BATR RealPolitik Newsletter MMXVII Vol. 205 - September 7, 2017 How Much of a Threat is North Korea? World Reacts: Game-Changing North Korea H-Bomb Threat ‘Absolutely Unacceptable’





Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin arranged a meeting on the sidelines of the ongoing annual BRICS economic summit, assuring that both nations would continue to "adhere to the goal of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, have close communication and coordination and properly respond," cited by China's official Xinhua News Agency.



Acknowledging the severity of the large-scale nuclear detonation, South Korea speedily convened a National Security Council meeting overseen by Seoul President Moon Jae-in, while Washington's current national security adviser H.R. McMaster conducted a 20-minute telephone conversation with South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-Yong within an hour of the event. International leaders blast North Korean H-bomb test

The test came just hours before Chinese President Xi Jinping was scheduled to open a summit of BRICs nations in southern China.



North Korea’s actions created a potentially embarrassing situation for Xi, who is preparing for a politically sensitive gathering of the ruling Communist Party in October, at which he aims to further consolidate his power.



The leader chose not to address the test during his more than 40-minute address to the assembled leaders of Russia, India, South Africa and Brazil.



It was the second time this year that North Korea has timed a weapons test to coincide with a major international political gathering in China, after Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile in May as leaders from 29 nations gathered in Beijing for a summit touting China’s new Silk Road project. Why China Will Ultimately Take North Korea's Side After The H-Bomb Test

Russia and China Versus the West on North Korea “Beijing will continue to play both sides, meaning that they will blame both sides for the escalation,” says Abraham Kim, a Korea analyst and executive-director at the Mike and Maureen Mansfield Center at the University of Montana. “On the one hand, Beijing will publicly be critical of North Korea and put pressure on Pyongyang to stop its march up the escalation ladder. On the other hand, their response will be carefully gauged to avoid a response that might trigger severe instability in North Korea, and possible collapse, and avoid the appearance that Beijing has completely abandoned North Korea.” United Nations test ban treaty organization head Lassina Zerbo has recently pointed out that the sanctions already imposed against Pyongyang are having no discernable effect, according to The Guardian.Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin arranged a meeting on the sidelines of the ongoing annual BRICS economic summit, assuring that both nations would continue to "adhere to the goal of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, have close communication and coordination and properly respond," cited by China's official Xinhua News Agency.Acknowledging the severity of the large-scale nuclear detonation, South Korea speedily convened a National Security Council meeting overseen by Seoul President Moon Jae-in, while Washington's current national security adviser H.R. McMaster conducted a 20-minute telephone conversation with South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-Yong within an hour of the event.

China’s UN envoy Liu Jieyi said his government won’t allow war and chaos on the Korean peninsula. He called for a dual-track, double-freeze explained above.



Washington, Britain, France and Japan called for tougher sanctions in lieu of responsible diplomacy. After Monday’s meeting, US UN envoy Nikki Haley said she’s preparing a draft resolution, calling for tough new sanctions to be voted on in days.



Separately, Vladimir Putin and South Korean President Moon Jae-in spoke by phone. Russia’s leader urged diplomacy over further escalating tensions. Live Twitter Feeds - realDonaldTrump and POTUS North Korea Panics the World,

but "H-Bomb" Test Changes Little

As things stand, it’s clear that the north has developed enough technology to claim the title of “nuclear power”, and whether or not other nations think it has the right to be regarded as such is irrelevant. Equally, any military incursion on northern territory would very likely meet with retaliation from what’s now a nuclear-armed state, meaning any discussion of conventional military intervention is effectively moot.



All the parties involved are fully aware of this. And as such the only way forward in this crisis is through some sort of dialogue about how to control the north’s nuclear arsenal. When the safety of millions is at stake, talking with an opponent is no sign of weakness. What North Korea wants

Kim wants treaties with both South Korea and the US. The treaty with the former would require South Korea “ending its ban on pro-North political agitation.” The one with Washington would entail removing American troops from the Korean Peninsula. After that would come some kind of North-South confederation, followed by eventual North Korean rule. The better North Korea’s weapons, the better leverage it has to achieve such goals.



Long-term strategic thinking of this sort might seem at odds with the view that the Kim regime is scrambling to survive in the face of tough words by Trump and ever harsher economic sanctions by the United Nations. But Thomas Wright, an analyst with the Lowy Institute in Sydney, also sees a broader plan at play:



Kim’s ambitions appear greater than mere survival. He is a young man who believes he will be in power for another 40 years. The ICBMs are the key to his long-term strategy. He seems to believe that ICBMs will fundamentally change the balance of power in the region by forcing the United States to withdraw from South Korea. Kim may be right.

Trump OKs More Military Sales to SKorea, Japan The White House said that in a phone call with South Korean's president on Monday, Trump gave approval "in principle" to lifting previous restrictions on South Korean missile payloads and to approving "many billions" in weapons sales to South Korea.



In a tweet Tuesday, Trump said, "I am allowing Japan & South Korea to buy a substantially increased amount of highly sophisticated military equipment from the United States." Google is the Master Spy

of the Intelligence Community Is there anyone on the planet that does not have their personal lives exposed to the data collection behemoth of the corporatist and government partnership? Google was developed with and under the intelligence funding of the deep state. The marvel of a premier digital search engine was welcomed as a tremendous achievement by everyone who longed for a definitive method to secure access to sites that reflected market or research results. Few companies names become synonymous with the product or service provided. Who does not refer to making a copy reproduction as Xerox the document? Likewise, as a pure commercial function, Google defined the designation for internet searches. Fast forward to the current state of draconian governance. What stands out is that the systematic rewriting of history and access to a free exchange of ideas and questioning, has been supplanted by an approved filter with limited options. Read the entire article "Reign of Terror" archives Corporations vs. Entrepreneurship

The corporate culture would have you believe that it is the foremost structure of the economy. That the entrepreneur is a nuisance and is tilting at windmills. Since competition is a dirty word, the innovative venture poses no threat, but might qualify as an acquisition. Only if the business model is such that duplicating the endeavor is too time consuming or difficult will the corporatist take interest. Yet, in the end, the design of the corporate organization is more about brute force than creative invention. So why is it so difficult for the enterpriser to get their project off the ground? And what is the compelling motivation to start your own business?



Read the entire article "Corporatocracy" archives Driverless Vehicles Powered by Artificial Intelligence

The joy of driving was once an important part of the American Dream. Take to the open roads meant freedom and adventure. The utilitarian objective of moving from one place to another just does not seem to possess the same romance. As with all reminiscences of the past, the lingering memories like to keep the good times close and block out the troubles when possible. This same trait can be applied to the distinctly national love affair with the auto. But as with all things, times move on and many in the tech community believe that the next advancement in land travel will come from an AI revolution.



Read the entire article on the "Negotium" archives