation. I love the FIAT 500 it is such a nice stylish classic car.

This morning the Prime Minister went to see the Governor General and asked that she dissolve Parliament and order a General Election. So as of 10:30am this morning we are now officially in general election mode all across Canada to elect 338 Members of Parliament. Signs are already appearing and political commercial etc… The goal for PM Trudeau is to gain a majority government and he thinks he can do it. We vote on September 20, in total it will be a 36 day campaign.

Here at Rideau Hall we see the Governor General Mary Simon signing the decree to dissolve Parliament. The Chief Electoral Officer then issued the Writs for all 338 ridings.

At the same time in Kabul the Afghan Government was fleeing to Tajikistan while the Taliban entered the City. Amazing such a victory after 20 years of war. I know that our Embassy closed and our diplomats left the country. Unfortunately we abandoned to their fate the Afghan local staff who represent 90% of the workforce. This is how it is, the Government of Canada feels no obligation to them since they are Afghans. I do not know what is happening with the 20,000 Afghan we promised to take out because of their jobs with our army during this conflict. I do note that the German Government got everyone out, local staff at the embassy and others. Flying them all to Germany and leaving the processing of their immigration papers to be done in Germany. We could have done the same, the Minister has the authority to issue permits.

With the election now, no one is speaking about Afghanistan.

At the same time in Haiti thousands are injured or dead after the earthquake in what is essentially a failed State with no government. Oh did I mention climate change.

This is all too much at once and so very strange.

41 C. = 105.8 F

Tags

20 years, Afghanistan, climate change, life, taliban, war, Weather

Well after freezing at 12C in July now in August we are broiling. The last 2 days have been at 41C it is unpleasant and you cannot escape the heat even at the beaches all around us, the sand is so hot it is like broiling as you lie down. So get into the water quick and stay there.

For our two little Dachshunds all they want to do is drink water and sleep in a drafty area. They do not want to go out or walk, we still have to go but we make it quick for their sake.

What is troubling is the number of people driving around in joy rides with huge motorcycles or their big F-150 trucks making noise and playing loud music. After the report of this week on Climate change and the dire predictions, the flooding and forest fires around the world and numerous other problems like crop failures here in Canada due to the drought the worse ever in our history and other disaster, many people seem uncomprehending and have not changed their behaviours. I may see what is going to happen in 20 years but I would rather not. As for the people who think this is just a phase well I feel sorry for their children who will have at best a blighted future.

The news from Afghanistan is terrible tonight, the Taliban are 70 miles outside Kabul encircling the City. There is no hope and reports are already emerging of wholesale massacre of those who surrendered. Their victory will be a blood bath and now China is their supporter, arming them and helping them achieve this victory. Why would China do this? Because it uses Afghanistan as a proxy in its conflict with India. Some 40% of the Taliban fighters are mercenaries from Pakistan and Northern India. This is all part of the plan of Communist China to control Asia and impose its will. Chinese Troops are massing on the border in Tajikistan and Afghanistan. The Chinese army is also with the help of Pakistan in the pakistani occupied portion of Kashmir, which is of great concern to India. The Foreign Minister of Pakistan has met with the Chinese Foreign Minister a few days ago in Chengdu to forge a military alliance. China believes that by playing nice with the Taliban they will avoid problems in their province of Xinjiang Uyghur with a majority muslim population of Turkic origin. I tell you diplomacy is fun and complicated.

The Canadian Plan to evacuate people who worked for us is not going well and there is little to no time left, the Government of Canada announced it would take 20,000 Afghans. The other problem is that Sunday, the Prime Minister will most probably visit the Governor General H.E. Mary Simon and ask for Parliament to be dissolved so we can go into a General Election with voting day on 20 September. It is important to note that in Canada, during the election campaign Justin Trudeau continues to be Prime Minister until after voting day when the results are known. It would appear now that he will win a majority or 170 Seats in the House of Commons. However despite what the media loves to say, we vote for our Member of Parliament where we live and not for the Prime Minister. We do not elect Prime Minister’s in Canada. We elect 338 Members of Parliament individually. I already know who I will be voting for in my riding. You get to be Prime Minister because the Governor General offers you the job believing that you can hold the confidence of the House.

