TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2019

Volume 6, Number 144

EIR Daily Alert Service

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

• Apollo+50: Optimism for the ‘Untried Mission’ Changing the World
• Trump “Pleased To Announce’ Two-Year U.S. Budget Agreed
• Warren Sends Up ‘Spacey’ Program….Maybe Solar-Powered Rockets to the Moon?
• James Jatras’s Powerful Statement on Exoneration of LaRouche Reported on Iran’s Press TV
• President Trump Defends China’s Xi Jinping for Taking Responsible Actions in Hong Kong
• India’s Chandrayaan-2 Launches for Lunar South Pole Mission
• Federal Reserve Panic Grows, Several Come Out for -0.5% Rate Cut This Week
• Britain Seeks for New, Europe-Led Maritime Security Mission for Persian Gulf
• Iranians Say They Took Tanker To Retaliate for British Seizure
• Mexico, El Salvador Want Development Cooperation With U.S.
• Work Begins on New Zealand’s Aim To Become a ‘Southern Link’ of China’s Belt and Road

EDITORIAL

Apollo+50: Optimism for the ‘Untried Mission’ Changing the World

July 22 (EIRNS)—Joining and expanding the worldwide wave of “celebration” of the Moon landing’s 50th anniversary, India today launched a lander and rover aiming for the never-explored lunar South Pole. This came a day after Russia sent three international astronauts to the International Space Station, and while China’s Chang’e-4 was roving the Moon’s far side. American and European space agencies determined the orbit a new international space station will take around the Moon in preparation for 2024 descent of astronauts to its surface. Tens of thousands of Americans, most not alive then, jammed Washington’s National Mall to see the 1969 voyage recreated and the upcoming space travel depicted.

The anniversary of July 20, 1969 always had to come. But by our great good fortune, it has come when the days of political neglect of the human need for space travel are ending, because of the dynamism of the newer Chinese and Indian programs and the inspirational reaffirmation of America’s mission to lead in space by President Donald Trump. Other leaders, including astronaut-leaders like Spain’s Science Minister Pedro Duque, are responding.

It is the great moment aimed for by Lyndon LaRouche for decades when leaders had abandoned space, as in his beautiful “The Woman on Mars” film of 1988.

As Schiller Institute President Helga Zepp-LaRouche told her European colleagues today, the precondition for solving any problem is an optimistic view of humanity, and what is more optimistic than the vision of human beings leaving the Earth to explore—someday to live on—the worlds beyond.

Crash programs mounted now to conquer fusion energy, plasma technologies, long-range space travel and study of the universe—these can kick off a new revolution in human productivity, technology and industry, eradication of poverty. The revolutionary “science driver” was brilliantly evoked in President John F. Kennedy’s Sept. 12, 1962 Rice University speech announcing Apollo Moon-landing mission, heard again by the huge crowd on the Mall July 20:

“But if I were to say, my fellow citizens, that we shall send to the Moon, 240,000 miles away from the control station in Houston, a giant rocket more than 300 feet tall, the length of this football field, made of new metal alloys, some of which have not yet been invented, capable of standing heat and stresses several times more than have ever been experienced, fitted together with a precision better than the finest watch, carrying all the equipment needed for propulsion, guidance, control, communications, food and survival, on an untried mission, to an unknown celestial body, and then return it safely to Earth, re-entering the atmosphere at speeds of over 25,000 miles per hour, causing heat about half that of the temperature of the Sun—almost as hot as it is here today—and do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out—then we must be bold.”

Let no one claim that “saving the planet from human activity” is a bold mission—insisting on the return to technologies already well known for decades as expensive throwbacks to the human past. Such “missions” are driven by the pessimism, even despair, they create.

The true “science-driver missions” are those to return and develop the Moon and go to Mars and onward, using the fusion power which lights the Sun and stars.

