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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 4-Dec-2013
4-Dec-13 World View -- Vice President Joe Biden backs Japan as he heads for China

Web Log - December, 2013

4-Dec-13 World View -- Vice President Joe Biden backs Japan as he heads for China

The question is, which lies can you live with?

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

Vice President Joe Biden backs Japan as he heads for China
North Korean government purge signals generational change
Gun sales and gun patents surge thanks to Obama's gun campaign
The question is, which lies can you live with?

Vice President Joe Biden backs Japan as he heads for China

Joe Biden and Shinzo Abe, meeting Tuesday in Tokyo (AP)

Joe Biden and Shinzo Abe, meeting Tuesday in Tokyo (AP)

As tensions continue to be high after the recent announcement by China of an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) encompassing much of the East China Sea, including regions belonging to Japan, American vice president Joe Biden is renewing the U.S. commitment to Japan. The Chinese are demanding that any aircraft entering the ADIZ must provide flight plans and details to China's military in advance, or risk encountering "defensive measures" from China's military. American passenger planes are complying with the demands to avoid an incident that would risk passengers' lives, but American warplanes are entering the ADIZ on a daily basis without complying. (See "30-Nov-13 World View -- China vs U.S. air confrontations are now a daily occurrence")

Meeting Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe, Biden said the following:

"The U.S. is deeply concerned by the attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the East China Sea. This action has raised regional tension and increased the risk of accident and miscalculation.
The world should not forget that our alliances have been critical to the stability that has made this region’s remarkable progress possible. And I told the prime minister that we will remain steadfast in our alliance commitment."

China Daily, the Chinese Communist Party's organ, responded to Biden as follows, in an article entitled "Facts for Biden's reference":

"If the US is truly committed to lowering tensions in the region, it must first stop acquiescing to Tokyo's dangerous brinkmanship. It must stop emboldening belligerent Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to constantly push the envelope of Japan's encroachments and provocations.
Most important of all, Biden needs to be reminded that Japan holds the key to peacefully solving the East China Sea dispute, because it is the Abe administration's recalcitrant denial of the existence of a dispute that has prevented Beijing and Tokyo from conducting meaningful communication and crisis control. From the very beginning, Beijing has demonstrated a consistent preference for shelving differences."

Japan Times and China Daily

North Korean government purge signals generational change

South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) say that it's likely that Jang Song-thaek, the elderly uncle of the child dictator Kim Jong-un, has been removed from power, and that two of his closest associates were executed in public last month, for corruption and activities that countered the stance of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).

It's almost impossible to figure out what's going on in North Korea, but it's being suggested that this is a major purge that will result in a generational change. From the beginning when Kim Jong-un came to power, Jang has been the adviser and moderating influence who would help guide Kim as he gained experience. The purge could mean a major period of instability for North Korea, and the disappearance of Jang could mean that there's no one around to keep the child dictator from doing something really stupid. Yonhap (Seoul) and Reuters

Gun sales and gun patents surge thanks to Obama's gun campaign

Gun manufacturers are reporting a 30-50% surge in firearms sales in 2013 over 2012. Furthermore, the surge in sales and profits is motivating research into better firearms, resulting in a surge of gun-related patents, the highest since 1977. Recent patents are for voice-command shooting, rifle scopes and a new trigger system.

President Obama and his anti-gun campaigns have triggered a deep well of fury among millions of gun owners nationwide. People on the left that I've discussed this with do not have a clue how deep these feelings go, and how angry gun owners are for being blamed and punished for something that is demonstrably not their fault.

As I've suggested in the past, the National Rifle Association (NRA) should really give President Obama an award for his spectacular success in helping the gun industry, something that the gun industry could never quite do for itself. Bloomberg

The question is, which lies can you live with?

I love this.

This is from L.Z. Granderson, a strong supporter of President Obama, on Obama's handling of Obamacare:

"All Americans know politicians lie. The question is, which lies can you live with? And, time and time again, Americans have said we can deal with the lies that President Obama tells us because we believe in his heart, he has the best interest for the American people."

This reminds me of the statement that I quoted many times from retired Eurogroup chairman Jean-Claude Jüncker during one of Greece's financial crises: "When it becomes serious, you have to lie." I guess President Obama thinks it's VERY serious. Real Clear Politics

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 4-Dec-13 World View -- Vice President Joe Biden backs Japan as he heads for China thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (4-Dec-2013) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 4-Dec-2013 4-Dec-13 World View -- Vice President Joe Biden backs Japan as he heads for China

Vice President Joe Biden backs Japan as he heads for China

North Korean government purge signals generational change

Gun sales and gun patents surge thanks to Obama's gun campaign

The question is, which lies can you live with?

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 4-Dec-2013
4-Dec-13 World View -- Vice President Joe Biden backs Japan as he heads for China