TWTW: The World This Week / Episode #77

Tucker & Putin: Desperation abroad … Elections 2024: Pakistan & Finland ... China dethroned & where Messi's unwelcome … new-look Olympic medals ... and cartoonist KAP on a pause in Gaza.

This weekly feature for Andelman Unleashed, continues on its mission to explore how the media of other nations are reporting and commenting on the United States, and how they are viewing the rest of the world.

How other see America

Expanding desperation abroad

The world still needs America desperately and hopes it can hang on until the crises that only seem to be multiplying can be resolved—in favor of the good guys, or at least democracy.

Nowhere more evident than when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made an unexpected lightning visit to President Biden in the shadow of a devastating blow to the president's reelection—the special counsel report suggesting his mental acuity was in question.

The German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung reported:

[The two leaders] jointly advocated continued military aid for Ukraine at their meeting in Washington. Both warned on Friday (local time) after their conversation in the White House that new US commitments in Congress would fail. Biden said this amounted to “criminal negligence.”

After their session, however, Scholz was far blunter, leaving the White House grounds for Lafayette Square and taking an unscripted opportunity to tell German reporters, in their own language, his darkest fears. As Juliane Schaeuble of the Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel, the visit's foreign pool reporter, messaged:

He called the war in Ukraine the biggest crisis “with all its consequences for security and peace not only in Europe but everywhere in the world”. Russia's rejection of the understanding that borders must not be moved by force is a threat to peace and security. And that is why it is right and necessary for us to take all the necessary decisions right now to support Ukraine in defending its own country.

On the question what would happen if Congress would not release the money, Chancellor Scholz answered: “We shouldn't talk around it: support from the United States is essential to the question of whether Ukraine will be able to defend its own country.”

The backdrop, however, was even more dire. The evening before, special counsel Robert Hur had released his report calling into question Biden's mental fitness. The world's press sent up the alarm bells.

"Biden is confronted by doubts over his health," is the headline over the story by Le Monde's Washington correspondent, Piotr Smolar:

Relating more to a speculative commentary than a legal assessment, [special prosecutor] Robert Hur's comments resemble an unpinned grenade….

But it was Smolar's commentary on these remarks and Biden's recent behavior that truly struck home for his francophone audience:

The more the months pass, the more the idea of ​​Joe Biden's physical and mental fragility takes hold.

On the one hand, a stiff and uncertain approach, a difficulty sometimes in identifying the exit from a platform, cruelly mocked on social networks by Trumpist activists. On the other, slurred speech, increasingly swallowed syllables, even if Joe Biden has never been a great orator. Its vulnerability produces a devastating effect, well beyond the policies implemented and an overall very solid record. Shouldn't the commander-in-chief be the first ambassador of national vitality?

Of course, the French are very much used to having septenarians at the helm. Francois Mitterrand and Charles de Gaulle were both 78 when they left office, De Gaulle after 11 years as president, Mitterrand after 14 years, both thoroughly in command of their faculties and their hold on power.

But it’s not only the French…everyone's worried. In Germany, where Der Alte (the Old Man) Konrad Adenauer ruled as chancellor for 14 years, from the age of 73 in 1949 to his retirement in 1963 at the age of 87, Augsburger Allgemeine observed:

The [classified] document affair has no legal consequences for Joe Biden. But the special investigator's report and a catastrophic TV appearance by the 81-year-old hit the politician hard.

The Spanish daily El Pais made it simple, running The New York Times' Paul Krugman column with this headline:

Can the US survive a game of spoilers? Republicans will try to make the nation ungovernable if a Democrat sits in the White House after the election.

Meanwhile, far far away, Tucker weighs in from another universe

It's hardly clear that Tucker Carlson fully appreciated just how Vladimir Putin was intending to make use of this toxic dilettante in global affairs. But much of the world did have a quick and deep understanding that Putin had just one audience—the American electorate, and especially shoring up the Trump base, as if that even needed any shoring. Still, the Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung  [NZZ] was hardly fooled:

Putin gives Tucker Carlson a two-hour history lesson—and presents himself as peace-loving. The conservative American television presenter has excited Moscow and tried to raise high expectations. But the interview with the Russian president says almost more about the interviewer than about the interviewee.

