Puberty boy learning about China's 1959-1961 famine during social study. "Crazy stuff..." "Welcome to Maoism."

Trump Is Said to Be in Talks to Send Afghans Who Aided U.S. Forces to Congo

Shame on us.I think of the brave Afghans who stood alongside us against the Taliban, esp. those I worked with during my years in command of the NATO mission there. Incomprehensible that we wouldn't bring them to the US, fulfilling basic obligations of trust & honor. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/21/w...

The best way to deal with a belligerent oil exporter is to cut off its oil exports. The West dropped the ball on Russia in 2022, but the US is now doing this right with Iran. Iran faces severe economic pain, capital flight and infighting. Kudos to the US...
robinjbrooks.substack.com/p/what-a-suc...

Thirteen U.S. troops died trying to get these people to safety — Afghan interpreters, soldiers, and the families of our service members. Veterans spent sleepless nights during the chaotic withdrawal fighting to keep them alive. Now our own government is going to abandon them.

To dream bigger, maybe a US-led East Asia military alliance (JP, TW, KR) based on the shared love of baseball?

Japan opens door to global arms market with overhaul of defence export rules Japan on ​Tuesday unveiled its biggest overhaul of defence export rules in decades, scrapping restrictions on overseas arms sales and ‌opening the way for exports of warships, missiles and other weapo...

Say no more. www.reuters.com/world/china/...

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For those interested in what Japan's recent economic history may tell us about other economies that copied its growth model, it's worth noting that in Japan, the term “excess competition” (過当競争, katō kyōsō) emerged, mostly in the 1960s, to express what was seen at the time as an urgent problem.

Old enough to remember when Chinese officials said "We cannot compete with the Americans on strategy".

‘Murica. Land of… well, just land

A bombshell new report reveals that top military officials have kept Trump out of the room during Iran war operations because they fear his erratic behavior will put troops in harm’s way.

www.wsj.com/politics/nat...

Japan to join largest Balikatan war games with 1,400 troops, Type 88 missiles - Naval News Japan will join the largest military exercises hosted by the Philippines and the United States for the first time as an active participant, deploying around 1,400 combat troops and introducing its Typ...

www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...

In Hitler's final days, he blamed everyone around him, but himself, for the grave failures. It resonates.

Greenlanders wisely chose to eschew the Tax Return festival.

The best way to explain the shinto shrine to Americans is to say it’s like the free public library. Every neighborhood has one. Somewhat useful.

Orban, Beacon to the Right, Concedes Defeat in Hungary’s Election

Yes, democracy sometimes fails to deliver, but autocrats always fail to deliver. Now one is thrown out of power by THE PEOPLE. On to the next. When will that man in Beijing face his turn?
www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/w...

It seems Trump’s Forbidden City tour would be postponed again.

Spot the difference between airports in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

It appears none of Melania's advisors have heard of the Streisand effect.

Amazing how Wall Street rallies these days in view of a U.S. defeat.

You can almost hear the pencils' scratching sound of counsellors studying up on the 25th Amendment in Beijing.

The EU may be mired in red tape, but the security at airport in Italy is probably more efficient and pleasant than any major ones in the U.S., and heavily laden with common sense.

Whether China will "win the tech race" is beside the point. By investing in tech self-reliance and decoupling, Beijing is raising the stake in any contingency (not just that over Taiwan) against the West (not just America).

Looking forward to Bondi's tell-all book (and that from Pete, Tulsi, etc etc).

People do not appreciate what a vast, fundamental sea change batteries are bringing to the electrical system.

Spain, America's Japan.

Crossing the border into Italy, in the notification for taking a photo, it’s English for the Japan passport, but Mandarin (not Cantonese) for the Hong Kong one. Perhaps the China century has arrived.

As Women’s History Month comes to an end, I want to recognize all the women who have served our country, from the Revolutionary War to today. Even when our country refused their help, they stepped up and served anyway. They’ll always be a part of America’s story.

The Shocking Speed of China’s Scientific Rise When will Chinese research pull ahead of the U.S.’s?

www.theatlantic.com/science/2026...