Chicken in the Gulf

Iran’s probably think it’s in their interest to try pull US forces back to the Middle East by engaging in asymmetric provocation. It is something Trump will resist. But some damn fool thing can always happen. History shows that once escalation occurs it becomes unpredictable. The semi-official ISNA news agency quoted hardliner Ayatollah Tabatabai-Nejad in …

Singapore outlaws fake news, allows govt to block, remove it

By blocking certain users social media assumed the responsibility of publishers. This may destroy them. The law bans falsehoods that are prejudicial to Singapore or likely to influence elections and requires service providers to remove such content or allows the government to block it. Offenders could face a jail term of up to 10 years …

Restaurants to offer penance at meals

Selling indulgences to Gaia. A future historian might write: “Indulgences became increasingly popular in the 21st century as a reward for signaling virtue, hugging rough trees, and going on pilgrimage to environmental summits; for putting on processions and marches; associations demanded that their meetings be rewarded with indulgences. Good deeds included tax donations of money …

Columbiner Subculture

“The phenomenon is feeding on itself,” said Peter Langman, a psychologist who is the author of “Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters” and who runs the website SchoolShooters.info. “It’s gaining momentum, and the more there are, the more there will be.” National Review

Kamala Harris Wants to Be Your Online Censor-in-Chief

We will hold social media platforms responsible for the hate infiltrating their platforms, because they have a responsibility to help fight against this threat to our democracy. And if you profit off of hate—if you act as a megaphone for misinformation or cyberwarfare, if you don’t police your platforms—we are going to hold you accountable …

China lacks capability to invade Taiwan, focuses on neutralizing US

The Chinese communist party seeks to diplomatically isolate Taiwan by stripping it of its diplomatic allies, by meddling in democratic elections and by applying economic pressure through redirecting tourism and financial development away from the island, Randall Shriver, assistant secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs, said during a Friday media briefing about the report.“China has …