The ‘Sputnik Syndrome’ in America has constantly pushed it ahead of other countries. Mike Pompeo is here to dismantle Rex Tillerson’s legacy and Finland aims to end homelessness.
The American insecurity
The Americans have always been insecure that their economy will be overtaken by another. First there was the Soviet Union, then Japan and today it seems to be China’s turn, writes Robert J. Samuelson in The Washington Post.
Calling it the ‘Sputnik Syndrome,’ he writes that ever since the launching of Sputnik in October 1957, Americans have feared that their economy, which at the end of World War II dominated the globe, would be overtaken by some other country.
However, in both the instances of Soviet Union and Japan, these fears proved to be an exaggeration and while much investment was squandered in the two counties on projects with poor returns, “America’s entrepreneurial culture spawned new enterprises (Microsoft, Apple, Intel, Facebook, Google, Netflix, Oracle, Qualcomm — and others) that kept the United States in the forefront of innovation.”
But does this trend allow America to discount the threat from a burgeoning Chinese economy, Samuelson asks.
Despite what the past has shown, “there are many reasons it’s dangerous to discount the threat from China. The sheer size of its economy — and the determination of its leaders — makes it a powerful player. China’s huge domestic market is a perfect platform from which to launch new industries. The Chinese are aggressively pursuing advanced technologies and have condoned the theft of foreign trade secrets. Last but not least: They represent a potential military adversary.”
Therefore the Sputnik Syndrome becomes a useful antidote against complacency.
Fresh Mr Pompeo
A former Tea Party congressman from Kansas, C.I.A director and secretary of state nominee, Mike Pompeo is a far cry from his predecessor Rex Tillerson. So much so that it is hard to believe that they were both chosen by President Trump, editorialises The New York Times.
“Mr. Tillerson, the former chief executive officer of ExxonMobil, left a legacy as the worst secretary of state in modern memory by cutting the department’s budget, forcing out scores of senior diplomats and marginalising those who remained, leaving many top jobs vacant and cloistering himself with a small coterie of aides unfamiliar with the institution.”
Unlike Tillerson, Pompeo in his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday described an approach that would renounce much of Tillerson’s legacy, saying his first priority was to empower the demoralised State Department employees so that they have a clear understanding of Trump’s goals.
Other than that Pompeo also pledged to fill vacant posts, support diversity in hiring, obtain much-needed resources and spend that money as Congress directs — which Mr. Tillerson sometimes refused to do.
However, despite displaying political astuteness alarm bells were raised when he reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage and refused to say whether he continues to believe being gay is a “perversion,” as he seemed to suggest in 2015.
His views on Muslims were also deeply disturbing. As a result, even though Mr Pompoe will certainly have more clout than Rex Tillerson, there are many reasons to be concerned about the policy advice he would dispense, the article claims.
Findland strives to end homelessness
As homelessness skyrockets in the UK — up 134 per cent since 2010 — it has fallen dramatically in Finland by 35 per cent over a similar period of time, writes Polly Toynbee in The Guardian.
Now the Finnish government is striving to completely eradicate homelessness in the coming years and it is using a painstakingly simple solution — give homes to homeless people.
“This is fundamentally different to our model in the UK, where stable accommodation is only provided as a “reward” for engaging in treatment services,” Toynbee writes adding that how does the government expect people to address complex personal problems while being exposed to the chaos of life on the streets?
Moreover, as the example of Finland has demonstrated, giving homes to homeless people reduces government spending on emergency health services and the criminal justice system is lessened.
“Ending homelessness is eminently achievable if we have the moral capacity and will to take proper action. We must overcome our prejudices and our apathy. The status quo is simply not good enough,” Toynbee writes.