Limits on Trump’s Power, Emerging China, & Turkish Airstrikes

China’s Emerging Naval and Military Capabilities: China is completing development on a second carrier that will be ready for deployment before 2020. China’s first carrier was bought secondhand from Ukraine. This second carrier’s design is based off of a Russian carrier and is less powerful than American nuclear-powered carriers as it is powered by oil. China has plans to build two to four additional carriers. China’s military development is similar to its economic and technology development. First import, learn, and copy from other countries, then develop the military capabilities and build internally.

China is beefing up its naval fleet and by 2020 could have a fleet that is comparable in regional size to the US. According to The Guardian, “The US operates 10 aircraft carriers, has 62 destroyers to China’s 32, and 75 submarines to China’s 68. The US navy has 323,000 personnel to China’s 235,000.”  

The Limits of Trump’s Power: US President Trump seems to be backing away from his insistence that financial support for a border wall with Mexico be a part of the package to avert a government shutdown. Democrats are not giving an inch on whether the government will fund the wall. According to the Wall Street Journal, not a single member of Congress who represents a district along the border supports Trump’s wall.

Trump still claims that a wall will be built soon and during his first term despite facing stiff opposition from Democrats. Although Trump has only been in office for less than 100 days, the whole world already wants to know if American voters will give Trump a second turn.

South Koreans Protest US Anti-Missile Deployment: South Korean protesters in the quiet town of Seongju clashed with police over the arrival of the US-built Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), a counter-missile system being installed “in preparation for North Korea’s advanced nuclear-missile threat.” The counter-missile system is sparking outrage in South Korea and also angering North Korea and China, who view the THAAD’s powerful radar as a security and surveillance threat.

The decision to deploy THAAD was a key part of protests that helped to oust former President Park Geun-hye. Baek Ga-yoon, an advocate for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, argues that the government’s decision to deploy THAAD was undemocratic. She also accuses interim President Hwang Kyo-ahn of taking advantage of the political uncertainty created by Park’s impeachment to move ahead with the THAAD deployment “without any agreement from the National Assembly and the villagers of Seongju.”

Turkish Airstrikes Condemned by the US and Iraq: The US and Iraqi governments both condemned Turkish airstrikes in northern Syria and northern Iraq that killed about two dozen Kurdish fighters. The bombings resulted in fatalities for both the US-backed Popular Protection Units (YPG) and the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga, the military forces of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended the strikes, but also expressed regret at the deaths of the Peshmerga, allies of Turkey. The US is relying heavily on YPG forces to fight ISIS, but Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), a Turkish-Kurdish rebel group that has been fighting an armed struggle against the Turkish government since the 1980s. If you are struggling to keep up, don’t worry–now you understand how complicated the fight against ISIS has become, not only on the ground but also among purported allies. Because in the Middle East, alliances are fickle: today’s ally can quickly turn into tomorrow’s enemy.

Marine Le Pen–Biting the Hand that Fed Her?: Marine Le Pen is seeking to shed some political baggage and broaden her appeal as the French presidential run-off nears. Le Pen declared she is no longer the Front National’s candidate and has just “been supported by the Front National.” Many French voters find the Front National unpalatable given its ties to fascist elements.

Le Pen’s attempt to rebrand herself in such a short time period might be an uphill battle. All French mainstream parties have combined forces (similar to Captain Planet, with Emmanuel Macron as Captain Planet) in order to thwart Le Pen’s ascent. Le Pen is smelling her political demise and has called this cornucopia of mainstream parties “rotten.” Very few French voters who backed other top vote-getters in last weekend’s first poll are interested in voting for Le Pen over Emmanuel Macron in the May 7 final run-off.

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