Netanyahu’s
mandate at an end, rivals compete for their chance at the premiership
It will likely be opposition leader Yair Lapid who gets the
mandate.
By David Isaac, World Israel News
With
Prime Minister Benjamin’s Netanyahu’s opportunity to form a government having
ended at midnight Wednesday, his political rivals are vying for a bid to be
given the chance to build a coalition.
In
one of his most important functions, it’s Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin,
who gets to decide who will be next. He met with Naftali Bennett of the Yemina
party and Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid. He also met with members of other parties to
hear their recommendations.
It
will most likely be Lapid who gets the mandate. He received 51 recommendations
from various parties to Bennett’s seven. Among those recommending Lapid was the
right-wing New Hope party led by Gideon Saar.
The
probability that Yemina would also join such a government appears high.
According to sources in Yesh Atid’s party, Lapid has already agreed to
Bennett’s condition that he serve first as prime minister in a power-sharing
agreement.
Bennett’s
willingness to bring his right-wing party into a coalition with left-wing and
Arab parties will likely cost him support with his base, as his No.2, former
justice minister Ayelet Shaked, admitted in a leaked recording this week.
Bennett
argues that “Israel urgently needs a good, stable and functioning government,”
and he will do anything to avoid a fifth election in less than three years.
He
has met internal opposition. On Wednesday, it was revealed that Yemina MK
Amichai Chikli opposes the move to join forces with the Left. He said it would
mortally wound “our brothers, Likud voters” in a letter addressed to Bennett
and obtained by Hebrew news site N12.
“Like
many good people, I believe that going to the fifth election is a very bad
option, a last resort. Like many good people, I believe that refreshing the
leadership and political forces is essential, but not at any cost,” Chikli
said.
In
the letter, Chikli said that he opposed on ethical grounds the breach of
promises the party made to its voters. Yemina had promised to form a right-wing
government and pledged not to sit with the far-left Meretz party. And it had
assured its voters it would not crown Lapid as prime minister.
Finally:
We are already, and have been, in the dangerous period of censorship. This is a terrible omen and more on this as I discuss China.
Today, Facebook announced that they will uphold their anti-free speech ban of President Trump on their platform.
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Quite an interesting article from the Philadelphia Enquirer:
THE
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
https://www.inquirer.com/columnists/
Opinion
Why it took Joe Biden to carry out the
Bernie Sanders presidency | Will Bunch
President Biden is poised to pull off an
agenda that looks a lot like the fear of a "socialist" presidency
under Bernie Sanders.
Why Biden, and why now?
It was just over five
years ago — while Bernie Sanders was crisscrossing America’s early primary states, packing large
arenas with throngs cheering his plans for free college,
government child care and taxing Wall Street billionaires — when panicked
politicos started openly attacking the Vermont senator as a dangerous socialist
with ideas that bordered on un-American.
But the attackers were
all Democrats.
“Here in the heartland,
we like our politicians in the mainstream, and he is not — he’s a socialist,”
then-Gov. Jay Nixon of Missouri told the New
York Times in January 2016. His fellow Missourian, then-Sen.
Claire McCaskill, said Republicans were salivating at the idea of facing
Sanders instead of Hillary Clinton that fall, because “they can’t wait to run
an ad with a hammer and sickle.” Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen said nominating
this democratic socialist “wouldn’t be helpful outside Vermont, Massachusetts,
Berkeley, Palo Alto and Ann Arbor.”
Flash forward to 2021,
and America’s gray-haired, 70-something new Democratic president — after
beating Donald Trump in battleground states that Clinton lost in 2016 — is on
Capitol Hill pushing a $6 trillion
spending plan ($1.9 trillion already on the books, more than $4
trillion to go) that would have had those massive rally crowds in Boston or Ann
Arbor dancing in the aisles. Large government stimulus checks. Money for
families raising children. Free community
college. A massive expansion of child care.
A public works program of rebuilding roads and
bridges. Much of it paid for by new taxes on corporations and the
super-rich.
It’s hard to say what’s
more unlikely about the most progressive White House agenda since Lyndon
Johnson’s Great Society in the mid-1960s. That the Bernie
Sanders presidency — well, maybe 75% of it — is on the brink of happening, or
that it’s happening under a lifelong political pragmatist and centrist who’d
spent most of his nearly 50-year career irritating left-wing Democrats, in the
person of President Biden.
As the long, strange
trip of the 46th president passed the 100-day mark last week, many progressive
activists who started 2021 on a kind of red alert just waiting for Biden —
after decades of clashing with the Delawarean over issues from mass
incarceration to bankruptcy law — to govern as a milquetoast centrist found
themselves instead writing unlikely love notes.
