The course of human events in Mali, Iraq, Europe, and USA.
Mali: NMLA drops separatist goal. 'Malian rebel group the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad has abandoned its goal of creating a separate state in northern Mali, according to a statement from the group, Reuters reported ...'
Iraq: Baghdad complains about Kurdish exports to Turkey. As Morning Report noted Friday, Turkey has started importing oil from Iraqi Kurdistan, a.k.a. "northern Iraq". The central Iraqi government in Baghdad is not happy about this: 'Iraq said on Sunday that oil exports from Kurdistan to Turkey by truck were "illegal", warning Ankara that such trade with the autonomous region could damage its relations with the central government in Baghdad. ... "Exporting oil from Kurdistan to Turkey is illegal and illegitimate," Iraq government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement.' So, yes, you read that right: the complaint is that Kurdistan is getting too friendly with Turkey. Strange times indeed.
Sarah Palin: Big government vs. big freedom. Breitbart:
Sarah Palin boldly, clearly and sharply articulated the stakes in the 2012 election on Saturday when she addressed a "Patriots in the Park" Tea Party event. The event took place in Michigan and was sponsored by the Michigan branch of Americans for Prosperity and the Willow Run Tea Party Caucus.
“2012 is a race between the party of big government and the party of big freedom,” Palin said, contrasting the Republican party's vision with that of President Barack Obama's.
In reference to Obama and his policies, Palin said there was something “wrong with someone” who would want to fundamentally transform a country that was good and strong.
"If that’s what you call hope, then we want change,” Palin said.
Palin dubbed Obama’s economic policies as “Obamanomics,” called it a form of “crony capitalism on steroids” and said some aspects of Obamacare should be dubbed “no bureaucrat left behind” for the thousands of I.R.S. jobs the bill has created to collect what the Supreme Court found to be a tax.
She accused Obama of having “recklessly mortgaged our children’s future $5 trillion in new debt,” being “constantly adrift,” and being afraid of the Tea Party. ...
Analysis: Economist vs. "Eastern Europe". In a video post (2:11) from London, The Economist argues for retiring the term "Eastern Europe". The analysts see a role for constructs like "Danube Europe", "Roman Europe", "Scared of Russia Europe", and particularly "Solvent Europe" - but not "Eastern Europe" with its Cold War legacy. Maybe we should call it something more catchy, like, say, where the West ends.
