Hi everybody!
I apologize this post is a little late - I’ve had some things going on lately.
Now, before we start, a few short announcements:
I am happy to announce that our financial/Californian columnist should be publishing his next entry sometimes this week. The exact day I can’t be sure, (these posts take time, you know) but I can say with confidence that it’ll be soon. Additionally, I am taking a trip to Boston, starting on the 26th and lasting for over a week. During this time I might not be able to publish my posts, but I’ll try to do so in a condensed format.
Shall we begin?
The Nation
Abuse by the Church
I’m afraid I must start off this post with a particularly terrible news story - however, it is the number one article on AP and on the front pages of Reuters and the New York Times, so it cannot be overlooked.
A third-party group has issued a scathing review of the Southern Baptist Convention’s handling of sexual abuse victims and perpetrators among its ranks. According to the report, victims’ complaints fell to deaf ears and disbelieving eyes. The church repeatedly stated that they couldn’t do anything about it, due to the high autonomy of different individual churches. This excuse allowed accused pastors to continue preaching, even after they committed an act that is clearly a sin.
Now, after so much time carefully avoiding liability, the SBC claims that it is finally going to take a stand. “We are committed to doing all we can to prevent future instances of sexual abuse in churches, to improve our response and our care, (and) to remove reporting roadblocks,” the executive committee chairman said in a statement.
To avenge the long-ignored victims, I sure hope he’s right.
A Thorn in Trump’s Side Grows Bigger
Former president Donald Trump must be gnashing his teeth over Brian Kemp.
In a party that has, by and large, bended to and supported the ex-prez’s will, Kemp is the black sheep. He’s the same Georgian governor who openly defied Trump’s bid to overturn the 2020 elections. And now, it looks like he’s going to mess up the man’s plans again. As of late, Trump has been endorsing over a hundred political candidates to further increase his power in the republican party. In Georgia, thanks to the past history between the two men, Trump did not support Kemp. Instead, he chose former senator David Perdue.
Naturally, Kemp is predicted to win a landslide victory. He is described as “the most Georgian of Georgians” by the New York Times, and opinion polls put his popularity at well above 50% of the population, enough for an easy governor victory. This is especially surprising considering the fact that Trump - still very popular - is not endorsing him in the slightest, doing quite the opposite.
Trump, you may have control of the rest of the republican party, but you can’t control Kemp.
The World
Europe
The Grind Continues
War drags on, and the Russo-Ukrainian War is no different.
Facing setbacks on the war front, Russia is focusing its pressures on eastern Ukraine. Russia has failed in a number of important battles, surprising everyone - even me. A number of assaults on the capital failed, and efforts in the second-largest city met similar results. Now, as old battlegrounds are mopped up (for more information, see the May 18 post), a new key fight is opening up, centered in the eastern region of Donbas, with a primary battle starting around the city of Sievierodonetsk. Russia is also opening an offensive in Luhansk, another eastern city. It’s tempting to say that, considering Russia’s continued failures of the war, these fresh fights won’t be very successful. However, making such assumptions would be a fallacy. We can only guess - and hope.
…And Continues Some More
Seems that everything in Europe’s about the Ukraine War, nowadays.
Today, May 22, Ukraine officially ruled out concessions and ceasefire for the war in Ukraine. This is a culmination of the increasingly uncompromising stance the country has adopted. It means that Ukraine will not concede to handing over territory to end the war; the borders must return to their previous places, no exceptions.
Ukraine is not alone in this hard-nosed stance - the Polish president Anderzej Duda stated that any territorial concession would be a “huge blow” to the West, and that "only Ukraine has the right to decide about its future.” The decision will mean that the war most likely will not end soon or swiftly, but would maintain Ukraine’s integrity if they win.
What do you think? Is an extension of the war worth maintaining borders?
Asia-Pacific
The U.S. is Back in Asia
Right now, American president Joe Biden is in the middle of a five-day visit to South Korea and Japan. His primary objective: replace the T.P.P, or Trans-Pacific Partnership. The United States left the T.P.P under the Trump administration, leaving the region open to Chinese influence. Now, Biden is unveiling the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), which, though less grand and far-reaching than its predecessor, would achieve the same basic agenda.
Unfortunately, as with Biden’s efforts in other regions of the world, his plans have been met with limited enthusiasm and plenty of criticism. The IPEF lacks required commitment, as well as the marketing access that Asia desires, but Biden is reluctant to grant since it may threaten jobs. Unsurprisingly, China did not respond well to the IPEF, accusing it of fostering division rather than cooperation. Last but not least, the initial negotiations have not included Taiwan, which, in this humble author’s opinion, is an oversight.
Biden’s new plan does indeed have some serious shortcomings, but with some polishing and cooperation, it could be a success.
An Unenviable Job Well Won
This story is an update to the last post, May 18. In that segment, I discussed the Australian elections, the fight between the more conservative Liberal Nationals and left-leaning Labor party. Well, the results are out, and the Labor party has won! Anthony Albanese is the new Prime Minister of Australia! On May 18, I said that the job of the new PM was going to be a tough one, and I wasn’t lying - he’s got his work cut out for him. But the Australian people, when they filled out their ballots and voted him in, decided that Albanese holds promise, other countries agree: New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji all issued their congratulations. This applause was due in no small part to Albanese’s announcement of renewed effort in climate policy - a big step from Australia’s historically slow and low climate action. Albanese has already pledged to lower emissions, increase renewable energy investment (he hopes Australia will become a superpower in the sector), and a reduction of oil’s perceived grip on politics.
Such an effort after many years of so little alone proves he has promise.
Now, I am aware that I still have to write the Americas & Africa sections, but I’m afraid that I will be unable to publish these today. They will be posted tomorrow instead.
Sources
Various articles from Reuters, The New York Times, and Associated Press were used for this post. If you liked this article, please comment - it massively helps our efforts to produce fact-based, informational posts. If you have found a mistake, please let us know and the error will be fixed.
“Mess up the man’s plans” 😆
Will you be writing a piece about the formula shortage?