Foreign Digest: Italy, Syria, Sudan

Italy

            The European Union accepted the populist Italian Government’s budget for fiscal year 2019 for the Italian Republic last week.  The Government had wanted to exceed the EU’s limit for a budget deficit of 2% of gross domestic product by .4 with a spending spree, but made other cuts to the budget, thereby paring down the excess to .04% while maintaining its budget priorities.  The Italian Parliament approved the budget this weekend.  The EU had found the budget non-compliant and was prepared to invoke punitive measures.  Italy, with the eighth largest economy in the world (third in the eurozone) has a national debt of over $2.3 trillion, one of the largest in the world in terms of GDP.  The Italian debt is slightly over 100% of Italy’s GDP. 

Syria

            Israel continues to strike threatening targets, including Iranian forces, in Syria.  Syria is in civil war because of a rebellion by non-Islamist Arab Muslims, as well as Kurds and Islamist Arabs, against the tyrannical regime of Bashar Assad.  Assad is backed by Iran, Russia and Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi’ite terrorists.  The United States leads an international coalition of Western and Arab forces against the “Islamic State” and al-Qaeda Islamist terrorists, but is withdrawing before the last bit of territory is retaken from the Islamic State.  The Islamic State, an offshoot of al-Qaeda, proclaimed a caliphate in Iraq and Syria and has attracted support from other Islamists throughout the world, but is being deprived of all of its territory, which is necessary in order to prove it is not divinely favored and to prevent it from regaining a safe haven from which to train and launch more attacks.  Meanwhile, Turkey intervenes against Kurds in Syria and Iraq.

Sudan

           There have been protests in Sudan since mid-December, first about the cost of living, and now against the tyrannical Sudanese leader.  There were demonstrations in several cities in Sudan, in addition to the capital.

Happy Feast of the Nativity of the King of Kings

           Merry Christmas!  This Feast of the Nativity of Jesus, let us remember in particular that it is Christ who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and how the Son of God became man and came into the world in the most humble way to love and serve.

European Union Digest: EU Disinformation Countermeasures, Italy and the United Kingdom

European Union disinformation countermeasures

            The European Union is increasing its measures against disinformation, including against anti-vaccination propaganda.  Populists on both the far left and the far right oppose mandatory vaccinations for various reasons.  The authoritarian Russian Federation regime of Vladimir Putin exploits this opportunity to oppose vaccinations to weaken the West.

Italy 

The populist Italian Government recently sacked a pro-vaccination national health board.  The Government had tried to undermine mandatory vaccinations for school students, but had to retreat from its plan in the face of difficulties in the implementation and criticism from healthcare professionals and international organizations.

            The EU last week encouraged the Italian Government to decide soon on whether to complete the high-speed train from Turin to Lyon, France and warned that the Italian Republic may have to return funds to the EU if it decides not to proceed.  The train is opposed by anarchists, socialists and environmentalists.

            In addition to EU bodies, human rights organizations criticized the Italian Government last week for violating the human rights of migrants.

The EU and Italy continue to negotiate over the budget that exceeds EU rules for spending.

A public opinion survey revealed that Italians are fearful and bitter, which causes many of them to seek an authoritarian.  The more economically distressed they are, the more nationalist and resentful toward migrants and refugees. The migration crisis has caused division between Italy and the EU.

United Kingdom: update on leaving the EU

            The Conservative-led Government of the United Kingdom last week withdrew from Parliament its proposed accord with the European Union for leaving that organization.  Some Tories opposed particularly the provisions in regard to the border between the British Province Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, an EU-member.  However, both the EU and the Government insist that no better agreement can be obtained.  Therefore, there is uncertainty over whether the UK will leave the EU or leave without any agreement on issues such as the movement of people, trade, fisheries and aviation by March, the time when the UK will no longer be part of the EU, with or without any agreement, and also whether the Government may fall and new parliamentary elections be held.  The Prime Minister is attempting to obtain clarifications of the agreement.  

           The Premier survived a confidence vote last week for the Conservative Party leadership after the withdrawal of her agreement with the EU, but she announced that she would not lead the party in the next-scheduled elections.

Foreign Digest: Hungary, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Thailand

Hungary

            The far-right illiberal Hungarian Government recently forced the Central European University, a U.S. registered and accredited school, to leave Hungary.  It also blocked a meeting between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, of which it is a member, and Ukraine, despite the recent Russian naval attack on the latter, and refused to extradite two suspected Russian arms dealers to the U.S., handing them over to Russia instead.  Hungary continues to become increasingly authoritarian, as administrative disputes were removed last week from the jurisdiction of the judiciary and placed with the executive branch.  There have been protests in favor of liberty and the rule of law.

Bolivia

            There were recent protests against the President of Bolivia for violating the constitutional term limits because the national election commission is permitting him to stand for reelection, despite the rejection in 2016 of a referendum to amend the constitution to eliminate term limits.  The Catholic Church has led the objections to electing a president for life, in the model of Venezuela’s late Socialist tyrant Hugh Chavez.

Nicaragua

            The Marxist Sandinista regime continues to become increasingly authoritarian.  Last week, it barred the operation of non-governmental organizations that were critical of the government and raided and occupied the offices of the opposition center-right media.  Meanwhile, the United States Congress unanimously passed a bill to impose economic sanctions on Sandinista regime officials who commit human rights violations.

Thailand

           Thailand’s ruling military junta has announced new elections in February of 2019 for the first time in four years after seizing power after a democratic impasse.

George H.W. Bush, In Memoriam

George Herbert Walker Bush died at age 94 in Texas at the end of last month.  The moderately conservative Republican capped a long career of public service by being elected President of the United States and then becoming the patriarch of a great political dynasty. 

As Commander in Chief, Bush skillfully negotiated the peaceful end of the Cold War on favorable terms to the West and rejected the first major post-Cold War challenge to international order, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait by liberating the latter.

Born in Massachusetts in 1924, Bush lived in Connecticut.  He enlisted in the Navy in the Second World War, at one point the branch’s youngest pilot.  Bush, who flew 58 missions in the Pacific Theater in a torpedo bomber before being shot down and rescued at sea, was highly decorated for his service.  His marriage to Barbara Pierce in 1945 lasted 73 years until her death in April of this year, the longest of any presidential couple.  After the war, Bush graduated from Yale University and then worked in the oil business in Texas. 