Military helicopter evacuating westerners to the airport and out of Afghanistan. 15 Aug.2021

V.E. Day 2020

Tags

2020, EIIR, message, Queen Elizabeth II, Remembrance, war

A message from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Canada had 1 million Canadian serve in the Second World War during 6 long years.

Photo

Tags

Architecture, art., GDR, life, Saxony, war

Dresden is a city in Saxony, Germany we have often visited since 1998. This city was until 1989 in East Germany after the partition of 1945.  It survived the war unscathed because it was a city known for arts and culture with no military vocation. However all that changed on the nights of February 14 and 15, 1945 just 2 and a half months before the end of the war, when the British launched massive aerial fire bombing of the city.

The old Dresden was completely destroyed and tens of thousands died. After the war under the communist dictatorship of the GDR, the old city was left pretty much as it was with its pile of rubble. Since 1990 it has been rebuilt completely and now there are no traces of the destruction. This in itself presents a problem,  if visitors are told the story of the City they will think it odd that no visible sign remain. On the other hand it all looks pretty new though built in the same style as before the destruction of 1945.

This is the old public square by  the Frauenkirche, the lutheran church of our lady. None of the buildings in this photo including the church existed prior to 2010. It was all rebuilt to look and feel exactly as it use to be. Queen Elizabeth II gave the new cross atop the Church lantern in a gesture of reconciliation.

The most impressive reconstruction in Dresden is the lutheran church of our Lady ”Frauenkirche” built by Georg Bahr between 1726-43, measuring 90 meters in height and all made of stone. We saw it being rebuilt during 3 visits to the city. The interior is beautiful in its baroque decor. The original church like the reconstructed one was built with donations from Lutherans and others. Originally it was a protest by the people against their King August the Strong who had wild ambitions. He decided that he wanted to be King of Poland and of Saxony. The problem was that he would have to convert to the Roman Catholic Faith of the Poles to achieve his goal. He did and built a Catholic cathedral next to his palace. The population was not happy with his decision.

Photo of 1920 of the Frauenkirche

Photo from 1970 the Frauenkirche a ruin, we first saw it in this state prior to the start of the reconstruction. The building itself survived the fire bombing but on 16 February 1945 in the morning the Ministers of the Church went in to see about the damage and while inspecting it the cooling stone of the Church started to crack violently and crashed on top of them. In this photo you see a vast empty field compared with the reconstructed area today.

If you have a chance to visit Dresden, it is well worth it, located halfway between Berlin and Munich.

 

Every new Year it never fails

Tags

conflict, Iran, Middle East, Persia, war

Usually a few days before the New Year I always wonder what the new year will bring for me personally and for us as a family and then for Canada and the world. It seems that if our domestic life continues apace and no great event changes our lives beyond what is to be normally expected, the situation in the world is a vastly different matter.

I have come to expect some kind of disaster, natural, man made or other. In 1990 while in the Middle East, I and my colleagues knew was imminent with Iraq for invading Kuwait and the oil fields. So that Christmas in Cairo, my boss at the time told me to take my little puppy Bundnie with me to Canada because I might not be able to return and it was best not to leave her behind. I did return in the New Year but Bundnie was safe at home in Canada. The first Gulf war was short really, the Iraqi army was not professional and ill equipped for any war against a Western army. Other years brought other terrible events. So why would 2020 be any different.

The Middle East has been since 1914 a huge trouble spot and a play ground for the great powers, Britain, France, USA, Russia and now China. The people of the region do not count for much in the final analysis. Much racism and bigotry at play. Trump’s decision is one of a man who has NO understanding of the world and history or international commitments for that matter. His mistake has given Iran a victory today.

The Iraqi Parliament today has voted to oust all USA troops from Iraq. The domino effect is that the NATO mission to train Iraqi soldiers is at an end, they too will have to leave. Iran becomes de facto the only power to control the militias and political life in Iraq.

