LA Times (July 26)
“Washington’s biggest problem isn’t gridlock or wasted dollars—it’s men…. Men tried to pass a bill that only 13% of Americans supported, contributing to the (true) perception that the majority of Congress does not give a damn about what ordinary citizens think.” Their errant attempts were initially thwarted women who stood up for their beliefs, something they continue to do “even in the face of massive dissent” and political strong-arming.
Tags: Beliefs, Citizens, Congress, Dissent, Gridlock, Men, Strong-arming, Support, Washington, Waste
Wall Street Journal (June 23)
“Saudi Arabia has resisted modernity since its founding in 1932. But the political sands are shifting, and the change will accelerate with Wednesday’s appointment of Mohammed bin Salman as Crown Prince.” Remarkably, he is a reformist and less than half the age of the typical heir. This is “squarely in the U.S. national interest. Washington should support and encourage the young prince as he pursues change.”
Tags: Age, Change, Crown Prince, Modernity, National interest, Reformist, Salman, Saudi Arabia, Support, U.S.
Financial Times (January 4)
Whether “Abenomics remains a relevant force…may depend heavily upon the performance of the Nikkei 225 Average over the next six weeks.” If the “huge dip that savaged the benchmark” last year during the same period can be avoided, many analysts believe “we may be looking at a market with enough foreign buying and other support to sustain the current bull run.”
Tags: Abenomics, Analysts, Benchmark, Bull run, Dip, Foreign buying, Market, Nikkei 225, Performance, Relevant force, Support
Los Angeles Times (September 23)
“Hillary Clinton would make a sober, smart and pragmatic president. Donald Trump would be a catastrophe.” Electing the first female U.S. president “would surely be as exhilarating as it is long overdue…. But that’s not the chief reason to vote for her. She deserves America’s support because she is the overwhelmingly better candidate.”
The Economist (April 2)
With rising anxiety, free trade has become “a touchstone issue in America’s presidential election.” Candidates across the spectrum are stepping back from free trade, if not outright attacking it. “Freer trade was one of the engines of the prosperous decades following the second world war, in America and beyond. Yet mainstream politicians are now not only afraid to champion it, they pour fuel on the fire. That is lamentable. Free trade still deserves full-throated support, even if greater care needs to be taken of those it hurts.”
Tags: Anxiety, Candidates, Champion, Election, Free trade, Lamentable, Support, U.S.
New York Times (November 6)
“Support for making marijuana legal is increasing around the world, and that is a good thing…. Laws banning the growing, distribution and possession of marijuana have caused tremendous damage to society, with billions spent on imprisoning people for violating pointlessly harsh laws.” Moreover, “marijuana is far less harmful than alcohol and tobacco, and can be used to treat medical conditions like chronic pain.”
Tags: Alcohol, Ban, Damage, Distribution, Legal, Marijuana, Pain, Possession, Prison, Society, Support, Tobacco
Wall Street Journal (July 28)
When China’s roller-coaster stock market plunged downward in early July, “the Communist Party responded with every measure conceivable to fix the market.” This included the suspension of trading. “At one point in the middle of July 97% of all listed companies’ shares were not trading, 51% because management had sought a suspension and 46% because the share prices were down by the 10% daily limit.” On July 27, the Shanghai Composite took its biggest tumble ever, but this downswing “may be good news. Monday’s drop was due in large part to investor fears that the government is pulling back on market support. If Beijing has learned from its failure to prop up stock prices, that could mean the market finds a bottom.”
Tags: Bottom, China, Government, Listed, Market, Shanghai Composite, Shares, Stock market, Support, Suspension, Trading
New York Times (October 28)
“It is anyone’s guess how much more turmoil the Ukrainian people can take after they have watched their country battered, dismembered and bankrupted.” Nevertheless, Sunday’s elections “demonstrated that a large majority still support reform and a Westward course. At this critical juncture, it is imperative that the United States and European Union support them with immediate, tangible and generous support.”
Washington Post (October 23)
It’s reassuring to think “that the Islamic State is its own worst enemy, so extreme in doctrine and practice that it will galvanize opposition within the Islamic world.” The “sobering truth” is less comforting. “The Islamic State also has picked up popular support and the allegiance of other militants in countries as far away as Algeria and Pakistan.”
Tags: Algeria, Allegiance, Doctrine, Enemy, Islamic State, Militants, Opposition, Pakistan, Reassuring, Support
Washington Post (January 24, 2014)
“France’s counterterrorism operations in Africa deserve U.S. support.” Though the U.S. is now largely disengaged from the area, West Africa continues to be a hot bed of al-Quaeda activity. Fortunately, France has moved to fill the vacuum and will likely have 3,000 troops stationed in the region by year end. “For the government of François Hollande, this is a costly and risky initiative, and it deserves strong support from the United States.”
Tags: Africa, Al-Quaeda, Costly, Counterterrorism, Disengagement, France, Initiative, Risky, Support, Troops François Hollande, U.S., Vacuum, West Africa
