FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2019

Volume 6, Number 132

EIR Daily Alert Service

P.O. Box 17390, Washington, DC 20041-0390

• As Man Returns to Space, He Returns to Sanity
• Putin Points to Russia’s Role in World Land-Bridge
• President Putin on State Visit, Discusses Russia’s Relations to Italy, U.S. with Corriere della Sera
• Russia and U.S. To Hold Full-Format Strategic Consultations in Geneva
• Italy Undergoing Non-Linear Demographic Collapse
• Republican Chairwoman McDaniel Mobilizes Support for Trump-Kim Korea Policy
• Trump’s ‘Walk’ Across the DMZ Made War Less Likely, Write National Interest Editors
• NASA Successfully Tests Launch Abort System for Orion Spacecraft
• Britain’s Hunt Warns China of ‘Consequences’ over Former Crown Colony Hong Kong
• EU Commission Drops Disciplinary Proceeding Against Italy

EDITORIAL

As Man Returns to Space, He Returns to Sanity

July 4 (EIRNS)—The recent spectacular developments in Korea result from the publicized and unpublicized meetings among Presidents Donald Trump, Xi Jinping of China, and Vladimir Putin of Russia, along with other world leaders in Japan last week. Their collaboration on this and other burning questions should constitute a decisive turning-point away from the prospect of war, and instead towards joint, high-technology economic development of a world still, even today, rife with poverty and hunger.

But how can that outcome be ensured?  For one thing, we need good leaders—and Presidents Trump, Xi and Putin are the indeed best leaders we have seen at the head of those nations for many years. But something else is even more important.  It was recognized by the brilliant intellects who founded the American republic on this day in 1776, and by their contemporary, the German “Poet of Freedom” Friedrich Schiller.  It is the moral-intellectual character of the citizen. This is the dilemma with which Shakespeare opened his Julius Caesar. Deep corruption, ignorance and superstition among the population will cause any leadership, even the best, to stumble.

Now it is time to face the hard fact that Western Europe and the United States, the trans-Atlantic sector, has been living in a true dark age since the last decades of the 20th century (and actually longer).  The great, just-departed American scientist and statesman Lyndon LaRouche, detailed the deeper philosophical reasons for this, and its seesaw motions, as the outlook of Americans was inspired by the recovery programs of Franklin Roosevelt and by his aspirations for the postwar world, and then debased under Truman. The moral ebbs and flows partly mirrored the periods of decay and those of leaps forward in science and physical economy (rather than the stock market). Kennedy sought to revive the Franklin Roosevelt direction and impulse.  But after Jack Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Bobby Kennedy were killed, no recognized national leader picked up the torch.  Richard Nixon’s folly in destroying the Bretton Woods system in August 1971, marked a decisive turn from an economy of real physical production to the “post-industrial” junkheap we have become since.

All this can be encapsulated as follows.  Mankind sent the first humans to another heavenly body on July 20, 1969, and the last in 1972.  From 1972 until today, we have lacked the capacity as a species to even repeat what we did under Kennedy’s Apollo program.  The industries have been shuttered.  The labs and the university departments have been closed.  Indeed, the dies used to manufacture the Saturn V booster rocket, still today the most powerful ever made, were broken.  The leader of the team which made that rocket, Wernher von Braun, was removed from his Huntsville, Alabama facility, to languish uselessly in an office in Washington.

Now we intend to go, not back, but forward to the Moon again. As NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has said, the Artemis program now under development will be a still bigger step for mankind than was Apollo.  It will lead to a permanent presence to industrialize the Moon, not for its own sake, but as a necessary stepping-stone to Mars—and eventually beyond.  Lunar resources, featuring the fusion-power fuel helium-3, will be extracted and processed for the Mars missions. And as John Kennedy proposed to the United Nations in 1963, and the Trump Administration has echoed it, this must be a fully international program.  Along with leading space powers, such as the U.S., Russia, China, India and Japan, there will be areas in which scores of other nations can contribute as well.

This program will revolutionize our economy.  As Lyndon LaRouche detailed in a series of pioneering studies in the 1980s, the new technologies we will spin off from the space effort will exceed the ratio of the 1960s, when the U.S. economy gained more than $10 from every dollar invested in NASA.

This space program will be the center of a new world Renaissance.  Just imagine, for example, what U.S. classrooms will look like when students are being prepared for the new, unprecedented challenges of space exploration—compared to the drugged-up boredom we see today.  Where Roosevelt built CCC camps to rehabilitate youth, we will build CCC camps for space, as Helga Zepp-LaRouche has said.

The man who will have made this possible is the late Lyndon LaRouche.  Were it not for the tangible changes which his ideas have made in the world over the past 40 years, none of the progress we have seen around the June 28-29 Japan G20 meeting would have been possible.  Now LaRouche must be exonerated from the false charges for which he was framed and imprisoned in 1986-89 by the same Robert Mueller who has tried to frame Trump, so that President Trump and others can openly and freely make use of his enormous legacy.

THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMIC ORDER

Putin Points to Russia’s Role in World Land-Bridge

July 4 (EIRNS)—Greeting new ambassadors to Moscow on July 3, President Vladimir Putin laid out some of Russia’s steps towards the role which Gottfried Leibniz (and later Lyndon LaRouche) forecast for Russia as the critical link between Europe and Asia, not only geographically but also culturally, and thus a keystone of the New Silk Road and Eurasian Land-Bridge.

“In the near future, Russia will host a series of major international events. In June, Russia assumed the presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and we will preside in BRICS from early 2020.” (The SCO is the world’s largest regional organization in geographical coverage and population.)

“In July 2020, we will host summits of these two associations. We are preparing for them, we are steering towards a joint partnership, and we aim to advance common priorities in such areas as politics, security, economy, finance, culture and humanitarian ties.

“In September 2019, Vladivostok will host a regular Eastern Economic Forum. We are expecting to receive Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe as guests of honor.

“We are planning to review cooperation prospects and the implementation of major joint investment projects in the Asia-Pacific region, and to exchange opinions on ways of merging various integration processes so as to create a major Eurasian partnership.”

President Putin on State Visit, Discusses Russia’s Relations to Italy, U.S. with Corriere della Sera

July 4 (EIRNS)—Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Rome today and met President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Pope Francis, and his friend Silvio Berlusconi.

His meeting with Prime Minister Conte took place this afternoon and was followed by a press conference.

Putin gave an interview to Corriere della Sera, published today. In the text, posted on the President’s website, he says that the breakdown of the system of international security began when George W. Bush withdrew the U.S. from the ABM Treaty. The U.S. refuses to negotiate on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, and just yesterday, Putin signed legislation for Russia to suspend the treaty. The START Treaty will expire in 2021, but the U.S. is apparently not ready to discuss its extension or replacement.

But then he continues: “Recently, the administration in Washington has begun to reflect on the possibility of restarting our bilateral dialogue on a broad strategic agenda. I believe that reaching concrete agreements in the field of ensuring arms control would help improve international stability. Russia has political will to do this; now it is for the U.S. to make a decision. I reiterated this position at our meeting with President Trump on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Japan not long ago.”

He further responded to another question, saying: “To overcome the current unhealthy situation, we have to abandon the archaic concepts of ‘deterrence’ and ‘bloc philosophy’ from the Cold War era.“The security system should be common and indivisible. Such architecture should be based on the fundamental principles of inter-state relations enshrined in the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act, including the non-use of force or the threat of force, non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, and peaceful political settlement of disputes.”

Putin was asked about his relations with Deputy Prime Minister, Lega head Matteo Salvini and with former Prime Minister Berlusconi. He answered that relations with Salvini are on the level of party to party, but he praised the fact that “Matteo Salvini has warm feelings for Russia, and he is well familiar with its realities. We met in 2014 in Milan, where we discussed prospects for development of Russian-Italian ties, as well as Russia’s relations with the European Union.”

However, “in our relations with foreign states we have regard for lawfully elected, legitimate leaders.”

On Berlusconi, with whom he met privately, he said that “Silvio is a politician of international standing, a true leader who strenuously defended the interests of his country in the international arena. … We rarely meet, but when we have such an opportunity, he never lets himself discuss domestic issues. Neither do I.

“It is important that in Italy there is an absolute consensus among all political forces on the need to develop good relations with Russia. And we fully reciprocate it.”

Russia and U.S. To Hold Full-Format Strategic Consultations in Geneva

July 4 (EIRNS)—Russia and the United States will hold consultations on strategic issues in mid-July in Geneva, the Director of Russia’s Foreign Ministry Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Vladimir Yermakov told TASS. “There is an agreement to hold full-format consultations on strategic issues involving representatives of relevant departments the mid-July in Geneva,” he said. “We are continuing to form the agenda. Neither we nor the Americans are drawing any ‘red lines.’ We expect a frank in-depth dialogue. In our opinion, a good opportunity is opening up to return to mutually respectful constructive negotiations on the entire complex of the strategic agenda,” he said.

“On July 1-2, we held working meetings at the State Department at the level of the U.S. Under Secretary of State. The meeting was of an ‘observing’ nature in the context of future strategic dialogue, the resumption of which was entrusted to the presidents of the two countries.”

COLLAPSING WESTERN FINANCIAL SYSTEM

Italy Undergoing Non-Linear Demographic Collapse

July 4 (EIRNS)—New official statistics on the demographic decline in Italy show that the dynamic has accelerated. There was a total of 340,000 newborn babies in 2018, a 4% drop year on year and the lowest figure since the Italian nation was created in 1861.

Not only is the rate of children per couple low, but also the rate of potential mothers is decreasing as the population ages. This adds up to a non-linear collapse which is going to accelerate in the next years if the trend is not reversed. The overall population is stable at 60 million because of legal immigrants, who continue having babies, but the number of non-immigrant residents has dropped to 55 million.

The collapse is a combination of economic factors (young people without a job don’t build families) and cultural factors (the result of five decades of boomer mentality). It does not take much to alter the trend: follow the model of China’s economic and subsequent demographic growth, typified by the Belt and Road Initiative.

U.S. POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC

Republican Chairwoman McDaniel Mobilizes Support for Trump-Kim Korea Policy

July 4 (EIRNS)—In a July 3 op-ed in RealClearPolitics entitled “On North Korea, President Trump Is Making History,” Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel praises President Donald Trump’s summit with Kim Jong Un, a viewpoint echoed by a number of the often-fractured leadership of the Republican Party.

McDaniel writes, “President Trump’s first term in office continues to be marked by historic moments achieved through bold leadership and an effective brand of diplomacy” which “has … made unprecedented breakthroughs on one of the most important issues of today: denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

She calls it “a moment of hope following years of the Obama Administration’s failed policy of strategic patience.” McDaniel avers, “We know the road to a denuclearized North Korea is not an easy one, and that multiple administrations have tried and failed. We also know that with a President who won’t stop fighting for American security and peace across the globe, success is closer than ever before and worth celebrating every step of the way.”

Some of the Anglophile dogs of war among Congressional Republicans have been muzzled for the moment, such as Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), who complained: “It’s not something that we should celebrate. It’s not a pretty sight. But it’s a necessary part of the job to try to protect Americans from a terrible threat.”

Trump’s ‘Walk’ Across the DMZ Made War Less Likely, Write National Interest Editors

July 4 (EIRNS)—The National Interest states that the historic third summit of North Korean Chairman Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump on June 30 at the Demilitarized Zone offered a productive approach to avoid the danger of a war that could kill millions.

In a July 2 article, “Nuclear War with North Korea Is Still Possible; Trump’s ‘Walk’ Across the DMZ Made It Less Likely,” National Interest Korea Studies Director and Executive Editor Harry Kazianis and Assistant Managing Editor John Dale Grover write in the kicker: “Now is the time that Washington should choose dialogue, negotiation and diplomacy to ensure war never breaks out on the Korean Peninsula again. Only then do we have a shot at denuclearization.”

They continue: “How can anyone not applaud, when two nations who have technically been in a formal state of armed conflict for nearly seven decades seek dialogue? At least for the moment, it seems that the Trump Administration has made escalation management America’s primary goal, ensuring any pause in talks does not slip back to the dark days of 2017. The alternative runs the risk of an unwanted war. … A devastating nuclear war in which millions die is more frightening than anything else….”

Kazianis and Grover promote an alternative to the provocative “immediate denuclearization” demand attributed to John Bolton, and instead propose “improving relations, institutionalizing de-escalation mechanisms, and ensuring open lines of emergency communication are doable and necessary.” They observe, “For Washington, this means Kimcannot be coerced or pressured into giving up his weapons. History proves that the more pressure we put on North Korea, the more pressure they respond with—and hold on tighter to the nuclear button.”

They conclude, “In this vein, Washington should pursue liaison offices and continue freezing large-scale annual military exercises in exchange for Pyongyang suspending ICBM and nuclear testing as well as advancing negotiations to finally end the Korean War. Trump has a chance to build peace and confidence on the peninsula, making it less likely in the future a crisis could get out of hand. And that’s something all Americans, regardless of party or politics, should cheer for.”

SCIENCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE

NASA Successfully Tests Launch Abort System for Orion Spacecraft

July 4 (EIRNS)—NASA carried out a successful Launch Abort System (LAS) test on the Orion spacecraft, during a launch at Cape Canaveral Air Station in Florida on July 2. LAS is a crew safety system connected to a space capsule, in this case the Orion spacecraft, used to quickly separate the capsule from its launch vehicle rocket in case of a launch abort emergency, such as an impending explosion. NASA must be assured that the capsule can quickly and safely detach from the rocket in such an emergency.

Orion Program Manager Mark Kirasich proclaimed the operation, dubbed the Ascent Abort-2 flight test, a success. The Orion is the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, intended to carry a crew of four astronauts to destinations at or beyond low Earth orbit, and is intended to be the main crew vehicle of the Artemis lunar exploration program, as well as later human flights to Mars.

According to NASA’s website, abort was initiated with the spacecraft—unmanned, of course—travelling at about 760 mph. Maximum speed was about 1,000 mph, and peak altitude was hit at just less than 44,000 feet. “One of the most important parts of the test was to see how the attitude [orientation] control motor performed,” Orion Program Manager Kirasich said. “The internal motor pressure was rock solid, straight line and it had excellent control characteristics.”

The test is a necessary step in the agency’s preparation for Artemis missions to the Moon.

“The next big checkmark is the Moon—it’s our Artemis 1 mission,” NASA’s Kirasich said. “A little over a year from now we’ll be sending Orion [again unmanned] on a Space Launch System rocket, and the destination of that vehicle is the Moon.”

OTHER

Britain’s Hunt Warns China of ‘Consequences’ over Former Crown Colony Hong Kong

July 4 (EIRNS)—British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt set off fireworks July 2, when he warned that China’s actions in Hong Kong threatened to violate the Sino-British 1984 Joint Declaration setting the terms for the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty. Hunt said the Declaration is a “legally binding agreement” that had “to be honored … and if it isn’t there will be serious consequences.” Addressing himself to President Xi Jinping, Hunt argued: “Look at how special Hong Kong is. … It’s because of that special mix in its history of British and Chinese influence…. It says so much for China if it’s prepared to allow Hong Kong to operate under a different system with those basic democratic freedoms…. I really hope that there aren’t changes in Hong Kong that undermine that agreement, which is a legally binding agreement,” Hunt declared, referring to the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, which expressed the “one country, two systems” principle under which Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy, reported South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong daily.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang responded to Hunt telling him to stop “basking in the faded glory of British colonialism and obsessed with lecturing others,” while China’s Ambassador Liu Xiaoming spoke out in an unusual press conference at the Embassy on July 3. Liu said Hunt’s remarks represented “gross and unacceptable interference” in China’s internal affairs, which Hunt’s Foreign Office dismissed. “I think it is totally wrong for Jeremy Hunt to talk about freedom,” Ambassador Liu said. “This is not a matter about freedom, it’s a matter about breaking laws in Hong Kong. It’s very disappointing when the senior officials of his caliber show support of these lawbreaking people. We all remember what Hong Kong was 22 years ago under British rule: There was no freedom, democracy, whatever. We all know that all governors were appointed by the British government, people had no right to elect officials, no right to demonstrate, certainly, and they did not even have a right to have an independent judicial power.”

Liu warned that Britain’s relationship with China could suffer, and “If the British government goes further, it will cause further damage, so that is why I’m calling the British government to reflect on the consequences of its words and deeds with regard to Hong Kong. I do hope the British government will realize the consequences and refrain from further interference, further damaging the relationship.” Hunt reacted by calling Ambassador Liu in to the Foreign Office to protest.

Many of the different groups that have peacefully demonstrated in Hong Kong over the last days, have expressed outrage at the vandalism and violence by the rioters, calling the destruction of the Hong Kong legislature and other buildings a gross violation of the rule of law.

EU Commission Drops Disciplinary Proceeding against Italy

July 4 (EIRNS)—The ink on the EU Council agreement for top post nominations had not scarcely dried, when the EU Commission announced it was dropping its disciplinary proceedings against Italy. The official motivation is that the Italian government has shown a commitment to reduce borrowing next year. The unofficial motivation is that it is part of the general horse-trading, in which Italy agreed to back German Defense Minister Ursula Von der Leyen as EU Commission President and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde as European Central Bank President in exchange for which the EU Commission will drop the proceeding against Italy, and guarantee Rome has an important economic post on the EU Commission.

The Italians want the competition post, currently held by Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen, which would give them leverage in a budget conflict with France or Germany. The name of former Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti is rumored for the job, among others. Lega Member of European Parliament Marco Zanni, who chairs the Identity and Democracy Group, indicated that the post will go to a Lega member or someone close to the Lega, as Tremonti is.

Rome is also planning to announce the next Minister for European Affairs, for which the name of Sen. Alberto Bagnai (Lega) is still rumored.

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