Civilization!

Lully, Versailles 400 years ago. 

Azeri troops enter Aghdam

Azeri Troops moved into the district of Aghdam, one of three due to be handed back. Armenia will also hand over the Kalbajar district wedged between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia on November 25 and the Lachin district by December 1.  

It follows that Turkey's prestige is growing in the region. In a certain way, Turkey works as a counterweight to Iran.  

Where value is

 

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is making large bets on Big Pharma companies.  It has sold Apple and big banks and bought 21 million shares of Abbvie, 22 million of Merck, 3.7 million shares of Pfizer and nearly 30 million shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb. 

Apparently Buffett is abandoning physical "moat" enterprises and even "high tech" and is going for health research. 

China will organize this planet

 

The chaos unleashed on the world by America abandoning its responsibilities (for example, NATO and the Middle East) is being filled by China. Today the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership was signed under the aegis of Communist China. This agreement spans 15 countries and 2.2 billion people, or nearly 30% of the world's population, their combined GDP totals roughly $26 trillion and account for 28% of global trade.  As Biden has noticed (see former entrée)  America lost its leadership and each small tribe is making treaties with its neighbors - treaties or wars like Armenia/Azerbaijan. The trend is to Russia taking care of the Soviet area, China responsible for East Asia, Germany leading Europe. America and Britain - quo vadis?

Biden's Program is good for us

In January, Biden published his program in Foreign Affairs. I copy the section that seems more relevant to Israel.

The Biden foreign policy agenda will place the United States back at the head of the table, in a position to work with its allies and partners to mobilize collective action on global threats. The world does not organize itself. For 70 years, the United States, under Democratic and Republican presidents, played a leading role in writing the rules, forging the agreements, and animating the institutions that guide relations among nations and advance collective security and prosperity—until Trump. If we continue his abdication of that responsibility, then one of two things will happen: either someone else will take the United States’ place, but not in a way that advances our interests and values, or no one will, and chaos will ensue. Either way, that’s not good for America.

Basically, he want to recover America's role as universal hegemon, organizing the world so it can function with minimum conflicts and maximum security for all. In the past, that world was good for us. Let's hope for the best.  But I would not let him to touch nor kiss my granddaughters. 

 

Hamas attacks Tel Aviv

Last night HAMAS fired two rockets to Tel Aviv. Wiki says that a rocket consists of a steel cylinder, containing a rectangular block of the propellant. A steel plate which forms and supports the nozzles is then spot-welded to the base of the cylinder. The warhead consists of a simple metal shell surrounding the explosives, and is triggered by a fuse constructed using a simple firearm cartridge, a spring and a nail. The rockets were intercepted in air, some fragments fell in Rishon LeZion, the boom was heard in my town too. The Hamas, in Gaza, announced that they are on the way to victory over Israel. 

Epidemic Blues

I am working very slowly and constantly distracted. I have promised an important project and am unable to comply with any deadline. On the table are a supermarket permit, very urgent, yet it is taking me now three days and yet cannot see the end. Waiting is KATZA'A, two new food shops, the very large garage and the northern shopping center. And I have rejected many orders. Cannot cope. And why did I complicated myself in these jobs? I do not need the money. My daughters do not accept my money. I have retired a decade ago. My grandchildren need nothing. Each one of them seems to have a children fashion outlet at home, and a toys shop. Old Jews like me are walking in the street, exercising. Well, now, to work. Arbeit!  The medals are East Germany's Workers Medals, in their three ranks (probably gold, silver, bronze, although I can't see the difference). 

I also deserve the  Stakhanovite (стахановское) medal.