No News Is Bad News
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When holding China’s flag is safer than holding the US flag!
(The US is just plain cruel, evil and ungrateful dogs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBKvg-wOGk8 (US Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor Reveals TRUTH About China)
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10, 2023: Despite countless stories and news report condemning the US as evil murderers, the majority of the world continue to treat the US as a saviour and on the side of peace and democracy.The US is a nation that has and continues to bomb and kill humans in the name of global peace and security.
Up to 2015 (see image above), the US is responsible for about a third of the people on earth in countries it bombed.
No other country in the world can match or is anywhere near the list of wars the US has recorded.
The US is said to have been at war for 222 out of 239 years, i.e since 1776. Is “despicable” an appropriate label for the US?
Or, all of these labels: contemptible, loathsome, hateful, detestable, reprehensible, abhorrent, abominable, awful, heinous …
So the question arises: Why the hell are the majority of the world still supporting the killers?
No News Is Bad News reproduces below a “True Story” that is now circulating in social media and past postings:
Just sharing as received_
*True Story*
My cousin was born in China, and raised in the United States, became an American citizen, graduated from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with cum laude, and then worked in the surgery department at one of America's most famous hospitals.
He was educated in a Western way, and he himself has always admitted that he was American from start to finish.
He received education and teachings/customs of Chinese culture only when he was at his parents' house or when he was with his parents' extended family.
Therefore, he did not know how to write or read Chinese, and he could only speak everyday Chinese.
At that time, he was asked by the US government to become a volunteer medical team and will be sent to Syria, Afghanistan, and other places to provide emergency medical treatment for humanitarian troops.
As a young boy, he received it with passion and passion.
Even though his family was very against him, he still went with the volunteer/medical treatment team.
Because he really believes that the American government must be just and great.
Unfortunately, the unwanted thing happened.
He was detained by the Afghan government during a battle at the logistics medical base; although he suffered no physical injuries, he has been used as a bargaining chip in political negotiations.
His extended family makes a constant effort to seek help from various departments in the US government; even seeking help from the hospital where he worked but in the end they had no choice but to wait for news.
According to the official statement, because he is not a native American, only a Chinese person gets American citizenship.
Her extended family was so shocked to hear the information and could only cry
In the end, someone suggested going to the Chinese embassy.
They told me that my cousin didn't have a Chinese ID card, only an American citizen ID card.
They were worried that the Chinese embassy would not accept them.
However, holding on to a glimmer of hope, they still went to the Chinese embassy, and to their surprise, the situation was reversed 360 degrees; Chinese embassy staff received a request for assistance. They were asked to submit a cousin's identity document, information from both parents, and some relatives,
Just 16 hours after the request for help was submitted, the Chinese government launched an emergency rescue plan.
Chinese embassy staff
Later, according to my cousin's recollection, the Chinese embassy staff called him at that time and told him not to speak English but to speak Chinese with the people around him.
Just say it out loud, I am Chinese, and I came here only to provide humanitarian assistance and to be in charge of medical treatment.
I'm here with a group of American medical volunteers, but I'm not American, I'm Chinese
Long story short, my cousin was taken to a hotel and released 72 hours later.
At that time, the Chinese embassy sent a car to pick him up and sent him on a military plane to fly directly back to LA, United States, free of charge.
Upon arrival in LA, the transfer fee to San Francisco is self-paid.
The US government has just played a big game, congratulating, caring, and offering condolences for what happened.
After experiencing this incident, my cousin was hit hard both physically and mentally.
After the Chinese embassy found that the cousin had arrived safely, they called to confirm and make an appointment to sign the papers that he was free at the Chinese embassy. No other letters or documents had to be signed.
My cousin already knew that he could come home safely, and it was all the efforts of the Chinese government to save him.
After that, my cousin called and spoke and told me:
He wants to return to China to devote his knowledge. After all, he is Chinese.
And don't think that the movies Wolf Warrior 2, The Journey of Thousand Miles, Fruit D, Rescue and Evacuation are true stories they are all movies, and they are fake!
Everything will be real.
When we are in a foreign land, and we are people of Chinese descent.
Holding the Chinese flag is much safer than holding the American flag.
Forwarded as received
If China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are ‘morally reprehensible’, then what is the US?
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If China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are ‘morally reprehensible’, then what is the US?
KUALA LUMPUR (April 2018): The US has labelled China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as “morally reprehensible” governments.
Then, how should we label the war-waging US government and its past and present presidents?
The US is said to have been at war for 222 out of 239 years, i.e since 1776. Is “despicable” an appropriate label for the US?
Or, all of these labels: contemptible, loathsome, hateful, detestable, reprehensible, abhorrent, abominable, awful, heinous …
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Read this Reuters report, as posted by The Star Online, to find out what the US think of its rivals and competitors in the bid to expand global economic and military influence:
"U.S. calls China, Russia, Iran, North Korea 'morally reprehensible' on rights
WORLD
Saturday, 21 Apr 2018
5:04 AM MYT
by lesley wroughton and david brunnstrom
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Friday labelled China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as "morally reprehensible" governments that it said violated human rights within their borders on a daily basis, making them "forces of instability."