All NATO operations against ISIS are also at an end. ISIS will probably make the calculation of now attacking only Western forces, siding with Iran because it is convenient for them. Russia is also winning with the USA out of the way. Iran is also re-starting its enrichment of Uranium program.

The assassination of Qassim Suleimani was a terrible mistake and it is difficult to understand how the State Dept, The National Security Council, experts and advisors could not point out the obvious to Pres. Trump. Suleimani was similar to Iran killing the US Secretary of State or the Chief of the Defense Staff. It reminds me of a story involving the Duke of Wellington at the battle of Waterloo. Prior to the battle as was custom at the time generals would go up and down the line to harangue soldiers prior to the battle.

Wellington did it and so did Napoleon on his white horse. An Officer pointed out to the Duke that it would be very easy to simply shoot Napoleon prior to the battle and that would be the end of that, Wellington said NO, we do not do that, it would be beyond the pale and contrary to the rules of engagement. If Napoleon dies during the battle fine but not prior to hostilities.

The killing of Suleimani is contrary to International Law, since there was no declared war between Iran and the USA. Despite the media depicting him as a terrorist etc. still no previous president or anyone else suggested killing him out right. Now we see the result, Iran is now at war with the USA. The Americans are loosing ground and outside of the UK it is very unlikely that any other ally including Canada will want to get involved in an un-winnable war.

Iran is not Libya or Syria or Iraq, it is a power in the region and has the capacity to wage a war, its soldiers are committed to a cause they believe in, can’t say the same for a Western soldier who may not see the point of fighting a war far from home for what goal exactly and for a President who has been impeached. Vietnam was lost because the Vietcong believe in what they were fighting for, not so on the American side.

Iran is a country in Western Asia. With 82 million inhabitants, Iran is the world’s 18th most populous country. Its territory spans 1,648,195 km², making it the second largest country in the Middle East and the 17th largest in the world. An ancient culture, a highly educated population. What we see today is a failure of US diplomacy, since 1979 unable to resolve issues because the US administration has always treated Iran as an inferior. Then again Cuba comes to mind, another long standing failure of US diplomacy since 1959.

Now Pres. Trump wants to target specifically Iranian Cultural sites which are in most cases important to all humanity and some are protected under UNESCO. It seems that Trump wants to be declared a war criminal, what a distinction for a US President.

We live a very difficult moment in the world and none of this will make America great as Trump wishes, what a way to start the new year.

 

 

 

168:01 Installation

Tags

2003, art., Baghdad, books, Iraq, library, University, USA, Wafaa Bilal, war

I was at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery today to have a good look at the new Winter Show. Several artists are presenting their works. One artist is Wafaa Bilal  b. 1966 in Najaf, Iraq, he is an Iraqi American artist, a former professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and currently an associate professor at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.  Wafaa Bilal fled Iraq in 1991 and spent 2 years in a refugee camp in Saudi Arabia. Many members of his family where killed during this period.

The exhibit is entitled 168:01 

The title of the installation, 168:01, refers to the 13th-century destruction of the historic House of Wisdom library – then the largest in the world – at the hands of Mongol invaders. “Legend has it that they dumped its entire contents into the Tigris river to create a bridge to cross over, and that the pages bled for seven days – 168 hours,” Bilal said. “The extra 1 is that second when I imagine the books turned white and drained of knowledge.”

Aimed at restoring the roughly 70,000 books lost to looting and fire during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Wafaa Bilal’s 168:01 mourns the loss of the College of Fine Arts Library at the University of Baghdad. The site-specific installation, organized and circulated by the Art Gallery of Windsor, positions viewers as potential participants who can choose to donate educational texts to the Fine Arts Library.

The installation becomes a system of exchange where art objects are traded for academic texts. Visitors are encouraged to donate books from the university’s wish list to help rebuild the library collection. Each participant who donates a book to the exhibition receives a white book in return — a symbol of the void that they have helped to fill and as a reminder of their contribution.

