Some would say that “useless” is not a word that should be lightly employed by the nonagenarian consort of a constitutional queen; the Duke of Edinburgh does not have a role in British government and his lifelong task, which he has not always accomplished to perfection, is to repeat the performance of the House of […]

This is the second installment of the week in review, which brings you highlights from the week and news from the Team. Via Meadia’s main preoccupation during the week was the breathtaking and audacious series of US moves in Asia.  Most mainstream news outlets — weak as always in their Asia coverage — did not […]

The cascade of statements, deployments, agreements and announcements from the United States and its regional associates in the last week has to be one of the most unpleasant shocks for China’s leadership — ever.  The US is moving forces to Australia, Australia is selling uranium to India, Japan is stepping up military actions and coordinating […]

A leaked memo from Germany’s government called “The Future of the EU” is bound to have Club Med crying wolf.  Among other things, the memo calls for greater political integration “with spending and tax plans set in Brussels” and “automatic sanctions” for countries that fail to meet the EU’s fiscal targets. The Daily Telegraph has […]

For over a century, Einstein’s theory of relativity has been one of the unimpeachable pillars of science, so much so that the statement “nothing is faster than light” is often taken as a simple fact of life. It is a theory upon which much of modern physics is based.Several weeks ago, scientists in Europe came […]

A recent press release masquerading as a news article in the New York Times is a classic example of journalistic flackery at its worst. A profile of new “green” urban development in Fort Collins, CO doesn’t just cross the line between optimism and fawning propaganda. It takes vacuous puffery to new levels, reaching levels of […]

The ironclad partnership between France and Germany has been the most frustrating geopolitical reality for Britain since the 1950s.  For hundreds of years, the British worked to maintain a European balance of power which in effect gave them the ability to tip the balance for or against any other power.The Franco-German entente ended that; the […]

Here is a cheery little prediction from those fun-loving Russians: Nuclear War!!!“Under certain conditions local and regional conflicts may develop into a full-scale war involving nuclear weapons”. So says General Nikolai Makarov, the chief of the General Staff of the Russian military. The Washington Post has the story: Makarov specifically referred to NATO’s plans to […]

The new US activism in Asia is intended to be bold, but not rash.  That at least is how we are reading the tea leaves at Via Meadia.There’s no doubt that the announcement of new US deployments in Australia will not please Beijing — especially when paired with Australia’s decision to sell uranium to India.  […]

It seems the problems that struck China’s $3.6 billion dam project in Myanmar opened a small window for Japan. Reuters has the story on the cautious increase in Japanese aid and the promising beginnings of democratic thaw in Myanmar: Tokyo sees growing investment opportunities in Myanmar as the reclusive state embarks on political and economic reforms, […]