In releasing the State Department's global human rights report for 2017, acting Secretary of State John Sullivan also singled out Syria, Myanmar, Turkey and Venezuela as nations with poor human rights records. Improved human rights in Uzbekistan, Liberia and Mexico were global "bright spots," Sullivan added.
Michael Kozak, a senior State Department official who helped oversee the report, said he did not think policies by President Donald Trump's administration on freedom of the press, refugees, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights and other issues undermined the report or left the United States open to accusations of hypocrisy.
The governments of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea "violate the human rights of those within their borders on a daily basis and are forces of instability as a result," Sullivan said in a preface to the congressionally mandated report that documents human rights in nearly 200 countries and territories.
Sullivan said Russia's government "continues to quash dissent and civil society, even while it invades its neighbours and undermines the sovereignty of Western nations."
"We once again urge Russia to end its brutal occupation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, to halt the abuses perpetrated by Russian-led forces in Ukraine's Donbas region, and to address impunity for the human rights violations and abuses in the Republic of Chechnya," Sullivan said.
Sullivan said the United States seeks to lead other nations by example in promoting just and effective governance based on the rule of law and respect for human rights.
'QUITE A DISTINCTION'
Critics in the United States and globally have accused Trump of giving short shrift to human rights as a foreign policy issue, and of cosying up to authoritarian leaders in Russia, the Philippines and the Middle East. Trump also frequently attacks the U.S. news media.
"I think we make quite a distinction between political leaders being able to speak out and say, 'That story was not accurate,' or using even stronger words sometimes, and using state power to prevent the journalists from continuing to do their work," Kozak told reporters.
Kozak said the standards used in the report, which is among the most widely read U.S. government documents, tended to be derived from international treaties or American law.
"I think the report is very clear about the kinds of things that we consider to be inappropriate restrictions on freedom of the media ... using the legal system to go after members of the press, using physical force and so on. It doesn't go to the nature of discourse in a country," Kozak said.
The report's release comes at a time of increased tensions with China over trade and other matters.
It also coincides with deteriorating relations with Moscow over its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom Washington accuses of using chemical weapons on his own people, and U.S. accusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Sullivan accused China of spreading "the worst features of its authoritarian system" by restricting activists, civil society and freedom of expression.
"We are particularly concerned about the efforts of Chinese authorities to eliminate the religious, linguistic and cultural identities of Uighur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists, as well as restrictions on the worship of Christians," Sullivan added.
Trump has agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the coming months even as Washington increases pressure on Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.
Sullivan said Kim oversees one of the most "repressive and abusive regimes in the world" and accused Pyongyang of "systematically" neglecting its own people to "underwrite and fund its illicit weapons programme and child labour."
Sullivan said the right of peaceful assembly and freedoms of association and expression are "under attack almost daily" in Iran. Sullivan also condemned what he called "ethnic cleaning" of Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar, and said those responsible for attacks against the Rohingya should be held accountable.
(Additional reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Dan Grebler and Will Dunham)"
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| Trump in Texas, calling Rick Perry “dumb.” Perry is now the Secretary of Energy. Image courtesy, Politico. Let’s Cut the Shit: Donald Trump is Insane And yes, mental health professionals are freaking out about it. in·sane. (adj.) 1. in a state of mind that prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction; seriously mentally ill. 2. shocking; outrageous. — SOURCE On January 6, 2018, at 7:27 AM, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to defend both his intelligence and his mental stability. Three events seemed to have prompted this. The first was when news broke the day before that a Yale Psychiatrist named Dr. Brandy Lee had briefed members of Congress about Trump’s fitness for Office. The second was the release of the book Fire and Fury, by Michael Wolf, which had been released the day after. And the third was a segment on Fox & Friends, which had aired just 10 minutes prior: … fopr more, go to https://bullshit.ist/lets-cut-the-shit-donald-trump-is-insane-cb32a7392477 |
US to privatise war against the rest of the world? Whatever has become of global peace and sanity?
KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 2018): Malaysians were hapless when the corrupt Najib Razak-led Barisan Nasional (BN) regime privatised federal government enforcement responsibilities to enable cronies to make multi-million-ringgit insane revenues or profits.
One such example was the Automated Enforcement System (AES) which is now de-privatised by the new Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government after Malaysians dumped the BN in the May 9 14th General Election (GE14).
It was the first change in federal government for Malaysia, after the Alliance/BN ruled the country since Merdeka (Independence) 1957. That’s six decades!
Why should or would a government privatise such responsibilities that guarantee millions and billions of ringgit in revenue for the rakyat dan negara (people and country)?
