One important recent development is the fact that Russia is now the world's leader in wheat production and wheat export, a harbinger for lower prices.
The center left in Europe are the big losers. Almost wiped out in the recent general election in the Netherlands, fifth place in the Presidential election in France, and in all likelihood will not fare much better in the UK.
It is rather ironic that it is the most tolerant of societies that bear the brunt of Islamist terrorism.
As an American, In my opinion the two most important US ambassador positions to be filled in Europe will be to the EU and to Germany. My hopes are that a successful career diplomat who knows how to take orders will be chosen for the EU job, and that a NATO 2% hardliner and preferably a friend of Trump is chosen for Germany.
The aircraft in the German Air force for the most part is either non-combat ready or not airworthy and Europeans are worried about the USA's commitment to NATO.
Well, then the Germans should give military aid to her less affluent NATO allies instead of selling them arms. As an aside the German military is a shadow of what it was before unification. I truly miss West Germany.
Neither Britain, nor the Baltic NATO republics, nor the much poorer eastern and southern European NATO members are the problem in NATO. The problem with NATO in my opinion is Germany, a rich, large country with a .large population and yet the Germans spend a pittance and can barely recruit its youth for a pathetically scaled down military for the defense of Europe.
I would characterize the Five star movement basically as a party for good government. I believe their Rome mayor did the right thing by withdrawing her city's Olympic bid.
In my opinion. the media deserves a large share of the blame/ credit for the rise of populism in Europe and the USA. For example, in the USA according to a recent Gallup poll, trust in the media is at an all time low with 60% of the respondents having little or no trust in the media. It is rather amusing also how the media is responding to this distrust and instead of cutting back on the editorializing of news reports they instead use gross exaggeration not for enlightenment but to get their slant across.
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