DISCUSSION (from my comment/s to a friend who expressed disgust over the US' current state).

Previously posted on my Facebook page.

APPARENTLY, the (political) system is flawed and needs to be amended. It worked in the past but it doesn't mean it will work in the present—due to obvious huge upheavals in the way Americans/people live or pursue their respective happiness... The world around us is also changing majorly. China isn't sleeping anymore as in the time of FDR's New Deal. Russia is the #1 producer of crude oil, not the US/UK-controlled Saudi Arabia. Normally, as history attests, revolution spews out of huge frustration by the citizenry—but I don't think revolution is going to happen in the very near future in America. 

       People are so into their own individual wants and needs, plus sectoral/gender politics/faith-based polarities etc, to care about old-school bonding as tactical alliance to bring down power (think Bolsheviks, French Revolution,  coup de etats in Southeast Asia, Fidel/Che vs Batista, even Tiananmen Square Revolt). I mean, we will fight more about bathroom rights than employment opportunities. 

       One semblance of revolutionary outburst was the Occupy Movement. Yet it was more of a leaderless rainbow gathering, a drum circle, a protest camp with abstract demands—that'll go pfft once snow comes in. I was in Zuccotti Park in Wall Street for a week. “Occupiers” didn't even groundwork residential or business supporters in re basic needs ex. bathroom exigencies. Piss on a side of a building, cops will pounce on you. Who made them exist till they gave up? MacDonald's across the street which opened 24/7 to attend to their needs. The One Percent. Zuccotti Park is owned by a One Percenter real estate company. Protesters were there till they get tired with the show. Is that revolution at all? It was a field trip. 

       What people should do, given the flawed governmental workings, is to look beyond elections and don't stop lobbying, protesting, educating communities, nonstop—and then hope to influence committee hearings, city council rules and laws, get the activists to get off the cellphones and iPads and get out there and do something more tangible and real. Just be real and realistic. Educate the people on realistic terms. We are not in Nicaragua or Nigeria. We are in the US, the universe's most powerful nation where the global One Percent ensure as a playground and theater for all their domination designs. They're not going to budge just because a fraction of us want to.

       Yet I do believe that no matter how we think that we have installed a most deserving President, without utmost and vigilant support from his/her constituents, such an administration or government is still bound to fail. It's all about us, the people. 🗽🏦🗽

MY THOUGHTS on the News.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

New York Times: “Garland Pushes Back at G.O.P. Claims of Bias in Hunter Biden Investigation.” / Rolling Stone: “Fox Host Claims Biden Admin Is 'Drumming Up the Drama' in Russia to Distract from Hunter Biden.” Sans drama, I’d prefer that the Ukraine story that led to Trump’s impeachment in 2019 be brought back, esp. amidst Biden’s all-out military support of Kyiv’s leadership vis a vis Volodymyr Zelensky’s corruption murk pre-Russian invasion. 

       NY Times adds: “The attorney general denied assertions that he had interfered with the case and blocked a prosecutor from lodging more charges.” And adds in another column piece: “It isn’t about presidential corruption but a determined parent battling his son’s addiction with unconditional love.” Oh well. So let’s make a Netflix series now? 🏦🗽🏦

New York Times: “Louisiana Passes Bill That Would Require Parental Consent for Kids’ Online Accounts.” And adds: “The measure would allow parents to cancel the contracts underlying their children’s accounts on sites.” I second the motion. While TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat entice 6 in 10 teens the most, other “youth” platforms such as GroupMe, Kik, WhatsApp, Discord, Houseparty, Live.me, YouNow, Whisper, Meet.me, Omegle, and many more proliferate online. 📱👶📲

New York Times: “New A.I. Chatbot Tutors Could Upend Student Learning.” A new study published in Neuroscience News says students expressed positive views toward AI tools like ChatGPT. They credit these tools for improving academic writing and overall language skills. Expected that we’d get studies or news of this sort to justify AI’s marketing in schools, and sure, it’d make students work easier. Absolutely. I don’t think that’s education per se though. 

       News adds: “Proponents see the tools as a way to automatically customize academic support. They could also make children test subjects for A.I. experiments.” Might as well bring an AI to parent children. Fact is, many will agree to that. That’s how lost, confused, and spaced-out humanity is these days. 📱🤖📲

New York Times: “Golden Globes Are Sold.” After a series of ethics, finance and diversity scandals, the embattled awards show will continue but the Hollywood Foreign Press that was behind it for decades will not. Awards add flair and excitement to cinema work but the glittered fanfare (sic!) is now inundated with self-righteous yarns, contrived “equality” moralism, and color-coded confections. Might as well sell out to Amazon, Tyson Foods, or BlackRock. Uh huh. 🎭🏆🎭

New York Times: “Who Won the N.B.A. Draft Fashion Game?” And adds: “Tailoring, bling and Louis Vuitton, oh my.” Draft night was hot with the get-up! NBA stars are now fashion moguls. Serge Ibaka, P.J. Tucker, Chris Paul, and of course Russell Westbrook and his “Honor The Gift” clothing line. Fun investments over splurges on yacht parties, booze, drugs. Fashion is cool though I may not dig some of the gaudiness, sequined blazers, and bombastic blings. 🏀🕶🏀

New York Times: “A Long-Shot Candidate’s Defense of Trump Could Undermine the Rule of Law.” The Times op-ed: “A weak candidacy but serious ideological development on the right.” Regardless of Donald Trump, 37-year old venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy is a sleeper bet. Yet I concur with some of his thoughts. Vivek bats to secure the southern border against illegal immigration. That is neither Left or Right. His voice in the Primary already means a lot. 

       The Ohio-born of Indian (Kerala) lineage Vivek champions a merit-based system of immigration, which supports scrapping lottery-based immigration. News adds: “Vivek Ramaswamy is the lone Republican rival of Donald Trump to wholeheartedly claim the federal indictment is a Democratic attempt to jail the political opposition.” 🏦🗽🏦

New York Times: “Why Robert Kennedy Jr.’s 2024 Bid Is a Headache for Biden.” And adds: “The unexpected polling strength of an anti-vaccine activist with a celebrated Democratic lineage points to the president’s weaknesses, which his team is aiming to shore up.” RFK Jr.’s platform cuts across the divide and could win thumbs-up from Center Right. But some of his musings are whacked. Rolling Stone: “RFK Jr. Claims China and the US Are Developing Race-Based Bioweapons.” 

       Race-Based Bioweapons: An ethnic bioweapon (or a biogenetic weapon) is a hypothetical type of bioweapon which could preferentially target people of specific ethnicities or people with specific genotypes. 🏦🗽🏦

New York Times: “Dozens of Democratic officials nearly all agreed that Donald Trump deserved his latest indictment, but were far more divided over whether the case was good for the country.” Trump is a creation of U.S. partisanship politics and culture war. Whatever decision Law imposes on him, that’d only divide the world because he isn’t really disliked by the other side. China favors his dovish foreign policy, and he’s friends with powers Russia, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia. 

       As Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban said, the war in Ukraine wouldn’t be happening if Trump was still president. In a speech last month, he cried: “Come back, Mr. President! Make America great again, and bring us peace!” 🏦🗽🏦

New York Times: “Einstein and a Theory of Disinformation.” And adds: “Time is relative depending on your frame of reference. Maybe truth is too?” We gotta break this treatise into common English, right? Theory of Disinformation? Do we need to “theorize” fake news or misleading narratives? High-falutin’ academic liberals toss us magnificent wordage to justify the influencing tact or rebranding of common human sense. When it’s all about? Power goals or aims to dominate. 😒😟🤨

Rolling Stone: “Why the NBA Is Losing Its Mind Over Victor Wembanyama.” Of course, that is sportswriting hyperbole or exaggerated statement or claim not meant to be taken literally. The 19-year old Wemby is fine but not spectacular. And NBA contest is not for the frail, softy, or cocky. Victor isn’t those. But we still gotta see how he fares versus the nastiest, deadliest, and roughest in American pro basketball. Yet the young Frenchman is a cool reason to eagerly await October. 🏀⛹️🏀

MY THOUGHTS About News and Stuff.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

Time: “Indian Prime Minister Modi's Visit to Washington Is His Most Important So Far.” Per geopolitical power measure, India has the upper hand. Regardless of Covid and Ukraine War, India had the highest economic growth, 7+ percent, among large economies in the last 3 years. India is second to China in labor force, owns enormous supply of pertinent raw materials/minerals  + a huge consumer market as 2nd most populous country on earth. 

      Also: India is BRICS partner of China and Russia, and other giant emerging markets/economies Brazil and South Africa. But India is not a member of the 15-nation RCEP trade bloc, with China as de facto leader. So the U.S. may directly negotiate with Narendra Modi on stuff. But the Prime Minister is not easy, he is a hardball negotiator. 🇮🇳😎🇺🇸

New York Times: “Hunter Biden Reaches Deal to Plead Guilty to Misdemeanor Tax Charges.” Under a deal with the DOJ, Hunter agreed to probation for filing his taxes late, and “...he can avoid a charge that he lied about his drug use when he purchased a handgun.” I am more interested in Hunter’s life with Ukraine’s natural gas giant Burisma Holdings. And why the fantastic support for Kyiv’s war with Moscow instead of dad Joe brokering peace, instead. 🏦🗽🏦

Rolling Stone: “Majority of American Voters Shrug at Trump Indictment. 53 Percent Want Him Pardoned If Convicted.” Most federal criminal defendants in the U.S. faced offenses related to drug, immigration, firearms and explosives, and property. Not those against Trump. Of course, he is not a typical federal defendant. He is the first former president ever to face federal criminal charges and is running for president again in 2024. Ah Hollywood, Washington drama. 🗽🇺🇸🗽

New York Times: “A $1 Trillion Borrowing Binge Looms After Debt Limit Standoff.” Weird, isn't it? Lawmakers agreed per debt limit decision, only to start borrowing again! But then, “debt” is complex. Let's talk of highly-indebted Japan, with a debt of 221 percent of GDP. Yet Japan is still #3 top global economy. But Japan's inflation rate is 3.2 percent and unemployment at 2.60 percent. U.S. inflation is 5 percent; unemployment, 3.7 percent. 