The only sane answer to the question - nepotism and greed for money!
Now, the rest of the world may also face or feel the same predicament as Malaysians did!
US President Donald Trump is considering privatising the Afghanistan War!
Just what has the US or the world become? Privatising a war?
Has Trump, clearly gone insane, or is he as “smart” as Malaysia’s disgraced former premier Najib? They did play golf together, remember?! And what was that idiom: Birds of the same feather, flock together.
Now, if Trump, for whatever way or reason gets the executive approval from the Americans for the proposed privatisation of war, what next?
Looks like the only way to stop and save the rest of the world from the war-waging US is the United Nations (UN)? But, does the UN have the clout or courage to do the right thing to stop the US?
Your answer is as good as anyone’s! Read the following three news articles and form your own judgment on Trump and the US:
"Trump weighs Blackwater founder’s pitch to privatize Afghanistan war
By Bob Fredericks
August 17, 2018 | 2:56pm | Updated
Modal Trigger
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| Erik Prince and Donald TrumpAP; Getty Images |
Prince’s plan first came up last year during the commander-in-chief’s strategy review on the Afghan War, now in its 17th year with no end in sight.
He envisions replacing troops with private military contractors who would work for a US envoy for the war who would report to the president, the network reported.
“I know he’s frustrated. He gave the Pentagon what they wanted. And they haven’t delivered,” said Prince, whose sister is Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
Trump’s national security team was reportedly aghast at the idea.
But Prince told NBC he believed Trump advisers who opposed the plan were presenting the president with “as rosy a picture as they can” of the war, including that “peace is around the corner” with recent US efforts for peace talks with the Taliban.
A spokesman for the National Security Council threw cold water on the idea.
“No such proposal from Erik Prince is under consideration,” the spokesman told the network.
“The president, like most Americans, would like to see more progress in Afghanistan. However, he also recognizes that withdrawing precipitously from Afghanistan would lead to the re-emergence of terrorist safe havens, putting American national security and lives in danger.”
And a senior State Department official said there’s “not a chance” it will be adopted. - NEW YORK POST
ENDLESS WAR AUG. 17, 2018
Report: Trump Is Considering Erik Prince’s Plan to Privatize the Afghanistan War
By Adam K. Raymond
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| U.S. Marines in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Photo: Massoud Hossaini/AP/REX/Shutterstock |
And so, NBC News reports, Trump is considering a plan to privatize the whole damn thing. The move, pushed by Blackwater founder Erik Prince, would replace soldiers with mercenaries working for a “viceroy” who reports directly to Trump.
“I know he’s frustrated,” Prince told NBC News on the one-year anniversary of Trump’s reluctant approval of a troop increase in Afghanistan. “He gave the Pentagon what they wanted … And they haven’t delivered.”
Prince said he’s soon to embark on a public push to get Trump to embrace his plan, which he first pitched Trump last summer with a PowerPoint presentation. Now, some of Trump’s “advisers” fear that his impatience with the lack of progress in Afghanistan “will cause him to seriously consider proposals like Prince’s,” NBC News reports.
Apparently, Trump’s renewed interest of the privatization plan came after he saw a video of Prince, whose sister is Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, arguing that his plan is more economical. It’s not a new line for him. Last year, Prince said his plan would cost $10 billion, significantly less than the $40 billion the Pentagon budgeted for the war.
Even if that was true, and it probably isn’t, there are plenty of other problems with fighting a war exclusively with private military contractors, as ex-mercenary Sean McFate wrote in The Atlantic last year:
However, as an ex-military contractor, I cannot think of a worse solution for Afghanistan. There are many concerns about the safety, accountability, and morality of going into business with these types of outfits. … Mercenaries also breed war and suffering. For-profit warriors proliferate armed conflict — as long as there is someone to pay, there will always be a war to start, expand or prolong. History shows us that they often maraud between contracts, preying on the innocent.
Prince, no doubt, has left those things out of his PowerPoint. - Daily Intelligencer
Trump adviser John Bolton on possibly privatizing US war in Afghanistan: I'm 'always open to new ideas'
By QUINN SCANLAN
Aug 19, 2018, 10:03 AM ET
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| Noorullah Shirzada/AFP/Getty Images, FILE |
President Donald Trump’s national security adviser addressed the idea of using private contractors to help fight the U.S. war in Afghanistan, saying he is "always open to new ideas."
In an exclusive interview Sunday, John Bolton responded to a question from ABC News “This Week” Co-Anchor and Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz about possibly privatizing some part of what is now America’s longest war, the nearly 17-year-old conflict in Afghanistan.
“Would you consider privatizing [in Afghanistan], with using contractors instead of U.S. military? There have been some reports about that this week,” Raddatz said.
“There's always a lot of discussions,” the president's national security adviser said. “I'm always open to new ideas, but I'm not going to comment on what the thinking is. That will ultimately be the president's decision.”