Consider the progressive
journalist Mehdi Hasan, now a Peacock/MSNBC host, who in 2019 dismissed
then-candidate Biden as “a 76-year-old white dude, with very few actual
policies, in a party that’s been getting younger, more female and increasingly
nonwhite in recent years,” on an Intercept podcast headlined: “Joe Biden Would
Be a Disaster.” In recent weeks, Hasan has
strongly praised the now-78-year-old POTUS, writing that his
first days “look more like the fulfillment of a progressive wish list than a
great centrist betrayal. Neither Bill Clinton nor Obama began their
presidencies with such energy or ambition.” The left’s young political
superstar, New York Rep. Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez, agreed, stating that — after expecting conservatism —
“the Biden administration and President Biden have exceeded expectations that
progressives had.”
To be clear, those on
the farthest left continue to find things to attack Biden on, and there are
certainly ways that the Biden agenda is either different from — or, for a
committed socialist, fall short of — that hypothetical Bernie Sanders
presidency that we’ll never see. A President Sanders likely would have prioritized
expanding health care more than Team Biden has, and would have
gone after the Pentagon’s bloated spending, which the real POTUS 46 has
disappointingly avoided so far. But up until now, the
progressive wins have far outweighed these warts.
Meanwhile, Republicans
are branding Biden’s $6 trillion program as “socialist,”
just as they would have if Sanders had been elected in 2016 or 2020 — and just
as they would have done if the president would have been Mike Bloomberg or Sen.
Amy Klobuchar or some other Democrat who would have actually governed from the
center. But it’s not sticking. In a time when Americans are more politically
divided than any moment since the 1960s, Biden polls at 52% approval,
or even higher, and
his proposals for COVID-19 or infrastructure are much more
popular than that. The “hammer and sickle” that McCaskill
envisioned for Bernie would look ridiculous attached to America’s “Uncle Joe,”
and to the public perception of Biden as reasonable.
But how did it happen
that a career politician who palled around with
segregationists and sought to tamp school
busing in the ‘70s, promoted mass-incarceration
policies in the ‘90s and flaked for Delaware’s
credit card villains in the ‘00s has started to chisel his
profile next to FDR and LBJ on the Mount Rushmore of left-wing domestic policy.
Arguably, it took a perfect storm of “how” and “why” factors to get this
unexpected presidency:
The American Cincinnatus. It took a bona fide national
crisis — specifically, the road to Jan. 6 that Biden witnessed beginning in
Charlottesville — to get a mid-70s politician still reeling
from a family tragedy to come out of retirement. Biden’s late-life return to
public service has more resembled the Roman legend of
a civic-minded Cincinnatus than the White House sagas of
ambition or ideology that Americans are used to. And this sense of mission —
that Biden’s four years aim to end the crisis, not set the stage for reelection
in 2024 — arguably prepared him for 2020′s unexpected plot twist.
The shock doctrine of ‘disaster
socialism.’ COVID-19 wasn’t
the crisis that Biden signed up for when he announced his candidacy on
Philadelphia’s Ben Franklin Parkway nearly two years ago, but
his new mental attitude of taking bold action — or risk watching the American
Experiment implode — has led him to embrace what I’ve called “disaster
socialism.” The popularity of 2020′s shock interventions — like stimulus
checks and extended unemployment — and their role in averting Great Depression
II has convinced Team Biden that America is ready for, and needs, an active
government.
Only Biden can go to Norway. The wonderful phrase “only Nixon can go to
China” (with its
bizarre origin story) explains the political phenomenon that a
politician with a long history of sober consistency on an important issue is
best equipped to convince Americans when it’s time for a radical shift in
direction. Thus, only a committed Communism fighter like Richard Nixon could
open the door to Mao’s People’s Republic of China, and only Biden — with his
reputation as a middle-of-the-road guy — could convince a majority of Americans
that policies resembling Scandinavian-style socialism are needed in the present
crisis. A President Sanders, with his avowed socialism and past comments on
Nicaragua, the Soviet Union, etc., would have been beaten down, along with his
proposals.
Sometimes you actually need a
politician. Only a true career
politician — in the best and worst senses of the word — could survive from 1972
through 2021 without once having been voted out of office. In gauging and
reacting to the electorate rather than imposing his ego like a rigid ideologue
— or a failed real estate developer — would do, Biden has shown a remarkable
knack for evolution. That’s how a traditional, Mass-going Catholic politician became a leader on gay
marriage when other Democrats still ran from the issue. And
it’s how he’s adapted to the youth-driven leftward shift in Democratic politics,
turning potential adversaries like Sen.
