35 Burst results for "Central Asia"
The Charlie Kirk Show
Exporting Atheism: The Biden Regime Exposed With Rep. Jim Banks
"You. Biden's global initiative to replace Christianity with atheism faces GOP backlash. The 2021 federal grant program is designed to promote atheism and humanism overseas and encourage quote dissent from religious belief. Joe Biden, of course, the Catholic that I put in quotes wants to spread atheism. I always laugh when I hear this, which is if atheism was true and you believed it, why would you want others to also believe it? You're an evangelistic atheist, that's really dark. To help us unpack this, is the courageous congressman Jim banks, who's pushing back against it, congressman, welcome to the program. Be with you. Thanks for having me. So this is hard to believe. Walk us through the specifics of this in some detail. The Biden administration's Secretary of State Anthony blinken, they have a bureau of democracy and human rights. They're promoting atheism and humanism worldwide, walk us through this. Yeah, this is really crazy. So in April of 2021, the Biden State Department under secretary blinken announced a competitive process that would award grants of up to about a half a $1 million to organizations that are committed to the practice of spreading atheism or humanism, especially in south and Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa. So my letter to the administration demands to know who benefited from these grants, who do they give these grants a way to and what are the, what are the specific countries where we are funding atheism? I've got to believe there's more than meets the eye
Stansberry Investor Hour
"central asia" Discussed on Stansberry Investor Hour
"Kim, welcome to the show. You've been a busy guy these many years. Thanks. Thanks, Dan. I think that last bit otherwise perceived as high risk. I think we're seeing that come home to roost right now. So it sort of begs the question. I mean, is there some one glaring thing in particular that might be perceived as a lot riskier or substantially riskier than you think it really is? Related to Russia, Ukraine, et cetera. Something that is, I think one of the underappreciated elements of what we're seeing then is the kind of the second order effects of a lot of what's going on. And what happens when Russia is cut off. I think one thing that occurs to me just because I have a lot of experience in the area. A lot of countries in Central Asia, for example, are incredibly dependent on remittances from family in Russia. So if Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan, I mean, a huge percentage of GDP is accounted for in money sent back from Russia to curiously. Something like that. I mean, that's looking at a fairly specific area, but then you think, okay, what happens to government finances in those countries?.
podcast – Lawyers, Guns & Money
"central asia" Discussed on podcast – Lawyers, Guns & Money
"And this time around it doesn't seem like the rally effects been very strong. That seems like it's been counterbalanced by prominent conservative figures. And I think that if this had happened ten even ten years ago, certainly 15 or 20 years ago or during the Clinton administration, we would just not have seen this kind of dynamic. It would have been very much a coherent against this outrageous activity by our Russian competitors. Or the Russians who are rejecting fundamental aspects of the order that we all stand behind. I mean, that's the big transformation we're talking about. And as Alex talks about, it's a lot cheaper to destroy NATO by getting somebody like Trump elected. Than it is to try to destroy NATO by putting enough money in your defense budget that you can engage not just in coercive diplomacy against Ukraine, but against Poland and Germany. There was a statement list night from a bipartisan group of senators. I have not read it. It looked to me like it was only about a dozen senators, but there were several Republicans included on it. And one might wonder if this is potentially a Fisher among Republicans that good split Republicans. Yeah, I mean, the other element of this that's interesting, you know, one is sort of the values kind of dimension that we've talked about the last ten minutes. The other one is this kind of kiss and Jerry and triangular great power reasoning, right? That we need Russia in the campaign against China. And I've been struck actually by how many are deploying this argument in just, you know, in very kind of assertive ways, like for example, is that this session on Central Asia, a couple of months ago where quite a prominent transatlantic figure made the case that we should go to the Russians right now and offer our assistance in bouncing against Chinese influence in Central Asia. That was quite stunned. At the passion with which the argument was made..
WBUR
"central asia" Discussed on WBUR
"Systems all kinds of large scale innovation became possible So they created amazing systems of irrigation They've got aqueducts engineering was applied to all sorts of agricultural technologies And this is a function of bigger more complex societies because they can spread these innovations over large areas eerie great whole valleys that kind of thing And of course Bill roads as well something the Romans are famous for Exactly The Roman army played a large part in building the road network of Britain But of course roads are no use unless you have something to ride on them which takes us back to those power tools Horses probably domesticated in Central Asia sometime around 4000 BC maybe a little earlier Donkeys in Africa around the same time we have bactrian camels in Central Asia maybe three to 4000 BC but they really kick into gear in the Bronze Age We begin to see horses moving goods from China over into Mesopotamia Donkeys moving goods from Africa up into the Levant So we begin to see global trade networks come into effect Global trade cities private property governments are growing population All these things sound familiar to us today and they were all made possible by the solar energy captured through agriculture But for most people there was one big thing that was still missing 10,000 years on from the neolithic the first place we stopped most of the people are still living and working on the land aren't they How much of their lifestyles actually improved I'm not sure their lifestyle really changed very much at all not for most people So when we were in the near ethic period you said that the hunter gatherers had a better lifestyle in terms of nutrition and just how much work they had to do than the early neolithic farmers And you're saying 10,000 years on it hasn't really improved It sounds like we've been caught in some kind of trap That's actually a really good way of putting it Describe the hunter gatherer societies the original affluent society and that they spent something like 20 hours of their week and what you would call proper labor Now there is no way that your neolithic farmer or your room or your RNH farmer.
Lex Fridman Podcast
"central asia" Discussed on Lex Fridman Podcast
"Again, after having shot televisions and these kind of ceremonial killings of these infidel devices, right? They said we have a government. We have commissions. We have a complaint line. They lifted all this technocratic language that you get from any UN document about good governance and other kind of generate language that the NGO world is produced for us in English. They reproduce that in 5 languages on their top on website. And I'm not saying you wouldn't believe this, but it was like, you know, just put me in coach. You know, I know the playbook. I know how to run a gun. And look, we have an agricultural commission. We have taxation system. And again this idea, and then on the ground, they had their own law courts. And they would creep into a district. Assassinate some people, the local authority figures, men of influence. Talk to local clerics, either get them on board or kill them. And say, this day is corrupt, but we're bringing you justice. This is our calling card. We're bringing public reality and justice. And then to a broader world, they said, yeah, things didn't go perfectly a whole Al-Qaeda thing, which we could have do over on that. We're not going to let anyone hurt you from our territory. We just want to rule. And people like us and look. And so if we look at the neighborhood, Iran, even central agent states, after a while, recognized, they can make some money. One of the things that you stand like is about the current arrangement or not, they're not hustle too is that they have all these contracts. They can potentially make some money from, you know, the pipeline dream remains alive, running natural gas, oil, to which the Indian Ocean, to markets, beyond Central Asia. It's sitting on a couple $1 trillion, probably in mineral resources that China would love to have, of course. And so people are looking at Afghanistan now of 20 years saying under American rule, it was a basket case. There was a men's team in suffering incredibly violent. The world did not start counting civilian casualties and not going to say until 2009. Everything about that, the war went off for 8 years. The top one were never really defeated. They just went to Pakistan. They went to the mountains over to the Woods. And so all these different American operations, as you noted under Bush, Obama, Trump, and so on. Killed countless civilians. The U.S. never counted for that. We never encountered Trump escort this way and casually in the air war. But a lot of this was very ugly on the ground..
Strength to Strength
"central asia" Discussed on Strength to Strength
"With helping out. So yeah i. We went to first of all Stan and just north north of the country or We were there for one week and we did get. We didn't actually get involved with a lot of refugee work. Hard as you know seeing like a mass of your masters of new refugees just out of the country We were able to connect with with some local believers of various contacts. Lots of contact good contacts that we made their so. We connect with some context ever reaching out to the refugees. Central asia is definitely quite a bit of a different ballgame. I guess For us as americans just to go go get involved so what we found out the best way right now is the support local church and encourage them as we can help and that so i used to the one contact Little bit about you know. He's very on fire He's just in that country. It's kind of its post-soviet so was soviet union. There's a little bit of You'd say russian influence. I guess quite a bit rushing influence so it is very interesting. it's like ninety seven percents muslim I forget the exact number ninety percent muscle. Maybe but with that being said it's illegal for children under eighteen to be mosques or churches so across the board a religion they just illegalize any dissipation in in worship under eighteen. So it is very different the tajiks. They're very scared and apprehensive about what's happening south of that. They do not want afghan refugees. They want taliban in their country. They're risk of radical islam. So it's very very vaunted very interesting country so kind of what we were talking to. Different various contacts is yet they seem Is kind of what we were expecting. A looking at the news seems like at least what we were there. They're still very much trapped in the country. There's lots of guarding going on that. Long itajai water. They had lots of military personnel there and I didn't actually physically go is go see the were. We didn't quite get that close. But there's there's lots of protecting the border a taliban on the other side. They're they're trying to keep him from leading. And i used this one yet. So it's very. It's very difficult for them to christians and any afghan trying to come out very difficult and very dangerous. So there's there's a river With north of the border there at the border with everybody stand and afghanistan. And there's there's one story that one of her contact shared very sad. But i guess he's gonna bring out the reality of what's happening there there's thirteen atkins that made it across river and only to be arrested by the local tajiks and he ended over back taliban and they ended up lining him up on the river Shooting him as a as a public example i guess and their dislike. This is what happens if you escape so very sad story. But it's the reality what's happening on. We'll trying to get across or rarely get shot if they if you get caught and we are also involved so one contact. We weren't contact with you. He was involved with i. Guess there's there's a neutral zone About two kilometers wide between afghanistan Stand and there's a bunch of family stuck in there so he was. There are some people involved with trying to help these people immigrant Because you know you're likely if you get handed over it's not gonna go very well for them so yeah definitely definitely against. I think there are. We assume that there is going to be a mass crisis. You're seeing a lot of people coming out guess. advanced informed. We want to continue to monitor the situation and see what happens At the time when we were could stand. They were all preparing for their great independence. Day i guess they just had their independence day thirty years since they Received from the soviet union. So everything was gonna shut down. And there's lots of security rod they. I guess they don't want to talk about. It seemed like as a country. They were pretty close to having any refugees. Calm but there is talk of them setting a buck camp Stan but they're very clear that they do not want to dig as a whole year not want people are refugees their hermit lee. They want to be a transferred nation. So there there. I think they might be willing to house employable bet but they definitely want them to move on. So i guess there's some of the needs that we found there We were able like. I said we were able to connect with local church. And one is the one couple that we we visited. They express hope they need. Lots of encouragement The fueling the task is huge for them and as It already they already face a lot of pressure to be believers in christians and on top of that for them to think about reach out to afghans. The people south of them is just huge because of their they're facing pressure to be believers and then for two it's for them reached out afghans. It's like the reaching out to their enemies and the locals you in country. They really don't appreciate them and it's understandably so they really the really scared of of you know the radicals coming to their country in changing their country at a very close situation so yet they asked for. They just need lots of encouragement but there are out there. Definitely some passionate People there and the church is alive. It's pretty small. But it is alive. And i guess a lot of engagement so pray for the And the extent and just few opportunities that we found one we will find opportunities Send a small group of guys back to stand. We're actually hoping to do this on shortly. So we want to send a few guys back there and just do some trainings with the with the locals. so you'll be training mostly local believers at just getting on some practical skills as far as strategy operations and leadership abilities. And just how to go about it. Some practical skills to reach out so we're actually hoping.
