This is not America? Oh, yes, it is: Opinion
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Showing posts with label Donald Trump Doctrine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Donald Trump Doctrine. Show all posts
10/16/17
USA: Opinion: America First. America Alone - by Carsten von Nahmen
Donald Trump's decision to decertify the Iran nuclear deal is a slap in
the face for America's allies. The president risks isolating the US for
the sake of his own fans — and his own ego, writes DW's Carsten von
Nahmen.
The protector of Americans against the big, bad world: that's how the president sees himself. And also how many of his supporters view him, and precisely why they voted for him. It was these supporters, more than anyone else, that Trump's speech was aimed at on Friday. It doesn't matter what the others think. America First. America Alone.
Throughout the 2016 election campaign, Trump described the 2015 nuclear deal that his predecessor Barack Obama had reached with Iran alongside European, Chinese and Russian partners as a mistake and the "worst deal ever." This campaign cry has followed him to this day, as has his promise to end the deal as president.
And still. Trump didn't go that far on Friday. Not yet. His most important foreign policy and security advisers, among them Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, had strongly advised Trump against such a step, as Iran's nuclear armament ambitions could not be controlled at all without the deal.
Strictly speaking, there is no reason to terminate the deal. The Iranian government is meeting the obligations that the treaty imposed upon it. European allies, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and even Trump's generals have confirmed this.
And so the president pulled an old trick out of the bag, one that he had so gladly used in his previous life as a businessman and reality TV star. He simply redefined the rules of the game, according to his own terms. The determining factor is not whether Iran is meeting the conditions of the nuclear deal, but whether Iran is living up to the "spirit" of the deal. And if it is, Trump said, it's also whether the Iranian government behaves itself otherwise.
All those who, perhaps, at the beginning of Trump's time in office had hoped that the populist would grow into his office and take his responsibility for his country and the world seriously are now disappointed.
Sad!
Read more: USA-Opinion: America First. America Alone. | Opinion | DW | 14.10.2017
The protector of Americans against the big, bad world: that's how the president sees himself. And also how many of his supporters view him, and precisely why they voted for him. It was these supporters, more than anyone else, that Trump's speech was aimed at on Friday. It doesn't matter what the others think. America First. America Alone.
Throughout the 2016 election campaign, Trump described the 2015 nuclear deal that his predecessor Barack Obama had reached with Iran alongside European, Chinese and Russian partners as a mistake and the "worst deal ever." This campaign cry has followed him to this day, as has his promise to end the deal as president.
And still. Trump didn't go that far on Friday. Not yet. His most important foreign policy and security advisers, among them Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, had strongly advised Trump against such a step, as Iran's nuclear armament ambitions could not be controlled at all without the deal.
Strictly speaking, there is no reason to terminate the deal. The Iranian government is meeting the obligations that the treaty imposed upon it. European allies, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and even Trump's generals have confirmed this.
And so the president pulled an old trick out of the bag, one that he had so gladly used in his previous life as a businessman and reality TV star. He simply redefined the rules of the game, according to his own terms. The determining factor is not whether Iran is meeting the conditions of the nuclear deal, but whether Iran is living up to the "spirit" of the deal. And if it is, Trump said, it's also whether the Iranian government behaves itself otherwise.
All those who, perhaps, at the beginning of Trump's time in office had hoped that the populist would grow into his office and take his responsibility for his country and the world seriously are now disappointed.
Sad!
Read more: USA-Opinion: America First. America Alone. | Opinion | DW | 14.10.2017
9/27/17
USA: Landmark California bill for 100% clean energy unexpectedly put on hold until next year - by Sammy Roth
California lawmakers will go home for
the year without voting on a landmark renewable energy bill, in an
unexpected setback for the state’s efforts to lead the world in fighting
climate change.
The bill would have
required California to get 60 percent of its electricity from renewable
sources like solar and wind by 2030, up from the current legal mandate
of 50 percent. It also would have tasked state regulators with charting a
path to 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2045, which could have
included energy sources not considered “renewable,” like nuclear power,
large hydropower plants and gas-fired power plants that capture their
carbon emissions.
State senators approved the
legislation by a 25-13 margin in May, and for months its eventual
passage in the Assembly looked like a foregone conclusion. But the bill
got held up after unexpectedly strong opposition from investor-owned
utilities like Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas &
Electric, which argued it did not adequately protect their customers
from potential increases in electricity costs. Unions also worked to
kill the bill in the final week of session, after legislative leaders
wouldn’t include provisions sought by organized labor.
Assembly
member Chris Holden, a Pasadena Democrat who chairs the Assembly’s
utilities and energy committee, said earlier this week he wouldn’t move
the bill out of his committee because it didn’t have enough support to
pass the chamber. He held to that stance as the legislative session came
to a close Friday night, even as climate advocates urged him to advance
the bill.
The bill’s failure was a major defeat for Gov. Jerry
Brown and powerful Senate leader Kevin de León, a Los Angeles Democrat
who wrote the legislation. It was also disheartening for climate and
clean energy advocates, who have touted California as a global leader in
the fight against climate change — an especially important role now
that the Trump administration has backed out of the Paris climate
agreement and is working to undo many Obama-era climate initiatives.
7/16/17
Technology:Europe struggles to attract tech talent even as US closes doors – by J.Plucinska and S.Saeed
U.S. President Donald Trump’s moves on immigration are bad news for
ambitious tech workers. That should be good news for Europe’s
talent-hungry digital hubs.
That sets the stage for Amsterdam, Berlin or Paris to become the next global magnet for engineers, coders and entrepreneurs.
Yet Europe is struggling to surmount multiple barriers. It’s considered one of the least-tolerant continents toward migrants as populist movements continue to sway public opinion, said Eugenio Ambrosi, the regional director of the EU, Norway and Switzerland office of the International Organization for Migration.
Meanwhile, the Continent’s reputation for tech investment remains weak, and its inability to grow the next European Google or Facebook makes it a less desirable place for ambitious workers, politicians, civil society and the industry agree.
On top of that, EU lawmakers and members of the tech community say the Continent hasn’t embraced a 2009 Blue Card directive, intended to establish an easy-to-use, universal visa program for highly skilled workers. A revamp proposed by the European Commission last year is stuck in interinstitutional infighting.
Note EU-Digest: The EU is getting a great opportunity here to benefit from the "Trump Administration immigrant fear" to move this highly qualified stream of tech experts, which is now being blocked by the US, into the EU's rapidly expanding technology market, which has a lack of skilled experts. Come on EU Parliament and Commission, don't keep sitting on your hands, put your money where your mouth is. Get the 2009 Blue Card directive fully activated and functional. It is beneficial to the EU economy.and even to you as EU politicians.
Read more: Europe struggles to attract tech talent even as US closes doors – POLITICO
That sets the stage for Amsterdam, Berlin or Paris to become the next global magnet for engineers, coders and entrepreneurs.
Yet Europe is struggling to surmount multiple barriers. It’s considered one of the least-tolerant continents toward migrants as populist movements continue to sway public opinion, said Eugenio Ambrosi, the regional director of the EU, Norway and Switzerland office of the International Organization for Migration.
Meanwhile, the Continent’s reputation for tech investment remains weak, and its inability to grow the next European Google or Facebook makes it a less desirable place for ambitious workers, politicians, civil society and the industry agree.
On top of that, EU lawmakers and members of the tech community say the Continent hasn’t embraced a 2009 Blue Card directive, intended to establish an easy-to-use, universal visa program for highly skilled workers. A revamp proposed by the European Commission last year is stuck in interinstitutional infighting.
Note EU-Digest: The EU is getting a great opportunity here to benefit from the "Trump Administration immigrant fear" to move this highly qualified stream of tech experts, which is now being blocked by the US, into the EU's rapidly expanding technology market, which has a lack of skilled experts. Come on EU Parliament and Commission, don't keep sitting on your hands, put your money where your mouth is. Get the 2009 Blue Card directive fully activated and functional. It is beneficial to the EU economy.and even to you as EU politicians.
Read more: Europe struggles to attract tech talent even as US closes doors – POLITICO
2/13/17
EU-US Relations: Mourning in America - by Project Syndicate
Now that Donald Trump has challenged democratic institutions, violated
American values of tolerance and openness, and questioned Western
alliances, it is not unreasonable to feel a sense of grief for all that
has been lost. An emotional reckoning may now be necessary to confront
this new world – and to move forward constructively.
In her 1969 book On Death and Dying, the Swiss psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross famously described five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. After a tumultuous year in which the United Kingdom decided to quit the European Union and Donald Trump was elected President of the United States, many people have been left in a state of mourning. A deep sense of loss attends the realization that America might no longer serve as a pillar of global stability, economic openness, and social progress.
Bereavement follows no singular formula, of course, but as politicians, businesspeople, and citizens around the world grapple with our new age of uncertainty, they are experiencing some – or perhaps all – stages of grief. These sentiments are undoubtedly becoming more acute with each passing day of Trump’s incendiary presidency. With each new off-the-cuff tweet, executive order, and truth-challenged speech, it becomes increasingly unlikely that the international order or the global economy will come through the Trump era unscathed.
Worse still, there is no guarantee that an emotional reckoning will yield the practical solutions that the world needs to combat toxic populist politics. Over the past few weeks, Project Syndicate commentaries have shared insights that complement each of Kübler-Ross’s emotional stages. Considering them together may uncover a pathway through the anguish – and through the Trumpian chaos fueling it
For the complete report go to Mourning in America by Project Syndicate - Project Syndicate
In her 1969 book On Death and Dying, the Swiss psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross famously described five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. After a tumultuous year in which the United Kingdom decided to quit the European Union and Donald Trump was elected President of the United States, many people have been left in a state of mourning. A deep sense of loss attends the realization that America might no longer serve as a pillar of global stability, economic openness, and social progress.
Bereavement follows no singular formula, of course, but as politicians, businesspeople, and citizens around the world grapple with our new age of uncertainty, they are experiencing some – or perhaps all – stages of grief. These sentiments are undoubtedly becoming more acute with each passing day of Trump’s incendiary presidency. With each new off-the-cuff tweet, executive order, and truth-challenged speech, it becomes increasingly unlikely that the international order or the global economy will come through the Trump era unscathed.
Worse still, there is no guarantee that an emotional reckoning will yield the practical solutions that the world needs to combat toxic populist politics. Over the past few weeks, Project Syndicate commentaries have shared insights that complement each of Kübler-Ross’s emotional stages. Considering them together may uncover a pathway through the anguish – and through the Trumpian chaos fueling it
For the complete report go to Mourning in America by Project Syndicate - Project Syndicate
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