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The head of the World trade Organization Okonjo-Iweala and the prime minister of Bahamas Mia Mottley say that overconcentration of manufacturing in China creates fewer opportunities for growth for poor countries. The supply chain needs to be redesigned after the pandemic not just because it creates a more dependable supply chain for the US and the European Union. It also  needs to be resdesigned to increase manufacturing in countries such as India and Mexico because this will create more opportunities for growth in other countries. For this to happen the infrastructure has to be made similar to that in China. This program of rapidly building the latest infrastructure and logistics with next generation technologies is underway in India with the Modi administration building new pools of capital, skilled labor, land and logistical infrastructure for the purpose of  rapid export led growth. A target of 2 trillion dollars in exports by 2030 has been set by India. This will affect a broad region from Indonesia to Vietnam in Asia and Mexico, Brazil in Latin America, bringing the benefits of trade to a wider region for the first time and making allies of the US and the European Union true partners in trade and manufacturing for the supply chain. ...

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The view presented that Ambedkar's conversion to Buddhism was because of frustration that he had agreed to give up his demand for separate electorates for the lowest castes with the Poona Pact that he made with Gandhi in 1932. Gandhi saw separate electorates as one more effort at continuing divide and rule by the British to keep India divided and weak. This report in Indian Express says Ambedkar addressed a huge gathering of Mahars in Bombay in 1936 and advocated conversion to Buddhism. How much this was done to practice Buddhism is not clear. The Four Noble Truths are described as being dismissed from being part of Buddhism. Yet Buddhism as practiced in Sri Lanka, Japan and other countries consider it to be central to grasping the idea of Buddhism.

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Looking back Mohandas Gandhi's effort to prevent separate electorates was an important contribution to today's rapid industrial development and modernization of India. Delivery of infrastructure, education, healthcare and other improvements could not have been delivered as they are today with weak governments. Gandhi understood clearly the effects of divide and rule and how this had led to over one hundred years of disinvestment in India by 1900. Even after 1950 it took another 70 years for governments to follow the experience of Japan and China and rapidly modernize. Separate electorates as suggested by Ambedkar for lower castes would only further weaken India, as would communal representation of that type. Not integrating the one third of India that was under princely states would have had the same effect. Sardar Patel grasped clearly the effects of not integrating these princely states would continue the effects of divide and rule. In this way the foresight and wisdom of Gandhi and Patel have given a new generation of leaders the sound fundamentals on which to build a modernized nation, the largest democracy, and a nation with a young population that is fulfilling the aspirations of its young people. ...

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AP News describes Biden's long association with Irish poets W.B. Yeats and Seamus Haney. In an earlier presidential run in 2008 he said- "I believe with every fibre of my being that we have a chance to make hope and history rhyme." In the 2020 campaign this happened and Biden believes today that this is reflected in the hearts and sentiments of the vast majority of the American people. 

Haney's poem uses these words in a translation of the Greek playwright Sophocles. From Haney's The Cure at Troy:

"History says don't hope On this side of the Grave

But then the longed for tidal wave of justice can rise up. And hope and history rhyme." 

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Biden's love of Irish poetry comes through at critical moments in his career. His efforts reading his uncle Ed Finnegan's book of W. B. Yeats poetry and trying to memorize some lines as a child to  help overcome his stutter. His quoting of Seamus Haney at critical times in his career- and after winning the 2020 election. He also quoted Haney in the Irish parliament this week using Haney's translation of the Greek playwright Sophocles- Haney's The Cure at Troy. In a way says NPR Biden found his own voice through Yeats. One can see from the speech at the Irish parliament that the words of a Yeats or a Haney has a magical effect on him- helps him come alive and become invested with a youthful energy, and a new found vigor that comes from purposeful living. He combines Haney on hope with his reference to Chinese president Xi and being asked what defines America- his answer "Possibilities." 

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Economy Minister Habeck says- "Our energy system will be structured differently: we will have 80% renewable energies by 2030."  Germany will close its last 3 nuclear plants this week. Germany is shutting down all nuclear energy when other countries are increasing reliance on nuclear energy. Westinghouse is building Poland's first nuclear plant. Britain, France and Finland are increasing nuclear energy with its very low carbon emissions. Biden administration in the US is backing the building of a new generation of smaller nuclear reactors. Mr. Habeck the Economy minister says for the short term Germany has its natural gas storage tanks half full with the winter heating season over. New LNG terminals and imports help replace Russian supplies. In the long term Germany is way ahead in renewable energy than other countries and will craft its own solution in its own way.

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The US Supreme Court has to decide whether the most common method of ending pregnancies can be restricted.

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The Justice Department case on Mr. Trump overturning the 2020 election reaches a crucial point. For 9 months the person in charge of the Justice Department investigation Jack Smith has been collecting testimony on this case from close advisers to president Trump. Smith is close to finishing his fact finding and has to decide with Attorney General Merrick Garland whether an indictment will take place. Another investigation is also taking place in Georgia by district attorney Fanni Willis.  The NYT looks at whether Smith will move ahead before Willis as he needs to do this to move the case ahead quickly as the first primary debates start in August 2023 for the 2024 election. Mr. Trump is a candidate for 2024. 

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This NYT report asks the question that is uppermost on people's minds about the document leaks at the Department of Defense. How is it that a very junior National guardsman such as Jack Teixeira at the age of 21 years is able to access documents showing daily briefings at the highest level of the Department of Defense. What about the security clearance system existing today in the US is inadequate.

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The FBI arrests a 21 year old member of the Massachusetts National Air Guard for the US Department of Defense documents leak. He was trained as a cyber transport systems specialist. He was assigned to the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base, part of Joint Base Cape Cod. There are units at the base that process intelligence collected from drones. Yet there is no explanation of the airman needing to have access to daily slides of the Ukraine war, much less the daily deluge of briefings at the highest level of CIA, NSA, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. This remains a question on which there are no answers.

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The Guardian gives this video of president Biden's address to the joint session of Ireland's parliament.

In this historic address president Biden assures Ireland that "the US is its most dependable partner" and "is with Ireland every step of the way."

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On his visit to Ireland president Biden says the most Irish of words used in his family was dignity. He tells the Irish parliament- "Ta me so abhaile. I am at home. I just wish I could stay longer." He lauded the two nations "revolutionary spirit" and cast the US and Ireland as allies in a battle for shared values. "The US was shaped by Ireland. We have known hardship and division, but we have also found solace in each other."Biden loves to cite Irish poets. He cited an Irish proverb- "Your feet will bring you to where your heart is."

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Jos Biden loves to talk about his Irish ancestors. This Times report takes an in depth look at Irishmen in America and how Biden uses his Irishness to activate his progressive base. For many years in the twentieth century Irishmen were active in American Catholic progressive politics. Many states in the northeast of the country have large Irish populations including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Delaware, and New York. About 10-15% of the population in these states being Irish. About 34 million people having Irish ancestry in the US. forming a significant voting bloc. Biden carries an appeal to this bloc of voters that overrides local politics. Only John F. Kennedy, another president with Irish grand parents had this kind of appeal in American politics.