North Korea will have a genuine nuclear threat capability. In the nuclear triad, it has to develop and miniaturize a nuclear weapon, have the means to deliver it, preferably by a ballistic missile, and, in the case of a missile, perfect a re-entry vehicle that can withstand the intense heat and vibration of a re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
North Korea has clearly developed a nuclear capability, but can it miniaturize a nuclear device? That is the crucial question. The DPRK’s development of an ICBM that can hit the US mainland seems, considering its recent ballistic missile tests, a foregone conclusion. And developing the re-entry technology, while formidable, should be within North Korea’s reach, considering its other technological achievements. So North Korea should have a nuclear warhead mountable on a missile, the means of its delivery, and the technology to ensure that the warhead can survive a re-entry and detonate.
The real question is: Does North Korea, namely, Kim Jong Un, have the will to use its nuclear arsenal? How can Kim Jong Un convince the world he is crazy enough to use a nuclear weapon?
The first thing he has to do is demonstrate to the world that North Korea actually does have a functioning ballistic missile that can deliver a nuclear weapon. Kim Jong Un might decide to do that by launching a nuclear-tipped missile towards a remote target in, say, the South Pacific and detonating a nuclear explosion. Why not? The United States did the same thing in the Marshall Islands in the late 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s. Such a demonstration by North Korea would rain down international condemnation on it, but would probably not trigger an attack against it since no country (i.e., the United States) was targeted. The end result: North Korea shows that it has a genuine nuclear capability.
Still the question is whether North Korea has the will to use its nuclear capability. But does it really have to show that it has the will? If confronted with a belligerent, for example, a robber, pointing a loaded weapon at you, are you really going to need to know whether he has the will to pull the trigger? I will take him at his word. The United States — media and government — has already painted Kim Jong Un as “a madman,” “irrational” and so on, concluding that, will or no, he could be unhinged enough to launch a nuclear-tipped missile at the United States. Thus, with the stakes so high, the only real option is to tacitly recognize the DPRK as a nuclear power and negotiate a freeze of its program. If Donald Trump doesn’t recognize that, then he is the really insane one.
Once seemingly invincible in opinion polls, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s popularity among voters has plunged, his Cabinet’s approval ratings falling to 36% according to a recent Mainichi Shimbun poll.
Aside from the faltering economy, a string of recent controversies centering on Abe himself has triggered the plunge. It started with the Moritomo Gakuen scandal, which revealed Abe to be a supporter of very nationalistic, “moral” education, which, in turn, led government officials to sell public land to Moritomo Gakuen for 14% of the land’s real value.
Then came the presumed influence-peddling Kake Gakuin scandal. Documents, at first dismissed as false, kept turning up that showed Abe likely used his influence to win approval for the opening of a new veterinary science department at a university run by a close friend. Interspersed between the scandals was Abe’s ramming a conspiracy bill, the validity of which was questioned by a United Nations special rapporteur, through the parliament without going through usual legislative protocols. Abe’s authoritarian streak also showed itself when he lambasted protestors at a campaign stump speech just before the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election in July, in which Abe’s LDP party suffered an embarrassing landslide defeat.
As an unexpected sidelight, Abe’s wife, Akie, was also the focus of news, coming not long after her role in the Moritomo Gakuen scandal. In a New York Times interview, President Donald Trump said that he had been seated next to Akie Abe at a G-20 Summit dinner but had a tough time making conversation with her because she has no English — “Like, not ‘hello.’” Some have said she speaks serviceable English but feigned inability because she wanted to avoid speaking to Trump. Possible, but very unlikely in my opinion, considering the importance Prime Minister Abe has invested in building a strong relationship with Trump. In any event, Akie’s apparent lack of English ability created major geopolitical repercussions. It was a long dinner, and likely bored trying to make conversation with Akie, Trump looked for an exit and happened to espy Vladimir Putin. POTUS walked over to Putin, and they started their infamous hour-long conversation, which disturbed other leaders who saw the closeness, and potential ramifications, of their dialogue.
What could save Abe? Look to North Korea and Kim Jong Un’s repeated ballistic missile tests. Both Abe and Trump, who has his own Russiagate problems, could play up the threat and use North Korea as a diversion from their domestic woes.
Donald Trump is not going to be impeached. And he could very well win re-election in 2020. Think of it: eight years of Donald Trump as president (with Ivanka Trump waiting in the wings to succeed him). There are two reasons why Trump could be re-elected: the lack of a strong opposition party challenger to Trump and the unfairness of America’s Electoral College system.
The first question is who the Democrats are going to pick to run against Trump. The Democrats have a small band of reliable warhorses: Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, and maybe even Hillary Clinton again. The most popular politician in America according to polls, Sanders brings good old-fashioned New Deal–Socialist Truth, Warren passion and smarts, and Biden reliability. But they are all stalked by Father Time; Sanders will be 79 in 2020, and the others are not far behind.
