Greenland: Why is Trump Interested?

Sep23
by Jay Chambers on September 23, 2019 at 6:11 pm
Posted In: Economy, energy

Something that started like a joke has become serious – that is President Donald Trump’s interest in Greenland. There were numerous jokes about this matter on late-night television shows, including social media. And now, the flood has become a no-joke diplomatic split between the U.S. and a long-time ally.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump leashed out an attack on Denmark’s prime minister because she won’t allow the purchase of Greenland — besides, she considered the notion ridiculous. Additionally, the rest of the world finds it absurd…but not the U.S. President.

Regardless of the fact that a major part of the world considered the whole thing preposterous, President Trump has a different opinion — in essence, he saw no humor in it, which is why he lashed out (something considered typical of Trump in such circumstances.) The President said that Denmark’s prime minister is “nasty” — an insult that people have come to expect, especially when he has issues with women such as Meghan Markle and Hillary Clinton.

He Didn’t Stop at Attacking Denmark

The president didn’t just stop at attacking Denmark, he included NATO on his list. President Trump pointed out that Denmark forms part of the Atlantic alliance. His decision to do this came only two days prior to going to France for an international summit — France is also a NATO member state.

Here’s the Main Question — Why Exactly is the United State’s President Interested in Greenland?

Put differently, what exactly is making this one of the most desolate places in the world worthy of US interest, to the extent that the most powerful man in the world would want to make such a purchase proposition? The President sees it to be “a real estate deal of a lifetime.” The land mass of this real estate is a quarter the size of the country Trump leads. Purchasing this land would secure his place in the history of the United States, just as President Andrew Johnson — in 1867, purchased Alaska from Russia and Thomas Jefferson who in 1803 acquired Louisiana from the French.

From Trump’s advisers’ perspective, the proposed multibillion dollar acquisition poses a challenge to China, in terms of their dominance in industrial metals and aids in obstructing renewed ambitions from Russia. Greenland is effectively an autonomous region, while its sovereign owner, Denmark, is responsible for foreign policy and defense.

Greenland is known to be richly endowed with significant rare-earth metal deposits, among them are dysprosium, praseodymium, neodymium and zinc byproducts.

Once upon a time, corporations in the United States considered China to be a benevolent supplier of rare-earth metals used in the construction of computers, mobile phones and electric cars. Chinese companies engaged in mining operations across southern and central Africa, with the aim of securing greater dominance in the world market, while the United States government was asleep at the wheel.

Trump says in his subconscious mind, that he considers Greenland to have a price

As he was readying for the G7 summit in France, President Trump, while on the tarmac to board Air Force One, clearly stated that he imagined Greenland to have a price, just the same way he concludes that everything has a price, including humans; as a result, he believed Denmark will be willing to sell.

According to President Trump, “Just as we do for large portions of the globe, we protect Denmark equally. Therefore, when the concept arose, I concluded it will push through without fail. Essentially, this real estate deal is a large one. It’s interesting…strategically interesting.”

This idea is not new. The president has floated this idea in times past. While Mette Frederiksen, Danish Prime Minister has termed Trump’s notion “absurd,” Trump’s interest is an indication that this island’s geographical importance is increasing. Even China is becoming interested in this piece of treasure. The increasing importance of this real estate, associated closely to North Atlantic shipping lanes made available due to polar ice melting, is also believed to be rich in yet-to-be-tapped natural deposits and resources.

In a mock assessment of the bid that Trump proposed, the Financial Times placed a value of Greenland’s mineral and defense assets; estimated at 1.1 trillion US dollars.

Freideriksen did not want to encourage any discussion on the sale. She plainly stated, “Greenland is not for sale.” According to President Trump, his number one priority is not the purchase Greenland. However, by merely floating the idea, it’s an indication of his intense interest in this untapped gem.

So, what is America’s goals for the acquisition?

Acquiring Greenland would make the United States the world’s largest nations in terms of land mass, second only to the Russian Federation. The acquisition would be a very significant territorial acquisition — the single largest one in the history of America —a bit larger than the Louisiana Purchase.

The United States has acquired Danish territory in the past

Territorial transactions between Denmark and the US is not a new concept. There have been US acquisitions of Danish territory in the past, including the Danish West Indies, circa 1917, which was then renamed the United States Virgin Islands.

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Is Nuclear War Between the US and North Korea a Real Threat?

Jul16
by Jay Chambers on July 16, 2019 at 7:25 pm
Posted In: North Korea

clip_image002One thing that is constantly on the minds of political analysts is whether there’s a real risk of a nuclear war between the United States and Korea or not. While North Korea had been on a nuclear quest for quite some time, we’ve only recently seen threats and other similar statements.