KGO 810
"central asia" Discussed on KGO 810
"Particular, but this includes Central Asia and certainly the threat of the Taliban. We begin, however, with a trip backwards 20 years when we were younger men. Saturnin when you first heard of the attack. Where were you? And what did you make of the information? Good evening to you. Very good evening to you, too, John. I, In fact on 9 11 was living in Jakarta, Indonesia. And it was evening for me. And it was morning in America, Of course, and my now wife. We weren't married at the time was living in New York. And was getting ready to go to work when he had a little television in her Brooklyn studio, and she saw the first plane hit the tower. And when the first one hit like many people, I thought, Well, this must be some Terrible accident. But then when the second plane hit, I knew that this is deliberated. It was terrorism. You are in communication with your now wife and, uh, from Jakarta. Can you recall thinking who did it or why it happened? Did you have some sense of this out or not? I did not in fact, have a sense immediately. Um, but I did within, you know, within a few hours as I started sort of sorting through it. I was a journalist. I was calling people and so on. It became pretty clear that this was an Islamic terrorism. And what were your thoughts Did did things change for you or do you Where was the world The same. Indonesia is the most populous of all Muslim nations. And we know over these decades it's had its radical element. What did this represent to your understanding of Indonesia and of the Muslim world? But my life quite dramatically, John, because not only did I plunge into covering this story about a year later, there was a horrific the Bali bombing the horrific terrorist attack in Bali by Al Qaeda affiliate I ended up writing a book about the rise of radical Islam and jihadism in Indonesia, influenced by these cards that we've seen across the Islamic world, but particularly emanating from I think the Soviet Peninsula and also from the Pakistan Afghanistan region, and so it became very deep interest for me, and I have been writing about those issues ever since. It's been 20 years now. All right, let's come to 2021. Then your column in the Wall Street Journal is instructive about The old Taliban. The new Taliban. There is talk that the Taliban now taking the government in Kabul, Islamic camera, Afghanistan is different than what we first met in 2001, or what dominated the story in the late 20th century. Where does this Islamic extremism come from? You identify madrassa of India. Is that correct? Well, I refer to, uh, kind of schism in the world of Islam that goes back more than 150 years, and the examples I use are to madrassa store to Islamic seminaries in northern India, But similar similar process happened in different parts of the Muslim world. I could have taken parallels from The Arab world instead. But I happened to choose these two towns in India because the LeBron in fact, the Taliban ideology springs from hardline Orthodox madrassa in northern India called the job and very often in the media, for example, you see that you can Taliban referred to as they opened these what that refers to is the particular approach. Studying and teaching Islam that emerged in this northern Indian town. And in a nutshell, for your viewers, it's something sort of it represented a turning away from the West. As you know, in the 19th century, the British or dominant in India. They put down or rebellion in 18 57. And that really put the Islamic clergy in that part of the country. You know it created a crisis for them, and one group of them ended up founding. This address are called Bail Bond. And many years later, the Taliban in Afghanistan, um represent, I would say an extreme view version of their ideology. But it's the same essential idea, which is that the way for Muslims to recover their greatness is by doubling down on Islamic scripture and by rejecting Western learning. And rejecting Western learning. I understand, however, we see them operating with Western machinery with the communications tools and of also everywhere on social media, especially during this period of conflict in Afghanistan. Is that permitted out to this extreme group? To pretend you're both in the 12th century and the 21st century at the same time. So you know, they always end up making some kind of compromise is so for example, the last time the Taliban was in power in the late 19 nineties, they allowed their own members to use phones. But phones were forbidden for others, but many of the other kind of extreme ideas, for example, their hostility to music. That comes from the Avandia teachings, their hostility, extreme hostility to Shia Muslims that comes from there by the teachings because if they, in fact do not regard the Shia as Muslim, so you can sort of see a lot of those patterns. The fact is that they're living in 2021. They have to make some compromises, so they do make those compromises. But very wary and suspicious of Western learning, and particularly on western of Western political ideas. So it's one thing to kind of, you know, stealing American Humvee or to pick up The Kalashnikov. Those are argued those are western products of Western learning to, but it's another thing to teach your students to view the world in a way that could lead to modern science that they're firmly opposed to is there. Such thing is new Deobandi or is only one kind. No, I think they're they're flavors. And one of the things I mentioned in my Wall Street Journal column is that this took on different forms in India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. In India. Where where Muslims are a minority and urban has been quite quietest. There were they have not been. I mean, they're very they're orthodox, but they have not promoted violence..
AP News Radio
How Dangerous Is Afghanistan's Islamic State?
"The Islamic state group affiliate believed to be behind the suicide attacks in Kabul are also thought to pose a global threat western governments have raised urgent warnings about the threat of attacks by Islamic state Khorasan or ISIS K. the group that considers the Taliban to be to moderate and peaceful well the Taliban have confined their struggle to Afghanistan ISIS K. has embraced the Islamic state's call for worldwide jihad against non Muslims and establishment of a caliphate to unite the Islamic world they're believed to be behind dozens of attacks against civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan particularly minority Shiite Muslims well the group has yet to conduct attacks against the U. S. homeland Washington sees it as a chronic threat to US and allied interests in south and Central Asia I'm Ben Thomas
America First with Sebastian Gorka Podcast
Who is K.T. McFarland, Trump's Former Deputy National Security Advisor?
"We have so much to discuss with regards to the disasters occurring in central asia in the last two weeks. But let's start by those who may have just accidentally happened on this channel. Found us on rumble. Downloaded this podcast. Tell them a little bit about who. Kt mcfarland is when she started to get involved in national security issues. And then you'll climb to the heights of power in the white house under the trump administration starting in nineteen seventy. I was a freshman in college at george washington university and got partial scholarship and had to pay the rest of my way through school. So i got a part time typing job in the west wing of the white house and the white house situation room. Working for guy wasn't very well known at the time by the name of henry kissinger and he was richard nixon's national security advisor. So i started working part time in the nighttime typing pool for henry kissinger In the west wing and then worked in the nixon administration. The ford administration went to graduate school during the carter administration went to oxford university and then. Mit where i studied and taught nuclear weapons Then joined the reagan administration when we won the cold war Was part of the pentagon team Did one help win. The cold war got the pentagon's highest civilian award for that service. And then i retired. We'd want our cold war. My war was one done. And so i married. Had five. kids was living the good life in new york and long island and then september eleventh happened and it convinced me to get back into government because i had such a pretty extensive experience. I point so. I did And i ran for the. Us senate against hillary clinton the organ lost. Predictably but i did Get back involved in a lot of issues. And then he came. The fox news national security analysts for over a decade until i joined the trump administration Which i did at the beginning and so here. I am out of the trump administration of back on talking to import. People like you about issues. I care deeply about what your national security
AP News Radio
Russia Was Ready for Taliban's Win Due to Longtime Contacts
"As a Taliban swiftly to K. rock on the sun Basra has been prepared for the rapid developments Moscow has been working methodically for years to lay the groundwork for relations with the insurgent group wants Russia officially recognizes the Taliban as a terrorist organization Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov emphasized this week that the insurgent group have shown promising signs at least encouraging signals from the Taliban who declaring that the science of former government with the participation of all the political forces immediately after the Taliban takeover buses that it wouldn't affect your rates its embassy in Kabul unlike many other countries last month the Taliban delegation visited Moscow with a guaranteed not to threaten the interests of Russia and its exit yet allies in Central Asia Taliban spokesperson Muhammad said Shaheen we will not allow anyone any android world any entity to use the side of a plan is done against the neighboring country that a general country and the the word kindly I'm Karen Thomas
KidNuz
What's Happening in Afghanistan?
"There's a lot going on in the country of afghanistan in south central asia. It citizens are waking up to a new leadership after the country's government collapsed and a military group called the taliban took control. This same group ruled afghanistan from nineteen ninety-six until two thousand one with very strict laws and ban. Many things like education for girls television music and movies for the last twenty years though. Us soldiers help keep the taliban out of power which meant the afghan people had more freedom just last month. The bulk of us military forces left hoping afghan leaders could rule on their own instead. The taliban quickly regained control president biden address. The american people yesterday and admitted that afghanistan fell into the wrong hands much quicker than anticipated but he felt it was time for the us to get out and for afghan leaders to find a way to lead their own country.
The Lawfare Podcast
"central asia" Discussed on The Lawfare Podcast
"But i also agree at least what i what i think was the implication of your question that given the incredibly and increasingly uncertain environment. There may be a more and more of a driver for these kind of security partnerships to take some some greater life and energy. And that's certainly something that we're looking at. But i think ultimately the more were able to connect these countries the more they're able to benefit from shared prosperity the greater the foundation for stability will have known for. I'm going to go to the audience here in a minute. Starting with yohannes. If that's alright. But i do want to ask about one other fairly major regional player and that's china Would you say a little bit On that And insofar as maybe not a great gain but a new game is underway. Is china a major player in that china's very much a major player and as As i tried to suggest we think that this is largely complementary to what we're trying to do and indeed were looking at ways to more effectively coordinate with chinese the investments that they're making in the physical infrastructure that ultimately connect these countries are ordinary and usually beneficial beneficial to people in these countries in terms of giving them opportunity potentially beneficial to our own businesses. They're trying to work there. And there is no zero-sum sum choice here These things can work together our own engagement china's engagement. But i would say this. The engagement and the investment are very important but how there is also important and so i think countries will ask questions about the the engagement and the investment who's workers are being used to advance it. What kind of standards are being upheld when it comes to the rights of workers when it comes the environment what about the quality of the projects all of these things are also critical and i think there are effect market forces. That are driving the The chinese hopefully to raise their own game. When it comes to that the more they do that. I think the more we're able to work together. In a complementary fashion to advance what we think would be in the interests of central asia but also in our own interests and china's interests but there is no doubt that they are a big and growing bigger player. Would you say and this may sound like a leading question. But i know as a good lawyer you won't be lead does the fear and concern in central asia about russia play to china's advantage as it does perhaps To some degree to our own advantage for answers yes but again i think the the incentive for most of the countries in the region is to look for various outlets various points of contact. It's us is russia because again of a lot of history and strong trading relationships it is china because of its extraordinary Investments in the potential there and depending on iran's pollution over the next two years or more it could be iran as well as a gateway to. Europe is a gateway to indian. So if i'm sitting in any of the capital's in central asia. I'm looking at all of these possibilities now. I personally think that the united states can bring to the table things that some of these other countries can't even further away. We bring a certain way of doing business. Certain values certain standards that i think even more beneficial to people but it is not as euro some choice and the more we can get other countries to raise their own game and raise their own standards as they engage with central asia. The better off in regionally and the better off we'll be which brings to mind one other country and then we will go to on us. I remember tornadoes all at the time that the. Us are was disintegrating Making no secret of a turkish dream given the turkic influences in the region that we're talking about what is how is turkey seen today particularly given some of the tumult. That's going on there. It's a good question. And frankly one that i always more comfortable asking of our partners in the region. I don't necessarily suggest how they're seeing turkey. I think you're right about turkey's interest and ambition. It's also true that the turks have a tremendous amount on their hands in their immediate environs. Right now and that's and that's challenging but the bottom line at least from our persuading the began is this is not about creating false choices or imposing choices on our partners in central asia. One of the differences that we bring to the table is a profound and strong belief that our partners have a right to make their own decisions and make their own choices about the future and if that involves us so much the better but if it involves other countries in the region that is their decision. You'll want to thank you very much incident from brookings. I thank you for this presentation. I think it's a very timely. Initiative to articulate the interest of the strategy the us in the region not least because as you go around the region you hear a lot of questions asked so what are the interest of the us and how will engage them to shape future. Now you talked. I think eloquently but the interests to me. The question looking ahead is so. How will the engagement change looking back in relative terms. I think relative to the engagement of the us elsewhere in the world and relativity engagement to other major parts of the region of china and russia in particular. I think it's fantasy. Say the engagement of the us in the region in the past has been relatively modest so looking ahead. How is the engaged. I'm going to change. And how you can't translate and leverage modest lightly continued modest engagement relative to these other engagements into an effective impact on the ground in terms of the interest and the objectives. You have set from my perspective. Hd very valid. It's an excellent question And i think a few things suggest themselves one is that as we all know. Ninety percent of life is showing up and so the consistent and hopefully high level engagement that we have makes a difference certainly on an official level. And i think we actually have to do even more than that now. The assistant secretary has been a regular visitor and very deeply engaged as have a lot of officials across the board. But it's something that we're looking at over the next couple of years to elevate even even that.
