Tag: United States

China massively expanding its nuclear weapons capabilities without the same level of transparency as the United States.

Posted on by Lone Candle

China massively expanding its nuclear weapons capabilities without the same level of transparency as the United States.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9D7LSd4IUM

Why The Gaza Pier Failed | Five Issues and the Ultimate Cause Why JLOTS Did Not Succeed

Posted on by Lone Candle

Why The Gaza Pier Failed | Five Issues and the Ultimate Cause Why JLOTS Did Not Succeed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJgspVr2wpM

The US is confident in its cease-fire proposal. Hamas has issues with it.

Posted on by Lone Candle

“U.S. officials have in the past said that Israel and Hamas were in disagreement over just a handful of implementation issues, including the timing of a swap of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody and Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Another flashpoint in the negotiations includes the status of the Philadelphi corridor, a buffer zone between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Israel has pushed to control the area in recent weeks as a security measure to deter future attacks into its territory from Hamas. The senior administration official said that the issue has been discussed with Egypt as part of recent talks and said it is “moving in the right way.”

Some Middle East analysts argued that Hamas’ reaction may not be a large setback in the grand scheme of peace talks. Aaron David Miller, a former U.S. negotiator on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said in an interview that “nobody expected” a deal or anything remotely close to it coming out of this week’s cease-fire talks in Doha.

A bit more time, he added, might even be helpful, as neither side in his view is ready to close on a permanent cease-fire.

“At best, you’re talking about phase one, six weeks, because no one is prepared to go beyond that,” said Miller, who is now a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The region is still bracing for greater conflict, including a potential attack from Iran. And Israel ordered civilians today to evacuate areas in Gaza that had previously been considered to be “civilian safe zones,” alleging that Hamas militants were firing rockets from the civilian areas to fire rockets.

Trita Parsi, executive vice president at the Quincy Institute think tank in Washington, said pressure is likely to build inside Iran to take action “if it takes too long and it becomes increasingly clear that this is an exercise to hold off attacks and retaliation, rather than actually securing a cease-fire.””

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/08/16/us-cease-fire-proposal-israel-hamas-00174460

The US is failing renters during extreme heat waves

Posted on by Lone Candle

“In Texas — a state that often sees some of the hottest temperatures in the country — extreme heat killed more than 330 people in 2023, setting a new record. More recently, millions of people in cities like Houston have had to deal with a massive heat wave while navigating power outages caused by Hurricane Beryl.
Despite the growing toll, there’s shockingly little regulation around protecting people from the effects of heat. It’s a stark contrast to how policies tend to treat the extreme cold. And while extreme cold continues to be deadlier than extreme heat, as heat waves become more dangerous, the gap between the two is likely to shrink.”

https://www.vox.com/climate/360019/climate-extreme-heat-ac-cooling-policy

The National Debt Is Crossing an Ominous Line

Posted on by Lone Candle

“History does, in fact, offer sobering lessons on the consequences of unchecked government debt. Noted historian Niall Ferguson remarked in a recent Bloomberg column that his studies have led him to conclude that all great powers that spend more on debt service than on defense soon lose their great power. Whether it’s the British Empire or France’s Ancien Regime, excessive borrowing and spending lead to economic weakness, loss of global influence, and eventual downfall.

The U.S. is already crossing this ominous line. This year alone, interest payments on the national debt will reach $892 billion, which is larger than defense base funding. Annual interest payments will reach $1.71 trillion by 2034, widening the gap into an abyss.”

…

” As we stand at this crossroads, will America heed the warnings of history and take decisive action to address its debt crisis? Hanging in the balance is the future of the nation’s economic strength and global leadership. If we citizens recognize the gravity of the situation and insist upon action, policymakers will have little choice but to work toward a sustainable fiscal future. The alternative—following the path of fallen empires—is a fate that a great nation like America must avoid at all costs.”

https://reason.com/2024/07/04/the-national-debt-is-crossing-an-ominous-line/