Starting in 1966, when Bush was elected U.S. Representative as a Republican, he began a political career that included a series of posts in which he was appointed by fellow GOP Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford: Envoy to Communist China, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, where he was credited for boosting morale and for much-needed reforms, and Ambassador to the United Nations.  In between, Nixon appointed him Chairman of the Republican National Committee, where he was loyal to Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal, but ultimately urged the President’s resignation.  After a failed bid for the GOP presidential nomination in 1980, Republican nominee Ronald Reagan asked Bush to be his running mate.  After winning the vice presidential nomination, Bush was elected Vice President, serving a full eight years after being reelected in 1984.

In what was regarded widely as politically akin to a third term for President Ronald Reagan, Bush became in 1988 the first sitting Vice President to be elected President since Martin Van Buren in 1840.  He entered office with one of the fullest resumes of any Chief Executive and was the first President with formal diplomatic experience since James Buchanan.

Bush’s first act as President was to lead the American people in prayer.  He appointed conservative, pro-life judges, with the exception of one of his Supreme Court nominations, and enforced a strong anti-drug abuse policy, especially during the peak of crack cocaine addiction.  Bush created the Department of Veterans Affairs and successfully resolved the savings and loan crisis.  In foreign policy, Bush encouraged representative government around the world.  He overthrew the dictator of Panama in 1989, who was wanted by the U.S. for drug trafficking, had nullified a democratic election in which he had lost and had killed an American Marine, in addition to Bush’s successful ending of the Cold War with the Soviet Union in 1990-1991, which broke up shortly afterward, and his 1991 Liberation of Kuwait, which thwarted aggression,.

Bush was re-nominated by the Republicans for President, but lost re-election after Democratic nominee Bill Clinton exaggerated how poor the slowly recovering economy was, and the Democrats portrayed the once- popular Bush, who was responsibly trying to cheer economic growth, as out of touch.  However two years later, in the 1994 Republican wave election against Clinton and the Democrats, two of his sons, George W. and Jeb, were elected Governors of Texas and Florida, respectively, providing a measure of vindication for the Bush patriarch.  Both were re-elected and the former became a two-term President, the first son of a Chief Executive to be elected President since John Quincy Adams in 1828.  One of Jeb’s sons is a statewide elected official in Texas.

The former President Bush was appointed a fundraiser for major disaster relief by Presidents George W. Bush, a Republican and Barack Obama, a Democrat.  The elder Bush, who campaigned in retirement for his family members and many other Republican candidates, did not endorse Donald Trump for President. 

Bush invited the incumbent Chief Executive to his state funeral, but he had included in his funeral plans no speaking role for Trump.  Although Bush’s funeral was not quite as overtly anti-Trumpist as that of Senator John McCain’s this summer, the focus on Bush’s character, morals, decency, dignity and selfless public service was widely recognized necessarily as a contrast with Trumpism and, like McCain’s funeral, was a message of patriotism, duty and unity around the American ideal of liberty, equality and representative government.  

May George H.W. Bush’s example of devotion to God, family, community and country continue to inspire Americans to public service.

Conservative Analysis of the 2018 General Election across the American Union

Now that the results of the 2018 General Election across the American Union have been certified, it is appropriate to analyze them fully.  The Democrats were clearly victorious in both federal and even state elections at the expense of the GOP because of the unpopularity of Republican Donald Trump and an ineffective exercise of constitutional checks and balances by Congressional Republicans.

Democrats gained control of the United States House of Representatives, in their largest increase in seats since the 1974 post-Watergate election.  There will be two score more Democrats in the lower chamber of Congress in January than currently, enough for a majority for the first time in eight years.  Republicans gained a net two seats in the closely divided Senate.  However, Democrats won two thirds of the seats that were on the ballot, as only one third of the upper chamber’s seats are on the ballot very two years.

In both federal and state elections, Democrats made gains especially in the three States that decided the 2016 Presidential election for Trump, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as in a few other States.  See my post from last month, Conservative Analysis of the 2018 Pennsylvania General Election, https://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2018/11/conservative-analysis-of-2018.html.

In state elections across the Union generally, Democrats gained several Governors and hundreds of state legislative seats and legislative chambers, among other offices.  However, two anti-Trump Republicans in heavily-Democratic seats were re-elected Governors of Massachusetts and Maryland.  Democrats were elected state Attorneys General in a majority of States.  Republicans had long held the majority.  These Attorneys General will be able to sue the federal government for Trump’s violations of federalism or other harmful effects of Trump’s policies that affect the States.

Despite a good economy and relative peace, Republicans lost because of Trump, who had declared the congressional mid-term elections a referendum on him.  Even though he tended to make endorsements in Republican-leaning U.S. House and Senate election districts and to campaign only in safe Republican areas, many candidates he endorsed lost. 

Although some anti-Trump Republican U.S. Representatives lost re-election, they did so because of Trump, not because of being against him.  In fact, voters perceived them as not being sufficiently anti-Trump, as the electorate was seeking a more effective check on him.  By contrast, several other anti-Trump Republican incumbent members of the House were victorious, including by campaigning against Trump.  Anti-Trump congressional incumbents generally represent competitive districts.  The Republicans lost some seats held by anti-Trump Republican Representatives who resigned or did not seek re-election.  Similarly, in the Senate, an anti-Trump Republican incumbent from Arizona was driven out of the GOP primary by the Trumpified Republican Party.  A Democrat was elected to the seat that had been held by Republicans since 1988.  Trump’s nativist demagoguery was politically ineffective in the border State.  In the one instance in which an anti-Trump Republican U.S. Representative was defeated in the primary election by a Trumpist, in South Carolina, the Trumpist lost the seat, which had been Republican since 1981, to a Democrat.  Trump’s protectionist policies were a negative in the Palmetto State, where exports are a major component of the state economy.  Meanwhile, an anti-Trump Republican was elected to the Senate, Mitt Romney of Utah. 

