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!

   

The Yemen civil war is a Muslim disgrace upon the Saudis!

That Yemen war has been lasting for 10 years.  The Saudis are basking in all their newly acquired lifestyles, while the Yemen people suffer a country away.  Yet both claim to be Islamic.  Obviously, the Saudis are embarrassed by the presence of poverty one country from their lavish display of Muslim religious piety.

The Houthis are to be commended along with the Iranians in standing by an Islamic people under attack-- lacking compassion and care for human life.  Please, combatants, pursue peace in the name of Allah.  Bit the Saudis are battling on the side of Al Qaeda! (Wikipedia source)   

My home computer isn't working right now!

Repairman scheduled next week or next month--they aren't reliable, I've found.

Meantime, I'm working.  I've got access to this account of  mine--how long it'll be working, I don't know.  Anyway, I'll be using this account, if I can't use my other account, the latter established because I couldn't use the account I'm on now for many months!

Anyway, I'm making use of whatever account I can use at the moment.  One usable account is better than sitting, waiting until I can proceed.

I've complained that I can't use my home computer, because of goof-ups I've had to adjust to.  For these many years, that's what I've been told to do: complain and move forward however you can--but keep trying!!

   

Brookings think-tank discussion: Education in an ever-changing world

 "A New Path to Education Reform: The Next Chapter on 21st Century Skills" is the official title of the august group of educators participating in the Brookings' discussion of 1/13/21.  It came out of a Brookings Policy Report on education, and formed the basis for the discussion.  Helen Hadani of Brookings was the presenter; Emiliana Vegas of Global Economy and Development, Ted Hintersmith, author, Victoria Sullivan, formerly of the New Hampshire state legislature, Kethy Hirsh-Pasek, Temple University, and Elizabeth H. Edensheim of NYU--all participated.

I take it their point of view throughout the discussion was the need to reform educative institutions to incorporate the fundamental proposition that the world is forever changing and the education, no matter its level, must reflect how mankind strives to make this world even more livable for mankind than heretofore.  That is to say, education must emphasize the changes in knowledge of that world and our efforts to make it a world more conducive to our betterment as its rational, conceptualizing inhabitants. Through our abilities as human beings we have that power to improve upon nature no matter the field of knowledge.    

The discussion began by observing that the classroom is the same classroom of thirty years ago.  But really, is that so?  We've brought in audio-visuals, the internet, speakers from the community and business and other learning particulars, such as doing experiments, to bring the world into the classroom.  What we are lax in doing to my way of thinking is that we haven't made room for the community at the curriculum table where, if they were there, they'd tell how the business world, especially, is geared to achieve projects--that the entire thrust of  the quest for knowledge is to participate in a contemporary project to bring about change in how habits.  Change in the automobile--today, going to the electric car, for example.  That is, there's this year's change in the auto, followed by next year's model, etc.  And the worker is invited to make his contribution in bringing about the new version in an ever-changing series.  

So, what is missing from the classroom is an emphasis on change, on a departure from the old way, and its basis for the new way, with its new knowledge strands.  Yet, it is precisely the graduate of the educational system who is being invited to become part of the new world that is producing the contemporary at this very moment in time.

By bringing together so many from different walks of life, Brookings is calling for an emphasis upon the recognition that we must engage in our world so as to keep up in the creation of what we want to be an even better world for us (as John Dewey, the American philosopher, argued.)

Bring into the classroom, therefore, not just the textbook of yesterday, but the contemporary magazines heralding change, e.g., Scientific American. Bring in the Shark Tank TV series where entrepreneurs are making use of new knowledge to make an even more hospitable new world for man to live in.  Bring in speakers who tell how discoveries in applications of electricity are in the offing.  So as to raise the question in these young minds of the students--what part are you to play!  True, as these discussants pointed out, education is a lifelong process of involvement in innovation and welcome change, so long as we live. 

In closing, these educators alluded to the fact that participating in your world is having fun from kindergarten to old age watching as the world spins.    

Antidote to Autocracy Characters: Negotiation Principle among social interest groups

 It's what Congress is all about: Republicans and Democrats get together in conference to hammer out a negotiated bill that gives both sides some of what they each are trying to get.

It's what unions are talking to their management about to secure good working conditions and wages for their members. 

You know, I think that since union membership has sunk after the 1950s, etc., there's not been enough emphasis given to the importance that groups, working for a common purpose, ought to spend time negotiating among them.  That is to say, we need more of negotiations in our day-to-day transactions, so that Congress won't feel that it alone in the country negotiates settlements among its various factions!

One man rule is not the condition for negotiating: the potentate issues what he wants done; and it is up to his subjects to obey or else!  But, democracies bring the various groups making up a society together and they all sit down and reason together--they negotiate--for the good of all concerned.  Importantly, the factions are treated equally, all wanting that the process works to their interest and the interest of the society to which they belong.

We need to promote more the notion of negotiation among those representing different points of view, because it's an important feature that humans can do: to reason things to an amicable conclusion, compared with those in the animal world who don't have this capacity of settling differences through conversing together in negotiation.