The Lawfare Podcast
"central asia" Discussed on The Lawfare Podcast
"Much. Tony while you get mike. Thank you very much for a terrific opening and let me also use the occasion to say the nisha all of us who have watched your stewardship of the bureau that you're in charge of which has got to be one of the more diverse portfolios in the state department namely central asia and south asia. Extend our thanks. And congratulations to the good work. You've done thank you for being here. Today tony. That was a terrific Overview i hear a little bit of resonance from history that we were saying goodbye to all those years ago. Maybe at least one of the headlines here could be welcome back fleischmann and so. Let's say if we could for a moment on one of the last points that you talked about which of course is on the minds of all of us and that is the role of russia. And maybe you could zero in on kazakhstan in particular. Not least because of course as you said President nassir by his government joined the ukrainians belarussians and getting rid of nuclear weapons. They also have a very significant russian population. Appoint that president putin underscored in a meeting with nazerbayev. Another by took some umbrage from that when president putin questioned weather. 'cause don was even a state i is that still resonating in the region not just in kazakhstan but throughout the region storm. I think it is resonating in the region. And of course what's going on as we discussed moment ago and ukraine is is resonating in the region. What's gone on in georgia and continues to go on in georgia resonates in the region moldova. All these things resonate. But i think what's what's challenging is this i. We believe strongly that. The countries of central asia should have peaceful prosperous beneficial relations with all their neighbors including russia and russia is going to have a critical role to play in central asia. Going forward the trade relationship is very important. Remittances have been quite significant. And of course the downturn in the russian economy poses a real challenge for the many central asians who were there. And we're sending money back home but as we tried to make clear again and again we're not trying to pose some kind zero-sum and indeed even when it comes to for example the russian economic union the customs union. We're not telling countries that they shouldn't join to the contrary it would be totally inconsistent with exactly what we've been telling the russians when it comes to ukraine which is countries should be able to decide for themselves with whom they want to associate and what the basic decisions about their future. So i think the challenge is that we want to encourage positive relations but it is russia's actions themselves that are sending a message to countries in the region and that is causing them to look more and more For for alternatives and different choices i think maximizing those choices maximizing those opportunities as good thing we hope we get to the point where russia changes approach and provides the benefits that come with long and in many ways strong relations especially in the trade area. But right now. I think my sense is that the level is extremely high. And how does that translate into the attitude of the central asian states towards the prospects for a eurasian union as clearly as an alternative to the european union. Well look i think again. We've been very clear. We have not said anyone don't join and indeed. We have kazakhstan and curious kirghistan. that happened. We're working very closely right now with stan on its. Wto membership something that we hope will be realized this year what we do want to see when it comes to that union is that countries uphold their broader international commitments and that it doesn't actually constrict trade advances it and so if the result for example joining such a union is more tariffs or non non-tariff barriers. That's moving in the wrong direction and backwards. But there's nothing fundamentally inconsistent with with doing that and participating in the larger internationals base system and we're encouraging countries to do that. But i think what a number of countries in the richer seeing right now is russia that has mismanages economy going back sometime second the sanctions as a result of his actions in ukraine that have given it a significant setback and then of course oil prices which perhaps more than anything else have undermined those three things taken together. Make the benefits of engagement with russia economically A lot less than they were even a couple of years ago. And i think again that is causing countries to look to diversify their economic relationships. You beta point of connecting american aspirations and concerns about a political pluralism and you also in that context flagged the danger of extremism and terrorism. There's a neighboring region. The clock is where that is particularly phenomenon. That seems to be growing i would i would say in parenthesis not least perhaps because of the russian policy of emphasizing ethnic russian nationalism which doesn't play very well in those parts of the russian federation or for that matter in the former soviet union which are historically not slavic and indeed or at least culturally islamic in much of their legacy. Do you hear And to your colleagues in our posts are diplomatic posts in the region here much concern about the rise of islamic extremism in the caucuses bleeding over into other parts of the former Soviet space yes. That's a that's a real concern. It's something that we hear more and more but it's not only the bleed over. It's the potential in a number of these countries for that kind of extremism to emerge within them in. The question is in the challenges. How do you handle that And here we face one of our very difficult dilemmas that we see in other parts of the world. Because on the one hand we're working in the relative short-term to help countries build their capacity to deal with security challenges including the potential challenging extremism. And there i think we've been working very effectively and the expertise that we bring to. The table is something that is very much sought by our partners on the other hand. As i suggested a while ago none of this in our judgment is sustainable. That is real security and stability are not sustainable. Absent more open an effective governance absent more open and effective institutions and absent a basic respect for human rights and democratic development and so a big part of the conversation with our partners is on the one hand helping them develop security capacity including to deal with extremism but also to make the case consistently and with conviction that ultimately the path to sustainable stability has to go through more effective governance institutions and democracy. Going back to the nineties again back then. There seemed to be some hope for the development of security ties between all of the former republics of the ussr. I'm thinking particularly of partnership for peace. The euro asian partnership counsel my sense and correct me. If i'm wrong is that those are pretty much more abundant at least very quiescent. Can you imagine that there might be a resurgence of interest in that kind of security cooperation. Well i mean. I i i would say that Certain aspects of that are actually alive and well including various aspects of the partnership for peace. And we've seen the engagement of partner countries for example in afghanistan. That's been extremely effective Summer formerly in the partnership others on the outside of the but you look for example at the contributions of a country. Like georgia to what we've done in afghanistan is quite extraordinary on a per capita basis. Truly amazing my own sense is that the big motivating factor right. Now is the potential for greater in economic connectivity an inch connectivity and the potential there is extraordinary.
The Lawfare Podcast
"central asia" Discussed on The Lawfare Podcast
"Today. I know a lot of focus is on the talks. In switzerland regarding iran's nuclear program secretary kerry and when he sherman and other colleagues who there as we speak and that no one is much watching more closely than the countries of central asia. Iran's historic and cultural ties to the region or deep and longstanding and for countries that are increasingly focused on their connectivity to the rest of the world around stances at the gateway europe as well as maritime route to asia but the region's unique complexities. Don't stop at. Its border with iran from his position at the heart of asia the region looks out to china. And it's growing economic influence. It supports afghanistan's cautiously hopeful transition and it hedges against russia's renewed aggression and it warily guards against the growing poll of extremist ideology among youth china looms large in the region with the sanitation Ambitious plans to advance. Asian connectivity through overland and maritime routes. It's committed tens of billions of dollars to building roads and rails to better connect its factories and markets in asia and europe. And we support these efforts to connect the region but we also urge that they advanced trade in all directions and adhere to international norms. we don't see china's involvement in central asia zero sub terms it's development of infrastructure in central asia can be fully complementary to our own efforts and in particular we see an important role for china in supporting the transition. Afghantistan and advancing its own integration into the broader asia region on the other hand russia's actions on its periphery including its violation of the Integrity and sovereignty of ukraine threaten the very foundation of international order not only in the region not only in europe but beyond around the world as russia and the separatists that had continued to destabilize eastern ukraine. They're doing more than violating the borders of one country. They are threatening the fundamental principles that we all have a stake in defending in europe and indeed around the world. The principle that borders and territorial integrity of democratic state cannot be changed by force that it is the inherent right of citizens in a democracy to make their own decisions about their country's future that linguistic nationalism something. We thought was confined to the of history and not be allowed to be resurrected and that all members of the international community especially its leading members are bound by common rules and should face costs if they don't live up to the solemn commitments that they make and i wanna come back briefly. Something i mentioned a minute ago which is The successor states to the soviet union giving up the nuclear weapons they inherited when the soviet union dissolved as i noted besides kazakhstan belarus in ukraine with a tour of the countries that inherited these weapons and gave them up and in the case of ukraine. It did so in exchange for assurances from three countries that its territorial integrity and sovereignty would be respected those three countries with the united kingdom the united states and russia. What does it say not only to ukraine but two countries around the world when those solemn assurances can be torn up and totally ignored. What does it say at this very moment. When we are seeking to convince iran to forego nuclear weapons in the future when it considers the commitments that they have made in the past and wonders about the enduring nature those commitments into the future. So there's a lot at stake in russia's actions in ukraine that we need to continue to stand up for now they're obviously costs to the pressure that we're exerting on russia protections in ukraine. And we know that these costs reverberate around the region and while the nations of central asia understand the dangers posed by russia. Better than most there are also feeling the impact of russia's economic weakness more than most we understand that zayed and we're committed to leveraging our own economic tools to help centralization diversify their economies and interlinked their markets. We do not ask any country to choose ties with the us to the exclusion of anyone else. We reject the false choices imposed by anyone else. We fully support the aspirations of central asian states to pursue a multi vector foreign and economic policy. We know that the threat of violent extremism is yet another growing danger for the region earlier this year. The united states hosted the countering violent extremism summit to kickstart a global conversation on the most effective ways to disrupt and destroy isis financing. Recruitment efforts and the broader challenge of violent extremism both kazakhstan and kirghistan. Since high level delegations to the summit khazakstan committed to host a regional cv summit for south central asian countries. Summer the summer that we held washington not only consider the challenge of countering extremism as it exists today but also preventing it reaching the large pool of alienated young men and women susceptible to the siren call of extremism by giving them more economic and political opportunities. It's a challenge that requires all of us to take stock to ensure that we're fostering societies in which all citizens feel that they have a stake in this atmosphere of uncertainty. It can be tempting to turn inward to build high walls to close borders but the very geopolitics that gives central asian states cause for anxiety also incentivize them to embrace a new and different kind of future are continued engagement and the long-term security and prosperity of the region depend ultimately on the choices the central asian states make today to try to seize this future and live up to the aspirations of their own.
