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How Does Texas Do It?
By: Jeffrey L Minch
Tags: Texasincometax, Texas

Texans voted for a constitutional ban against imposing a state income tax in an election held in November 2019. The situation until then had been murky on the issue of a personal income tax relying upon something called the “Bob Bullock Amendment” which allowed the Legislature to set a personal income tax, but only if voters approved it via a statewide referendum and if the new revenue was used exclusively for school property tax cuts and education programs.

Which leads us to the question — how does Texas fund itself?

Tell us, Big Red Car, how does Texas fund that beast?

The answer is thusly:

1. Texas financial affairs are managed by the Comptroller of Public Accounts who oversees the collection of taxes (we have about 60 taxes, but no income tax), fees, and assessments.

2. In 2019, Texas collected a total of $127,900,000,000 from all sources.

3. Generally, the sources of revenue are:

Sales tax — $34,000,000,000 (26.6% of total revenue)

Taxes on a variety of things such as oil/natural gas production, cigarettes, motor vehicles — $25,400,000,000 (19.8%)

Federal funding of Medicaid/Medicare — $41,900,000 (32.8%)
New Businesses in Houston, Texas
Tags: Morewithus, Restaurant, Everyday Jobs, Houston, Texas

In a pandemic, supporting small businesses is more important than ever. Many local shops and restaurants are struggling to stay open and need business from their communities in order to survive. However, the pandemic has not stopped the efforts of entrepreneurs and there are still new businesses opening up all over the country. Here are six new businesses in Houston that you should check out:

1. DIOS Brand: DIOS, short for Did it Ourselves, is a streetwear clothing brand founded in 2019 by Jorge Casanova and LE$. They sell trendy styles at affordable prices and will be opening their first store location in Houston on November 27th.

2. The Annie Café and Bar: This modern Texas-inspired American restaurant opened in September 2019. Originally called Café Annie, Chef Robert Del Grande teamed up with Berg Hospitality Group to rebrand and reopen. With a quality and affordable menu, this is a great place to consider eating at.

3. Ostia: Opened by Chef Travis McShane, Ostia is a Mediterranean restaurant in Houston offering brunch, lunch, and dinner. Ostia just opened its doors on September 25th so you can be among some of the first people to try this farm-to-table restaurant.

4. Bottled Blonde Pizzeria: This newly opened Houston restaurant offers a menu full of authentic pizza and other Italian-inspired items. A new special is offered every day so there’s always a reason to go back and try something new!

5. East End Backyard: Former The Dynamo soccer player Brian Ching has opened East End Backyard in Houston, a large outdoor patio-like space that allows for a backyard feel while enjoying their large selection of beers and a variety of food trucks.

6. Roast and Brew Café: New to Houston this October, this European café offers a large fresh-brewed coffee menu as well as a Mediterranean inspired menu. With an outdoor patio and a selection of wine and beer, this is a great location to visit!

These are just a few of the newest restaurants that have just opened in Houston, Texas. Make sure to give them a visit if you live in the Houston area or explore your city’s local businesses if not!
Accident Lawyers Austin Social Profiles
By: Accident Lawyers Austin
Tags: Accident Lawyers Austin, Texas

Whether you’ve been involved in a car accident, suffered a construction injury at work, or were injured in an über car accident, our attorneys can help.

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Streaming!! Villanova vs Texas Live Free 2020 Basketball
Tags: Vs, Live, Free, Texas, Villanova

The Big East/Big 12 Challenge gets underway in Austin on Sunday when Villanova (3–1) visits the Texas Longhorns (4–0). The Longhorns are looking for their fifth consecutive win to start the season after winning the Camping World Maui Invitational held in North Carolina.

Watch Now: https://dailyaccess.org/basketball/

Watch Now: https://dailyaccess.org/basketball/

Texas defeated the Tar Heels 69–67 when Matt Coleman III hit the game-winning jumper with 0.1 seconds left. In that game, Texas led by as many as 16 points in the first half, but North Carolina chipped away at the lead until they grabbed a 65–63 lead with 2:53 left in the game. The Longhorns rallied with a 6–2 run over the final minutes of the game to seal the victory. Coleman had 22 points in the win, hitting three three-pointers along the way.

The Longhorns held their final two opponents in the Maui Invitational to 33.9% shooting and won two of three games by one possession.

