Michael Morgan

A snippet from our conversation with Sam Patten, author of “Dangerous Company: The Misadventures of a ’Foreign Agent,’” on the #ThreatStatus podcast from The Washington Times. Sam, Benjamin Wolfgang, and I discuss waning American influence abroad and the adversarial powers vying to fill the void. Be sure to check out the full episode: https://lnkd.in/ep6rJrwE

8

1 Comment

ISRAEL BASHING NOW STANDARD FARE FOR THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH TEC accuses Democratic State of Apartheid COMMENTARY The 81st General Convention is poised to consider 12 resolutions related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, starting with four separate resolutions that would label Israel's disparate treatment of Jewish and Arab citizens a kind of apartheid, according to the Episcopal News Service. A first hearing on those four resolutions is scheduled with the bishops' and deputies' committees on Social Justice & International Policy. Additional hearings are likely in the coming weeks as the parallel committees deliberate on whether to recommend the resolutions for approval by the House of Bishops and House of Deputies when they meet June 23-28 in Louisville, Kentucky. Three of the apartheid resolutions were proposed originally for consideration by the 80th General Convention in 2022 but were deferred until this year's meeting. A010, for example, would acknowledge that Israel "has passed laws that discriminate against its non-Jewish citizens, particularly Palestinians." That resolution, along with A011 and A012, would put the church on record for the first time in labeling such a system as "apartheid." This is not the first time Israel has been accused of apartheid. Amnesty International in 2022 accused the state of Israel's treatment of Palestinians a crime against humanity and said it was illegal under international law. The rights group says Israel's "oppression and domination" of Palestinians amounted to apartheid. More recently South Africa made the same charge. South Africa argued at the United Nations' top court that Israel is responsible for apartheid against the Palestinians and that Israel's occupation of land sought for a Palestinian state is "inherently and fundamentally illegal." Israel rejected such claims. TO READ MORE CLICK HERE: https://lnkd.in/ezXgBR67

3

1 Comment

My latest column for Real Clear Politics asks how the dominant media can betray most every principle of journalism and still believe their doing their job: "To figure out why they persist in this untoward conduct, daily compromising the values of skepticism, fairness, and bringing truth to power that they say they hold dear, we need to ask: What higher value do they believe they are serving? What do they tell themselves so they can see their corruption as heroic?" https://lnkd.in/eZpUXRgZ

4

6 Comments

War and The Fragility of Civilization - As global instability increases and threats to our national security grow, what can we learn from the history of warfare? In a new book, noted military historian Victor Davis Hanson examines how some wars have resulted not just in defeat for the vanquished but in the annihilation of their civilization and people. On this episode of the #FreeExpressionPodcast, Prof. Hanson talks to me about the parallels between these wars and the threats we now face from our increasingly bold adversaries. How can we avoid the mistakes of those previous civilizations and ensure our survival? He also talks about America’s internal fractures and how they are weakening our national security and what our political leaders can do to reverse the damage in a pivotal election https://lnkd.in/eBa4r6-a

3

1 Comment

U.S. Government Cracks Down on Russian Influence Operations! Join us for a deep dive into breaking news as the U.S. government launches a significant operation against Russian influence in elections. Explore the intricacies of indictments, doppelganger campaigns, and implications involving prominent figures like Tim Pool and Elon Musk - all in one riveting segment! #BreakingNews #RussianInfluence #USPolitics #TimPool #DoppelgangerCampaign #ElonMusk #ElectionIntegrity #SocialMedia #PoliticalAnalysis #NewsBroadcast

2

Recent testimonial and praise for Dr. Russ Glenn's book, "Brutal Catalyst: What Ukraine's Cities Tell Us About Recovery from War" (Boulder, CO: KeyPoint Press, 2024). Discover more at: www.ukrainecities.com www.keypointpress.com “Dr. Russ Glenn adroitly captures all the issues and ramifications facing a nation-state and its military dealing with the hard, harsh realities of urban warfare within its borders. I know Dr. Glenn as one of the foremost authorities on urban warfare. He has studied and researched this topic going back to the ’90s and looked at urban warfare and urban disasters from a global perspective from small, limited interventions such as the city of Mogadishu, Somalia, during Operation Restore Hope (1992) to major combat operations like the one in cities such as Kharkiv in Ukraine. The urban warfare in Ukraine is the subject of his newest book, Brutal Catalyst. This seminal book covers all aspects and complexities of urban warfare and its long- and short-term impacts. He takes the reader through all of these consequences, from the destruction of a city’s infrastructure, housing, power, water, food, and medical to the impacts on law enforcement, looting, and black markets. He even discusses the psychological impacts on civilians, including children and those displaced by the ravages of urban conflict, and how these refugees must be planned for and appropriately taken care of. He not only identifies what has happened in Ukraine from the beginning of the war with Russia but goes even deeper with an analysis of what could still happen with the introduction of a tactical nuclear weapon used by the Russians. This is a book that is rich with data and historical examples of what other cities, such as Manila, Tokyo, and Berlin, had to deal with in the aftermath of WWII. In this vein, he writes about a collaborative planning initiative between a collective of Ukrainian organizations and leaders and international partners called ReStart Ukraine. He makes the point that this kind of collaboration and planning must be done to start rebuilding Ukraine’s cities and population. The bottom line is that this well-written and researched book tells it like it is. There are no easy answers or solutions to all the issues and problems of urban conflicts and warfare. It will take dedicated, collaborative planning along with an incredible amount of resources, both financial and human, to fix all the various problems created by the aftermath of bombing and combat in the cities of Ukraine. Dr. Glenn argues that it will take an international effort to reconstruct Ukraine and get it back on its feet after the war is over. I recommend that this book be read by military leaders and planners, government leaders, city officials, US Department of State leaders, and international aid organizations such as PVOs and NGOs. —    Lt Colonel John M. Allison (USMC, retired)