The Democrats are like a once prosperous company that let its finances go; in this case, they coasted too long on Barack Obama’s coattails. But one Democrat is starting to emerge: Sen. Kamala Harris from California. Apparently not as left-leaning as Sanders nor with as much intellectual heft as Warren and Hillary, Harris is tough and charismatic. As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Harris attracted attention at recent hearings by aggressively questioning Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and then being interrupted and silenced by Senior Male members of the committee.
A former district attorney of San Francisco and attorney general of California, Harris is prosecutorial in her approach, and her tough style and sass could decimate Donald Trump in debates. She has demographic strengths, being a sure magnet for female voters and having an equally certain lock on minority voters because of her Jamaican and Indian ancestry. And she is very telegenic, a particular requisite in the glitzy era of Trumpism. In short, Kamala Harris would crush Trump in the popular vote.
But is that enough? Because of America’s peculiar presidential voting system, Harris would have to win substantial numbers of swing voters and even some Trump supporters in conservative states like Ohio and Florida. That is where her West Coast, Berkeley upbringing could be a liability unless she figures out a way to package herself differently. Not a household name now, but if she can get an opportunity to launch herself the way Obama did with his keynote speech at the Democratic Convention in 2004, she will be on her way to challenge Trump in the presidential election.
Think of memorable summit meetings in modern history (at least from the Western perspective): Hitler and Chamberlain in Munich in 1939; the Yalta and Potsdam summits/conferences in 1945; the Nixon-Khrushchev “kitchen debates” in 1959; Kennedy and Khrushchev in 1961; Nixon and Mao in 1972. Aside from the individual results of each — Chamberlain bowing to Hitler, the Big Three dividing up the post-war world, Nixon and Kennedy confronting the Russian bear, and Nixon “opening up” China — they were all significant in bringing adversaries together (Stalin could be called an adversary, I think) or a leader to meet the Other.
They also had in common the fact that the contents of the discussions were fairly reliably recorded for later confirmation; indeed, the Nixon-Khrushchev encounters were filmed by television cameras. Naturally, a lot is unknown, and in previous summits leading up to World War I, nothing is known publicly because all the European leaders were related to each other. When Kaiser Wilhelm went to England for the yacht races to compete against Uncle Bertie (later King Edward VII), presumably they chatted about the relations between Germany and England, but there were no official records. However, as Europe democratized, summit meetings certainly became more open.
Fast forward to today, and the much ballyhooed summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Billed as a possible opportunity for Trump to confront Putin on Russia’s election meddling and annexation of Crimea, it did not meet expectations. Or did it? No one knows because, excluding two interpreters, there were only four people in the room: Trump, Putin, T. Rex Tillerson, and Sergey Lavrov, a wolf in sheep’s clothing if there ever was one. Tillerson and Lavrov gave differing post-summit accounts of Trump’s questioning of Putin about the election, and there was talk of a Syria ceasefire agreement, but who knows for certain? Looking at who was at that meeting, does anyone think that a factual account of what was discussed will ever emerge? Compared to past big-time summits, this one was hermetically sealed.
As mentioned above, another characteristic of notable summits has been the bringing together of adversarial opposites — Kennedy vs. Khrushchev, Nixon vs. Mao — in character, temperament, and ideology. Trump and Putin, though, seem to be very kindred spirits. Both like and are good at making money, though Putin is reportedly around ten times richer than Trump. Both are secretive, have a flexible grasp of the truth, and are very cunning. (That of course could be said about a lot of leaders.) No one would argue that better relations between the two biggest nuclear powers are not wanted, but consider how different this summit is from others, past and present.
“…we’ll build and strengthen relationships around the world to protect the planet from devastating climate risks.” Climate Mayors, June 1, 2017
On June 1, 2017, 340 mayors of United States cities issued a statement in response to Donald Trump’s withdrawing the country form the historic Paris Agreement on climate. The mayors reaffirmed their commitment to support the agreement and to work toward the goals outlined in the agreement with regard to the use of renewables and the commitment to the 1.5C climate cap.
While individual cities cannot join the Paris Agreement, they can lend their support. Show below is their letter complete with signatures.
STATEMENT FROM THE CLIMATE MAYORS IN RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP’S WITHDRAWAL FROM THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT
Thursday, June 1st 2017
The President’s denial of global warming is getting a cold reception from America’s cities.
As 340 US Mayors representing 65 million Americans, we will adopt, honor, and uphold the commitments to the goals enshrined in the Paris Agreement. We will intensify efforts to meet each of our cities’ current climate goals, push for new action to meet the 1.5 degrees Celsius target, and work together to create a 21st century clean energy economy.
We will continue to lead. We are increasing investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. We will buy and create more demand for electric cars and trucks. We will increase our efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, create a clean energy economy, and stand for environmental justice. And if the President wants to break the promises made to our allies enshrined in the historic Paris Agreement, we’ll build and strengthen relationships around the world to protect the planet from devastating climate risks.
The world cannot wait — and neither will we.
