January 27, 2016
By Mike Ives
Hanoi, Vietnam — The Communist Party of Vietnam (click here) has chosen the incumbent
general secretary as the country’s top leader for a second five-year
term, the official Vietnam News Agency reported Wednesday.
The
reappointment of Nguyen Phu Trong, 71, could slow the pace of Vietnam’s
shift to a more open, market-oriented economy, but it is unlikely to
alter its strategic balance in relations with China and the United
States, analysts said.
Mr.
Trong is a leader of the party’s old guard, which was trained in
Soviet-style economics and has long seen neighboring China, Vietnam’s
top trading partner, as a critical strategic and ideological ally.
Notably, Mr. Trong appeared reluctant to criticize China when it deployed an oil rig in disputed waters in 2014....
A neighborhood that has been neglected by previous Presidents. This has been typical of President Obama's presidency. He takes the moral high road and brings opportunity for peace and prosperity.
January 25, 2016
By Pamela Dockins
Vientiane, Laos —
The U.S. is stepping up efforts (click here) to help Laos deal with problems including hunger, unexploded ordnances and technology access for the lower Mekong.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry outlined the initiatives during a Monday visit to this capital city. He also talked about challenges outside of Asia, including the planned Syria peace talks.
He spoke with reporters after meeting with officials, including Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith.
The talks laid the groundwork for next month's special summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in California, which will be hosted by President Barack Obama....
I think this neighborhood has the potential to find instability without a more global involvement. Just consider some of the countries in this region of the world have an enormous number of nuclear weapons. It is pretty darn scary to a small country struggling to find quality of life for it's people. This area of the world is also impacted by the climate crisis. There are many reasons for the USA to find ways to help these people.
Senator John McCain has struggled for years if not a decade or more to bring better quality of life to the people of Vietnam. That should not be ignored and upto President Obama's international initiatives there has been very little attention to these smaller countries.
This region of the world has an organization to bring countries together in cooperation, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). It dearly does not need the exploitative agenda of the TPP.
This is an extraordinary event. Cambodia of all countries had a horrible human trafficking problem. It is well documented with Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times. A concern for more than a decade. And now today, the leaders of Cambodia are determined to protect their people from such horrible exploitation.
January 2016
Jakarta
Cambodia and Singapore (click here) have deposited their respective Instruments of Ratification for the ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (ACTIP) with H.E. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN. The ACTIP, which was signed by the ASEAN Leaders at the 27th ASEAN Summit in November 2015, demonstrates ASEAN’s commitment in addressing trafficking in persons as a regional problem and resolve to find the most effective regional solution to combat this problem.
A neighborhood that has been neglected by previous Presidents. This has been typical of President Obama's presidency. He takes the moral high road and brings opportunity for peace and prosperity.
January 25, 2016
By Pamela Dockins
Vientiane, Laos —
The U.S. is stepping up efforts (click here) to help Laos deal with problems including hunger, unexploded ordnances and technology access for the lower Mekong.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry outlined the initiatives during a Monday visit to this capital city. He also talked about challenges outside of Asia, including the planned Syria peace talks.
He spoke with reporters after meeting with officials, including Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith.
The talks laid the groundwork for next month's special summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in California, which will be hosted by President Barack Obama....
I think this neighborhood has the potential to find instability without a more global involvement. Just consider some of the countries in this region of the world have an enormous number of nuclear weapons. It is pretty darn scary to a small country struggling to find quality of life for it's people. This area of the world is also impacted by the climate crisis. There are many reasons for the USA to find ways to help these people.
Senator John McCain has struggled for years if not a decade or more to bring better quality of life to the people of Vietnam. That should not be ignored and upto President Obama's international initiatives there has been very little attention to these smaller countries.
This region of the world has an organization to bring countries together in cooperation, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). It dearly does not need the exploitative agenda of the TPP.
This is an extraordinary event. Cambodia of all countries had a horrible human trafficking problem. It is well documented with Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times. A concern for more than a decade. And now today, the leaders of Cambodia are determined to protect their people from such horrible exploitation.
January 2016
Jakarta
Cambodia and Singapore (click here) have deposited their respective Instruments of Ratification for the ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (ACTIP) with H.E. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN. The ACTIP, which was signed by the ASEAN Leaders at the 27th ASEAN Summit in November 2015, demonstrates ASEAN’s commitment in addressing trafficking in persons as a regional problem and resolve to find the most effective regional solution to combat this problem.
The ACTIP, which is the first regionally
binding instrument on trafficking in persons aims to prevent and combat
trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and ensure just
and effective punishment of traffickers; protect and assist victims of
trafficking in persons with full respect for their human rights; and
promote cooperation in the fight against trafficking in persons among
the ASEAN Member States....
For decades Taiwan was the singular focus of the USA. That focus always came with the threat of war. The USA's relationship with Taiwan was never reassuring to the other small countries in the Pacific. The USA now has the opportunity to help with the climate crisis while growing economic and stable relationships.
I look forward to stable and good relationships with all these countries.
The Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea have collapsed fisheries. There is far more over growth of squid. All those reports about giant squid being found by fishermen for the first time is because of the fishery collapse.
The entire coastline of these countries rely on fishing to feed the people. About five years or so the news made it out of the region that the fisheries were gone and the only real food left in the region was squid. Squid reproduces quickly and in numbers that would cause such a collapse from overfishing. The squid lost it's predators and their population exploded.
We knew the giant squid were in the ocean, but, they usually flourished at depth. Sperm whales are the only species of whale I know of that actually dive to depth to feed on them. That square head of the Sperm Whales is primarily blubber. It collapses with water pressure and provides protection for the whales during those deep dives.
Not to make wide sweeping statements, but, when realizing the findings of giant squid by southeast Asian fishermen, there are sperm whales beaching in the North Atlantic. The idea this is related is not expected, but, one cannot simply look the other way to realize perhaps giant squid globally may be collapsing as well.
Three sperm whales (click here) that were stranded on the Lincolnshire coast are to be removed from the beach in Skegness in the next 24 hours.
The dead whales were found on the beach at the weekend and are believed to be part of the same pod as others found in Hunstanton, Norfolk, and Wainfleet in Lincolnshire.
Scientists who examined the whales found that they had been stranded alive and died after entering shallow North Sea waters in the hunt for food.
Tests are expected to examine whether they were from the same pods as sperm whales that had washed up on coastlines in Germany and the Netherlands in the past fortnight....
The oceans are in trouble. The oceans are a dumping ground. All that mess plus the effect on fisheries with rising ocean temperatures and some acidification the USA has a responsibility to address the collapse of these fisheries in southeast Asia with help in restoring them.
Senator McCain was attempting to help Vietnam by allowing their fish imports. The Vietnamese fish were not labeled well and were not widely accepted for some markets in the USA. The American people have a right to know about their food products. But, today even with improved labeling the Vietnamese fisheries may prove to have lost their ability to provide enough fish for export. The USA is needed in this area of the world and it doesn't need TPP to help. These countries could have trade agreements with the USA and it doesn't take large swaths of potential Wall Street IPOs. All it takes is the ability to market items in the USA and maybe even to specialty markets like the Non-GMO groceries.
What did Walmart ever do for Bangladesh?
Restoration of these fisheries may very well mean restoring onshore forests. Much needs to be assessed and plans in how best to proceed with restoration to provide good economies for the people. Most scientists I know are more than interested in working for these countries, but, the relationships just aren't there. This area of the world have some magnificent rainforests. Vietnam has never been the same since Agent Orange. A lot needs to be done.
That was rather long winded, but, it illustrates the need for productive relationships with this part of the world. Communism doesn't bother me. It seems to be a preferred form of government. That's fine. It is okay if change comes slowly if at all. That should not stand in the way of relationships of cultural, scientific and economic platforms.
For decades Taiwan was the singular focus of the USA. That focus always came with the threat of war. The USA's relationship with Taiwan was never reassuring to the other small countries in the Pacific. The USA now has the opportunity to help with the climate crisis while growing economic and stable relationships.
I look forward to stable and good relationships with all these countries.
The Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea have collapsed fisheries. There is far more over growth of squid. All those reports about giant squid being found by fishermen for the first time is because of the fishery collapse.
The entire coastline of these countries rely on fishing to feed the people. About five years or so the news made it out of the region that the fisheries were gone and the only real food left in the region was squid. Squid reproduces quickly and in numbers that would cause such a collapse from overfishing. The squid lost it's predators and their population exploded.
Not to make wide sweeping statements, but, when realizing the findings of giant squid by southeast Asian fishermen, there are sperm whales beaching in the North Atlantic. The idea this is related is not expected, but, one cannot simply look the other way to realize perhaps giant squid globally may be collapsing as well.
Three sperm whales (click here) that were stranded on the Lincolnshire coast are to be removed from the beach in Skegness in the next 24 hours.
The dead whales were found on the beach at the weekend and are believed to be part of the same pod as others found in Hunstanton, Norfolk, and Wainfleet in Lincolnshire.
Scientists who examined the whales found that they had been stranded alive and died after entering shallow North Sea waters in the hunt for food.
Tests are expected to examine whether they were from the same pods as sperm whales that had washed up on coastlines in Germany and the Netherlands in the past fortnight....
The oceans are in trouble. The oceans are a dumping ground. All that mess plus the effect on fisheries with rising ocean temperatures and some acidification the USA has a responsibility to address the collapse of these fisheries in southeast Asia with help in restoring them.
Senator McCain was attempting to help Vietnam by allowing their fish imports. The Vietnamese fish were not labeled well and were not widely accepted for some markets in the USA. The American people have a right to know about their food products. But, today even with improved labeling the Vietnamese fisheries may prove to have lost their ability to provide enough fish for export. The USA is needed in this area of the world and it doesn't need TPP to help. These countries could have trade agreements with the USA and it doesn't take large swaths of potential Wall Street IPOs. All it takes is the ability to market items in the USA and maybe even to specialty markets like the Non-GMO groceries.
What did Walmart ever do for Bangladesh?
Restoration of these fisheries may very well mean restoring onshore forests. Much needs to be assessed and plans in how best to proceed with restoration to provide good economies for the people. Most scientists I know are more than interested in working for these countries, but, the relationships just aren't there. This area of the world have some magnificent rainforests. Vietnam has never been the same since Agent Orange. A lot needs to be done.
That was rather long winded, but, it illustrates the need for productive relationships with this part of the world. Communism doesn't bother me. It seems to be a preferred form of government. That's fine. It is okay if change comes slowly if at all. That should not stand in the way of relationships of cultural, scientific and economic platforms.
