James Holbrooks

FL Residents Warned They'll Be Ticketed for Hurricane-Damaged Homes

by James Holbrooks | Sep 21, 2017 | Blog

This article originally appeared at Anti-Media. Miami-Dade County, FL — At a time when South Floridians rocked by Hurricane Irma were still surveying the damage to their properties, the country of Miami-Dade apparently thought it appropriate to begin handing out safety notices. Celso Perez told local WSVN-TV that he, his family, and his neighbors were starting to clear fallen trees from the streets after the storm passed through at nine in the morning on Monday. Hours later, in the afternoon, Perez got a visit from the county. “And we thought he was here to help us or offer some type of...

The New Silk Road: China’s Economic Priorities Become Official

by James Holbrooks | Aug 19, 2017 | Blog

This article originally appeared at Anti-Media. On Friday, the government of China made it officially clear to Chinese companies that overseas investments in projects linked to the “One Belt, One Road” initiative will take priority going forward. “Profound changes are taking place in international and domestic situations, and Chinese enterprises face not just relatively good opportunities but also various risks and challenges in overseas investments,” the State Council wrote in its introduction of the new rules. The Belt and Road Initiative, unveiled in 2013, is China’s grand plan to...

The New Silk Road: China's Economic Priorities Become Official

by James Holbrooks | Aug 19, 2017 | Blog

This article originally appeared at Anti-Media. On Friday, the government of China made it officially clear to Chinese companies that overseas investments in projects linked to the “One Belt, One Road” initiative will take priority going forward. “Profound changes are taking place in international and domestic situations, and Chinese enterprises face not just relatively good opportunities but also various risks and challenges in overseas investments,” the State Council wrote in its introduction of the new rules. The Belt and Road Initiative, unveiled in 2013, is China’s grand plan to...

Indian military intelligence links China-India border skirmish to standoff at Doklam

by James Holbrooks | Aug 17, 2017 | Blog

Northern India — Tension surrounding the standoff between China and India in Doklam — now entering its third month — appears to be spilling over, as soldiers from the two armies were involved in a skirmish on Tuesday at a different location along the border. From Hindustan Times: “Indian troops on Tuesday foiled two incursion bids by the Chinese in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region but not before stones were thrown and soldiers injured on both sides as India celebrated 70 years of Independence. “The clash near the Pangong Lake, which divides Indian and Chinese territory, comes at a...

China Just Slammed the US Over Charlottesville After Report on Religious Freedom Released

by James Holbrooks | Aug 17, 2017 | Blog

This article originally appeared at Anti-Media. On Tuesday, the State Department released a report on international religious freedom that was highly critical of a number of countries, one of which was China. CNN, which detailed the report in an article titled “US slams China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia for religious repression,” summarized the State Department’s findings on China as follows: “The report found that in 2016, China continued to physically abuse, detain, arrest, torture and imprison Tibetan Buddhists, Christians and other religious minorities.” Secretary of State Rex...

North Korea madness on pause after Kim Jong-un buys himself time

by James Holbrooks | Aug 15, 2017 | Blog

This article originally appeared at Anti-Media. Hours after Secretary of Defense James Mattis said it would be “game on” if North Korea lobbed missiles at Guam — and following a week of heightened tensions between the United States and the regime of Kim Jong-un — North Korea’s state media appeared to suggest on Tuesday that Kim is willing to delay his launch on the U.S. territory. The report from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim had “examined the plan for a long time and discussed it with the commanding officers” but that the leader would “watch a little more the...

Before You Freak Out About North Korea, You Need to See What South Koreans Are Saying

by James Holbrooks | Aug 14, 2017 | Blog

This article originally appeared at Anti-Media. Speaking to ABC News on Sunday, one of South Korean president Moon Jae-in’s top aides criticized Donald Trump’s recent bellicose rhetoric against North Korea, calling the U.S. leader’s comments “very worrisome” because they’ve only made the situation worse. “This is very unusual,” ambassador-at-large for international security Moon Chung-in said. “We do not expect that the president of the United States would make that kind of statement. It is very worrisome for the president of the United States to fuel the crisis.” To be sure, this...

Atomic Scientists: North Korea’s Nuclear Missile Claims Are a Hoax

by James Holbrooks | Aug 14, 2017 | Blog

This article originally appeared at Anti-Media. President Donald Trump continued his blustery North Korea rhetoric on Friday, tweeting that the U.S. military was “locked and loaded” and later telling reporters that Kim Jong-un had better not make any “overt threats” against the United States. “This man will not get away with what he is doing,” Trump told reporters from his golf club in New Jersey, adding that if Kim makes a move against the U.S. or its allies “he will truly regret it and he will regret it fast.” In the midst of this spike in tension between the United States and the...