Left: France's yellow vest demonstrators marking a year since the movement began, Nov. 17, 2019. Credit: Aljazeera TV In physics, entropy is the tendency of all matter to disintegrate into its constituent particles, so that a counterforce is … [Read more...] about Social entropy paralyzes investment
Contributor: Norman A. Bailey*
Inequality Threatens Civilization
Expanding capital ownership is the most urgent task faced by Western governments today. The downfall of all the great civilizations has often been credited to external forces, such as the barbarian tribes that overran the western half of the Roman … [Read more...] about Inequality Threatens Civilization
Why what happens in Syria is important*
Right: Iranian bases in Syria, April 2018, photo credit: skynewsarabiya.com, (April 30, 2018). After 400 years of Ottoman rule, the region now known as Syria was detached from the dying empire by French and British troops a hundred … [Read more...] about Why what happens in Syria is important*
The Presidents-For-Life Club*
In recent days President Xi of China and President Putin of Russia have become, in effect, presidents for life of two of the largest and most aggressive countries in the world. Both Russia and China in recent years have engaged in extensive … [Read more...] about The Presidents-For-Life Club*
On Moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem*
After years of one president of the US after another kicking the embassy down the road every six months, President Trump finally made the astonishing discovery that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. This anodyne announcement was met by its … [Read more...] about On Moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem*
US Intervention Lets Qatar Off the Hook*
When Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt broke diplomatic relations with Qatar and imposed various sanctions on that minuscule but incredibly wealthy emirate, they presented the Qatari government with thirteen "non-negotiable" demands.The … [Read more...] about US Intervention Lets Qatar Off the Hook*
What’s Driving The New Populism*
The current wave of populism sweeping the world isn’t necessarily ideological - as witness Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump. "He who can convince people to believe absurdities can convince them to commit atrocities." Voltaire. A new tide of pop … [Read more...] about What’s Driving The New Populism*
Paris Accord – a distraction*
The international furor over US withdrawal from the environmental agreement is obscuring genuinely significant developments in our region. In several previous columns, I have emphasized important news and developments that have been largely … [Read more...] about Paris Accord – a distraction*
Gulf States Weigh Israel Options
Fear of Iran and Distrust of the Obama Administration have been pushing the Gulf States closer to Israel By this time it is a commonplace to mention that because of a common fear of Iran, Israel and the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi … [Read more...] about Gulf States Weigh Israel Options
Return of the Dark Ages?*
Recently Spengler (David Goldman) used the examples of right-wing homosexual Milos Yiannopoulos and Chinese classical pianist Yuja Wang to illustrate the collapse of the value-system painstakingly erected over centuries by a fusion of Judeo-Christian … [Read more...] about Return of the Dark Ages?*