The Lawfare Podcast
"central asia" Discussed on The Lawfare Podcast
"Surplus hydro-electricity stan and could stand to afghanistan pakistan where over eighty million people lack access to electricity. It's notable that afghanistan is also embracing the vision of asian connectivity. Some of you may have heard just last week. When president ghani was in washington. He addressed a joint session of congress and extolled the importance of regional energy trade for afghanistan's economic viability. A lot of work is being done on the physical infrastructure to connect these countries but just importance that physical infrastructure are the policies that go with it. The soft infrastructure of laws regulations of agreements between and among governments to facilitate the flow of people of goods and financing. And we're helping in that area to ultimately for central asia to fully reap the benefits of shared prosperity. It has some choices to make between the political and economic practices past that offered limited potential for long term diversify growth and the possibilities in the future the surgeon innovation and energy that comes from building more open societies at home and joining a dynamic just rules based global marketplace. These rules are not designed to assert the authority of one nation over another. They served to protect and benefit us all to give businesses the confidence. They need to invest drawing on skills of young educated populations and building a growing market for entrepreneurial talent. Now i know that destination may seem distant as we gather here today but it promises what nothing else can the opportunity for central asia themselves to enjoy the fruits of their prosperity. Finally a critical aspect of our foreign policy is advancing the democratic values that we share with people all over the world including in central asia. These values are at the very core of our engagement with the region and essential to the lasting stability that we seek across every bilateral relationship. We continue to advocate forcefully for greater respect for human rights a stronger voice for civil society and greater religious freedom. Progress has been halting. But i believe we are better able to address these difficult issues because we are present and engaged with these governments and their civil society. We know the governments that are accountable to their citizens can more effectively sustain their own security defend their own sovereignty and contribute to regional stability upholding freedom of expression. The rule of law and political pluralism give citizens peaceful legal outlets to raise their grievances and diminish the chance that they will be drawn to violent extremism. These same freedoms are also vital to building innovative societies. In the past when we thought about the wealth of the nation and what constituted that wealth we talk about the physical size of the country its abundance of natural resources. The strength of its military Literally the size of its of its population and all of these things of course are still relevant today. But in the twenty first century the true wealth of the nation lies in its human resources and the potential of country to maximize those to let them be free to let them be creative to let them. Innovate those are the countries that we most want to engage with. That's what we're looking for as we seek to forge partnerships. It's something that president obama vice-president biden secretary kerry have all spoken to with great passion wherever they go from awkward. A key to delhi as the president put it. We're far more likely to invest our energy in those countries that want to work with us that invest in their people that embraced the vision society where everyone can contribute men and women. She are sunni muslim christian jew because from europe to asia from africa to the americas nations that have persevered on democratic path have emerged more prosperous more peaceful and more invested in upholding our common security and common humanity so in central asia. We will continue to support civil society and its ability to serve communities and speak up for peaceful change without government interference consistent with the presence. Stand with civil society. Initiative will continue to advocate for free media and more open political systems and herbs. The release of people who are imprisoned for the peaceful exercise of their political views or religious faith will support greater economic transparency and efforts to combat corruption. Strobe knows very well spoken about these issues. For many years in central asia they are arguably even more important as the region seeks our engagement and assistance in its own development and integration in this respect were also focused for example on helping the kirghiz republic nurture and develop its parliamentary democracy. The only one in the region our assistance in our exchange programs emphasize rule of law reforms support open civil society and create new educational opportunities. One of the things proud of is having hosted nearly eighty percent of turkey's parliamentary here in the united states where they discuss the responsibilities public service with american officials and representatives of civil society. Time and again. We have seen the value of building. These lifelong relationships helping to expand the marketplace of ideas and foster greater dicta democratic ethos today. We're supporting these educational exchange programs in english language programs across central asia in kazakhstan. Nearly four hundred thousand children in first grade are starting to learn english. Thanks to an impressive effort. By the nation's minister of education and science is lonzo resolve to introduce trilingual education in the entire school system. Well that minister of education happens to be an alumnus of one of our exchange programs the edmund muskie graduate fellowship program in kurdistan forty members of parliament recently participated in more than thirty town hall meetings across the country. Thanks to the organizational efforts of young man Who himself Drew on his experiences as the legislative fellow in the united states where he observed the two thousand twelve presidential elections building these connections between our people not only nurture shared understanding and values. It strengthens our ability to confront challenges together.
The Lawfare Podcast
"central asia" Discussed on The Lawfare Podcast
"And it took medicine. We've helped the government established modern border control checkpoints with state of the technology to combat smuggling and to fight human trafficking by deepening. These security partnerships were also investing in a stable foundation for central asia to unlock. It's great economic potential. The images of the old silk road when central asia was truly at the crossroads of civilization does not have to be just an emory passed can become prologue today. Central asia's not only bursting with resources but brimming with youthful entrepreneurial potential a full half of its population is under the age of thirty and in his status as she could stand around. A third of the population is actually closer in age to twenty to deliver on the aspirations of this new generation. We want to help central asia build solid basis for prosperity by integrating it into a global rules-based system. That's why we've been supporting extends efforts to join curious standards if he can stand as members of the world trade organization and we expect this long sought goal to be realised this year. Our nation's businesses their talent and technological leadership can play an essential role in helping the region develop its own culture of innovation and entrepreneurship and we will continue to build these connections on both sides of the world. The united states recently hosted a delegation from turkmenistan's power sector khazakstan will host an investment forum for us companies the summer. Now despite these efforts. I think everyone recognizes in central asia. Still has a long way to go in building a more open. Cooperative and connected market. The fosters true entrepreneurship and delivers benefits to ordinary people. The region remains one of the least integrated in the world with only about six percent of its total trade occurring within central asia. And as a result it's on people are not benefiting from this enormous potential. That's why as part of the new silk road initiative. The united states is helping develop the region's connectivity.
The Lawfare Podcast
"central asia" Discussed on The Lawfare Podcast
"Episode number one hundred and nineteen antony blinken on central asia and the future of the silk road. Ladies and gentlemen. It's my pleasure to welcome all of you here today. I'm fiona hill the director of the center on the united states and europe. And i'd like to extend a welcome on behalf of the brookings foreign policy program and also the global economy economy and development program. Brookings foreign address by our deputy secretary of state. Tony blinken who going to be launching a new. Us strategy for engagement with central asia. I think most of you are very familiar with tony blinken but nonetheless i would like to lay out some of the contours of is very distinguished career in government. He has been deputy secretary of state for the past several months. But also before that just served as the assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser he's also been the national security advisor to the vice president and so many years was the democratic stuff direct with the us senate foreign relations committee. And that's just the most recent iteration of tunisia career in government because he also served in the national security council during the clinton administration from one thousand nine hundred four two thousand and one in a variety of capacities including a senior director for european affairs and he was also in the state department's in other capacities in the one thousand nine hundred s. He did begin his career. Most people in washington seem to do as a lawyer but we're forgiven him for that and he was also a reporter for the new republic with various stints writing for the new york times and foreign affairs. And that's provides a perfect segue into the formats of today's event because he will also feature discussion with another former deputy secretary of state who began his career in journalism. None other than our brookings president. Strobe talbott stolen tony that korea intersected verse junctions. During the clinton administration they worked together in various capacities. But there's also a very interesting many of you in the audience probably aware of it substantive linked to today's event because on july nineteen ninety-seven. Just down the road. Not here brookings. But just down the road. It's ice or what was then the newly inaugurated central asia and caucasus institute. Seis strobe gave his own addresses. Deputy secretary announcing a us strategy towards central asia which was also at that point linked to the caucus region across the caspian. There's quite a famous address. And many of you in the audience might remember it. It featured the title of farewell to flush in which struggle probably a basically enumerate but let freshman was famous character from one of those derring-do british novels of the game in central asia. But strokes point was that we were getting beyond that great game and looking to a whole new feature for the region at that point. Buck in one thousand nine hundred. Seven mentioned the caucuses in central asian willing together around the caspian sea the idea of energy resources. Which would just being opened up outside development and there's a great deal of question about the future director of all of these states under their relations with russia given the fact that there were only five or six years into other first decade of independence after the collapse of the soviet union now in the intervening eighteen years on. What's happened on the ground in central asia. Not just here in washington. Dc the trajectories of the caucus in central asian states diverged on the steps of central asia. Themselves have also from themselves very different paths individually under the energy resources are still focal point in the region the decades since nine eleven actually more than a decade since nine eleven of course this turned the focus of attention central asia predominantly onto issues related to afghanistan counterterrorism. Obviously that's now shifting with the withdrawal or the partial withdrawal at least of us troops from afghanistan but for a long time emphasis tend to decide truck attention on deepening relations with essentially as in states while russia's relations with central asia continue to loom large. There's also been a lot of changes in the last decade. Plus russia remains an important factor. For historical reasons economic regions reasons the solarge russian diasporas and all of the central asian states but china has become one of the most active players in the region. Not something that pops strobe could have predicted quite so effectively back in one thousand nine hundred seven when things look quite different. Beijing's investments in energy in an infrastructure and as many practices changed trajectory of trade politics in some of the central asian stairs in terms of the interactions so in short central asia. Two thousand fifteen is not the central asia of nine hundred. Ninety seven and deputy secretary blinken has now how it fits into. Us policy and strategy. How things look ahead. And then he and former deputy secretary talbott's we'll talk about how the region has changed and give us some insight into us interests over this period. Well have in the audience as well as many distinguished members of The diplomatic service and colleagues from the state department including those work very close on central asia. Some of our own colleagues. Who's sitting here in the front row. Who has spent many decades working on central asia at the world bank and brookings and another with so many of you here in the audience. We're in for a very good discussion. So thank you very much. Sure everyone for coming on jehovah to deputy secretary blinken and then to the conversation with strobe talbott thank you very much.
