Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Mikhail Gorbachev’s passing yesterday at age 91 is a good occasion to review some of the profound mistakes of the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush presidencies regarding Afghanistan. Reagan-era officials refused to believe that Premier Gorbachev actually intended to pull Soviet troops out of Afghanistan, though Gorbachev came into […]
MAGA GOP Complains about Biden’s “Semi-Fascism” Jibe; Also MAGA GOP: There will be Blood in the Streets
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – President Joe Biden told donors at a fundraising dinner a few days ago, “”The MAGA Republicans don’t just threaten our personal rights and economic security. They’re a threat to our very democracy. They refuse to accept the will of the people. They embrace … political violence. They don’t believe in […]
Netherlands innovates with Floating Solar Panels in Sea, Locally-owned Wind Farm Cooperative
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Netherlands was long a laggard regarding the green energy revolution and combating the climate emergency, perhaps in part because it is a fossil gas-producing country. Even so, the Netherlands is now making strides toward an energy switch with some innovative approaches. It is still a little behind the European […]
Residents of Misafer Yatta — Being Slowly Ethnically Cleansed by Israel — take Refuge in Caves
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Israeli usurpation of nine Palestinian hamlets of Misafer Yatta near Hebron has driven some of the residents to shelter in caves, after their domiciles were demolished by Israeli Occupation troops. So report Allyson Horn, Fouad AbuGosh and Haidarr Jones, writing at the Australian Broadcast Network. They quote one such […]
Pakistan: Climate Emergency-Driven, biblical Floods affect 33 million People Leave Millions Homeless
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Heavy flooding in southern Pakistan has destroyed or damaged 670,000 homes, according to Reliefweb. During an ordinary monsoon season in Pakistan beginning in June and ending in September, there would be four waves of precipitation. There have been eight such waves since June. Households in that country have an average […]
California to Require All New Car Purchases in 2035 to be Electric, in Massive Change for Auto Industry
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The California Air Resources Board has ruled that no all-gasoline cars can be sold new in California by 2035, according to AP. This measure has brought California into line with the European Union, which has the same deadline for going electric, as does Canada. Some 17 other states, including New […]
Why the Right Wingers in Israel and the US Really Oppose Iran Nuclear Deal: They want Regime Change Instead
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Right wing Israeli politicians such as former prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and even centrist politicians like caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid have fulminated against any US renewal of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). As with the loony Right wing in the US (increasingly […]
Is US fight against Shiite Militias in Syria becoming entangled in Russia-US Ukraine Tensions?
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – AP reports that early today, Wednesday, the US military launched air strikes against Iran-backed Shiite militias in Deir al-Zor Province, eastern Syria. The bombings came in response to drone attacks on the US base at Tanf, Syria, allegedly by these militias, on August 15. Those drone actions did not result […]
Our Carbon Dioxide Emissions could wipe out 87% of Marine Life if we don’t Quickly get to Zero
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Some 87% of marine species are at risk of being wiped out or devastated by 2100 if the world goes on dumping 35 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, write Daniel G. Boyce et al at Nature Climate Change. Sea life is facing two major challenges […]