News

The European Union’s long-planned alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative is about to move ahead (Politico, January 23, 2023). A planning document for the Global Gateway Project proposes 70 different international projects, some of which are set to begin in 2023. “The EU has several projects planned in China’s backyard, such as an energy transition partnership with Indonesia and a digital connectivity project in the Philippines.

The recent 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Syria and Turkey and subsequent aftershocks have claimed nearly 50,000 lives and wreaked vast devastation, including destroying over a quarter of a million apartments in Turkey (The Tribune, February 18, 2023). As time runs out for saving the lives of more people buried in the rubble, the death toll is expected to soar to even greater levels.

When is a fact not a fact? Can reality be set aside or ignored? Abraham Lincoln, who was known for using homespun anecdotes to make effective points, is said to have once asked a critic, “How many legs does a dog have if you count his tail as a leg?” “Well,” the man said, “In that case, five legs.” “No,” Lincoln replied, “Only four! Saying that a dog’s tail is a leg does not make it a leg.” Such simple yet profound wisdom seems lost on much of society today.

Reuters reported in January that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unexpectedly traveled to Jordan to meet with King Abdullah. The two leaders apparently discussed maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount, joint security details, and economic cooperation between the two nations.