The Lawfare Podcast
Taliban Claim Attack on Afghanistan Defense Minister’s Home
"It's easy to find your perfect shape. Boca complimentary video hair color consultation with a licensed colorist on madison dash ry dot com and get ten percent off plus free shipping on your first color kit. Use code radio ten. That's code radio ten
Gastropod
The History of Cannabis
"Turns out we have geology to thank for cannabis. At least for cannabis's psychoactive properties. The ancient ancestors of the cannabis plant started growing tens of millions of years ago around. What is now central asia like pakistan northern india nepal. And then something dramatic happened the entire subcontinent. That is now. India drifted north crashed into asia. The crumple zone is what we now call. The himalayas and the cannabis plants that were growing in that zone. Got really really high and the ones that were stuck down low the plains near the himalayas. Well they didn't get quite so high is difference is both topographical and literal the cannabis. The grew in the mountainous region started producing thc. Which or the uninitiated is the chemical in cannabis. That gets you high. We don't know for certain. Why the plant produces it. It appears serve kind of sunscreen. Chris duval is a professor at the university of new mexico and author of two books on the topic. The african roots of marijuana and cannabis kris told us that the cannabis that stayed down low and temperate plains. Those plans did not produce. thc they became. What we know is hemp source of cloth rope and disgusting. Health foods cannabis grew really easily and a lot of different environments especially ones. We disturbed to build settlements. It was literally a weed. That's why we call it weed. And so there was probably a lot of cannabis just growing in central and east asia both the high mountainous regions and the low parts and so a really longtime ago as long as maybe twelve thousand years ago people figured out ways to use it. It appears for both populations. Initially people used it for the seeds which are edible You know you can buy them in. Eat them nowadays. Emcees are often founded natural food stores. Today they're full of wonderful nutrients but they taste terrible. And before you all right in and tell me i'm wrong. not only to. Cynthia agree with me. The historical record does to kris told us that in china hemp seeds were at one point considered a staple food but it was kind of slowly replaced as people in that region in china. You know kind of domesticated and started using other plants more calmly so types of militans organ kind of displaced at
America First with Sebastian Gorka Podcast
"central asia" Discussed on America First with Sebastian Gorka Podcast
"We face is people who love america. Who are involved politically and served in the last administration. We for hours could discuss spykman mckenna. Mahan just those three people and what it means. How many people you know the fact that ninety five percent of americans have idea what we're talking about and most of the people in the swamp if they've heard of spykman they have no idea what it means to today. Isn't that one of our biggest challenges that we are the greatest most powerful nation That has ever existed but we seem to be to strategic neophytes of late not our biggest problem. The biggest problem. I think is part of that. I think is a subset of the big. The central biggest problem is we don't our elites on both side the elites on wall street the corporations political in the academia. We don't run ourselves as a great powell. Just don't we have so- frittered away. What so many generations have bequeathed to us and we fought for the freedom of mankind. We we we've really in the last thirty years and hate to be so crude with this way and this leads on both sides. it's not just. they don't understand. Speak minima kimber. End amazon which the ccp definitely does make only on earth. That's ever tried to put all three strategies being but the elites our country are detached from really what the meaning of our foreign policies been remember since one thousand nine hundred fourteen of unite. Talk about this all the time by the way it should besides epoch said borkman that's why. Cj met with guy said. This guy is a precious resource because you are among a very few people that have our student of strategy in history and also the application in the grimy nitty gritty world of applying that through administrative state. Let's be blunt since nineteen fourteen cents august nineteen fourteen the the central pa foreign policy and national security of the united states through every administration. Really from our leads. As been that we will not allow its mckinney won. The mkx gender was the scottish professor. Talk about the world island right. But this landmass in central asia you controls. The central asia will control the world island who controls a rhode island control. The world's the united states in a practical thing. Whether it's kaiser wilhelm the fascist will were to the nazis joe in the new period of the imperial army in in japan or the soviets. The spun demento candidate of american foreign policy. As approved by john lennon is that we will never allow a single powell collection power to control the eurasian landmass. And let me talk about maps and about being the maps give you a false in the world. Basically we have a world island that his asia europe kind of africa tax to africa right but that world island is essentially the landmass on a on a on a globe that is emotion with an island off. That in that island is is north. American south america right but that own is quite small and so mahane understood this amendment one the great when the great findings of the british in spanish back in what fifteen seventeen is at all the oceans the world connect they all connect around these world audience. Some kinder- came up with this theory. And that theory holds troops a day. Even i think in any kind of post industrial digital and space all that the world island and that is what the chinese communist party with pakistan in the mood was in iran cherki and russia. A now trying to one belt one road and other economic relationships in north korea are trying to consolidate control of the early raisin landmass at the same time do a hans strategy of key strategic points are elites. Don't understand that and they don't and they don't understand how we if we're going to continue to do that. We have to do that with a system. As a nation state not in the condos globalization situation a we have to do it in in real alliances where people really putting both blood intruder into the game that this international this fetish for this post war international rules based order is really where. It's an american security guarantees. That's why every veteran knows that we can't afford it anymore financially and we certainly can't afford it with with our children. These have to be very focused very focused. That we're going to get into a military conflict. Actually go kinetic outside of information cyber and economic. We're going to go kinetic. It has to be no more afghanistan's it has to be a situation like in the south china taiwan or north west border of india. Were in hard work in fast. We're in victorious. So i think you're right. The arts elites don't understand dahlie does understand geopolitics and strategy. They don't understand. You know what. Bill maher said it. Perfectly the day. We played the clip from From lawrence arabia were not were. Were not a serious people are elites are little people and think about little things they do not. We're not govern at. We don't govern ourselves with our leads as a great power so hit so we had the author of hillbilly which is a book. I only read because of you because you said read it when we're in the white house so we had jd vance on for the whole hour yesterday and it kind of boil down to this question of really you know the american people the elite and i wanna talk about that elite for a second. Stay because the chinese are different. You open my eyes to china. The persians the different Russia is different but the american elite. I see amongst them. There are no kissinger's there's no machiavelli's there are people with bad intent to find with wego slave labor camps making nike shoes. But there's no real brains th there's malfeasance there's even evil but they don't really smart people and here's my question if you concur that the elite really really on smart. There's there's very few left wing. Peter teal's is very few left-wing mosques out there. if that's the case why the hell is it. Been so hard for magazine world to actually deal with these people and one of the biggest floors. I see and i don't wanna put words in your mouth but i love reaction is not only. Did we not have a bench when we came into the white house about eighteen of us at senior ranks. You included. Who knew maga- mega and had some kind of plan for how to serve the nation. We didn't build a bloody bench for the last five years. So does that mean that we are condemned to a rig action all the time same simply because these second rate pikers in the elite are. What better organized steve. Whether better organized. I think it's look i think. It's like the american revolution maryland. The revolution says you're not used to talk about. He had one third of the people. Back the tories One third of the people at most were patriots and wanted independence. One third were coming in the middle seeing how it goes. I think that's what we have today. One thing i wanted to mention hillbilly elegies. Jd vance and ohio is your member on. The sixteen campaign said is that we could go. One of the reasons. I was so maniacally focused on the upper midwest. Pennsylvania ohio michigan wisconsin minnesota iowa. Is that because a factories moving out in really what china had done with it. Now with china we go to those rallied and speaking shorthand. You can go to ohio. Jd run for the senate and you can say. The factories got shipped overseas by the wall street. Corporate leap in the drugs came in. You can do it in a two minute soundbite in fully get it. They understand every implication every aspect because that's their lived experience. If you and i would go to new york and sit in the board of directors or talk of mckinsey or the guys at goldman sachs it takes you an hour to kind of make sure they understand the connections at best right so our elites tach from the lived experience of the population. Remember the reason. Donald trump is president and sixteen. Is that in particular last hundred days. It was the managed decline of our country by an uncaring elite in donald trump. Really giving working class people many democrats to in many independence that he was gonna return america to her former greatness. Make america great again. That is such a powerful message so many people believe it as as tough as it for americans a nation's in decline if people that do understand and do admit it understand that they're dedicated to the cause of returning her to reformer greatness. Note the reason we have such a little bit such a small bench. That remember this movement. From the steve cortez's in the peter navarro's in the in the gorkhas.
BBC World Service
Fossils of New Giant Rhino Species Found in China
"Would have weighed 21 tons has been discovered in northwestern China. Several species of prehistoric giant rhino, which roamed across Central Asia, were already known to science. But this new species at para Sarah thorium links here and so they had a distinctive slender skull as well as a prehensile nose trunk similar to that of the modern taper. And that's the latest
Sprinkled with Hope
"central asia" Discussed on Sprinkled with Hope
"So it's a way that women are trying to retain their value is to shed their sexuality and so i think maybe relative to a nonreligious part. It's more distorted in the frame that men are higher desire because they have more cultural room to be masculine and sexual right. So that said. I think men in a lot of faith cultures. Still get a lotta messaging that well. Okay maybe central asia guy but you should be deeply ambivalent about this because it's something you do to a woman it potentially is destructive right especially if you think well okay. It'll be okay as long as she wants it. But if she doesn't want it because she has her own anxieties about it will. Then what do you do and so you're waiting for her to make it okay. But she's not really in a position to make it okay because she has her own about sex and so the man. It's maybe higher desire. That is i want sex. I want you to want it. I want you to want me. But it doesn't mean that they're really necessarily at peace with their sexuality. As i taught taught the men's sexuality course you know multiple times and really hearing more of men's stories you just can see how some men are pretty tortured about their sexuality and then they can't sort of get the validation at home and with the woman they love and so then it's easy to take their resentments and their and their fear and the sense of rejection and go channel that sexuality towards something like pornography and we we really really really vilify men around pornography. And i'm not trying to say you know it's a good thing but it certainly makes sense in a context of feeling rejected sexually that you're looking for some way a lot of times what some of my are looking at images of women who desire sex. It's sort of this feeling like is that even a possibility. Is there such a thing as the woman who wants this so again. It's we don't do a good job of helping men and women boys and girls and the church to see sexuality is good. Well good because it's of the body and of god but then what you do and what you create that you can create deeply meaningful connection through sexuality. It's a place to love and be loved. It's a way to ferment. Bless women's lives to offer them joy and pleasure There's so much beauty that we can have through sexuality but because we don't teach it enough most of us are just like kind of waiting for our marriage or a marriage partner to make something legit that they just can't sort of feel okay about on its own terms and that just doesn't work out. I think a lot of that goes back to us our generation. Not not wanting to talk about this stuff because it was sort of taboo. We don't talk about those things. So i appreciate your willingness to come and talk about these things and really opened my eyes to yeah ways that i can help. Well there's so many good people that really just don't know how to make it better. They they know it's not working. They're afraid to go look for resources because very quickly. You can get unhelpful stuff. And and it's it's not for a lack of it's just not knowing or having a vision of how they may be participating in the problem because they've been so steeped in that way of thinking. No that's a good point. I i think that definitely because that could be a rabbit hole. Yeah right that leads them totally in a different direction. But i could see how you know men or or and or women right are are looking for answers as to what. What do i do in this situation. Where i wanna have that into missy with my spouse but they don't want it as much as i do..
