Status of Russia Missile Programs

ON RUSSIAN MISSILE PROGRAMS - The Polish Institute of International Affairs presents the next issue of the PISM Bulletin.

Russia’s Missile Development:
Potential and Limitations

Anna Maria Dyner

Russia’s development of missile capabilities, including hypersonic weapons, is intended to overcome the U.S.’s global conventional advantage. More advanced armaments can be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations on new restrictions, such as barring the deployment of weapons in space. At the same time, with a lower military budget than the U.S., the Russian authorities are afraid of entering a costly arms race, especially those involving defensive systems.

In 2018, Russia’s defence budget was about $63 billion (RUB 2.7 trillion), much less than the U.S. ($712 billion) or China ($168 billion). However, in 2018, from a budget surplus, Russia allocated for the development of modern weapons—with primarily offensive capability—the equivalent of over $15 billion. Moreover, the classified part of the budget, which includes armaments expenditures, in 2019 is estimated to be almost $46 billion. The amount of the Russian and Chinese expenditures on the development of hypersonic weapons is not known but the U.S. will allocate about $2 billion for this purpose in the coming years.

The Nuclear Triad. Strategic nuclear systems with a range of over 5,500 km have the priority under Russia’s rearmament plan. In accordance with the limits of the New START Treaty, in February 2018 Russia declared it had 779 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and strategic bombers, of which 527 were in combat readiness, and 1,444 nuclear warheads.

At the beginning of 2018, Russia had about 313 ballistic missiles, of which 165 were mobile-based. In the coming years, with modernisation of its arsenal, Russia will have three types of missiles: Topol-M (NATO: SS-27 Mod 1), Yars (SS-27 Mod 2), and Sarmat (SS-30), which will enter into service in 2019. Russia is also testing the 9M730 Burevestnik (SSC-X-9), an intercontinental nuclear-powered, nuclear-tipped cruise missile with virtually unlimited range and which probably could carry nuclear warheads. Its sea potential is based on the slowly withdrawn R-29R missiles (SS-N-18) and their modern upgrades, the Sinieva / Layner (SS-N-23) and Bulava missiles (SS-NX-30). They are deployed on 13 submarines. Russia also has 76 strategic bombers.

Kalibr Medium Range System. In response to the suspension and termination of the INF Treaty by the U.S., Russia announced, among other things, the creation of a land-based launcher for Kalibr missiles. This can happen quickly because the existing medium-range ground-based cruise missile—the 9M729 (SSC-X-8)—is probably adapted to the platforms of the modified Iskander system. According to the U.S. and other NATO countries, its potential range is about 2,500 km, which violates the provisions of the INF Treaty. Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that he would not decide to deploy medium-range missiles in the European part of Russia unless such systems appear in the territory of other European countries. However, Russia will most likely decide to do it, using as a pretext the completion of the construction of the U.S. missile-defence system in Poland and indicating that the system’s Mk-41 launchers can be used to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles. If the Kalibr missiles are deployed in Kaliningrad oblast and occupied Crimea, almost all of Europe will be within their range. Thus, Russia will gain an advantage over European NATO countries that do not have missiles of this type or even missile defences at all. Considering the costs of both the offensive and defensive systems, this advantage will last for at least several years.

Hypersonic Weapons. Research into hypersonic weapons began in the USSR in the 1980s. Russia returned to the project in the first decade of the 21st century. It is developing both air-based (Kinschal) and sea-based (Cirkon) systems. Russia is also testing the Avangard vehicle, a hypersonic platform that will eventually be placed on Sarmat ICBMs and can deliver nuclear payloads. This is in response to U.S. plans for the development of missile defences and the doctrine of Conventional Prompt Global Strike, which aims to be able to target any point in the world with conventional missiles.

According to the Russian military, the hypersonic, long-range manoeuvring Avangard vehicle can reach a speed equal to Mach 27. It is assumed, however, that such a speed may prevent corrections to its trajectory, which would change its purpose and impair the accuracy of its internal guidance system.

In 2017, Russia introduced the Kinschal manoeuvring missile, which has a range of up to 2,000 km and was created based on Iskander missiles. It is carried to its launch altitude by modernised MiG-31 fighters and other aircraft and has a top speed of around Mach 7–10. Meanwhile, testing of the Zirkon missile (SS-N-33), designed for use against ships and ground targets, is still underway. The missile is to have a range of up to 400 km and speed of Mach 8.

Russia has also announced the development of medium-range hypersonic vehicles (500 km-5,5000 km). For now, it is not known what missile will become their main carrier. Among the proposals are modified Yars missiles or the older Pioneer systems (SS-20).

Challenges in Space. Russia lacks a ballistic-missile early warning satellite system. In 2014, due to the disadvantages of its satellites, the Oko-1 system ceased to function. A new system, Tundra, is being developed, but it has not reached full readiness. To be able to work efficiently, it needs 10 satellites, and now there are only two, because Russia has had problems funding and producing the Soyuz rockets used to carry the satellites to orbit. This is because of the rockets’ high failure rate and the lack of possibilities to substitute electronic components. Until 2014, when international sanctions connected with the annexation of Crimea were imposed on Russia, 70% of such components came from Europe and the U.S. Moreover, there is a shortage of experienced engineering staff, and the results of changes implemented in recent years, such as the reform of education for the needs of the army, will be visible at the earliest in a few years. In addition, it is necessary to expand the network of satellite ground-control stations, which increases the cost of operating space systems.

Conclusions and Perspectives. Russia has decided to develop systems with offensive capabilities due to the costs (cheaper than defensive ones) and problems related to the lack of acquiring technology. In the near future, the country will focus on missile systems, especially hypersonic variants, hoping to balance the American capabilities, albeit with a significantly smaller military budget. Russia’s advantage is its ability to independently produce weapons such as the Yars, Sarmat, or Kalibr systems. The Russian authorities know that the development of its own hypersonic systems is a serious challenge for NATO and U.S. missile defence. Their potential use significantly shortens the time for a response and increases the threat of unintentional entry into conflict, for example, caused by a “false alarm” stemming from incorrect assessment of satellite photos from early detection systems.

At the same time, especially in the production of satellites, Russia is limited by international sanctions. Some armaments companies (including Almaz Antey, specializing in rocket weapons, or Obyedinyonnaya Aviastroitelnaya Korporatsiya, which includes enterprises producing military aircraft) have been put on the “black” list, cutting them off from western loans and investment and cooperation with EU and U.S. companies, which have stopped supplying them with technology and spare parts.

Russia does not have sufficient funds to compete with the U.S. (i.e., after the possible termination of the New START Treaty). It is also afraid of repeating the scenario from the 1980s when an expensive arms race contributed to the collapse of the USSR.

Thus, its hypersonic weapons, having unique characteristics, will be used by Russia as both an asset and a pretext to force talks on regulation at the international level. It may be willing to make concessions regarding permissible use (i.e., a prohibition on placing nuclear warheads on hypersonic vehicles), most likely in exchange for limiting the development of U.S. missile defence and a prohibition on deploying weapons in space, and a new arrangement on this issue. For this purpose, Russia may also propose limits on the possession of strategic hypersonic manoeuvring warheads, similar to the current restrictions of the New START Treaty. Regardless of possible attempts to regulate these issues, an element of NATO’s response should be to strengthen its missile-defence systems and air defences, taking into account the sum of the threats from Russia.

Yours faithfully,

Katarzyna Staniewska

Bulletin PISM
Research Office
Polish Institute of International Affairs
1A Warecka Street
00-950 Warsaw, Poland
tel. +48 22 556 80 00
fax +48 22 556 80 99
analyses@pism.pl
www.pism.pl/en

"Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad"

Whom the gods would destroy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


The phrase "Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad" is spoken by Prometheus, in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem "The Masque of Pandora" (1875).[1]
Other versions

An early version of the phrase Whom the gods would destroy... appears in verses 620–23 of Sophocles’ play Antigone: "τὸ κακὸν δοκεῖν ποτ᾽ ἐσθλὸν τῷδ᾽ ἔμμεν' ὅτῳ φρένας θεὸς ἄγει πρὸς ἄταν" to mean that "evil appears as good in the minds of those whom god leads to destruction".

In the 17th century the phrase was used in the neo-Latin form "Quem Iuppiter vult perdere, dementat prius" (Whom Jupiter would ruin, he first makes mad)[2]; in a Christianized Greek version, "Iuppiter" was replaced by "God" as in "μωραίνει Κύριος ον βούλεται απολέσαι".

Another version ("Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad") is quoted as a "heathen proverb" in Daniel, a Model for Young Men (1854) by William Anderson Scott (1813–85).

Brigham Young quoted the phrase in a discourse delivered on March 16, 1856, attributing it as an "ancient proverb".[3]

A prior Latin version is "Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat" (Life of Samuel Johnson, 1791) but this involves God, (presumably the Christian God) not 'the gods'.

This phrase was also used by British politician (and classicist) Enoch Powell in his 1968 speech on immigration commonly known as the "Rivers of Blood" speech.[4]
References

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth (1893), The Complete Poetical Works, Houghton, Mifflin & Co, p. 303.
Sophocles (1900), Jebb, ed., The Plays and Fragments, 3–4, Cambridge: University Press, p. 256, "The use of dementat as = dementem facit proves of course a post-classical origin."
Joe, MRM.
Is "those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad" a classical quotation?, Roger Pearse, 2015-10-31.

THE MILLS OF GOD (THE GODS) GRIND SLOWLY

"At some point a sinner will be punished; many decisions or events that are important in one's life take time in coming. Some 1,600 years ago the Greek philosopher Sextus Empiricus wrote: 'The mills of the gods grind slowly, but they grind small.'

One of Longfellow's translations was a 17th century poem, 'Retribution,' by Friedrich Von Logau:

'Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small;
Though with patience he stands waiting, with exactness grinds he all.'

From "The Dictionary of Cliches" by James Rogers (Wings Books, Originally New York: Facts on File Publications, 1985); quoted in https://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/59/messages/502.html

SURPRISE! 86.2% of Americans Want Class Adjustments

This space reports that a test of sentiment among the American population shows an overwhelming support for changes in the current class structure.

Most Americans see the current class structure as unfair and want politicians to change it so that Working class and Middle Class families can have a secure future.

Here is the actual test: Two separate FB ad campaigns were conducted in February by targeting adults over 40 years old who live in areas of mixed political population with a promotion of the idea of a United States Class War.

There was a surprisingly high rate of support for the idea among those who engaged with the ad. The numbers are below, but in summary, it appears that 86.2% of the respondents had a favorable reaction to the idea.

While the first promotion was a generic ad about the idea, the second, and longer promotion supported this book: UNITED STATES CLASS WAR FIELD MANUAL https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NKVSQ6B/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2.

Promo one: OH,IL,PA,IND,GA; OVER 40 YRS; 2 WEEKS,

Promo Two: FL,MINN,NY,VA,WISC; OVER 40 YRS; 17 DAYS.

The conclusion is clear - Politicians seeking elective office will increase their chances of election by addressing class, income and wealth imbalances directly.

BUT, any politician promising an improvement MUST deliver or face loss of office.

"The Sixth Extinction,"

The earth is losing species rapidly....

'Elizabeth Kolbert, author of the book "The Sixth Extinction," told National Geographic that the outlook from that study is dire; it means 75% of animal species could be extinct within a few human lifetimes. '

Full article at this link:
https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-of-6th-mass-extinction-2019-3?utm_source=hearst&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=allverticals#species-that-live-in-fresh-water-are-impacted-by-a-warming-planet-too-10

WHAT IF???

Here's a scenario: What if trump is convicted and forced to resign the Office of President?

Who makes the decision that he is not entitled to the office??

Nixon resigned and left while Clinton was not convicted and stayed. Is there a precedent or law for involuntary removal?

AND, then, who will carry him away forcibly? Then, where will he go?

It is unlikely that he will leave voluntarily, even after he has been deposed.

While he has made vague threats of violence and civil war, I think it is unlikely that our military and police forces will choose to honor him when he has been legally judged as removed from the office since they are sworn to uphold the Constitution and not the person. More likely it is the delusional rambling of a frightened and confused old man.

Strange times.

trump and CIA Starting War in Venezuela

From the VOX - https://www.vox.com/world/2019/2/20/18233394/mccabe-trump-venezuela-war-oil-lawrence

'In a July 2017 private briefing with intelligence officials, President Donald Trump apparently asked why the US wasn’t at war with Venezuela, noting that “they have all that oil and they’re right on our back door.”

If true, it calls into question why the president has focused so intently on overthrowing the country’s dictator, Nicolás Maduro, and if he plans to send troops in the future.

The claim comes in a surprisingly overlooked passage in a new book by Andrew McCabe, the former acting FBI director, who notoriously has a testy relationship with the president.

McCabe details what an FBI agent told him directly after briefing Trump. According to McCabe’s telling, the president reportedly derailed the meeting, which was supposed to be about Russian spies, by making unrelated comments about North Korea and other countries.'

From The Independent: - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/cia-venezuela-crisis-government-mike-pompeo-helping-install-new-remarks-a7859771.html

'The head of the CIA has suggested the agency is working to change the elected government of Venezuela and is collaborating with two countries in the region to do so.'

Countering Radical Islam Today

The generational challenge from Islam that Western secular governments will face is that there are schools, many reportedly financed by Saudi interests, which proselytize restrictive and vindictive views of Islam to young students worldwide.

One method of countering this propaganda is to provide a voice for disillusioned former ISIS converts and captives.

Western countries should encourage those people to speak out instead of banning them from returning to their original home.

The threat we will face is from naive youth who believe the ISIS propaganda.

Here is a list from the UN of organizations working to do just that:

[https://www.un.org/victimsofterrorism/en/directory]

[Disclaimer - This list ....is provided for informational purposes only. The United Nations is not responsible for the content or information contained in the linked websites, nor does it in any way support or endorse the organizations to whom they belong. Website links found on UN site above]

All these organizations need more funds since this problem will continue to grow.

Association française des Victimes du Terrorisme

L’Association française des Victimes du Terrorisme (AfVT.org), fondée en 2009, a pour objet d'apporter une assistance aux victimes du terrorisme ou à leurs familles. Cette assistance est morale, administrative, financière, juridique, médicale, mémorielle ou autre. L’AfVT.org assure trois types de mission : - Psychologique : en plus d’un suivi thérapeutique individuel pour les victimes du terrorisme, l’association assure un accompagnement psychologique au travers de programmes collectifs sur le modèle des ateliers d’art-thérapie et des groupes de parole. - Juridique : suivi des victimes dans toutes leurs démarches juridiques et administratives. - Prévention : informer, sensibiliser, prévenir et protéger l’opinion publique des dangers de la radicalisation, de la propagande extrémiste et de l’embrigadement terroriste au travers de la voix des victimes. L’AfVT.org assure également des séminaires de formation adressés aux agents de l’Etat pouvant être confrontés aux problématiques de la radicalisation. Enfin, dans une perspective internationale, l’AfVT.org supervise et encadre les activités de la Fédération Internationale des Associations de Victimes du Terrorisme (FIAVT).

Association IMAD pour la jeunesse et la paix

L'association IMAD pour la jeunesse et la paix oeuvre: - à la mise en place d'un dialogue interreligieux, - à prévenir les dérives sectaires de l'extrémisme, - à soutenir une éducation laïque et républicaine, - à promouvoir la laïcité, - à créer un cadre public et officiel pour favoriser l'échange.

Association Libanaise des Victimes du Terrorisme

L’Association libanaise des victimes du terrorisme est une organisation à but non lucratif dont l’objectif est de venir en aide à tous ceux et toutes celles qui sont touchés par un acte de terreur.

British Red Cross

The British Red Cross relief fund gives immediate financial help to people who have been seriously injured or bereaved by terrorist incidents overseas. When terrorist incidents occur, it can be hard for the people affected to get financial help from insurance bodies. This fund – which we set up at the request of the government – provides an immediate payment of £3,000 to help people recover from the incident. This grant is not compensation for what victims have suffered.

Canadian Coalition Against Terror C-CAT

A non-partisan advocacy body comprised of Canadian terror victims, counterterrorism professionals and other individuals committed to enhancing Canada's counterterrorism policies. It has been active since 2004 and has been involved in the national dialogue on terrorism and national security (the Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security). CRCVC has a number of resources, some of which were funded by the Victims Fund, which are relevant to victims of terrorism and to service providers.

Canadian National Day of Service Foundation (CNDSF)

CNDSF raises awareness and strives to provide education to the public about the effects of terrorism and to provide support for those who have been impacted by terrorist violence, either directly or by virtue of its impact on an immediate family member.


Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime (CRCVC)

The CRCVC is a non-profit victim advocacy group that lobbies for victims' interests and effective justice reform. The Centre has conducted research and consultations regarding the needs of victims of terrorism.


Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA)

Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) are responsible for support for victims of terrorism after the initial operational response. This includes support in the criminal justice system and for the management of compensation schemes for victims.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG)


DCLG is responsible for coordinating and supporting local authorities in their role as leaders of the humanitarian assistance response to a terrorist attack.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Department of Health (DH)

DH provides guidance to the National Health Service and local authorities on how to plan for responding to the psychological and mental health needs of victims of emergencies

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland


European Union

Assistance to victims of terrorism and their families is a key part of EU counter-terrorism efforts. For more information, visit European Commission's.

Fédération nationale des victimes d’attentats et d’accidents collectifs (FENVAC)

The FENVAC (National federation of the victims of catastrophes) is an organization created by victims’ families in 1994. It gathers the victims’ families of accidents like air crash landings, fires, explosions, collisions, natural disasters… 70 different accidents since its creation. The goals of the FENVAC are : - Mutual aid. - Solidarity. - Justice and the truth. - Prevention. - Memory.

Civil Society France

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)

For a major incident on UK territory that impacted on foreign nationals, FCO’s role is to ensure that foreign embassies were signposted to the correct sources of information. The FCO’s role in overseas incidents takes a number of forms including: provision and maintenance of travel advice via FCO website; consular assistance overseas including assistance with evacuation in extreme circumstances; and, signposting to further sources of information. The Foreign Secretary is responsible for the designation of terrorist attacks for the purposes of the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Scheme 2012

Government United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland


Foundation for Peace

We are a national charity working to support those affected by conflict, acts of terror and politically motivated violence. We support victims of conflict and terrorism and veterans, enabling them to use their traumatic experiences to do something positive and to move forward with their lives. We support young people to turn away from violence, and we work to build stronger communities without prejudice and discrimination.

Civil Society United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Home Office, Office for Security and Counter Terrorism

The Home office is responsible for the initial operational response to a major or complex incident, including acts of terrorism. It also leads on communicating with the victims of the “7/7” terrorist attacks that took place in London on 7 July 2005.

Government United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Iraqi Al-Amal Association

Iraqi Al-Amal Association is a non-political, non-sectarian association of volunteers actively engaged in projects for the benefit and well being of the Iraqi population regardless of race, gender and political or religious affiliation. Its programmes aim to combat all forms of violence and discrimination, the promotion of the culture of Human Rights, Gender Equality, tolerance and social peace, the carrying-out of income-generating projects as well as providing psychosocial assistance and training courses to vulnerable sectors, so that they can participate efficiently in public life. Al-Amal also works on the question of law reform, along with the rehabilitation of workers in police and judicial fields, with the aim of securing the supremacy of law and justice in society.

Civil Society Iraq

Ministry of Justice (MOJ)

Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) are responsible for support for victims of terrorism after the initial operational response. This includes support in the criminal justice system and for the management of compensation schemes for victims.

Government United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

National Conciliation Commission

The National Conciliation Commission is an independent and autonomous entity, created by the Catholic Church and composed of citizens from various sectors and aspects of thought. It which searches for of political solutions to the social and armed conflict including all the actors in it; brings awareness to the respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law; supports comprehensive education for peaceful coexistence and affects the design of public policies of peace and reconciliation.

Civil Society Colombia

Strength to Strength

Strength to Strength is a nonprofit organization established to support victims of terrorism around the world with long-term psychological needs through regular meetings, provision of information and advice, and raising awareness of the unmet needs of victims and their families. Strength to Strength enables victims of terrorism to share experiences and empowers them to live life to their best potential. The mission of Strength to Strength is to bring victims of terrorism together globally in order to share their experiences through peer to peer support and move forward with their lives despite the trauma they have been through.

Civil Society United States of America

The National Center for Historical Memory’s

The National Center for Historical Memory’s (NCHM) purpose is to contribute to the comprehensive reparation and to the right to the truth for the victims of the Colombian armed conflict as well as society in general. The Center accomplishes this by reconstructing, through the testimony of victims, the serious human rights violations that occurred in the framework of the conflict, searching for truth, justice, reparation and the construction of a sustainable and lasting peace.

Government Colombia

The National Network of Initiatives for Peace and Against War

The National Network of Initiatives for Peace and Against War is a meeting space, convergence and coordination of local, regional and national experiences of peace, from civil society with the aim of "weaving peace with hand citizen "and defending the right to peace as a fundamental right of Colombians"

Civil Society Colombia

The Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies - NKVTS

Established in 2004 supports the regional centres by compiling and generating new knowledge on traumatic stress. As a part of the governmental action plan, NKVTS will in collaboration with RKBU (Regional Centres for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare) and RBUP (The Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway) develop expertise in how the health services can work with violent extremism in a more effective way.

Government Norway

The Unit for Attention and Reparation of Victims

The Government channels attention to victims by the the Unit for Attention and Reparation of Victims, whose mission is to lead the actions of state and society to address and full reparations to victims, to contribute to social inclusion and peace.

Government Colombia


Tuesday's Children

Formed in the aftermath of Tuesday, September 2001, Tuesday’s Children is a response and recovery organization that supports youth, families, and communities impacted by terrorism and traumatic loss.

Civil Society United States of America

Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum

Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum (UMYDF) is a not for profit, nonpartisan youth-led faith based development organization based in Kampala district, which exists to provide a link for connecting all Muslim youth across clusters and development policy processes in Uganda so as to promote their active, responsible and continuing participation in local and global development.

Civil Society Uganda


V-Europe

The international non profit organisation V-Europe in progress is an association for victims of terrorism and in particular for all victims of the terrorist attacks perpetrated on Belgian soil, as well as the Belgian victims of attacks perpetrated on foreign soil. V-Europe was created by victims of the attacks of 22 march 2016 in Brussels, to get united and to progress for a better future. The association explained in a nutshell by the letter “V” of V-Europe : • Victims: getting to know each other, share our experiences and determine our needs. • Values: to expose and defend our interests and values. • Veritas: to act for the manifestation of the truth and to understand everything that has happened. • Victory: our experiences are unique. Let’s give them a sense and make them contribute to a better society, including on the legal and administrative levels. Together we can make a difference.

Civil Society Belgium

Victim Support

Apoyo a las Victimas (Victim Support) es una organización benéfica independiente, para las víctimas y testigos de delitos en Inglaterra y Gales. Establecida hace 40 años, ha crecido hasta convertirse en la organización más grande y antigua de víctimas en el mundo.

Civil Society United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Victim Support Finland

Victims Support Finland is a nation-wide organisation founded in 1994. It is run by six Finnish organisations. It receives also State financial aid. Victim Support Finland offers practical advice and support to victims of crime, their close ones as well as for those who have witnessed a crime by maintaining helplines and social media services, giving legal advice, providing an online support service called Rikunet, accompanying victims when attending police hearings or court sessions as well as assisting in filing for a restraining order or applying for compensation. Victim Support Finland is a member organisation of Victim Support Europe.

Victims of Terrorism Organization

Victims of Terrorism Organization (Kenya) is an NON-Profit making organization based in Nairobi Kenya. The organization was established in 2010 with the main aim of working with victims of terrorism in Kenya and around the world to promote peace and harmony. It was from the effects of the US Embassy bombing in Nairobi on August 7th 1998 that the founders of the organization sat down and came up with the proposal to work with terror victims and the local authority to promote peace and reduce radicalization.

Civil Society Kenya

Young Christian Association (YMCA) Colombia

YMCA Colombia, has begun working with young people on the issue of victim assistance and post-conflict. To develop this theme, the YMCA organized the meeting "Recovering the voice of youth in the Post-Conflict in Colombia", which seeks to know the opinion, the feel and the projection of the youth who have been victims of the conflict who now face a changing context and should raise the course of their life project and their community.

Civil Society Colombia

Youth Coalition against Terrorism

Youth Coalition against Terrorism (YOCAT) is a volunteer-based youth organization working to unite youth against violent extremism in north-eastern Nigeria. YOCAT is a coalition of students, lawyers, health care professionals, educators, development workers, and most importantly, all dedicated young activists between 18 to 29 years. It was founded by Imrana Alhaji Buba on 12th August 2010 in Maiduguri, Borno state (one of the hotspots of Boko Haram insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria). It is affiliate member of the International Action Against Terrorism (IYAAT) and the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth (UN MGCY). The main aim of YOCAT is to weaken the appeal of violent extremism in north-eastern Nigeria, through organizing enlightenment and empowerment programs for young people, and amplifying the voices of the victims of terrorism.

Civil Society Nigeria

Directorate- General of Support for Victims of Terrorism

"Spain has a terrorism victim assistance unit , the Directorate- General of Support for Victims of Terrorism, that includes, for example, personnel with special training in the following areas: psycho-social (social workers), medical ( the Medical Advisory Board), and financial process experts, among others. a) Social workers contact victims as soon as security and medical condition allow after a terrorist attack and provide information to victims and the families. Information is conveyed to victims and their families clearly and accurately. Also, they attend people to manage their compensations, pensions, labour rights, subsidies and other benefits. b) The Medical Advisory Board: in order to categorize the injuries, evaluate the permanent consequences of the damages: disabilities, permanent non- disabling injuries or psychological damages. c) Financial process experts: the procedure for recognizing entitlement to compensation for damage is processed and resolved by the Ministry of the interior.- The maximum period for resolving the procedure is 12 months."

Government Spain

European Union's RAN (Radicalisation Awareness Network)

The objective of RAN VVT is to make the voices of the victims heard, their positive values understood and their role empowered. This creates a strong instrument to raise people awareness of the dangers of terrorism and violent radicalisation.

Inter-govermental International

ADO (Arbeits-kreis der Opferhill e. V)

The Committee of Victims Support Organizations (Arbeits-kreis der Opferhill e. V) ado is an umbrella association of varios professional victims services in Germany and has existed since October 1988. Its fundamental interest is to make a contribution to the comprehensive social task of supporting human rigths of victims.

Civil Society Germany

Miguel Ángel Blanco Foundation of Victims of Terrorism

The Fundación Miguel Ángel Blanco was created on December 18, 1997 in order to keep the memory of Miguel Angel Blanco and all victims of terrorism alive.

Civil Society Spain

Council of Europe

The Council of Europe is the continent’s leading human rights organisation. It includes 47 member states, 28 of which are members of the European Union. All Council of Europe member states have signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights, a treaty designed to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

Inter-govermental International

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)

The OSCE has a comprehensive approach to security that encompasses politico-military, economic and environmental, and human aspects. It therefore addresses a wide range of security-related concerns, including arms control, confidence- and security-building measures, human rights, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counter-terrorism and economic and environmental activities. All 57 participating States enjoy equal status, and decisions are taken by consensus on a politically, but not legally binding basis.

Inter-govermental International

Organization of the Americas

Terrorism continues to be one of, if not the, most critical threat facing both the Western Hemisphere as well as the entire global community. The OAS and its member states have, therefore, developed comprehensive policies to work together closely in order to combat the threat of terrorism in the Hemisphere. The Inter-American Convention against Terrorism seeks to prevent the financing of terrorist activities, strengthen border controls and increase cooperation among law enforcement authorities in different countries. In addition, the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism plays an important role in carrying out efforts in this field and is considered a model for other regional organizations involved in counter-terrorism.

