Letter from the Editor

Dear Reader,

As part of making Lyrarc more useful to young people and others who may benefit from additional depth, the line- "Recap- for more depth see links and groups or search," is being added below the gist of an article where appropriate. Background gist is provided here to give a context for what is covered in the article and similar articles on related topics. The tangled history of places in the Middle East is one such area, starting with the New York Times article on Prince Salman of Saudi Arabia on June 21, 2017.

LyrArc vs. Conventional News

As Lyrarc has covered in depth this and hundreds of other topics, it has made accessible its groups, links and search for 2006-2017. Readers can easily find out more if they choose to in a small fraction of the time it would take in any other place, creating a new kind of accessibility. Instead of consuming breaking news day after day and lacking a comprehension of what is happening, filling one's head with one sensational headline after another, one can quietly get an understanding in a short time what is really happening below the surface. And do this in just a couple of minutes each week for one of the major news topics that one has chosen. Giving one the edge of being Informed, Worldly and Connected, in a globalized economy.

U.S. Withdrawal From Paris Climate Agreement

The U.S. withdrawal from the climate change agreement led to worldwide criticism, and a range of countries coming together on the issue, to preserve the achievement of the Paris Accords signed in 2016. Coming together were the European Union, China, India, and other countries. Big changes in China with the shift away from coal that is bad for health conditions, and in India as it sets ambitious goals for renewable solar and other energy, are positive signs. The U.S. withdrawal is also limited by the fact that policy is set at the state level and large states such as California and New York are planning to adhere to the targets. Also because the utilities in the U.S. are not changing their plans to reduce the use of coal as part of a long term plan. CEO's of utilities in the U.S. say they are not influenced by what one administration does as governments change and policies could again shift in the future. By making climate change an issue for public protest and concern, and giving China and India the major polluters an opportunity to take the lead, something positive can still emerge from the debate.

UK Parliamentary Election

Britain's parliamentary election showed how precarious the foundations for Brexit are. Losses for the Conservative Party under Theresa May led to it losing its majority in parliament. A fragile government allied with the DUP, a Irish party which received 0.6% of the vote, means there is no clear idea what the mandate for Brexit is, and even unclear what Brexit means. Young people turned out in large numbers giving Labor 40% of the vote, and a gain of 9.5% in votes compared to the last election. Young people who had not turned out to vote in the Brexit referendum wanted their voice heard. Conservatives made a gain of 6.5%, but largely because voters in Scotland voted tactically to avoid leaving the UK. As Brexit talks begin in Brussels, BBC's Europe Editor Katya Adler describes the first day as a kind of Mad Hatters Tea Party, a kind of Alice in Wonderland situation, unreal the way it is unfolding yet real in its consequences for Britain. The European Union has moved on to other issues. Britain is faced with tackling what a small club of Conservative politicians Cameron, Gove, Johnson, and now May, have created by making Brexit an issue to take to the British people, to make political points of their own. This is how it is seen in the EU. There are also economic consequences as the economic uncertainty could hurt Britain's growth, and attention deflected from issues of importance.

Republican Healthcare Plan and the Trump Budget

In the U.S. after the issues in the health care plan that failed in Congress in how it would address the concerns of the elderly for healthcare, there are problems in the Trump budget. Economists and other experts have pointed out that there is double counting and obvious questionable math in the Trump Budget. Hilsenrath in the Wall Street Journal questions the assumptions that show 3% growth. What the budget does is that it generates $2.1 trillion by using the 3% growth assumption over 10 years, then turns around and fixes the high deficits generated by tax cuts using that $2.1 trillion. Counting the same numbers twice. Other problems are cuts to the safety net that are unprecedented and likely to affect the social fabric. 

The Republican healthcare was pushed one more time by Senator McConnell in mid July, but failed after Senator Rand Paul on the right, Senator Moran of Kansas among the conservatives, and moderate Senator Collins of Maine, voiced strong opposition. Senators Moran and Collins talked to voters in their home districts who expressed strong sentiment against the plan including the cuts to benefits in rural areas and for the elderly. Other senators moved to the moderate camp leading to the plan's failure to attract support in the Senate. The likely result of shredding of the safety net for the elderly and people needing help has aroused strong sentiment among voters of both parties, leading to some conservatives moving to the moderate side in line with the views of their constituencies.