Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
Latest Commentary:
Trump Threatens Withdrawal from INF Treaty -- Back in 1987, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev agreed to get rid of all the short- and intermediate-range nuclear missiles in their respective arsenals under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty [INF]. Missiles that could travel anywhere from 310-3,240 miles and their launchers became illegal, save a handful for static display. By May 1991, almost 2,700 missiles had been eliminated. On-site inspections followed. President Trump has said he wants to withdraw from it. This journal thinks it is another attempt by him to take credit for putting out a fire he himself started. [October 22]
Pentagon Questions Navy's Proposal for More Carriers -- Deputy Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan is reviewing the Navy's plan to build a third and fourth aircraft carrier in the Gerald R. Ford class. He has said that the final decision will be designed to ensure the US can win any war it fights, strengthens America's industrial base and delivers the best value for taxpayers. If those are the criteria, canceling the extra carriers is the only plausible decision. [October 19]
Brexit Summit Fails over Irish Border -- The minority Tory government of Theresa May is foundering in its negotiations with Brussels over the terms of Britain's departure from the EU. A summit yesterday that was originally set to finalize the arrangements for post-Brexit relations between the UK and the EU turned out to be a waste of time. Ms. May did not even bring any new proposals to the meeting. The main stumbling block remains the question of the Irish-Ulster border and how to avoid making it a problem for trade and employment. The issue has no solution on the horizon, and the best the parties have been able to do is establish a transition period that runs from Brexit Day in March 2019 to the end of 2020. Quite what is supposed to happen after that is unclear. [October 18]
Trump Administration May Demand Price Information in Drug Ads -- Alex M. Azar II, the secretary of health and human services, was delivering a speech at the National Academy of Medicine on Monday. In that speech, he said his department was going to make drug companies reveal the price of their drugs whenever they advertise. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America [PhRMA] would rather have the ads refer people to company websites for pricing information. The quibble is over whether the list price of a drug is misleading because of all the discounts, various insurance coverages and so on that affect the actual price of a drug. This journal is fine with either solution if advertising to the consumer is going to be allowed. [October 17]
Khashoggi Murder Being Whitewashed -- Jamal Khashoggi of the Washington Post was definitely murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. The Associated Press is reporting that Turkish officials have found evidence of the murder. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (known as MBS) is the Minister of Defense among his other titles, and therefore, the security service answers to him. The current plan is to diffuse the situation that has pitted the Saudis, Turks and Americans against one another. "Rogue killers" was the term President Trump used for the excuse that will become official policy in the next few hours. Then, everyone can get back to business, except the late Mr. Khashoggi.[October 16]
© Copyright 2018 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
Volume XVI, Number 184
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