U.S. POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC

Trump ‘Pleased To Announce’ Two-Year U.S. Budget Agreed

July 22 (EIRNS)—President Donald Trump said that he was pleased to announce that agreement on a two-year budget and debt-ceiling deal had been reached between the White House and Congressional negotiators led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The President called the agreement a victory for the country.

Lawmakers are on a 96-hour countdown to the passage of a Federal budget—for Fiscal Years 2019 (ending in two months) and 2020—looking at the end of the summer session this Friday, July 26. The budget discussions are currently being shepherded by Steve Mnuchin and Nancy Pelosi, with both sides having made concessions, according to coverage of the talks by Bloomberg. Adding to the urgency is that several debt payments are due before Congress is scheduled to return, so the negotiators face the question of extending the Congressional session if an agreement is not reached.

Sticking points have centered on the debt ceiling, to which the Republicans are normally opposed, but are willing to deal this time around since they must have an actual budget, and not simply a continuing resolution (which holds all spending levels constant) in order to get spending increases for defense, for NASA’s space program, and for other priorities.

The current deal would increase federal spending by a total of $320 billion over two years, with the increase evenly split between military and domestic spending. Negotiations have centered on where to make a smaller amount of cuts the two sides have agreed on.

Warren Sends Up ‘Spacey’ Program … Maybe Solar-Powered Rockets to the Moon?

July 22 (EIRNS)—While Americans’ thoughts were lifted from the mundane to the sublime by Saturday’s July 20th commemoration of unreclaimed greatness of the Apollo lunar exploration program, presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren was demonstrating that she has a much more Earth-stained view of the Apollo legacy.

Through a series of tweets, Saturday, Warren was boosting a lead balloon she terms the “Green Apollo Program”—part of her three-part Green Manufacturing Plan, released in June—and tried to conflate the patriotism of entering the space age with saving Mother Earth.

“The Apollo 11 mission is a perfect reminder that if we dream big enough, fight hard enough, and invest in American ingenuity, we can accomplish incredible things,” Warren tweeted. “In fact, we can protect our planet for generations to come.”

While every astronaut and cosmonaut stresses the inspired human reaction to the fact that our species is able to leave the Earth, Warren’s “Apollo” farce is merely to “protect” it. Nor does she want to protect it from asteroid strikes—that requires being out in space to monitor and divert them.

As spelled out in the Medium blog, June 4, her “Green Apollo” program doesn’t really have anything to do with space. She makes the farcical comparison: “A commitment to leading the world in developing and manufacturing the revolutionary clean energy technology the world will need, like the way we invested in innovative science to win the race to the Moon.” For this she calls for “$400 billion in government funding.”

Such an appeal could only be aimed at people whose pessimism has made them ignorant of science and technology. Solar photovoltaic power is a mature technology—developed through improved iterations for over 30 years, and produced all over the world. That it is still intermittent, still ultra-low energy density, and still can’t run a grid without backup power, shows that it is a dead end for the human race in the 21st century. Wind turbines are a 13th-century breakthrough—also built all over the world now. And although more energy-dense than solar, they are still intermittent, dangerous, and consume large areas with devices which last only 10-15 years.

James Jatras’s Powerful Statement on Exoneration of LaRouche Reported on Iran’s PressTV

July 22 (EIRNS)—The two guests on the July 21 “The Debate” broadcast on Iran’s PressTV, hosted by Marzieh Hashemi, were EIR’s Mike Billington and Jim Jatras, a lawyer who has served as a Foreign Service Officer in the State Department, including responsibilities regarding Mexico and the Soviet Union, and as policy adviser to the Republican leadership in the U.S. Senate in the 1980s and ’90s.

The program was on the crises in the Persian Gulf following the British seizure of the Iranian tanker and Iran’s seizure of a British tanker. While Billington and Jatras agreed on the British provocation, there was some difference on whether President Donald Trump will be able to overcome the war party and succeed in living up to his stated policies. The hostess, Ms. Hashemi, asked Billington about Trump’s actions, noting that “Actions speak louder than words.”

Billington responded: “Let me say first that Jim Jatras is a good example of someone who does make his actions fit his words. He recently did—and I commend you, Jim—a really beautiful, brief statement about the life of Lyndon LaRouche, and the importance of the ideas of Lyndon LaRouche in the world, pointing out that the people who prosecuted Mr. LaRouche—and myself; I was also put in jail by Robert Mueller at the same time that Lyndon LaRouche was put in prison—that the people who ran that campaign against LaRouche were doing that to stop his ideas, and the same people then went after Donald Trump, precisely because Trump has the potential of living up to those ideas which Mr. LaRouche had put in place.”

President Trump Defends China’s Xi Jinping for Taking Responsible Actions in Hong Kong

July 22 (EIRNS)—In another statement sure to further infuriate the British Empire, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House today that, in his view, “President Xi has acted responsibly, very responsibly,” in dealing with the Hong Kong protests.

The world media had spent the day scandalizing against the Hong Kong and Chinese governments for allegedly “looking the other way” when protesters in Hong Kong were attacked by masked men (now being reported as likely members of the Triad gangs). The reporter had asked President Trump if he had any “message to Beijing and China,” about protesters being beaten.

Trump had said before his late June Osaka summit with President Xi that he would raise the Hong Kong protests. Today, he answered the reporter: “I know President Xi. We’re working on trade deals right now.  We’ll see what happens…. But I know that they’re working—I know that’s a very important situation for President Xi. And, you know, you could say what you said, but you could also say that he has allowed that to go on for a long time.”

The reporter insisted that the Hong Kong protests have been peaceful, and asked if the President believes that the protesters should be allowed to demonstrate in Hong Kong. Trump replied that the protesters are being allowed to hold demonstrations.

“I don’t think China has stopped them. But China could stop them if they wanted…. I’m not involved in it very much—but I think President Xi of China has acted responsibly. Very responsibly. They’ve been out there protesting for a long time. I’ve never seen protests like it, where you have that many people. But I think … I hope that President Xi will do the right thing. But it has been going on a long time.”

SCIENCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE

India’s Chandrayaan-2 Launches for Lunar South Pole Mission

July 22 (EIRNS)—Adding to the international wave of space celebration, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched Chandrayaan-2 on Sunday evening, July 21. It was ISRO, with Chandrayaan-1 in 2007, that confirmed for the first time large amounts of water, frozen, on the Moon, and this mission is heading for the unexplored South Pole where that ice is. It will be in Earth orbit for a month, with Moon landing scheduled for early September. The mission will focus on the lunar surface, searching for water and minerals and measuring moonquakes, among other things. BBC reports, “India is using its most powerful rocket, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk-III), in this mission. It weighs 640 tons (almost 1.5 times the weight of a fully-loaded 747 jumbo jet) and at 44 meters is as high as a 14-story building.”

Among several Twitter messages of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the event, two back-to-back tweets read:

“#Chandrayaan2 is unique because it will explore and perform studies on the south pole region of lunar terrain which is not explored and sampled by any past mission. This mission will offer new knowledge about the Moon.”

“Efforts such as #Chandrayaan2 will further encourage our bright youngsters towards science, top quality research and innovation. Thanks to Chandrayaan, India’s Lunar Programme will get a substantial boost. Our existing knowledge of the Moon will be significantly enhanced.”

ISRO’s website and Facebook page, preparing for the original launch date for Chandrayaan-2 two weeks ago, under the headline, “Inching Towards the Edge of Discovery,” wrote: “Chandrayaan-2 is an Indian lunar mission that will boldly go where no country has ever gone before—the Moon’s south polar region. Through this effort, the aim is to improve our understanding of the Moon—discoveries that will benefit India and humanity as a whole. These insights and experiences aim at a paradigm shift in how lunar expeditions are approached for years to come, propelling further voyages into the farthest frontiers.”

ISRO also sounds a very similar note to NASA Administrator James Bridenstine: “The Moon … is also a promising test bed to demonstrate technologies required for deep-space missions. Chandrayaan-2 attempts to foster a new age of discovery, increase our understanding of space, stimulate the advancement of technology, promote global alliances, and inspire a future generation of explorers and scientists.”

COLLAPSING WESTERN FINANCIAL SYSTEM

Federal Reserve Panic Grows, Several Come Out for −0.5% Rate Cut This Week

July 22 (EIRNS)—Several Federal Reserve governors or regional presidents, and one nominee, have called for the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to cut the Fed discount rate by half a percent or even more this week, as fear is growing that the global economic slowdown will trigger a trans-Atlantic bank collapse. Minneapolis bank president Neel Kashkari, St. Louis president James Bullard, and New York president John Williams have all proposed a half-point cut; Trump’s Board of Governors nominee, Judy Shelton, has called for that cut or more. The standard explanation—the stock markets demand it—is trivial; the problem is the threat of megabank failures, perhaps already begun with Deutsche Bank, when the leveraged loan and junk bond markets are triggered by waves of defaults.

The Bank of England has joined the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in acknowledging that the corporate debt bubble is threatening the major banks.

“The Bank of England’s recently published Financial Stability Report,” reports Forbes July 22, “shows that banks, especially American ones, are the largest owners of leveraged loans and collateralized loan obligations (CLOs). Banks own a little over 55% of the $3.2 trillion global leveraged loan and CLO market. Banks own leveraged loans in three ways: they hold some on their balance sheets, they have them in the pipeline to sell to a special purpose vehicle which will then sell the leveraged loans in a CLO, and by holding CLOs.”

Moreover, and worse, the Bank of England report charts the fact that the megabanks are the largest holders of CLOs based on leveraged loans—the financial media and others, including numerous Republican Congressmen, have been insisting that these “safe derivatives” were all assets of funds and shadow banks only.

On June 30, the so-called “central bank of central banks,” the Bank for International Settlements, based in Basel, Switzerland, warned of a bank crash from corporate overindebtedness in the advanced economies, in its Annual Economic Report. The Guardian’s headline on the report, “Corporate Debt Could Be the Next Sub-Prime Crisis, Warns Banking Body,” was typical.

STRATEGIC WAR DANGER

Britain Seeks for New, Europe-Led Maritime Security Mission for Persian Gulf

July 22 (EIRNS)—Today, after the British government’s third COBRA emergency response committee meeting since Iran seized the British-flagged Stena Impero tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on July 19, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt appeared before the House of Commons to announce that the British government will now seek to organize a European-led maritime security mission for the Persian Gulf.

“We have had constructive discussions with a number of countries in the last 48 hours and will discuss later this week the best way to complement this with recent U.S. proposals in this area,” he said. “The new force will be focused on free navigation, bearing in mind that one-fifth of the world’s oil, a quarter of its liquefied natural gas—and trade worth half a trillion dollars—passes through the Strait of Hormuz every year.” Hunt specified that this mission will not be part of the U.S. maximum pressure campaign on Iran, as the British government is still committed to preserving the 2015 nuclear deal.

Hunt’s “complementing the U.S.” sounds awkwardly out of kilter with Secretary of State Pompeo’s statement this morning on Fox News, that the “responsibility in the first instance falls to the United Kingdom to take care of their ships.” President Trump has also stood aloof.

Hunt reported that London will seek to establish this force as quickly as possible and that the destroyer HMS Duncan will arrive in the Persian Gulf on July 29.

Iranians Say They Took Tanker To Retaliate for British Seizure

July 22 (EIRNS)—Officially, the rationale for the July 19 Iranian seizure of the British-flagged Stena Impero tanker remains the charge that it was operating in violation of maritime regulations. Nonetheless, a number of key Iranian political figures said bluntly on July 21 that the seizure was carried out, in fact, in retaliation for the British seizure of the Grace 1 tanker off Gibraltar on July 4. Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, said explicitly in floor debate, that the seizure of the Stena Impero had been a direct response to the British seizure of the Grace 1.

“The British committed piracy, and we responded to it,” he said, though he apparently didn’t elaborate.

Iran’s semi-official Fardas Radio, in a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty story, quoted Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, spokesman of Iran’s Guardian Council, describing the British tanker’s seizure as a legal “reciprocal action.”

THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMIC ORDER

Mexico, El Salvador Want Development Cooperation with U.S.

July 22 (EIRNS)—Migration and development cooperation was at the center of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s lightning visits to Mexico and El Salvador yesterday. Both the López Obrador and Bukele Administrations are committed to working with the Trump Administration to reach solutions to real problems, which they seek to focus on economic growth, while not accepting some ideas, such as the Safe Third Party agreements which the U.S. is pushing, which would have their nations assume responsibility for all the migrants.

Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard had met with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele just two days before Pompeo visited their respective countries. Ebrard was officially in El Salvador to inaugurate the “Sowing Life” assistance program for peasant farmers, for which Mexico is providing financial aid. Bukele stressed in his remarks at the ceremony, that the message they were sending to the countries of the world is bigger than the project itself; it is, that, together, we can do the impossible, the Mexican Foreign Ministry reported.

Pompeo and Ebrard met on the eve of the deadline of the first half of the 90-day freeze on U.S. imposition of across-the-board tariffs on Mexican goods. Both spoke positively about the discussions, and the “progress” made by Mexico in controlling immigration. As for what happens today, when the 45-day deadline runs out, that’s up to President Donald Trump and the teams in Washington, Pompeo said.

Ebrard told media that Pompeo had reacted favorably to two joint security measures he had proposed: running joint U.S.-Mexican operations against illegal arms trafficking at five strategic points (San Diego-Tijuana, El Paso-Ciudad Juárez, Laredo-Nuevo Laredo, McAllen-Reynosa, and Brownsville-Matamoros), and forming a binational group to identify and seize the assets of convicted narco kingpin El Chapo, so that “the assets of this criminal organization be recovered for the Mexican government.”

For his part, President Bukele called his meeting with Pompeo “a gamechanger.” Speaking in English, he explained that he had neither complained about cuts in U.S. aid (calling it “tacky” to beg for free money), nor discussed the Safe Party Agreement, because, he said, the purpose of the first meeting was not to resolve differences, but “to seek a partnership and a friendship … so we focused more on what we can achieve together.” He cited the two nations’ common interest in fighting the MS-13 and other gangs in both countries; in fighting drug-trafficking; and in reducing migration, by “bettering conditions here so that people don’t have to migrate.”

Work Begins on New Zealand’s Aim To Become a ‘Southern Link’ of China’s Belt and Road

July 22 (EIRNS)—The mission of turning New Zealand into a major “hub and conduit” for freight and people moving back and forth between South America and China, was officially born at the June 25 “Building the Southern Link” conference in Auckland, New Zealand, New Zealand-China Council Executive Director Stephen Jacobi declared at the end of the day-long conference.

“Making New Zealand a major and natural connection between China and South America is an idea whose time has come,” was the theme of the conference, attended by 150 businessmen, policymakers, and experts from Argentina, Chile, China, and New Zealand. Representatives of each of those countries also co-sponsored the conference (the public/private N.Z.-China Council, the Latin America N.Z. Business Council, Argentina’s Council on Foreign Relations, Chile’s Pacific Foundation, and Shanghai’s Fudan University).

The idea has been around for a while, but what has given New Zealand “the momentum, rationale, and framework to begin working on the Southern Link,” is the Belt and Road Initiative, Jacobi emphasized, an idea echoed by China’s Ambassador to New Zealand Wu Xi.

A working group was established with a mandate to turn the ideas raised at the conference into concrete action plans which can turn the concept into reality, the New Zealand China Council reported at its conclusion.

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