Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, January 24, 2022

COVID seems to be taking backseat headlines for Russia, which has become a big topic in Europe. A German vice-admiral resigned with Germany’s Defense Minister over some seemingly spineless friendliness toward Russia. He speculated about the buildup at Ukraine, that Putin probably just wanted respect and that Russia was a necessary Western ally against China. With Russia, Iran, and China beginning joint naval exercises in India’s backyard pool this week, the vice-admiral’s comments were obviously absurd. Germany’s PR fumble is a big deal.

A hand full of European nations want to move NATO military assets into the Ukraine. Because of technical complications, Germany must also sign off on the transfer, but has been hesitant from any military backing of Ukraine so far. With this seemingly wimpy statement from the German vice-admiral, Germany can’t keep riding the fence.

On smaller headlines like COVID, Taiwan had a whopping 82 new domestic COVID cases on Saturday. Urgent health measures go into effect, which are soft-handed and calm-minded compared to the bipolar reactionism throughout America, where COVID problems are much worse. American companies even hold optimistic speculation for Taiwan. Maybe some will figure out that the calm way is the higher way. Until then, it isn’t exactly a bad thing that something finally booted COVID from American top headlines.

Indo-Pacific

Iran, Russia and China hold joint navy drill in Indian Ocean // Yahoo News

Iran, Russia and China begin joint naval drill in Indian Ocean // Times of Israel

Biden speaks to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida about Ukraine, North Korea // CNBC

Security, China dominate Biden’s talks with Japan’s Kishida // Aljazeera

China

And in Taiwan
PRC targets Taiwan with new disinformation ploy // Taipei Times

Australia, UK to ‘fight back’ against hostile states in cyber – minister // Yahoo News

EU letter slams China over Lithuania // Taipei Times

China hires western TikTokers to polish its image during 2022 Winter Olympics // Guardian

China is still ‘three or four generations’ away from developing latest semiconductor tech, IDC says // CNBC

Taiwan

US seeks speedier F-16 delivery: sources // Taipei Times

William Lai to attend Honduras event // Taipei Times

US companies expect growth in Taiwan
AmCham survey shows optimism // Taipei Times

Slovenia to establish office in Taiwan // Taipei Times

Bill to lower the voting age to 18 passes review // Taipei Times

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Encore of Revival: America, December 13, 2021

Six states were hit by tornadoes: Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee. While the nation grapples with disaster, and families look for refuge and loved ones—many lost—Jeff Bezos posts about his latest space flight.

Greed is growing, but not just within American borders. Tensions with China rise, with the now-known Taiwan as the main poster boy. But, Russia looms in the background exploiting China’s self absorption as a distraction to take Ukraine. If Russia hit Ukraine, the US promises to respond. But, that would happen alongside a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. The US would have its hands full and the Communists of the East know it—Russia and China.

China wouldn’t be so provocative without backing. Russia is the real threat. Or, is the threat that America’s financial leaders are aloof? Or, is the threat that we got ourselves here?

News Media, Journalism & Free speech

Chris Wallace to Leave Fox News // Mediaite

Monopoly, Corptocracy & Big Greed

Tornado update – Jeff Bezos slammed for celebrating Blue Origin space trip after Amazon warehouse collapse that killed 6 // The Sun

Natural Disaster

Mayfield, Bowling Green, candle factory: tornado mass casualties // WHAS 11 ABC Louisville, KY

Six States Grapple With ‘Largest Tornado Outbreak in Our History’ // MSN News

At least 70 DEAD in Kentucky tornado: Fears up to 100 people could have been killed // Daily Mail

NATO Focus

Russia edges closer to war as new arms arrive on Ukraine’s border // Guardian

Biden warns Putin of ‘strong measures’ amid Ukraine invasion fears // BBC News

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Encore of Revival: America, January 27, 2020

The concept of an ongoing impeachment process against every sitting president isn't that bad of an idea. In some governments, it's the fourth branch of government called the "Control". Perhaps Obama, Bush, and Clinton—all the way to FDR and Wilson—would have served the people better if they had an ongoing impeachment proceeding. It's tempting, but, for now anyway, it looks like a big waste of time.

