Sheer Madness

Sheer madness is the best way for me to summarize what I see happening here in the United States and around the world. It’s a combination of events that should not be happening, that need not be happening, but are happening, that work to threaten and imperil our nation’s future and that of the world. I’m just selecting headlines from the New York Times edition of June 4: “America is losing its pool for best scientists and science.” “China and Europe are on hiring sprees.” Applications from China and Europe for graduate students or post-doctorate positions in the United States have dropped sharply or dried up since President Trump took office. Universities in Europe are receiving an overwhelming response. ***** “Battle over supply chains is the new trade war.” We’re waking up to the obvious. Our supply chains are intimately linked. China is shutting off the shipment of rare minerals which are fundamental to many of our technology products. One Ford plant has already had to shut down. Blocked imports into China of airplane parts are imperiling its airplane industry which, while receiving massive investments by the Chinese government, still rely on imports from the U.S. for important parts. ***** “Israel again opens fire on Gazans near aid hub.” Israeli soldiers opened fire Tuesday morning near crowds of Palestinians walking toward a new food distribution site in southern Gaza. The Red Cross and Gaza Health Ministry said at least 27 people had been killed. It was the second such shooting in three days. ***** “Denouncing anti-Semitism, Trump also fans its flames” ***** “The tit for tat in Russia and Ukraine continues, at the cost of countless lives.” Ukraine uses drones to attack Russia’s bomber fleet. They aimed to “change Putin’s calculus.” Fat chance. Putin continues to advance on the ground. He clearly believes he has the upper hand. ***** “Trump targets a lifeline for Africa: remittances.” About a quarter of the gross national income in Gambia and Liberia come from remittances. Senegal, which the World Bank ranked the country most dependent on remittances, would also suffer. Remittances that Africans already pay income tax on the income. They also pay a 6.5% remittance tax. Now that tax will be raided by 50% to 10%. Analysts say the measure risks pushing millions deeper into hunger and driving up illegal migration and stalling growth for African economies struggling to manage decades of debt. ***** “Officials stonewall judges and deportation cases.” In case after case, the Trump administration has taken a similar approach to the numerous legal challenges that have emerged in recent weeks to President Trump’s address of deportation plans. Over and over, officials have either violated orders or used an array of obfuscations and delays to prevent federal judges from deciding whether violations took place. So far, no one in the White House or any federal agency has had to pay a price for this obstructionist behavior.