Moreover, the first year of the Trump presidency did not bode well for the relationship between the two countries. Both Trump and Kim Jong-un insulted and threatened the other, seemingly not thinking about the repercussions their words might have.

Thankfully, we have yet to see any official statements regarding this matter or, far worse, an actual start of nuclear war. Given the number of nuclear warheads the US has, this won’t be some light shooting with air rifles as you’ve seen in the movies. Naturally, both countries are bound to give their best, so to speak, in the case of such an unfortunate incident. However, given the US’s massive nuclear advantage, it would not likely be a positive outcome for Pyongyang.

While the situation may have seemed tense in recent years, there has been no news involving threats or plans regarding this issue.

So, let’s see if the nuclear war between the US and North Korea remains a real threat. Even though what the two leaders say is important, it’s best to look at some well-founded statistics and consider the question, with facts.

The Beginning of 2018

Back in 2018, several people, including former US military leaders, warned that the US was closer than ever to a nuclear war with North Korea, largely due to Trump’s disruptive presidency.

It goes without saying that, in the first months of his presidency, Trump wasn’t trying to make new friends. In fact, he even went as far as to call the North Korean leader “Rocket Man,” and to imply that, if the US had to defend itself, it would “Totally destroy North Korea.”

Not the best start to avoid a nuclear war.

However, the two leaders met a few months later, at the now famous summit in Singapore. In the end, Trump stated that he and Kim will most likely have a “Terrific relationship.”

Before and after the summit, the issue of denuclearization was discussed. Initially, North Korea wanted to agree to do so, but Kim changed his mind – not once, but twice.

The 2019 Summit

As with the latest summit between the two – Vietnam, 27th of February 2019 – a deal has yet to be done. North Korea is said to have wanted to stop all the nuclear material production facilities at the nuclear site in Yongbyon but the US had to lift all related sanctions and remove any threats.

Trump stated that, while the North Korean leader wanted all of the country’s sanctions lifted, Kim failed to offer sufficient dismantling of their nuclear program, per the rules of this exchange.

Still, the meeting ended on a rather positive note, with Trump stating that he is available for further talks regarding this matter and that the relationship between he and Kim is very strong – he even added that he trusts him.

Is Nuclear War a Real Threat?

Now that we’ve loosely covered the last almost three years of US/North Korea interactions related to the possibility of nuclear war between the nations, it’s time to focus on the statistics that detail what is happening behind the curtains, so to speak.

For this, consider some of the data provided by Siegfried Hecker, one of the nuclear scientists that has been tracking North Korea’s nuclear program for quite some time.

Given that he’s personally observed the North Korean nuclear facilities, it is safe to assume that his data can be trusted.

Things are Getting Better

According to his statements, the relationship between the two countries – mainly referring to the possibility of a nuclear war – was in the red, danger zone, by the end of the Obama administration. However, Hecker notes that the first year of Trump administration was far worse from a risk standpoint.

Naturally, this was caused not only by the insults the two leaders exchanged, but also due to the fact that North Korea had made significant progress on its missile and nuclear programs.

On the other hand, things improved in 2018, as the data provided by Hecker shows us exactly what North Korea lacks in terms of nuclear power.

· When it comes to the production of fissile material, North Korea was still producing plutonium and highly enriched uranium several months ago. This is seen as a deep red risk in regards to the possibility of a nuclear war.

· However, on weaponization, it seems that things are not going as planned for North Korea. Even if it was shown that they were making great progress in 2017 with a successful test of what is believed to have been a hydrogen bomb, the country has ended testing anything new. This means that it does not possess a militarily useful hydrogen weapon.

· In terms of missiles, once again, they were making progress with their Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and even had tested submarine-launched missiles. Still, they ended any missile testing, mainly because of the Singapore summit.

As you can see, the only concerning issue is the fact that North Korea is still producing nuclear material – even though it would seem they cannot weaponize it and hasn’t conducted tests.

Hecker also noted that the Singapore summit was the best thing that could have happened, as it made North Korea cease its missile development and nuclear testing. Therefore, while there were some missteps on the path to this summit, the result was still a positive one.

Concluding Remarks

As is evident, both the political situation and the relationship between the two leaders are in far better than in 2017. One might say that the two have now become friends and that there’s little chance for a nuclear war to happen.

Still, that’s not enough – which is the exact reason why we have Hecker’s data.

The most important aspect to take into consideration here is that North Korea has stopped testing missiles as well as ended nuclear weapons development since the Singapore summit. Furthermore, given the fact that there has now been a second summit, meant to address the issue, it is hopeful that the two countries could eventually reach an agreement.

Now that president Trump seems to be offering a positive view of Kim and actively work on improving the bi-lateral relationship, it may be possible to say that the risk of a nuclear exchange between the nations might no longer be an actual threat.