Inter-govermental International

Weisse Ring e.V. - Germany

"The WHITE RING was founded on September 24, 1976 in Mainz as e-profit organization to support victims of crime and crime prevention V. We help in Germany. Regardless of gender, age, religion, nationality, political opinion, victims of crime direct aid. We maintain a network of more than 3,000 volunteer helpers victims and victim supporters in 420 nationwide branch offices. We are knowledgeable and recognized contact point for politics, law, management, science and the media in all aspects of victim support and protection of victims. The WHITE RING currently has around 50,000 members."

Further Reflections

Things I've learned - From my Dad:

Never show all your cards - always keep something back.

Always have a reason for what you do or say

'A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still', [prob Dale Carnegie]

Some things I've learned - From my life:

Love is real

The best and hardest thing to know is what you want from life.

Secrets kill. Always talk it out.

I can change the world as long as I don't care who receives the credit.

Nothing lasts forever.

I have more fun when I don't think about how I look.

Two essentials are a good dentist and a good mechanic.

I think better when the kitchen is clean.

It's always better to wait for the best thing instead of settling for the second best. Often the best thing is the basic thing.

When a person believes a falsehood, facts will not change his or her mind.

I can manage my mind to avoid depression.

When I feel it approaching, which rarely happens, I think "No. I will not do that.'

Then I change physical location for different stimulus or think about a project to work on next week, also for different stimulus.

A person with a specific goal will usually carry the day in a meeting since most do not have a goal.

Big tasks can be subdivided into smaller tasks which then makes it easier to achieve the overall goal.

When strangers look at me they are usually wondering what I think of them.

At least one third of women have been abused. The damage lasts a lifetime.

Grief over loss is real. It is temporary with 4 stages - Denial, Anger, Bargaining and Acceptance.

The stages of grief do not follow the calendar - they take as long as they take.

Serenity prayer - Accept the things I cannot change, change what I can, know the difference.

Whiskey - The right amount can ease the mind and soothe aches, but too much can ruin sleep and relationships.

I cannot give a life to someone who does not want it, especially if my gift requires that they change.

Whatever you want, wait and let it come to you

Majority of American Voters Want to Correct Class Imbalances

Recently there was posted on FaceBook a short discussion of a proposed Class War in the United States.

About 3,665 adults over 40 years old in Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Georgia received the message reproduced below in their FaceBook news feed.

About 13%, or 487, of those reached engaged with the post and 71%, or 345, of those who responded chose a like or dislike emoji. Presumably those who engaged but did not post an emoji wrote a comment or shared the post. There were 119 comments and 63 shares.

Of the people who posted an emoji, 307, or 89%, posted favorable emoji [like, grin, heart, OMG or tear] while only 38 posted a negative reaction.

It is fair to say that approximately 85 to 90 % of the American public likes the idea of a class war to correct some of the imbalances we see today.

COPY OF ORIGINAL POST

'A class war is a dangerous thing, and, it's just about time we had one!' [Apologies to Mel Brooks]

It is clear as climate change that the economy of the United States is rigged.

BUT, luckily, it can be fixed by adopting specific economic policies.

AND, each suggested policy if adopted by itself without any of the other will help correct the imbalances WITH NO VIOLENCE!

A detailed discussion is available in my Kindle book 'Occupy Wall Street Plan 12: A Proposal for Twelve Specific Governmental Actions to Correct Some Economic Imbalances in the United States of America Kindle Edition'

Search Amazon kindle by the title to buy the complete book for $0.99.

Here's a summary of the Specific Proposals

1. Strengthen Unions

2. Stop Union Busting

3. Destroy Monopolies

4. End Free Trade

5. Tax Away Great Fortunes, Great Incomes

6. Create National Industrial Policy

7. Extend Utility Regulation

8. Install Punitive Bank Regulation

9. Keep Social Security and Medicare as they are

10. Single Payer Health Care

11. Follow Keynesian Fiscal Policy

12. Reduce Influence of Money on Political Process

United States Class War Field Manual

Did you know that almost 80% of Americans who work full time are a missed paycheck, a broken car or a medical problem away from homelessness.

It didn't used to be that way. Starting in the 1970's it became that way because of deliberate economic laws and policies put in place by the Federal, State and Local governments. The Legislators who adopted the policies didn't intend to make peoples' lives worse, but it just sort of happened.

Ooops!

The good news is that the polices can be reversed. People can earn enough for a comfortable life.

To make that happen, we need all of us to sit in front of our Congress people, State Legislators and City Legislators and ask that they change some or all of the policies that created the problem.

Those polices are listed as numbered items in the new Kindle book UNITED STATES CLASS WAR FIELD MANUAL.

You can ignore the ECONOMIC BACKGROUND section under each policy and just ask for change on the numbered policy. Sometimes the Legislator may ask for you reasoning - that's why the BACKGROUND is there.

Search Amazon Kindle Books for 'Field Manual United States Class War, McKeever'.

OR, copy and paste this:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=field+manual+united+states+class+war

Price is $0.99. CHEAP!!

SPECIFIC ACTIONS

Strengthen Labor Unions

ACTION – Activists meet with Legislators and their staff employees and ask them to ensure Union membership is secure and easy to obtain.

Individual State Right To Work laws should be amended to encourage Union formation.

Union members may wish to accompany the activist in the meeting.

Stop Union Busting

ACTION - Tell your Congress people that you want the National Labor Relations Board [NLRB] to be effective. Give them money. The NLRB enforces labor law. It is understaffed.

Destroy Monopolies

ACTION – Laws favoring competition and making monopolies illegal have been on the books for more than 100 years.

Activists will pressure Legislators and the Attorney General for more vigorous enforcement; the laws are enforced poorly today.

End Free Trade

ACTION – Activists ask that Congress take back the authority granted by the Constitution over changes in tariffs and trade restrictions. Trade accounts for one-third of the United States economy. It is too important to be left to the President. The Constitution calls for the House to impose tariffs.

Tax Away Great Fortunes, Great Incomes

ACTION – Activists ask for these:

PUNTITIVE TAX ON WEALTH - Massive accumulations of wealth hurt competition and the economy.

ESTATE TAX should be installed so that we do not create an hereditary noble class.

HIGHER MARGINAL TAX RATES are needed to fund our economy. Historically we have had marginal tax rates of 70 % to 90 % during times of great expansion and prosperity. Our current marginal rate of 37% is simply too low to protect our country.

Create a National Industrial Policy

ACTION – Activists demand a National Industrial Policy. We do not have such a policy while our trade rivals do have such a policy.

The goal is to identify and support industries where jobs will be created in the future.

Extend Utility Regulation

ACTION – Activists ask that the Public Regulation of revenues and profits now used by States to regulate public utilities be extended to more sectors.

Any product or service which is used frequently by most citizens can be considered a Utility and should be regulated as such. Companies such as Internet Service Providers and Cell Phone Providers are not regulated but they act in similar fashion to recognized utilities like water, sewer and electric power.

Install Punitive Bank Regulation

ACTION – Activists demand that bank officers who commit crimes should be punished with jail time when warranted. Many bankers say that fines are not a deterrent to crimes and that jail time is the only punishment that will prevent some future crimes since fines are considered a cost of doing business.

Keep Social Security and Medicare as they are

ACTION – Activists resist pressure to ‘privatize’ Social Security and Medicare. Such a policy would remove any security from our elderly and infirm; they would be left on the streets to suffer and die

Single Payer Health Care

ACTION – Activists apply pressure for universal health care funded by the Federal government. Most other industrialized countries already provide this to their populations. Removing the private profit motive from healthcare is both moral and efficient.

Follow Keynesian Fiscal Policy

ACTION – Activists pressure Legislators to follow rational Fiscal policy according to Keynesian principles. It is prudent to borrow money for budgets in recession times as it is prudent to have a budget surplus during expansion times. It is not prudent for Congress to fail to expand the Federal Debt ceiling when additional borrowing is needed to pay for budgeted expenditures. The debt must be managed at the time of Budget adoption.

Reduce Influence of Money on Political Process

ACTION – Activists pressure for effective campaign n finance laws. Our current system allows political donors to ask for and receive favors from the Congress that makes them richer at the expense of the average person.

SOLUTION - Require all elected and confirmed officials to place all their assets exceeding One Million Dollars into a blind trust so that they cannot make any additions to or subtractions from the trust until 90 days after they are out of office. Details below.

Write Off Student Debt

ACTION – Activists pressure Legislators to forgive student debt.

Voter Suppression

ACTION - Activists pressure Legislators to ensure that all people can vote easily.

'A class war is a dangerous thing......'

'..and, it's just about time we had one!' [Apologies to Mel Brooks]

It is clear as climate change that the economy of the United States is rigged.

BUT, luckily, it can be fixed by adopting specific economic policies.

AND, each suggested policy if adopted by itself without any of the other will help correct the imbalances WITH NO VIOLENCE!

A detailed discussion is available in my Kindle book 'Occupy Wall Street Plan 12: A Proposal for Twelve Specific Governmental Actions to Correct Some Economic Imbalances in the United States of America Kindle Edition'

Buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UK97C84/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i5

Here's a summary of the Specific Proposals

1. Strengthen Unions

2. Stop Union Busting

3. Destroy Monopolies

4. End Free Trade

5. Tax Away Great Fortunes, Great Incomes

6. Create National Industrial Policy

7. Extend Utility Regulation

8. Install Punitive Bank Regulation

9. Keep Social Security and Medicare as they are

10. Single Payer Health Care

11. Follow Keynesian Fiscal Policy

12. Reduce Influence of Money on Political Process

UPDATE How the Shutdown Damaged the National Security of the USA

Here's exactly how trump and Putin are damaging the FBI, the TSA, the CIA and all the security personnel in the United States:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMt7MOc_WL8&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0LxmXNN8DQDoBURdnzQTLSOVyIa67P3PpgT8IwB5MLX4dFin2n2R95t-4

So, what did it accomplish? Basically it served to damage the population's trust in our shared purpose. The additional doubt thus created hampers our national purpose.

