Be a Great Neighbor | House of Sand and Fog of War | Power to Pnut Productivity

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“Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.”

“Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero to me.”

– Fred Rogers

Our House, In The Middle Of The Middle East: When President Trump visited the Al Asad military base in Iraq’s Anbar province last December, he made reference to ongoing negotiations with Tehran for the US to continue using the base to monitor ISIS activity once American military forces are withdrawn. That would seemingly have been acceptable under the 2008 US-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement in which Washington committed not to use Iraq “as a launching or transit point for attacks against other countries.”

In a CBS interview on Sunday, however, Trump said when he withdraws US troops from Syria they’ll be going to the Al Asad base to keep an eye on Iran and protect Israel. “We spent a fortune on building this incredible base. We might as well keep it,” the president said. “… I want to keep it… because I want to be looking a little bit at Iran because Iran is a real problem.” When asked if the troops stationed in Iraq could be used to strike Iran, Trump responded: “All I want to do is be able to watch,” adding “If there’s trouble, if somebody is looking to do nuclear weapons or other things, we’re going to know it before they do.”

The remarks were not well received by Iraqi president Barham Saleh, who had a message for America that he delivered at a forum in Bagdad on Monday: “Don’t overburden Iraq with your own issues. The US is a major power… but do not pursue your own policy priorities. We live here.” Saleh complained that not only had the US not asked Iraq’s permission to use the base, but that “Any action taken outside this framework [the 2008 pact] is unacceptable.” The Trump administration has accused Iran of attempting to acquire nuclear weapons, an assessment with which US intelligence officials disagree. Additional read: To Slow U.S. Exit, Afghanistan Leader Offers Trump a Cost Reduction (NYT, $)

It’s A Meat Eat Meat World: In the last 50 years the global population has more than doubled, but meat production during that time has increased five-fold. True, there are more people to feed today, but rising population isn’t the sole answer. Rising incomes play a key part. The global average income has more than tripled in those same 50 years. When meat consumption is compared across different countries, what it typically shows is that the richer the society, the more meat that society consumes. And countries with growing middle classes, like Brazil, and particularly China, are really pushing the trend upward. (BBC) Additional read: Shark on UK plates highlights trade in endangered species: Meat from endangered sharks is finding its way on to the British menu, according to a study. (BBC)

Shed The Weight, Save A Life: According to an analysis released Monday by the American Cancer Society, not only are cancers fueled by obesity on the rise among young adults in the US, but they’re appearing at increasingly younger ages. The study examined data on 12 obesity-related cancers between 1995 and 2014, as well as 18 common cancers not associated with weight. The trend was particularly disturbing among adults 24 to 49, the age range including Gen Y or Millennials (born 1980-1994) and Gen X (born 1965-1979). Research in the UK shows seven in 10 Millennials will likely be overweight or obese by their mid-30s and 40s. Only five in 10 baby boomers (1946-1964) were obese at the same age. (CNN)

Russia’s Unavoidable Circle of Corruption: Russia’s Ministry of Justice, along with the ministries of labor, internal affairs and the public prosecutors’ office, are working to ease the country’s corruption laws to comply with a decree signed last year by President Vladimir Putin. The rule change would make some corrupt acts exempt from punishment, if the corruption is found to be unavoidable. (NPR)

The Right To Burn Rubber: Roughly 2,400 miles of Germany’s 8,000 mile network of highways, collectively called the Autobahn, actually have a speed limit, imposed to curb noise near urban centers and reduce safety risks on roads clearly unfit for speeding. The number of deadly accidents on stretches of highway with a speed limit is 26 percent lower than on those without one. Regardless, don’t even think about suggesting a speed limit on the other 5,600 miles of Autobahn. It’s as sensitive a subject as gun control in America or whaling in Japan. Arguments that speed limits save lives and the environment matter not a whit to the proponents of driving freedom. The Autobahn is like this auto nation’s Wild West: the one place in a highly regulated society where no rule is the rule, and that’s just plain sacred. (NYT)