AP News Radio
COVAX vaccine arrives in Afghanistan
"Afghanistan has now got a coded nineteen vaccine ready for distribution shipped father Kovacs facility UNICEF says of the global vaccines partnership Kobach's shipped over four hundred sixty thousand doses of the Coogee shield vaccine the arrival in Kabul marks a milestone moment Afghanistan is the first country in Central Asia to receive the vaccine bother Kovacs the facility set up to deliver these two billion doses off code nineteen vaccines by the end of twenty twenty one the nation's acting minister for public health since the imminent rollout of the vaccine means that around two hundred thirty four thousand people including teachers will be better protected from the ravages of the curve it nineteen virus I'm Charles last month
BBC Newshour
Armenia's president refuses order to dismiss military chief
"In Armenia has intensified with the president refusing an order from the Prime minister, Nicole Passion yon to sack the head of the armed forces. President, a man, Sarkisyan said Carrying out the order would be unconstitutional. Our Central Asia reporter is random, a tree It appears that the reserve power struggle between the prime minister and the president are men's Turkistan. Even though the president's role is largely ceremonial. His signature is still needed on every major appointment or dismissal in the government. So this proposal to dismiss only Gasparri on the chief off the UN forces was made by Prime Minister Yu Kobayashi in on Thursday in response to a statement signed by General Gasparri on cooling for Prime Minister Nick Open Xiangyang to resign.
Italian Wine Podcast
"central asia" Discussed on Italian Wine Podcast
"Cook of a few end the equality haute cuisine restaurants in almaty. So we have everything to promote wine culture in in the future and the going back to the to the world map naso kazakhstan. Almaty is situated in the very very meet in the heart of grades. So the greats. Dave is a is a state which starts from the pacific ocean and goals to all so the boston. Logan land is there with dan. Bartlett of the great state and for the for a year for this dangerous said is now a great state was the like a boiling nap. Put where the different cultures boiled their times of their hands in their bed times but anyway it was the seal growth. It was their gross floor of cultures was a place where a western meats east the in my opinion of this region the great state of the kazakhstan there get guest found. That was biggest fan. Mongolia wisdom but china is it by john Took a maybe a the like album part of fresh. So this big says second. Blue green on the map is the most underrated wine regions because it if we speak about south america nara when coach vic north america. Of course if we speak about europe definitely will speak about africa where possible. It's developed in about western gate or moraga to or algeria. Their culture their production and there are consumption if even it's focused on the tourists only but there is end the game if we speak about the middle east about central asia. They're almost nothing yet. I'm almost ended. i'm finished so thank you in the see you in almaty a here you can see my contacts and the yom you can write me and i will try to answer you not quickly but i will try to do it and then we have some questions on the if there. I can answer it. But i can see him. Really got to one assam questions. You already answered during the presentation Talking about restrictions on alcohol certain rules or going on social relationship with with the other beverages. You gave many permission. We've got a couple of questions. One is a suggestion on how to approach kazakhstan on market from any winery with media. Bryce winds it can save you on this. He i have a question for me and the answer is very simple. We need to educate people in. This is my main proposal. So when i explain to people that you can spend twenty third forty percents more on the board of ryan. But if you understand about the region if you understand the producer understand about the thera- degrades blah blah blah blah blah et cetera. Then a lot of more pleasure from boats saw me personally. I'm trying to make people spending a little bit more every day. So let's let's amount of consumption but more quality and icy the people going from in agra to So other than to guy ven ven to vicky stability it easy and then to.
Italian Wine Podcast
"central asia" Discussed on Italian Wine Podcast
"Who trying to to do something. Very good but most of them are just Import some about client from a southern country on lackey found from stand off from eastern europe from them and try who produce the vine like it's lying but the of course it's not that there approximately four or five producers trying to do to reach high quality also wines and the best producer are buying. It's like a very good example there. Wrestling's in a northern france win numerous achievements in them in the market so a lot of gold silver and platinum medals in different competitions speaking about other beverage kazakhstan strong producer. It was historically due to the soviet union. And it's also continued now so is it is the and the market is very very Over regulated so it's very difficult to produce something for instance if you as old like a garage producer You will you will die trap. It's very very hard to do something but now things that really ought to change because you know our politicians to europe see this nation in europe and trying to demand. Something told so i think. We're like insects Production aware really the very beginning of the beautiful wrought and we will see some excellent results soon so if we speak about teradata. Kazakhstan is the stolen continental tip climate unusual done on the northeastern part of the country. No so dan. He's a second escape. Adele in the world after mongolian butler. So almost all. The territory of kazakhstan is continental gold with harsh winters with high precipitation. And the in both civil to grow something anything so only about four percent of the land of the kazakhstani suitable for guja culture. And other rolling in Everything rolling and this percent we can separate on three zones so the at caspian region. Now there are no producers. Settle then this attention on the middle. The black a black green on the middle. So it's on the border with them. Biggest bannon it's like fifty. Fifty was bic deck as after so from the both sides of the of the borders are morita culture and the best part is then shine alatau region. It's where alma is so. Almaty is the biggest seats in their best mind. Producer and also the most developed line cultural region vine city so At all old rhine culture is situated on the south border of the country. There they're thirteen fifty thousand head under the so. It's two zero two percent of the world's culture and in this fifteen thousand hectares they're also the table variety is so yeah their own only starting with road. This looks vaguely scale skeletal. So thirty forty third parallel high end tatooed almost up to one thousand one hundred four thousand two hundred about the sea level stronger continental climate with the cold breezes from the mountain at night so we can save their. Td the grapes. Yeah the you can see the soils. The rivers both from the mountains and the make alluvial stony estimate nation on the earth..
KQED Radio
"central asia" Discussed on KQED Radio
"S Senate and article of Impeachment against former President Donald Trump. KQED will have live coverage from NPR just before four o'clock this afternoon, and then we'll join all things considered early. Stay with us right here on KQED Public radio. Marco woman you're with the world. If you listen to us a lot, You know, we're fans of K pop Korean boy band BTS, with their 2020 smashed dynamite that tune and K pop generally have swept the globe. And inspired new acts. Which brings us to the emerging pop sounds of Central Asia and a K pop inspired band that has sparked some controversy. Here's the world's Bianca Hillyer with more If you are K pop fan, this song may sound familiar similar to K pop. This in neo disco track relies heavily on a synthesizer. While a chorus of high energy boy band members saying replicable notes, But these lyrics are in Korean there in the cosmic language, and this isn't K pop. It's Q pop. Kozik starts for the Q In Latin and a band named 91, who sings This song has pioneered the John Rob in the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan. Little I didn't know.
Mental Health America: Morning Addition
Female judges gunned down in Afghan capital, court official says
"To assassinations in Central Asia. Today, gunmen opened fire on a car in northern Kabul, killing two women judges who worked for Afghanistan's highest court. An Afghan court official also says the gunman wounded the driver. This marks the latest attack in the Afghan capital during peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government officials in Qatar. And Afghan Supreme Court spokesman says the women served as judges for the high court but didn't identify them by name. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Taliban maintained they were not
Monocle 24: The Briefing
Australian coal exports reportedly banned by China
"Chinese state. Media is reporting today. That china has made official severe restrictions on the import of coal leaving hundreds of millions of tons of the stuff parked haplessly off the chinese coast in ships. That won't be talking. It is a severe and clearly symbolic expression of china's accelerating annoyance with australia. The two countries had long been profitably bound by china's fullness of australia's mineral resources the current episode of monocle. Twenty fours the foreign desk takes a broader look at the china. Australia spat in it. I speak to former australian. Prime minister and former australian diplomat to china kevin rudd. I began by asking him. Just how bad things are got most of us who have been but analysts said -ticipant in its relationship of the last several decades would site that in the near fifty year period since diplomatic relations were established in nineteen seventy two. This is the worst stage that the relationship is raised beds against all measures political diplomatic economic security human rights united. It's all gone right down. The too many contributing factors to this but indirect to question. It's a fifty year low. I think the way to analyze what's unfolding in. The of china relationship is to see it in terms of the normal outworkings all a great cow on the rise in this case but abnormally in this case the rise of a pow which is a one party state with an authoritarian political system. Fewing somewhat mckendall is taken on ole sees as well as seeking to adjust boundaries with its nighters maritime and land by his boundaries that is part of the reality but it does impact not just a straight but other american allies like japan the republic of korea in south southeast asia those in central asia even the russian federation bubble miata hand. What you've had is. An australian government said somewhat incapable differentiating between what i would describe as the operational characteristics of effective china's strategy and confusing that deliberately or otherwise on a continuing basis with a declaratory strategy which ends up being driven by domestic political imperatives. So it is. In fact the call these factors. In imprecise kerr relation with each other which actually produces the net result and frankly. It's an ungodly miss. The time for circuit breaker has well and truly come to prison. The mood for such circuit breaker has not yet arrived. But if you are not just necessarily this australian government but an australian government is there no grounds at all for concern about sinister designs. China may have on australia at this point. In recent months and years we've seen detention of australian journalists in china. There's been varies. Influence peddling scandals strode in michael burgess the director general of aco claims. There's more espionage. Dwayne australia right now than there was during the cold war. The key point here is what we conclude domestically in australia as constituting real threats to try national security by giving janis actions whether it's in state basis cyber cyber-attacks influence operations against his train. Politicians will the media or other such activities in dealing effectively. With each of those challenges it is not necessarily mandated that she didn't take out a mega fan every second day and proclaimed that from the rooftops is the constant differential i seek to explain between an operational strategy as opposed to a declaratory strategy. My advice to premise morrison repeatedly has been do more. Silas do more is in fact. A series of concrete measures enhancing on national security pows enhancing now intelligence assets enhancing fundamental economic cow enhancing out calculation growth in strengthening our alliances and relationships with countries. Around the world of just the united states but in southeast asia and beyond as well and that is gonna separate matter from proclaiming. I said every second tuesday morning. The original There's about two landing bondi beach by the chinese amphibious force. It's quite a different matter. Intelligent mature national strategy. Understand the difference between the two and the owners say practical example. The difference between the two look for example japan on a daily basis weekly bi assists in the last several years handled its relationship with china relatively stable notwithstanding the fact that japan is a annella. United states. Big is a liberal. Democracy see has tonners single loudest economic D has american military bases on its soil and e as a rolling territorial dispute with china chinese china sea of caucus data yet. Despite that the japan china economic relationship prestige relatively unmolested. Why because by the albay and supersonic plaisted looney eternal shall we say eastern virtue of shutting up from time to time as opposed to simply proclaiming everything from the rooftops that's effective strategy as opposed to opening your mouth full of time which is primarily driven ministries case by range of domestic political imperatives. Which in turn complicate the foreign policy agenda is saving to prosecute.
