Chapter 11 of the Scout Handbook
February 19, 2020
“It is not the brains that matter most, but that which guides them — the character, the heart, generous qualities, progressive ideas.”
“Nothing in this world is harder than speaking the truth, nothing easier than flattery.”
― Fyodor Dostoevsky
Russia’s Race Toward Ruin
Despite announcements and plans for economic expansion, Russia is now facing a rate of growth slower than the global average. The Russian government reported that their gross domestic product (GDP) grew only half as much as it had the previous year. Critically low private investment and a stumbling state bureaucracy, along with extraordinarily low oil prices have been pinpointed as the main causes of the economic slowdown.
Known as the “lost decade,” no one seems to want to invest in Russian assets, as many feel there is no way the economic situation will get better anytime soon. This seems to reflect a deep-seated Russian belief: “No matter how bad things are today, they can always get worse.” Economic slowdown began six years ago, when Western sanctions restricted access to Western banks and the price of oil fell to historic lows. The faltering economic situation worsened in recent weeks following the outbreak of China’s coronavirus, with the exchange rate for the ruble dropping dramatically as China reports more viral infections.
The faltering economy is very out of line with Russia’s stereotypical public image as global power in good health. Private investors have also begun moving away from putting money into the Russian economy. Russia’s $1.7 trillion economy now ranks 11th in the world, between Canada and South Korea. (NYT, $)
Victory is in the Eye of the Beholder
- Five months after a highly contended election, incumbent president, Ashraf Ghani, has been declared the winner, and now enters his second term as president of Afghanistan. Ghani officially scraped just over 50% of votes, averting a second round run-off following the contended polls, but rival Abdullah Abdullah declared himself the victor, stating the decision on disputed votes were “illegal.”
- Afghanistan may now face a political showdown in a critical period, as the United States is attempting to open communication channels on a withdrawal agreement with the Taliban, which should pave the way for “intra-Afghan talks” with the government in Kabul. The decades-old civil war may continue as two politically charged rivals are now claiming the presidency.
- September’s presidential poll was marred by violence and disillusionment with the political process, as well as fraud. Both Ghani and Abdullah claimed they had won soon after polls closed, and accused the other camp of fraud, which led to the five-month long delay. The election is an eerie parallel to the 2014 election, in which Ghani and Abdullah were the main contenders and also argued bitterly over the result, trading accusations of fraud. (Guardian)
Democracy on Trial
- Nine people were acquitted by a Turkish court in a landmark human rights trial which stemmed from a 2013 protest against the reign of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The court overseeing the trials surprisingly ruled in favor of the defendants, who had been charged with trying to overthrow the government by force after participating in the 2013 Taksim Square protests.
- The case was part of a yearslong crackdown by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after a bloody coup attempt against him in 2016. Thousands of people have been detained and put on trial, with few of the cases being related to the attempted coup.
- Some of the defendants’ families and friends commented that, “Actually millions of people are on trial today… The ones who took to the streets in 80 provinces are on trial. Today in Turkey democracy is on trial.” Hundreds of friends and supporters of detainees were present, and newly elected mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, who defeated Mr. Erdogan’s candidate last year, even voiced support for the defendants ahead of the trial. (NYT, $)
Additional World News
- Senegal Seeks Continued U.S. Military Presence as Trump Administration Weighs Cuts (WSJ, $) & Pompeo blasts corruption, promotes U.S. business in Africa trip (Reuters)
- Wall hastily built ahead of Trump visit in India criticized as ‘hiding poor people’ (Guardian)
- Mass grave shows how Black Death devastated the countryside | Bubonic plague (Guardian)
- Julian Assange: Australian MPs call on UK to block US extradition (Guardian)
- Opioid vending machine opens in Vancouver (Guardian)
There’s No Need to Fear, Trump Tweets are Here
- In clear contradiction to his administration’s goals, President Trump posted a series of Tweets stating his public objection to the restriction of sales of American technology to China. Fears have recently arisen as to whether or not China buying American technologies should be considered to be a national security threat, with members of Trump’s cabinet expected to meet on the 28th of February to discuss the issue in detail.