2

What is MAGA Republicanism & why do Trump's outlandish views barely make a dent in his polling numbers? When Francis Fukuyama predicted the final and complete ascendance of liberal-democracy, and centuries of boredom, as the Eastern Bloc and Communism collapsed in 1989, he failed to take account of the fact unalloyed economic liberalism and aggressive US and NATO expansion might tear a Trump sized hole in American liberal-democracy and place it - and other liberal democracies - in mortal danger. The post-Soviet era of American politics has seen deep conservatism crowd out liberalism inside right wing parties like the Republicans. The dry free-market dictates that tore down all Chinese walls - floating dollars, interest rates, dismantled tariffs, the destruction of social safety nets, and living wages - not only left in its wake uncertainty for millions of people living on the edge, and wealth accumulation for a narrow cohort, it has seen the rise of MAGA Republicanism. MAGA Republicanism is premised on nostalgia, nativism, protectionism, and ramped up and violent culture wars. In America - where voting is not compulsory, voting cohorts are actively excluded, and the brutal reality of rusted out steel towns, hollowed out cities, and extreme economic precariousness hangs like a spectre over people's lives - politics has gone beyond the sphere of boredom and into the realm of deep dissatisfaction, hate, and grotesque theatre. Part of the success of Donald Trump is theatre. If the whole system and idea of getting a share is a put-on, for millions, Trump epitomises and verbalises resentments and harks back to a post 1945 golden era where America produced half of world manufacturing output, where people could survive on their wages, and where the whole infrastructure wasn't rusted out. Trump's ability to resolve such issues is a con-job. As Harris described Trump, he is a deeply unserious man, but the consequences of his rhetoric and behaviour are extremely serious. But this combination of cynically exploiting nostalgia and protectionism helps explain his appeal to millions of voters. The types of policies he has in store through Project 2025 are deeply disturbing and have been covered well elsewhere. The key to victory for the Democrats in the short-term is mobilising Democrat and Independent voters, young people in particular. In 2016 a million Democrat registered voters failed to cast a ballot in Florida. In 2020, Stacey Abrams efforts to mobilise black voters got them over the line in Georgia. But in the longer term, liberal-democracies are imperiled if greater economic security, health provision, and hope are restored through serious policy reform, not the slow decay of living standards. On top of that western leaders need to hold social media barons feet to the fire for their reckless conduct and role in undermining liberal-democracies with bad actors and states. https://lnkd.in/gN_sPtF4 #uselection2024 #auspol

4

The U.S. Congress recently passed a bill to ban imports of Russian #uranium. Companies can request temporary waivers, but those will expire by January 2028. What risks will this create for a U.S. #nuclearenergy sector that is experiencing unprecedented momentum? Earlier this year, my colleagues and I at FTI Consulting assessed the landscape as a Russian uranium ban was moving through Congress, including what companies in the #nuclear sector need to be considering in de-risking their supply chains from sanctioned or restricted entities. This is also a rapidly changing policy environment that will impact where companies can source their uranium. For example, China is ramping up investment in uranium mining around the world, and a broader nuclear package introduced in Congress this month would add China and China-controlled firms to the blacklist. Prior controversies over issues like the alleged evasion of solar tariffs could be a prologue. Recent U.S. policy support is attempting to jumpstart a domestic uranium market. Uranium mines are opening, and a facility in Ohio recently produced the first volumes of HALEU in the United States in more than 70 years. But it will take years to reach major, commercial-scale production. Our extensive experience working in the nuclear energy sector means we are able to deploy a holistic, integrated approach that recognizes potential issues throughout the entire uranium supply chain. We can trace the origin of imported products, evaluate opportunities to mitigate tariff impacts, and quantify the risks and opportunities of alternative sourcing plans. Our public affairs team in D.C. understands the changing issue landscape and can help companies identify and navigate political risk. If you'd like to learn more, please feel free to send me a message.

