Symphony – Page 77 – Pacific Daily Times Editorials

“Welcome to New York.” President Donald Trump greeted diplomats and heads of state at the United Nations. Many of those diplomats have some kind of grudge or complaint against the only place on Earth safe enough for them to meet. Among them, North Korea’s envoy, who used disrespectful “name-calling” rhetoric similarly to the American Left and now American sports.

Kneeling during your nation’s national anthem, when standing is the respectful thing to do, does not make any move toward lowering conflict. Many nations would not allow such disrespect, but ingrates only disrespect the nations where they have such freedoms to take for granted.

Problems with “bad apple” police do not stem from lack of disrespect. Politicizing sports hasn’t made the country safer, it has hurt sports ratings on TV. People watch sports to get away from politics, to rest their minds and hearts, and to share common ground with friends. Taking away that common ground will take away common ground.

There are many problems in America. One of the biggest problems is that many powerful people don’t know how to solve problems, only spread them. For example, 20% of college students want to set a precedent that free speech should be shut down with violence.

So, while Congress is lowering taxes for the middle class and world leaders, once again, found America to be the safest place to exchange insults, top news this week was about the president vs sports.

In Cadence

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, September 18, 2017

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China’s situation is growing more and more similar to North Korea’s. They seek to “match” the US in military strength, but aim to do so without US economics. Without the economics it will be hard to match anything. Slowly, but surely, the US is chipping away at money going into China.

Stocks were up in China, especially recently. Shenzhen is fairing quite well. But, Trump managed to block a Chinese company from buying a US chip maker, Lattice. This is just the beginning, not only for blocked deals both in the US and elsewhere, but also in bad international press against China.

Taiwan isn’t helping. 500 Taiwanese in New York protested the island not being a UN member, claiming that Palestine is not a state, but has a membership. If Taiwan were to join the UN, it would be in the top 25% largest populations. But, pushing these matters will likely have no impact, other than bad press against China.

This week, North Korea launched again, scaring Japanese even more, making it even harder to defend the Kim Dynasty. China doesn’t want to lose a “buffer” that would put a stronger US ally on its border, nor deal with an influx of refugees. But, China may have more than the situation with the US and North Korea to worry about. The dormant volcano on North Korea’s side of the China border has been rumbling.

There’s nothing like a small “act of God” to settle all disputes.

In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, September 18, 2017

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Trump meets with Democratic leaders. This is often known as “bipartisanship”. Trump uses the word “bipartisan”. The media reminds voters, at every election, that they, the voters, want “bipartisanship”. If Republicans aren’t “bipartisan”, so the media reminds voters, then the Republicans will lose power.

So, Trump met with Democrats. He made some deals. He clarified where he wouldn’t back down. The Democrats felt like he understood them. For that, the news now thinks it is the end of both political parties.

Trump’s election was always going to spell D-O-O-M for both Republican and Democratic parties, but not for him being bipartisan. This may actually preserve those parties longer. The problem Trump brought to both parties was that he would outshine Republicans for Right Wing values and outwork Democrats on Left Wing talking points. He is preserving borders, simplifying and lowering taxes, and building infrastructure. That is progress by both Left and Right standards—progress “big time”.

But, of course the best news has to be re-labeled the worst news. Most of the news this past week was gossip. Most of the news from the weekend was about movie awards, at which Trump held center stage without even being in attendance.

The only other main news included Google being sued for the same topic the “Google Manifesto” author wanted to have more open-ended communication about. Ironic, how a Leftist company suppresses a Conservative employee’s opinion, fires him, and in the wake of the fallout gets sued for not having enough Leftist non-discrimination values.

But, the Left media doesn’t want to talk about that. They also don’t want to talk about how the ongoing investigation on part of the FBI into Russianewsgategate only seems to let Trump off the hook. If Trump did do anything bad with Russia, the Left completely failed to prove it.

So, the president acted in a bipartisan manner, finally. For that, we are told that both parties are doomed.

In Cadence

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, September 11, 2017

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The North Korean situation makes much more sense when seen from the perspective of a film director performing a social experiment. Film makers, directors, actors, screen writers—they love to do good “real life” research. If one was making a movie simulating culture in a story such as Orwell’s 1984, North Korea would be a perfect laboratory.

Looking at North Korea through this lens, some predictions could be made. What outside forces and events would be necessary to watch a “hermit kingdom” implode?

Another perspective could be from, say, China’s view. China rightly fears that it is surrounded by US allies—Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan… India is a “frenemy” of the US, but more of an “enemi-friend” from China’s view. Then, there is Korea. If the North were provoked to invade the South, that would be “plus one” ally for China and “minus one” ally for the United States, at least on China’s border. “Gain more land to win the war” is an old school strategy from Westpoint, a strategy that Grant had to put aside at Gettysburg.

So, the jockeying in the West Pacific could be more predictable by thinking of international policy for North Korea as Film Maker vs Westpoint China. One set of policies wants the North to be easily provoked into decimating the South to win a land war in Asia. The other set of policies initiates “outside force” to carefully study an implosion of the North—and that includes allowing the North to be provoked, but on a controlled terms.

This week, North Korea made even more threats. So, the theorem of Film Maker vs Westpoint China can be put to the test in weeks to come, watching international policies provoke the North to attack and pressure the North to implode. While that transpires, international support from common folk to see North Korea’s dynasty come to an end only grows, and the international press certainly doesn’t do anything to shift sentiment the other direction.

In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, September 11, 2017

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Today, America remembers.

This week, three storms hit America: Harvey, Irma, and Donald. Harvey and Irma distracted the mainstream media from Storm Donald.

Harvey came with little warning and little room for evacuation. Irma came with plenty of warning, plenty of time and means of evacuation, and, evidently, plenty of need for evacuation. Storm Donald responded in strength and force. While Irma quickly lost wind and strength at landfall, Donald increased popularity to 46%. Donald maintained a greater positive impact on the economy.

Harvey defeated the news media for “not caring”. Irma helped police catch several looters and, though hardship befell Floridians and their neighbors, they will be stronger in the end. Harvey and Irma have passed. Donald is continuing to storm Congress to simplify taxes, all the more to overcome fallout from Harvey and Irma. The greatest threat to disenfranchise storm victims is against members of Congress who do not get to work and heed the warnings of the growing storm coming against them.

In Cadence

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, September 4, 2017

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Korea’s situation is amplifying. We know this. North Korea is making more threats than ever with it’s “boy king” on the iron clad throne. We know that military options are 1. relevant and 2. undesirable. The Pentagon consistently barks about “military options”, while “economic options” stay on the table—don’t overlook how talk of military bolsters economic action. Rather than reviewing the obvious, consider North Korea through the eyes of the White House—viewing both economics and security—and from the rest of the world.

As the Pentagon, economists, and surrounding nations sees things, not China, but specifically the Communist Party seated in Beijing, is viewed as the “menace of Asia”, venturing into increased trouble with Vietnam, India, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Mongolia, Africa, Europe, and others. North Korea has six months of oil remaining, and China does 90% of North Korea’s trade. No Beijing Communist Party feeding the Kim Dynasty equals no Kim Dynasty nukes. That’s how the Pentagon, the US Treasury, and many surrounding nations view China and North Korea.

It will never be said, just as much as it will always be considered: North Korea is a stepping stone to facing the Beijing Communist Party. For the Pentagon, it’s practice and demonstration. For economics, North Korea is an excuse to cut off trade with China who manufactures technology, but does not develop their own, and uses copied technology with trade money to make it more difficult for their neighbors to sleep at night. Right or wrong, justified or not, that’s how others view China these days.

Now, Xi Jinping addresses an assembly over the BRICS bank group, while still not having dealt with the menace in its own back yard. Without a word being mentioned, Brazil, Russia, India, and South Africa—and the nations who trade with them—will view China as being the “maker of promises that won’t be kept”.

China had so much going for it, as did the Communist Party in Beijing. They had trade, they had marked-off territory that no one encroached. But, it wasn’t “what they deserved by rite”, thereby provoking them into too much venture and not enough housecleaning. Make no mistake, North Korea is only the tip of the iceberg marking regional vendettas that loom beneath the surface, both militarily and economically. The US is not as friendly as it seems, “considering either” economics “or” military; it has already been implementing both as part of a greater regional ambition.