Just a thought.

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Rha, Rha..

We get into these wars on the recommendations of presidents who are influenced by their staffs, most of whom are selected by the president and share the president’s viewpoint.

Before the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, Green Berets were advising the South Vietnamese armed forces, our Air Force was bombing North Vietnamese supply routes in Laos, and our Navy was supporting South Vietnamese raids against the North Vietnamese coastline.

Before the October 2002 authorization of the use of force (AUF) in Iraq, we were operating a “no fly zone,” and had military bases in several neighboring countries, a clear signal we were prepared to use military force if Saddam Hussein didn’t behave.

One month before that resolution, President Bush was openly talking about “the war on terror.” What debates there were over these AUFs were largely full of jingoism and rah-rah warrior language, the last thing we want when committing our young to their war.

Cause..

For years, the political scientist has claimed that Putin’s aggression toward Ukraine is caused by Western intervention. Have recent events changed his mind?

The political scientist John Mearsheimer has been one of the most famous critics of American foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. Perhaps best known for the book he wrote with Stephen Walt, “The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy,”

Mearsheimer is a proponent of great-power politics—a school of realist international relations that assumes that, in a self-interested attempt to preserve national security, states will preemptively act in anticipation of adversaries. For years, Mearsheimer has argued that the U.S., in pushing to expand nato eastward and establishing friendly relations with Ukraine, has increased the likelihood of war between nuclear-armed powers and laid the groundwork for Vladimir Putin’s aggressive position toward Ukraine.

Indeed, in 2014, after Russia annexed Crimea, Mearsheimer wrote that “the United States and its European allies share most of the responsibility for this crisis.”

Make no mistake about it, some like it Burning?

Feel..

Useless..

Monday, August 28, 2023

Modifiable..

According to an influential report, published in The Lancet in 2020, 40 per cent of dementia cases can be attributed to 12 modifiable risk factors.

These include high blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and infrequent social contact.

This means that, by adopting positive lifestyle habits, we could theoretically prevent about 40 per cent of dementias, according to the report.

While there is no guarantee of warding off cognitive decline, people can greatly reduce their risk of dementia by increasing their physical activity levels, ensuring they are mentally active and increasing social contact, while avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol consumption.

Lutein..

Alzheimer’s Disease risk is linked to many factors—genetics, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, sleep health, and social health. Along with the aforementioned factors, one other should not be ignored—diet.

The new study, out of Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, looked at how certain aspects of diet interacted with the brain health of people with Alzheimer's. The research team found that carotenoids—a micronutrient in the brain—were found in lower amounts among those with an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis compared to those without the disease.

“Carotenoids can help minimize the damage caused by normal brain metabolism, and a diet rich in lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene (as well as an overall healthy diet) may help keep our brain fit and functioning well.

Examples of carotenoids evaluated in this study include beta-carotene (found in carrots, cantaloupe, spinach, and sweet potatoes) and lutein (found in egg yolks, watercress, and pistachios). Just a thought.

Thank..

“Today, I’m authorizing additional strong sanctions, and new limitations on what can be exported to Russia,” Biden said. “This is going to impose a severe cost on the Russian economy both immediately and over time.”

Despite repeated assurances from President Biden and other Western leaders that “the toughest economic sanctions in history” would cripple Russia’s economy and starve its war machine, that hasn’t happened.

Russia’s current account, which measures global trade in goods and services, was strong in the second quarter of this year when its trade surplus rose to a record $70.1 billion.

The ruble, too, has exhibited remarkable resiliency, ranking as the strongest performing currency so far this year, rising to its highest level against the euro since 2015 and making major gains against the dollar.