Conservative policies generally were not what cost the GOP, but Trumpist ones.  Trump’s nativist demagoguery and protectionism cost the GOP votes across the Union.  His tax cuts, which actually increased taxes for many in high-tax liberal Democratic States, cost Congressional Republican incumbents in California, New York and elsewhere.  The House Intelligence Committee’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election on behalf of Trump was not thorough or bipartisan, in contrast to that of the Senate Intelligence Committee.  It was the lower chamber’s lack of being an adequate check on Trump that contributed to the Republican House losses, although the failure of Congressional Republicans  in general to hold the Trump Administration accountable was the largest factor in the overall GOP defeat.

The other big loser of the 2018 mid-term elections was Russian Federation tyrant, Vladimir Putin.  Pro-Russian longtime U.S. Representative Dana Rohrbacher of California was defeated for reelection.  The Democratic takeover of the House means that there will be no lifting of economic sanctions on Russia and the House Intelligence Committee will conduct a more thorough investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election on behalf of Trump, while other Committees will investigate corruption in the Administration.

There was Russian interference in the 2018 mid-term elections, not in terms of the elections themselves, but about issues, including a number of issues that were part of the campaign, such as protests during the National Anthem, the fiscal 2018 budget, the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court and on Russian interference in the 2016 election and the investigation of it.  Russian interference is not limited to election campaigns, but is targeted at American politics in general, which can affect public opinion and, thus influences the decisions of voters.  

But even Putin could not save Trump and Trumpist Republicans from a Democratic wave as Americans grow wary of Russian influence and anti-Trump Republicans and conservatives abandoned the Congressional GOP to take away control of the House from Trump defenders.  Anti-Trump Republicans and conservatives have been vindicated for predicting before Trump’s election the harm to the Republican Party and to conservatism.  As I posted in January of this year in Conservative Analysis of the First Year of the Presidential Administration of Donald Trump, https://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2018/01/conservative-analysis-of-first-year-of.html, his presidency is “a mortal danger to the Republican Party and a cancer on the conservative movement.”

Foreign Digest: Updates on Venezuela, Russia and the Philippines

Venezuela

            There were more protests against the tyrannical Socialist Venezuelan regime late last month.  Meanwhile, the United States Department of State is reportedly considering listing Venezuela as a state sponsor of terrorism, something I called for in a post to this blog from February of 2012, Designate Venezuela a State Sponsor of Terrorism, http://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2012/02/designate-venezuela-state-sponsor-of.html.

Russia

            Russian Federation warships attacked Ukrainian naval boats last week in international waters in the Kerch Strait in an unprovoked attack in which the Russian naval forces fired shots at the Ukrainian vessels and rammed one of them, capturing the Ukrainian boats and their crew and refusing to release them.  Russia invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, in violation of a treaty between the two former Soviet Republics in which Russia agreed to recognize Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, including Crimea, where Russia was permitted to retain a naval base.  The Kerch strait, which leads from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov, is between Russian and Crimea.  The tyrannical regime of Vladimir Putin also militarily backs Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine.  Over ten thousand Ukrainians have been killed in the Russian-led war.

Philippines

           The President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, the “Filipino Trump,” has threatened critics, including Catholic Bishops, of his overt policy of encouraging Filipinos to kill suspected drug dealers.  Thousands of Filipinos have been murdered without trial.  Donald Trump, the pretender to the American presidency, praised Duterte for his policy.  Duterte has admitted to the “sin of extrajudicial killings.”

Tenth Anniversary of My Blog; Blogger Pageview Report

Today is the tenth anniversary of the launch of my blog.  Thank you for visiting, following, commenting or providing positive feedback offline. 

Last month, I posted my 1,000^th post.  I plan to continue blogging to defend and advance liberty and representative government, as web journalism is an effective safeguard against authoritarianism.

The anniversary of the blog is the time when I always give an annual report of the pageviews of this blog logged by Blogger, the blog host.  Although Blogger is much less precise than StatCounter, it generally picks up more activity than the latter.  Since last year, the number of pageviews per month was typically more than 1,300 to 2,000, with a spike of 4,200 in January.  In addition to the many visits to the homepage, every post is viewed multiple times.  There have been visits from countries around the world, especially from Europe, in addition to the United States.  

Again, thank you for visiting.  

Update: The Enactment of More Pennsylvania Bills

           In addition to the bills signed into law I posted about last month in my post The Pennsylvania General Assembly Finished Its Session By Passing Several Major Bills, https://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-pennsylvania-general-assembly.html, there were a few other noteworthy pieces of legislation approved this legislative session that were enacted when the liberal Democratic Governor signed the bills passed by the Republican-led state legislature.

There was finally some much-needed pension reform, as pensions are causing a crisis not only for the Commonwealth, but for every county, municipality and school district in Pennsylvania.  Under the new law, most newly hired public employees, including state legislators and judges, starting in 2019 will be provided less generous benefits that are more like those provided for in the private sector.  The act also raises the retirement age and requires longer service for eligibility.  However, a third of state employees, such as state troopers, prison guards and game wardens are exempt.

There was yet more expansion of gambling, as the Commonwealth continues to seek easy revenue without raising taxes.  There will now be more mini-casinos, slot-machines at truck stops, sports betting and Internet gambling, under new Pennsylvania law.  There has still been no privatization of alcohol to increase revenue.

Other laws increased penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, enacted various minor criminal justice reforms and addressed animal cruelty.

Foreign Digest: Italy, the United Kingdom and Taiwan

Italian budget update

            The European Union last week declared the populist Italian Government’s budget to be non-compliant with EU rules because it exceeds spending limits and is based on too much optimism of economic growth.  The breach will trigger punitive measures, unless the Government agrees to modify its fiscal plan to eliminate the excessive spending.  Discussions between the Italian Republic and the EU have begun.  With the third largest economy in the eurozone, Italy’s budget affects all the other members of the EU.  The unprecedented step of rejecting a budget was seen by the EU members as necessary to enforce the organization’s rules.