*Map updated as of June 26, 2017
Signed,
Mayor Eric Garcetti City of Los Angeles, CA
Mayor Martin J Walsh City of Boston, MA
Mayor Bill de Blasio New York City, NY
Mayor Sylvester Turner City of Houston, TX
Mayor Madeline Rogero City of Knoxville, TN
Mayor Rahm Emanuel City of Chicago, IL
Mayor Ed Murray City of Seattle, WA
Mayor Jim Kenney City of Philadelphia, PA
Mayor Kasim Reed City of Atlanta, GA
Mayor Lioneld Jordan City of Fayetteville, AR
Mayor Trish Herrera Spencer City of Alameda, CA
Mayor Peggy McQuaid City of Albany, CA
Mayor Kathy Sheehan City of Albany, NY
Mayor Sharon Konopa City of Albany , OR
Mayor Allison Silberberg City of Alexandria, VA
Mayor Ed Pawlowski City of Allentown, PA
Mayor Jeanne Sorg City of Ambler, PA
Mayor Gary Goosman City of Amesville, OH
Mayor Ethan Berkowitz City of Anchorage, AK
Mayor Terence Roberts City of Anderson, SC
Mayor Christopher Taylor City of Ann Arbor, MI
Mayor Van W Johnson City of Apalachicola, FL
Mayor Susan Ornelas City of Arcata, CA
Mayor Peter R Porcino City of Ardsley, NY
Mayor Esther Manheimer City of Asheville, NC
Mayor Steve Skadron City of Aspen, CO
Mayor Steve Patterson City of Athens, OH
Mayor Steve Adler City of Austin, TX
Mayor Catherine E Pugh City of Baltimore , MD
Mayor Gordon T Ringberg City of Bayfield, WI
Mayor Denny Dole City of Beaverton, OR
Mayor Christopher Koch City of Bellevue, ID
Mayor Kelli Linville City of Bellingham, WA
Mayor Jesse Arreguin City of Berkeley, CA
Mayor Robert Donchez City of Bethlehem, PA
Mayor Michael P Cahill City of Beverly, MA
Mayor Ben Kessler City of Bexley, OH
Mayor Richard C David City of Binghamton, NY
Mayor William Bell City of Birmingham, AL
Mayor Ron Rordam City of Blacksburg, VA
Mayor Tari Ranner City of Bloomington, IL
Mayor John Hamilton City of Bloomington, IN
Mayor Dave Bieter City of Boise, ID
Mayor Suzanne Jones City of Boulder, CO
Mayor Carson Taylor City of Bozeman, MT
Mayor Eric Mamula City of Breckenridge, CO
Mayor Joseph P. Ganim City of Bridgeport, CT
Mayor William W Moehle City of Brighton, NY
Mayor Lori S Liu City of Brisbane, CA
Mayor Brenda Hess City of Buchanan, MI
Mayor Byron W Brown City of Buffalo, NY
Mayor Miro Weinberger City of Burlington, VT
Mayor Elizabeth B Kautz City of Burnsville, MN
Mayor E Denise Simmons City of Cambridge, MA
Mayor Edwin Garcia City of Camuy, PR
Mayor Robert Moffatt City of Cape May Point, NJ
Mayor Jim Brainard City of Carmel, IN
Mayor Lydia E Lavelle City of Carrboro, NC
Mayor Mike Webb City of Carver, MN
Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen City of Champaign, IL
Mayor Pam Hemminger City of Chapel Hill, NC
Mayor John J Tecklenburg City of Charleston, SC
Mayor Jennifer Roberts City of Charlotte, NC
Mayor Mike Signer City of Charlottesville, VA
Mayor Andy Berke City of Chattanooga, TN
Mayor Chuck Cahn City of Cherry Hill, NJ
Mayor Mary Casillas Salas City of Chula Vista, CA
Mayor John Cranley City of Cincinnati, OH
Mayor Larry Schroeder City of Claremont, CA
Mayor Ted Terry City of Clarkston, GA
Mayor Frank G Jackson City of Cleveland, OH
Mayor Rebecca Tooley City of Coconut Creek, FL
Mayor Patrick Wojahn City of College Park, MD
Mayor Brian Treece City of Columbia, MO
Mayor Stephen K Benjamin City of Columbia, SC
Mayor Andrew Ginther City of Columbus, OH
Mayor Jeff Katz City of Cooperstown, NY
Mayor Jim Cason City of Coral Gables, FL
Mayor Diane Furst City of Corte Madera, CA
Mayor Brian Tobin City of Cortland, NY
Mayor Biff Traber City of Corvallis, OR
Mayor Jeffrey Cooper Culver City, CA
Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan City of Cupertino, CA
Mayor Michael S Rawlings City of Dallas, TX
Mayor Robb Davis City of Davis, CA
Mayor Cary Glickstein City of Delray Beach, FL
Mayor Michael Hancock City of Denver, CO
Mayor T M Franklin Cownie City of Des Moines, IA
Mayor Mike Duggan City of Detroit, MI
Mayor Josh Maxwell City of Downingtown, PA
Mayor David Haubert City of Dublin, CA
