What I Meant To Say Was…

Confucius Say: To Conquer Europe, Invest In Greece Having endured their fill of austerity measures from the EU, Greece is turning to a suitor of sorts in China. As part of their long term strategic “One Belt, One Road” initiative, China is usingGreece as the fulcrum upon which their influence in Europe will tilt. Already their Greek brethren have blocked European edicts denouncing human rights abuses in China, Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, and tougher screening on Chinese investments. And why not? As Europe (and Germany in particular) has kept Greece in the economic ditch, China has emerged to lift them up. The city of Piraeus has a new 500 million euro port, the Mediterranean’s busiest, thanks to Chinese investment. China’s economic clout is fast becoming political muscle as Greece looks to help its benefactor navigate the European neighborhood. It appears China’s tactics of buying power with investment, a strategy well-honed in resource-rich Africa and South America, has now arrived in Europe. Next on China’s wish list: Other economically struggling European nations such as Spain, Portugal, and Hungary.

Trump Visits Texas, But Avoids Storm-Damaged Areas: On Tuesday, President Trump traveled to Texas amidst the continuing catastrophe that is the flooding aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey. Trump had previously criticized former President Obama for waiting too long to visit disaster areas, but because of the ongoing calamity in Houston, Trump decided to visit Corpus Christi, a city about 200 miles south that has escaped the brunt of the damage. So instead of comforting any actual storm victims or seeing any visible signs of disaster, the president and first lady, accompanied by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, boarded Air Force One to fly to the state’s capital, Austin. During the flight, Trump watched videos of the flood damage and marveled at the scale of the disaster. He then met with state officials in a subterranean command center, pledging to mount the best ever relief and recovery effort for a tropical storm that is on course to break the US record for the heaviest rainfall from a tropical system. Abbott said the president was with Texas “every step of the way.” But one wonders if Trump had any idea, or even curiosity about, what might be underlying the enormity of such weather events.

Trump Revoked Federal Regulations Meant to Protect Infrastructure From Flooding: Just ten days before Tropical Storm Harvey hit the coast of south Texas this past Friday night, President Trump signed an executive order revoking a set of regulations put in place by the previous administration that would have made federally-funded infrastructure less vulnerable to flooding. The Obama-era rules, had they gone into effect, would have required the federal government to take into account the risk of flooding and sea-level rise as a result of climate change when constructing new infrastructure and rebuilding after disasters. Experts estimate that Harvey—the most powerful storm to hit the US since 2004—will cost Texas between $30 billion and $100 billion in damage. Trump has promised to ask Congress for a massive aid package to help with the state’s recovery and rebuilding efforts. But according to experts across the political spectrum, because Trump has revoked Obama’s Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, much of the federal money sent to Texas is likely to be wasted on construction that will insufficiently protect against the next storm.

Historic Flooding, Urban Sprawl, and Climate Change: The southern coast of Texas remains in the midst of a major flooding disaster, with people and pets still being rescued from roof tops, evacuees overwhelming temporary shelters, and the death toll rising. As of this writing, Harvey has made a second landfall near the Louisiana-Texas border, is moving east, and is expected to bring winds of 30-40 mph and a 2-4 foot storm surge along the border between the two states. Here’s something scientists, meteorologists, city planners, and storm management professionals would never say: We told you so. But consider this line from The Atlantic on why cities flood: “The combination of climate change and aggressive development made an event like this almost inevitable.”

Houston is the fourth largest city in the US. It has 2.3 million people and covers over 660 square miles, with its downtown only about 50 feet above sea level. Much of the city was built on marshes, swamp, or prairie. It’s terrain is flat, and due to urban sprawl, flooding has been a recurring problem for the city. Houston has no zoning laws; developers continue to build on every available piece of land while infrastructure and storm management systems cannot keep up; and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regulations have been relaxed under the Trump administration. Add to that documented sea-level rise in the Gulf of Mexico, increased summer heat, increased water temperature, and you have a recipe for the disaster currently being experienced.

The ever-increasing frequency of dangerous flooding can’t just be attributed to bad luck or statistical noise. Here’s a thought: Don’t let your flood-prone city sprawl beyond its capacity to absorb floodwaters; seriously plan for flooding catastrophes; and stop ignoring evidence that climate change is rapidly increasing the likelihood of violent, debilitating storms.

Puerto Rico: Who’s In Charge Here?: Governor Ricardo Rossello is faced with a $74 billion public debt load, but has decided that government furloughs and a cut to the public pension system are off limits as debt control measures. The federal control board charged with crisis management of the island’s’ finances respectfully disagrees with Ricky, and so, in a bizarre move, sued him for not furloughing their recommended 130,000 workers, and even requested an injunction to prevent him from further non-compliance. Tensions have been rising between Rossello and the board as he continues to defy their wishes. Not only has he failed to realize a milestone of $218 million in savings (as part of a larger plan to save $880 million), but he recently signed a law setting aside $2 billion for a pension plan for tens of thousands of retirees. The financial unsustainability of the government has caused close to half a million people to leave in search of opportunities on the US mainland.

Uhhh…What I Meant To Say Was: During a Liberal Democratic Party meeting, Japan’s finance minister Taro Aso was quoted as saying, “Hitler, who killed millions of people, was no good even if his motive was right.” It took Taro less than a day to realize either that he misspoke or his views are a political liability, and he retracted the statement: “It is clear from my overall remarks that I regard Hitler in extremely negative terms, and it’s clear that his motives were also wrong.” Thanks for that, Taro. He went on to claim he was using the Nazi murderer to emphasize the importance of politicians achieving results. Why he didn’t use FDR or Winston Churchill (other notable World War II-era politicians who achieved results, albeit on the winning, non-Japanese side) we may never know, but his penchant for Nazism may resurface. In 2013, he overtly suggested Japanese officials take a page out of the Nazi playbook, and change the national constitution quietly, out of the public eye. Maybe he’s just a super-dedicated Nazi history buff. Or maybe not.

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Your Daily Pnut Team: CEO–Tim Hsia. Editor in Chief–Vanessa Wu. Political Junkie at Large–Penelope Lary. Ninth Inning Reliever-Writer: Mike Briggs. Occasional Contributors: Clark Kent, Peter Parker, and rambunctious interns.