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| Oliver Contreras/Pool via Bloomberg via Getty Images |
According a report from NBC News Friday citing current and former administration officials, the president is showing interest in a proposal by Blackwater founder Erik Prince to hire private military contractors to support the war.
“It is not a private army," Prince told NBC News of his proposal for Afghanistan. "It is a very clear delineation of who’s in charge, OK? Afghan government working for a U.S. government official funded by the United States at a fraction of the cost we’re spending now.”
Prince, who now heads Hong Kong-based security firm Frontier Services Group, also told NBC News that Trump advisers who oppose his plan are painting "as rosy a picture as they can" of the recent U.S. efforts for peace talks with the Taliban.
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| Chuck Kennedy/TNS via Newscom, FILE |
Bolton told Raddatz there are “signs” conversations between the Taliban and Afghan government are “moving in the right direction.”
“We've looked at several different possibilities to get the Taliban and others directly engaged with the government of Afghanistan. There have been some signs that's moving in the right direction," Bolton said.
“I don't rule out that we'd have a change in some of the things we're doing there, but the president's view is that he'll support the government of Afghanistan in its efforts to see if the Taliban are finally ready to talk seriously,” Bolton said.
Raddatz pressed, “I feel like I've heard these arguments for 17 years, the same thing: 'The Taliban is desperate.'”
Bolton responded, “Well, what I remember over 17 years is the attack on 9/11. And I think the administration is determined that it never happen again.”
“The bottom line is the security of the United States,” he said."
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| For image text, go to https://medium.com/s/story/a-visual-history-of-trump-magazine-covers-updated-for-2018-7255d632598c (A Visual History of Trump Magazine Covers - A thematic organization of how Trump has been illustrated by the media, from pre-election to now) Trump Goes Absolutely Insane In Unhinged Montana Speech - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHt8oZYENug War-waging US now wants both world and space dominance!
War-waging US now wants both world and space dominance! KUALA LUMPUR (June 2018): US President Donald Trump has not only become economically “unreliable” to the rest of the world, even the Pentagon does not trust him with making a nuclear decision. And, today (June 19), Trump ordered the Pentagon to immediately create a new US “space force” to be the war-waging America’s military’s sixth branch. Trump also reportedly said that not only must there be a military presence in space for the US, “we must also dominate space”. So, the war-waging US is no more just aiming for world dominance, but also space as well! Now, isn’t that an open global threat to the rest of the world? Here are four very significant and relevant news reports that point to a globally unreliable Trump-led US: "  The Unpredictable States of America is Making Trouble Not Only for China, but Also for Itself 2018-06-16 China-US, Economy, Politics, TOPICS Lv Xiang By Lv Xiang The USTR announced Friday that President Donald Trump had approved 25% tariffs on $50bn worth of Chinese goods, which are products, alleged to be of “significant industrial technologies”, with tariffs on $ 34 billion goods under the first subset taking effect as from July 6, 2018,and those on another $ 16 billion goods under the second subset to take effect undated. From June 15 2018 – the date of announcement that will live in history – a massive trade war targeting China has been launched. It involves the world’s two biggest economies and the trade volume involved also represents a record in decades.  Containers are seen at the Yangshan Deep Water Port in Shanghai, China April 24, 2018. The existing world economic order was set up after WWⅡ with the US as the leading force. The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an essential cornerstone. The organization has kept growing and contributing to world economic development, especially since China joined.Containers are seen at the Yangshan Deep Water Port in Shanghai, China April 24, 2018. However, a new threat of neo-isolationism arose during the US presidential election in 2016 with Donald Trump as its champion. From campaign to taking office, Trump has repeatedly attempted to compensate for his deficit in public popularity by sowing an image of the US as a “victim” into the public mind. Trump has claimed that the US has been “raped”, “robbed”, “exploited” and “taken advantage of” by other countries under the existing international order. Hence, the US need to re-define its relationship – in fields such as the economy, trade, and security – with the rest of the world. The US trade war does not target China alone, but even traditional allies including the EU and Japan, and neighboring countries including Canada and Mexico. But in terms of the scale, China is unique. Economies such as the EU and Canada have already taken counter-measures against the irrational US actions. China’s Ministry of Commerce released a statement in the wake of the US announcement, claiming that China will take immediate counter-measures of equivalent scale and strength against US products.  Chicago Board of Trade futures settled much lower on Monday amid massive selling triggered by concerns over trade tensions between China and the United States.[Photo/IC] The essence of trade is the exchange of necessary goods. It is a reciprocal activity among economies. Both the companies and the people of the US have derived enormous benefit from trade between China and the US. Trump’s increased tariffs on Chinese goods fall under the unwarranted charge of a “301 Investigation”, forcing the mutually-beneficial economic relations between the two countries into a state of hostility. This action is unarguably an open challenge to world trade rules and global interests. However, the actions of Trump’s government do not represent the will or further the interests of all the US people or any of its industrial giants. Key institutes including the US Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers have united in condemning the counterproductive actions.  