March 15, 2018 – Astute News

March 15, 2018

The Myth of a Neo-Imperial China

The geopolitical focus of the still young 21st century spans the Indian Ocean from the Persian Gulf all the way to the South China Sea alongside the spectrum from Southwest Asia to Central Asia and China. That happens to configure the prime playing ground, overland and maritime, of the New Silk Roads, or the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The...

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March 15, 2018

“Fake News” and World War III. The Danger of Nuclear Annihilation

We are at a dangerous crossroads in our history. The dangers of a Third World War are routinely obfuscated by the media. A world of fantasy permeates the mainstream media which tacitly upholds the conduct of nuclear war as a peace-making endeavor. World War III is terminal. Albert Einstein understood the perils of nuclear war and the extinction of life on...

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March 15, 2018

Witnessing Vladimir Putin: Emperor of Patience

Russia’s president has marked our time now. No matter what your persuasion, even the die hard liberal world order minion must realize the character of greatness when he or she sees it. V.V. Putin rules modern diplomacy and politics, if for no other reason than his unimpeachable patience and pragmatism. Here’s another salute to Putin and to the ticking moments...

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March 15, 2018

What Secretary of State Tillerson’s Firing Means

Senator Chuck Schumer (D, NY) says Tillerson’s firing indicates that the Trump administration is disintegrating. I understand why Senator Schumer sees it that way, expecially following all the other dismissals and resignations. I see it differently. The firing of Secretary of State Tillerson, the movement of CIA Director Pompeo to Secretary of State, and the promotion of Gina Haspel, who...

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March 15, 2018

Who Gains From Poisoning a Russian Exile in Britain?

The British are well known for their dramatic flair when it comes to stories of Cold War espionage and murder mystery. Think Ian Fleming, John Le Carré and Agatha Christie. But this week’s episode of a former Russian spy being poisoned on a public park bench in a quaint English town has suspiciously a tad too much drama about it. It is being speculated...

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March 15, 2018

Tillerson Out, Pompeo In: Where Are We in the US Foreign Policy?

The time is right to take stock of where we are in the US foreign policy. Rumors about State Secretary Tillerson being at odds with President Trump had been swirling since last October but nothing had portended his dismissal on March 13. It was the most unusual way of firing the fourth most important official in the presidential line of...

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March 15, 2018

Trump Hires and Fires, and the Gulf ‘Sideshow’ Rumbles On

Emiratis are publicly celebrating and Qataris are privately mourning, but Donald Trump’s sacking of Rex Tillerson is unlikely to shift US policy on the row between Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their regional rival Qatar, according to analysts. On Tuesday, Trump announced on Twitter he was firing Tillerson, citing the now former secretary of state’s wish to stay on course...

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March 15, 2018

A Nuclear Travelogue: From North Korea to Saudi Arabia

As one nuclear crisis winds down in Asia (maybe) is President Donald Trump laying the foundations for a new nuclear crisis in the Middle East? On Thursday, March 8, came the surprise news that President Donald Trump had accepted an invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un of North Korea. South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-Yong made the announcement at...

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Daily Archive: March 15, 2018

The Myth of a Neo-Imperial China

“Fake News” and World War III. The Danger of Nuclear Annihilation

Witnessing Vladimir Putin: Emperor of Patience

What Secretary of State Tillerson’s Firing Means

Who Gains From Poisoning a Russian Exile in Britain?

Tillerson Out, Pompeo In: Where Are We in the US Foreign Policy?

Trump Hires and Fires, and the Gulf ‘Sideshow’ Rumbles On

A Nuclear Travelogue: From North Korea to Saudi Arabia