Thomas Paine's version of "you didn't build that":
"Separate an individual from society,and give him an island or a continent to possess,and he cannot acquire personal property. He cannot be rich. So inseparably are the means connected with the end,in all cases,that where the former do not exist the latter cannot be obtained. All accumulation, therefore,of personal property,beyond what a man's own hands produce, is derived to him by living in society; and he owes on every principle of justice,of gratitude,and of civilization,a part of that accumulation back again to society from whence the whole came"
Submitted by Leah
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Nearly all of these are English-edition daily newspapers. These sites have interesting editorials and essays, and many have links to other good news sources. We try to limit this list to those sites which are regularly updated, reliable, with a high percentage of “up” time.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has no shortage of challenges facing her as she begins her tenure. She spoke with DER SPIEGEL about Donald Trump, climate change and the state of democracs inside the EU.
DER SPIEGEL: Ms. President, when you spoke about the European Union with DER SPIEGEL in a 2011 interview, you threw your support behind the concept of a “United States of Europe.” Is that still your goal now that you have become president of the European Commission?
Von der Leyen: The “United States of Europe” is a project for my children. The path to that goal is a long one. All member states will have to be ready to contribute to deeper integration. In my generation, the priority is that of putting Europe in a strong position. I want to further develop the leadership role in areas like climate policy and digitalization, for example.
DER SPIEGEL: You have said that Europe must be more self-confident on the world stage and have referred to the EU executive under your leadership as the “geopolitical Commission.” What would you like to achieve?
Von der Leyen: Europe is in a strong position as an economic power, and we are seen around the world as a defender of the rule of law. But there are also moments when Europe must take strong, rapid action. We have to better prepare ourselves for those moments. Six years ago, Mali faced collapse in the face of terror, and there was a political will in Europe to do something to help. But we didn’t have the necessary structures. If the French hadn’t forcefully intervened, Mali would have ceased playing its role as a stabilizing element in the Sahel region.
DER SPIEGEL: Where do you see Europe from a geopolitical perspective? In third place behind the U.S. and China?
Von der Leyen: I don’t see it as a vertical arrangement. I am convinced that fundamentally, we are on the same side of the table as the Americans, even if we may disagree on some issues internally.
DER SPIEGEL: You plan on visiting U.S. President Donald Trump in the coming weeks. During your tenure as German defense minister, you had harsh words of criticism for Trump on occasion – for his comments about NATO, for example, but also for his closeness with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Will you continue using the same tone with him?
Von der Leyen: That was early on in his term and a lot has changed since then. His comment at the time that NATO was obsoletetriggered the necessary momentum in Europe to modernize NATO and to get the ball rolling toward a European Defense Union. It became clear to the Eastern Europeans that we also had to develop military structures within the EU.
DER SPIEGEL: There are a variety of different ways to approach Trump. Your predecessor Jean-Claude Juncker was able to gain a modicum of respect through his chummy style. What is your strategy?
Von der Leyen: I’m going to go into the meeting with a completely open mind. When it comes to initial meetings, a lot depends on intuition. I know the Americans well. I spent time in the U.S. during my schooling and later lived there for several years. Two of my children are American citizens. As such, I have a sense for the unique perspective of America and the Americans.
DER SPIEGEL: Trump has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement on the climate and has also chosen a confrontational approach to Europe on trade. Even beyond those two issues, there is a fair amount of friction between the U.S. and the EU. The U.S. wants to destroy the nuclear deal with Iran while Europe would like to save it. The U.S. has levied sanctions pertaining to the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. Which of these controversial issues will you discuss first?
Von der Leyen: My first priority will be that of describing just how good day-to-day relations between Americans and Europeans actually are. There are millions of friendships and links: in the private sphere, in the world of science and business, and culturally. We defend democracy together, something that isn’t self-evident in the world of today. Many cities and regions in the U.S., along with the state of California, continue to operate within the framework of the Paris Agreement. Of course, there are controversial issues when it comes to economic and trade relations, but that’s just part of the story.
DER SPIEGEL: The U.S. has threatened to slap punitive tariffs on German cars. Among your most ambitious goals is the European Green Deal, which includes a CO2 border tax designed to protect European companies. Isn’t that just an emulation of Trump’s use of trade policy as a weapon?
Von der Leyen: It is completely normal for Europe and the U.S. to defend their own interests. The reasoning behind the CO2 border tax is quite simple. To take one example, we in Europe are working towards CO2-neutral steel production in a few years. That will result in a clean product that will benefit the global climate and will likely be a bit more expensive. We cannot allow Europe to be flooded at the same time with cheap, perhaps state-subsidized steel from China that is produced in a less environmentally friendly manner. To create a level playing field, we either need a CO2 border tax or China can introduce an emissions trading scheme, which would be even better.
DER SPIEGEL: The U.S. ambassador in Germany, Richard Grenell, claims that with the sanctions introduced against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the U.S. has the support of 15 European countries, the European Parliament and the European Commission. Is he right?
Von der Leyen: It is true that the pipeline project also has a political dimension and that the European Commission with its funding is protecting the interests of eastern member states. On the other hand, though, the European Commission is vehemently opposed to sanctions against European companies that are legal participants in projects.
DER SPIEGEL: Another conflict with the U.S. centers around the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei. Washington is demanding that EU countries not rely on the company when it comes to expanding the 5G network. You are planning to submit proposals on the issue soon. What do they look like?
Von der Leyen: Together with all member states, we have collected ideas with the goal of arriving at a common European position. The 5G and 6G infrastructures are critical technologies for the secure flow of data in Europe, for our economy, for public administration and for the private sector. We aren’t focused on a single company, rather we as the EU want to develop fundamental standards. One of these standards has to be that the companies that provide us with these highly sensitive technologies are independent and cannot be coerced by their governments to provide data…………….
Veganism might help and it’s always good to avoid flying. But the answer to Earth’s emergency must involve political, collective action – and there are countless ways to get active
Protesters at last September’s general strike for climate justice in London, organised by Extinction Rebellion, Greenpeace, Save the Earth and other groups campaigning for the environment. Photograph: Guy Bell/Rex/Shutterstock
The impact of the climate crisis is all too visible. Bushfires have killed more than 20 people in south-eastern Australia and forced thousands more to flee their homes. Floods and storms have left hundreds dead and many more destitute in Argentina, Uruguay, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi. And in the UK, record temperatures were seen last summer and this winter.
Last year, people across the world took to the streets to demand goverments act to slash greenhouse gas emissions. Did you watch and wonder what you could do to help the global climate movement?
If so, this year presents a remarkable opportunity. With the 26th Conference of the Parties UN climate conference taking place in Glasgow this November, there has never been a better time to add your voice to those calling for urgent action to end our reliance on fossil fuels, cut greenhouse gases and protect the planet from global heating.
At COP 26, world leaders will be under huge pressure to come up with an international, united and effective response to the climate emergency. Those involved in the recent wave of climate action believe much can be done beforehand to ensure nations take effective action. “There is no doubt 2020 is going to be a really big year,” says Kim Bryan, of the US group 350.org.“In Glasgow, nations will be expected to agree formal commitments to tackle climate change. And people pressure is really making a difference.”
What group should I join?
A number of Scottish organisations are building their campaigns in the run-up to COP, including Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, a collection of more than 40 civil society organisations. But there have never been so many options for would-be activists, from traditional NGOs such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, to more radical groups such as Extinction Rebellion (XR) and its youth section, the school strikes movement, run by the UK Student Climate Network, and grassroots organisations such as Onca in Brighton or Clean Air for Southall and Hayes. “There is going to be a mixture of mobilisation for the coming year, and hopefully a lot of it will be led by grassroots groups,” says Guppi Bola of Wretched of the Earth, an activist coalition that supports the global south and people of colour seeking climate justice.
Do my choices as a consumer still matter?
With 40% of UK emissions coming from households, the independent Committee on Climate Change says what we do can play an important part in reducing emissions. From choosing renewable energy to heat their home, to improving household insulation and choosing an electric vehicle, individuals can cut their carbon footprint. Reducing your overall consumption – of clothes, household goods or toys – can also help reduce the UK’s carbon emissions. The latest data reveals that in 2016 UK consumption represented 784m tonnes of CO2.
You could set up a local Friends of the Earth action group. The charity is supporting those who want to build community action groups to put pressure on councils to adopt climate action plans. The aim is to build upwards to push the government to adopt a national action plan that will put the UK on a path to net-zero emissions by 2045 by tackling transport, heating, energy and agriculture. “This will be the backbone of our campaigning this year,” says Claire Norman of FOE.
Extinction Rebellion encourages anyone in an area without a local group to set one up. Creating a Facebook page or hosting a public meeting are ways to start off your group. “The basic idea is to inform and inspire new people and then get them into groups to take on roles and jobs so the whole mobilisation can grow quickly,” says XR.
Which groups ensure BME and indigenous voices are heard?
Finding a group that embraces diversity may be hard. Craig Bennett, chief executive of Friends of the Earth, has warned of the environmental movement becoming stuck in “a white middle-class ghetto”.
That said, Daze Aghaji of XR youth recommends her own organisation, “because we are extremely diverse. We have really worked on this because we know that XR was coming under criticism over lack of diversity. We are creating bonds with activists in the global south, and we are taking on topics that are hard to talk about, like mental health and climate change.”
Bola, meanwhile, says that people of colour should join local groups where they feel comfortable doing so, and that many grassroots groups in metropolitan areas are more diverse and representative of society.
Clare Rodger of the UK Student Climate Network says: “There is more that we could be doing to make sure that everyone is equally valued and listened to. This includes encouraging more boys to get involved in the climate justice movement.”
How can I campaign at work?
If you have a unionised workplace, ask your union to get involved. Petition or lobby your company to carry out an audit of its carbon footprint – from its energy emissions and transport to the staff canteen. Then push for it to commit to reducing its carbon emissions, moving to net zero.
Rocket strikes on US airbases in Iraq have intensified a regional crisis sparked by the US killing of an Iranian general. Our maps and graphics explain how we got here and what could happen next
The strikes overnight hit US bases in Iraq in Anbar province and in Erbil with more than a dozen short-range ballistic missiles. Iran claimed 80 US casualties, but the US, UK, Canada and Australia all said none of their troops had been injured or killed. The attacks began at just before 1.30am local time on Wednesday 8 January.
Why did Iran attack the bases?
Iran had been promising to retaliate since Friday 3 January, when its most senior military leader, General Qassem Suleimani was killed in an American airstrike at Baghdad.
The Iranian foreign minister said the strikes were “proportionate measures in self-defence … targeting the base from which a cowardly armed attack against our citizens and senior officials was launched”.
An unmanned US drone killed Suleimani, and several others, in the early hours of Friday as he was being driven away from Baghdad international airport.
The strike was carried out by an American MQ-9 Reaper drone, a weapon made by California-based General Atomics that has been in use by the US military since it replaced the MQ-1 Predator in July 2017.
According to the US Air Force website, the MQ-9 Reaper’s “significant loiter time, wide-range sensors, multi-mode communications suite and precision weapons” mean that it “provides a unique capability to perform strike, coordination and reconnaissance against high-value, fleeting, and time-sensitive targets”.
How long has the crisis been brewing?
Tensions between Washington and Tehran had been escalating since a US contractor was killed on an Iraqi airbase near the city of Kirkuk on 27 December. The American citizen was killed in a rocket attack by the Shia militia group Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH). The group is backed by Iran.
The US then launched a series of retaliatory attacks on KH bases, three in Iraq and two in Syria. Iran and Russia condemned the attacks, which are reported to have killed at least 25 people.
Hundreds of protesters also stormed the US embassy inside Baghdad’s Green Zone on 31 December. After declaring the embassy safe, Trump tweeted: “Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year!”
So is the Iranian missile strike the end of it?
Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said that Iran “took and concluded proportionate measures” with the attacks and that “we do not seek escalation or war”. This may mean that Iran feels Suleimani’s death has been avenged and this matter is now closed. But on the one hand it has also said it does not mean to comply any more with a deal struck to end its nuclear development. On the other it has allies and proxies throughout the region who it will presumably continue to support in their struggles against the US and its allies.
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