US stock, bond and foreign exchange markets have all been fluctuating since February this year, indicating that US economic growth is still beset by enormous uncertainty. The US economy has been generally stable in recent weeks, but with these new prospects of a trade war it will once again come under pressure. The Chinese government has shown all possible goodwill and sincerity in its trade talks with the US. But in the volatility of in its actions, the US has been acting like the most disorganized government in the world. “USA” is becoming synonymous with “The Unpredictable States of America”. A capricious US government is making trouble not only for China, for the world, but also for itself. By Lv Xiang, expert on US issues, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China Association of International Trade Editor: Cai Hairuo Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China Focus 'US has become unreliable’: Austrian chancellor questions Washington’s commitment to EU Published time: 29 May, 2018 02:33Edited time: 29 May, 2018 08:10  The US, under Donald Trump's administration, is becoming increasingly unpredictable and “unreliable” to its European partners, the Austrian chancellor noted, joining a chorus of EU members urging for more unity and self-reliance. “The US has become more and more unreliable for us,” Sebastian Kurz told the Financial Times. “The most important thing is that Europe has to remain united.” Concerns about Donald Trump’s administration have been growing across the EU recently. Earlier this month, a poll showed that 82 percent of Germans believe the US is not a reliable political partner after Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that Europe “needs to take its fate into its own hands.” 'With friends like that who needs enemies’: Tusk lashes out at Trump The major transatlantic rift first emerged after Trump pulled out of the Paris climate agreement, and it only deepened after the US administration recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, pulled out of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal and imposed tariffs on aluminum and steel, which are due to come into force in June. Kurz and Merkel are not the only EU politicians to question Washington’s commitment to its European partners. Earlier this month, European Council President Donald Tusk also questioned the American friendship. The US President “made us realize that if you need a helping hand, you all find one at the end of your arm,” Tusk said in Bulgaria at a Western Balkans summit earlier this month. “Looking at the latest decisions of President Trump, someone could even think: with friends like that, who needs enemies?” he said. “But frankly speaking, Europe should be grateful for President Trump because thanks to him we have got rid of all illusions,”Tusk added, urging the Europeans to unite, against Washington's “capricious assertiveness.” Kurtz expanded his message to the European nations, calling on other EU capitals to mend ties with Moscow. “We won’t be able to solve the crisis in Ukraine alone… Syria, we will only be successful if we find a way to act united with the US and Russia, so I think it’s not negative for the EU if countries like Austria — which has always been a bridge-builder — has… a good relationship with Russia,” Kurtz noted. Would the Air Force Let Airman Trump Near a Nuclear Weapon? By Steven Buser Jan. 17, 2018  President Trump boarding Air Force One on Friday.CreditAl Drago for The New York Times As a psychiatrist for the United States Air Force, one of my responsibilities was evaluating the mental stability of airmen who handled nuclear weapons, using the standards laid out in what is called the Nuclear Personnel Reliability Program. There is no need to justify why our military would take every precaution necessary to ensure that the men and women in uniform handling nuclear weapons were fit to do so, whether they were in charge of a missile silo or loading nuclear bombs onto aircraft — or giving the orders to them, on up the chain of command. Strangely, the commander-in-chief, the one who would decide when and how to use those weapons, is the only individual in the chain who is not subject to the ongoing certification under the program. According to the program, or P.R.P., personnel who handle nuclear weapons are held to higher standards of physical and mental readiness than other personnel, and rightfully so. The Department of Defense Directive 5210.42 states: “Only those personnel who have demonstrated the highest degree of individual reliability for allegiance, trustworthiness, conduct, behavior, and responsibility shall be allowed to perform duties associated with nuclear weapons, and they shall be continuously evaluated for adherence to P.R.P. standards.” On Tuesday the White House physician, Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson, gave the president a clean bill of health. And no doubt, by many standards, Mr. Trump is in decent shape. But the standards for a person’s physical and mental health are a different matter from his fitness to oversee our nuclear arsenal. What if President Trump were, instead, Airman Trump, and was to be assessed under the program’s guidelines; would I certify him as “P.R.P. ready” to work in the vicinity of nuclear weapons? I have not had the opportunity to examine the president personally, but warning signs abound. What if I had reliable outside information that Airman Trump displayed erratic emotions? That I saw very clearly that he was engaging in cyberbullying on Twitter? That he had repeatedly made untruthful or highly distorted statements? That his language implied he engaged in sexually abusive behavior? That he appeared paranoid about being surveilled or persecuted by others, that he frequently disregarded or violated the