In a democracy, it's good that our leaders are from business!

Because they go back from whence they came!  The founding fathers of the country could thereby avoid turning the country into an autocracy.

Right now, Congressional legislators are deciding whether to go for another term in office or return to private life--typically, in some business venture or in an educational institution.

But where would President Putin go should he return to a former position?  Clearly with the Russian intelligence, known then as the KGB.  As President of Russia, he is promoting the interests of government among the citizenry simply because that's what he's been trained to do--as any autocrat is bound to continue to do.

The problem with the lack of training in a business or training is that the leader is not promoting the affairs of the people but of a particular group that would control and direct the people for their own ends.  Little wonder, that President Putin has several palaces--or, so it has been reported--scattered throughout the country.  And he is said to have a coterie of plutocrats hanging on his coattails.   

The Chinese President Xi looks forward to further honors and accolades in his quest to make the Chinese people his people, following his direction given his expanse of knowledge and training and social standing.

 The career leader in government without distinction in business or some other social enterprise cannot simply have a gripe, then enter politics, make his contribution to society's largesse, and afterwards return to a life of productivity of goods and services--upon which his society is dependent for its growth and development as a people for centuries to come.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said it: "Now is the Time for Martyrdom!"

The international community has put up with the bloodshed initiated by the violence sweeping Ethiopia caused by the antics of its current Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.  Such ruthlessness imposed, first in secret and now flagrantly open to the very city limits of the capital city, can only have its source in an attempt to control a country's resources in the hands of the country's central government.  For Ethiopia is a developing nation whose source of hydroelectric power, the largest power plant in Africa, is the prize that will lure business and industry even as Egypt to its north is benefitting from the Suez.

The current central administration must not be allowed to plunder the country's potential toward growth and prosperity so to use electricity for its own ends and those of neighboring marauders, possibly from Eritrea, in on Abiy's scheme.

To pursue peace, why does not the international powers insist on shared power, a compromise between the traditional government of Tigray and the current regime?   

The bloodshed must be stopped; and peace become the reigning shout of those who seek it.  Not to condone with the attempts of the central government to starve the entire province of Tigray.

  

     

Brookings: "Do trans-Atlantic relations need a reset?"

On November 15, 2021 online 10 AM-12 noon the Brookings aired a panel discussion and a keynote conversation.  Discussants on the panel were Fiona Hill. Brookings, Mark Leonard, European Council on Foreign Relations, Constanze Stelzenmuller, Center on US and Europe--Brookings; moderated by James Goldgerer, Center on US and Europe--Brookings.  In keynote conversation were the French Minister of State for European Affairs, Mr. Clement Beaune and Ms. Celia Belin, Bookings. 

The topic is timely in that currently Poland is preventing emigres from the Syrian civil war, the Rohingya driven from Myanmar and Afghans fleeing their homeland from entering Poland.  While the Belarusian President may have permitted these people to enter Belarus, both Poland and Latvia have kept most of them out.  Anti-immigrant feelings seem strong in the EU.

In this situation, one is harkened back to the cold war, where NATO functioned as a military power to prevent Russia and its satellites from forcing their will upon the European democracies.  Should, then, NATO become involved in this dispute pertaining to the migration of Eastern peoples into Europe?

No longer is Russia the USSR powerful Empire.  Really, do the countries of western Europe have any powerful nation threatening any one of them?  And, if not, ought there not to be a new understanding of the relations between the US and its friends in the EU and the country of England?  Specifically, should the US participate in a defense of Europe in peacetime?

And these days, Russia is dependent upon selling its oil to Europe's conglomerate of states.  It's current GDP is akin to that of Italy's and certainly not a financial giant it once was, despite its retention of nuclear status among nations.

What has come to pass since the rebuilding of Europe is that countries that represented the Allied Forces of WWII in Europe have drifted apart, noticeably with the severing of ties of England from the EU, most of whom fought against Germany at one time or another.  

Nevertheless, participants in the panel discussion alluded to NATO's current role in protecting the sovereignty of Ukraine.  And noted too, is the traditional role of Belarus as a good puppet to Russia's dominance in the region.  

Could there be an escalation of the border issue between Belarus and Poland that would ever lead to armed conflict?  Even to the point of bringing in the nuclear might of Russia to end the intransigence of Poland as as to permit emigres of the East passage through their country?

Nevertheless, Great Britain has sent troops to Ukraine to support it in its fight for independence, while, notes Ms. Hill, Biden is busy addressing issues of infrastructure that precludes the passage of his program through Congress in its entirety.

Some participants raised the point that the EU is really a partnership of countries with similar history and maintaining shared values.  Because of that social binding, they will stick together, while the internal strife between Democrats and Republicans heats up over the 2022 mid-term election in the US!

In the keynote conversation that transpired after the panel disbursed, Mr. Beune urged NATO provide France greater responsibility in the planning and carryout of the NATO mission in Europe.  What, however, he did not mention is whether along with a greater responsibility France would increase its contribution to the NATO budget.  The US has been carrying much of the financial burden of providing a defensive posture to western Europe, now including Ukraine--as former President Donald Trump has argued.    

     

 

    

No computer remedies in sight for me.

I am taking my computer back for repairs at the store--Best Buy.  I've been there before, and several times the repairmen visited my room.  It would work for a few hours.  Then, some problem or other makes it impossible to use my room computer any longer.  I must call and ultimately set up another appointment to have it fixed, because I can't use it.

Added to that Google makes it impossible for me to use my accounts elsewhere than where I have them listed with me.  For me, guest status doesn't work, probably because I am unable by their standards to verify I am me.

Other than it's difficult for me to use a computer nowadays, things are really terrific.  Especially, I've got a great health aide!    

My computer is being fixed! It was hacked!

This is to confirm that while working on a ransomware project--the FBI-international--I got hacked 3 weeks ago.  The Best Buy people are helping; though if necessary, I'll buy a new desktop--one featuring Google.  I've got two Google accounts.

I'm thinking of subscribing monthly to Just Answer tech services.  I need to use my accounts at libraries as well at where I live--American University Library and the DC public libraries.  I have had success with Just Answer tech support in the past in this matter, but was hoping I could get by with their services on an ad hoc basis.

Looks not, especially, after the hack.

Things are going better than I'm used to experiencing--maybe because I'm living now in DC!