United Kingdom EU update: agreement on leaving

            An accord was reached today between the United Kingdom and the European Union for the former to leave the latter, as a result of the referendum approved by British voters in 2016 and subsequently ratified by Parliament.  The UK did not share the EU’s common currency, but was part of the common market, enjoying free trade and passport-free freedom of movement within the EU, as citizens of other EU member states could travel to the UK.  The difficult parts of the agreement were in regard to these EU citizens residing in the UK, Britons residing in EU states and the borders with the Republic of Ireland and between British-held Gibraltar and Spain.  Ireland and Spain are members of the EU.  The controversial deal, meant to avoid a disorderly divorce by 2019, must be approved by the British Parliament.  It risks bringing down the Conservative-led Government.

Taiwan: referendum against same-sex unions

           A non-binding referendum to deny public recognition of same-sex unions as “marriages” was rejected yesterday by Taiwanese voters.  The Supreme Court of the Republic of China two years ago had required their recognition, making Taiwan the only Asian state to recognize them.  The vote is expected to influence the next parliamentary elections.

Happy Thanksgiving! Give Thanks for the American People

           Every Thanksgiving, we Americans thank God for our blessings: our land of plenty, the pilgrims and other immigrants who continue to settle here and contribute to the greatness of our country, the friendship of the Native Americans who made the first Thanksgiving possible, and for our security and liberty and especially those who defend our freedom. 

            Last year, I focused on giving particular thanks to the checks and balances of our federal Constitution.  This year, I am particularly thankful for the ultimate check on power: the People.  It is the faith of the American people for our American Creed and their love of liberty and their knowledge and understanding of their founding that will continue to defend our freedom from all enemies foreign and domestic and allow America again to be the beacon of liberty for the rest of the world. 

           May God continue to bless America. 

Update: Conservatives and Republicans Are Organizing Against Trumpism

A new organization has been formed, Checks and Balances https://checks-and-balances.org/, of conservative and libertarian lawyers standing for the rule of law, the independence of the criminal justice system and the separation of powers. 

Checks and Balances is the latest organization which includes prominent conservatives and Republicans who are organizing against various aspects of Trumpism, as I have been posting since May.  See Conservative and Republicans Are Organizing against Trumpism, https://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2018/05/conservatives-and-republicans-are.html, and follow-ups and updates of this post: https://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2018/05/follow-up-to-conservatives-and.html, https://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2018/06/another-follow-up-to-conservatives-and.html and https://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2018/09/update-conservatives-and-republicans.html.

            The major anti-Trumpist organizations which include prominent conservatives and Republicans are the Committee to Investigate Russia; Securing Democracy; Stand Up Republic and its sister organization, Stand Up Ideas; Defending Democracy Together, which includes Republicans for the Rule of Law, Republicans Fighting Tariffs and the Becoming American Initiative; and Renew Democracy.       

Foreign Digest: Italy, Russia and Cambodia

Italy

            The populist Italian Government continues to attract warnings from international organizations, especially European ones, like the European Union.  A European human rights commission expressed concern about human rights violations because of the Government’s new hard-line policy against migrants.  In addition to the EU’s objection to the budget for the Italian Republic, which exceeds EU rules, the head of the European Central Bank has warned against such overspending.  The populist Government usually objects to any criticism from the European Union, even though it wants to maintain the benefits of membership in the EU and the euro and despite the fact that the President of the European Parliament and the head of the central bank chief are Italian.

Russia

The European Court of Human Rights ruled the Russian Federation’s repeated arrests of democratic opposition leader Alexei Navalny for peaceful protests violated human rights and limited political pluralism.  It imposed a fine on the authoritarian and kleptocratic regime of Vladimir Putin.  Over the last several months, the opposition has been protesting corruption, tyranny and Russian involvement in wars in Ukraine and Syria.  Thousands of peaceful protestors have been arrested across Russia.

Cambodia

           The last two surviving members of Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge Maoist tyrannical regime were sentenced to life imprisonment after their conviction by an international tribunal for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.  The Communist Khmer Rouge killed more than a million and a half people from 1975-1979, as well as committed various other gross human rights abuses, such as mass incarceration, slavery, torture and forced removal of the entire population of the capital city.  Cambodia became known as the “Killing Fields” as the regime targeted Vietnamese and Muslim minorities, as well as anyone suspected of being an intellectual (e.g. for wearing eyeglasses) out of suspicion of western influence in order to impose an agrarian socialist regime.  Others have also been convicted, although the Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot, died in captivity before his trial.  The kingdom is currently ruled by a relatively less repressive Communist despot.

Conservative Analysis of the 2018 Pennsylvania General Election

           Although the results of the 2018 General Election in Pennsylvania have not yet been certified, as the unusually large number of paper ballots have not yet been counted, an accurate analysis of the results may be done already because the final outcome will not alter the general observations I am making.

            Democrats were overall winners in the Keystone State, although the results generally did not alter the status quo in terms of control of state Branches of Government.  The Democratic Governor was easily re-elected and Democrats made relatively large gains in both houses of the General Assembly, although the Republicans maintain a significant majority, as they were nonetheless victorious in a majority of contests for the House of Representatives and despite suffering several losses among the half of the seats of the Senate on the ballot.  The Governor’s tax and spend policies had mostly been thwarted by the GOP-led General Assembly, thereby victimizing the Republican Party by its own success in terms of popular approval of the Governor.  The memory of earlier budget delays had faded by this year, after an on-time budget approval this year for the Commonwealth.

            For federal offices in Pennsylvania, Democrats won the only statewide contest, for United States Senate, with the re-election of the incumbent over a Trumpist.  They also picked up three seats in Pennsylvania’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives.  Since last year’s special election, the composition of the House delegation has changed from 13-5 in favor of the Republicans to an even 9-9 split.  These Democratic increases were minimal, however, considering the redistricting by the Democratic-led state Supreme Court.

            Up and down the ballot, Democratic gains were mostly concentrated in southeastern Pennsylvania.  There were some Republican ones elsewhere.  The trend of suburban Philadelphia toward the Democrats and suburban Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania toward the Republicans continues.

            Donald Trump was a major factor in the Republicans’ electoral defeat in Pennsylvania.

           There was one noteworthy exception in the southeast to the Democratic tide there that was especially because of the Trump factor: U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, who campaigned as an independent anti-Trump Republican and had a record of statements and bi-partisan legislative activity to back up his message, was re-elected.