rights of others? These are the sorts of things that set off alarms for Air Force psychiatrists. I certainly could not certify him as “P.R.P. ready” without more extensive psychological evaluation. It does not take a former Air Force psychiatrist to point out that our country finds itself in a place unlike any we’ve ever been before. Saturday morning’s alarm in Hawaii, as residents read alerts that incoming ballistic missiles were on their way, is a wakeup call to the very real danger we’re facing. Global tension and angst are significantly heightened. We’ve been here a few times before, but unlike those other times our commander-in-chief adds, without equivocation, to this angst almost daily with his words and actions. We have always assumed that the person at the top has the mental fitness to meet whatever standards the Air Force set for the rest of the chain of command. What keeps me up at night? The realization that, at the worst possible time, we have a chief executive who I believe would probably fail the P.R.P. The topic of presidential fitness and cognitive decline has always been a legitimate issue. The ability for the Executive Office to function effectively and without exposing the American people to undue danger relies on the mental faculties of the one person inhabiting its walls. Former President Jimmy Carter pointed this out in an article he wrote for The Journal of the American Medical Association in 1994, in which he warned that our country is in “continuing danger” from the possibility that a president could become disabled “particularly by a neurological illness.” Revelations that President Ronald Reagan may have had early-stage Alzheimer’s while he was president add to these concerns. It’s unlikely that the military will act on its own to require the president to submit to an Air Force psychiatrist’s evaluation. But there are other options. A bill in the House, with support in the Senate, called the Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2017, explicitly prevents any president from initiating a nuclear first strike without Congressional approval. This should be common sense for any politician to support, because it assures that the checks and balances intended by the framers of the Constitution remain intact. But equally important, it remedies a glaring failure within the nuclear chain of command and mitigates one of the greatest dangers of our nuclear ages: the possibility of an unhinged president executing a calamitous decision that endangers millions of Americans, and potentially millions of others around the globe. No president, including Mr. Trump, should have the unilateral power to begin a nuclear war. Congress must protect the American people, and taking away the option of an impulsive first strike nuclear attack is a clear and sane way to prevent a dangerous and insane result. Steven Buser is a clinical psychiatrist and a former major in the United States Air Force. He is an editor, with Leonard Cruz, of “A Clear and Present Danger: Narcissism in the Era of President Trump.” Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter (@NYTopinion), and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter. Germany's Merkel Signals Deepening Rift With U.S. Under Trump by Andy Eckardt and F. Brinley Bruton / May.29.2017 / 11:33 PM ET / Updated May.30.2017 / 6:55 PM ET  German Chancellor Angela Merkel enjoys a beer during an election campaign in Munich on Sunday.Christian Bruna / EPA BERLIN — Angela Merkel's weekend speech stating that Europe could no longer "fully count on others" was a sign of the widening cracks in the relationship between Germany and the U.S. — an alliance that has defined the post-World War II global order, experts and analysts said.  Europe Must Take Control of its Own Fate: Angela Merkel MAY.31.201700:47 "All I can say is that we Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands," the German leader told the crowd of some 2,500 during a campaign event at a beer tent in Bavaria. "The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days." While Merkel never mentioned President Donald Trump by name, her blunt remarks followed a bruising series of meetings with the U.S. president at the NATO summit in Belgium and then at the G-7 gathering in Italy. Trump sent a tweet criticizing Germany early Tuesday.  Donald J. Trump✔@realDonaldTrump We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military. Very bad for U.S. This will change 6:40 PM - May 30, 2017 · 85.1K · 45.8K people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy On Thursday, Trump did not explicitly promise to protect America's NATO allies if they came under attack, instead alleging 23 out of the 28-member nations owed "massive amounts of money" to U.S. taxpayers. The U.S.-led NATO alliance made up mainly by European countries has for decades been a bulwark against the Soviet and then Russian aggression. At the G-7 summit, European and other diplomats were frustrated that Trump refused to endorse a global climate change accord and said he needed more time to decide. Trump was also quoted as calling Germany "very bad" on trade — but the White House denied it. "Solidarity for Donald Trump is a commodity, only available with advance payment" Merkel's comments were made on the election trail and therefore directed at a domestic audience as much as to an international one. Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper stated that Sunday's comments showed "Merkel no longer regards the USA as reliable." Elmar Thevessen, the deputy editor-in-chief at German public broadcaster ZDF, said that "Merkel sent a very important signal" from Europe. "[French President Emmanuel] Macron and other European leaders seemed to have the same takeaway" from the encounter with Trump and his delegation at NATO's headquarters and the G-7, he said.  