The End of CNN Plus

 

CNN Plus only lasted a month. The business model the 24 hour cable news media companies are using are dated. The ability to compete is limited due to social media. Cable news fails to capture viewers as it once did in the 20th century. The contemporary period allows for more access to various sources of information. Viewers would not pay for a streaming service which they could watch on TV. The mainstream media has lost trust and the ability to report interesting stories. Bias and  partisan narratives are the common attributes of various 24 hour cable news networks. News should not resemble propaganda or a political party public relations firm. The American media has become as divided as the population itself. This explains why viewers are turning to alternative media. The traditional broadcasting networks demonize alternative media as conspiracy theory or spreading disinformation. There was a time in which TV news was criticized by newspapers. Overtime, it gained acceptance. Cable news networks that failed to adopt change will not survive. The experiment in video streaming should a warning to media companies. CNN has been around since 1980 and new technology will impact the media industry. Only by making quality content, questioning the status quo, and doing investigative journalism can media companies survive. 

Twitter Has New Ownership

 

Elon Musk the CEO of  Tesla is set to purchase Twitter. This will be one of his many business ventures. Musk has also stated that he wants to change the popular social media platform. One promise was the relaxing of content restrictions. Musk claims he wants to promote free speech on Twitter and  wants to include an edit button for posts. There also has been discussion about having an open source algorithm. Elon Musk also wants to target cryptocurrency scams on the platform. While it appears that Musk has some ideological motivation for buying Twitter, the real reason is business. Buying Twitter makes it easier for Musk to promote his other companies. The business elite do not support free speech or free expression when it interferers with profit. Twitter was bought by Elon Musk for a total of  $43 billion. An investment of that type is not done for political reasons. Twitter still has a large amount of users and it could be expanded in various ways. The growing concern is the rise of the giant tech monopolies. New competitors can rise, but are at a disadvantage compared to Twitter and Facebook. Having a small business elite control social media platforms is a threat to press freedom and free speech. Large tech monopolies also reduce competition in a free market. This can cause economic complications, which reduce consumer choice . Another concern is related to employment. If the tech giants collapse the job loss will be immense. Elon Musk will certainly add more wealth to his net worth. 

The French Presidential Election Results

 

Emmanuel Macron won re-election as France's president. The results showed Marcon  getting 58.5 % of the vote and Marine Le Pen gained 41.5 %. The polling numbers suggests the country remains divided. One section favors the European Union and political centrism. Marine Le Pen and  the National Rally Party are advocates ethnocentric nationalism and far-right politics. France has been questioning the nature of the NATO alliance and grappling with the Russia-Ukraine conflict. No candidate won a majority in the first round, which was the reason for the run-off election. The French are experiencing major discord, which its leaders are not addressing. Economic challenges and concerns surrounding immigration are issues that are part of the French political consciousness. Now that President Macron has a second term questions remain about La Republique En Marche ! ability to reach out to the citizens frustrated with current conditions. Macron's party is supportive of  economic liberalism, globalization, and a pan-European political vision. Certain policies related to these beliefs do not benefit the population as a whole. When Emmanuel Macron won the 2017 election he got 66.10% of the vote. Marine Le Pen received 33.90% of the vote. Le Pen improved while Macron saw a decrease. The far-right is gaining momentum, due to the inadequacies of political centrism. Having a genuine leftist political party can counter the rise xenophobic nativist nationalism. La Republique En Marche! must change tactics to remain relevant and attract voters. Otherwise, voters will gravitate to more extreme political movements.   

Iran Continues To Ban Women From Stadiums

 

The female Iranian football fan cannot enjoy sports like her male counterpart. Women have been for at least 40 years banned from entering stadiums in Iran. Recently, there have been challenges to the ban and overtime protests could cause its end. From a political perspective, prevent certain types of entertainment can harm the regime. Sports can provide a distraction to the abuses of government. World leaders often use sport competition as a means of instilling patriotism. The ban itself is not written into law or mentioned in a specific regulation. The Quran or Islam states nothing about football matches or stadiums. Religion is being used as a means of authoritarian control in the Islamic Republic. The ban cannot even be completely enforced. Women were present in Azadi Stadium for the World Cup qualifier in 2019. Some women might be able to sneak into matches circumventing the authorities. One exception to the stadium ban is when there are political gatherings. Women are allowed at these pro-government rallies. The ban has gotten the attention of FIFA. The ban violates FIFA statutes articles three and four. These stipulate the support for human rights and non-discrimination. 

The Shangahi Lockdown

 

China continues to enforce its zero Covid-19  policy. Shanghai is back in lockdown with new infection rates. This does not seem like a rational public health policy. Considering that vaccines are now available and there is more knowledge about the virus the measure would be ineffective. Lockdowns are not effective at stopping the spread of Covid-19. Vaccines, social distancing, wearing masks, and quarantines are better options. Lockdowns only caused learning loss for children, decline in mental health, increases in domestic violence, and economic difficulties. The lockdown of Shanghai is precarious, because it is a threat to food security and income of its residents. Migrant workers are caught in a difficult situation and people could face evictions. Citizens are not allowed to freely go out in public. China is not the only country to have extreme lockdown policies. EU countries have done the same. At some point, this is not about public health or safety. The lockdowns are being used to either enforce some form of control of the population. Promoting public health should not come at the price of human rights or basic freedoms. Lockdowns should not even be an option now that there are various methods of fighting Covid-19. The virus will at a certain stage become more infectious and less lethal . Mass vaccination will not cause it to disappear, but make it manageable. The economic and social damage of lockdowns will last long than the actual pandemic. A zero Covid-19 policy is not possible or useful  biomedical science policy. The only result of lockdowns are protests and general discord from the population. Future public health policy should focus on prevent as much mental and physical harm to people. Shanghai is an example of a poor method of dealing with a pandemic related outbreak of disease.  

Global Inflation Increases

 

The pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war has caused an increase in global inflation. Consumer goods are rising in price due to these events. The other factor is that certain corporations are taking advantage of the situation. Intentional price hikes are being done and are not being challenged. World leaders will face the ire of citizens who cannot afford food or fuel. Food prices were previous increasing prior to the war in Ukraine. Global inflation will not effect all nations equally. The developing nations will struggle combined with debts owed by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. The developed nations might do better, but the class structure means people in poverty are more vulnerable. It is possible that more people could fall into poverty. Inflation does happen in an economic system. The concern is about the rate of inflation, Since January prices have gone up. If this is not controlled, it is possible the world could see another economic crisis. The world have not recovered from the 2008 economic crash. The EU will see higher gas and oil prices due to the sanctions directed at Russia. Although the US is not dependent on Russian energy, the sanctions imposed will still effect American energy prices. This explains why Asian and African nations are not willing to impose sanctions on Russia. China doing lockdowns harms economic activity. A slowdown in economic growth has created fears of possible recession. While the future cannot be predicted, the condition of the global economy is weakening.  

The Progress With Women In Combat Integration

Since 2013, combat jobs have been open to women. The sex integration in the US military has had some successes. Challenges remain with developing  gender neutral fitness standards. Women have higher failure rates compare to their male counterparts. The US Army was previously developing an update to the 1983 fitness standards. The updated version is known as the Army Combat Fitness Test. Gender normed scoring was retained. The concern is that standards are being lowered to increase the number of women. What appears to be happening is that this is more about assessing a soldier's physical condition as a general assessment. Specific occupational  training would require another set of standards. The Navy, Army, Infantry, Air Force, and Marine Corps have different fitness standards. Women have entered combat jobs, but their numbers remain low. Another view is that women entry into combat jobs will weaken the US military. This is not true, because it only expands America's  armed force. What will weaken the US is economic instability and wars for regime change. Women's entry into combat jobs is one of the few positive developments for the US military. The devastating  wars in Iraq and Afghanistan  has lowered morale. Women should not just seek to be soldiers, rather rise in rank to influence military policy.  