Indeed, each country had its own takeaway. Waclaw Radiwinowicz in the leading Polish daily Wyborcza observed:

Of the heresies that Vladimir Putin forced on his US advocate Tucker Carlson in a recent interview, the largest and most dangerous concern Poland. This is, of course, about wars - past, present and eventual... The Russian dictator assured [his] guest…that Russia would not attack Poland if we did not attack it.

For us, this is weak consolation and no guarantee. Because the fact of whether we'd attacked Putin's country will be decided by him himself….We would be dealing with a repeat of the Gliwice provocation, which in September 1939 gave Hitler a "reason" to repel Polish aggression [touching off World War II]. It was Ukraine that forced the Kremlin to go to war, just like Poland forced Hitler.

Or as NZZ columnist Sergei Gerasimov put it:

Putin is a black box. The years of his rule will go down as one of the darkest eras in Russian history—if there is a history of post-Putin Russia

Elections 2024:  Pakistan, Finland

Pakistan has chosen, in a manner of speaking, its new government, though very much in question is how much real say the people had in their choice in what is still, nominally, a democracy. The clearly most popular contender, former prime minister Imran Khan, was removed from the lists by the country's military-controlled government, jailed on the strength of a string of criminal charges of dubious origin. But his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), still managed to accumulate the most seats—though not an absolute majority—in parliament.

As Singapore's Straits Times reported:

A senior aide to Pakistan's jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Saturday their party would try to form a government as it had won the most seats in Thursday's general election.

Interim party chief Gohar Ali Khan called on all institutions in Pakistan to respect the party's mandate, telling a press conference in Islamabad that if complete results were not released by Saturday night, the party would hold a peaceful protest on Sunday.

Khan and rival ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have both claimed victory. Independent candidates backed by Khan won the most seats, despite him being in jail and his party barred from the polls. PTI leaders claimed they would have won even more seats if it were not for vote rigging.

On Tuesday, Indonesia will be going to the polls in what is shaping up there as an increasingly fraught election. Later this week, Andelman Unleashed will be exploring in Francis Fukuyama's great magazine, American Purpose, more of the dynamics and stakes in the electoral choices the two most populous Moslem nations are making within days of each other.

Meanwhile, Finland went to the polls on Sunday for the second round in its choice of a president.

But as France 24 observed, the outcome won't make much difference in terms of the country's steadfast support of NATO, which it is just joined, or confrontation with neighboring Russia:

Former prime minister Alexander Stubb, 55, on the center right, and former foreign minister Pekka Haavisto, 65, from the green left, largely agree on Finland’s foreign policy and security priorities. These include maintaining a hard line toward Moscow and Russia’s current leadership, strengthening security ties with Washington, and the need to help Ukraine both militarily and at a civilian level. Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) border with Russia.

Unlike in most European countries, the president of Finland holds executive power in formulating foreign and security policy together with the government, especially concerning countries outside the European Union such as the United States, Russia and China. The head of state also commands the military — particularly important in Europe’s current security environment and the changed geopolitical situation of Finland, which joined NATO in April 2023 in the aftermath of Russia’s attack on Ukraine a year earlier.

With 58% of the votes counted, the conservative Stubb was leading Haavisto 52.7% to 47.3%.

Finally, Europe worries

"Is Europe starting to change its strategy?" asks Deutsche Welle's Frank Hofmann:

NATO generals are bracing themselves for an increased risk of war with Russia and are calling for investment in deterrence. Ukraine may benefit from this as well…. Several high-ranking NATO military officials recently warned, within days of each other, that the alliance needs to prepare itself for conflict with Russia.

"We have to realize it's not a given that we are in peace," Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, warned….

