Anti-Westphalian Trends

 

Henry Kissinger notes that in the Middle East the trend is toward the dissolution of the States: Libya has no central government and its large area is divided among several warring tribes and political factions. Syria has been divided into tribal areas and the formal dictator controls Damascus if even that. Iraq is divided into Sunni and Shi'a parts and a semi-independent Kurdish statelet. Iran is a dictatorship ruled by a utopian clergy. Saudia is owned by one family and Islam's most extremist missionary movement, the Wahhabis. It doesn't look very stable. In all of Africa, there is not one stable Westphalian state. Obviously, the peoples living in the region are unable to organize themselves into working States. Kissinger suggests that they could fall under the protection of willing world power, and mentions China, India, and Russia. Some kind of neo-colonialism. 

Preparing the NATO occupation of Ukraine

 

The media is fearmongering that the nuclear reactors in Ukraine (pic Czernobyl) are emitting radiation and are close to an explosion. I know nothing but it appears to me that they are preparing the psychological ground for taking over these facilities. 

Inflation considerations

 

America is starting to fight inflation. Or is it? The country has enormous debts, and I wonder which policy favors it: inflation and paying back the debt with quasi-worthless paper, or no-inflation or negative-inflation, so its interest payments are lower. 

Drought in China

 

The Yangtze (the long river) has almost stopped flowing. Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanjing, and Shanghai depend on its waters. The Yangtze historically was known for its catastrophic floods. 

Argentina: President warns Attorney General

 

"Nisman se suicido, espero que Luciani no haga algo asi"  that is, Attorney General Nisman "killed himself" (it is known that he was assassinated by the Secret Police) and hope Luciani (the current Attorney General) will not do something similar. It is a death threat. Luciani formally accused Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, current Vicepresident, of managing the 10%  bribe system collected in all public works contracts and asks for 12 years in jail. The 10% was paid by the contractors to Kirchner - in US dollars or transferred to her bank account in the Province of Santa Cruz. All have been documented, including Kirchner's Panama bank accounts. Argentina's 45 million citizens are not surprised. 

Stasis in Ukraine

 

After six months of the war in Europe, the front seems to have stabilized. Ukraine has improved its weaponry with American and German stuff. Russia has attached a border strip largely peopled by Russian ethnics, and is digesting its conquest.  

Experts say this war could go on for years. It is ruining all of Europe. I don't know. 

Great Britain: 10% Inflation

 

The British currency is losing value very fast, Europe is slipping into recession and a holiday in England is becoming cheap for us Israelis. I love London. The Sondheim Theatre is showing "Les Miserables". It would be nice to visit around November but have no one to go with. The last two times went with my daughter but she is a teacher and "married". The wife is busy with her undead mother. London has to wait for me.