- However, Mr. Trump seemed to pre-emptively scuttle such moves with his flurry of Tweets, which called the national security concerns an “excuse” and stated that the United States was open for business. Mr. Trump said he has been “very tough on Huawei” but that he wanted American companies “to be able to sell all of this incredible technology.”
- Many companies have objected to potential restrictions to sell to China, saying that it would undermine their ability to compete on a global scale. Foreign firms have already taken steps to limit the American components in their products over concerns that access to parts they need could be cut off. (NYT, $)
George Frey via Getty Images
Chapter 11 of the Scout Handbook
- The Boy Scouts of America have filed for bankruptcy following a surge of lawsuits from over 300 men who say they were sexually abused as Scouts.
- The Boy Scouts program has faced the possibility of bankruptcy since at least December 2018, when a possible Chapter 11 filing was first discussed by the group. Chapter 11 filings usually involve the debtor making a reorganization plan to keep its business alive and pay its creditors over time.
- BSA National Chair Jim Turley signed off on an open letter to victims of abuse, which encouraged people who were abused to come forward and file claims so they can receive compensation from the trust that will be created. Paul Mones, an attorney in Los Angeles who is representing many men who are suing the Boy Scouts, stated that these cases could be “a warning for any organization that hasn’t properly reckoned with reports of abuse.” (NPR)
Additional USA News
- The Rod Blagojevich scandal and Trump’s commutation of his sentence, explained (Vox)
- Trump calls for Roger Stone’s conviction to be thrown out (Guardian) & As Trump Claims to Be Law of the Land, Barr’s Irritation Builds (NYT, $)
- Stephen Miller’s New York Times wedding announcement sparks backlash (Guardian)
- John Bolton breaks his silence after Trump impeachment: ‘I knew what I was getting into’ (Guardian)
- As Homelessness Plagues Los Angeles, Success Comes for Veterans (NYT, $)
- The Struggle to Mend America’s Rural Roads (NYT, $)
- ‘Most Visible Jews’ Fear Being Targets as Anti-Semitism Rises (NYT, $)
Can’t Recycle This
- A new study of hundreds of recycling facilities across the United States has shown that a large percentage of items being recycled isn’t being recycled at all. The US recycling economy was upended in 2018 when China enacted bans on imports of most US recycling, leaving recycling companies at a loose end, and it seems that there has not been full recovery.
- A major problem with the system of recycling that a lot of companies mislabel and misrepresent what items can be properly recycled. “Mixed plastics” are the newest trend for manufacturers, as the production cost is fairly cheap, but most recycling plants lack the ability to process and “recycle” these items. This has led to an increase of throw-away plastic that ends up in the ocean or in incinerators.
- There is hope for the future of recycling, however. Many experts on the situation have stated that American facilities are slowly working toward accommodating for the new type of “mixed plastics,” and that our domestic systems will improve in the long-term. (Guardian)
- Are plastic containers safe for our food? Experts say it’s hard to know (Guardian)
Additional Reads
- America’s monopoly problem, explained by your internet bill (Vox)
- SpaceX will launch private citizens into orbit (The Verge)
- The simple maths error that can lead to bankruptcy (BBC)
- Hive heists: why the next threat to bees is organized crime (Guardian)
- Your DNA is a valuable asset, so why give it to ancestry websites for free? | Laura Spinney (Guardian)
- Amazon Changes the Way It Recruits M.B.A.s (WSJ, $)
- Sleep Trackers Can Make It Harder To Fall Asleep (NPR)
- How Millennials Could Make the Fed’s Job Harder (NYT, $)
- Young Men Embrace Gender Equality, but They Still Don’t Vacuum (NYT, $)
LAST MORSELS
“Don’t let us forget that the causes of human actions are usually immeasurably more complex and varied than our subsequent explanations of them.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky