Notations On Our World (Special Month-End Edition): As We Bid Farewell to January 2020....

It has been quite a month!!!   

Today is the day The United Kingdom officially Leaves the European Union--The headlines were telling:

The Financial Times captured the predicament that awaits Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister as the UK will be forced to look more to the United States--and the prospects  of not being a World Power anymore: 

This is as the World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency that continues to spread throughout the World.    We note the advisory from the World Health Organization below for reference:

WHO declares the new coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern Following the advice of the Emergency Committee today, WHO Director-General has declared the outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. In China, more than 7700 cases have been confirmed, and 170 people have died. There are 82 additional cases confirmed in 18 countries.  Read the statement What you need to know about the new coronavirus

What is a novel coronavirus? A novel coronavirus is a new strain of coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans. Common signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.   How can I protect myself? WHO recommends frequent hand washing, covering mouth and nose with a disposable tissue when coughing or sneezing, and avoiding close contact with anyone who shows symptoms.   Myth-busters Can pets at home spread the new coronavirus? Does the new coronavirus affect older people, or are younger people also susceptible? Are antibiotics effective in preventing and treating the new coronavirus? Find out answers to these and other questions on our new myth-busters page.

   The Economist of London captured the predicament with the covers  it launched on Brexit (as the United Kingdom sails into the Unknown) and whether the virus can indeed be contained: 

THe Our team was on the prowl as the long-awaited Peace Plan was unveiled by President Trump and we released the full text earlier in the week.    Israel's Prime Minister had wanted to bring the Jordan Valley annexation to the Israeli Cabinet--but it appears that annexation was torpedoed by Jared Kushner--although the plan itself has been fully rejected by the Palestinians.   The view from Peace Now is hereby noted for reference: The Trump Plan – A Plan for Annexation, Not for Peace Read the Full Paper Here   When the president of the United States, Donald Trump, festively presented his “Deal of the Century,” he repeated the following words several times: “peace plan” and “Palestinian state.” Despite the seemingly appropriate words and the celebratory atmosphere, an examination of the details of the plan clearly reveal the degree to which it lacks both peace and a Palestinian state. A deeper assessment indicates that the plan not only neglects to advance peace, but also has the potential to severely harm prospects for a genuine peace plan for both parties. Summary: Why Is the Plan So Bad? Unilateralism and lack of reciprocity – According to the US plan, Israel may already (unilaterally) annex settlements in its initial stage of implementation, prior to negotiations. A Palestinian state will be established, conditionally, per terms that will be determined unilaterally. The proposed Palestinian “state” isn’t really a state: It lacks territorial contiguity or potential for economic development – The proposed Palestinian state is akin to Swiss cheese, whose land is interconected via roads and tunnels that prevent any sustainable development. It lacks independent boundaries – The proposed Palestinian state will be surrounded by the state of Israel on all sides. Even the crossing between Gaza and Egypt will have an Israeli presence. It lacks self-sufficient security – According to the US plan, Israel will retain sweeping security control over the Palestinian state. Indefensible borders – Annexation of settlements that will become enclaves of sorts in a Palestinian state, will constitute an overwhelming security burden for the Israeli military. The plan lacks a solution for Jerusalem – Trump’s plan does not resolve one of the focal points of the conflict, leaving all of East Jerusalem and hundreds of thousands of Palestinian residents under Israeli sovereignty. Land swaps and population transfers – The US plan includes the possibility for Israel to strip hundreds of thousands of Arab citizens of their Israeli citizenship, “transferring” them in a virtual manner by redrawing the Green Line so that they will live under Palestinian rule. This racist proposal will not really add much to Israel’s Jewish supermajority, and will severely harm the delicate fabric of life between Jewish and Arab citizens. Read the Full Paper Here Courtesy of Dan Rothem As we also went to press, we saw this cross our newswires courtesy of the Financial Times of London that underscored crosswinds awaiting the Global Economy especially in light of the Virus that continues to spread  and its' impact worldwide in addition to the looming budget deficit in the United States:  myFT Instant Alert Global Economy US yield curve inversion raises growth concerns Coronavirus sparks bond market rally and triggers recession signal JANUARY 30, 2020 by Colby Smith in New York Th  World US budget deficit forecast to blow out by mid-century CBO predicts $13tn shortfall this decade and deteriorating picture beyond JANUARY 28, 2020 by Brendan Greeley in Washington This is as the Presidential Campaign season formally gets under way--Here in our Home State of California, a recent polling was done by the Los Angeles Times and the UC Berkeley Institute For Governmental Studies as the Democrats continue their fight to pick who will challenge President Trump: LAT/IGS 01/15-01/21 PPIC 01/03-01/12 CA120/Capitol Weekly 01/03-01/09 Bernie Sanders 26% 27% 24% Elizabeth Warren 20% 23% 21% Joe Biden 15% 24% 20% Pete Buttigieg 7% 6% 11% Michael Bloomberg 6% 1% (VOL.) 6% Amy Klobuchar 4% 5% Andrew Yang 3% (VOL.) 7% Tulsi Gabbard 2% Tom Steyer 2% Others (total) 6% 5% Undecided 12% 7% One of the other very critical focus points for us has been and will continue to be India as it deals with the aftermath of the Citizenship Amendment Act and a looming recession.  The Financial Times gave a preview of the challenges as the Indian Government prepares to present its' latest budget--and as The Indian Prime Minister has suffered a number of electoral setbacks including having lost India's largest State, Maharashtra: Global Economy What will India do to revive its stuttering growth? Saturday’s budget will seek to address one of most severe slowdowns in decades JANUARY 31, 2020 by Amy Kazmin in New Delhi We will be going dark throughout our Platforms as we gear up to assess all the on-going challenges as we  close out January with uplifting #RandomThoughts as we look forward to the opportunity to serve: