Washington Post (October 29)
“China’s conduct in recent days in the South China Sea seems neither accidental nor unintentional.” President Xi Jinping may be trying to divert “his people’s attention from growing domestic problems — a faltering economy and a leadership crisis.” Regardless of China’s motives, “it’s imperative that the administration send constant reminders to Beijing and to America’s allies in the region that the United States is a Pacific power and can deal with multiple crises at once.”
Tags: Accidental, Allies, Attention, China, Conduct, Divert, Domestic problems, Faltering economy, Leadership crisis, Motives, Reminders, South China Sea, U.S., Unintentional, Xi
Irish Examiner (December 1)
“Why did Elon Musk purchase Twitter? His official answer — to defend free speech and democracy — is so unconvincing that the question won’t go away. Musk’s repeated appeals to these ideals to justify important decisions he has made since taking over are so confounding that they raise deep suspicions about his motives.”
Tags: Confounding, Decisions, Deep suspicions, Democracy, Free speech, Ideals, Important, Justify, Motives, Musk, Purchase, Twitter, Unconvincing
New York Times (September 4)
“What does Kim Jong-un want?” That is the question that still plagues intelligence officials. “Six years after Mr. Kim took power and began executing those who challenged his rule…there is no issue that confounds analysts more than the motives of a 33-year-old dictator whose every move seems one part canny strategy, one part self-preservation, and one part nuclear narcissism.”
Tags: Canny, Challenge, Dictator, Executions, Intelligence, Kim, Motives, Narcissism, Nuclear, Power, Self-preservation, Strategy