Against the backdrop of Russia's large-scale attack on Ukraine, launched two years ago this month, the Oslo daily newspaper Dagbladet reported that General Eirik Kristoffersen, the head of the Norwegian armed forces, said there was now a "window of perhaps 2 or 3 years in which we must invest even more in secure defense." Meanwhile, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces in neighboring Sweden, Micael Byden, also urged his compatriots and politicians to "move from understanding to action."

Experts see this as a plea from military leaders to European politicians for a change in strategy in the conflict with Russia. Above all, both military leaders and analysts are concerned about the lack of ammunition and new military equipment, and current arms production capacities in Europe.

An Unleashed Appearance !

A 100% "Virtual Exploration" of my travels, reportage and some compelling how-to's … Andelman Unleashed is the featured speaker next Saturday for the Travelers' Century Club—the club for inveterate and incurable travelers who have reached or aspire to the level of 100 countries visited or touched.
Click below for a live link!

How others see the World

Off with the guillotine

King Louis XVI and his queen Marie Antoinette both lost their heads to the guillotine on the Place de la Concorde in 1793. The last to be dispatched with this device was the torturer-murderer Hamida Djandoubi in Marseilles on September 10, 1977. Four years later, the death penalty and the guillotine both met their end thanks largely to France's indominatable Minister of Justice Robert Badinter.

It all came about in the early days of the 14-year rule of President Francois Mitterrand. Indeed, Badinter was snapped striding triumphantly from the Elysée Palace where a Council of Ministers had just confirmed the elimination ….and I happened to be waiting just in front of him at that very moment in the courtyard with a CBS camera crew!

This past week, while the debate in America goes on over the most humane way to execute a death-row inmate (the latest being to allow the individual to gasp him or herself to death with nitrogen gas), France is mourning the death of Badinter at the age of 95.

The current French president, Emmanuel Macron, paid tribute to him in a communiqué from the Elysée:​

A lawyer by profession, he was for the French, a voice that pleaded, chanted, was indignant and convinced, a tall figure that they had learned to love, that they never ceased to admire. He will remain, in our history, the man for the abolition of the death penalty, a fighter for enlightenment and for human and citizen rights, a great French destiny. With the death of Robert Badinter, at the age of 95, France loses one of those who held its ideals to the highest….

The President of the Republic and his wife bow to the memory of a man who, after experiencing tragedy of this century, will have embodied the most beautiful part of hope.

China dethroned

After 17 years, Mexico has replaced China as the top source of US imports. As the South China Morning Post reported:

The world’s second-largest economy also saw its share of American imports decline to 13.9 per cent in 2023, its lowest level in 20 years. The total value of goods shipped from China to the US fell by 20.3% last year compared to 2022, as Mexico’s grew by 4.6%.

China had been the top goods supplier to the US since 2007, when it surpassed Canada. Geopolitical frictions, including intensifying economic disputes and a simmering tech war, have clouded relations between the world’s two largest economies. And tariffs in place since Donald Trump’s presidency have hit direct shipments from China hard, at an average of 19.3%.

And then …even Messi-er in Hong Kong

Last week, Andelman Unleashed reported on the palpable excitement in Hong Kong for the arrival of soccer superstar Lionel Messi and his entire team and an exhibition match in the city-state's largest venue, packed to the doors with doting fans. Doubly thrilling?

The team's creator, onetime superstar player David Beckham (above) would also be in the house.

But….above was the best view of Messi for most of those who paid up to $650 (officially) and thousands on the black market as he warmed the bench throughout the exhibition match he and his teammates had come to play in Hong Kong. He never stepped on the field for a kick, even a wave to fans. Here's how Hong Kong daily South China Morning Post chronicled the event, and its aftermath:

Chants of “we want Messi” became “where is Messi?” and were accompanied by booing. At the final whistle, boos drowned out the stadium announcers, while fans chanted “refund, refund”.

Heaven hath no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a city scorned. That’s why Hong Kong hates Lionel Messi now.

