Energy - March 2023

As a continuation of the summit in Helsinki , the following conference that included Presidents Bush and Gorbachev took place in November 1990 in Paris. The conference included 34 nations, each a part of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) . The conference resulted in the signing of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty by members of NATO and the Warsaw Pact. The states of the CSCE also made arrangements to hold similar high-level political meetings regularly to build upon efforts to prevent conflict, control arms, and safeguard elections within these countries. [4] Netanyahu, Israel’s Premier, invokes the Old Testament—an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Since Israel and its supporters portray it as the homeland of Jesus, perhaps the phrase love your enemies was forgotten when the British mandate over Palestine expired and the State of Israel was born—with official recognition from both the U.S. and USSR. With the latest escalation in the conflict and a vow to eliminate Hamas , it appears that the escalation includes the elimination of Gaza . Those unable to flee are seemingly treated as legitimate targets in what some interpret as a strategy to clear the territory for Israeli expansion. What about Trump’s plan to buy the territory and rebuild? That would involve resettling many refugees, but is that worse than killing them? Trump is turning his focus to the broader Middle East , aiming to unite the “non-violent” actors and build a peace coalition, thereby restraining Iran’s allies (presumed to have UN protection), who are often seen as the root of instability. So why are evangelicals supporting the violence —alongside the Jewish elite— while the Left and Europe begin to reconsider their stance ? Are all Palestinians terrorists? What is the true meaning of “from the River to the Sea” —a call for democracy or a religious conflict between Islam and Christianity? And then there’s the UN, watching? And the new Pope, pleading for aid —but peace talks? Only Trump? Shortly after his inauguration, Chancellor Merz made his mark on German politics by deploying permanent troops to Lithuania— you be the judge —possibly to support allies under the guise of protection. His actions won’t help global stability, and insiders in Germany do not dismiss the possibility of aggression reminiscent of WWII, now reframed under the narrative that Russia is the enemy. He will certainly support Zelensky unconditionally, using the war as justification to rebuild EU military strength. European Union leaders concluded a busy defense-focused week by endorsing a landmark plan to unlock €800 billion ($866 billion) in European military spending—though internal political divisions remain. Nelson Mandela, upon becoming South Africa’s president, emphasized moving forward together—not retaliating for the past. One reason for his divorce was reportedly that his wife had a more radical, vengeance-driven outlook, which he believed was incompatible with building a democratic society. Yes, apartheid was real, but reversing the oppression with retribution only prolongs emotional wounds. One has to ask what is just . Perhaps Trump has a point— crime is rampant . But of course, there are always two sides to a story .

86 – 47 : No more drinks for the President - That was Mr. Comey’s message from the beach .

As the tariff negotiations with China are currently underway in Switzerland, it appears the US and UK have agreed to a deal that seems to be an icebreaker in the ongoing saga of tariffs. However, in the end, there will be changes to the world order and a shift in focus toward more discussions about saving the planet rather than war. As of this writing, a 90-day pause with China was agreed , lowering tariffs, while China will likely have to consider some of the US demands. Here is a lesson in journalistic economies ? Friend shoring demonstrates that there are no friends or foes in politics , only interests. Even when the world’s resources were not material but simply dirt—more or less fertile—even in agricultural societies, wars and contests were common, whether for territory, ideology, or personal gain. So when people promote friend shoring, it’s more complicated these days. Just look at rare earths—it's not just dirt, is it? Friend shoring for military technology is another example; read about it for yourself. Still, there is ongoing dialogue but no long-term resolution. After Trump’s plan to control Gaza, Israel appears set to take charge instead, once again negotiating for the release of hostages and the evacuation of civilians , while the world looks on as bystanders . If trade can solve the problem , then make a deal. Here’s some food for thought —liberals may be rebellious about it, but the trend all over Europe is clear: MAGA is going global, especially with an economy in tatters and failing negotiations with Ukraine. There are more sanctions, but what can they sanction that the rest of the world cannot counter? The EU is simply a bureaucratic ideology serving its own interests. The EU wants more liberal students —which is fine, as long as we keep the STEM talent. They need more protesters , as long as the UK remains the leading provider of education ? European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday slammed U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign against American higher education as she unveiled a half-billion-euro plan to attract foreign researchers.

May 8, a day in history, marks the end of WWII in Europe with the surrender of Germany , but was it really an ending? As with many wars, especially the ongoing Ukraine and Gaza conflicts, and the renewed animosities between India and Pakistan, one might wonder: have enough people died in wars? Perhaps some wars are justified, but often only after provocation. If you consider the basics of relationship building, communication is a key concept, but there is a difference between communication and simply talking. Perhaps we need more communicators and unified voices in government, whether rooted in realism or liberalism . Are these better choices, or in the end, are NGOs and individual voices the problem after all? We hope that reason will prevail—the only lasting fundamental principle—but is it really, or is it just another cause or excuse? Reason, the cause of an event or situation , or something that provides an excuse or explanation : War forever, according to this lawyer, yes . The UN Security Council is another voice that only speaks after the war, sometimes fueling the fire. Consider the Oxford Guide to Treaties —are these more sources of conflict than resolution? And historians—well, some of them are just presenting a version of their own vision of the world. How was Germany rebuilt after WWII ? Was it help on one side, and taking what you can on the other? The USSR suffered greatly and had to rebuild on its own, but why was the offer of the Marshall Plan rejected—was it due to mistrust, as we see today? Perhaps the reset button requires talks among all, but please, let the haters and ideologues out of the room—only communicators and stakeholders should be present, haters out, which probably means no Selinsky. Beginning immediately after the German surrender and continuing for the next two years, the United States pursued a vigorous program to harvest all technological and scientific know-how, as well as all patents in Germany. John Gimbel comes to the conclusion in his book, Science Technology and Reparations: Exploitation and Plunder in Post-war Germany, that the "intellectual reparations" taken by the U.S. and the UK amounted to close to $10 billion, equivalent to around $150 billion in 2024, [3] [4] concurrent to Operation Paperclip . The plea for a two-party political system (translation needed) stands in contrast to the idea of a global one-party or multi-party system as seen in European countries. Attempts at a global one-party system were made by the Romans and some other early cultures , but none proved sustainable by force or government—though that was before the advent of modern communications. Would things be different today? There are still forces hoping that may be realized, for global peace or power, as reflected in Elon Musk’s warnings about a single world government, Einstein’s global perspective , and people attempting to establish it, such as government by AI and supercomputer . Compare that to today’s European coalition building —for example, in Germany, Black/Blue coalitions seem politically unfeasible. In multi-party systems, the need to form coalitions to gain power may end in stalemates and concessions to the detriment of the people. Here is an overview of global systems and drivers of globalization . The ongoing cat-and-mouse game between advocates for peace and war continues as representatives try to negotiate an end to the Ukraine conflict. Does it matter that Europe seems unified in the effort to defeat Russia with sanctions and arms, while the US seems to favor a negotiated peace? You can argue endlessly that Putin is the aggressor and invaded, but he will counter that with claims about NATO expansion and broken treaties by the West . Is Germany evolving into the powerhouse of Europe, as it should be? After the election and the ousting of Chancellor Scholz, Friedrich Merz has somehow managed to establish himself as the new leader and has immediately begun to exert influence over Europe—at least, that’s what the German “Democrats” are hoping for. So, when Trump appoints loyalists, it's called a dictatorship, but when Germany does it, it's considered democratic? Also worth noting: another Carnegie piece—and apparently every member of the German Cabinet favors war? Expect Germany's defense Minister to keep Kaja Kallas as informant, hating in politics is never a good start. Imagine, 5 years to build up the military and then eliminate the hate, for good, using the Ukraine invasion as a reason. Merz has deliberately centralized foreign and security policy coordination in the chancellery. To start, he has done away with the long-standing tradition of giving the Foreign Office to the main coalition partner, a practice that baked in foreign-policy dysfunction by setting up a separate power base held by a different political party. Now, for the first time since 1966, the chancellor and foreign minister will be from the same party—in this case, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). New Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is a party loyalist who will ensure alignment rather than competition with the chancellor. Within the chancellery—where all important foreign-policy decisions are made—Merz has appointed close confidants to key posts: Jacob Schrot, a trusted trans-Atlanticist, as head of the newly created German National Security Council; veteran diplomat Günter Sautter as foreign-policy lead; and Michael Clauss to handle European Union affairs, which Merz wants to make a core strategic portfolio and to which Clauss brings credibility and experience, including significant work on China.