Villaniova has had a tumultuous beginning to their season with COVID cancellations and changes. The Wildcats were a quick replacement in Bubbleville when Temple had to quarantine. They ended up losing the replacement game against Virginia Tech in overtime 81–73. After rebounding against Hartford with a convincing 87–53 win, Villanova’s next two games were postponed due to COVID. Now, the Wildcats get a Texas team that has started the season strongly.

https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/united-states/Online-Event/Streaming-Arsenal-vs-Tottenham-Live-Free-2020-ON-TV/14110749/

https://discourseanalysis.net/en/streaming-texas-vs-villanova-2020-live-free-basketball-online

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Texas-Squared Startup Newsletter #274
By: Marc Nathan
Tags: Startup, News, Texas

Texas Startup News, Opinion & Events in the Lone StartUP State

View this email in your browser SUBSCRIBE to Texas-Squared

Sign up for reminders about Austin Startup meetups www.bitly.com/txstartupevents

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Austin Quick Start Guide www.bitly.com/atxquickstart

Download the Texas-Squared Startup Resource Guide PDF

Gregslist of Software Companies — Austin | Dallas Fort Worth

HTX Tech List — https://houstonexponential.org/htxtechlist/ UH Tech Map https://techmap.uh.edu/

Everlywell Announces $175 Million Financing to Expand Consumer Lab Testing and Digital Health Offerings — Link

Austin’s Everlywell lands $175 million for expansion — Link

- Austin American-Statesman’s Lori Hawkins

- Austin American-Statesman’s Lori Hawkins Austin’s new unicorn: At-home health testing startup Everlywell raises $175M in funding — Link

- AustinInno’s Brent Wistrom

- AustinInno’s Brent Wistrom Everlywell Raises $175M Amid Huge Demand for At-Home Medical Testing — Link

- Built In Austin

“Everlywell, a leading digital health company, today announced an oversubscribed Series D financing of $175 million. New investors participating in the round include funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, The Chernin Group (TCG), Foresite Capital, Greenspring Associates, Lux Capital, Morningside Ventures, and Portfolia, as well as existing investors Goodwater Capital, Highland Capital Partners, and Next Coast Ventures. This investment brings the total capital raised by the company to over $250 million to date, which includes a Series C round led by Highland Capital Partners earlier this year.”

Investing in FemTech & Fertility

Investing in FemTech & Fertility with kegg and Proov

by Texas HALO Fund

Tuesday, December 8, 2020 12:00 PM — 1:00 PM CST

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Navigator Spotlight: Burgeon Plant Co.
By: Centro San Antonio
Tags: Small Business, Flower Shop, Texas, Horticulture, San Antonio

Co-Owner Hector Rivera presents a cactus

Burgeon Plant Co. owners Jasmine Garza and Hector Rivera inherited a deep love of plants from their families. Hector’s grandparents were migrant farm workers. Jasmine’s grandmother loved taking care of plants. Towards the end of her life, Jasmine’s grandmother found comfort in the plants her granddaughter would bring to her.

Entrance to Burgeon Plant Co. decorated for the holidays

Hector pursued a degree in Plant Science at Texas Tech University and the pair both worked with plants before pursuing their own business. In January this year, they started vending at pop-ups. They soon graduated to a truck and asked their Instagram followers where they wanted to see them activate. As it turns out, the Southern end of Downtown and the Southside had a true need for a local plant shop. The pair found a permanent location on South Presa and Burgeon Plant Co. Was born. “We like that you can walk down the street and there’s all these restaurants and shops you can check out,” says Jasmine. “Or you can just take a walk down the River Walk.”

Co-Owners Jasmine Garza and Hector Rivera

They’ve expanded their services to include consultations for both residential and commercial clients. In store, they carry local artists’ works, which range from sketches to ceramic pots. The store sits next to an artist, tattoo shop, and coffee shop. Their community supports one another through promotions. Jasmine emphasizes the importance of these local connections. “You’re supporting your local economy [when you shop local],” she explains.

Some of the local art for sale at Burgeon Plant Co.

Hector also points out that local nurseries and plant shops like Burgeon Plant Co. can deliver a higher quality product as they have the time to ensure product quality and offer specific guidance to clients.

The power of plants is more relevant than ever, according to Hector. “It helps with your mental health and makes the room feel a little livelier,” he explains. In an era when many people are sequestered in their homes, often alone, plants are a way to lift one’s spirits.

During this holiday season, if you are thinking of a loved one, consider getting them the gift of a plant or local art to brighten their day.

Flowers for sale at Burgeon Plant Co.

Centro San Antonio’s Main Street Economic Development Program is part of the City of San Antonio’s Recovery and Resiliency Plan. The Main Street Navigator team conducts outreach to micro and small businesses to provide support and connect them to critical capital and business development resources. If you own a business downtown, contact us at MainStreet@downtownsa.org. For more Main Street resources, please visit centrosanantonio.org
Interviu Bersama Fea: Chicana Punk dan Riot Grrrl
By: Febrian Adi
Tags: Fea, Feminism, Chicana Punk, Texas, Punk

in On the Philosophies of Madness
Texas Law Enforcement Regulation “Toothless”
By: Ra News
Tags: Texas, Law Enforcement

A recent report by Texas’ Sunset Advisory Commission found that the “state’s current regulation of law enforcement is, by and large, toothless.” First reported in the Houston Chronicle, the report showed “Texas’ patchwork of uneven oversight has resulted in ‘a fragmented, outdated system with poor accountability, lack of statewide standards, and inadequate training.’”