9

2 Comments

Read my analysis and outlook for #DonaldTrump’s second term, which threatens to reshape global governance. How will the UN and multilateral institutions adapt to rising polarization and disengagement? #Trump2.0 #UN #Multilateralism #GlobalGovernance #DiplomacyMatters 

8

1 Comment

My latest Substack is about secret mathematical links with Russia, wherein the name of my book "Pythagoras Trousers" turns out to have surreal resonances in Russian math education and Russian sci-fi. As Athanasius Kircher tells us: "The world is bound by secret knots." https://lnkd.in/gkgAhza5

11

2 Comments

Trump’s election should prompt Europe to better protect journalists https://lnkd.in/eUgENQGi No journalist should be indifferent to the election of Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of the United States. His relationship with journalism and his approach to the exercise of power will have global consequences. More than ever before, in Europe, and everywhere else in the world, the profession must stand firmly in defense of a robust press that can report the facts freely and hold power to account safely. The EFJ and its affiliates join all those committed to defending journalism as a cornerstone of democracy. Donald J. Trump has called for journalists to be imprisoned and raped for not revealing their sources. A week ago, at one of his rallies, he fantasized about a mass shooting of journalists. And just after his election, Elon Musk, the owner of the social network X, who has been active in American politics as a vocal and financial supporter of Donal J. Trump, said that legacy media is dead claiming that “most legacy media lied relentlessly to the public”. “These outrageous accusations are just part of Mr. Trump’s beloved “alternative facts.” This is pure disinformation,” said EFJ President Maja Sever. “As a non-partisan, non-profit professional organisation, it is our duty to defend the rights of citizens to access free, independent and credible information. Donald Trump’s hostile rhetoric towards journalists and the media must not prompt European governments to abandon their obligations to ensure the safety of journalists and to create a favourable environment for the freedom of expression, including press freedom”. ... “The European Union can no longer simply ask Big Tech companies to assess the systemic risk stemming from the use of their services,” added EFJ Director Renate Schroeder. “The EU should consider Tech Giants and the developers of generative artificial intelligence as potential high risk actors against democracy, and take the necessary actions to protect the public interest. Without agreements on fair remuneration and copyright, journalists and independent media will not survive. We are very concerned that further concentration in the AI sector will have a devastating impact on journalism.”

24

In my latest article for The Unchained Web I am talking about totalitarianism. Being more specific, about Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and George Orwell's 1984 and how, step-by-step, the West seems to sleepwalk towards a totalitarianism that is not "Orwellian" per se, but something between "Orwellian" and "Huxleyan", especially when it comes to how we conduct ourselves in the digital world. If you find it interesting and would like to get more such content, consider subscribing to it. Specifically, I talk about: - What Brave New World and 1984 are - Similarities to the Stasi - User reporting on Social Media as a method of employing citizens to report on one another - Lack of philosophical depth and thought - Historical knowledge being censored or altered - Newspeak and thought crimes in the real world - Andrew Tate & Nigel Farage - Telescreens in the real world - Central Bank Digital Currencies - The Economy - The EU's Digital Services Act - Implications for the Metaverse - Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as an alternative "...If prominent people that UnHerd employs do not have a free pass to discuss ideas, expose and challenge people’s way of thinking and allow for the possibility for people to change their minds by finding a middle ground in beliefs they hold, beliefs that may be deemed offensive by some groups or individuals, what hope is there for the rest? The rest of the people may not be as sophisticated in thought as the aforementioned prominent people due to other obligations they may have in life, but they too may want to discuss similar topics - be it online or offline - with friends in an attempt to come a bit closer to the truth and find a middle ground so that our society does not drift further apart in political and other ideologies locking people in echo chambers. In a world where biotechnology is evolving with tremendous speed and may allow humanity to beat illnesses such as cancer and other illnesses, does that not echo Huxley’s technological dystopia of lack of philosophical depth and thought?" #digital #technology #socialmedia #literature #finance #cryptocurrency #bitcoin

6

#BreakingAlert President Joe Biden, under the microscope as Democrats debate his political future, tried to make the case that he is best suited to take on Donald Trump this November and finish what he's started in a second term. #breakingnews #news #international #bbn #bbnewsinternational #corp #bulletinews #dailynews #worldnews #trendingnews #newsoftheday #newsupdates #newsmedia #newsdaily #newsroom #internationaleditor www.bbnewsin.com

2