Elizabeth Warren, AOC and, yes, Bernie, into mostly allies.
Watching Biden’s first
100 days, I’ve been most impressed by his ability to admit mistakes, quickly
change course and try to do the right thing — not just on the big picture stuff
but on the more immediate day-to-day crises. A series of events at the
U.S.-Mexico border — some of them driven by Trump’s horrendous policies and the
bad people in the U.S. Border Patrol who carry them out — caused a surge of
young refugees in detention; while the primed Biden critics on the right but
also on the far left railed about “kids in cages,” Team Biden quietly went to
work, reducing the number of youth detainees by 84% in one
month. Likewise, the initial bluster of an “America First”
approach on global vaccine cooperation gave way to a generous deal with India.
Trust me, a piece like
this is difficult to write, because a newspaper columnist is equipped with a
default setting of cynicism. I have criticized
Biden several times during these 100 days, although on most of
these issues (refugees, vaccines, ending the ‘forever war’) he’s moved in a
positive direction right after I hit the “send” button. I’ll still press the
president to do more on shrinking the Pentagon or ending our racist way of
policing than he seems naturally inclined to do.
But in March of
2016, I told readers of
my then-blog Attytood that I planned to vote that year for “the only candidate
who understands that health care and advanced education aren’t just a necessity
in the 21st century but a basic human right, and the only candidate who’s made
it this far without kowtowing to the billionaire donor class and the hedge fund
interests on Wall Street. On April 26, I am going to vote for Vermont Sen.
Bernie Sanders as if my life depended on it. It’s just that important.” I never
imagined that I’d live to see the presidency I wanted — in the person of Joe
Biden.
I’m also delighted that
Bernie Sanders himself didn’t just live to see it, but that as chairman of the
Senate Finance Committee he’s playing a key
role in turning some of the ideas that he’s championed for
decades into a hard-won reality. A lot can happen and possibly go wrong (cough,
cough ... Joe Manchin)
in the next few months, but I believe Bernie Sanders will be remembered as a
pivotal figure in American history ... right alongside the politician who had
the skill and the backstory to make make many of his ideas happen: Joe Biden.
+++
Personal thoughts regarding Chinese prospects on a variety of areas:
I do a lot of reading, particularly as relates to the rise of China. I cannot say I was onto China until I began subscribing to The Naval War College Review, some 20 plus years ago, after attending some classes at the invitation of the then Sec. of The Navy.
Though, as I have often said, I do not understand technical articles I read, nor the virtual lectures I attend nor the videos I watch.
Nevertheless, I have formed a variety of viewpoints as follows:
China and the world:
China intends to dominate the world militarily as well as commercially.
China believes America is in decline, as is Europe and Democracies in general. I agree.
China does not, necessarily, believe it needs to go to war to achieve their goal.
Nevertheless, China is arming in such manner they can intimidate the world without firing a shot, so to speak. and/or win should the need arise.
China does not believe democracies have the will/ability to either win or resist.
China and The Middle East:
China is not anti-Semitic but embraces all the anti-Semitic beliefs ie. Jews control the banking system, the press etc. They remain relatively unsophisticated when dealing with the outside world.
That said, they also are willing to be flexible when it comes to Israel because they look upon Israel as a pivoting factor in their dealings with America.
China also needs Israeli technology and oil from The Middle East and thus, are not seeking a war to disrupt necessary oil supplies. This is their message to Israelis when it comes to Iran.
At the same time, one must not dismiss the fact China might willingly help Iran in the nuclear area.
China also sees a diplomatic relationship with Iran creates issues for America's foreign policy options since Obama began the abandonment of the Middle East and China believes Americans no longer have the stomach for more entanglements both as to loss of life or economic cost.
China sees a closer relationship with Israel creates problems for the U.S even though we want to disengage from both the region and lessen our ties to Israel.
This not to say China's thinking is correct but this is, I believe, what motivates their strategy.
A further Chinese threat would be an alliance with Russia because it bolster's Russia economically and offers a greater threat to NATO in view of Europe's increasing trade with China (more below.)
China and World Trade:
China believes they will replace America when it comes to trade dominance because:
a) They already do more business with Europe than we do.
b) China's fleet is larger and growing and ultimately they envision being able to dominate sea lanes and this is what their Silk Road Strategy is all about ie. owning dispersed ports and safe harbors.