Imran Khan Loses No Confidence Vote

 

Imran Khan is no longer the prime minister of Pakistan. He lost the vote of no confidence and now the country is about to get a new leader. What sparked this vote was accusations of mismanagement of the economy and negligent handling of Pakistan's foreign policy. Serious charges such as corruption were not mentioned, but there is no evidence that Khan's government did any criminal wrong doing. His removal was instigated by a coalition of political opponents and defectors from his own party. The legality of this vote was questioned by Pakistan's Supreme Court. The view was that the charge of economic mismanagement was unconstitutional and the the vote of no confidence was not valid. Imran Khan was elected during a period in which the effects of the Nawaz Sharif era and the war in Afghanistan caused Pakistan immense amounts of instability. Ongoing tension with India complicated matters. His desire to reduce poverty and stop government corruption was hindered by multiple internal and external obstacles. The Pakistan Tehreek -e-Insaaf Party might struggle to remain politically relevant. A change in leadership also is a concern to China. The Belt and Road Initiative is a significant trade and infrastructure project that Pakistan is a part of. Khan suggested that he was a victim of a foreign influenced plot. While it could be a possibility, his government was losing support due to inflation and reduced foreign exchange reserves.    

Blaise Compaore Has Been Charged With The Murder of Thomas Sankara

 

Compaore and Sankara in the 1980s 

Blaise Compaore has been sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia for the murder of Thomas Sankara. The revolutionary leader was killed in a 1987 coup. It was that coup in Burkina Faso that brought Compaore to power. Compaore was found guilty of attack on state security and cover-up of the murder according to the tribunal. This means that he can never return to Burkina Faso without being arrested. Compaore was deposed in 2014 by a coup. Ever since Burkina Faso has been working to get justice for the abuses of the 27 year regime. The problem is his exact location is still unknown. Blaise Compaore could still be in the Ivory Coast. The question remains if  the country in which he is in will extradite him. The murder of Thomas Sankara was not just a loss to Burinka Faso, but all of Africa. He was a leader that promoted  Pan-Africanism, anti-colonial politics, and Marxist thought. Thomas Sankara was able to ban female genital mutilation, polygamy, and was developing programs for poverty reduction. Sadly, he was assassinated and the political vision remains unfulfilled. Sankara's actions continue to inspire generations of African leaders. Most Burkinabe  remember him fondly and as a national hero. Blaise  Compaore might not be in Burkina Faso, but he will not be able to evade justice forever. This sends a message to other former authoritarian leaders that they will be held accountable for their crimes.  

The World Health Organization Reports The Majority of The World Population Is Breathing Contaminated Air

 

According to a World Health Organization report  the majority of the world is breathing low quality air. Fossil fuel use has not only effected environments, but public health. Every continent has populations that are breathing polluted air. The data was accumulated from cities, towns, and villages across the globe. What it found was air quality was worse in certain locations. The eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and Africa had larger amounts of low air quality. Breathing polluted air has been linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The study measured the amount of particulate matter and levels of nitrogen dioxide. Particulate matter refers to substances in the air which could be a mixture of solids. This generated from power plants, transportation,  agriculture, industry, and the burning of waste. Nitrogen dioxide can be generate from exhaust from a large number of automobiles. Particulate matter  is classified as two types. These classifications are known as PM2.5 and PM10. PM2.5 has the ability to enter the body and result in decline in health. A growing concern is the increase of asthma across the world. Children and the elderly could be effected the worst. When compared to  the 2018 database it appear air pollution has gotten worse. Solutions do exist to this environmental crisis. Production of electric cars, alternative energy, and proper regulation of industry can reduce world air pollution levels. The obstacle is getting all nations to agree on platform by the World Health Organization.  

Russia Wants Gas And Oil To Be Paid In Rubles

 

Russia  had sanctions placed on it for the invasion of Ukraine. The response has been to have nations it considers unfriendly to pay for gas and oil in rubles. This is designed to counter the effects of sanctions. The problem for EU states is that a majority of gas is purchased from Russia. The US intends to sell more liquified gas to Europe. Both the US and Russia were competing for the European energy market. The sanctions on Russia have caused some harm to the countries that have supported them. Gas prices have increased putting strain on the average citizen. All countries are not willing to sanction Russia. India, China, South Africa, and the Central Asian countries have not imposed sanctions. The sanctions will harm the Russian population, rather than the leadership. The EU might not have their energy needs met. The conflict in Ukraine has a dimension of economic warfare. Part of the reason for the conflict is to exploit Ukraine's gas reserves. The ruble is losing value, but the dollar could gradually lose influence. Economic warfare between the EU-US block and Russia could destabilize world markets.