The History of the Decline and Fall of the American Empire

“We are determined that before the sun sets on this terrible struggle, Our Flag will be recognized throughout the World as a symbol of Freedom on the one hand and of overwhelming force on the other.” – George C. Marshall

“Military power wins battles, but spiritual power wins wars.” – Ibid.

“The only way human beings can win a war is to prevent it.” – Ibid.

China and America’s Trade and Tech Wars Turn Hot: The White House has been picking up the pieces left behind by Trump’s announcement of tariffs on almost every Chinese product. White House advisors have stated that the war will be won because China has more to lose than the US, but traders and investors are cowered under their mahogany tables, stockpiling wads of hundred dollar bills in their sock drawers. China has not been afraid to retaliate against proposed tariffs with their own tariffs, and the next cold, hard, trade war may begin on July 6th – the proposed date of the tariffs.

Much like telecommunications company ZTE, a Chinese corporation known as Huawei has been long banned and shunned by the United States. Their most recent efforts have taken them down under to Australia, where it is trying to take advantage of the nation’s need for an upgrade in mobile networking. Much like the ever looming trade war between the US and China, Huawei fears a cold war on the tech front; one that would see the US’ influence outgrow its own, as the US has had such a strong stance against the “inept security and data protection” provided by the firm.

Unfriending NATO and the United Nations: Like any relationship, with distance comes troubles. You want to see other people and explore new things. The United States feels the same way with Europe, but (relationship counselor) NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg does not want the transatlantic relationship to end, as it would cause political strife and uncertainty. Calling for an intervention, Jens is attempting to rally NATO representatives to work out an agreement to avoid a disastrous breakdown in western unity.

The United States has other troubles with its friend groups, however. US ambassador Nikki Haley is quoted to announce that they will no longer participate in the United Nations Human Rights Council due to the committee’s anti-Israel stance. Like a college rejecting applicants, this will be the United States’ most recent rejection after pulling out of the Paris climate agreement and denying the Iran nuclear deal.

– Matteo Salvini has announced a radical change to the populous of Italy, claiming that he will rid the country of thousands of nomadic Roma. Unsurprising after his refusal to accept 600 Mediterranean migrants this past week, Salvini’s move is in line with the current trend among European countries – little to no immigration. (Guardian)

– Buy your tickets to see North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un’s tour now! After his crossing into South Korea, and journey through the streets of Singapore, the leader did not idle at home; he recently landed in Beijing in the midst of a looming trade war between the US and China. (NPR)

– George Lucas didn’t direct this direct to United States film; only President Donald Trump could have dreamt up such a marvel as a sixth military branch – the Space Force. Looking to continue competing with China and Russia in the “space race,” Trump called for the Pentagon and Department of Defense to begin the process of establishing a new military branch. However, Congress must approve and release new legislation before anything else can begin. In the near future, “space cadet” will actually be a real term as opposed to a negative moniker. (NPR)

– Activists in Myanmar are up in arms against Facebook’s futile efforts to quell hate speech on their platform. In a country riddled with civil wars and lack of political freedom, hate speech also runs rampant, and citizens of the small Asian country are sick and tired of it. (NPR)

– Japan Airlines and Nippon Airlines have both changed “Taiwan” to “China Taiwan” on their Chinese-language websites. Taiwan has not retaliated (yet), as the “One China” policy plays a large role in Japan-China relations. China had earlier requested airlines to comply to Beijing standards of having Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau listed as Chinese territories. (Guardian)

– Emmanuel Macron doesn’t shy away from selfie sticks or group pictures – but just don’t call him Manu. At a recent outing near Paris, a teen called him by the nickname “Manu” to which Macron did not respond politely. Snapping back at the teen, his tone changed quite quickly, apologizing to the president. Macron reportedly did not let go of the situation, scolding the teen, making sure he knew what Mr. President was made of. (Guardian)

Turkey’s Marvel Civil War: Sunday marks Turkey’s election, and everything leading up to it has been nothing short of a Marvel Civil War. Dozens of people have been injured and killed due to their political beliefs, and the violence does not seem to be letting up. Election centers have been ransacked, stabbings are frequent, and rallies have been canceled due to lack of security.

This violence seems very much tied to the failed coup in 2016 and the president’s response to the coup attempt. Detainment and purges ensued following the failure, and a state of emergency has been ongoing for two years. Looking for re-election, it is clear that Erdogan will not let the election slip out of his grip easily – or peacefully.

– Communism did not emerge victorious for West Point graduate Spenser Rapone. Following a Che Guevara t-shirt stunt at his graduation ceremony and online messages reading “Communism will win,” the “Commie cadet” was discharged from the US army. (Guardian)

– Jeff Sessions and Stephen Miller were not always dominant anti-immigration champions. They started from the fringes of the political world, but their word has slowly crept into the inner circle of the White House, where they both now sit. Zero tolerance is the new name of the game, and their influence continues to seep through the cracks of the Trump administration. (NYT)

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– Smarter, Not Harder: How to Succeed at Work: “The key to better outcomes is not working harder. Most of us already work long hours. We take work home, we’re always on, we tackle anything we’re asked to do, and we do it to the best of our ability. It doesn’t seem to matter how many things we check off our to-do lists or how many hours we work, though; our performance doesn’t seem to improve.” (Farnam Street)

– How CEOs Manage Time: CEOs, of course, have a great deal of help and resources at their disposal. However, they, more than anyone else in the organization, confront an acute scarcity of one resource. That resource is time. There is never enough time to do everything that a CEO is responsible for. Despite this, CEOs remain accountable for all the work of their organizations. (Harvard Business Review)

– “Listen to Children Who’ve Just Been Separated From Their Parents at the Border: ProPublica has obtained audio from inside a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility, in which children can be heard wailing as an agent jokes, ‘We have an orchestra here.”’ (ProPublica)

– “Lies, China And Putin: Solving The Mystery Of Wilbur Ross’ Missing Fortune.” (Forbes)

– “Fall of the American Empire: America has long been a powerful nation. In particular, we emerged from World War II with a level of both economic and military dominance not seen since the heyday of ancient Rome. But our role in the world was always about more than money and guns. It was also about ideals: America stood for something larger than itself — for freedom, human rights and the rule of law as universal principles.” (NYT)

LAST MORSELS

“Men can do a great deal with very little if they have high morale and determination.” – George C. Marshall

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