Wafaa Bilal’s powerful suite of photographs titled “The Ashes Series” brings the viewer closer to images of violence and war in the Middle East. In an effort to foster empathy and humanize the onslaught of violent images that inundate Western media during wartime, Bilal has reconstructed journalistic images of the destruction caused by the Iraq War. He writes, “Reconstructing the destructed spaces is a way to exist in them, to share them with an audience, and to provide a layer of distance, as the original photographs are too violent and run the risk of alienating the viewer. It represents an attempt to make sense of the destruction and to preserve the moment of serenity after the dust has settled, to give the ephemeral moment extended life in a mix of beauty and violence.” In the photograph “Al-Mutanabbi Street” from “The Ashes Series”, the viewer encounters dilapidated historic and modern buildings on a street covered with layers upon layers of rubble and fragments of torn books. Bilal’s images emanate a slowness that deepens engagement between the viewer and the image, thereby inviting them to share the burden of obliterated societies and reimagine a world built on the values of peace and hope.

the long slide

Tags

China, G-7, Putin, Russia, Syria, Trump, USA, war

You know the expression it is a slippery slope, a few months ago I was reading a book by Austrian author, journalist, poet, historian Stefan Sweig, 1881-1942. The book was entitled The World of Yesterday, it tells the story of life in Europe prior to the First World War 1914-1918, a world ruled by Emperors, Kings and old Empires, genteel and elegant, a world vanished by 1919, replaced by a frantic and disillusioned Europe gripped by economic chaos, revolutions, violence and hate, preparing itself for an even greater disaster the rise of Fascism and the Second World War 1939-1945.

The events of the last week makes me wonder if the world has not lost it’s mind. We learned that the Great Barrier Reef off Australia is now dead, a terrible ecological disaster with grave consequences. We have been warned for decades that this was going to happen if nothing was done, well nothing was done, no one cared and here are the results.

A passenger on a flight beaten by security goons in Chicago in what I call the Airport Security Circus, an airline unable to apologize and admit its fault. Only after a Public Relation nightmare did the CEO of United finally apologize. But what does that say about the world we live in, no one is safe now, Corporations use the police to beat people with impunity. In Canada our Minister of Transport in Parliament announces new security measures at airports, when asked during Question Period what they are, he refuses to answer stating Security reasons and State Secret to justify his non answer.

In Syria more atrocities, gas used on civilian population, a clear crime against humanity. In fact the use of gas or chemicals is strictly forbidden under International Law for civilians and military. In response US President Trump bombs an empty air base, provoking a strong warning from Russia, not to cross that line again because they will retaliate against the USA. China also condemns the USA the day the Chinese President leaves Mar-a-Lago after his visit with Trump. Secretary of State Tillerson is unable to get the G-7 countries to back more sanctions against Russia despite Canada and the UK support. Tillerson uses un-diplomatic language calling the Russian incompetent in controlling their ally Syria. Tillerson is to visit Moscow on Wednesday 12 April, what will that achieve and for what purpose?

War ships are being sent to the China Sea to threaten North Korea over the ballistic Nuclear weapons dispute. South Korean government is so worried that Trump will launch a pre-emptive strike against North Korea that it has to reassure its own people that a military strike won’t happen. Trump finally tells China that if they do nothing about North Korea he will retaliate militarily, however if the Chinese cooperate they might get economic concessions, such talk angers the Chinese.  So an erratic American Foreign Policy seems  to be the way Trump wants to play this game, which is confusing to all and dangerous.

Wars are started on pretext and incidents usually after an escalation of rhetoric. Russia will not be impressed nor bullied by the USA and China can flex its own muscle to harm the economic interests of the USA.

Like many now I am worried about war and the behaviour of this President who fails to appreciate that World politics is complex and delicate. Russia may very well call Trump’s bluff and he will loose face. China has, through its official newspaper The People’s Daily already ridiculed Trump. It looks like a new Cold War but without the old reserve and careful maneuvering of the past.