Talk the Talk, Walk the…Whatever

Tactical Loss, Strategic…Draw? CIA Stops Covert Operation in Syria: Since 2013, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been running a covert operation in Syria that trained and equipped rebels fighting the Russian-supported forces of President Bashar al-Assad. No surprise there. The operation was largely unsuccessful, and many of the weapons from the CIA ended up in the hands of extremists. Some of the fighters even defected to ISIS as well. President Barack Obama was reportedly on the way to making the decision to stop the operation before he left office. President Trump this week did just that.

The move is likely to please the Kremlin and improve US-Russian relations amid the myriad controversies regarding election meddling, but just because Russian President Vladimir Putin is happy doesn’t mean that this move is categorically a bad thing. In Assad, Russia is likely supporting a war criminal, but their help also includes rooting out Al-Qaida and ISIS in Syria. The US can cut its losses on an unsuccessful program and allow the adversary to pursue a common enemy.

Talk the Talk, Walk the Whatever. Japan, China, and South Korea Finance Coal Production in Indonesia: Asian economic giants Japan, China, and South Korea are all members of the Paris climate agreement and have therefore publicly and internationally pledged to reduce emissions. This is all fine, good, and admirable, but Australia-based Market Forces has discovered through exhaustive research that these nations, through state-owned and commercial banks, are financing coal plants in Indonesia to the tune of $16.7 billion since 2010, which amounts to 98% of the required financing to bankroll these environmental canker sores.

The upside of coal is that it is cheap, reliable energy that would not exist were it not for these Asian giants’ financing. Market Forces believes there is an oversupply of energy, and at least one expert has called for a study to determine whether there are suitable alternatives. It’s not all bad news, however. Despite backing new construction abroad (in Indonesia and also Pakistan), China has, to its credit, been leading the way in shuttering coal plants domestically. That’s a step in the right direction.

This Is Not The Sound of Music: A new report accuses 49 members of the Catholic Church of physically and sexually abusing at least 547 young members of the 1,000-year-old  Regensburger Domspatzen boys choir in Germany between 1945 and the early 1990s, according to Ulrich Weber, the lawyer who investigated the abuse. Weber presented his findings on Tuesday, saying the investigation had confirmed 500 cases of physical abuse and 67 instances of sexual abuse over six decades. The true number of victims could be as high as 700.

Weber specifically criticized former head choirmaster Georg Ratzinger, who served from 1964-1994 and is the 93-year-old elder brother of retired Pope Benedict XVI. Children attending both the Regensburger Domspatzen’s pre-school and high school were victims of the alleged abuse. Those interviewed described their experiences at the boarding schools in southern Germany as “the worst time of their lives, characterised by fear, violence, and hopelessness,” like “a prison, hell, and a concentration camp.”

It is unlikely that anyone will be prosecuted for the abuse because statutes of limitation have run out. The Vatican has been accused by the UN and others of “systematically” adopting policies that allowed priests to sexually abuse thousands of children in parishes all over the world. Pope Francis has called for action to eliminate physical and sexual abuse in the Church, but his efforts thus far have faced numerous obstacles.

Japan, No Country for Young Men: Japan’s population is “projected to declinefrom 127 million in 2015 to 88 million by 2065,” but the number of individuals over 65 years of age will increase for the next few years. Facing this demographic crunch, some Japanese doctors are proposing that senior citizens in Japan be defined as those 75 and older. By changing this classification, some Japanese policymakers are hoping that the aging Japanese workforce will continue to contribute to society well into their 60s and 70s, thereby relieving healthcare costs for the rest of society. Over the past few years, countless articles have been written about Japan’s declining birth rates and how many of its young people have stopped having sex. Japan could be a harbinger for other developed countries; the United States had itslowest birth rate in 2016.

Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off…Or Not: For five weeks there has been a military standoff between China and India along their common border region in northwestern Bhutan. The ridiculousness started in mid-June when Indian border guards crossed into China, and the Chinese claimed that they were there illegally to obstruct construction of a new road. India says they were there to urge the construction party to desist. For its part, Bhutan claims the new road is in their country, and thus a clear violation on the part of China. Since then, India and China have both mobilized along the border–India to protect the borders of its long-term ally Bhutan, and China because they can’t resist as good territory dispute, on land or at sea.

While there are reasons for a shooting conflict (establishing regional borders, national pride, military training), none of them are worth sacrificing lives and breaking the 40-year streak of no bloodshed on this border. And the reasons to call the whole thing off are not insignificant. President Xi Jinping would prefer not to have a hot conflict on his hands when the super-duper-mega-important 19th Communist Party National Congress takes place this fall, when he will look to extend his term and receive smiles all around. Indian leaders have publicly called for a peaceful resolution, as well as support from all political parties.

This week, China conducted live fire exercises in a show of force and urged India to withdraw troops to de-escalate the situation. (She didn’t offer to withdraw herself however, a move that would also de-escalate the situation, no?) India has set up logistical support for border troops, signaling her long view of matching China’s ante and preventing uncontested land grabs. Were this 1914, when mobilization meant inevitable war, this would be a grave situation indeed. As it is now, there’s much ado about not much (so far) along the Sino-Indo border.

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