A Ukraine Miscellany (IV): GOP Traps, MiG's, and Russian Oil

Putin fell for a geopolitical trap in the invasion of Ukraine, and US president Joe Biden has fallen for a series of traps set by his domestic political opposition. 

Eco-Technology and the Resource Wars: Congo and Afghanistan

Below is a link to a brief video clip from Al Jazeera's business programme 'Counting the Cost'. There have actually been a lot of stories and reports about Cobalt, Lithium and the costs of supporting the new tech economy but I wonder how many people know or care?

I don't believe it's something that gets a lot of attention in the mainstream press.

But what to do? I don't know, but it just adds another layer to the moral component of technology... the aspects and questions of the debate that few seem to wrestle with. Not only are there ethical implications for how we use technology but we should also consider the sources and the larger question of human cost.

Proxy Sanctions: THAAD and the Republic of Korea

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2017/07/04/2017070401462.html

Beijing is angry about the US placement of the THAAD missile system in South Korea. With valid reason they view it as a threat and one pointed more at them, than the North Koreans. The rulers of China have decided to punish South Korea through business sanctions.