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Deteriorating China Iran relations as the oil imports from Iran for China face US tariffs of 25% on China's exports to US, and US economic relations far more significant for the Chinese economy. China gets somwhere between 1.4 to 1.6 million barrels aday from Iran (80% of Iran's oil exports) into Shandong refiners at $10 below Brent crude prices. Another 400 mbd comes from Venezuela to China. This means $30 billion comes to Iran from oil sales to China at $59 a barrel, and $8 billion for Venezuela from oil sales to China. This has financed much of the bellicose policies towards the US in the western hemisphere and in the Gulf region. Iran's bellicose policies in the Middle East, its nuclear policy, are now seen by China as a distraction and  detract from good economic relations with the US. China $400 billion oil deal 25 year cooperation agreement signed in 2021 was signed under the Biden administration and China today faces a completely different situation in 2026. Even China's relations with Russia are not the same as the US builds better relations with Russia. A wind down of the Ukraine war would change the situation completely and ensure peace in Europe including Russia, as the US works with the EU to meet future challenges having learned from this experience in Europe (Ukraine dividing Europe) and in the Western hemisphere (drug/ migrant. trafficking). When historians write this chapter of the inflows of capital from advanced West to Arab countries and the Gulf region they will write about the huge contrast between China/India's efforts to modernize and these nations where much of that capital was wasted in wars and conflicts and in grandiose projects that made no material difference to the standard of living and quality of life of the vast number of ordinary people. Once the oil dividend is gone with fossil fuels replaced with renewable energy by 2035-2040 this opportunity to advance is lost for the Arab and Gulf region. ...

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Swami Vivekananda's visits to Kiel, Hamburg and Berlin in 1896 - two ancient civilizations meet in that year. In 2026 this forms a bond between Germany and India as they embark on a new journey for modernization and joint scientific endeavors for over 2 billion people in India and Europe. Modi and Merz at a Kite flying Festival in Ahmedabad, as Merz visits Gandhiji's Sabarmati Ashram. 

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Merz at ease at Gandhiji's Sabarmati Ashram with Modi in Ahmedabad, India. An historic opportunity for the European Union and India, two of the world's great civilizations and with 2 billion people taking the first step to modernize the German and Indian economy by 2037 and 2047. 

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German chancellor Merz makes his frist trip to Asia starting with India. He sees India and Germany as natural partners and shifts the focus to India from China. Under Merkel Germany remained focused on China. This is changing now that Merz is chancellor. The winds of change are also blowing and the war in Ukraine, the distancing of the US under DJT, US and Chinese restrictions, require this change and Modi, Merkel step up to create anew strategic partnership. The EU and German trade is now set to increase significantly as India modernizes its economy. Merz and Modi see less dependence on Russia for oil and gas and defense needs. India seeks German technologies and capital to industrialize its economy. The scope is immense and both sides are at an historic opportunity. Merz is afar cry from the Merkel years when Germany never grasped India's potential and failed to invest in the German economy. Merz has put forward a $1 trillion plan to invest in modernization of Germany and India is the partner Germany has chosen as central to its plans. This brings the entire EU close to India and its aspirations to be a modern economy like the EU. This is a long term project that began today in Ahmedabad with the two leaders at ease at a Kite Festival in Ahmedabad after Merz visited Gandhiji's Sabarmati Ashram. And Merz showed he understood India-"We are in complete agreement in our assessment of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," Merz said. At the same time, he understood how India's dependence on Russian oil and gas had happened only recently. "Obviously, it is not that simple in India, and I am the last person to visit other countries wagging my finger at them." The patience is there as there is a meeting of minds for what is the largest project of its kind to 2037 and 2047 for 2 billion people pooling technologies, capital and talented engineers. ...

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Merz visit to India to strengthen trade defense ties Jan 2026. Oter areas of cooperation are digital technology and renewable energy. Merz attends the Kite Festival in Ahmedabad, Gujarat state, and the Sabarmati Ashram of Gandhiji.

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Venezuela's Maduro faces trial in the US and Judge Alvin Hellerstein 92 years old in the Southern District of New York is presiding over that case. There is no mandatory retirement age for judges which means they can be practicing well into their 90's. The concern expressed by experts is that the case could go on for years and the judge's health had to be good for that period.

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Circadian rhythm, consistent hours, winding down, exercise in the morning  to cultivate serene sleep habits. Sleep is a natural phenomena and it is important to naturally go to sleep. Paying attention to these factors helps one find a good place to be.

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Even though Denmark is trying to portray this as about 60,000 people on an island almost the size of Canada, Denmark was a colonial power when it acquired the terrritory through merging with Norway and later in Treaty of Kiel in 1814 during the Napoleonic Wars it retained Greenland. In these European Wars lands were exchanged based on success of armies fighting the French. It is "completely useless" for Denmark and it has not invested in Greenland which is backward with poor standard of living, no infrastructure. The US alone can change that. For the US it needs to own the island to make the Eastern Seaboard of the US secure from foreign powers, a point Seward made when he sought to acquire it in 1867 along with the purchase of Alaska from Russia, Every American government since and including Truman has sought to do this. Denmark is in Greenland only because of its colonial power rivalry with Sweden and the British Empire, when it was exchanged or retained for other territories as was the practice of the Europeans in the 19th century wars. It is not there to develop the island, its infrastructure and improve its quality of life, and has never done this. ...

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DJT calls for 10% cap on credit card interest for affordability crisis for US families. Most of the credit card companies in the US base these operations in places without usury laws such as Nevada, and charge exorbitant rates on credit cards, a practice that is going on for 6 decades since the 1960's. It makes it harder for families to get out of poverty and living from paycheck to paycheck. It is another aspect of the affordability crisis. Democrats have never raised this up for action. “Please be informed that we will no longer let the American Public be ‘ripped off’ by Credit Card Companies that are charging Interest Rates of 20 to 30%, and even more,” the president says he wants the cap to start Jan. 20, 2026 If this happens it will be a big win for the American people and end a decades long usury type business in credit cards that violates the idea on which the US was founded of opportunity for all and access to credit as critical in making this happen. Interest rates of 30% are a way to reduce social mobility in the way a feudal order once did in the years before the Modern World and the Scientific Revolution. A society without social mobility is one in decline can be seen in the way Spain went into decline after 1700 and Britain emerged to lead the Modern World and the Industrial Revolution. This is the crisis America faces today- change or cede leadership to China or some other nation. It is about this not the capitalist system or other system as many like to portray it, and Adam Smith was all about growth and social mobility that were part of his system which today is sadly forgotten, yet needs to be bravely put forward. ...

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DJT ban on BIg Business buying up single family homes to make housing affordable for  young families.

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India's modernization efforts for ports terminals and logistics looking ahead to 2047- key to Vikshit Bharat Developed India. For the US and EU this is key to the goal of reducing concentration of manufacturing in China. This goal goes beyond the DJT administration tariffs on China of 48%. It is about common sense and reason not to get stuck with importing everything from one country in Asia, not Japan, not China, but spreading the production. The reason this gets concentrated is that one country gets an overwhelming advantage and only state or national policy of US or EU can change that which is what the DJT administration is doing. India is the only nation that has the potential to make this happen over the next 10 years to 2035.

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This essay in WSJ says Asian Americans and Hispanics are showing greater interest than whites in classical charter schools of Texas. The desire to advance in America leads immigrants to learn about the Nation and its founding, its unique nature among all nations, and the desire to join in the task of nationhood that has happened since the 1850's.

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Collins, Hawley, Paul, Murkowski, Young, US Republican Senators voting for War Powers Resolution in Senate Jan 2026.