Friday 1 November 2019

Global headlines - 1 November, 2019

The Shady Truth Behind The Aramco IPO
Pace of pro-business reforms slows across Asia
New World Bank survey shows trade tensions and slowing economic growth are grinding business reforms to a halt
Industry Pressures Result in More Job Cuts, Store Closures
In more bad news for retail pharmacy, Walgreens cut corporate staff and Sacramento-based Raley’s is closing pharmacies in 27 of its stores.


## Fault lines/flashpoints/powder kegs/military/war drums ##
Think Tank Unveils Report Card on US Military Strength
Despite the Pentagon's efforts to ready itself for war on the future battlefield, the U.S. war machine would be "hard pressed" to handle two major military operations at the same time, according to an annual report card from the Heritage Foundation.
US Forces Untrained, Unready For Russian, Chinese Jamming
Training for electronic warfare threats is too easy, leaving troops dangerously unready for great power conflict. Scenarios are so unrealistic that one officer called them "garbage."
The Age of Anger Exploding in Serial Geysers (Pepe Escobar)
South America, Again, Leads Fight Against Neoliberalism
• War on Iran

## Global unrest/mob rule/angry people/torches and pitchforks ##
Police fire tear gas at protesters in Bolivia election unrest
Idled frac fleets sold for scrap amid shale drilling slump
The downturn in shale drilling has been so steep and brisk that oilfield companies are taking the unprecedented step of scrapping entire fleets of fracing gear.
Will OPEC+ Declare War On U.S. Shale?
This is ridiculous. Producers with good conventional oil need only relax and wait for shale to die of its own accord. -- RF
There is no green economy without copper (and nickel, cobalt, vanadium, praseodymium… go down the periodic table if you must). Big Mining has failed to grasp the opportunity presented by climate change.
African countries rush to sign nuclear deals with Russia
But concerns are being raised about whether they can all afford nuclear energy.
The fight to stop Nestlé from taking America's water to sell in plastic bottles
Creek beds are bone dry and once-gushing springs are reduced to trickles as fights play out around the nation over control of nation’s freshwater supply

## Got food? ##

## Solutions ##
Why you should embrace a minimalist retirement

## Environment/health ##
What's "out of control" on a global level is the human population. However, while the subject of the article is admittedly a real problem for the local humans, the good news is that net energy decline is rapidly crimping human population growth, and helping restore balance. -- RF

## Intelligence/security/internet/cyberwar ##
Cyber attack on Asia ports could cost $110 billion: Lloyd's
• War on Julian Assange

## Systemic breakdown/collapse/unsustainability ##
Coming eventually to a country near you. Consider Venezuela a bellwether and prepare accordingly. -- RF
Techno-fix futures will only accelerate climate chaos – don’t believe the hype
It's likely that for strategic reasons China does not want to become too dependent on the US for food. -- RF
Just one thing. Significant features of this vision aren't necessarily unique to China. You can find them around the world and throughout the ages. -- RF
China says its manufacturing activity shrank for the sixth straight month in October
Again, the experts are missing the root cause, which is net energy decline. If high-quality energy is cheap and plentiful, people will spend money more freely, have more sex, and be more inclined to have children. -- RF
Are we destined to become the next Venezuela?

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