The president's defense seems incredibly boring, but that won't matter. The Democratic prosecution omits key evidence, but that won't matter either. Every vote in the Senate has already been decided. These proceedings contain the platform for the other side to be added where there was only one side of what should be fair. Life isn't fair, but drama stops at the Senate floor. As with Clinton, there is neither basis to remove Trump from Office. Impeachment is a big deal, but usually falls to the popular opinion; voting citizens are the jury. Both times, all the energy from the House was spent on the Senate, which just let the House wear itself tired.

While one proceeding moves forward for show toward a pre-agreed verdict, another investigation continues against the faction that wanted this impeachment in the first place. A network of unhappy people from the opposite side of the political spectrum, largely in cahoots with the FBI and beyond, tried to prevent a president from being elected, then tried to remove him from office for something that didn't happen. In their view, justice is an illusion; they only do what suits them with whatever power they have. For them, might is morally right. Fortunately, democracies have systems in place to prevent power-defined morality touted by Leftist activists in America's legal justice system—whether judges or FBI.

The strongest evidence in this impeachment trial is the phone call read-out between Trump and Zelensky. It only seems inditing when heard in small snippets by people who hate Trump anyway. To everyone else, it is acquitting. Calling witnesses would stretch on and on and, for Republicans, would only serve the purpose of exposing the swamp that the FBI was a small part of. Democrats gamble that the Senate won't call witnesses, so House managers taunt the Senate about not calling witnesses. But, just how the president released the contents of the phone conversation by surprise, the Senate could decide to start the boring process of asking pre-written questions through the Chief Justice. The main purpose for Republicans would be to put accomplices on the stand. If that happens, expect at the top of the list the center of the phone call's discussion: Joe Biden.

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Encore of Revival: America, January 20, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACP35fSqbrs

Current events are forcing everyone into a deep state of soul-searching. Some Iranians were angry after Trump's drone strike, mourning the death of a leader they somehow admired. They didn't blame Americans, except that they did. Once the Iranian government admitted to shooting down the passenger jet from Ukraine, Iranians en masse took to the streets, protesting the current government.

As Symphony explained last week, some leaders have yet to "grow up" more than others. Those with more growing up to go tend to invite resentment from those they lead. Iran was no exception. Authoritarianism led to the mistake with the passenger jet, but it also allowed certain leaders to rise in the first place, one whom was killed by a drone strike approved by President Trump.

In America, the doomed impeachment articles from the House were so evidently unpopular that their true purpose went on parade: a parade. Yes, it was only ever for show. So, when House Democrats were forced to give the Republican Senate what they did not want, they continued the show for their supporters' own entertainment.

But, the show isn't done yet. Irritation and aggravation will only rise higher and higher as the nation sees what's really going on. That could be said for both Iranians and Americans.

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Encore of Revival: America, January 13, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1mYwT8NUFk

The Iranian government's alibi—or "explanation", rather—of how it shot down a passenger jet from Ukraine is entirely believable. Barring some grandiose conspiracy, there would be no imaginable motive for any government—friend or foe, even a terrorist sponsor like Iran—to use government assets to kill civilians.

The Iranian military's story is believable to any Westerner who has spend more than three years in a first-world or second-world country. Sadly, poorer parts of America have similar cultures, poorer White communities as well as minorities. Any autocratic, bossy, domineering culture can easily make severe miscalculations. They do it in Sunday morning congregations all the time.

According to CNN, according to Iran, their government was on high alert, then misidentified a plane from Ukraine as it turned toward a Revolutionary Guard base. In sum, that led to a snap judgment, what Iran calls "human error". The Iranian government wants to put systems in place to avoid such miscalculations in the future. In the West, we call that "growing up"—learning how to not make rush judgements.

