We Did Start the Fire: Military Spending, Deforestation & Enemies of the State

A member of Ukraine’s parliament started bringing in a toy animal to sit next to him in a stunt aimed at shaming his colleagues who aren’t showing up for work. The grey blob-shaped toy has become a meme in Russia and Ukraine and is called Pochekun – “the one who waits.” This is not to be confused with Pokemon, a video game franchise that is supremely effective at gluing people to their smartphones.

More Money for Military Spending: President Trump’s proposal to increase military spending by $54 billion may sound like a lot, but the Obama administration forecasted a $35 billion  increase in 2018, which means that Trump’s increase effectively adds $19 billion to what was expected. Still, some advocates of military spending are critical of the proposed increase as it means cutting funding for foreign aid programs that contribute to overall global stability.

In a letter to top congressional leaders, several former Pentagon officials warned against slashing budgets for the State Department and foreign aid in favor of more military spending. They noted that the military “needs strong civilian partners in the battle against the drivers of extremism — lack of opportunity, insecurity, injustice and hopelessness.”

POTUS 43 Weighs In On POTUS 45, and POTUS 45 Says POTUS 44 Is Behind the Protests: Former US President George W. Bush weighed in on the Trump administration’s first month in an interview with Today’s Matt Lauer. Bush, who refrained from offering public criticism of his predecessor Barack Obama, was on the show to promote his new book before the conversation shifted to President Trump.

In a response to a question asking whether he’d ever considered the media to be the enemy of the American people (Trump’s infamous words), Bush said that the media was “indispensable to democracy” and essential to holding those in power accountable. He also said that the question of Trump’s ties to Russia “needs to be answered.”

The former president also said that it was too early to judge the Trump administration from the first month alone and that he remained hopeful that the American people could be united. Meanwhile, President Trump believes that Obama is behind all of the protests against him and against congressmen at town hall meetings. Perhaps Obama was orchestrating all this while kitesurfing in the British Virgin Islands with billionaire Richard Branson?

Does Everyone Look the Same to the Kansas Shooter?: The man arrested for shooting 3 people in a Kansas bar allegedly fled and told a bartender at another establishment that he had just killed “two Iranian people.” Two of the the victims were in fact Indian men, one of whom died from his wounds. A third person who heroically came to the aid of the Indian men was also injured. Witnesses say the suspect shouted, “Get out of my country!” before opening fire. The FBI is investigating whether the shooting constitutes a hate crime.

NATO Spending – Trump May Be Right: According to NATO’s own figures, only 5 of the 28 countries in the alliance meet the requirement that each country spend at least 2 percent of its GDP on defense. The top 5 NATO defense spenders are (in descending order): The US (whose amount will grow if Trump’s new budget proposal on increased military spending is approved), Greece, United Kingdom, Estonia, and Poland.

Remember “Save the Rainforest”?: The Amazon river basin, home to the largest rainforest in the world, has suffered from deforestation for decades. While the “Save the Rainforest” movement did help to stop deforestation, in 2015, for the first time in decades, logging increased due to our insatiable appetite for palm oil, soy, and beef products. Deforestation is incredibly damaging to the environment because burning trees is a significant contributor to global warming emissions, and because it results in the loss of habitat and biodiversity. We hate to be all gloom and doom but we might need space travel sooner than we think.

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More Reads

• Some cafes think Elvis got it wrong and say there should be a lot more conversation and a little less wi-fi action (BBC)
• An expert on the subject of Angry White Men, with the author claiming that the book is “really about masculinity and how men get into these movements and how they get out.” (The Guardian)
• Sugar addiction and withdrawal are very real, as one can easily find out by talking to people who are trying to stop drinking soda during Lent (Quartz)
• According to the South Korean press, North Korea not only assassinates people with VX nerve agent but also executes senior officials that make false reports with anti-aircraft guns (Military.com)
• Not only are rainforests disappearing, but antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose a major threat to all of humanity. The World Health Organization says some of these bugs deserve “critical priority.” (NYT)
• Bill Nye, the Science Guy, gets philosophical and says people regret what they don’t do, they don’t regret too much what they do.” (The Atlantic)