Mayor Roy D Buol City of Dubuque, IA
Mayor Emily Larson City of Duluth, MN
Mayor William V Bell City of Durham, NC
Mayor Mark Meadows City of East Lansing, MI
Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens City of Eden Prairie, MN
Mayor Kris Teegardin City of Edgewater, CO
Mayor Dave Earling City of Edmonds, WA
Mayor Janet Abelson City of El Cerrito, CA
Mayor André Quintero City of El Monte, CA
Mayor David Kaptain City of Elgin, IL
Mayor Catherine Blakespear City of Encinitas, CA
Mayor Lucy Vinis City of Eugene, OR
Mayor Stephen H Hagerty City of Evanston, IL
Mayor Ray Stephanson City of Everett, WA
Mayor Edward Malloy City of Fairfield, IA
Mayor Peter Lindstrom City of Falcon Heights, MN
Mayor David Tarter City of Falls Church, VA
Mayor Colleen Mahr City of Fanwood, NJ
Mayor David Coulter City of Ferndale, MI
Mayor Coral J Evans City of Flagstaff, AZ
Mayor Karen Weaver City of Flint, MI
Mayor Wade Troxell City of Fort Collins, CO
Mayor Jack Seiler City of Fort Lauderdale, FL
Mayor Tom Henry City of Fort Wayne, IN
Mayor Bob Scott City of Franklin, NC
Mayor Lily Mei City of Fremont, CA
Mayor Lee Brand City of Fresno, CA
Mayor Gary Wilkinson City of Frisco, CO
Mayor Kachen Kimmell City of Gambier, OH
Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson City of Gary, IN
Mayor Tammy Stempel City of Gladstone, OR
Mayor Bruce J Packer City of Glen Rock, NJ
Mayor Bryan Kennedy City of Glendale, WI
Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken City of Gloucester, MA
Mayor Rosalynn Bliss City of Grand Rapids, MI
Mayor Emmett V Jordan City of Greenbelt, MD
Mayor Nancy Vaughan City of Greensboro, NC
Mayor Knox H White City of Greenville, SC
Mayor Samuel Henderson City of Gulfport, FL
Mayor Debbie Ruddock City of Half Moon Bay, CA
Mayor Joy Cooper City of Hallandale Beach, FL
Mayor Karen Majewski City of Hamtramck, MI
Mayor Luke Bronin City of Hartford, CT
Mayor Peter Swiderski City of Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
Mayor Harry Kim City and County of Hawai’i , HI
Mayor Barbara Halliday City of Hayward, CA
Mayor Shaun McCaffery City of Healdsburg, CA
Mayor Nancy R Rotering City of Highland Park, IL
Mayor Gayle Brill Mittler City of Highland Park, NJ
Mayor Patrick Taylor City of Highlands, NC
Mayor Tom Stevens City of Hillsborough, NC
Mayor Dawn Zimmer City of Hoboken, NJ
Mayor Josh Levy City of Hollywood, FL
Mayor Alex B Morse City of Holyoke, MA
Mayor Kirk Caldwell County of Honolulu, HI
Mayor Paul Blackburn City of Hood River, OR
Mayor Tiffany Martin Hamilton City of Hudson , NY
Mayor Candace B Hollingsworth City of Hyattsville, MD
Mayor Jim Throgmorton Iowa City , IA
Mayor Svante Myrick City of Ithaca, NY
Mayor Pete Muldoon City of Jackson , WY
Mayor Steven M Fulop Jersey City, NJ
Mayor Bobby J Hopewell City of Kalamazoo, MI
Mayor Sly James Kansas City, MO
Mayor Bernard P Carvalho City of Kauai, HI
Mayor John Antaramian City of Kenosha, WI
Mayor Nina Jonas City of Ketchum, ID
Mayor Steven T Noble City of Kingston, NY
Mayor Jose Alvarez City of Kissimmee, FL
Mayor Tim Kabat City of La Crosse, WI
Mayor Christine Berg City of Lafayette, CO
Mayor Adam Paul City of Lakewood, CO
Mayor Michael Summers City of Lakewood, OH
Mayor J Richard Gray City of Lancaster, PA
Mayor Virg Bernero City of Lansing, MI
Mayor William Sprague City of Lapeer, MI
Mayor Ken Miyagishima City of Las Cruces, NM
Mayor Richard J Kaplan City of Lauderhill, FL
Mayor Leslie Soden City of Lawrence, KS
Mayor Theodore W Becker City of Lewes, DE
Mayor Mark Stodola City of Little Rock, AR
Mayor Robert Garcia City of Long Beach, CA
Mayor Adam Schneider City of Long Branch, NJ
Mayor Dennis Coombs City of Longmont, CO
Mayor Mary Prochnow City of Los Altos, CA
Mayor Gary Waldeck City of Los Altos Hills, CA
Mayor Marico Sayoc City of Los Gatos, CA
Mayor Greg Fischer City of Louisville, KY
Mayor Robert Reichert City of Macon-Bibb County, GA
Mayor Paul R Soglin City of Madison, WI
Mayor Gary Christenson City of Malden, MA