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The Solutions to the First 5 Problems You’ll Experience as a Handgun Shooting Novice

Mar18
by Jay Chambers on March 18, 2019 at 7:00 pm
Posted In: handguns

Self-defense, security or simply pleasure – these are the main reasons that might lead people to decide it’s time to become a handgun shooting novice. Some learn this already common skill during childhood, others as teenagers and most as adults – but no matter how old you might be, problems regarding the manner in which you can use your light but powerful gun can appear.

So, check out our guide, take the proper precautions before getting ready to shoot, and apply our solutions to the first 5 problems you’ll experience as a handgun shooting novice.

The Solutions to the First Five Problems You’ll Experience as a Handgun Shooting Novice

After starting frequenting shooting lessons, you might realize that shooting a gun accurately might not be as easy as it appears in the movies. You must know the fundamentals, have a proper attitude, take a lot of precautions and practice hard to improve.

With all these taken into consideration, you might still need some useful advice, as there are many factors and variables regarding these aspects. Here are some of the most common problems that handgun shooting novices have experienced in time and the proper solutions for each of them:

1. Inaccurate Hits

Inaccurate hits represent one of the most common problems novices meet with during their shooting training, even after they’ve practiced a lot. It is definitely difficult to focus on the target or focus on rear sight, as you need a lot of practice to be able to master this skill. Novices find combining proper sight alignment with proper sight picture difficult and this is another aspect that makes accurate hits harder to obtain.

Solution: In order to be able to master this skill, you need to consider taking small steps that will get you where you want to be. To make hits accurate, try focusing intensely on front sight only and your aim will definitely become clearer and easier to achieve. Try combining both dry-fire and live-fire practice.

What’s more, you can gradually improve your shooting by initially viewing the target quickly and after that, you can perform sight alignment and front sight only focus. The latter is compulsory if you want your hit to be successful. Don’t forget to keep movement minimal and not jerk the trigger or the handgun while focusing on the steps above.

2. Hitting Low on Target

As a novice, you might be under the impression that you hit too low on the target. This is probably because you anticipate recoil, jerk the trigger and tighten your fingers when shooting. Improper grip-low on the back strap can make you miss the target, and this is why you need to solve this problem as soon as possible.

Solution: The solution to this problem is easier than you might think. You should maintain focus on front sight and always minimize trigger and finger movement. Try to grip the handgun smoothly, consistently, but not to the side.

To avoid missing the target, you should not squeeze or pull the trigger, but only press smoothly, without pushing the gun forward or down. This way, success is guaranteed and you’ll see improvements from one session to another.

3. Pushing the Trigger

Sometimes, the simple act of pushing the trigger can be a challenge for you. If you do not control the trigger press straight rearward, you use too little pressure on the trigger or push the trigger back and to the side rather than left, you might not manage to shoot well. With the proper tips, nothing is impossible.

Solution: In order to manage this aspect, try to contact the trigger between the midpoint of the first pad and first crease of the trigger finger. You’ll notice a fast improvement if you simply know how to handle the handgun. Avoid using the tip of the trigger finger and instead, press the trigger straight back smoothly and not intermittently, without anticipating recoil.

4. Thumbing

One of the probable causes of this issue can be rotating the thumb clockwise during trigger press. Another problem can be squeezing your thumb too much or exaggerating with too much trigger finger. You’ll see above how the result of these bad habits can be changed for the better.

Solution: In order to avoid thumbing and have successful shooting sessions, there are some important aspects that your shooting trainer might forget to tell you. First of all, try to rest your shooting hand thumb firmly on top of the support thumb. You need to be relaxed and you need this act of shooting not to be a stressful one for you. Do not bend the distal joint reflexively, as it might cause your strong hand to rotate clockwise along with the barrel muzzle. By doing this, you’ll be more prepared to become a better handgun shooter.

5. Fighting the Recoil

As a handgun shooting novice, you might think that the gun must be held down in order to control recoil. You are probably tempted to push the gun down, against recoil and this might also cause your shots to hit lower than you’d wish.

Solution: Instead of fearing the recoil, you should be prepared to embrace it. Allow it to occur naturally and do not fight it. Recoil occurs after the shot, not before, therefore you do not need to think about it before taking your best shot! Ride the recoil, allow it to go up and recover back down the sight line and your shooting skills will become better very fast.

Conclusion

As you can see, many problems can appear when you’re a handgun shooting novice, but none of them is impossible to get over when you have the right solutions at hand. Make sure you follow the simple rules you could find in this article and you’ll notice fast and efficient results immediately.

It’s true that some of us call shooting an art, but these skills can be learned rapidly if you have the right guide that helps you evolve from one shooting training to another.

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