German Chancellor Angela Merkel enjoys a beer during an election campaign in Munich on Sunday.Christian Bruna / EPA In an op-ed, Thevessen suggested that the summits offered insight into Trump's approach to foreign affairs, which he summed up as "'America first and only.' Responsibility for the world — no chance." "Solidarity for Donald Trump is a commodity, only available with advance payment," Thevessen added. "I am not a psychologist, but am judging as a political scientist and journalist: this U.S. president is dangerous. We Europeans can do nothing against it." Martin Schulz, Merkel's main challenger in the September federal election, told German broadcaster ZDF that "we have to make clear to the United States that they are isolated, they are also isolated on their own continent." On Monday, AFP also quoted Germany’s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel as saying that Trump’s actions had “weakened” the West. The U.S.-European relationship is built on the ashes of the Second World War, when America spent around $103 billion in today's dollars to help rebuild a shattered continent. The European Union has gone on to become one of Washington's key economic partners, and the world's largest trading bloc. Ivo H. Daalder, a former U.S. envoy to NATO, told The New York Times that “this seems to be the end of an era, one in which the United States led and Europe followed." “Today, the United States is heading into a direction on key issues that seems diametrically opposite of where Europe is heading. Merkel's comments are an acknowledgment of that new reality,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. Michael McFaul, who was ambassador to Russia under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, expressed dismay at the state of the key relationship.  Michael McFaul✔@McFaulJust amazing .. and sad... and so easily avoidable. Yannis Koutsomitis✔@YanniKouts Merkel: We can't rely on the US anymore. I have experienced this in the last days. We Europeans should take destiny in our own hands. ~@BILD 3:14 AM - May 29, 2017 Kori Schake, a national-security expert at the Hoover Institution think tank, was more guarded. In a tweet, she said that Obama had also damaged U.S. alliances by "calling our reliability into question," but went on to say that "Trump has damaged them more." Andy Eckardt reported from Berlin. F. Brinley Bruton reported from London.” Jonathan Ernst / Reuters"
A desperate US is super dangerous to the rest of the world …
A desperate US is super dangerous to the rest of the world … https://youtu.be/bA2s84teos0 (Putin Unveils Russia's Newest Underwater Drone) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYBhfXqIn_Q This Russian Weapon Can Destroy an Entire Army | WORST NIGHTMARE for US Military KUALA LUMPUR (May 2018): Can the war-waging US military take on the Russia-China Combo? That’s a multi-trillion-dollar question for the rest of the world. Given the US’ continuous global demonising of Russia and China, it sure looks like the American military is confident of taking on both Russia and China simultaneously. The US confidence is just that. What is the reality in this 21st Century digital world of economics and technology? It certainly appears the US is still living in a world of its own, waging war as it had been doing in the 20th Century.
And that is exactly why President Donald Trump has to keep his electoral promise that he will “Make America Great Again” by a “closed door economic policy”, dumping free trade and level economic playing fields to protect American business interests. The pressure on Trump and the US is due to their national debt of between US$20 trillion and US$22 trillion (Read this for context: https://ilovemalaysiachinasilkroad.blogspot.com/2018/03/you-better-believe-it-desperado-us-and.html - You better believe it! Desperado US and Trump are more than prepared to rock the global economy. The US desperation is showing and growing, and if it oversteps its boundaries, a military clash between the US and Russia-China would be disastrous to the rest of the world. View the above two video clips on Russia’s military fire power and technology and the following Russian news reports that include the US Congress accusing Xi Jinping’s China of harbouring the dream of world hegemony: "'Doomsday Machine': Russia's New Weapon Reportedly Gets Nuclear Warhead  © Photo: YouTube/Russian Defence Ministry RUSSIA 18:27 17.05.2018(updated 18:31 17.05.2018) During his state-of-the-nation address to the Russian Federal Assembly in March, President Vladimir Putin touted the country's newest weapons, including the Poseidon (Status-6) unmanned underwater vehicles. Russia's state-of-the-art Poseidon (Status-6) naval system is expected to be equipped with torpedoes containing nuclear warheads, Russian media reports said. Citing an unnamed source in the Russian Defense Ministry, media reported that the Poseidon system is composed of several high-speed deep-water torpedoes which will be carried by a nuclear-powered submarine. "The system is designed to destroy the fortified naval bases of a potential enemy. Thanks to its nuclear power unit, Poseidon has a speed of up to 70 naval knots (130 kilometers per hour) and is capable of moving at a depth of more than one kilometer (0.6 miles) underwater," the source added. President Vladimir Putin mentioned the Poseidon system when presenting Russia's most advanced weapons during his state-of-the-nation address to the country's Federal Assembly on March 1. The technology website Business Insider called the system "Putin's doomsday machine" which it claimed could cause "a 300-foot [91-meter] tsunami if exploded in the right location." US House Intelligence Committee declares China ‘pre-eminent threat to American security & values’ Published time: 18 May, 2018 01:53Edited time: 18 May, 2018 08:36