The First World War Armistice 100th Anniversary

            The world commemorated the 100^th anniversary of the end of the First World War today.  As the armistice that ended the “Great War,” the “War to End All Wars,” was signed on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in France, the anniversary of the end of what was until then the deadliest war in history was observed there with a large gathering of world leaders.

           The events were a reminder of the dangers of excessive nationalism.  Franco-German peace, the linchpin of Western European peace that was finally obtained only after the even bloodier Second World War that was caused by the First World War, was particularly poignant today, with the German Chancellor and French President leading the commemorations.  European peace is nowadays ensured by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and by various European organizations.  

The United States observes Veterans’ Day on this date, or on a Monday following, as this year.  All veterans of the First World War are now deceased, but although the holiday is to honor living veterans for their sacrifice for the security and liberty Americans now enjoy, it is appropriate especially today to remember with gratitude the sacrifices of those U.S. servicemen who helped to end the war and avert whatever ills may have ensued from victory by the empires of the Central Powers over the more representative Allied states.  

Foreign Digest: Turkey, Italy and Venezuela

Turkey

            There were more arrests earlier this month in Turkey of people the Islamist authoritarian government claims were associated with the leaders of the 2016 attempted military coup.  Tens of thousands of have been arrested or sacked.

Italy

            The foreign ministers of ten Northern European members of the European Union last week warned Italy against its excessive budget.  They warned that Italian bonds would be affected.  The budget exceeds EU spending rules, as that body has declared.  The International Monetary Fund has given similar warnings on the budget approved by the populist Italian Government.

Venezuela

            Three million people have reportedly become refugees from the Socialist tyranny of Venezuela.  They have mostly fled to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

The 2018 General Election in Pennsylvania and Across the American Union

           Tuesday, November 6 is General Election Day in Pennsylvania and across the American Union.  There are critically important federal and state offices on the ballot.

            The federal offices are for Congress, including each seat in the United States House of Representatives and one third of the Senate, including one of Pennsylvania’s two seats.  The Legislative Branch is a co-equal Branch of Government to the Executive and Judicial.  Each branch is checked and balanced by the other two under the Constitution.

            State offices include governor and state legislative offices in the Keystone States, while there are other state offices on the ballot in other American States.  Some States also have referendums. 

            These offices affect the federal Union, States, communities and people in many ways.  Also, the candidates elected to lower offices can be promoted in the future to higher offices.

            There are relatively conservative candidates for many of these offices, some of whom are not Trumpist (populist, nativist, protectionist and isolationist), including in Pennsylvania. 

           With a lower voter turnout than in presidential election years, each vote is more significant.  

Freedom House Reports a Global Decline of Internet Freedom, Citing the Chinese Model

           For the eighth strait year around the world, freedom on the Internet has declined, as the Communist Chinese model has spread and authoritarian governments engage in censorship and even use the Internet to their own advantage, according to a report by Freedom House: https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/freedom-net-2018.  

           Internet freedom declined in dozens of the 65 states that were analyzed.  Freedom has declined for twelve consecutive years, as I posted in January of this year in Freedom House Reports a Decline in Freedom for the Twelfth Strait Year; Russia, China and Donald Trump Are Cited https://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2018/01/freedom-house-reports-decline-of.html.  There is a general correspondence between the level of overall freedom in states and that of Internet freedom.  China requires Internet service providers, in exchange for market access, to censor and is providing the technology and training it uses to other authoritarian states.  The report observes the spread of propaganda and disinformation by illiberal regimes on the Internet.  Internet service providers attempt to eliminate “fake news (news that is totally fabricated),” but, following the example of Donald Trump, the pretender to the presidency of the United States, authoritarian regimes are using the term broadly to censor critical independent journalism and all dissent.

           The Internet was originally thought to be another tool of spreading information, which would undermine the monopoly of information held by illiberal regimes, and of allowing dissidents to communicate better.  Instead, it is being used as another tool of authoritarianism. 

           The report validates the necessity of Internet journalism, including blogging, as well as of human rights organizations and freedom of the press associations.  It also reminds of the need for a return to American global leadership for liberty and of the application of greater public pressure on Internet service providers not to be complicit with authoritarianism, but instead to insist upon Internet freedom.

Bipartisan Congressional Bills to Defend Against Cyberattacks and other Russian Machinations and to Support the Rule of Law

There are several bipartisan bills that have been introduced in the majority Republican United States Congress to uphold American sovereignty and independence by defending elections against foreign interference and to defend the rule of law. 

The authoritarian and kleptocratic Russian Federation regime of Vladimir Putin successfully interfered in the 2016 Republican presidential Primary and General Elections to elect Donald Trump President.  Trump has repeatedly threatened to force the firing of the Special Counsel who is investigating Russia’s interference in the U.S. election and the Trump campaign’s possible conspiracy with it.

Last year, the Republican-led Congress overwhelmingly passed punitive economic sanctions on Russia, over Trump’s objection.  This year, it also prohibited recognition of the Russian annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, also over Trump’s objection.  The Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency Act of 2017 passed, in slightly different versions, the House and Senate and is now in conference.  It coordinates the federal response to cyberattacks in terms of command.  However, in addition to giving final approval to this bill, much more is necessary to defend against Russian machinations and cyberattacks by Russia or other hostile actors, like Iran, North Korea, China, Islamist terrorists or “hacktivists.”

Although Congress has completed its legislative session, there could be a lame duck session after the November 6 General Election.  Otherwise, the bills would have to be reintroduced in the next Congress in January.  Nevertheless, building momentum for support of them now can lead to their passage then.

In addition to other related bills, there are two such bills that have been introduced only in the Senate that are particularly worthy of support.  The Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act would punish the Russian Federation for interference in the U.S. presidential election in 2016, establish further sanctions to deter foreign interference in American elections, and address Russian responsibility for the use of chemical weapons by its Syrian ally and require the State Department to determine whether Russia should be added to its list of state sponsors of terrorism, among other provisions.  The Protect Our Elections Act would prohibit foreign ownership or control of election service providers and require and requiring such providers to conduct annual audits of foreign ownership or control.

