President Samia Suluhu Hassan's Reforms

 

President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced this month that political assemblies will be allowed. Opposition parties have claimed they have been subject of harassment and false imprisonment in Tanzania.  The Political Parties Act is still in effect. The law is seen as a way of reducing the ability of opposition parties to function in the country. The reforms are a surprise considering the election will be held in 2025. President Hassan has stated that she intends to  seek reelection. Under the law political parties are to hold assemblies in their constituencies only. Holding rallies in other areas is restricted. The administration's approach to the Covid-19 pandemic differed from the previous presidency. President Hassan encouraged vaccination, rather than imposing strict lockdowns. One concern relates to economics. The emphasis on the private sector to attract foreign investment has not worked for other African nations. Public programs are normally cut, making the countries more vulnerable to external exploitation. President Hassan has been in office since 2021. It is too early to say what direction Tanzania will go. The first female president of Tanzania should at least enact policies that improve women's lives and well being. If the reforms benefit the majority of citizens, an electoral victory can be achieved.  

Germany Will Send Leopard 2 Tanks To Ukraine

 

Germany  has confirmed that it will give Ukraine more arms. What Ukraine will be getting is leopard 2 tanks. For months, the public has been told that Russia will not be successful. Now, it appears that the Russian Federation will maintain the territories in the Donbas. Russia has more tanks than Ukraine, so this will not dramatically change the situation. The only people who benefit are the arms manufacturers. The war in Ukraine has increased profits for these corporations. The Russia-Ukraine conflict demonstrates the devasting effects of the military industrial complex. The major concern for Germany is that they would be pushed out the arms market in Europe by the United States. Gradually, the war is escalating and might spread. Belarus or Moldova could be drawn into the conflict. Chancellor Olof Scholz stated only 14 tanks are being sent to Ukraine. It should be assumed that more will come. The US and United Kingdom are sending tanks, which indicates some economic competition. Sending more weapons prolongs the conflict and results in more loss of life. More arms come, a peace settlement becomes more unattainable. NATO does not want a peace settlement and Russia has lost patience . The conflict could last months or  years with more arms shipments.   

Burkina Faso Demands The Withdraw of French Forces

Burkina Faso is about to make a major foreign policy change. The military government announced it wants French forces to leave the country in a month. The reason France claims it remains in the country is to combat terrorism. Even before the activity of terrorist organizations, France was interfering with Burkina Faso's internal affairs. The junta is not the only group demanding French withdraw. Demonstrations have been held by the public regrading French military intervention. France's objective is not to fight ISIS or Al-Qaeda inspired armed groups. The intention is to assert dominance in the Sahel region. The French intervention started with Mali in 2013 and then spread to surrounding countries. Chad and Niger have a similar problem of French military presence.  French abuses are going to be used as a means to strengthen the military leader Ibrahim Traore. The majority of the population does not want France to remain and supporting their removal would make the government more popular. Since 2014 France has waged Operation Barkhane to fight terrorist organizations. Prior to this Operation Serval was focused on Mali in particular. Mali's destabilization was the direct result of the regime change in Libya in 2011. France saw this as an opportunity to build a neo-colonial empire. A decade of conflict has made West Africa less secure. The violation of national sovereignty, rise of military regimes, French forces, and terrorist organizations have become serious threats to Burkina Faso. 

Brazil and Argentina Are Creating A Common Currency

 

Brazil and Argentina are developing a new common currency. These preparations could mean a major economic transformation is happening in Latin America. The major objective is to increase  regional trade. It has been speculated that Brazil  would one day become an important economic power. Being a member of BRICS demonstrates a rise to international standing. The major obstacle to this was objection from Brazil's central bank. The intention also could be to extend the use of the new currency to other South American nations. The name that has been proposed is the sur. The situation  is different from 2019. South American countries are seeking economic stability in  a world torn by geopolitical confrontation. Two leftist governments are in power, which makes collaboration easier. President Alberto Fernandez would be classified  centre-left and Peronist. The election of President Lula Da Silva in Brazil makes bilateral economic ties more attainable. Argentina needs new solutions to deal with national debt and the damage caused by past recessions. Seeking aid from other Latin American countries would be a better solution. The International Monetary Fund has not been helpful in getting the South American country on a path to economic recovery. IMF programs have been active since 1991 and did little to reduce the economic crisis in 2001. Argentina continues debt negotiation to reduce suffering on the general public. The new currency must be backed by a commodity of value. Only then will  Latin America gain economic independence. Brazil and Argentina must prove to other nations of South America that the new currency is an important financial investment.  

Jacinda Adern Set To Resign

 

Prime Minister Jacinda Adern has announced she will resign. New Zealand will be getting a new leader in February . What this hints to is the fall out from the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. Lockdowns and vaccine mandates caused division in New Zealand. The lockdowns in New Zealand did negatively impact the economy. New Zealand also closed its borders. The damage done from restrictions can still be felt. Prime Minister Jacinda Adern even suggested postponing elections due to the pandemic. The criticism of her policies has nothing to do with her sex. Some supporters claim that the anger felt is based on misogynistic  sentiments. Frustration over public health policy and crisis management are legitimate concerns.  Very little was done to address the racism after the Christchurch shooting. Effort to reduce anti-Muslim sentiment was not shown in any policy. The promises regarding healthcare and affordable housing were not met. A combination of these failed policies would mean she would fact defeat in an election. The Labour Party faces a challenge from the National Party. Jacinda Adern's  leadership might not be remembered fondly by the New Zealanders. The self induced economic strain has made citizens question the governments competence. 