The review, which was released just prior to the start of the 87th Legislative Session, also shows that while more than 600 Texas law enforcement officers were dishonorably discharged in 2019 for misconduct, more than a quarter of them were rehired.

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which is responsible for licensing police officers among other law enforcement personnel, has “almost no authority to act against an officer’s license.”

Sunset Advisory Commission staff recommended establishing a blue ribbon panel to evaluate current regulation of law enforcement in order to make “needed changes to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public as well as law enforcement personnel.”

Created in 1977, the Sunset Commission evaluates state agencies and their programs for effectiveness and relevance. The Commission consists of 12 members — 5 state senators, 5 state representatives, and two public members appointed by the lieutenant governor and speaker of the House.

In response to the staff report, Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa issued the following statement: “Members of the 87th Texas Legislature have their work cut out for them, but we must come together, look at the evidence, and make change. Lives depend on solutions.”
A thought about Willie
By: Tim Moore
Tags: Self Improvement, Willie Nelson, Texas, Country Music, Music

It has become a cliché that Willie is a National Treasure of the former Republic of Texas, and it is true. SiriusXM played Willie’s music all day on their Willie’s Roadhouse channel (59) last April on Willie’s 87th birthday, and hosted a birthday interview and celebration at his ranch west of Austin.

Willie was pure Willie: laid back, soft spoken, understated, joyful and grateful — every bit a decent man. Those qualities alone stand him out in our modern world of celebrities.

And then there is the talent.

If Willie were only a songwriter, he would be a giant. And not just a country giant, but an all-genre giant — a Lennon-McCartney, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Pete Townsend, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, etc, giant. And then there are the 143 albums. You read that right. Some are with other artists, but still. . . .

Texas Monthly ran an online article ranking all 143 of them. Go here for it:

A friend of mine is a recording artist and novelist here in Central Texas. His name is Mike Blakely. Mike ghosted a novel with Willie, called A Tale out of Luck. It is a fun read, a great story. Mike has a host of Willie stories from that experience, and all of them tell the same story: a wonderful presence, a decent guy, surrounded all the time by family and friends, and generous to a fault.

The world should have more Willies.

We got the chance to interview last spring one of Willie’s oldest friends in Nashville: Country Music Hall of Famer, Bill Anderson.

Bill has had over 400 of his songs recorded by others, rendering countless #1 hits — artists from the 60’s like Connie Smith, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Lefty Frizzell all the way to today like Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, and George Strait. In addition, he has recorded over 40 albums of his own, with 9 of his singles reaching #1.

He has been a Member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1961, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (all genres) in 2018 and was the second recipient of the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award from the Nashville Songwriters’ Association in 2018. The first recipient: Willie.

Listen to our talk with Bill here:
Timepieces of The Ancestors Part 2
By: Centro San Antonio
Tags: Rock Art, Native American Culture, San Antonio, Texas

Former Ambassador Gary Perez is pictured here at The Witte Museum (Michael Cirlos / Centro San Antonio)

Gary Perez is a descendent of the Hokan speaking peoples of South Texas, a researcher specializing in the indigenous cultures of this area, and a former Centro Ambassador. He spoke with us two years ago and described the White Shaman Mural near Del Rio and its connection to celestial events taking place in and around San Antonio’s Tricentennial Year. However, the scope of the calendar created by the indigenous peoples of South Texas extends beyond this.

We caught up with Gary once more during this Native American Heritage Month to further explore the legacy left for San Antonio by the indigenous peoples of this area. Gary’s research and theories have appeared in the Witte Museum and in his lectures all over, including the University of the Incarnate Word.

White Shaman Mural Rock Art near Del Rio, Texas. Courtesy, Witte Museum

Gary has pointed out many connections between the white shaman mural and celestial and geographic phenomena. For example, the mural seems to portray the four great natural springs along the Balcones Escarpment, running from Austin to San Antonio.

An overlay of one of the mural elements and the location of the four springs using GIS technology. Courtesy, Gary Perez

Gary also theorizes that the five figures portrayed in the mural are the five visible planets in the sky. These figures and their positions match the positions of the San Antonio Missions along the San Antonio River. It is the “dance” the visible planets do that comprises the next phenomenon that will align with the depictions on the mural.
Runners of Favor: Day-in-the-life with Leslie
By: Favor Delivery
Tags: Heb, Corpus Christi, Runner Community, Texas, Favor Delivery

Welcome to the eighth installment of #RunnersofFavor, our video series that features an inside look at our Runner community!

This month’s episode features Leslie, a Runner and mother of two in Corpus Christi who traded in her full-time role to run with Favor and focus on her family. In just over a year, she’s completed more than 1,000 Favors with a 5-star rating — and recently celebrated her achievement with an extra-special delivery.

“I wanted to celebrate this milestone with my customer, so I made a little treat bag of all my favorite snacks, and when I delivered it, we took a little picture together to commemorate the event.”

Leslie loves running because it gives her an opportunity to earn money while doing something she truly enjoys: helping others. Her favorite Favors to run include shopping for senior citizens and others who have been impacted by COVID-19.

“I really enjoy helping out our community and helping those that are most vulnerable during this pandemic.”

Most of all, Favor allows Leslie to spend more time with her family, whether she’s at home in Corpus Christi or traveling (and running!) across the state with her husband.

“Last October, my mom was diagnosed with cancer and I had to make a decision on whether or not I was going to stay at my job that was very stressful and time consuming or find something else that was more flexible. I can run when I want, where I want, how long I want, and as a busy mom of two, having the flexibility and time really helps me out and puts money in my pocket.”

Watch her story on IGTV or YouTube:
Diplomacy as freedom
By: Tayane Tjäder Martins
Tags: Diplomacy, International Relations

Diplomacy is the exercise of freedom of speech at the international level. Domestically, freedom of speech is one of the civil rights which prevent authoritarian rules. As a means, diplomacy may serve to champion the basic liberties globally. For this idea, the trajectory of racism is enlightening.

For centuries, millions of people lived under a regime of domination which deprived them of the civil life based on racial supremacy. Great Britain has once profited from the slaves’ market. However, for internal motives, abolition of slavery started featuring as a condition to establish international treaties with the British. This happened to Brazil in its bilateral relation with Britain, in the 19th century.

Eventually, slavery was abolished and prohibited by the International Law. Although, legally, African descendants and white people were equal, slavery left a racist legacy. The racial segregation in the United States of America is an example. Rules segregating not only schools and restaurants, but also buses and bathrooms would linger, had not been for the national and international protests for the civil rights of black people.

Few years later, in the last decades of the 20th century, the world witnessed the fall of another racial segregation system, now in South Africa, the Apartheid. The international community, represented by the United Nations, played a great part in pressuring the South African government until regime change. Since then, Apartheid has been also namely addressed by the International Law.

The origin of diplomacy is the will to maintain peaceful dialogue between nations. Civil liberties engender peace. Therefore, the role of diplomacy implicates their promotion throughout the world. Each of the events above demonstrates diplomacy in action.
2021 онд тэлж буй зах зээлтэй орнуудад ихээр нөлөөлөх 10 хүчин зүйл
By: Зоригт Жаргалсайхан
Tags: International Relations, Politics, Society, Trade, Economy

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
The Marcora Law: An Innovative Way to Promote Entrepreneurship
By: Ethan Paczkowski
Tags: International Relations, Politics, Entrepreneurship, Labor, Economics

Italy is home to many of the world’s largest firms. Automotive manufacturers like Ferrari, Ducati, and Fiat; fashion designers like Prada, Gucci, and Valentino. These and a host of other multinational corporations headline the Italian economy.

But what many do not know is that Italy is the home of a thriving cooperative sector as well — employee-owned enterprises. In one region of Italy, Emilia Romagna, a third of GDP is generated by these worker-owned firms. The entire community benefits from this structure: Emilia Romagna boasts the highest median income and lowest unemployment in Italy.

Paramount to the success of these firms is the unique Marcora Law. Named after its creator, Italian senator Giovanni Marcora, the Marcora Law allows unemployed workers to “cash out” their entire allotted amount of unemployment payment at once to start a cooperative business with other workers.

This achieves the dual objectives of lowering unemployment and adding to the $160 billion cooperative sector. But it also sends a clear message to the Italian people: the government supports entrepreneurship.

At a time in the United States where over 100,000 small businesses have closed down due to COVID lockdowns and unsatisfactory state relief, adopting a Marcora law could be pivotal. Laid off workers or shut down entrepreneurs with the inclination to innovate would be able to fund a new startup and gain their own asset. Moreover, the cooperative structure of these businesses would ensure employees receive the profit they deserve and distribute earnings more proportionately around communities.