And it’s a totally understandable sentiment, given how the Argentine football star has not only insulted his many fans here by sitting out the much-vaunted exhibition match they paid exorbitant prices to watch, but also rubbed salt on their wounds with his churlish behavior.

Messi deserves to bear the brunt of public anger, but the minders of his Inter Miami squad, including feckless club co-owner David Beckham, have plenty of explaining and apologising to do as well. Don’t hold out any hope that they will, though – not with the sheer arrogance and air of superiority they seem to be equipped with…..

A partial refund to ticket holders of last Sunday’s beleaguered Inter Miami football match …may help to ease the anger of those who handed over money but will have little effect on soothing the wider public in Hong Kong and mainland China, analysts have said.

And then the revenge:

The Beijing Football Association on Saturday said the capital currently had “no plans to organise games involving Messi” in a statement issued after a surge in inquiries from fans and social media users.

The Hangzhou Sports Bureau a day earlier announced it had cancelled a planned friendly match with the Argentina national team next month, while earlier in the day the organiser of the Hong Kong match Tatler Asia said it would give back 50 per cent of the ticket price to fans.

And there was this final zinger from the Japan Times:

Public anger could threaten Messi’s partnerships with Chinese brands. Hundreds of users flooded the comment section of a Weibo post Messi made to promote the Chi Shui He liquor brand, with many calling on the company to cut ties with the Argentine.

But raves for Taylor in Tokyo…..

OK, so Taylor Swift made it back to Las Vegas and, eventually, into the arms of her Chief's star Travis Kelce…but the cheers of the crowds she left must still be ringing in her ears….

As the Japan Times observed:

The show itself moved through its heroic three-plus-hour length with well-practiced precision, and Swift’s vocals showed no signs of being rusty after the tour’s two-month hiatus, nor the ill effects from a long flight to Japan. And aside from one near-miss with a chair during her “Vigilante Shit” set, she appeared to be in peak physical shape as she ably kept pace with her enthusiastic team of dancers during the more energetic numbers.

And then, there's a little Olympic medals bonus

Fancy taking home a chunk of the Eiffel Tower? All you have to do this summer is win an Olympic medal. Gold, silver or bronze, each will have a small bit of Gustav Eiffel's work embedded in it.

As the France Bleu site of TV network France 3 reported:

There are 5,084 of them, made of gold, silver or bronze, but also of the "Eiffel Tower"….On the front side of the medals, an iron hexagon from the Eiffel Tower and bearing the Paris-2024 logo. It emanates rays shaped in the metal of the medal.

On the other side, the engraved figures of the goddess of victory Athena Nike, the Panathenaic stadium and the Acropolis are imposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) but Paris 2024 has obtained exceptional authorization to add the design of the Eiffel Tower. The discipline for which the medal is awarded is written on the edge of the medal. The weight, size, shape, representations on the obverse of the medals or the ban on drilling the object are imposed by the IOC.

“It limits us in our creation but that’s what amuses us,” explains Benoît Verhulle, workshop manager at [jeweler] Chaumet. The creation was carried out in the greatest secrecy since only five people were informed of this “very special order” at Chaumet, underlines Clémentine Massonnat, creative manager.

In the archives of the house which has been present for 250 years on Place Vendôme, Gustave Eiffel was himself [identified as] a client. 

Finally, there’s Kap….

The great Spanish cartoonist Kap suggests how spent Gaza is by the onslaught that’s just passed 130 days—and how badly Palestinians need a pause….

"If you please…I need a pause !"

Jaume Capdevila, who draws under the name Kap, is a Spanish cartoonist best known for his drawings that appear in La Vanguardia and in El Mundo Deportivo. He last appeared in Andelman Unleashed last March, riffing on Beijing's annual parliamentary session of mutes. His cartoons appear also in the pages of other Spanish and international magazines including Siné Mensuel and Courrier International. He has published ten collections of his work in book form. He is a member of the extraordinary collective Cartooning for Peace. 

Here's how Kap sees himself: