North Korean Black Market for Oil and Other Supplies

A couple of recent news stories have said that Russia, or a Russian-owned group, may have supplied oil to North Korea and that a Panamanian-flagged ship of unknown ownership had been taken to prevent delivery. It is my belief that the potential for conflict between United States and its allies with North Korea should be reason for any nation having an understanding or treaty with North Korea should declare their involvement, so that misunderstandings can be avoided. This could be a relationship of various kinds: economic or military aid or even of a mutual defense pact. The latter would be most serious because a conflagration would automatically mean another nation becomes involved immediately. The "Western" nations which form NATO have declared their relationship publicly as did the Warsaw Pact nations of some years ago. With nuclear weapons 'on the table' it is much more critical that such treaties or relationships should be known. Simply knowing where a nation's loyalties lie is critical if we are to maintain peace.

Report: Russian Tankers Fueled North Korea | HuffPost

Second Ship Suspected Of Providing Oil To North Korea Seized | HuffPost

The Presidency and the Justice Department

When Pres. Trump says he can do anything he wants with the Justice Department (and its FBI) he is simply wrong. When he claims Pres. Obama demanded the same kind of loyalty he is wrong.

From DailyKos.com:

"Joyce White Vance is a University of Alabama Law Professor who is often seen on MSNBC and served America as an attorney in Birmingham. She served as a federal prosecutor for 25 years and is a wife and mother.

In a tweet Thursday night, Vance expressed her respect for President Obama and how he made it clear to his appointed US attorneys—who they will be serving. Here is what she revealed.

Joyce Alene @JoyceWhiteVance

"The first time President Obama met with US Attorneys, he told us, 'I appointed you but you don't serve me. You serve the American people. And I expect you to act with independence & integrity.' None of us ever forgot that."

December 29, 2017

Trump demanded government employees (appointed or not) give their sole loyalty and service to him."

Donald J. Trump was, and remains, unfit to be president!

Russian Politics

Lest there has been any doubt, it is now perfectly clear that Russia is no a Democratic nation.

http://www.businessinsider.com/r-putin-critic-navalny-barred-from-russian-presidential-election-2017-12

When you can simply ban your opponents from running for office by having them charged with a crime that would disqualify them from elective office, then you have too much power. It is a corruption of the political process.

Of course, here in America we just use gerrymandering to select the voters our incumbents need to get reelected.

There are political problems in Russia AND America, as well as many other nations around the globe. One would hope that in the new year some of these might be fixed or improved.

N. Korea Wants Us to Stop Military Exercises Until After the Olympics

https://www.vox.com/2017/12/20/16800484/north-korea-trump-olympics-moon-south

Message to Kim: Hold off on developing your nuclear weapons until after you've brought your nation's economy up to the level of other East Asian nations.

Full stop.

Aside from the Amtrak Accident

Here are some interesting articles about current issues which are worth reading.

Marijuana

I've never heard of someone doing violence under the influence of marijuana and Portugal has seen that and now Norway is going to check it out.

Alcohol or marijuana: Which is worse for your health? - Business Insider

Norway votes to decriminalise drugs and offer treatment instead of jail time - The i newspaper online iNews

Science: Green Energy, Hurricanes, Bees, Huntington's Disease, blood cancer treatment

Solar panel prices plunge by a shocking 26 percent in one year

NASA visualization shows atmosphere timelapse of 2017 hurricane season - Business Insider

Bee-friendly insecticides closer to reality after breakthrough development

Excitement as trial shows Huntington's drug could slow progress of disease | Science | The Guardian

A new approach to treating blood cancer just got a promising set of results

U.S.A.and Russia

Newly Declassified Documents: Gorbachev Told NATO Wouldn't Move Past East German Border | The National Interest Blog

Popular Destinations rerouted to Russia | BGPmon   What are they up to with this? Are they trying to steal information?

HOT NEWS: How Putin's proxies helped funnel millions into GOP campaigns | Commentary | Dallas News

Trump and Putin

The Panic is Growing: Trump & Putin

Huntington, WV Problems

Huntington WV, America's Heroin Capitol, Moves up to #3 position in murder rate this year.

USA v USSR 1990s edition

Has our government gone crazy? We may think the Trump administration is off its rocker, but the story of this article relates to the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations. The public needs to hear from top officials of those times about the decisions, the plan, what they thought the consequences of lying to the Russians would be, and what they thought we would be able to do today to avoid an apocalypse?


http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/newly-declassified-documents-gorbachev-told-nato-wouldnt-23629

movie recommendation, Bridge of Spies

I recommend Bridge of Spies, It's based on historical events and was written (in part)

by the Coen Brothers, directed by Steven Spielberg, and stars Tom Hanks.

Similar in some ways to The Good German, it tackles the post WWII era, and with

"Bridge" the beginning of the Cold War and the construction of the Berlin Wall and the

trade of Rudolph Abel for Francis Gary Powers. It's in color (The Good German isn't).

It's dramatic. It's personal. It has some humor. It's a great flick.