Martin Luther King's Statement On The Malcolm X Assassination (1965)

 

Martin Luther King made a statement to the press on the assassination of Malcolm X. King suggested that leaders of the black nationalist movement should have a conference. The objective would be to promote peace. The assassination of Malcolm X  was a concern to Martin Luther King. The growth of violence was a problem he did not want to see spread. King states that it was elements within the black nationalist movement responsible for the murder. It was  suspected that the FBI could have had a role in Malcolm X's death. The Nation of Islam was main the main culprit, but it was evident that Malcolm X was evident being spied on by the FBI. Tensions rose when Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam, after a change in ideology. Malcolm X repudiated Elijah Muhmmad's perspective of Islam. Speculation about the role of the New York police in the assassination has grown over the years. Both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were harassed by the FBI. It is unclear if King knew that Malcolm X was subject to the same level of surveillance. 

The Biden Administration And The Uncovered Classified Documents

 

The Biden administration has another concern. Classified documents were found in the residence and offices of President Biden. Most are from the period when he served as vice president from 2009 to 2017. The second set was uncovered in his residence in Wilmington, Delaware. This has generated controversy. Former President Trump had his home raided in order to get classified documents. Critics accuse a bias in application of the law. The minor difference is that so far the Biden administration has been cooperative with investigations. Donald Trump claimed that he gave all the documents he had. The classified documents of the second set have been transported to National Archives. The Justice Department has been altered. It cannot be ignored that President Biden mishandled documents. What this appears to be is more so incompetence, than genuine criminal intent. The case of former president Trump was that he was resisting the Department of Justice. That can be interpreted as obstruction of justice. The Biden administration is still guilty in mishandling classified documents and it is clear that the law will not be equally applied. Although what President Biden has done would be deemed a crime, it is not enough to be an impeachable offense. The US Justice Department has a policy in which a president is immune from indictment and criminal prosecution. The policy was reaffirmed in the year 2000. The reason it came into existence was due to the Watergate scandal in 1973. The concern was that prosecuting a president in office would give the judicial branch too much power. The revelation about classified documents exposes that both political parties have become more corrupt. 

Israelis Protest The Netanyahu Government

The return of Benjamin Netanyahu resulted in protests. Israel has elected its most ring-wing government in recent history. The new coalition has a number of ultra-Orthodox political parties participating. The new government has expressed a desire to expand settlements in the West Bank. A growing concern about authoritarianism undermining democratic institutions has become widespread. This will be the third time Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been elected. His service  in office was between 1996 to 1999 and then 2009 to 2021. The longtime leader  has an ability to cling to power. If the office of prime minister is given more powers, then it will resemble other undemocratic regimes in the Middle East. The proposed derogation clause which would allow parliament to override decisions by the Supreme Court. Critics claim that Israel is losing its democracy. The state was never democratic. The country was the creation of Zionist settler colonialism and evolved into a theocratic Jewish  ethnostate. Observers have noted Israel now shares similarities to the Apartheid regime that ruled South Africa from 1948 to 1994. The Palestinians and Arabs Israelis are going face more violence and discrimination with the new government. The protests had a number of groups which included leftists, Palestinian and LGBTQ organizations. The cross section also included  concerned citizens about the condition of Israel. More demonstrations are expected as more repressive policies are enacted. 

The FDA Approves New Drug For The Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

 

The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer's disease. The disease causes the death of neurons in the brain, resulting in cognitive decline. Dementia is more common in the elderly and is becoming a major health concern . The Food and Drug Administration approved the a new drug lecanemab. The monoclonal antibody infusion is designed to stop the progression of those with mild cognitive decline. The development of this drugs is not much of a victory. Depending on when the disease is detected, the drug would not be effective. Late detection  would not help those who are  in the later stages of the disease. According to the data by both Biogen and Eisai it only slowed cognitive decline by 27 %. The drug also does have side effects. Some experienced bleeding in the brain and swelling. Hemorrhages and brain swelling could cause more health complications. The benefits of the medication are too limited to be useful. It appears that pharmaceutical corporations want to profit off Alzheimer's disease, rather than developing quality medication or finding a cure. Lecanemab is not the only medication for dementia developed by Biogen. Aduhelm was released in 2021. It got approval from the FDA without consulting the advisory committee. The lack of funds and research mean that more people could die from dementia. Pharmaceutical corporations have more influence over the development of treatments rather than  medical researchers. The motivation is about profit maximization, rather than biomedical research. More drugs will emerge in the coming years, but that does not mean an improvement for those with the disease. 

Tensions in Kosovo

 

Kosovo has seen an increase of tensions between the Serbian and Albanian populations. The NATO intervention in 1999 cased instability in the Balkans. Serbia was attempting to stop a separatist movement active in Kosovo. The end of Yugoslavia came about through civil war and ethnic cleansing. NATO has been present in Kosovo since 1999. Kosovo then announced it was an independent nation nine years later. A NATO force remained. Kosovo could  morph into a puppet state of  the NATO alliance. Serbia declared the 2008 declaration of independence as illegal. The majority of European Union members recognize Kosovo. The Serbs living in Kosovo are concerned about poor treatment from an Albanian majority. Kosovo some Serbs believe is still a part of Serbia. Prime Minister Albin Kurti called for a larger NATO led peacekeeping force. The motivation of the EU is to undermine Serbia's Russian alliance. These two nations have close relations and the conflict in Ukraine strengthened them. The attempt for Kosovo  to get complete international recognition is part of the reason for recent tensions. Then the occupation of the Kosovo Force adds to the complications. The NATO led peacekeeping force has done little to stabilize the Balkans. The process of Balkanization has not stopped. President Aleksandar Vucic expressed his support for Serbs in Kosovo. Being the president of Serbia he views them as citizens of the country. The Brussels Agreement is at risk of collapse. Since 2013 both Serbia and Kosovo agreed to normalize relations. Ethnic conflict and NATO could disrupt the peace.