Having bitterly split along partisan lines in the probe over Russian influence and “meddling,” the House Intelligence Committee united in decrying the “pre-eminent threat” posed to the US by another rising power ‒ China. “China has only become emboldened and now may be the pre-eminent threat to American security, our economy and our values,” Committee Chair Rep. Devin Nunes (R-California) said at the hearing on Thursday, even as US and Chinese diplomats began a second round of negotiations to stave off a trade war. Ranking member Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California) agreed, saying he hoped there would be more public hearings about China. “We need to consider that the military challenge is part of a larger national strategy by China to project its power and to secure its national interests by whatever means necessary,” Schiff said, adding that this included sales of “potentially compromising” telecommunications equipment by companies like ZTE and Huawei. Nunes is planning a series of hearings on China in the coming weeks, focusing on a variety of threats to the US, such as “aggressive territorial claims, unfair trade policies, espionage and cyber-attacks,” he told the Washington Free Beacon on Wednesday. Former intelligence director of the US Pacific Fleet, retired US Navy Captain Jim Fanell, was one of the witnesses at Thursday’s hearing, along with China experts from the Council on Foreign Relations, American Enterprise Institute and the International Assessment and Strategy Center. US intelligence agencies “had blinders on” for the longest time when it came to China, and misjudged Beijing’s activities, an unnamed committee aide told the Beacon. As an example, the aide cited China’s expansion of naval capabilities, which the US thought would be limited to regional conflicts but are increasingly looking global in scope. “Our focus in the first hearing is to look at the military advances, quantitative and qualitative, and how it connects to China's broader strategy for force projection and influence,” he added. Nunes has been focused particularly on the Chinese military base in Djibouti, recently built next to the major US base in the east African country. He argued that China is looking to invest in ports and infrastructure around the world, not just for military purposes, but as a mechanism of exerting influence and control over host governments. Bill Gertz✔@BillGertz Xi Jinping’s ‘China Dream’ is global hegemony, experts tell Congress … 4:40 AM - May 18, 2018  China’s President Xi Jinping/Getty Images This assessment was seconded by the Free Beacon Editor Bill Gertz, who wrote a book titled ‘The China Threat’ in 2000. “The Chinese goal is to challenge the United States and coerce regional states into adopting China's vision for a new global order under an authoritarian, anti-democratic power,” Gertz wrote. It is unclear, however, how much of this accurately reflects China’s military and economic expansion, and how much is the analysts’ projection of US behaviors and motivations on Beijing. US President Donald Trump has campaigned on stopping “terrible” trade deals with China, accusing Beijing of disproportionally benefiting from globalization and free-trade arrangements. For many years, the US has been buying manufactured goods from China, while selling mostly financial instruments and agricultural products, making for a trade imbalance reaching over $350 billion in 2017. Trump has imposed tariffs on $60 billion worth of Chinese imports, while Beijing has pledged to retaliate against US soybeans and other exports. The current trade talks are aiming to address the issues before they escalate into a full-blown trade war. 'Chinese Were Prepared, EU Companies Were Not’ for US' Iran Sanctions - Analyst  © AP Photo / Vahid Salemi OPINION 14:29 20.05.2018 China’s state-owned energy giant CNPC is ready to replace French energy company Total’s stake in the Iranian South Pars gas project. In 2017, Total and CNPC signed a 20-year contract worth 4.8 billion dollars to develop Phase 11 of Iran’s South Pars field. Sputnik spoke with political analyst Tom McGregor about CNPC’s acquisition plan. Sputnik: How serious is CNPC about acquiring Total’s stake in the South Pars gas project in your opinion? McGregor: Definitely if it’s available to them they will certainly look at the deal and the way the Chinese do business is that they don’t make an announcement unless they are going to do something. They are very secretive about this kind of stuff, so unless there is some weird bluff, there’s no reason for them to make an announcement unless they are very serious. Chances are they are already taking action and they have already moved forward on it and they are just waiting to sign the deal to see what Total does. The Total energy giant in France and you do have these sanctions and then Trump has promised on campaign trail that he was going to create problems for Iran, so there should be no surprise. The European companies should have been prepared for this, years ago and I don’t know why they are overreacting. They knew what was going to happen after Trump was elected. So I think what happened was that the Chinese were prepared already and the European companies were not. Sputnik: CNPC could not become the target of US sanctions against Iran? McGregor: I am sure it might happen but I am pretty sure they are protected. You also need to realize that Total is doing business in America so they are just making a smart business decision. If we go forward with Iran we lose our American business. So they are going to have to throw someone under the bus and it’s going be the Iranian people, because they know that if they risk anything and they lose their American market, they are bankrupt. They can lose everything. The CNPC they focus more on the emerging markets, on the Chinese market, so their connections with the Americans are not as strong as, say Total’s is. So there is less risk for them to do it even if they face any type of retribution or penalties from it. It’s just a smart business decision on all sides. Sputnik: How would Total’s withdrawal from the South Pars affect the project itself and its future? McGregor: Well CNPC would basically just take it over and reinvest and they will make money from it. It will be business as usual, it’ not going to be anything shocking or disturbing. Total will at least get some type of return on investment because they can sell it off to CNPC. So at least they can get some money from that. The views and opinions of Tom McGregor are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik."
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