       The U.S. is still world’s #1 economy and so while China stays at #2, America must ponder deep. Washington needs to lose the high-handed hawkish/military mojo and think economics. As does Tokyo, and of course, Beijing. Or be pulled down to #2. 💸🤌💸

New York Times: “Analysts said Russia and Saudi Arabia’s mutual need to keep energy prices high would help them maintain close ties, despite signs that Moscow has undercut previous deals.” Not new. Russia was the first country to establish full diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia. These days: The two countries account for a quarter of the world's crude oil production. However, the Moscow-Riyadh pact pales in comparison to Saudi arms contracts with the U.S. 

       The Russia (or Soviet Union then) and Saudi Arabia relations began in 1926 as a means for Moscow to stand up to the U.K. Apparently, their main adversity these days is the United States. And then, there’s China, the world’s top oil client, but aligned with Moscow and Riyadh. 🇷🇺⛽️🇸🇦

New York Times: “Blinken Meets Xi as China and the U.S. Try to Rein in Tensions.” And adds: “The talks pave the way for a possible Biden-Xi meeting.” Didn’t China broker peace, especially between longtime rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, while the U.S. was busy dissing Beijing per Taiwan etcetera? Yet the competition or endgame is all economics. Not military machismo. So why do the U.S. and Europe lose the arms aid to Kyiv and start negotiating peace with Russia?

      News adds: “U.S. diplomats visited Beijing to try to ensure that competition `does not veer into conflict.’” It’s all economics. Let’s face it, China or Beijing’s BRICS partners (including Russia and India) own the strongest trade leverage these days: Labor force/manufacturing, supply of raw materials and pertinent minerals, energy/fuel sales (Russia and buddy Saudi Arabia/OPEC), and must we talk of RCEP trade bloc? 🇺🇸☮️🇨🇳

New York Times: “Two Former Tucker Carlson Producers Exit Fox News.” And adds: “The departures are the latest fallout since the network sidelined Mr. Carlson in April.” The Murdoch Kingdom is embroiled in a “Succession”-level internal tempest. Current Fox News CEO is Suzanne Scott, who was installed by Lachlan Murdoch as the first (Fox) female CEO to rival Rashida Jones* of MSNBC. Lachlan is ultra Right but wickedly business-minded. James? Elisabeth? 

       Lachlan is viewed as far more personally conservative than his father, who at times prioritized the finances and political influence of his media outlets rather than their ideology. The younger James is known to donate to Democratic causes. Elisabeth’s politics tends to go liberal. Or is Rupert still in control? So when top draw Tucker Carlson was eased out, we don’t really know who masterminded it, as we head to 2024 election, with Donald Trump up and running. Of course the old Murdoch backed the beleaguered but Republican frontrunner ex-prez. Suzanne Scott, along with Jay Wallace and Jack Abernethy, took over Fox after Roger Ailes left in 2016. The disgraced Ailes, who loved Trump, was a Rupert gamble. (Note: Rashida Jones, not the actress.) 📺🗣📺

New York Times: “Saudi Arabia and China Flaunt Growing Ties at Investment Forum.” The kingdom hosted a lavish Arab-China business conference days after a visit from the U.S. secretary of state, inviting companies blacklisted by Washington. Sanctions don't work anymore. Negotiations and compromises result in better global dynamics. Geopolitical power is now balanced between West and East. So “rogue” nations are welcomed by other giants such as China and Saudi Arabia. 

       Meanwhile, trade between China and Saudi Arabia has been exponentially spiking. Riyadh's trade with Beijing: $87.3 billion against $25.1 billion with Washington. China and Saudi Arabia are close and strategic allies and have been increasing cooperation in the energy and financial sectors, the Belt and Road Initiative, and have signed numerous deals across several areas. 🇨🇳🇸🇦🇺🇸

New York Times: “Allies Pressure Biden to Hasten NATO Membership for Ukraine.” And adds: “Some members of the military alliance want to set a timetable for Ukraine to join, though only after the war is no longer raging.” So what is the point then? The Warsaw Pact ended in 1991 as the Cold War closed, alongside USSR's dissolution. NATO and the Warsaw Pact were ideologically opposed. Would have been logical that NATO ended as well or at least stopped expansion. Nope. 

       NATO was formed in 1949. The Warsaw Pact was signed in 1955 in Poland between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republics. NATO and Warsaw Pact built up their own defenses and started an arms race then. But WP was over long time ago. Yet NATO continued to expand. The Ukraine War isn't linear as “evil country invades weaker country.” Agreements were ignored in pursuit of greater economic leverage and political supremacy. ☮️☮️☮️

Time: “Why Everyone Is Having Bad Sex (Especially Young People).” First, we gotta ask young people what is sex to them. Interviewed by AP, an 18-year old high schooler who identifies as LGBTQ, offers: “Honestly, that question is a little laughable. There’s probably a lot of teenagers who are like, ‘No, I’ve never had sexual intercourse, but I’ve had other kinds of sex.’” Another survey says 30 percent of teens in 2021 reported having sex. Or do they call it “sex,” anyways? 😏😒😟