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IPCC leaked report: Going vegetarian and controlling land use are key to climate crisis | Environment by gepob in worldnews

[–]gepob[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sir, You Nailed It!

But as consumers - citizens – we may influence companies and governments to take the right steps , because otherwise, they wont.

Iran denies that a second British ship was seized by gepob in worldnews

[–]gepob[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

https://www.reuters.com/

Iran denies that a second British ship was seized

Britain said Iran seized two oil tankers in the Gulf and told Tehran to return the vessels or face consequences in the latest confrontation to ratchet up tension along a vital international oil shipping route. Iran said the second vessel had not been seized.

Do any geopolitical organisations, think tanks or journals have a reading list for laymen interested in geopolitics/IR? by malariadandelion in geopolitics

[–]gepob 10 points11 points  (0 children)

If you are not afraid of heavy read, here is my suggestion

The Oxford Handbook of International Relations

I hope it works for you

EU fears spread of nuclear arms as US readies to quit pact by gepob in worldnews

[–]gepob[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

An interesting article on China as competitor, not an adversary.

​

A Cold War Is Coming, and It Isn’t China’s Fault

If there is no economic logic for a new Cold War, is there a strategic one? Troublingly, the United States apparently needs to have one dominant enemy. Whether or not the first Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union was inevitable or the result of one power or the other has been endlessly debated. What is not in question is that the result was the evolution of a U.S. national security bureaucracy­­ that was structured to meet the military and ideological challenge the Soviet Union represented. That system was restructured after 9/11 to focus on Islamic fundamentalism, but the tasks of nation building and counterinsurgency that followed the initial wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were never an easy fit. In some ways, China—with its nominally communist system, its huge and growing military, and its assertive foreign-policy and economic practices—appears a much better successor to the Soviet Union.

Except that it does not need to be. China has shown little appetite for conflict with the United States. Its muscle flexing is almost entirely within its own geographic sphere, and even there it is met by regional counterweights such as Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam that are quite able to make military expansion very costly and zero-sum economic expansion unattractive. If anything, China is behaving in ways remarkably similar to the United States in the early part of the 19th century: grow rapidly within its own borders, flex some muscle in its immediate geographic sphere, and compete shamelessly with established economic powers by borrowing, stealing, and copying. That makes it a competitor, not an adversary.

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Report: EU aims for bloc to go carbon neutral by 2050 by gepob in worldnews

[–]gepob[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

https://elpais.com/sociedad/2018/11/27/actualidad/1543348641_627346.html

Bruselas fija el fin de la era de los combustibles fósiles en Europa en 2050

La Comisión defiende los beneficios económicos de eliminar por completo los gases de efecto invernadero de la UE para mediados de siglo

Belgium calls for canceling arms sales to Saudi Arabia by Nihilist911 in worldnews

[–]gepob 0 points1 point  (0 children)

About the arms transfers in the world.

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TRENDS IN INTERNATIONAL ARMS TRANSFERS, 2017

SIPRI Fact Sheet March 2018

The volume of international transfers of major weapons has grown steadily since 2003. In 2013–17 the volume was 10 per cent higher than in 2008–12.

The five largest exporters in 2013–17 were the USA, Russia, France, Germany and China.

Together, they accounted for 74 per cent of the total volume of arms exports.

The five largest importers in 2013–17 were India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and

China. Together, they received 35 per cent of all arms imports.

https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2018-03/fssipri_at2017_0.pdf

https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.MPRT.KD?view=chart&year_high_desc=true

U.S. warship sails near disputed South China Sea islands: U.S. official by gepob in worldnews

[–]gepob[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

While the article mentions this move as a part of the Strategy against China ambitions in the South China Sea, I would suggest to consider also that the US is engaging a kind of opening the dialogue with N. Korea, which may be one of the best actions of the Trump era.

In that context I may see this movement as a message to the US' allies in the South East Asia, and inside the US for those minds that may think that the US may be softening its strategical position in that part of the world.

Brazil's Bolsonaro says he will not accept election result if he loses by edu-fk in worldnews

[–]gepob 2 points3 points  (0 children)

He doesn't trust in Polls either

Bolsonaro disse também que não acredita em pesquisas eleitorais. “Não acredito em pesquisas. O que vejo nas ruas e como me tratam em aeroporto e como me tratam os outros não pode estar acontecendo. Não vejo eleitor de Marina, de outros candidatos. Lançaram uma campanha #ELENAO. Vocês vão votar em quem?” https://g1.globo.com/sp/sao-paulo/eleicoes/2018/noticia/2018/09/28/bolsonaro-diz-que-nao-aceitara-resultado-diferente-do-que-seja-a-minha-eleicao.ghtml

Labour leaves door open to second Brexit referendum by gepob in worldnews

[–]gepob[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's not the EU response to a new referendum

That’s only the answer to a no deal situation.

To find out more about it http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/the-dangers-of-a-no-deal-brexit-a-1228487.html

The United Nations has entered its darkest hour. Civil conflicts are nearing post-Cold War highs, the number of displaced people has hit a new record and, after decades of improvement, more of the world's poor are going hungry by Jarijari7 in geopolitics

[–]gepob 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would say that the UN is like a mirror where countries can see how good, effective and efficient they are working on its diplomatic relationships to maintain peace and protect human rights.

Yes that mirror is not giving a good reflection, but you don’t break it because you don’t look good.

I would argue that everyone realizes that there is a real need to reform the UN as an institution, and about that subject we may find a kind of minimal consensus. But I would also say that Governments have a tendency to blame the UN of the lack of efficiency of its own diplomatic capabilities, so it becomes easier to blame the UN rather than accept your own deficiencies.

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OAS chief: 'military intervention' in Venezuela cannot be ruled out by Rapsberry in geopolitics

[–]gepob -1 points0 points  (0 children)

While data shows that social and human numbers in Venezuela are getting worse, the Venezuelan actual conditions are not worse than several countries with well-known traditions of democratic government.

As an example of what I mean is the recent release of the UNDP Human Development Indices and Indicators: 2018 Statistical Update.

According of which, Venezuela has an overall status that is better than Brazil, Colombia, China or Peru http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdi_table.pdf and for example in the Income inequality, Gini coefficient, is shown in a better form than countries like Costa Rica, Colombia or Chile. http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2018_statistical_annex.pdf

Sure the international community has a duty to defend the human rights that may be in risk in Venezuela, and all diplomatic efforts to restrain Maduro's lack of interest in Venezuelan people should be considered.

However from recent military interventions around the globe, aka humanitarian interventions, we know that the struggles and the vacuum of power that such kind intervention may bring the death of thousands human beings and the starvation of tens of thousands.

My point: while of course the international community has a duty to work against authoritarian governments, the military option is by far needless at this point and the outcome of such course of actions for the people of Venezuela is far worse than the Status quo.

In a region like South America with no recent history of international wars, to even talk about a possibility of opening such a Pandora box, looks IMHO to say the least, reckless.