The continuing drama of this Presidency will erode our national will until trump is finally gone and a new administration works to re-create our national will.

We will find that again, but in the meantime, Putin and Derepaska are helped in their activities to loot our treasure and our will.

Fall 2018 Country Studies

The Mike P. McKeever Institute of Economic Policy Analysis [MIEPA] takes pleasure in announcing the publication of its Fall 2018 Country Studies.

NEW ANALYSIS - REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND - Specialist Niall Sheeran has examined the economy of the Republic of Ireland and his study is available here: http://www.mkeever.com/ireland.html

UPDATED ANALYSES

UNITED STATES - Four Specialists, Daniela Bejarano, Melissa Headrick, Caleb Plakun and Greer Whitaker, have examined the economy of the United States. All four studies can be accessed here: http://www.mkeever.com/usa.html

MIEPA home page: www.mkeever.com

EFFECTIVE Campaign Finance Reform, Learning From the Ancient Governing Codes

THE PROBLEM - GOVERNMENT SERVICE IS A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY INSTEAD OF A SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY

Our ability to act together in the face of real and severe problems is hampered by our governing system. The United States political system is structured so that the people we expect to assist us in our critical problems - global warming, climate change, income abyss between classes, refugee floods - are incentivized to make the problems created by private interests worse instead of better.

I refer to all elected Senators, Representatives and the President as well as all the political appointees to the Federal system who require Senate approval.

Government service is seen by some today as a money tree instead of an opportunity to really serve our society.

ETHICS LAWS TODAY DO NOT ENSURE THE PUBLIC GOOD IS SERVED

One of the factors contributing to this phenomenon in the United States may be the evident corruption of many legislators. The United States recognized this as a problem and created ethics laws. Congressional ethics and conflict of interest laws were adopted in the 1970's in an attempt to control legislative behavior. [https://ethics.house.gov/financial-dislosure/policies-underlying-disclosure]

But, several members of Congress have been jailed or fined due to corruption since the 1980's; a detailed list prepared by the Washington Post is available here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/29/more-than-two-dozen-members-of-congress-have-been-indicted-since-1980/?utm_term=.99dd6768dad4

Those laws did not eliminate the problem. An apparent weakness of Congressional Ethics laws seems to be that the laws rely on public disclosure as the sole punishment for illegal behavior. In other words, there does not appear to be any enforcement mechanism except court actions resulting from public disclosure or voter disapproval. A better enforcement method might include a positive system of identifying and investigating abuses before they become too egregious.

However these disclosure principles and practices operate in an environment where incumbents have a distinct advantage in re-election campaigns AND in a society where many businesses believe - and act - that a criminal act is a good business decision whenever the reward is more than the fine or punishment. Such practices have failed to prevent many criminal acts.

That failure has contributed IMHO to the struggles we face now.

LOOK TO ANCIENT CODES FOR A NEW SOLUTION

Our problems are large. They require concerted action at a time when concerted actions appear to be difficult or impossible.

Previous attempts at Campaign Finance Reform have failed to restrict conflict of interest actions; and that has helped foster an attitude of distrust.

I return to an ancient philosophy of governing from a time when leaders were known to the people. Government was more direct - if the leader failed it was evident immediately and the leader was replaced or the society suffered.

Perhaps we can adapt some ideas from that earlier time. Although the ideas herein were generated in Medieval Ireland, it is very likely that such ideas were universal at that time. It was a time in which the Cathedrals and forts, remains of which dot the European landscape today, were built.

The following is taken from a blog post by Stiofán MacAmhalghaidh in 'Fír Flathemon, Collective Responsibility and Social Order in Early Medieval Ireland', a link to which is provided below.

ADVICE TO A RULER

Audacht Morainn

"Let him raise truth, it will raise him.
Let him exalt mercy, it exalth him
Let him care for his tribes, they will care for him
Let him help his tribes, they will help him
Let him soothe his tribes, they will soothe him"

[Fergus Kelly, A Guide To Early Irish Law, DIAS, 1988, 18-21. Kelly tends to favour 'justice' as a translation of fírinne, though one of the purposes of the present discussion is to show that 'truth' may be closer to the original meaning in most cases.]

'The advice in Audacht Morainn is built on a set of ideas about the individual's place in society and the rights and responsibilities this brings, about proper social order and the impact individual action has on this order and about the proper ordering of nature and the impact that the balance of social order has on that natural order. Cath Maige Tuired, though a mythical tale of the Túatha Dé Danann, is structured such as to demonstrate both the effects of disrupting the social and natural order and of restoring the balance to both systems. The central role of the rí, as the pinnacle of the social hierarchy, means that attention naturally falls on the actions of the holder of that position in both texts, especially in Audacht Morainn. This does not mean that his actions are the only ones that have an impact, and while this is implied in Audacht Morainn it is a constant theme in Cath Maige Tuired. Everyone has a place in society, everyone's actions have consequences, and everyone is affected by those consequences. Lug's request for knowledge from Bres completes the loop of action and consequences, linking individual, society and nature. The individual affects society, society affects nature, nature affects the individual.

Audacht Morainn, though written in the form of advice sent to a young ruler, contains within it a world-view capable of informing the actions of everyone in early medieval Irish society. Cath Maige Tuired, written as a mythical history of the gods and goddesses of Ireland's ancient past, contains in it a working-out of the world-view of Audacht Morainn and, though not structured as a lesson, it, too, can also inform the actions of the medieval Irish individual. For us, Cath Maige Tuired, though perhaps failing to give us a 'mirror on the Iron Age' can at least hold up a mirror to the society of early medieval Ireland.'

Blog post by Stiofán MacAmhalghaidh; Stiofán MacAmhalghaidh is Project Manager of the IRQUAS online Irish heritage project and Editor of INSIGHT Journal

Fír Flathemon, Collective Responsibility and Social Order in Early Medieval Ireland: Using Audacht Morainn to Interpret Cath Maige Tuired

http://homepage.tinet.ie/~archaeology/three/social.htm?fbclid=IwAR3RYIr7n79aS3MVbEm6umG3KfrZ5DkRDfgBbFYYfbwI33mGoF5RChYevbc#one


ADAPTING ANCIENT CODES TO A 21ST CENTURY SYSTEM

So then, the question becomes: "How is it possible to adapt that concept of responsibility to 21st Century Society?"

Perhaps one of the questions today is this: 'How can we encourage responsiveness to the people when the structures in place provide real incentives to act in favor of the government and against the people?'

One answer may well be to change the ethics rules for all United States Federal employees who are elected and/or Confirmed by the Senate so that they do NOT have any incentive to act in their own, personal interests and against the people's interests.


RIGOROUS ETHICS CODE MAY ENSURE THE PUBLIC IS SERVED

The goal is to ensure as much as possible that all Officials cannot make a monetary gain from their positions. Unless we can find a way to ensure public officials place the public interest ahead of their private interests, our system may be unable to withstand the inevitable shocks that are surely coming. It is likely that all such stresses will become more severe over time.

The Proposal

1. Require all elected and confirmed officials to place all their assets exceeding One Million Dollars into a blind trust so that they cannot make any additions to or subtractions from the trust until 90 days after they are out of office.

2. Require that all such officials submit their federal tax returns each year to the FBI OFFICE OF ETHICS ENFORCEMENT while they hold the office.

3. The FBI shall proactively examine each individual's financial transaction to look for violation of conflict of interest or other pecuniary gain and shall bring enforcement actions whenever it is warranted.

This is different from the current system, which relies on public disclosure to ensure compliance.

OPTION - CREATE VOLUNTARY TRUST PROCESS

Since it may be difficult to introduce a legal requirement that eligible officials are forced to create a blind trust, perhaps an option is to provide a cost free trust process that eligible parties can create a trust voluntarily.

The House Ethics Committee could create a procedure whereby the Committee Staff will provide a blind trust facility to all qualified and interested parties.

HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND STAFF CONTACTS

Ethics Committee Members - Republicans

Susan W. Brooks, Indiana - Chairwoman

Kenny Marchant, Texas

Leonard Lance, New Jersey

Mimi Walters, California

John Ratcliffe, Texas

Democrats

Ted Deutch, Florida - Ranking Member

Yvette D. Clarke, New York

Jared Polis, Colorado

Anthony Brown, Maryland

Steve Cohen, Tennessee

The Staff Director is Tom Rust, Chief Counsel & Staff Director

HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE
1015 Longworth House Office Building (LHOB)
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-7103
Fax: 202-225-7392
Office Hours: Mon. - Fri.
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

While a voluntary process may be inadequate to ensure compliance for all parties, it may provide an easy method to get used to the idea. After all, the current system does not prevent criminal violations:

FAILURE OF DISCLOSURE TO CONTROL CORRUPTION

Copy and paste link into browser...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/29/more-than-two-dozen-members-of-congress-have-been-indicted-since-1980/?utm_term=.99dd6768dad4

A Better Way

Our system is showing that it is unable to solve the major problems we face - immanent climate change, severe wealth and income gaps, massive refuge flows, etc., etc.

Maybe ancient ways can offer a useful and different approach to life.




From - The Irish Way

If you're looking for something to read over the holidays? Consider one of the old Irish manuscripts.

Fír Flathemon, Collective Responsibility and Social Order in Early Medieval Ireland ... it might sound like a 'heavy' subject but it isn't.

There's loads of wisdom to be found in the old ways, that's why the wisdom was followed for centuries. People, especially those who were tasked with learning, keeping and interpreting the rules of Law, were often called on to handle disputes. They in turn referred to the manuscripts and would suggest choices to help resolve issues. These people relied on a natural justice, they accepted that certain actions would determine certain outcomes and understood the concept of 'implication'.

What we might call today 'The domino effect'.

The Law of Natural Justice has since been replaced and we now try to operate under a system that criminalises actions instead of understanding the cause of those actions!

Obviously actions like 'Murder, Rape, Child Abuse' should be acted on with the necessary punishments, that is the 'Natural Law' but criminalising actions like a woman stealing sanitary products because she can't afford to feed her family AND care for herself, those actions require understanding of the wider issues.

Under the old system the 'leader' would be called into question as to why their communities were struggling and if they were found to be mis-managing then they were at risk of losing everything themselves, but these days the 'leaders' are the ones implementing the social structures under which these cruel conditions are dished out to us.

There's no denying we need change, people of the world are crying out for fairness and for the cruelty and injustice to end ... what do we replace it with?

When you take/make the time to read through the old manuscripts you'll find clues to ways in which people lived in harmony and peacefully and leaders were held accountable for the 'laws' they enforced.

I'm not proposing that we go back, I am proposing that we learn how to move forward as a just and caring society. Where equality and acceptance are mainstream and not an agenda, where fairness is understood and not a political ideology. Where people are free to explore the boundaries of their own learning and maturity is praised, creativity is promoted and consideration for each other is not seen as a weakness. This isn't some 'Eutopia' this is the natural leaning of humanity, all we need are the tools to get there.

Attached is a great blog post that explores more in depth the manuscript itself and considers it's meaning in today's world. Well worth putting the kettle on and settling in for the 20min read.

Hope it helps.

Sláinte

http://homepage.tinet.ie/~archaeology/three/social.htm?fbclid=IwAR3RYIr7n79aS3MVbEm6umG3KfrZ5DkRDfgBbFYYfbwI33mGoF5RChYevbc#one

'... there is a sense of inevitability, of fate, involved. Meanness yields to liberality, conflict to peace, sorrow to joy. Not 'can yield' but 'will yield'. What is best will always rise to the surface and cast aside what is wrong, unjust or selfish. This is a warning worth heeding but it also gives a hint that there was underlying this advice a sense of a right order for things, that there is a natural balance to life which, however it might be temporarily suppressed, will inevitably come to the fore again....'

The ‘Manchurian Candidate’: Trump Was Chosen By Russia To Hurt America

The ‘Manchurian Candidate’: Trump Was Chosen By Russia To Hurt America

JakeThomas

With each filing by Robert Mueller, it is increasingly clear that Russia helped the Trump campaign defraud Americans.

Americans are on their way to finding out that a sitting U.S. president is undeniably beholden to a foreign adversary — one who helped him rise to the Oval Office — Tony Burman wrote this week.

The foreign affairs columnist for The Star pondered how Americans will react to such news when — not if — it hits the airwaves.

What will Americans do when it is proven to them that their president has been compromised by their most dangerous foreign adversary in crucial ways for more than a decade — including the bailing out of his once-bankrupt business empire with illegal Russian money, his involvement in personal and business scandals kept secret from the U.S. public but known and encouraged by the Russian government and intelligence agencies, and the rigging of the narrowly won 2016 presidential election to favour his candidacy and sabotage his Democratic opponent, with the full knowledge and complicity of the candidate, his family and senior Republican campaign team?

And, as astonishing, what will Americans do when they learn that their president, beholden to the Russians for these reasons, has consistently tried to tilt American policy in Russia’s favour, often at the expense of what many regard as America’s national interest?

We haven’t reached that point yet — not quite — but that day will come. America’s great constitutional crisis of the 21st-century is not far off.

Recent developments in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation make clear that Trump’s potential crimes are of an “overwhelming scale”, Burman wrote.

He highlighted the five most recent and informative developments in Mueller’s investigation over the past week and half.

"After more than 18 months of work, Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s involvement in the 2016 U.S. election has proven to be more than a “witch hunt,” as Trump derides. Thirty-three people have been indicted or pleaded guilty, including five former advisers to Trump. But the focus increasingly — for the first time — seems to be on Trump and his family.

"The most stunning revelation came from Michael Cohen, Trump’s longtime “fixer.” He admitted in court that he had been involved in secret negotiations about a Trump hotel project in Moscow well into the 2016 campaign — and after Trump had clinched the Republican nomination. Yet Trump persistently claimed that “I have nothing to do with Russia — no deals, no loans, no nothing.”

"The proposed Trump Moscow project was to be financed by a sanctioned Russian bank blacklisted by the U.S. government. But without disclosing his involvement, Trump called for the lifting of sanctions against Russia. One by one, Trump’s denials about Russian involvement in his business empire are proving to be lies.

"There is now a growing theory among some American legal analysts and journalists that Mueller may be “booby trapping” the process to protect the investigation from being cut off by Trump. There has been an accelerating tempo to Mueller’s work — through criminal indictments, sentencing memoranda and other official court filings. Put together, they may eventually constitute the core of his final report.

"There is an acceptance in the U.S. legal community that Mueller won’t actually indict Trump because of a long-held belief that sitting presidents are immune to criminal indictments. That doesn’t apply once the president is out of office. There likely will be more indictments soon, possibly including Donald Trump Jr. Mueller is expected to write a report about Trump’s conduct that would inevitably lead to a debate over impeachment in the newly Democratic House of Representatives."

https://mavenroundtable.io/theintellectualist/news/the-manchurian-candidate-trump-was-chosen-by-russia-to-hurt-america-5LEECjaPk0Sqg1W1xR5gdw/?utm_source=Amplify&utm_medium=Intellectualist&utm_campaign=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0vOjELGSJoSeEIY6d7ir2Zhw_JwHSlc5IMvcPTyDpPdySc7TyQV_7XAQ8

Truth and trump

I am pretty sure this will be a contentious posting, since some trump supporters will disagree with it.

Here's what I think is true today.

It is NOT patriotic to support trump in all his policies. Many of his policies and actions conflict with the values and ideals Americans hold dear. One of those values is the right and duty of Americans to call out any elected official when that person is failing to adhere to American values, especially the President.

trump's base was motivated to vote for change since the economy has failed to allow wages to keep up with GDP gains; wages have been stagnant since the 1970's in real terms while GDP and corporate profits have soared. BUT, Republicans of all stripes including his base are actively installing policies which will make that worse and will NOT alleviate it.

trump is personally a vile and disgusting person of whom I am ashamed. All real Americans are ashamed of him.

trump has taken money from Russian mobsters and Saudi crooks; they have threatened to kill him and his family if he does not do what they ask. As a result, trump is a Russian asset whose policies serve the interests of Putin and his 'oligarch' mobster pals, and NOT Americans.

Evidence proving trump has committed several crimes while acting as President will be forthcoming soon.

The only question is whether American laws are able to withstand the trump subversion process. I will bet they are that strong.

trump will leave office in disgrace.

Some may ask: Why do you hate trump? I ask: How is it that you do NOT hate trump?

Right Wing Populism - Long Post

Far right populist movements are becoming popular in many countries. Trumpism is the most visible of these as it has had some governing opportunities in the United States of America.

'In Europe, right-wing populism is an expression used to describe groups, politicians and political parties generally known for their opposition to immigration,[1] mostly from the Islamic world[2] and in most cases Euroscepticism.[3] Right-wing populism in the Western world is generally—though not exclusively—associated with ideologies such as neo-nationalism,[4][5] anti-globalization,[6] nativism,[7][8] protectionism[9] and opposition to immigration.[10] Anti-Muslim ideas and sentiments serve as the "great unifiers" among right-wing political formations throughout Western Europe.[11] Traditional right-wing views such as opposition to an increasing support for the welfare state and a "more lavish, but also more restrictive, domestic social spending" scheme is also described under right-wing populism and is sometimes called "welfare chauvinism".[12][13][14]' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-wing_populism]

Since the likely impact on host countries of an active right wing populist movement is an increase in hatred, violence and mistrust of 'others' in general, the result may well be a weakening of national purpose and cooperation with other countries against a common threat. As such, this will further the interests of Putin's Russia by sowing discord in NATO and fragmenting any military response.

The genesis of these movements is a complicated mish-mash of fear of immigration, lower economic opportunities for less educated workers and the general economic change we are living through. The economic change has been manifested through lower living standards in working class communities. Their frustrations have fueled the movement.

Putin has seized on these frustrations and has actively funded the numerous alt-right movements. His goal is simply to sow division and hatred.

Concurrently, upper classes have used the confusion to increase their power over government actions with the usual result of deepening class divisions.

The Trump model follows the simple idea of promoting fear through existing alt right groups, denigrating other races and countries, following an 'America First' diplomacy, attacking the credibility of the press and using the resulting confusion to install laws which benefit upper classes at the expense of the working and middle classes. Also, rampant corruption exists with little public notice. All of these actions weaken our unity when facing an enemy like Russia.

Many of these European movements have support from Steve Bannon, who was working in the Trump Administration.

The following country by country discussion is from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-wing_populism

Austria

The Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) established in 1955 by a former Nazi functionary claims to represent a "Third Camp" (Drittes Lager), beside the Socialist Party and the social Catholic Austrian People's Party. It succeeded the Federation of Independents founded after World War II, adopting the pre-war heritage of German nationalism. Though it did not gain much popularity for decades, it exercised considerable balance of power by supporting several federal governments, be it right-wing or left-wing, e.g. the Socialist Kreisky cabinet of 1970 (see Kreisky–Peter–Wiesenthal affair).
Heinz-Christian Strache, leader of the Freedom Party of Austria and Vice-Chancellor of Austria

From 1980, the Freedom Party adopted a more liberal stance. Upon the 1983 federal election, it entered a coalition government with the Socialist Party, whereby party Chairman Norbert Steger served as Vice-Chancellor. The liberal interlude however ended, when Jörg Haider was elected chairman in 1986. By his down-to-earth manners and patriotic attitude, Haider re-integrated the party's nationalist base voters. Nevertheless, he was also able to obtain votes from large sections of population disenchanted with politics by publicly denouncing corruption and nepotism of the Austrian Proporz system. The electoral success was boosted by Austria's accession to the European Union in 1995.

Belgium

Vlaams Blok, established in 1978, operated on a platform of law and order, anti-immigration (with particular focus on Islamic immigration) and secession of the Flanders region of the country. The secession was originally planned to end in the annexation of Flanders by the culturally and linguistically similar Netherlands until the plan was abandoned due to the multiculturalism in that country. In the elections to the Flemish Parliament in June 2004, the party received 24.2% of the vote, within less than 2% of being the largest party. [55] However, in November of the same year, the party was ruled illegal under anti-racism law for, among other things, advocating schools segregated between citizens and immigrants.[56] Mischaël Modrikamen, an associate of Steve Bannon, is chairman of the Parti Populaire (PP).[43]

In less than a week, the party was re-established under the name Vlaams Belang, with a near-identical ideology. It advocates for immigrants wishing to stay to adopt the Flemish culture and language.[57] Despite some accusations of antisemitism from Belgium's Jewish population, the party has demonstrated a staunch pro-Israel stance as part of its opposition to Islam.[58] With 18 of 124 seats, Vlaams Belang lead the opposition in the Flemish Parliament[59] and also have 11 of the 150 seats in the Belgian House of Representatives.[60]

Cyprus

The ELAM (National People's Front) (Εθνικό Λαϊκό Μέτωπο) was formed in 2008 on the platform of maintaining Cypriot identity, opposition to further European integration, immigration and the status quo that remains due to Turkey's invasion of a third of the island (and the international community's lack of intention to solve the issue).

Czech Republic

PRAGUE — After an election campaign centered on questions of civility in politics and the Czech Republic’s place in Europe, voters decided on Saturday to stick with President Milos Zeman and his often-caustic brand of populism that has stoked resentment toward Muslim immigrants and ruptured the country’s relationship with its allies to the west. By Marc Santora, NYTimes, Jan. 27, 2018

Denmark

In the early 1970s, the home of the strongest right-wing-populist party in Europe was in Denmark, the Progress Party.[61] In the 1973 election, it received almost 16% of the vote.[62] In the following years, its support dwindled away, but was replaced by the Danish People's Party in the 1990s, which has gone on to be an important support party for the governing Liberal-Conservative coalition in the 2000s (decade).[63] The Danish People's Party is the largest and most influential right-wing populist party in Denmark today. It won 37 seats in the Danish general election, 2015[64] and became the second largest party in Denmark. The Danish People's Party advocates immigration reductions, particularly from non-Western countries, favor cultural assimilation of first generation migrants into Danish society and are opposed to Denmark becoming a multicultural society.

Additionally, the Danish People's Party's stated goals are to enforce a strict rule of law, to maintain a strong welfare system for those in need, to promote economic growth by strengthening education and encouraging people to work and in favor of protecting the environment.[65] In 2015, The New Right was founded,[66] but they have not yet participated in an election.

Finland

In Finland, the Finns Party is the main right-wing populist party and the second largest party in Finland. In 2017, 19 of the 37 MPs from the party split and founded Blue Reform.

France

In France, the main right-wing populist party is the National Front. Since Marine Le Pen's election at the head of the party in 2011, the National Front has established itself as one of the main political parties in France and also as the strongest and most successful populist party of Europe as of 2015.[67]

Le Pen finished second in the 2017 election and lost in the second round of voting versus Emmanuel Macron which was held on 7 May 2017.

Germany

The Alternative for Germany is a political party that was founded in 2013 and is now led by Jörg Meuthen and Alexander Gauland, being Germany's leading right-wing populist party

Since 2013, the most popular right-wing populist party in Germany has been Alternative for Germany which managed to finish third in the 2017 German federal election, making it the first right-wing populist party to enter the Bundestag, Germany's national parliament. Before, right-wing populist parties had gained seats in German State Parliaments only. Left-wing populism is represented in the Bundestag by The Left party.

Hungary

Viktor Orbán (Fidesz-KDNP), the incumbent Prime Minister of Hungary

The Hungarian parliamentary election, 2018 result was a victory for the Fidesz–KDNP alliance, preserving its two-thirds majority, with Viktor Orbán remaining Prime Minister. Orbán and Fidesz campaigned primarily on the issues of immigration and foreign meddling, and the election was seen as a victory for right-wing populism in Europe.[citation needed]

Greece

The most prominent right-wing populist party in Greece is the Independent Greeks (ANEL).[69][70] Despite being smaller than the more extreme Golden Dawn party, after the January 2015 legislative elections ANEL formed a governing coalition with the left-wing Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA), thus making the party a governing party and giving it a place in the Cabinet of Alexis Tsipras.[71]

The Golden Dawn has grown significantly in Greece during the country's economic downturn, gaining 7% of the vote and 18 out of 300 seats in the Hellenic Parliament. The party's ideology includes annexation of territory in Albania and Turkey, including the Turkish cities of Istanbul and Izmir.[72] Controversial measures by the party included a poor people's kitchen in Athens which only supplied to Greek citizens and was shut down by the police.[73]

Italy

In Italy, the most prominent right-wing populist party is Lega Nord (LN),[76] whose leaders reject the right-wing label,[77][78][79] though not the "populist" one.[80] LN is a federalist, regionalist and sometimes secessionist party, founded in 1991 as a federation of several regional parties of Northern and Central Italy, most of which had arisen and expanded during the 1980s. LN's program advocates the transformation of Italy into a federal state, fiscal federalism and greater regional autonomy, especially for the Northern regions. At times, the party has advocated for the secession of the North, which it calls Padania. The party generally takes an anti-Southern Italian stance as members are known for opposing Southern Italian emigration to Northern Italian cities, stereotyping Southern Italians as welfare abusers and detrimental to Italian society and attributing Italy's economic troubles and the disparity of the North-South divide in the Italian economy to supposed inherent negative characteristics of the Southern Italians, such as laziness, lack of education or criminality.[81][82][83][84] Certain LN members have been known to publicly deploy the offensive slur "terrone", a common pejorative term for Southern Italians that is evocative of negative Southern Italian stereotypes.[81][82][85] As a federalist, regionalist, populist party of the North, LN is also highly critical of the centralized power and political importance of Rome, sometimes adopting to a lesser extent an anti-Roman stance in addition to an anti-Southern stance.

With the rise of immigration into Italy since the late 1990s, LN has increasingly turned its attention to criticizing mass immigration to Italy. The LN, which also opposes illegal immigration, is critical of Islam and proposes Italy's exit from the Eurozone, is considered a Eurosceptic movement and as such it joined the Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group in the European Parliament after the 2009 European Parliament election. LN was or is part of the national government in 1994, 2001–2006, 2008–2011 and 2018-present. Most recently, the party, which notably includes among its members the Presidents of Lombardy and Veneto, won 17.4% of the vote in the 2018 general election, becoming the third-largest party in Italy (largest within the centre-right coalition). In the 2014 European election, under the leadership of Matteo Salvini it took 6.2% of votes. Under Salvini, the party has to some extent embraced Italian nationalism and emphasised Euroscepticism, opposition to immigration and other "populist" policies, while forming an alliance with right-wing populist parties in Europe.[86][87][88]

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, right-wing populism was represented in the 150-seat House of Representatives in 1982, when the Centre Party won a single seat. During the 1990s, a splinter party, the Centre Democrats, was slightly more successful, although its significance was still marginal. Not before 2002 did a right-wing populist party break through in the Netherlands, when the Pim Fortuyn List won 26 seats and subsequently formed a coalition with the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). Fortuyn, who had strong views against immigration, particularly by Muslims, was assassinated in May 2002, two weeks before the election.[91] The coalition had broken up by 2003, and the party went into steep decline until it was dissolved.

Since 2006, the Party for Freedom (PVV) has been represented in the House of Representatives. Following the 2010 general election, it has been in a pact with the right-wing minority government of CDA and VVD after it won 24 seats in the House of Representatives. The party is Eurosceptic and plays a leading role in the changing stance of the Dutch government towards European integration as they came second in the 2009 European Parliament election, winning 4 out of 25 seats. The party's main programme revolves around strong criticism of Islam, restrictions on migration from new European Union countries and Islamic countries, pushing for cultural assimilation of migrants into Dutch society, opposing the accession of Turkey to the European Union, advocating for the Netherlands to withdraw from the European Union and advocating for a return to the guilder through ending Dutch usage of the euro.[92]


Poland

The largest right-wing populist party in Poland is Law and Justice, which currently holds both the presidency and a governing majority in the Sejm. It combines social conservatism and criticism of immigration with strong support for NATO and an interventionist economic policy.[96]

Polish Congress of the New Right, headed by Michał Marusik, aggressively promotes fiscally conservative concepts like radical tax reductions preceded by abolishment of social security, universal public healthcare, state-sponsored education and abolishment of Communist Polish 1944 agricultural reform as a way to dynamical economic and welfare growth.[97][98] Due to lack of empirical and economic evidences presented by party leaders and members, the party is considered populist both by right-wing and left-wing publicists[99][100]

Sweden

Sweden Democrats or Swedish Democrats (Swedish: Sverigedemokraterna, SD) is a social conservative and right-wing populist[2][13] political party in Sweden, founded in 1988.[2][14] The party describes itself as social conservative with a nationalist foundation.[3][5] The party has been described by others as far-right,[9][15] national-conservative,[2][6] and anti-immigration.[2][7][16] Jimmie Åkesson has been party leader since 2005.