The Marcora Law is a small item among a long list of unresolved labor reforms necessary in the United States. But it could go a long way for entrepreneurship by giving citizens a sort of “birthright” startup capital. If any country should appreciate enabling small business ownership, it’s America. Something to consider.
The Ultimate Deterrence
By: Tayane Tjäder Martins
Tags: International Relations

The reason why intense conflicts “leave behind a sense of security and calm that is not easily disturbed” is the destruction they cause. The First World War arose the question of “how to avoid war?”. Firstly, what was learned is that cooperation contributes to peace. However, it was not enough, as the Second World War took place no more than two decades later. Not only did the twilight of another Great War teach that security matter deserve as much attention as cooperation does, but also it inaugurated the ultimate deterrence factor: the nuclear bomb.

Approximately, a century before the deflagration of the First World War, the European powers came to the agreement of establishing an arrangement of balance of power, which came to be known as the Concert of Europe. During those almost a hundred years, the European nations, though not engaging in big conflicts, managed the nationalist rivalries by joining in an arms race. A nearly centenarian arms race, enhanced by the consolidation of the European national identities, laied the foundation of the conflict that would last between 1914 and 1918.

Subsequently, the liberal response was cooperation, understood as intensifying the international economic and political relations. Nevertheless, international institutions, such as the League of Nations, were not able to avoid a second conflict with similar dimensions. The Second World War revealed that the interdependence between nations must be accompanied by teeth, I. E mechanisms of sanctioning the peace disturbance.

Nonetheless, it is the existence of nuclear weapons, another “contribution” of the Second World War, which has marked the absence of great conflicts during the Cold War, and through the 21st century. The potential of destruction contained in a nuclear explosion was discovered after a controversial attack on two Japanese cities weeks before the end of the war. Since then, albeit seeking their own nuclear power, the great nations started negotiations to limit the use of this kind of weapon.

For the core of the study of international politics lies in the understanding of war and how to avoid it, the events of the 20th century constitute a fruitful source. Thus, there may be reason in affirming the contributions of intense conflicts for peace, as did Carl Gustav Jung, in the second half of the 20th century.
North Korea needs to be ignored
By: Antoni Rosselló
Tags: North Korea, International Relations, Nuclear Weapons

The Atlantic

We’ve all seen the classic North Korea cycle. Stay quiet. Start talking. Threaten to nuke the hell out of everyone. Engage in peace talks. Rinse and repeat.

Whenever we are at the peak of these cycles, threats fly back and forth. Nuclear tests happen near-daily. But then, suddenly, it all changes. Smiles, peace talks and seeming progress. Then it breaks down, and nothing happens.

Repeat.

However, there is one key flaw in this strategy — these nuclear threats will never be carried out. Why? Because the Kim family are not idiots. They know America can — and will — throw them back to the stone ages if they bomb even the most remote areas of Alaska.

But there is a key question which must be asked: if they should be ignored, why aren’t they? For that, there is a simple answer: American politics.

You see, the Kims have become quite good in expertly leveraging the media, which want higher ratings and more ad revenue. Therefore, even if there is no actual threat to the American populace, the media is willing and able to amplify North Korea’s baseless threats.

This poses a difficult challenge to American negotiators and diplomats, who have to make sure that they are not only doing their job but making sure that politicians are not fuming because their base thinks they aren’t doing enough to stop the “great North Korean threat” against American sovereignty.

So what is there to do? Politicians need to begin communicating this simple fact; that North Koreans are full of empty threats.

~Antoni Rosselló, 2020
The Shrimp and the Whale
By: Sungik Yang
Tags: Poem, Korea, History, International Relations

P.S. I’ve been working on this poem for six years, and by working on it, I mean I started it and then for five years thought about how it’d be nice to finish it without adding anything more to it, and then finally, as an escape from grad school, decided to continue writing.

It might sound quite nerdy, but the poem’s based on my changing understandings about Korea and its international politics. Has Korea been a weak shrimp fought over by whale-like superpowers, or has it actually been a master manipulator of others, taking advantage of its own weakness?

There’s a saying in Korean that when two whales fight, it’s the shrimp’s back that bursts. It’s been used to describe Korea’s historical situation as a shrimp among whales, whether those whales have been China and Japan, or later the U.S. and the Soviet Union, and later the U.S. and China.

But I think what gets lost in the shuffle is that although Korea has had its history of foreign invasions, occupations, and hegemony, there’s also been a history of Koreans’ ability to maneuver around stronger powers and maintain its agency for most of their history (even as far back as the era of the Chinese kingdoms of Liao/Jin/Song during Koryŏ).

One of the Korean history readings I came across referenced Hegel’s allegory of the master and slave, and it certainly seems applicable in helping to think about Korea’s regional politics (as well as the conflicts between the weak and strong in general).