Slate's If Then
How Hackers Hold Schools for Ransom
"To try to put the attack on jessica school context. We reached out to dave bertie. He covers cybersecurity for the wall street journal. And he's been writing about this uptick in ransomware attacks across the digital world. There's been an explosion of ransomware this year. It's an increasingly common way. for attackers. to target businesses healthcare organizations nonprofits or as the case may be schools in the reason. Why is just because. It's an effective business tactic if you encrypt in organizations data. That's basically what they need to function particularly in a digital environment. So as you've had a business or school that have moved more remote learning. That sort of expands. The opportunities to take advantage are there demonstrably more attacks on schools this year. Are we just aware of them. Will the first thing that's always important to point out here is that it's hard if not impossible to count the dogs that don't bark there have been probably about three hundred fifty or more. Cyber incidents reported across the united states this year in schools in schools and others probably a few dozen have been ransomware but that said those are only incidents that have been publicly reported so in many cases schools. They don't wanna take the pr hit an embarrassing situation. They don't want people to know. They paid off a criminal group to get their systems up and running. They might just keep that on the dl and not notify anyone. Even though schools aren't the richest targets around one of the reasons that hackers focus on them is that unlike big businesses. They often aren't equipped to defend themselves. We have seen attackers really zero win. On some of these districts may or may not have built out. It departments in many cases in addition to them being sort of under funded over the course of years their it departments. The also had these really really insane strange just put on them so the coronavirus remote learning getting kids up and running with their chromebooks. Or what have you so. There's really a lot of moving parts here. And i think criminals are smart enough to take advantage of them. So yeah is there just sort of like a handful of people who are in charge in your typical school district of distributing the chromebooks and also guarding against malware. I mean i would say the vast majority of school districts they don't have dedicated cybersecurity professionals even in most districts aside from the larger ones. You don't have that much of a built out. it staff. I talked to the chief information. Security officer of seattle public. School district is a very large school district in the grand scheme of things the only have eighteen. It people for that entire district of that team. Only two of them are dedicated on cybersecurity. So when you're in a position where you are suddenly thrust into remote learning environment and you need to get tens of thousands of devices online with seattle. I think it was fifty three thousand devices for students alone. I mean you really spread thin across a very big network of devices and potential threats. The threat of ransomware attacks has extended to fertility clinics and company providing software for one of the covid vaccine. Trials and the human consequences can be harrowing. There was an incident in germany where a hospital was targeted with ransomware. And as a result of that who is actually in an ambulance on her way to the hospital had to be diverted into another facility about thirty minutes farther away and this wounded women ended up dying. She didn't get care especially needed to get so german. Prosecutors basically tried to connect those dots they were asking the question can we show in a legal way. Causation between these attackers can we show causation. That they actually causes woman's death and ended the day they couldn't it was more of a correlation not causation situation. And i think that was the closest that we've come collectively to getting to a point where we're saying. Oh there's actually a cyber attack that has taken someone's life Let's walk through how this happens. Let's say you are a school administrator or hospital. it percent what do you notice. I will typically you know if if you really if something's wrong with your laptop and you really need to get to work you'll call the. It guy you'll always it guy and you'll say hey what's up with my laptop. I can't log into my email. Then typically they'll run through some scans and see that something's wrong with the system. They'll eventually get some sort of communication from one of these ransom. Learn groups saying. Hey we're here we've gotten into your system. We've locked up your data and we want x. Number of bitcoin in response. So that's really when it sort of gets this point where a school or business has to decide okay. Are we going to alert law enforcement. Are we going to call an outside forensics firm to try to understand what happened. Have we backed up all of our data within our system. And how quickly will be able to get that back. Do we want to pay this ransom payment. Like is the tradeoff. Good enough for us to do that. So there's a lot of moving parts that a lot of Businesses or schools or hospitals have to evaluate is all as happens the baltimore schools. Where just by works. They shut everything down. They sort of put everything on pause for a couple of days. Is that standard. Yeah i can typically standard. I talked with a school district in southern california. A administrator notices email was down the. It guys said it's ransomware for sure. So they physically went to every device in their school district. So we're talking about a school district of six thousand kids. Went every room went to all of their offices. Disabled unplugged device in that entire school district. And that's that's one way you know sort of a crude way of trying to limit the spread of of these things and then obviously on the back end when all these problems need to go through each and every one of those devices can them makes your their clean. Get them back online. What how often do victims turn to outside help whether that's law enforcement or whether that is digital forensics company to help them abc's extremely common there is entire ecosystem cybersecurity firms specialized in this sort of work. So you have a forensic firm that might come in to try to understand. Hey this is exactly how they got in to your computer system. This is exactly the type of software that they're using. This is exactly the type of data that they took from your system. In addition to that you have other groups. That are adept at negotiating. They actually talk to these groups. They have long term relationships in some cases with many of these groups and they say we can talk them down from ten bitcoin to five bitcoin. Whatever whatever the the number is the so it is sort of an emerging field just within cybersecurity as this is becoming a bigger and bigger problem. How much money are we generally talking about. Because my husband actually just how to ransomware attack on his nonprofit theater company and the attackers were asking for fifteen hundred dollars in bitcoin and eventually they said you know what we're not gonna pay them. We have the backed up data but they did have this moment of thinking in the scheme of our business. It's not that much money like. Are we talking about people who are shooting for big amounts or you know are they targeting twenty five different places for relatively gettable sums across the security community. It's broadly understood that ransom demands are basically going up. The trend line is pointing upward. But it can vary between in the thousands of dollars like as as a case with with your husband. But if you're getting to a larger corporation you have some people who specialized in this area saying that ransom demands could be ten million twenty million dollars. Well so i mean. Obviously attackers are smart enough to know they're not going to go with to attend with a ten million dollar demand to a school district. That certainly can't pay that in. That would make it an easy decision for them. They're they're trying to find like the right price point as well where they can have some sort of a six rate. Do school districts do hospitals. Do these places tend to pay. It really varies. It depends on what type of data has been encrypted. It depends whether those school districts have backed up their data beforehand which would make sort of rebooting the system much easier but what is almost always true. Is that school very cagey about saying whether they paid. No one wants to say that. They paid off a hacker that they gave someone from a country in the side of the other side of the world. A million bucks get their systems online. It's a very difficult. Pr situation for any organization or school to tiptoe around because it says what your system is rable and that you're willing to pay or that you just were bad cybersecurity. I mean all of the above. And i think one of the sort of broader questions that the entire cyber community is really wrestling with is. Should you pay broadly speaking. Are we incentivizing hackers to keep taking advantage of schools or keep taking advantage of businesses if they keep on paying and i understand that argument completely. It's it's very straightforward point of view on the other hand. If your business is offline for two weeks or a month or if your schools taken off line paying off might be the better option to you if it means basically losing all of your customers or you know having kids go out of school for a month or so. Dave says it's a bit of a vicious cycle vulnerable systems plus a willingness to pay tends to lead to more attacks but the victims are only half of the equation. The other half the perpetrators behind that screen demanding. Bitcoin are part of a criminal industry. That is surprisingly organized. One of the interesting things that cyber security researchers really say is these groups oftentimes act almost as corporate entities. They're very professional. They have partnerships between groups at times they subcontract to specialists within the hacking profession. If they have you know someone who's particularly adept at getting into a system. They'll go to that person to try to launch their attack. So you'd really do have this sort of our in de element almost a within the hacking community when it when it comes to them trying to hone their craft and zero win an exactly the right targets when people are negotiating or even having a conversation with. The attackers are to be trusted. Like you know are. Are you gonna trustees folks if they say like okay. Pay us are fifteen hundred bucks in bitcoin. And actually you're going to get your data back or is that a terrible idea. You would think that criminals are not to be trusted in. Obviously they're they're not But at the end of the day these groups are also playing a long game when it comes to their business and they have as i said a reporter with some of these negotiators that work with businesses and schools. If they don't pay if they don't decryption data after you pay them money. Those negotiators will know for their subsequent clients and they will know to not advise clients in the future to pay. So you had this weird dynamic that develops were. The groups are actually like worried about their sort of like brand in some respects. That's completely fascinating. Yeah it's totally wild thing and one lawyer who works in a lot of these investigations like re recently told me we don't wanna get to the level buber comparing it to customer service. But they're like definitely getting to a point where once you pay up in some cases they're trying to be helpful so that in the future they're known as sort of an honest broker while attacks may be more. Frequent ransomware isn't new like with so many other things cove it just accelerated existing trent so we have just seen a growth in the amount of ransomware with some of these criminal groups that have been long established in countries around the world just gravitating toward an effective tool that they're using so when you talk to cybersecurity researchers who follow this closely attribution is very difficult but they tend to say that the countries in which these types of groups operate our might might be the ones that you tend to think of korea iran china countries in the soviet bloc or central asia countries that may tend to look away when cyber criminal groups within their own borders launch an attack on a us business and do foreign governments step in or they unhelpful. I think it's safe to say that the the reason why a lot of this activity oftentimes stems from those countries is because the government's take a more lax approach some of this hacking particularly if it's sort of geared at the united states the. Us government recently has tried to warn businesses against paying somewhere demands. They basically have looked at those states. In particular places like north korea and iran and they've issued warnings to companies saying. Hey if you're targeted by ransomware think twice about paying anyone who is affiliated with someone who sanctioned from those countries. You could violate sanction rules by actually paying up this ransomware. I was really struck by that. Yeah the treasury department was basically sort of saying. Gee even if you're a victim you might be maybe committing a crime here if you pay up. What was their reasoning. Their i mean. I think goes to that discussion that i was mentioning earlier about how we're creating a market for ransomware essentially and i think it's it makes sense to the. Us government's official policy as we shouldn't pay people on our sanction lists and create this market. That said if a company that employs ten thousand or twenty thousand americans has to choose between paying one of these things or laying people off. I mean that's a much different conversation. Be curious to see whether people in law enforcement federal regulators etcetera might take sort of a case by case approach to actually enforcing that sort of thing. I'm trying to figure out where all of this goes. As we maybe move to a post pandemic world Obviously people are gonna still do lots of stuff online. And that's not something. That's going away. But i wonder if you think we are going to keep seeing this increase in ransomware attacks or if this is maybe a bit of a bubble wrought by the pandemic. I think it's probably safe to assume that it will continue increasing. You will still have these criminal groups that make tens of millions of dollars per year doing this stuff who will continue to innovate continue to look for new ways to go after businesses. Continue to do that. Research and development that we mentioned earlier so. I think it's safe to say that. None of that's going to stop
Talking Biotech Podcast
Onion Domestication and Improvement