Mayor Skylar Peak City of Malibu, CA
Mayor David J Lesser City of Manhattan Beach, CA
Mayor Barry Greenberg City of Maplewood , MO
Mayor Alan M Arakawa City of Maui, HI
Mayor Stephanie M Burke City of Medford, MA
Mayor Kirsten Keith City of Menlo Park, CA
Mayor Tomas Regalado City of Miami, FL
Mayor Philip Levine City of Miami Beach, FL
Mayor Gurdip Brar City of Middleton, WI
Mayor Daniel Drew City of Middletown, CT
Mayor Sean Strub City of Milford, PA
Mayor Benjamin G Blake City of Milford , CT
Mayor Reuben D Holober City of Millbrae, CA
Mayor Jeff Silvestrini City of Millcreek, UT
Mayor Tom Barrett City of Milwaukee, WI
Mayor Mark Gamba City of Milwaukie, OR
Mayor Betsy Hodges City of Minneapolis, MN
Mayor Wayne Messam City of Miramar, FL
Mayor John Engen City of Missoula, MT
Mayor Mary O’Connor City of Monona, WI
Mayor John Hollar City of Montpelier, VT
Mayor Timothy Dougherty City of Morristown, NJ
Mayor Jamie Irons City of Morro Bay , CA
Mayor Arlene Burns City of Mosier, OR
Mayor Fred Courtright City of Mount Pocono, PA
Mayor Ken Rosenberg City of Mountain View, CA
Mayor Jill Techel City of Napa, CA
Mayor Jim Donchess City of Nashua, NH
Mayor Megan Barry City of Nashville, TN
Mayor Jon Mitchell City of New Bedford, MA
Mayor Toni N Harp City of New Haven, CT
Mayor Mitch Landrieu City of New Orleans, LA
Mayor Tim Rogers City of New Paltz, NY
Mayor Ras J Baraka City of Newark, NJ
Mayor Donna D Holaday City of Newburyport, MA
Mayor Setti Warren City of Newton, MA
Mayor Paul Dyster City of Niagara Falls, NY
Mayor Chris Koos City of Normal, IL
Mayor Connie Leon-Kreps City of North Bay Village, FL
Mayor Francis M Womack City of North Brunswick, NJ
Mayor Smith Joseph City of North Miami, FL
Mayor David J Narkewicz City of Northampton, MA
Mayor Jennifer White City of Nyack, NY
Mayor Libby Schaaf City of Oakland, CA
Mayor Cheryl Selby City of Olympia, WA
Mayor Buddy Dyer City of Orlando, FL
Mayor Victoria Gearity City of Ossining, NY
Mayor Greg Scharff City of Palo Alto, CA
Mayor Jack Thomas Park City, UT
Mayor Donald Grebien City of Pawtucket, RI
Mayor Frank C. Ortis City of Pembroke Pines, FL
Mayor David Glass City of Petaluma, CA
Mayor Greg Stanton City of Phoenix, AZ
Mayor Cindy S Perry City of Pittsboro, NC
Mayor William Peduto City of Pittsburgh, PA
Mayor Kurt R Metzger City of Pleasant Ridge, MI
Mayor Lamar Fisher City of Pompano Beach, FL
Mayor Ethan Strimling City of Portland, ME
Mayor Ted Wheeler City of Portland, OR
Mayor Jack Blalock City of Portsmouth, NH
Mayor Liz Lempert City of Princeton, NJ
Mayor Jorge O Elorza City of Providence, RI
Mayor Nancy McFarlane City of Raleigh, NC
Mayor Donald Terry City of Rancho Cordova, CA
Mayor John Marchione City of Redmond, WA
Mayor John Seybert Redwood City, CA
Mayor Hillary Schieve City of Reno, NV
Mayor Tom Butt City of Richmond, CA
Mayor Levar Stoney City of Richmond, VA
Mayor Lovely Warren City of Rochester, NY
Mayor Daniel Guzzi City of Rockwood, MI
Mayor Joanne Aagaard City of Rockaway Beach, OR
Mayor Jake Mackenzie City of Rohnert Park, CA
Mayor Mike Fournier City of Royal Oak, MI
Mayor Darrell Steinberg City of Sacramento, CA
Mayor Alan Galbraith City of Saint Helena, CA
Mayor Christopher Coleman City of Saint Paul, MN
Mayor Kim Driscoll City of Salem, MA
Mayor Chuck Bennett City of Salem, OR
Mayor Jacob Day City of Salisbury, MD
Mayor Jackie Biskupski Salt Lake City, UT
Mayor Ron Nirenberg City of San Antonio, TX
Mayor Bob Grassilli City of San Carlos, CA
Mayor Kevin Faulconer City of San Diego, CA
Mayor Ed Lee City of San Francisco, CA
Mayor Sam Liccardo City of San Jose, CA
Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter City of San Leandro, CA
Mayor Heidi Harmon City of San Luis Obispo, CA
Mayor John Thomaides City of San Marcos, TX
Mayor David Lim City of San Mateo, CA
Mayor Miguel Pulido City of Santa Ana, CA
Mayor Helene Schneider City of Santa Barbara, CA
Mayor Lisa M Gillmor City of Santa Clara, CA
Mayor Javier M Gonzales City of Santa Fe, NM
Mayor Ted Winterer City of Santa Monica, CA
Mayor Chris Coursey City of Santa Rosa, CA
Mayor Shelli Freeland Eddie City of Sarasota, FL
Mayor Joanne D Yepsen City of Saratoga Springs, NY
Mayor Frank P. Catino City of Satellite Beach, FL
Mayor Chris Lain City of Savanna, IL
Mayor Michael J Gonnelli City of Secaucus, NJ
Mayor George Van Dusen City of Skokie, IL
Mayor Scott A Saunders City of Smithville, TX
Mayor Matt Larson City of Snoqualmie, WA
Mayor Jeffrey Z Slavin City of Somerset, MD
Mayor Joe Curtatone City of Somerville, MA
Mayor Pete Buttigieg City of South Bend, IN
Mayor Philip K Stoddard City of South Miami, FL
Mayor Sheena Collum City of South Orange Village, NJ
Mayor Domenic J Sarno City of Springfield, MA
Mayor Lyda Krewson City of St Louis, MO
Mayor Len Pagano City of St Peters, MO
Mayor Rick Kriseman City of St Petersburg, FL
Mayor David Martin City of Stamford, CT
Mayor Elizabeth Goreham City of State College, PA
Mayor Michael Tubbs City of Stockton, CA
Mayor Glenn Hendricks City of Sunnyvale, CA
Mayor Michael J Ryan City of Sunrise, FL
Mayor Daniel E Dietch City of Surfside, FL
Mayor Timothy P Kearney City of Swarthmore, PA
Mayor Thomas Fromm City of Swedesboro, NJ
Mayor Stephanie A Miner City of Syracuse, NY
Mayor Marilyn Strickland City of Tacoma, WA
Mayor Kate Stewart City of Takoma Park, MD
Mayor Andrew Gillum City of Tallahassee, FL
Mayor Bob Buckhorn City of Tampa, FL
Mayor Drew Fixell City of Tarrytown, NY
Mayor Sean Murphy City of Telluride, CO
Mayor Mark Mitchell City of Tempe, AZ
Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson City of Toledo, OH
Mayor Patrick J. Furey City of Torrance, CA
Mayor Jim Carruthers Traverse City, MI
Mayor Eric E Jackson City of Trenton, NJ
Mayor Jonathan Rothschild City of Tucson, AZ
Mayor Allan Ekberg City of Tukwila, WA
Mayor Brian Stack Union City, NJ
Mayor Shelley Welsch University City, MO
Mayor Diane W Marlin City of Urbana, IL
Mayor Dave Chapin City of Vail, CO
Mayor Timothy D. Leavitt City of Vancouver, WA
Mayor Robert Blais City of Village of Lake George, NY
Mayor Muriel Bowser City of Washington, D.C.
Mayor Oscar Rios City of Watsonville, CA
Mayor Shari G Cantor City of West Hartford, CT
Mayor Edward O’Brien City of West Haven, CT
Mayor John Heilman City of West Hollywood, CA
Mayor John Dennis City of West Lafayette, IN
Mayor Felix E Roque City of West New York, NJ
Mayor Jeri Muoio City of West Palm Beach, FL
Mayor Christopher Cabaldon City of West Sacramento, CA
Mayor Daniel Corona City of West Wendover, NV
Mayor Daniel J Stermer City of Weston, FL
Mayor Joyce Jay City of Wheat Ridge , CO
Mayor Thomas M Roach City of White Plains, NY
Mayor John Muhlfeld City of Whitefish, MT
Mayor Ryan Reynolds City of Whitney Point, NY
Mayor Debora Fudge City of Windsor, CA
Mayor Diana Willits City of Windsor Heights, IA
Mayor Allen Joines City of Winston Salem, NC
Mayor Angel Barajas City of Woodland, CA
Mayor Joseph M Petty City of Worcester, MA
Mayor Mike Spano City of Yonkers, NY
Mayor Amanda Maria Edmonds City of Ypsilanti, MI
Updated signatories as of 4:30 pm PT on June 30, 2017
Climate Mayors (aka, Mayors National Climate Action Agenda, or MNCAA) is a network of 340 U.S. mayors — representing 65 million Americans in red states and blue states — working together to strengthen local efforts for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting efforts for binding federal and global-level policy making. Climate Mayors recently released an open letter to President Trump to oppose his actions thus far against climate action. In January, 30 Climate Mayors issued an EV RFI to show automakers and manufacturers that 114,000 of their cities’ cars and trucks could be electrified.
If you would like to sign this statement, or require further information about the Climate Mayors (MNCAA) and its activities please email info@climate-mayors.org or visit our website http://www.climatemayors.org.