I’m not a poet, but it’s been fun to write this draft, whenever I got around to it. Hopefully it’s an okay read as well. Happy to hear feedback if you have any!
Atlantic Council’s Fred Kempe on the Future of Transatlantic Relations
By: Michelle Giuda
Tags: Big Tech, International Relations, Geopolitics, Covid 19 Crisis, Nato

Fred Kempe, CEO & President of The Atlantic Council, joined EVP of Geopolitical Strategy & Risk Michelle Giuda to discuss the future of U.S.-European relations in 2021 and beyond.

On Big Tech as an area of friction or cooperation: “I think we really do have to think of competition in new ways. We don’t want companies to be monopolistic, but on the other hand, we do want our most innovative companies to be able to operate in each other’s spaces — Europe and the United States — in the most innovative manner possible for the good of all democratic countries. And so I think this is going to be one of the first big tests of the Biden administration.”

“I think we really do have to think of competition in new ways. We don’t want companies to be monopolistic, but on the other hand, we do want our most innovative companies to be able to operate in each other’s spaces — Europe and the United States — in the most innovative manner possible for the good of all democratic countries. And so I think this is going to be one of the first big tests of the Biden administration.” On the role of NATO: “I think where you’re going to see change — and you’re already seeing this from NATO now during the Trump Administration — is Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg talked about NATO going… in a more political direction and a more global direction… Political means, yes we’re still going to be a military organization, but we really have to also create political unity, and if you look at the bylaws of NATO it really calls for that.”

“I think where you’re going to see change — and you’re already seeing this from NATO now during the Trump Administration — is Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg talked about NATO going… in a more political direction and a more global direction… Political means, yes we’re still going to be a military organization, but we really have to also create political unity, and if you look at the bylaws of NATO it really calls for that.” On emerging political risks to business: “Hard to predict the risk that’s going forward. It could be deglobalization; it could be another pandemic; it could be political conflict of one side or another. I think the main thing you have to do is build resilience into the system so that you’re not trying to predict specific shocks, but you’re making your whole system resilient to whatever shocks may come along.”

Driven by the mission of “shaping the global future together,” the Atlantic Council is a nonpartisan organization that galvanizes US leadership and engagement in the world, in partnership with allies and partners, to shape solutions to global challenges.

Weber Shandwick’s Geopolitical Risk & Reputation Advisory counsels clients to protect and elevate their reputation and influence in the 21st century geopolitical arena.
My Most Recent International Experience
By: Baljaa Ch
Tags: International Relations, Experience, International, Sdgs, UN

Ms CHINZORIG, Employers’ adviser and substitute delegate, Mongolia

Reports of the Chairperson of the Governing Body and of the Director-General: Discussion (continued) Ms CHINZORIG…
Passport Privilege
Tags: Privilege, International Relations, Politics, Government, Immigration

Passport Privilege

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

The passport hierarchy presents itself in almost every aspect of our lives.

The opportunities available, the freedom of mobility and levels of success are all dictated by the nationality you hold.

This way of living, where a person’s passport is the foundation the rest of their life is built on, helps uphold the imperialist system most of us outside the western world have to live under.

We are taught in their curriculums, speak in their languages and measure our success to their standard yet we are not allowed to participate freely in their world.

When you create a system that centres the west as the home for opportunities, dreams and success, you make comfortable living a luxury preserved only to those that live within those borders.
Artigo: Devemos nos preocupar com a Lei de Segurança Global da França?
By: Vivianne Chagas
Tags: Security, International Relations, Opinião, Segurança, Seguranca Publica

Journalist, Master's student in Political Science and International Relations, specializing in Public Security and always looking for new stories.
The Ideological Spectrum
By: Melania Sarah Aseng
Tags: Politics, President University, Ideology, International Relations

Individual Liberty or State Authority

Totaliatarianism

The extreme version of being controlled by the state. This is the idea where the state should have TOTAL control over the lives of their citizens. Based on state knows best.

2. Anarchism

The extreme version of not being controlled by the state. This is the idea where the state should NOT control over the lives of their citizens. Based on individuals know best.

What anarchists look up to during this pandemic as stated on Kennedy Institute of of Ethics Journal:

“People saw a need, worked together through existing networks, offered help where needed, engaged in discussions of best practices, listened to established experts, and acted in concert with one another in the interests of all. In many cases, people volunteered activities that were dangerous delivering materials to potentially sick community members, doctors coming out of retirement to serve and in no case do these fit the logic of self-interest and competition.”

We want to take this moment to uplift the purpose and spirit of the group: mutual aid. This group is about solidarity, NOT charity. Protecting each other, not policing each other. Replacing oppressive systems and practices, not replicating them.
A Heated Winter At LAC
By: Ankit Dubey
Tags: A Heated Winter At Lac, International Relations

After 8 rounds of talks nothing concrete came out of table room.With nearly 100k troops on both side of LAC paralleling each other,It is all set for a long haul at one of the most tensed frontiers as of now.Any conclusive solution seems to be more unlikely in near future As recently stated by EAM S.Jaisankar,-it may take several years to resolve the ongoing standoff at eastern Laddakh border.Despite several efforts made at diplomatic and military level,no consensus was acheived for disengagement.PLA is continuously insisting at its point that it is Indian troops that have to start disengagement first after that they will consider it on their side.But Indian military is firmly determined to not step back from any of its strategically dominant tops if status quo of early April is not restored.

