Corresponding Course
“At least 26 people, including several children, have been killed and 46 injured after India launched attacks on what it claimed were nine sites of ‘terrorist infrastructure’ inside Pakistan, in a sharp escalation of hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Pakistan called the strikes an ‘act of war’ and claimed it had shot down several Indian air force jets. The office of the prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, said the country’s armed forces had been authorised to undertake ‘corresponding actions.'” Obviously, this exchange between two nuclear powers has the world in edge. What we know about India’s strike on Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. And the latest from CNN.
+ Domestically, the question is: Can Trump Handle the India-Pakistan Crisis? “A clearly preoccupied President Trump seems to believe he can somehow remove himself from this crisis, stating that ‘they’ll get it figured out one way or the other,’ and repeating a deeply misinformed quip that ‘there have been tensions on that border for 1500 years.'”
+ And unlike when there were tensions in the region during his first term, Trump has assembled a wildly inexperienced team. George Will in WaPo (Gift Article): Behold, the artful dealmaker Trump working his magic on Putin. “Appoint as your chief peace negotiator Stephen Witkoff. He has a mind so open that amazing thoughts stride in: “I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy” and “It was gracious of him to accept me, to see me.” Having never spent a day in diplomacy, Witkoff can amiably negotiate with that gracious scamp Putin, forgiving his fibs about pausing attacks during Easter, and against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Witkoff’s other credential is praise from one of the president’s children.”
+ Meanwhile, Biden gave his first major post presidency interview. “And the way we talk about now that, ‘it’s the Gulf of America’, ‘maybe we’re going to have to take back Panama’, ‘maybe we need to acquire Greenland, ‘maybe Canada should be a [51st state].’ What the hell’s going on here? What President ever talks like that? That’s not who we are. We’re about freedom, democracy, opportunity – not about confiscation.” (That’s what you think. That’s what I think. But as I explained yesterday, it’s less and less the way the rest of the world thinks: Bye American.
+ And finally, Another Navy jet falls into sea, marking fourth major mishap in months. (This is becoming the most expensive metaphor of all time.)