Photo: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via flickr
Twenty years ago on a very rainy July 1, 1997 the British Union Jack was run down the flagpole, up went the red banner of the People’s Republic and the Governor General and English prince sailed away.
Many in Hong Kong feared for the worst and left before the handover. Others established residences overseas, “just in case.” Well, the worst did not happen. It was pretty much business as usual on July 2, 1997. The “one country, two systems” model laid out by China’s government seems to have worked–if not to everyone’s satisfaction.
Things have changed in Hong Kong due to influences from without and within. Many have pointed out that Hong Kong was unique economically in 1997, and hence very valuable to the PRC. But, times have changed. China itself has risen up economically, and what was unique and valuable then is not so much so now. The rivalry from nearby Shenzhen and the growing Pearl River Delta megapolis has made Hong Kong part of the transformation but not the leader.
Citizens of Hong Kong are now burdened by a high cost of living and the ever-increasing price of housing. Economic opportunity seems less of an achievable dream as time goes by.
Politically, there is dissatisfaction with Beijing in some quarters, particularly among the young. The 2014 Umbrella Movement by young people was a manifestation of continuing unrest and dissatisfaction. In addition, many young people see themselves as Hong Kongers of Chinese ethnicity rather than Chinese. (This mirrors the situation in Taiwan where many people see themselves as Taiwanese and not Chinese.)
So, what about Beijing’s take on the situation? President Xi Jinping will visit the Hong Kong SAR from June 29 to July 1 to officiate at a number of ceremonies and to swear in Carrie Lam as the new chief executive. In addition, China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, will make a port call to “increase patriotism.”
Here we are at the bottom line. And that is? Just this: life goes on and life has gone on in Hong Kong for 20 years now. Beijing has in fact kept its promise so far and has handled the SAR in a rather deft manner. The future will bring changes, probably more organic and evolutionary than revolutionary. In 30 years, new realities will have emerged and today’s problems will be long forgotten. Congratulations Hong Kong on your “first” 20 years!
Forget for a while whether Donald Trump will be impeached or not, or whether life on Earth as we know it is doomed because Trump pulls the United States out of the Paris climate change agreement. Two sports-related events took place in China recently that could have equally serious ramifications: the thrashing by mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Xi Xiaodong, 37, of tai chi “thunder master” Wei Lei, 41, in Chengdu, and the razor-thin defeat of Chinese world Go champion, Ke Jie, 19, by Google’s AlphaGo, 3, in Wuzhen.
The fight between Xi and Wei was difficult to watch, especially if you blinked. Xi was immediately all over Wei, pummeling him ferociously and needing only ten seconds to end the bout. After the fight, the retired MMA fighter Xi was soon bombarded with criticism on China’s social media, excoriating him for disrespecting China’s martial arts traditions. Briefly shaken, Xi bounced back, claiming that Wei’s performances on TV claiming to use chi to create a force field that kept a pigeon on his hand were fake (the pigeon’s legs were taped to his palm, Xi alleged). Xi even challenged Jack Ma’s bodyguard Zou Shiming, a two-time Olympic boxing gold medalist and now world flyweight champ, to a fight. Millionaire Chen Sheng has also promised to put up $1.45 million as prize money for challengers to take on Xi and defeat him to preserve the dignity of Chinese martial arts. The Xi-Wei fight sent Netizens into heated debate on the legitimacy of tai chi as a martial art and the realism of MMA.
Although no blood was spilt — difficult to make a computer bleed — the AI Alphago algorithm program barely defeated Ke Jie, the world’s top Go player, in the first of three matches that will be no less violent mentally than the Xi-Wei fight — Go after all is a war game. Anyone who studies, for example, a chess game between a software program and a (human) grandmaster will be surprised at what seem to be the computer’s outrageous and completely out-of-the-box moves. An interesting aspect of these AI programs is that they challenge age-old assumptions about the right way to play. And they learn fast. Ke Jie was quoted as saying that last year when he played AlphaGo it was “humanlike” but this time it was like a “god.” Indeed, the creator of AlphaGo, Demis Hassabis, said that the program now learns faster by playing against itself; forget humans.
These two events seem to bode ill for human civilization. Although it may be like comparing apples and oranges, Xi Xiaodong’s devastation of Wei Lei seemed sure proof of the superiority of eclectic fusion. And there seems to be no doubt that the massive computing power and increasing algorithmic flexibility of AI will dominate human competitors. But, to wax lyrical, will anything replace the grace and philosophy of tai chi? Moreover, anyone who has seen an MMA fight cannot really think it is remotely human. And while humans will continue to lose Go and chess games to AI, they can fight back: just change the game to something like trying to persuade a diehard Trump supporter to change his mind. In the end, can any software creator ever make something as compelling and mad as Bobby Fischer?
This year marks the 10th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, or what is commonly called “Summer Davos.” The meeting will be held in Dalian, China from June 27-29. Participants numbering close to 2,000 from 90 countries will get together to converse, learn and strategize.