C) China knows their population outworks Americans who have become less disciplined and work oriented.
d) China believes semi-conductors will replace oil as the emerging dominant commodity and this, among other reasons, is why Taiwan is critical to their thinking.
e) Connected to their trade concepts is their plan to dominate the world's currency and this is why Bitcoin is their choice because it can be traced unlike our current banking system of deposits etc. Even Jamie Dimon has embraced Bitcoin as the future currency when it comes to what will eventually be used as a medium of exchange in world commerce. (See article below on SOROS.)
Consequently, if Chinese currency dominates and supplants the dollar, as the medium of exchange for world trade, America's influence will sink.
f) Artificial Intelligence is also critical to their view of dominance in regard to world trade. When it comes to health information and medical record keeping they have leapt ahead of the United States.
g) America's trade with China remains enormous, unfavorably balanced and likely to grow if not accelerate. Another reason China feels confident they will excel is because they are long term planners and thinkers and their autocratic system allows them to outpace democracy and capitalism.
China's Concerns:
a) China has significant debt and any significant diminishment in commerce could create financial instability and/or social unrest.
b) China is flexible when it comes to making accommodations in pursuit of accomplishing their objectives but they also are not sophisticated in understanding differences. An example came up in their recent Alaska meeting with Biden's State Department counterparts.
The attending Chinese diplomats came convinced America's sole intent, regarding our relationship, is to threaten them, to keep them down and to return to the BOXER Rebellion Days because we are racially prejudiced
c) Ironically, in discussions with European nations the Chinese brought up the Holocaust and current flight of Jews from Europe when they were confronted about their own treatment of minorities.
d) Chinese leadership, apparently, has less appreciation for man's desire to be free, to own property and enjoy the fruits of "his" own labor and could make a serious miscalculation when it comes to dismissing an unexpected reaction to their blustering, threats and possible military action(s.)
I fear Xi has taken the measure of Biden and finds him a milqtoast pushover.
I leave on May 15 for our 27th consecutive vacation to North Litchfield Beach, South Carolina with old friends from our Atlanta days and I asked Lynn to order:
"You Will Be Assimilated" by David Goldman. This is not my typical beach read which normally is a book by John Gresham but I am intrigued by what Goldman has to say.
Secondly, I will not be writing any memos but I might have some pre-written and prescheduled to be posted so don't get confused. I will be at the beach or on the courts.
Finally, whenever I leave markets tend to increase their volatility. You never know the direction but the moves are more dramatic. You have been warned.
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I despise this man but not his market savvy. He is the personification of evil but also brilliantly anticipatory.
(RightWing.org) – Bitcoin
is back in the news again. The cryptocurrency became internationally famous
during its bull run (and subsequent collapse) at the end of 2017. Now, it has
comfortably surpassed the price levels it reached over three years ago, breaking
the $60,000 barrier for the first time in mid-April after trending upward for
months. While it has fallen from that peak, as of May 5, one Bitcoin is still
trading for over $55,000.
George Soros Backs Bitcoin
In recent weeks,
Bitcoin has gained a high-profile (and highly controversial) supporter.
Billionaire financier George Soros, recognized as a backer of hard-left causes
around the world, now appears to favor the cryptocurrency over gold as a “safe
haven” asset. Dawn Fitzpatrick, the chief investment officer of Soros Fund
Management, has been quoted as saying gold has “struggled getting traction” in
the context of rising inflation. This, she claimed, is partly because people
are choosing to buy Bitcoin instead.
Bitcoin, Gold and the US Dollar
To understand the
threat this poses, it’s important to first consider gold as a financial asset.
Traditionally, in times of uncertain market growth, investors bought gold as it
has intrinsic worth and therefore holds its value. If people begin using
Bitcoin for this instead of gold, it could cause seismic shifts in our
financial markets.
One fundamental issue
is that Bitcoin is a viable means of exchange, while gold is not. Companies
like Tesla are already accepting cryptocurrencies as payments. Therefore, if
people start buying Bitcoin and other cryptos, they eventually might not have
to use the US dollar at all. If enough people start doing this, the currency
will destabilize, and online coins will be our only reliable way of making and
accepting payments.
Governments around the
world have made various attempts to regulate the cryptocurrency market. Some
have even issued outright bans on virtual currencies. However, given the
intangible (and often untraceable) nature of cryptos, there’s no guarantee the
imposition of strict rules will have the desired effect.
Is this jus
t a natural next step
in our technological development? Maybe. We’ll keep our eyes on it.
Copyright 2021, RightWing
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