Since 2014 the SD has substantially increased its support among both foreign-born and foreign-background voters, becoming the third largest party in Sweden also among this demographic by 2017 (SCB).[17]

The Sweden Democrats crossed the 4% threshold necessary for parliamentary representation for the first time in the 2010 general election, polling 5.7% and gaining 20 seats in the Riksdag.[18][19] This increase in popularity has been compared by international media to other similar anti-immigration movements in Europe.[20] The party received increased support in the 2014 Swedish general election, when it polled 12.9% and secured 49 seats in parliament, becoming the third largest party in Sweden.[21][22] The Sweden Democrats have remained isolated in the Riksdag because the other parties staunchly maintain a policy of refusing cooperation with them.[23][24] The Sweden Democrats are a member of European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, the right-wing populist Swiss People's Party (SVP) reached an all-time high in the 2015 elections. The party is mainly considered to be national conservative,[101][102] but it has also variously been identified as "extreme right"[103] and "radical right-wing populist",[104] reflecting a spectrum of ideologies present among its members. In its far-right wing, it includes members such as Ulrich Schlüer, Pascal Junod, who heads a New Right study group. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020421064426/http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti-Semitism/asw2000-1/switzerland.htm |archive-date=21 April 2002 |dead-url=yes |title=Antisemitism And Racism in Switzerland 2000-1 |accessdate=3 January 2015 }}[105]

In Switzerland, radical right populist parties held close to 10% of the popular vote in 1971, were reduced to below 2% by 1979 and again grew to more than 10% in 1991. Since 1991, these parties (the Swiss Democrats and the Swiss Freedom Party) have been absorbed by the SVP. During the 1990s, the SVP grew from being the fourth largest party to being the largest and gained a second seat the Swiss Federal Council in 2003, with prominent politician and businessman Christoph Blocher. In 2015, the SVP received 29.4% of the vote, the highest vote ever recorded for a single party throughout Swiss parliamentary history.[106][107][108][109]

United Kingdom

Media outlets such as The New York Times have called the UK Independence Party (UKIP), led by Nigel Farage, the largest right-wing populist party in the United Kingdom.[110] UKIP campaigned for an exit from the European Union prior to the 2016 European membership referendum[111] and a points-based immigration system similar to that used in Australia.[112][113][114]
Nigel Farage, British MEP and former leader of the UK Independence Party

The United Kingdom's governing Conservative Party has seen defections to UKIP over the European Union and immigration debates as well as LGBT rights.[115]

In the Conservative Party, former Mayor of London and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has been described as expressing right-wing populist views during the successful Vote Leave campaign.[116] Jacob Rees-Mogg, another potential party leadership contender, has been described as a right-wing populist.[117]

In Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is the main right-wing populist force.[118]

The Profit Motive - Is it time to retire the ROI?

I. Profit Motive

A. Definition

Economic theory is supported by the idea of the profit motive. Profit refers to the money left to the business after all expenses and taxes have been paid.

Narrowly defined, the profit motive states that: 'Entrepreneurs are willing to risk capital in the hopes of a monetary profit reward if the venture succeeds. Indeed, success is defined as making a profit.'

A widely used measurement of success is the Return on Investment percentage [ROI], or the annual profit received divided by the capital invested. Investment opportunities are frequently ranked by that measurement with the higher percentage ROI projects or investments deemed more desirable than lower percentage ROI projects.

When competitive markets exist, capital is drawn toward higher ROI's and away from lower ROI's. Theory suggests that a society is 'efficient' when all invested capital is making the highest ROI possible.

B. Flaws inherent to the profit motive when extended beyond the firm

Numerous factors create costs and difficulties for the greater society when businesses are motivated to achieve 'efficiency' as measured by a high ROI.

1. External costs

Unfortunately, the idea of 'efficiency' does not include benefits to any people or organizations outside of the narrowly defined business. It is possible for a business to have a high ROI while making the overall society poorer. For example, making and selling cars can be a profitable business when only the direct costs paid by the company are considered. But, cars require roads and the car companies do not pay for the roads. This is called an 'external' cost, or a cost created by the company that the company does not pay. Instead, consumers pay the cost through taxes or tolls, which then benefit the company by enabling it to pass onto the public costs created by their product.

2. Adversarial relationships

Another thorn in the side of the profit motive is that business owners are motivated to reduce costs wherever possible in order to get a higher ROI. Specifically, any business is motivated to lower any and all costs like wages and salaries and to charge the highest price possible. That's how ROI is raised.

Businesses then are placed in an adversarial position with employees, suppliers and customers. Lower costs mean higher profits.

It does happen that some entrepreneurs occasionally attempt to harm competitors in order to benefit their own venture.

3. Income Inequalities and Monopolies

A regular feature of for profit economies is the concentration of income and wealth into fewer and fewer hands. As the rich become influential they will regularly block redistribution efforts from the central government in the belief that they will lose income and power.


II. Alternative organizational models

Economies where the profit motive is the dominant model frequently fail to provide adequate real benefits to the general population; some benefits do not lend themselves to the profit motive. Firms have no incentive to provide for any good or service from which they do not make a profit. Public goods like national defense and public parks don't have the possibility of generating enough revenue to create profits with a sufficient ROI to attract private capital. Instead there is a drive toward higher and higher ROI at the expense of the greater population.

Defenders of the profit motive argue that any such public good must be provided by the public sector and paid for though tax revenue to the government. However, some entrepreneurs lobby for and argue that taxes should be lowered to allow them to raise their ROI.

But, when a society fails to provide funding for public services through tax revenue, the central government frequently chooses to borrow money to fund the deficit. Seemingly several governments have reached the limit of funding public deficits through borrowing in the private capital markets. The lender of last resort, the International Monetary Fund [IMF], does require that governments wishing to finance their deficit raise taxes and lower expenditures to balance their budget. To date, the United States of America has avoided that exercise since private lenders seem happy to lend the US sufficient funds at low interest rates to fund our deficit. This may end at some future date; then the US would likely face the same IMF mandates we have avoided so far.

Here are some ways to organize enterprises which offer a better method of balancing private, for-profit interests and public interests.

A. Public Utility Model - For profit with regulation oversight

This is the Public Utility Model where a for profit company provides an essential product or service which requires a significant investment to deliver efficiently. The company is granted a monopoly but must submit to a publicly elected board with power to set its prices and operational methods. In California, the PUC regulates electricity and natural gas distribution.

The Board tries to set rates so that the company can attract private capital to its shares and bonds. Sometimes the Board fails to grasp the intricacies of the system and can sometimes be bought.

B. State Enterprise -

Many countries use the State model where a government organization provides a good or service. Sometimes this model creates problems when the company fails to make enough revenue and the government covers its losses. A case can be made that the subsidies are in fact an investment into a social goal that the organization provides for the country.

C. Non-Profit Organizations

Many successful organizations operate on a non-profit model, where the goal is to combine maximization of one or more social goals with enough revenue to cover costs. There are, for example, many non-profit credit unions which provide the same services as for profit banks but without the excessive concentration of money and power which commercial banks accumulate. [See my kindle book on BANK SLUSH FUNDS here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B6RYQ7C/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i6]

Radio Free Europe. Radio Free Arabia

Several European countries are experiencing populist movements in their domestic political systems. Some of the impetus toward right wing extremism is fueled by the fear of a rise in refugees and also by Russian meddling.

Since one of the first signs of a totalitarian regime is the control or muzzling of the free press, it becomes more difficult for affected populations to discover the truth of their situations. Repression of facts and a rise in false news make that knowledge more difficult to find.

Here are extreme nationalist votes in Western Europe by share [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36130006]

Austria - Freedom Party – 26%

Switzerland - Swiss People’s Party- 29%

Sweden - Sweden Democrats 18%

Denmark – Danish People’s Party 21%

Hungary – Jobbik 19%

Finland – The Finns – 18%

Those are just the countries where the share of extremism exceeds 17%; the movement is active in all Western European countries.

Countries like Ukraine, Moldova, and other former Soviet Bloc nations are not represented in the table.

Simultaneously, a number of Arab speaking countries endure totalitarian regimes with little opportunity for the populations to make their voices heard.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - King Salman (House of Saud)

Qatar - Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

United Arab Emirates - Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Kingdom of Oman - Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said.

Brunei - Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

Perhaps it is an appropriate time to provide the populations of all these afflicted countries with an objective and non-political source of information in their own languages.

Radio Free Europe, funded by the US CIA, provided this function in Post WW2 Europe; it may be time for a more objective institution to bring it back to life.

A new Radio Free Arabia could provide s similar function for the Arab speaking populations.

Any such effort should be transparent in its funding and objectives and non-religious.