Recount Or Regret: After Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ignored a demand by seven European Union states to call new elections by Sunday, on Monday a total of 13 EU nations had joined in solidarity to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president. The EU’s 28 member body was unable to agree on a unified position due in part to Italy’s opposition. The US recognized Guaido in late January, and President Trump said recently military action in Venezuela against Maduro remains “an option.” (WaPo)

Additional reads

• Venezuela: Maduro hits back at ‘gringo plot to overthrow revolution’. Address comes after EU countries and US throw weight behind challenger Juan Guaidó. (Guardian)
• Venezuelan opposition leader urges China to abandon Maduro: Call from Juan Guaidó comes after Beijing hints support may not be everlasting (Guardian)
• High-Ranking General Rejects Maduro, Who Proposes Earlier Parliamentary Elections (NPR)
• Trump says U.S. military intervention in Venezuela ‘an option,’ Russia objects (Reuters)
• Massive protests are taking place in Venezuela. Here’s what they look like. (WaPo, $)
• Maduro Turns to Special Police Force to Crush Dissent (NYT, $)

A Unification Of Church And State: Examples abound of how conservative religious leaders have gained unprecedented access to President Trump, exerting influence in his administration and his policies. Rachel Laser, CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, says the religious right “has a partnership at the highest level of government.” According to Laser, “Together, they’re co-opting the term ‘religious freedom’ to advance their political agenda.” A Southern Baptist minister and former co-chair of the Trump campaign’s evangelical advisory board, estimated he’d visited the White House 20 times by early last year. Roughly 100 evangelical leaders were invited to the White House for a meal with all the trappings of an official state dinner. (Guardian) Additional read: Sarah Sanders: God ‘wanted Donald Trump to become president’(CNN)

Additional reads

• ‘It’s way too many’: As vacancies pile up in Trump administration, senators grow concerned (WaPo, $)
• What Trump said about foreign policy in last year’s State of the Union (and what actually happened) (WaPo, $)
• David Bernhardt: Trump selects former oil lobbyist to oversee interior department: The deputy secretary has been running the department since Ryan Zinke stepped down at the end of the year (Guardian)
• Trump inaugural committee ordered to give documents to prosecutors – reports: Inquiry headed by Manhattan US attorney’s office adds to legal threats swirling around presidency (Guardian)

Social Media Needs a Surgeon General

• YouTube won’t comment over Austin Jones child abuse images: YouTube has “declined to comment” after Austin Jones admitted getting teenage girls to share naked images with him over social media. (BBC)
• Instagram to launch ‘sensitivity screens’ after Molly Russell’s death: Facebook-owned app promises changes to better shield users from self-harm images (Guardian)
• Instagram’s Sneakiness Makes Super Bowl Ads Look Quaint: When the commercials come on during the game, at least you’ll know Jason Bateman is trying to sell you something. (NYT, $)

Digital Detox

• How to Do a Data ‘Cleanse’: New year, new you, right? You may be headed to the gym, but what about the health of your phone, computer and all your precious data? Here are some tips to get your digital life in order. (NYT, $)
• The Life-Changing Magic of KonMari-ing Your iPhone Apps(Gizmodo)

Power to Pnut Productivity

• The glories of being quiet: “We live in the age of noise. Silence is almost extinct.” (BBC) Additional song: Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel)
• Benefits of a daily diary and topic journals (Sivers) Tim at Daily Pnut has been writing a journal since he was a cadet at West Point. Tim thinks of journaling : brain :: Defragmentation : Computer.
• With Lifelong Struggles, Effort Isn’t What’s Missing (Raptitude)
• Opportunity costs just went up: Every choice has a price. (Seth Godin’s Blog)
• Let Children Get Bored Again: Boredom teaches us that life isn’t a parade of amusements. More important, it spawns creativity and self-sufficiency. (NYT, $)
• Five benefits of being an early riser: Rise with the lark and you can expect a happier, more productive life, researchers suggest. And if you’re a woman you seem less likely to suffer from breast cancer(Guardian)

“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say “It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.” Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.” – Fred Rogers

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