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Welcome to the Deep State Daily. Our intention with this newsletter is to highlight the top news stories that you need to be paying attention to. We pull stories from major news outlets, but we also try to call attention to niche websites, think-tanks and media outlets that we think you’ll enjoy whenever possible. If you enjoy our newsletter, please forward to a friend by clicking the forward link above. If you’re not already a member please consider supporting us by becoming a member.
From Deep State Radio
A LICENSE TO KILL: THE KHASHOGGI CASE AND THE COMING CRISIS IT WILL TRIGGER
It is easy to dehumanize what happens in the news. Events that are reported quickly trigger subsequent reactions and are subsumed into broader discussions about politics or the foreign affairs or economics and the underlying stories are lost. The case of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post reporter who was, it appears, brutally murdered at the hands of the government of Saudi Arabia, is one such story. But we should not lose sight of the suffering involved for Khashoggi, for his fiancé, for his friends and colleagues, and for all others who have met similar fates thanks to the desire of a few men to cling to their offices and the riches and prerogatives they offer.
Few single incidents in recent memory so horrifically capture the sheer evil associated with this kind of abuse of power. But daily countless others take place worldwide. Read More
1-ON-1 WITH PETER W. SINGER: LIKEWAR THE WEAPONIZATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Peter Singer, one of the most creative thinkers considering how technology is transforming the national security realm has a new book out written with Emerson Brooking. It explores how social media was transformed into an important battlefield before our very eyes and it is essential reading. But don’t take our word for it. Listen to Peter discuss it on this Deep State Radio 1-on-1. From his description of how General Mike Flynn went from visionary to lunatic conspiracy theorist to his discussion of the gaps among our own leaders in dealing with this problem, you won’t want to miss it. Listen
Letter to the Editor: Who is Going to Listen?
My introduction to foreign policy was the fortunate coincidence that one of my best friends is the son of immigrants. He was born in Oklahoma, but his father was born in Afghanistan and his mother in Pakistan. I learned about the Arab-Israeli conflict through the gallows humor he shared with me about the intifadas. His mother explained her life in Pakistan to me before she came to the United States. His father spoke bitterly about how the Taliban was destroying his home. Read More
Jamal Khashoggi: Maybe the only Time Turkey isn’t Responsible for the Disappearance of a Journalist
Turkish police have released recordings, which they claim prove the murder of Khashoggi, who is still missing. This incident is likely to have broader implications. The Erdogan administration was once heralded as a model of good governance and enjoyed close ties with Saudi Arabia, given their mutual disdain for Syria’s Assad regime. It now seems that Turkey has joined the ranks of Qatar, Iran, and Yemen on Saudi’s shit list.
- Guardian: Recordings prove Jamal Khashoggi was killed, Turkish investigators claim
- Lawfare: After Khashoggi, U.S. Arms Sales to the Saudis Are Essential Leverage
- Economist: What it means if Saudi Arabia murdered a journalist in Turkey
- Just Security: An Explainer: Senate’s Letter on Khashoggi and the Global Magnitsky
- Order from Chaos: Saudi Arabia is taunting Trump
- Deutsche Welle: Saudi’s ‘Davos in the Desert’ hit by cancellations over Khashoggi case
Andrew Brunson Release
Andrew Brunson was transferred to court today, stoking rumors that his release is imminent. Brunson was detained and arrested in the wake of the 2016 attempted coup. Since then Vice President Pence and several evangelical groups have pressed for his release. Many suspect the Erdogan administration is using Brunson’s court appearance as a way to signal their good faith to Washington, with regards to the Khashoggi disappearance.
- Al jazeera: Trial of detained US pastor Brunson resumes in Turkey
- BBC: Andrew Brunson: Hopes rise as US pastor returns to court
- Defense News: Pastor freed in US-Turkey row that snared F-35 program
- GZERO: Brunson Coming Home?
U.S. Treasury Concludes China not Manipulating Yuan
In a report to be released next week, US Treasury staff have concluded that China is not guilty of currency manipulation. Some media outlets are speculating that this report is politically motivated given Mnuchin’s close ties to the Trump administration.
- South China Morning Post: US Treasury staff finds ‘China is not manipulating yuan’
- Nikkei Asian Review: China not a currency manipulator, US Treasury staff reportedly find
- Inside Trade: Sen. Baldwin calls on Trump to name China a currency manipulator
- Financial Times: If the Treasury names China a currency manipulator, it’s purely political
Rise of the Right in Germany
The far-right Bavarian Green Alternative Party could capture several seats in upcoming German elections. Polls indicate the Alternative Party will win seats in Bavaria’s parliament for the first time. Last year the right-wing Alternative for Germany party won 94 seats in National Parliament. This could complicate the looming brexit negotiations as Germany remains the EU’s dominant economic power.
- The Atlantic: The Dangers of a Neo-Nazi Woodstock
- Independent: The real reason the German far right could triumph at this weekend’s elections
- Politico EU: The man who lost the EU
Lysistrata now? Genetic editing creates mice with biological same-sex parents
Researchers have used genetic editing to produce mice with same-sex parents. If proven viable, this is likely to create policy tension between China (which heavily subsidizes genetic research) and the US (which is considering genetic research bans). One of the major hurdles in the brexit negotiations concerns funding and visa issuance to foreign national researchers.