China has blocked the patrol access of Indian Troops beyond finger 4(what Chinese side considers as LAC) till finger 8(That India considers as LAC).Chinese aggression started against Indian troops in may 2020 with frequent skirmishes after PLA objected road construction in Galwan river valley.Situation became worse when on 15/16 June PLA troops attacked Indian patrol with unconventional iron rods resulting the death of 20 Indian soldiers.In retaliatory action Indian Army took PLA by shock in the end of August and beginning of September, the Chushul sector saw Indian troops occupy multiple heights along the LAC which overlook Chinese fixtures at Spanggur Gap and Spanggur Tso.Indian troops captured some strategic locations on southern part of Pangong Tso and Black top heights even beyond LAC.It gave some leverage to India to start negotiations at its own conditions.

As winter has already started at LAC long before.Temperature is dipping down to -15 and it will dip down ranging between -25 to -30 in January .it is going to be a never before LAC for both sides.India has almost parralled PLA with nearly 50,000 troops deployment and geared up for a heated winter at LAC.

Will any conclusive outcome be there after 9th round of military commander level talks in late December is remained to be seen.

(Views are purely personal.Any suggestive feedback and critical views are most welcome).
What is A Right?
By: Melania Sarah Aseng
Tags: Students, Human Rights, President University, International Relations, Politics

Legal Rights

The rights a particular person is entitled to enjoy legally as enforced by the state/government.

Liberty Rights: A right which does not entail obligations on other parties, but rather only freedom or permission for the right-holder. Claim Rights: A right which entails responsibilities or obligations on other parties regarding the right-holder. Legal powers: The ability to give us our power. Immunities: Immunity is a liberation from a legal duty, prosecution, or penalty, granted by government authority.

Moral Rights

Rights that emphasize the universal ethical rights /guidelines the people can follow.

Negative Rights

My negative freedom requires only that you respect the right by not preventing me in doing it. Examples of negative rights are the right to live, to be free, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from violence, freedom from slavery, and property rights.

Positive Rights

My positive right requires you to respect it by complying with it. Examples of positive rights are the rights to free schooling, free healthcare, a job, and a minimum wage.

Human Rights

Human rights are the universal rights any human being can enjoy. The United Nations defines human rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights charter as the ‘Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination.

Nevertheless, the protection and the recognition of human rights also vary from country to country even though many countries have already purported to recognize human rights through their constitutions, statutes, or international treaties.
What is Authority?
By: Melania Sarah Aseng
Tags: President University, International Relations, Politics, Government, Authority

Authority is the political legitimacy, which grants and justifies the ruler’s right to exercise the power of government; Power is the ability to accomplish an authorized goal, either by compliance or obedience. However, if a person has power, it does not mean he has the authority, but if that person has an authority, it means he has power.

So what is a Political Authority?

"...the hypothesized moral property in virtue of which government may coerce people in certain ways not permitted to anyone else and in virtue of which citizens must obey governments in situations in which they would not be obligated to obey anyone else." -Michael Huemer, The problem of Political Authority.

Political Authority is supported by the citizens, in a way that citizens treat the government differently than anybody else.

E.g. Governments are allowed to force you to do something that anyone else is not allowed to do, because states have something that we do not have, and that is called moral property.

Natural Law

Legitimacy comes from being the most comes from being the most powerful individual within a society.

Democracy

Lefitimacy comes from the people, who vote for their representatives. (mandate of the masses give legitimacy). Meaning, If one of presidential candidates got elected by votes whether I vote him or not, he still gets the authority to rule over me.

Let’s talk about Democracy!

Remember, voters do not make sure that the elected governors would do better.

During the election of United States, back in November, an article was published with the headline "Trump Legal Team Claims Broad Conspiracy to Manipulate Election."

“There was a plan to execute voter fraud in big cities run by Democrats, particularly ones with histories of corruption,” Mr. Giuliani said. “I am not going to make any final decision until I get there and listen to these people talk to us,” Mr. Shinkle said. “You can’t make up your mind until the end.” -The Wall Street Journal, Politics, Election 2020.

Rousseau's response "Young people need to be educated to certain degree to have the idea or knowledge for the "common interest". But again, people would be questioning "If we are not educated or 'know nothing about politics' then we are not allowed to vote? So how do we find an equality?"