The theme for this year’s meeting is “Achieving Inclusive Growth in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” It would be hard to over-emphasize how important this theme is, and how important it is that it be addressed by those whose mission it is to shape the remainder of this century and prepare humanity for the next century.
The WEF says of the Fourth Industrial Revolution:
“It is characterized by a fusion of technologies blurring the lines between the physical digital and biological spheres.” (Website)
Specifically, areas of concern according to the WEF are AI, robotics, the Internet of Things, autonomous vehicles, 3-D printing, nanotechnology and quantum computing The Dalian meeting will address three key areas:
Enabling emerging technologies
Preparing for systems leadership
Rethinking inclusive growth
Accelerated change will re-shape our planet beyond what we can now conceive, but it is the job of the world’s young leaders to make sure that change is sustainable and benefits humankind. Let us wish them a successful Davos 2017 in Dalian.
In the early 21st century, ride-hailing services service have changed the face of the global transportation system. It would seem that there is not much room in the market for new players, and yet, since 2012, Singapore-based Grab has been moving up as #1 service throughout Southeast Asia. Grab is now in six Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. And according to the company’s website, Grab is also available in Beta form in Myanmar.
The company, which now has a valuation of $3 billion, was founded by two Harvard Business School classmates, Anthony Tan (34) and Tan Hooi Ling (32). They started on a shoestring in Malaysia, and reportedly make their share of mistakes along the way. Grab is now in 31 cities in six countries (plus Myanmar).They have partnered with China’s Didi Chuxing and Lyft in the US.
In Singapore Grab offers a variety of services including:
Grab Taxi
Grab Car
Grab Hitch
Grab Share
Grab Coach
Grab Shuttle
The keys to Grab’s success seem to be two: its tech, and its corporate philosophy. The Grab application for smartphones is designed to be more user-friendly than other applications of the same type. It lets the user connect to the closest Grab vehicle. This works out as being better for both the Grab driver and the prospective passenger.
As for the corporate philosophy, they company set out not only to make ride hailing safer, but also better. Grab screens its drivers in face-to-face interviews before taking them on board, and the company also pays them better by taking a lower-than-market commission from the drivers.
Perhaps the most interesting facet of the Grab corporate organization is GrabPay. This mobile payments application lets customers pay via smartphone. The company hopes to expand the use of GrabPay throughout the region and to have customers use the application not only to pay for transportation, but also to make purchases in shops, malls, restaurants etc.
Grab is headed for regional dominance in its chosen field and beyond. Time alone will tell whether Grab can take its regional success and move onto the world stage.
I wanna be just like Jack Ma. Who hasn’t dreamed of striking it rich on the Internet by selling what you think are “can’t miss” products? With unemployment among new university graduates a serious problem in China, many young people are opening online virtual shops, hoping to follow in the footsteps of their hero Jack Ma. Indeed, the government is encouraging this online entrepreneurship as a sponge for employment.
In 2013, China overtook the United States as the world’s biggest e-commerce nation. China’s e-tailing has been spurred by the massive diffusion of smartphones and the contours of the Chinese market — few national retail brand names, for example — which make it the perfect fit for e-commerce. Much has been written about the reasons for the success of Alibaba, JD.com, and the other online shopping giants, but certainly a major factor has been Alipay, which, unlike PayPal, puts the buyer’s money in a type of escrow account and only releases the payment to the seller when the buyer indicates his/her satisfaction with the delivered product, thus creating great trust among shoppers in the e-marketplace.
But what is remarkable from a development standpoint is the impact e-commerce seems to be having on relatively isolated rural areas. Unable to shop because there are no shops in villages, rural folk can now utilize online shopping to buy daily life goods that seemed unattainable only a few years ago. Alibaba’s Taobao Marketplace has created the “Taobao villages,” where service centers are set up to facilitate the villagers’ online shopping, throughout rural China. The access to the Taobao Marketplace enables villagers not only to purchase goods but also to sell local specialty products or goods they’ve thought up themselves, such as, one of my favorites, replicas of hats worn by Chinese soldiers during WWII. This all fits in nicely with the Chinese government’s desire to increase domestic consumption and develop China’s hinterlands. There are problems with China’s online commerce, of course — such as buyers extorting sellers to provide cash-backs to ensure good evaluations of their service, a crucial feature of online shopping in China — but China’s ingenious e-commerce system for rural areas can be a good model for developing countries.
日本語
English
中国語
Although no blood was spilt — difficult to make a computer bleed — the AI Alphago algorithm program barely defeated Ke Jie, the world’s top Go player, in the first of three matches that will be no less violent mentally than the Xi-Wei fight — Go after all is a war game. Anyone who studies, for example, a chess game between a software program and a (human) grandmaster will be surprised at what seem to be the computer’s outrageous and completely out-of-the-box moves. An interesting aspect of these AI programs is that they challenge age-old assumptions about the right way to play. And they learn fast. Ke Jie was quoted as saying that last year when he played AlphaGo it was “humanlike” but this time it was like a “god.” Indeed, the creator of AlphaGo, Demis Hassabis, said that the program now learns faster by playing against itself; forget humans.