While Iran's story is believable to any Western expat with experience in a developing country, most Americans don't know the degree to which immature people run many governments of the world. Part of being a first-world nation means that people in the government need to be mature.

Iran learning from its mistake could be the most significant turning point where Iran's government learns the "confident humility" needed to govern with maturity. If that happens, Sec. Mike Pompeo's goal of Iran behaving "like a normal country" will come true. Iran claimed that their military was on high alert in the first place because of tensions surrounding the strike in Iraq. In short, killing Qassem Soleimani helped Iran.

Now, the task is for Americans to understand other people enough to understand why being immature cost the lives of 176 people. Whether at home, the office, or in government, immaturity is the source of much injustice—a lesson which Americans will learn, eventually.

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Encore of Revival: America, December 30, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jha-dJDcul8

The Trump trials are exposing what is broken about our political culture. Politicians don't know how to talk to people. They can schmooze and beat around the bush. They can use a thousand hours and a hundred thousand words to do nothing in a way that appears like hard work. But, they don't know how to talk to people so that something actually happens.

To a business man, the phrase "I need your help" is a polite way of making a request easier to turn down. In politics, asking for "help" is code for bribery. The two aren't at all related. When Trump told the Ukrainian president he wanted "help", he was being polite. But, the swamp in Washington mistook Trump for speaking their evil language of bribery. In psychosemantics, the term is "projection".

Trump's impeachment is purely along party lines. Statistics and figures agree. If you're a Democrat, you think his call to Ukraine was wrong. If you're a Republican, you think his call to Ukraine was somewhere between necessary and excusable. Any exceptions are marginal. This is pure party politics, which means that we can't debate the ethics of Trump's phone call among fellow Americans with any more success than we can debate guns, abortion, and redistribution of wealth. Now, impeaching the incumbent president for whatever lame reason we can contrive has been added as one more topic in a party-politics worldview.

Most rules that Democratic politicians object to are rules that the same Democrats created to use against Republicans just a few years prior. This new precedent won't be any exception. It might even come in handy one day, one way or another.

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Encore of Revival: America, November 18, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HS6OIm1tUY

The trade war with China has hurt American farmers—just as a year of bad weather also hurt American farmers. Notwithstanding questions of why Americans chose to become dependent on Communists as their customer, the larger culprit should be large corporations competing against small farmers, seeking a de facto monopoly. Bigness is set against the small guy in America. Trump's trade war sees the biggest competitor of any American business as the Chinese Communist government itself—since the Chinese government financially supports companies competing against non-government companies in America.

This is a recipe for war. Rather than hating Trump, farmers will blame the Chinese and support the coming war that the fake trade war was meant to lead up to all along. Secretary of State Pompeo certainly is ready.

Few things re-elect presidents like a widely-supported war. Washington Democrats are not playing to win the next election; they are playing for employment. They know that they can't win the presidency or the Senate in 2020 and will most likely lose the House. Everything they have done in 2019, and are continuing to do through this next election, is designed to keep their voters preoccupied and distracted from the approaching failure.

If the Democratic electorate stays singularly focused on victories that will never happen, then enough of them will go to the polls to keep the majority of current Democrats in Washington employed, but Democrats will no longer be the majority in Washington. The entire assault against Trump is a shear distraction, designed by Democratic politicians to dupe their own base into marching toward utter failure so they can keep some of their seats on Capitol Hill.

The most recent episode of Russianewsgategate is a glaring example. Marie Yovanovitch, an Obama-appointed ambassador, was working as if still for Obama even though Trump was president. The Ukraine president didn't like it. She was rightfully fired. Disgruntled, now it's her moment of payback—as a witness in matters she had nothing to do with. The House hearings on Trump are a mere show trial. Don't expect the electorate to respond any differently—those who enjoy the show will keep their plans to vote against Trump and those who don't like the show will vote for him.