Remember, political authority is not eternal! There is always limited source of legitimacy or obligation of authority if the period or time runs out, and there could be also a reformation where people use their power to knock the authorized people out before their period or time runs out.
Hobbes and Locke about State of Nature
By: Melania Sarah Aseng
Tags: President University, International Relations, Politics, Philosophy, Social Science

Who Was Thomas Hobbes?

Thomas Hobbes was known for his views on how humans could thrive in harmony while avoiding the perils and fear of societal conflict. His experience during a time of upheaval in England influenced his thoughts, which he captured in The Elements of Law (1640), De Cive (1642) and his most famous work, Leviathan (1651). Hobbes died in 1679.

Hobbes believed that the state of nature is going to be so desperate and miserable that it is going to feel like a state of war, state of constant fear, and danger of violent death. The overlook that supports Hobbes’s view is that in the absence of government, human nature will naturally bring us into serious conflict. However, without a state, in the state of nature, Hobbes thought that the search for suitability would lead to a war of all against all. The assumption towards the natural equality is often used in political and moral philosophy as a basis for the argument that we should respect other people, treating one another with care and concern. Hobbes added the reasonable statement of assumption that in the state of nature there is a scarcity of goods, so that two people who desire the same kind of thing will often desire to possess the same thing.
Finland Retreat | Part-1 | How it all started
By: Nirmal Kumar
Tags: Finland, International Relations, Culture, Exchange Semester

It was during one of the worst phases of my life (about this, maybe a separate series), that I received an email from the Office of International Relations IITK, about the exchange program to Aalto University, Finland for Autumn 2019.

Having known quite a bit about Finland during that time, I was pumped up to seize this opportunity. Since the basic criteria were to have a minimum CPI of 7 (I had 8, at that time) and to have done a minimum of 200 credits, I was already qualifying the basic criteria. So I enquired about the selection criteria to a batchmate and a senior who already went to this Autumn exchange program to Aalto; one of them being a high scorer shook me by saying, the selection is solely based on CPI; the other one pacified by saying it depends on the SoP you send (he had a CPI of 7.2, the time he applied). When also enquired about the expenses and fees; Though the expenses were costly affair (1.5L for food and accommodation, another 1.5L-2L for trips across Europe) it was fine by my family, and yeah I was lucky regarding this :); Regarding fees, there are no tuition fees to be paid to AaltoU but the normal fees, each student pays according to their category, should be paid to IITK(This part I am still not sure, will sure update about this info on June or something). Turns out that their sayings about selection criteria were partially true, during my time.

During my time,

The OIR didn’t ask to send them our SoP; just CV and Transcript. And the selection criteria was based on CPI and the year of study. Assuming AaltoU has agreed on accommodating 2 students for their Spring Semester; let’s say among the ones who applied to OIR, two Y(X) have CPI 8.5 and 9, two Y(X-1) have CPI 8 and 8.5; the Y(X-1) folks would get nominated to go for the Exchange; the rationale behind this is the senior batch is gonna graduate soon and hence they might as well get the chance. Fortunately, among the senior batch(after many students backed out knowing that no scholarship/financial aid be provided for exchange), I was one of the top two based on CPI criteria and I got a Congratulatory email from OIR :)
What is a Liberty?
By: Melania Sarah Aseng
Tags: President University, International Relations, Politics, Freedom, Liberty

The first amendment to the United States constitution begins, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof …”

The Heritage Foundation explains “Religious freedom is more than the “freedom to worship” at a synagogue, church, or mosque. It means people shouldn’t have to go against their core values and beliefs in order to conform to culture or government.”

Religious freedom protects people’s right to live, speak, and act according to their beliefs peacefully and publicly. It protects their ability to be themselves at work, in class, and at social activities. Here is the main question; does such “freedom” allow people to do whatever they want under the cover of religion? Well, I could tell that answer is no.

The Supreme Court has said the federal government may limit religious freedom – but only when it has a “compelling interest” to do so in order to protect the common good and limit people’s ability to harm others. Here’s how that applies to the most common allegation in religious freedom cases today – charges of discrimination. Should florists, photographers and bakers be forced to provide their services for same-sex weddings and celebrations that violate their religious beliefs? Again, the answer is no.

Does religious freedom mean religious people get special rights?

For the third times the answer is no. Religious freedom prevents the cultural majority from using the power of the state to impose their beliefs on others. This protects everyone—religious and nonreligious alike—from the government becoming so powerful that it can tell people what to think and how to act. A government that intrudes on conscience will not hesitate to intrude on our other freedoms. Additionally, forcing individuals and faith-based organizations to choose between living out their religious beliefs or serving their neighbors actually harms our communities. Well this kind of harm might not be physically but mentally and spiritually that might lead to a physical attacks.