"We're going to talk about domestication again of a unique vegetable and when you ask people what their favorite vegetable is very few people say the onion however it's hard to think of vegetable or plant item for that matter. That has a more ubiquitous place in our culinary universe. It's you know the powders. The the the the basic parts of onion are important flavor in many different things that we consume and i think about just about everything i cook starts chopping up and onion so i wanted to pursue. Where did it come from. How did we get it. Where is it going. And so we're speaking with dr mike heavy. He's a he works with the. Usda agricultural research service in madison wisconsin and also as a faculty member in a department of horticulture. So welcome to the podcast. dr heavy. thank you so much. This is really cool. I think i actually got to see you. Give a talk once. And i can't remember where it where it was but i think what did you ever give talk in savannah georgia at the national onion association meeting. Yes i did about four five years ago. We had a joint meeting between the national onion association and then all the research community. I think we met there. Yeah that's i seem to remember that. Yeah i think. I may have asked you at the time too. If you'd be a guest on the podcast and just takes time so. Let's talk about onions. Like i mentioned before it has such an important culinary value. Where did it come from end. Do natural populations still exist. So the onion like many of our grain and vegetable and fruit crops was domesticated in central asia specifically iran. Turkmenistan afghanistan that area and it spread from there around the world and is now consumed in produced on every continent except in artika. There are still the most closely related. Wild specie is called alien babalola by and that grows naturally still in the kopech. Dr region which forms the border between northern iran and southern turkmenistan. And so the wild relatives still exists. There probably was in prehistory was more widely distributed but We can still find alien. Below by inet area oval ovalles. That was a discovery or at least a characterization by vavilov the species is named after him. Allie taxonomy in the former soviet union named this wild species after nikolai. About by batalov. Okay i never remember seeing so much about his his expeditions into places like iran. Turkmenistan you that he was Know prolific in that area. So but that makes sense to when you talk about the species of wild onion. I know that even here in florida there are things that they haul a florida. Wild onion and in chicago is named by from indigenous peoples term for stinky onion. So are these related to the major culinary onions or are these some kind of distant relative first of all the alliens. The genus of onion is distributed around the northern hemisphere and here in north america. Most albums have a seven chromosomes whereas onion and garlic chai have a basic chromosome number of eight. So they're distant relatives and we can't cross them with onion but they do have unique flavors in many places there still collected in consumed but really are very distantly related to the onion that we know. Have there been any efforts that you're aware of to domesticate those regional varieties that are grown with the seven chromosome ones that are growing around. Say the native united states. Yes you do find him showing up. Sometimes farmers markets different species out west in the california in the rockies. There are numerous albums that can be collected in consumed but to my knowledge. There's no effort to really Breed them in and develop some unique flavors or production characteristics from them so the primarily just collected so when you talk about the actual album that was used that is the forefather of the modern onion. Who was really the first to domesticate that they would have been probably nomadic tribes in central asia most of the central asian republics of the former soviet union onion and many of its wild relatives naturally exist and probably these people's started collecting him in eating them initially and ultimately i feel Asexually propagated them. Much like you would. Shall it today break apart. The basal plate planet and then i think probably seed production at conscious breeding occurred later but it would have been nomadic tribes in central asia tens of thousands of years ago they mostly use it for food flavoring or were there other potential uses of onion now. That's an interesting question that has been quite a topic of debate. A couple of things may have played an important role in the domestication of onion. One of them is that Because it was an editorial form is a perennial grows every year. It sprouts very early in the spring and many of your listeners may grow chives and the green leaves of tribes. Come out very early in while alley. That's true as well. It's not a good source of vitamin c. But it does have vitamin cs. I think you could think about a nomadic tribes taking advantage of that early green growth of the leaves in the spring as a source of vitamin c and potentially other vitamins and flavorings but the taste is also has to have an effect. I think and. I wonder if maybe wasn't important to mask off. Flavors maybe for some ranson meets or different foods that may not have it have an off taste and that maybe the early domesticated is used that straw salt pungency flavor compounds in the album's to their benefit.
AP News Radio
Vaccine storage issues could leave 3B people without access
"Coronavirus vaccines storage issues could leave around three billion people without access with the pandemic now in its eighth month logistics experts warn many parts of the world lack of the conditions to administer an effective vaccination program this includes most of Central Asia much of India and Southeast Asia much of Latin America all but a tiny corner of Africa from factory to syringe the world's most promising coronavirus vaccine candidates need nonstop sterile refrigeration display potent and safe but despite enormous strides in equipping countries to maintain the essential cold chain nearly three billion people of the world seven point eight billion live west such storage is insufficient I'm Charles that's my
AP 24 Hour News
Vaccine storage issues could leave 3B people without access
"Corona virus faxing storage issues could leave around three billion people without access. With the pandemic. Now in its eighth month, logistics experts warn many parts of the world lack of the conditions to administer an effective vaccination programme. This includes most of Central Asia, much of India and Southeast Asia. Much of that in America on all but a tiny corner ofthe Africa from factory to syringe. The world's most promising Corona virus. Vaccine candidates need nonstop, sterile refrigeration to stay potent and safe. But despite enormous strides in equipping countries to maintain the essential cold chain, nearly three billion people of the world's 7.8 billion live where such storage is insufficient.
The World
Kyrgyzstan's prime minister becomes acting president
"Cycle here in the U. S. Is moving at a breathtaking pace but consider the pace of things in the former Soviet state of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. 10 days ago, just after the country held parliamentary elections, protesters took took to to the the streets, streets, accusing accusing officials officials of of corruption corruption and and rigging rigging the the vote. vote. A day later, protestors stormed the parliament building. And then Ferguson Central Election Commission and know the results of the vote and scores of officials stepped down, including the prime minister. Then this happened. What about the I didn't say it was impossible Long. Ferguson's president declared a state of emergency in the capital. That'll brings us to today when. In a written statement, Kurdistan's presidents turned by Jean Bekoff said he is also resigning from office, apparently after feeling some serious pressure from the newly appointed prime minister. Protesters threatened to storm the presidential compound of Jean Bekoff did not step down. Once news spread today of the president's resignation. Activist in Bishkek celebrated in in a a statement, statement, Jeanne Jeanne Bec Bec Oh, Oh, said said he he feared feared violence violence might might break break out out if if protesters protesters actually actually follow follow through through on on their their threat threat to to march march into into his his compound. compound. He He said. said. I I do do not not want want to to go go down down in in Cuba Cuba since history as the president who shed blood and shot at his own citizens. So after all this what's the situation in Kyrgyzstan nation grasping for some stability and wondering who is officially in charge? In his statement, the outgoing president called on the new prime minister and other politicians to get their supporters off the streets and bring peaceful life back to the people of dish back.
The Economist: The Intelligence
Buy the way? Kyrgyzstans post-election chaos
"President whose whereabouts are unknown parliamentary offices overrun by protesters. Multiple opposition candidates vying to take the title of Prime Minister. After a national election confusion and chaos have. The former Soviet state of Kirghistan talked between Kazakhstan and China. Central Asia is a region ruled by strong men who typically get close to one hundred percent of the vote. So three years ago when in by Jane Bekov was elected Kurdistan's president uneventfully with fifty five percent was hailed as the region's first peaceful and democratic transfer of power look. Zone the but even then there were murmurs of electoral misconduct. This time the murmurs or a roar. Absence uncontested leadership has turned a country where both China and Russia have interests into a tinderbox. On Sunday K. Gestalt went to the polls to elect a new parliament and it was this event that ended up propelling, Stan about of political chaos because all of the opposition parties and also many of the people of kick stance they didn't accept the result join a Lewis Right about Central Asia for the economist and is based in Kazakhstan they started to come. In on Monday when a preliminary count showed that pro-presidential parties would be dominating parliamment and the opposition would have few seats. Book would be almost entirely shutout people took to the streets. Immediately thousands of people went to the main square in the capital Bishkek Sasi demonstrating against those results and when the police found to disperse, them will pitched battles between riot, police and protest. Of them, the protesters stormed the building housing, the president's office and Parliament and they were shouting that he should go and what is it that happened in the election that lead to such a reaction Without, that what? Protesters were absolutely furious about the I was that they believed that the results were skewed in favor of parties broadly loyal to the president. The second question that was really exercising these enraged protesters was how that was achieved and the allegation is that there was absolutely rampant vote buying I really have to say it was an open secret. In fact, it wasn't a secret that parties were going around paying people money to vote in their favour. We even know the going rate it was two thousand. Psalm, which is about twenty five dollars. Now, this is all alleged central investigation, but the evidence was was fairly credible that was circulating on social media. So when the results came in, that's why they took to the streets. What's the situation on the ground now who control? Well, events have moved in a very fluid manner fast moving because cake is Stan remains very much embroiled in this political turmoil, and really what we've seen forming is a power vacuum. The whereabouts of the president are actually unknown. By bekov says he's in control of the situation through spokespeople, but meanwhile, some political factions are at odds with other political factions. So all of those opposition forces and they're very disparate include nationalist liberal form as all kinds of different forces they are failing to find common cause. I mean we've seen mops from some actions basically aging in fisticuffs with other factions. The threat of violence has been hanging in the air in Kansas Stan and so what next how? How to unravel this? If protests have succeeded in having one of the main demands met the day after they stormed the presidential offices in parliament, the electoral commission announced that it would annul the results of those elections and they promised that there would be a rerun of the election. But of course, what's not clear with how can an election be now held in the current circumstances are power vacuum sporadic violence people out on the street so it's really unclear. If that's enough to satisfy the protesters and it's not only about the protesters. At this point, it's very much about the political factions, the clans, the people who are now jostling for power the prime minister who but bag Baranov resigned, and we have two rivals already claiming to be the prime minister. One of them is a rabble rousing nationalist former MP called Saudi Jackpot of who was actually sprung from jail during the unrest by his supporters and he had. Been in jail for kidnapping a local official during a previous bout of political unrest Mr Japan supporters have been aggressively sometimes violently trying to prevent rival factions from meeting besieging buildings in which they're meeting, throwing stones and scuffling with rivals. Basically, what happens next is a big question. It's a very unpredictable, very chaotic and potentially dangerous situation and given all that chaos and the potential for danger here. Do you do you think this has an international dimension to it? Outside powers are expressing deep concern over the situation in Kingston. On the one hand, we have China with which is Stan shares border and China has expressed concern and is clearly alarmed at reports that protesters are targeting Chinese own business interests in the country. Specifically, all my said operated by Chinese companies, and then on the other side, we have Russia, which is obviously stands former colonial power. Russia has a military base in Stan and it really doesn't like to see popular uprisings in what it considers to be its own. Geopolitical backyard, and this is of particular concern at this point in time because Russia has been looking on with great alarm at protests in Belarus on the other side of the former Soviet Union where protesters have a weeks now been coming out against the results of presidential elections indeed this week the Kremlin has started to make no secret of is concerned about events in is Stan and as basically saying that it's descending into chaos and that Moscow has obligations under a security treaty to prevent the situation from breaking down. From breaking down further I mean how how bad could this if this carries on? The confusion that Stan covertly faces may in the end how President Jiang Becker to hang onto power although it's very, very clear that at this point, he is not going to get the pliant parliament that he was hoping to get out of this election. He has three years left in office. Presidents can only serve a single term that's under a system introduced to prevent power grabs books. It's important to remember that is people have thrown two presidents in the past. So a suggestion Bekker's position is very shaky and what is really clear is the longer the power vacuum that we're currently seeing a stand remains unresolved the more likely it becomes that violence will be used to resolve it. Thanks very much for joining US join us. Thank you very much.