One of the more interesting findings out there is that wokeness, by tribalizing people, worsened race relations.

We know ratings of RR fell from 70% among whites and Blacks to 35% and 33% - it now looks like (assuming this is real) rates of sometime inter-race dating have dropped from ~60% to almost nothing.

📎 Wilfred Reilly

👶🏻 Global fertility is almost certainly below replacement already. Consider:

(1) In many parts of the developing world, replacement fertility is higher than 2.1 due to child mortality and sex imbalances.

(2) Official sources like the UN have been lagging badly in their figures.

📎 MoreBirths

🇩🇪🇷🇴🇻🇪 Why Venezuela cancelling their own presidential elections is bad and why Romania doing the same is good according to the spokesman of the German Foreign Office:

German journalist:

”In Romania, the Constitutional Court has annulled the first round of presidential elections following complaints based on intelligence regarding alleged Russian influence through TikTok videos, which have so far been almost impossible to verify. Elena Lasconi, who is considered pro-European and came 2nd, called the decision illegal. The winner of the first round, Georgescu, spoke of a coup. The information published so far does not even mention Russia as an actor. In this context, I would be interested to find out what is the political assessment of the German government regarding the cancellation of an election with reference to a TikTok campaign, given the upcoming parliamentary elections?”

Spokesman Sebastian Fischer:

“It would be difficult for me to comment from here on the constitutional order of Romania. There was a decision of the Constitutional Court, which, like all decisions of the constitutional courts, must be respected. In this respect, the Romanian judiciary came to the conclusion that there was electoral interference in the first round of voting and took the necessary decisions from its point of view”.

The German journalist:

“Our colleagues at Deutsche Welle describe the Constitutional Court of Romania as an extension of the political establishment, while Deutschlandfunk describes it as a servant of the Social Democratic Party, and it is already clear that there have been a number of political problems and interference. I have been in BPK (German media organization) long enough to remember that you have taken a very clear stance on the power dispute between Maduro and Guaidó, including on the decisions of the Constitutional Court in Caracas. Therefore, I do not see why it should be so different now in the case of Bucharest. Will the German government have formed an opinion on this truly unique act of annulment of the elections with reference to several thousand TikTok accounts – which many call a historic act?”

Sebastian Fischer:

“Romania is a constitutional state and a democracy. This is in contrast to the situation we are seeing in Venezuela.”

🔗 NachDenkSeiten

🇮🇱❌🇮🇪 Israel to close embassy in Ireland as it criticises 'anti-Israel policies'

Gideon Saar said the Republic of Ireland had crossed "every red line".

In a statement, he said Israel's ambassador to Dublin had been recalled in the past following what it called Ireland's "unilateral decision to recognise a Palestinian state".

He added that the decision followed Ireland's announcement of its support for South Africa's legal action against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing the country of "genocide".

Mr Saar said: "The actions and anti-Semitic rhetoric used by Ireland against Israel are rooted in the de-legitimisation and demonisation of the Jewish state, along with double standards.

"Israel will invest its resources in advancing bilateral relations with countries worldwide according to priorities that also take into account the attitudes and actions of these states toward Israel."

🔗 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq62mge27r0o

🇮🇱❌🇸🇾 Israel plans to double population in occupied Golan due to threats from Syria

"Strengthening the Golan is strengthening the State of Israel, and it is especially important at this time. We will continue to hold onto it, cause it to blossom, and settle in it," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

In 2019 then-President Donald Trump declared U.S. support for Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, but the annexation has not been recognised by most countries. Syria demands Israel withdraw but Israel refuses, citing security concerns. Various peace efforts have failed.

"We have no interest in a conflict with Syria," Netanyahu said in a statement. Israeli actions in Syria were intended to "thwart the potential threats from Syria and to prevent the takeover of terrorist elements near our border," he said on Sunday.

Netanyahu's office said the government unanimously approved a more than 40-million-shekel ($11 million) plan to encourage demographic growth in the Golan.

It said Netanyahu submitted the plan to the government "in light of the war and the new front facing Syria, and out of a desire to double the population of the Golan".

Some 31,000 Israelis have settled there, said analyst Avraham Levine of the Alma Research and Education Center specialising in Israel's security challenges on its northern border. Many work in farming, including vineyards, and tourism. The Golan is home to 24,000 Druze, an Arab minority who practice an offshoot of Islam, Levine said. Most identify as Syrian.

🔗 https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-sees-increased-threat-syria-despite-moderate-tone-rebel-leaders-2024-12-15/

🇮🇱🤝🇸🇾 Israel did not want Assad removed from power, US officials tell Turkey

US officials informed Turkey earlier this month that Israel did not want Syrian President Bashar al-Assad removed from power, even after the rebel offensive that seized cities such as Aleppo and Hama, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan revealed in an interview on Sunday.

“Israel has never wanted Bashar to leave,” Fidan told Al Hadath TV.

“Israel was displeased with the space Bashar had granted to the Iranians. Even after the rebel operation began, the Americans conveyed to us that Israel does not want Bashar to go, even until last day.”

Fidan further disclosed that during a 2016 visit to Turkey, then-US Vice President Joe Biden had informed Ankara that Washington opposed toppling Assad.

“He told us that the US doesn’t want Bashar to go,” Fidan said. “We understood that this wasn’t truly his own stance but rather Israel’s position.”

🔗 https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israel-did-not-want-assad-removed-power-us-officials-tell-turkey

🇹🇷🇮🇷🇷🇺🇸🇾 Turkey Says Told Russia, Iran Not To Intervene Militarily In Syria Rebel Push

Turkey said Friday it had urged Russia and Iran not to intervene militarily to support Bashar al-Assad's forces as Islamist-led rebels mounted their lightning advance on Damascus that ended with the Syrian strongman's ouster.

"The most important thing was to talk to the Russians and Iranians to ensure that they didn't enter the equation militarily. We had meetings with (them) and they understood," Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Turkey's private NTV television.

"If Assad had received support, the opposition could have achieved victory with their determination, but it would have taken a long time and could have been bloody," he said.

Turkey's aim was to "hold focused talks with the two important power players to ensure minimum loss of life," Fidan said.

They quickly realised the game was up, that Assad "was no longer someone to invest in" and "there was no point anymore", the Turkish minister added.

🔗 https://www.barrons.com/news/turkey-says-it-told-russia-iran-not-to-intervene-militarily-in-syria-rebel-push-3c3e5168

Senator Chuck Schumer on X:

"I’m pushing for answers amid these drone sightings.

I’m calling for Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to deploy special drone-detection tech across NY and NJ.

And I’m working to pass a bill in the Senate to give local law enforcement more tools for drone detection."

📎 SenSchumer

A Chinese tourist in Australia recorded close-up footage of Australian warships, with the drone even landing on the ships.

The footage was then posted on Weibo, and police reportedly told him not to do it again when he was caught.

📎 Clash Report

🇹🇷🇱🇾 Turkey has also held talks with Libyan military leader Khalifa Haftar — a long-time Egyptian ally and Ankara’s sworn enemy in the 2019-2020 war.

Signs of the Egypt-Turkey rapprochement are apparent in Libya itself. More Egyptian companies and workers are returning to Tripoli and other parts of the west typically under the control of Turkey’s local allies. Meanwhile, Turkish firms are poised to take part in reconstruction projects in the Egypt-allied east, including around the city of Derna where devastating floods killed thousands a year ago.

Across Egypt’s southern border, Sudan — where a civil war has raged for 17 months — is another area where interests may be converging. Both Cairo and Ankara have hosted Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Sudan’s military leader, on official visits since the conflict erupted. That honor hasn’t been extended to opponent Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the chief of the paramilitary force battling for control of Africa’s third-largest country.

In Somalia, both countries have expanded their military footprints. Turkey has its largest overseas base in the Horn of Africa nation, and has held talks about setting up a site to test-fire missiles and space rockets.

For Erdogan, improving ties with Egypt is part of a broader plan to repair relations with Arab powers and boost the Turkish economy through more investment and exports. Turkey has mended relations with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in the past two years.

“The Sudanese civil war, the disputes between Egypt and Ethiopia, and the increased risk of military and political conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia are structural dynamics that strategically affect Turkey-Egypt relations,” Murat Yesiltas, security policy director of the Ankara-based SETA think tank, which advises Erdogan’s government, said in an article this month.

“Cooperation between Ankara and Cairo stands out as a strategic necessity.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-15/one-time-foes-egypt-and-turkey-race-to-solve-libya-s-new-crisis

https://archive.ph/9o9p7

🇹🇷🇵🇸 How the Gaza war is bringing Turkey and Egypt together - Deutsche Welle

Erdogan used to describe his Egyptian counterpart el-Sissi as a "murderer" — but now uses "brother" instead. The recent rapprochement is in part driven by a shared perspective on the Israel-Hamas war.

Israel's unifying role

"Egypt has become increasingly important for Turkey," Selin Nasi, a political analyst at the London School of Economics, told DW. Turkey's relations to Israel significantly deteriorated, Egypt emerged as a critical gateway for delivering aid to Gaza.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is thought to have accelerated the current rapprochement. "Both countries support the Palestinians' legitimate right to an independent state and have a shared concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza," Nasi said.

Economic win-win

"The economies of the two countries complement each other as Egypt is energy-rich and Turkey offers solid industrial infrastructure," Mithat Rende, a former Turkish ambassador to Qatar, told DW. "Turkish investors are very interested in Egypt," he added.

"This is an excellent development for everyone," Rende said, adding that "we are talking about the two strongest armies and two of the most educated societies in the Islamic world."

The two countries control an important share of global trade, the diplomat told DW.

"We are at a time when global supply chains are breaking apart, and one day, the competition between the US and China could develop into a conflict," he said.

In his view, this could further highlight the importance of Turkey and Egypt.

https://www.dw.com/en/israel-gaza-why-is-the-war-drawing-turkey-and-egypt-closer-to-one-another/a-70122505

🇹🇷🇸🇾Syria Could Become a Turkish Protectorate, Limiting Israel's Freedom of Action

With a strategic interest in turning Syria into an anti-Kurdish bulwark, Turkey is seeking to take the place of Russia and Iran – including control of Syria's airspace

The growing international support for Syria's new government may soon translate into pressure on Israel to withdraw from its newly occupied territories. Unlike Hamas, which faces broad international consensus against its role in Gaza's future governance, Syria's Ha'yat Tahrir al-Sham is increasingly viewed as a legitimate authority – despite still being listed as a terrorist organization and its leader carrying a $10 million bounty.

The Turkish-Syrian relationship's evolution could significantly impact Israel's operations in Syria. Beyond leading international efforts to remove IDF forces from the buffer zone, Turkey may determine Israel's aerial operational freedom in Syria. While Israel previously enjoyed nearly unrestricted access coordinated with Russian command at the Khmeimim air base, Russian forces have begun withdrawing. Most Russian aircraft have left Syria, and Moscow is now negotiating to maintain its naval presence at the port of Tartus.

With Syrian and Russian air forces absent, Turkey may become the de facto controller of Syrian airspace and, in partnership with the Syrian government, could end Israel's operational freedom.

https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/syria/2024-12-15/ty-article/.premium/syria-could-become-a-turkish-protectorate-limiting-israels-freedom-of-action/00000193-c934-d967-a5df-fbfee53f0000

https://archive.ph/33soF