There are three such bills, among others, that have been introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.  The Honest Ads Act would require all political advertisements on the Internet over a certain minimal monetary value to express who paid for the ad, consistent with the requirement for print and television ads.  Russians had purchased ads on the Internet to influence the 2016 election without disclosing they had paid for them.  The Secure Elections Act would foster coordination between the federal and state governments in regard to cyberattacks on the elections process and require states to defend against such attacks by enabling voting machines to be audited.  A bipartisan commission in Pennsylvania last month recommended the replacement of all voting machines that do not have paper backup.  The Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act would prevent the unjust firing of the Special Counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.  It would uphold the rule of law by eliminating partisanship from federal criminal prosecutions.

Pennsylvania’s U.S. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Ryan Costello are among the Republican co-sponsors of the Honest Ads Act and the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act.  Former Rep. Charlie Dent, a Republican from Pennsylvania, was the author of the latter bill.  Rep. Fitzpatrick also is the author of a bill to require the Internal Revenue Service to disclose publicly the federal tax returns of the previous ten years, with certain privacy protections, of certain candidates for President and Vice President.  A bipartisan bill he co-sponsored, the Cyber Deterrence and Response Act, passed the House, but has not yet passed the Senate.  It establishes procedures for the identification, response and deterrence of cyber attacks and requires the President to name as “critical cyber threats” those who act maliciously in cyberspace and to impose sanctions against those who carry out hostile cyber acts against the U.S. 

These bills should be approved by the Congress and signed into law as soon as possible.  

The Pennsylvania General Assembly Finished Its Session by Passing Several Major Bills

           The majority-Republican Pennsylvania General Assembly completed its legislative session earlier this month by approving several major bills, some of which have already by signed into law.

            Comprehensive, bipartisan-supported welfare reform was overwhelmingly approved by the majority-Republican Pennsylvania General Assembly.  The bill makes drug felons ineligible for state welfare for ten years. Welfare cards will no longer be usable at casinos or sex businesses.  Lottery winnings over $600 will be counted as income for determining eligibility.  Vehicle ownership would also be a factor in calculating eligibility, the first time assets will be counted.  Liberal Democratic Governor Tom Wolf has not said whether he would sign the bill.  He recently vetoed another welfare reform bill requiring recipients to work a minimal number of hours or attend job training, after having vetoed a similar work-requirement bill last year.   

An anti-hazing bill was passed.  A comprehensive bill to address the opioid crisis was approved, in addition to the major bipartisan federal bill that was approved by the Republican-led Congress and signed into law. 

A comprehensive bill on organ donation was passed.  It prevents interference with criminal investigations.  The act grants those with the power of attorney decision-making authority, but balanced by the establishment of a procedure to determine better a dying person’s intent.  It also increases the amount on drivers license and vehicle registration applications one may donate.

A bill to increase penalties for repeat drunken drivers was approved.  

The anti-hazing, opioid, organ donation and drunken driving bills were all signed into law.

A Far-Right Candidate Has Won the Brazilian Presidential Election

           A far-right candidate won the Brazilian presidential election today, obtaining a majority over the liberal party’s standard-bearer in a run-off election, the first one elected in Brazil since the military dictatorship ended in 1985 and the first in a major South American state in several decades, evoking fears of fascism as authoritarianism, populism and excessive nationalism are on the rise in the world.

Brazil’s leading center-left party’s original candidate, a previous president, was barred from standing in the election because of his conviction for corruption.  Another took his place as the liberal nominee.  A conservative is the current president, after the impeachment and removal of the prior center-left president from office who had succeeded the one who was convicted, but the center-right candidate did not advance to the run-off.  Corruption has tainted both the Brazilian center-left and the center-right, while there remains abject poverty in the growing power, despite excessive spending by liberal governments.  The far-right candidate campaigned against corruption and budget deficits and on a socially conservative platform.

            However, the incoming populist Brazilian President is openly misogynistic, bigoted, pro-dictatorship and disrespectful of human rights.  The similarities between him and the President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte (the “Filipino Trump”), who openly encourages extrajudicial killings, have been observed.  The far-right Brazilian incoming President is an admirer of Donald Trump and was supported by Trump’s former White Nationalist advisor.  

It will be up to the other Branches of the largest South American state’s government and the Brazilian people from across the political spectrum to be a check on their new head of state.  The center-right must root out corruption to gain trust as a more effective and legitimate opposition to liberalism than the far-right. 

            South American voters have turned away from the Left and the Socialist revolution of Venezuela’s late tyrant Hugo Chavez, as Argentina, Peru, and Chile have elected conservatives in place of liberals over the last two years.  However, the swing of the pendulum to the far-right in Brazil is ominous.  As Brazil is an emerging economic power, the markets will be shaken.  Its geopolitical significance is uncertain, except as a boost to excessive nationalism, which is based upon xenophobia or hatred of minorities.  

           May Brazilians defend their liberty and may Brazil be peaceful and prosperous.

Post #1,001: The Principles and Themes of this Blog

           In the first of what I hope will be a second thousand posts, I thought I would summarize my political principles and express the major themes I have been advancing on this blog.

            It is necessary and right to defend or promote liberty, equality, the separation of powers, the rule of law, representative government, and the free market, both in America and abroad, which is also in the self interest of the United States and in the best interest of the world.  Accepting the American Creed that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights is what makes a person an American.  For the U.S., federalism is essential.  The independence and sovereignty of all legitimate states must be respected.  Nationalism is appropriate if it is expressed in the creation of nation-states, as long as minority rights are respected or autonomy granted to distinct cultural areas, and such states do not commit aggression.  

            There must be public acknowledgement that freedom comes from God.  Public policy must be based upon morality, including respecting the dignity of all human beings.  Government should be as small as possible and fiscally responsible.  Openness and transparency are necessary protections against corruption, as well as safeguards against ineffective government.  Common sense is trustworthy, when it is based upon reason and basic knowledge, as opposed to populism that is a consequence of cynicism, foolishness or ignorance.      

Authoritarianism, nativism, protectionism and isolationism must be opposed. 

            The following are the major themes of this blog:

Defending language is defending liberty.

Government’s responsibility is to protect liberty.  The economy is not government’s responsibility, except in limited respects.

U.S. coinage and currency should be unifying, not divisive.  Therefore, they should not display the images of political leaders, at least not those who were not Founding Fathers.

