In the last days, 4 specific news surface that will reach in the future, that will have long-lasting consequences. Let us quickly review them
In Israel, the aftermath of the murders of 3 teenagers is going to last.
The facts are simple enough : the trio was kidnapped on religious basis since they were all attending yeshivas, religious seminaries; their ordeal is a new and sad twist in the hatred led fight between israel and Palestine as it is one thing to use terrorism as bombs in civilian areas and warfare as rockets directed at Israeli cities and an entirely different one to target kids for executions; the government of Israel is as sadly so usual as to be normal using this horrible act for political leverage, having accused the Hamas without credible proof since no one made any claim of what may yet be found to be the act of one or a few lunatics and the street in the social sense of the term was inflamed on both sides as found below since a young Palestinian has now become victim of the same unacceptable fate.
It is also a sad fact that after the failure of US secretary of State John Kerry’s peace initiative, the words that followed from the highest levels of the state of Israel point to a bleak future. In an interview in America, the relatively moderate and peace oriented President Shimon Peres reiterated the validity of the Jewish State concept. I am sorry to have to disagree with mr Peres for whom I have immense respect but his understanding of a Jewish and democratic state is ludicrous by post Lights standards. A democratic state in the modern sense of the term guarantees the freedom of religion which it cannot do if it has a constitutional preference for one. If you picture all nations on Earth as picking a given religion, where I must ask are the non-believers going to live? Similarly, the declaration by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the effect that “… Israel must maintain security control of the area up to the Jordan River for a very long time,” quoted int he Washington Post piece above is virtual burial of any hopes for peace for Palestine.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/01/israel-palestine-after-tragedy-rage
It only remains to be said that what allows Israel to act in such a way is not the violence by those it long ago condemned to subserviance and disappearance. It stems instead from the volatile conditions witnessed in the Middle-East. As the neighbouring powers that are not already crumbling under civil disorder or war compete for dominance over these broken lands that the international community is watching disintegrate in utter disinterest, the same nations, mostly the Gulf States only agree on their common fear of Iran, which they share with Jerusalem. This may have alleviated the tensions between Israel and the Arab states and may yet find them more allies than foes but by the same token it frees the hands of the “Jewish State” to terminate Palestine. Remember this in a couple decades when that people ceases to exist.
In France, ex-President nicolas Sarkozy is under investigation by the Justice. In his defense, the case is strange as his phone communications were put under electronic surveillance , particularly those with his attorney, since September last. This is legal under certain circumstances but the resulting accusations are not all related ( illegal campaign funds from outside the country / corruption ) to the supposed crime ( Abuse of power, in French terminology : Traffic of influence ) for which the surveillance was originally authorized. This means that he has chances of obtaining a discharge. After being interrogated by the police, Sarkozy came out of his long held silence ( since his defeat in the last elections of 2012 ) and pointed to two facts : that the affair is being made public as he was possibly getting ready to re-enter the political stage and that one of the judges charged with his case made in the past clear comments opposing his political action. The latter is again not so clear ; yes the judge Claire Thépaut is a member of the judges’ Union branded to the left-wing away from Sarkozy and yes she commented in an interview a certain level of dissatisfaction with his past work as Minister of the Interior or changes attempted as President but that does not make her an enemy nor negates her professionalism. What’s more, it is always strange that an ex head of state would turn around to accuse the impartiality of his nation’s judicial system. Not such a patriotic act towards la République?
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/03/world/europe/sarkozy.html?_r=0
I have always been opposed to the protection by law found in many countries for those seating in parliament or higher. Yes, I understand the need to allow them a given freedom to act and yet, America for one has impeachment procedures available even to the place of president? So that to avoid situations as murky as that now faced by the Nicolas Sarkozy and his unsavory defense, let me offer this idea. Upon defeat or the ned of a tenure, a special tribunal should be charged to review the work accomplished as soon as possible. This would both protect the State by clearing an administration’s balance sheet, avoid undue hardship to the actors many years later and avoid suspicions of political moves by the following governments and ensuing doubts over judicial impartiality. As is Sarkozy’s woes are not over by far.
Let us immediately follow with another French. This one however comes from the USA. The Justice Department fined the French bank to the rate of nearly 9B$. Why? Because the said bank went around the American embargo on Sudan, Cuba and Iran. But since the transactions happened out of the US why, you may ask, do the Americans have jurisdiction? The answer is : because the transactions occurred in dollars, US $.
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/06/30/bnp-paribas-pleads-guilty-in-sanctions-case/
This may seem all fine from Washington. The French government after all barked a little and folded. Yes, except that there are more targets to come. Another French bank and the German Deutsche Bank and the Italian UniCredit. As such, there is a possibility that this European trio may try to block an upcoming free trade accord between the US and the EU. Luckily for America, the European Union rarely agrees on such measures and the free trade deal should pass at some point. Except … except that there is another sanction for the BNP. It will suffer a temporary authorization to trade using the dollar.
http://euobserver.com/economic/124598
That in all truth may not be the wisest idea for Washington. The trade deficit for the USA is huge; in particular with China. If the other banks get a similar penalty, the idea from the above link of favoring trades in Euros will have found a sure footing. And since China both holds a huge part of the American dollar value through debt buy-outs and the intent to favor its own currency at least over East Asia, the transition out of a dollar dominated world of finance may not be so unrealistic as it was until now. If that was to surface and endure, the might of the American economy as a dominance tool may begin to dwindle and dwindle fast and long. The long term consequences should have been weighed against the gain of trying to coerce a friend into obeying one’s diktat. Said otherwise, prolonging the habit of trying to control the World even though it and the US are changing may in fact be the best way to hasten those changes. Adapt or die?
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/balance-of-trade
And to finish : Japan.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/japan-expands-scope-for/1226262.html
The links above treat the change that occurred in Tokyo yesterday as the post-war constitution agreed to on the heels of the signing of the surrender to the Allies was modified to allow the Japanese military to fight outside of its national territory from now on. I have been staunchly critical of some the moves of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government but in the present case, the real culprit resides in Beijing. China’s expansionist policy aimed at freeing its access out of the South and East China seas towards the Filipino Spratleys and the Japanese Sensaku islands is to blame. Japan will now be able to join its regional allies and the US in defending its wider interest zone. This may be the news of the day that will have the furthest reaching consequences, in scope even more than in time.
If you need details just check here :
http://definitivelapseofreason.com/2012/11/06/the-sea-dragons-a-prospective-look-at-naval-war/
Tay.
Definitive Lapse of Reason 