Good morning. Here’s your Early Warning for Tuesday, 07 November.
The president is in Asia this week, first visiting Japan, and is now in South Korea before heading to China, Vietnam, and the Philippines. This could be a pivotal trip for his administration, especially as China continues to build and militarize artificial islands in disputed South China Sea territory also claimed by a number of other nations. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit begins this week in the Philippines, and President Trump is scheduled to attend. In the Philippines, the president will meet with President Duterte of the Philippines, Indian Prime Minister Modi, and Australian President Malcolm Turnbull. The president has previously held talks with each of these Asian leaders about Chinese expansion, and it’s expected for talks to again include this topic. Last week, Australian news agencies reported that outgoing U.S. Pacific Command’s Admiral Harry Harris is the most likely candidate for U.S. Ambassador to Australia. That’s important because Adm. Harris has drawn a hard line against China and was key to the U.S. Freedom of Navigation Operations in and around the South China Sea. Harris’s strategic thinking makes him a valuable official in Australia’s plans to help the U.S. counter China in the region.
According to a Bloomberg report, “Buy Bitcoin” is now a more popular search term than “Buy Gold”. Gold prices are up 11% for the year. Bitcoin is up 700% this year, as institutional investors begin considering adding it to their portfolios. Banking CEOs have expressed both interest and scorn for Bitcoin as the cryptocurrency’s growth makes it an attractive alternative to traditional banking in many countries. Other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Litecoin are not performing as well, but remain strong growth contenders for the remainder of this year. (Disclaimer: The author owns all three cryptocurrencies. The above references an opinion and is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice.)
Join me on Forward Observer Radio today at 2pm Central as I talk about why this weekend’s protests got no support from the mainstream Left and why Antifa stayed home. You can listen live on Spreaker or catch the podcast edition on iTunes.
Low Intensity Conflict is a weekly look at the development of domestic conflict, revolutionary political movements, tribal violence, and other factors that disrupt our “civil” society. Each Thursday, we bring you the latest news and analysis from the front lines of the culture war, and look for ways in which culture is creating violence. Receive this report from our intelligence and special operations veterans through a Monthly or Annual subscription.