Terrorism is an illegitimate strategy (and, thus, a war crime) of targeting innocent civilians with violence in order to intimidate the populace to give into the terrorists’ political demands.  Other motives or the targeting of other targets are, therefore, not terrorism.

It is prudent to vote in every primary, special or general election, because every office affects its election district, at least, and elected officials can ascend to higher offices after gaining experience in lower ones.

1,000th Post to My Blog

            This post is the 1,000^th to this blog since its launch in November 2008. 

            Thank you all for visiting, following and commenting, both directly and offline, which has encouraged me to continue to post.  People have visited this blog from well over a hundred countries, including from numerous governments, scores of colleges and universities, as well as primary schools, media outlets, private organizations and many private businesses, but I am especially honored by the loyalty of those of you who visit regularly.  Please feel free to ask questions or suggest topics, either on or offline.

            With the rise of authoritarianism in the world today, it is especially necessary to exercise the freedom of the press through blogging (web log journalism) and to read history and political opinions in order to promote liberty and representative government.

           Again, thank you.

Foreign Digest: Italy, Germany and Iraq

Italy: budget update

            The European Commission, an organ of the European Union, rejected Italy’s 2019 budget earlier this week because of the populist Italian Government’s unprecedented breach of EU rules, as the deficit would be 2.4% of the projected gross domestic product.  The rejection was unprecedented in EU history. 

The Italian Government, which opposes austerity and claims to favor economic growth, proposed a budget that exceeds the 2% rule by tens of billions of dollars because it increases welfare spending, undoes pension reform, awards victims of bank fraud and implements a flat tax for businesses.  It refuses to eliminate these items from its budget.  Italy had already been granted some flexibility for pro-growth policies.  The Commission also found the budget’s growth estimates too optimistic.  The EU and the International Monetary Fund had been critical of the Italian budget.  The Commission is giving Italy three weeks to modify its budget.  The Government will have no choice but to cut other spending, as it does not intend to leave the EU or to abandon its single currency.  However, the far-right anti-migrant and anti-European League Party leader, who is Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, is opposed to making any changes to the budget.

Germany: to import American natural gas

The German Government announced earlier this week that it will begin to import American natural gas, which will make it less dependent on the Russian Federation for fuel.  Russia’s authoritarian and kleptocratic leader, Vladimir Putin, uses natural gas exports as leverage over European states.

Iraq: new Prime Minister

            Five months after parliamentary elections, Iraq has a new Prime Minister after the Parliament approved most of his Cabinet yesterday in another peaceful transition of power.

Foreign Digest: Burma, China, Macedonia and Afghanistan

Burma and China persecute Muslims

            In addition to Burma, which persecutes Muslims, Muslims are also being persecuted in western China by the Communist Chinese.  Both the Burmese and Chinese governments have committed gross human rights violations.           

Macedonia: name change approval

            The Macedonian Parliament approved constitutional amendments to change the Slavic Balkan State’s name to “North Macedonia.”  The approval comes after the defeat earlier this month of a referendum to change the name from the “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.”  The referendum was supported overwhelmingly, but by less than the necessary turnout threshold.   The Russian Federation had been interfering in Macedonian politics by urging a boycott of the vote.

Macedonia had reached an accord on its name change with Greece, which had opposed the name “Macedonia” because of fear of the potential separatism of its neighboring province of Macedonia.  The dispute over the name had prevented Macedonian admission to the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.  Russia opposes Macedonian integration with the West.

Afghanistan: parliamentary elections

            Four million Afghans voted in parliamentary elections today, despite much violence committed by the Taliban, including assassinations and attacks on polling places, in addition to other assassinations and terrorist attacks.  The results are not yet available, but the courage of the Afghan people is exemplary. 

           The Islamist Taliban regime had led most of Afghanistan since 1995 and hosted al-Qaeda, the Islamist terrorists, who were responsible for the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks.  The Taliban were overthrown afterward by a coalition led by the United States, but have continued to try to return to power, despite the ongoing American-led NATO mission in support of the Afghan government. 

The Independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Russian Orthodox Church

The Orthodox Christian Patriarch of Constantinople, who is the head of Orthodox Christianity, recognized the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as autochthonous earlier this month, thereby making it independent of the Russian Orthodox Church. 

Each national Orthodox Church is led by its own Patriarch.  Ukrainians and Russians speak different languages and have different cultures and histories.  Similarly, the Ukrainian and Russian Catholic Churches are united within Catholicism, but have separate rites and are separately led.

The Russian Orthodox Church, which had been pro-Soviet and is now supportive of the authoritarian and kleptocratic regime of ex-KGB agent Vladimir Putin, objects to the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as the recognition implicitly recognizes the independence of the ex-Soviet Republic of Ukraine from Russia.  Ukraine was granted independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.  The Russian Federation agreed by treaty to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, but invaded Ukraine and seized Crimea in 2014 in violation of the treaty.  Russian forces have invaded eastern Ukraine in support of ethnic Russian separatists.  Putin, who ordered the invasion of the former Soviet Republic of Georgia in 2008, has lamented the dissolution of the Soviet Union. 

The independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is thus a recognition of national identity for Ukrainians and for the independence of Ukraine and an implicit rejection of the Soviet nostalgia of Putin and the Russian nationalism and irredentism he uses to maintain power.

Foreign Digest: Latvia, Hong Kong, Italy, Venezuela, Turkey and Russia

Latvia

            Although a pro-Russian party won a plurality of the vote in the Latvian parliamentary elections last week, the overwhelming majority of votes were for other parties across the political spectrum.  Those other parties will be able to form a coalition.  The former Soviet Republic of Latvia is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.  A significant ethnic Russian minority reside in Latvia after the conquest of the Baltic States by the Soviets in 1940.

Hong Kong

            The pro-Peking government of the Chinese territory of Hong Kong is limiting the freedom of the press by refusing a visa for a reporter last week.  Communist China has been restricting political freedom in Hong Kong through the local government by either appointing officials or not tolerating the election of pro-democracy or pro-independence representatives, despite China’s promise of maintaining self-rule and a separate system of liberty and the free market since its reversion from control by the United Kingdom in 1997.

            The freedom of the press has been under assault globally during the rise of authoritarianism, even in free states.  In addition to the many killings in the Russian Federation, journalists have been murdered in recent months in three European states: Malta, Slovakia and Bulgaria, while another one who was a permanent resident of the United States disappeared and is feared to have been murdered after visiting the Saudi Consulate in Turkey.

Italy

            In addition to the European Union, which I posted about earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund criticized Italy’s 2019 budget last week.  The populist Government’s budget exceeds EU spending rules because of large increases in domestic spending.

Venezuela

            Venezuela’s Socialist tyrant recently blamed Colombia for a recent attempted assassination of him.  It is typical of him, as with other dictators, to blame foreigners for internal problems.  Also, there were protests last week after the death of a prominent political prisoner.

Turkey

            The authoritarian Turkish President continues mass arrests, for alleged ties to the 2016 attempted military coup, even after the end of the state of emergency, as hundreds of more Turks have recently been arrested.

Russia

           The Russian democratic opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, was arrested again this weekend for organizing protests.  The authoritarian and kleptocratic regime of Vladimir Putin does not tolerate the freedom of peaceful assembly, among other violations of liberty.  There have been many mass protests across Russia in recent months against tyranny, corruption and Russian support for Syrian tyrant Bashar Assad, but organizers and even thousands of peaceful demonstrators have been arrested.

Columbus Day: A Holiday Intended as a Rejection of Nativism, Racism and Anti-Catholicism

Although the federal and state holiday in the United States of America of Columbus Day was celebrated on Monday, today is the anniversary of the Discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus of Genoa, on behalf of Spain, in 1492.

As I have posted in previous years for the Columbus Day holiday or the anniversary of the Discovery, it is appropriate to honor the great navigational and exploratory accomplishment that permanently bridged two worlds.  Last year, I explained the multi-cultural, pro-immigration origin of the American holiday, intended as a specific rejection of the nativism, racism and anti-Catholicism of the then-popular Klu Klux Klan because it honors not only the Discovery, but the Discoverer himself, who was a Catholic and an Italian whose contribution to American history was indispensable. 

It is necessary to remember the origin of Columbus Day as White Nationalists and those political leaders who promote such populist nativism or pander to nativists attempt to appropriate the holiday for demagogic ends, lest it be associated and thus tainted by such bigotry, which was the opposite of its intent.  Instead of a decrease in the celebration of Columbus Day because of misunderstanding of both the history of the Discovery and the origin of the holiday, an increased appreciation of those events should lead to a renewed spirit of appreciation of the dignity of all human beings, including those who are aboriginal, or those whose ancestors’ immigration was several generations ago or those whose arrival was more recent.  May the observation of Columbus Day in the U.S. also help to foster the patriotic belief that becoming an American means transcending race, ethnicity, national origin or religion to accept the American Creed that all men are created equal and endowed by the Creator with the certain inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Italian News: James Dozier visit, Anti-Migrant law, Budgeted Deficit; Far-Right Alliance

           Retired American General James Dozier visited Italy, 37 years after his 1981 kidnapping by the Red Brigades, to thank the Italian government for rescuing him and the Italian people for supporting him and his family during and after his kidnapping.  The rescue of the U.S. General, who was nabbed near an American military base in Verona, contributed to the decline of the Red Brigades, a bloody Communist militant organization.

            The Italian Parliament approved the populist Government’s proposed anti-immigration law.  The measure ostensibly allows those seeking asylum from war, but not those migrating for economic reasons, and requires mass deportations, even though there has been a sharp decrease this year in the number of migrants reaching Italy.  Migrants to Europe usually arrive in Italy first, but settle in other European states.  Greece, Malta and Spain are other ports of entry.  The President of the Republic urged respect for the Italian Constitution and human rights laws in regard to refugees fleeing persecution.

            The Parliament also approved the Italian budget for 2019.  It has flat tax for the self-employed and some privatizations, but the deficit of 2.4% of the gross domestic product exceeds European Union spending rules.  The populist Government’s spending spree of tens of billions of dollars includes welfare in the form of transfer payments to every citizen, reversing pension reforms and payments to victims of bank fraud.   The Government claims the budget will stimulate economic growth, leading to lower deficits in two years, but EU officials have been alarmed by the spending, and financial markets have reacted negatively.  Italy has the third largest economy in the eurozone.  The situation is aggravated by the hostile attitude of the Euroskeptic populist Government that rejects any constructive criticism, even from Italian EU officials.  One of the EU officials criticizing the Italian budget is European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, who is an Italian and a member of the center-right party of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.  The ex-premier has been critical of the Government and the alliance between his coalition partner, the far-right League, and the more center-left main populist party.  

           The League has announced an alliance with the main far-right pro-Russian French party in the elections for the European Parliament.

Foreign Digest Updates: Philippines and Macedonia

Philippines

            The President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, the “Filipino Trump,” last week admitted to the “sin” of “extrajudicial killings.”  His public policy is to encourage Filipinos to murder suspected drug dealers.  As President of the United States, Donald J. Trump praised Duterte’s policy.

Macedonia

An overwhelming majority of votes in the Macedonian referendum were in favor of changing the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to North Macedonia, but the turnout was well short of the constitutionally requisite threshold of 50% voter participation.  

The proposed name change was the result of an agreement between Macedonia and Greece, which I had posted about in my post from June of this year, Foreign Digest: Macedonia, Colombia and Nicaragua, http://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2018/06/foreign-digest-macedonia-colombia-and.html and again in Foreign Digest Updates: Macedonia, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iran and Turkey, http://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2018/06/foreign-digest-updates-macedonia.html, after the Macedonian Parliament approved the agreement.  Greece had been concerned about separatism in its homologous province of Macedonia, which borders its northern Slavic neighbor.  The quarter-century-long dispute has been an impediment to the Balkan State’s entry into the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization because of the Hellenic Republic’s veto.  The authoritarian and kleptocratic Russian Federation regime of Vladimir Putin has been propagandizing against the agreement.  There was a boycott of the referendum by the President, who disagreed with compromising with Greece.  The Prime Minister declared his intention to continue to resolve the dispute in order to integrate Macedonia with Europe.