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Encore of Revival: America, October 7, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4_WDqiEJDg

President Trump has been a role model for America's place in the world: non-interference. Fighting revolutionary wars for others is a bad idea. It has only backfired. Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq are just a few examples. Hong Kong's October 4 declaration of a provisional government is a model of what should be done to help another democratic revolution: nothing. Real democratic revolutions must happen on their own and Trump knows that. He might be the only president in our time to know that.

Even though he does not interfere as presidents before him have, the non-interference fans among Democrats continue to attack him. That, too, is backfiring.

The president has an obligation to investigate criminals. Joe Biden and his son have extremely dubious financial entanglements and possible connection to elements Robert Mueller investigated. If the Mueller investigation was so important, then President Trump ought to pursue loose ends that Mueller and Congressional Democrats didn't. When a foreign country is party to elements of such a serious investigation as Mueller's, as well as extremely dubious dealings of the Bidens, the Attorney General of the United States ought to cooperate with the government of that country through official channels.

Trump asked for just that and no more.

Trump did not ask to connect secret attorneys or organizations. He did not request back door channels. He did not ask for unofficial cooperation. And, the people he wanted to investigate were not without serious suspicions.

Had President Trump not asked Ukrainian President Zelensky for the official cooperation he did, Trump would not have been doing his job as president. As for Biden and the supposed "political campaign rivals" accusation Congressional Democrats conjured, Joe Biden should be aware that running for president doesn't allow a candidate to break the law without being investigated. Biden started his dubious dealings long before he was a presidential hopeful. If claiming "for political purposes" is granted to every candidate under investigation, Democrats could make crime vanish merely by declaring the entire population to be political candidates.

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Encore of Revival: America, September 30, 2019

The latest assault against Trump for a supposed conspiracy with Ukraine is pure demagoguery fluff. Combining a few scary words in a few scary sentences, attaching the label "whistle blower", then the usual "resistance is futile" Borg propaganda—it wreaks of playbook rehashing. Leftovers chef surprise reheated and re-served might fool dinner guests once or twice. But, triggering alarms that have been often false before won't sway Trump's base for one big reason among many: China.

America faces larger threats than what is being alleged with Ukraine. The accusations aren't alarming to ears that favor Trump. Even if they were serious, Democrats have cried wolf too many times to be taken seriously. If a real scandal actually did hit the presses with Trump, no one who mattered would care. That is the greater danger the Democrats are creating. Just how an award is only as valuable as those who receive it, false alarms make people ignore alarms we shouldn't. We haven't ignored real alarms yet, but Democrats are laying in the groundwork for it. Maybe that is the real alarm.

Republicans have nothing to lose in playing along because the truth will win in the end anyway. Of course, Democrats mistake Republican "play-along" for Republican "support"—a miscalculation likely to make a Republican 2020 even bigger.

With bigger issues looming, and with the lines blurring between "whistle blower" and "wolf bellower", the American public is more focused on supporting the president who is stopping China from taking over... well, taking over everything. Whoever can stand up to China these days deserves an acquittal, so the voters think, especially an acquittal for doing nothing wrong.

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July 17, 2015

5 Marines dead + gunman

Obama visits Federal prison

Planned Parenthood apologizes for tone, video was “heavily edited”

Poll-leading Trump v Pitbull, Perry, McCain, Piñatas

Constitutional changes in Ukraine

Netflix up, about $100, YouTube viewing up 60% last 1/4

Eat it: When it comes to food in the US, “local” is the new “organic”  · · · →

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Tempo: April 21, 2015

China launches new free trade zones, Shanghai won’t relax. Britain doubts Buffet’s ‘too big to fail’-ness. More warnings of financial trouble from Fed circles. The US wants more money for Ukraine. Hillary wants more money for families. Cumo visits Cubanos, not Castros. A new ‘Clear’ app in time for election season—politically correct your Tweets. Bonus: Bitcoin Vs. Wall Street: A Love-Hate Story  · · · →

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