I have a lot of stupid opinions on the news, but I recognize most of this I might just be echoing what I read.
Yet there are some areas where I have first hand knowledge, and I will comment on those stories that are sort of below the fold, i.e. ignored in favor of propaganda and spin.
StrategyPage has their yearly summary of wars around the world. Read the whole thing (Slowly).
Overall things are a lot more peaceful than the headlines or Internet chatter would have you believe. Like most major trends, world peace just kind of sneaked up on everyone and a lot of people have not noticed.
the most under reported story of the decade: a lot less violence and a lot fewer wars... and hey people are getting out of poverty in a big way.
They also discuss the big problem of corruption, the covid epidemic, the problem of failed states, and why tribalism is one of the biggest problems for failed or failing states.
And they then discuss a lot of countries that are in the news, giving background of the stories in the headlines.
and a lot of these problems are caused by corruption (yes, religion etc. is blamed, but often these rabid religious and communist zealots are rebelling against the corrupt officials who run their countries).
Here is a snippet of the Philippines section, discussing the economic problems and the inability to make nice with China who cheats.
But here is why Duterte continues with a 65percent approval rating:
Since elected president in 2016 Rodrigo Duterte did what most Filipinos wanted to reduce crime and drug violence. ....He did and his term-limited job as president ends in mid-2022.... Duterte presided over peace with Moslem separatists in the south and an end to leftist rebel movements...By 2020 Islamic terrorists and communist rebels were much less active because there were a lot fewer of them and there was much less popular support. Duterte may not be the solution to the many problems the country faces but he was the most radical, and promising, one to come along in decades. He continues to receive record high approval ratings from the voters even as local and foreign critics accuse him of atrocious behavior.
the CIA hates Duterte and the feeling is mutual: it's about the CIA getting a drug suspect out of jail in his Davao days, while hating Duterte for trying (yet alas failing) to make nice with China.
Yes. the PC foreign critics even gave a Nobel prize to a fake ex CNN journalist who set up her own (English) webpage with foreign money (forbidden by local law) much of it donated from sources that are suspected to be CIA fronts. In the meanwhile, brave local journalists who often write in local language papers or radio stations continue to be killed ( 3 in 2020, which is down from previous years), but these deaths are usually ignored (usually the murder for hire by businessmen or gov't officials who they dared to spill the beans on).... Remember, it took ten years but finally the slow prosecution of the (CIA Friendly) Arroyo allies in Manguinadao was settled in 2019, under Duterte's watch. Hello Garci is the background of that scandal.
It's the corruption, stupid. Duterte has a corruption problem, but again it has to be looked at in comparison to the rest of them (Lolo would frequently say of politicians here: They're all crooks).
Sigh.
the bad news is that it doesn't look like Biden will defend the takeover of the West Philippine sea, or probably even try to defend Taiwan. Yes, Biden is a good man, but he is weak.
Mr. Chamberlain call your office. Winston is warmongering again.
Sigh.
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