IN PURSUIT OF A SECURE BORDER
Small Texas county leads the charge against border crime By Charlotte Cuthbertson
The Coming Housing Crash?
Political Warfare
Prisons Near the Brink
The housing boom is cruising toward a bust unless the Fed acts. p.46
America is not doing enough to counter Beijing's influence operations. p.40
Vaccine mandates may trigger walkouts among unwilling workers. p.30
NOVEMBER 12–18, 2021 | $6.95
Editor’s note
Leading the Charge I n fiscal 2021, border agents apprehended a record 1.7 million illegal immigrants. The number is the highest since the agency was formed in 1925—a time when only 22,199 arrests were made for the year. While the number is large by any measure, it fails to capture the magnitude of how many illegal immigrants evade Border Patrol—a fraction of whom are later caught trespassing and committing other crimes in Kinney County, Texas. The impact of this reality on the lives of those who live close to the border is difficult to imagine. In this cover story of INSIGHT, reporter Charlotte Cuthbertson covers the story of a small Texas county severely impacted by the border crisis. Seeing their lives and safety significantly altered by the constant stream of illegal border-crossers, Kinney residents and their elected officials have embraced every opportunity to stem the flow. When Texas announced in June that it would direct the Texas Department of Public Safety to press state charges against illegal immigrants who were trespassing on private land, Kinney County jumped at the opportunity to place consequences on illegal border-crossers where the federal government was failing. But prosecuting more than 1,000 cases of trespass and related misdemeanour cases is no easy feat for a county attorney who normally has six or seven cases a month. Read about how this small Texas county is working to make its community safer. Jasper Fakkert Editor-in-chief
2 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
STEPHEN GREGORY PUBLISHER JASPER FAKKERT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHANNALY PHILIPP LIFE & TRADITION, TRAVEL EDITOR CHRISY TRUDEAU MIND & BODY EDITOR CRYSTAL SHI HOME, FOOD EDITOR SHARON KILARSKI ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR BILL LINDSEY LUXURY EDITOR
ON THE COVER The cover shows Kinney County Attorney Brent Smith, who has been inundated with prosecutions under a new state effort to increase the consequences applied to illegal aliens.
FEI MENG, BIBA KAJEVICH & JUNHAO SU ILLUSTRATORS SHANSHAN HU PRODUCTION CONTACT US THE EPOCH TIMES ASSOCIATION INC. 229 W. 28TH ST., FL. 7 NEW YORK, NY 10001 ADVERTISING ADVERTISENOW@EPOCHTIMES.COM SUBSCRIPTIONS, GENERAL INQUIRIES, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR HELP.THEEPOCHTIMES.COM (USPS21-800)IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY THE EPOCH MEDIA GROUP, 9550 FLAIR DR. SUITE 411, EL MONTE CA 91731-2922. PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT EL MONTE, CA, AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO THE EPOCH TIMES, 229 W. 28TH STREET, FLOOR 5, NEW YORK, NY 10001.
issue 05 | november 12–18, 2021
26 | Nasal Spray
49 | China's Tech
Crackdown China’s new data export rules put multinationals in a bind.
Feds try to block marketing of alternative COVID-19 treatment.
28 | Time to Party
It's festival time again as Brazil eases pandemic rules.
50 | Guilty as Charged Is there a positive and healthy side to regret?
30 | Prisons Worry
51 | Electric Hope
Vaccine mandates may cause prison staff shortages.
Kaushik Rajashekara sees electric cars improving the environment.
36 | Safety in Action COVID is creating a new way into film and TV.
40 | Political Warfare More U.S. efforts are needed to counter CCP's influence.
45 | China
Export Tax A "China tax" could be used for climate finance and defending democracy.
46 | US Housing
Market The housing boom is cruising toward a bust unless the Fed acts.
47 | US–China
Competition Decoupling from China is more talk than action, data show.
48 | Climate Change Will climate change hysteria invite a popular rejection?
52 | Overparenting
Too much supervision is hurting young people, Lenore Skenazy says.
Features
12 | On the Border Texas is now prosecuting illegal aliens for trespassing, but the system is being built on the fly in small counties.
56 | Colonial Revival Charleston’s C. Bissell Jenkins House emanates timeless elegance.
20| Not Enough to Spare As the transport industry faces a driver shortage, truckers are now struggling to find parts to repair their rigs.
58 | Gift Guide
32 | Infrastructure stocks Traders’ bets on the Biden administration's vast infrastructure spending spree sent the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow Jones to new record highs. An Army officer salutes after placing a flower during a centennial commemoration event at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 10. Leading up to Veterans Day, Arlington National Cemetery opened up the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Plaza on Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 to members of the public for the first time in almost a century. ALEX BRANDON-POOL/GETTY IMAGES
We make holiday gifting fun with our curated suggestions.
60 | Grand Canyon Five ways to experience the national park.
64| Set Sail for Fun
How to chart your own customized luxury yacht vacation.
67 | Do I Clink Now? What you need to know to survive posh holiday dinners.
I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 3
S U C O F NI FALL FOLIAGE The Haut-Koenigsbourg castle in Orschwiller, eastern France, at sunrise on Nov. 6. PHOTO BY PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
4 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 5
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NAT ION • WOR L D • W H AT H A P P E N E D T H I S W E E K
Issue. 05
The Week
Gas prices approach $5 per gallon, in Mill Valley, Calif., on Oct. 12. PHOTO BY JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES
Consumer Price Inflation Accelerates to Fastest Rate in 31 Years Over-the-year consumer price inflation at its highest level since December 1990
✒
INFLATION ACCELERATED sharply and well above forecasts in October, with consumer prices rising at their fastest over-the-year pace in more than three decades as persistent supply chain bottlenecks continue to push prices skyward. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Nov. 10 that the headline Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation from the perspective of end consumers of goods and services, surged by 6.2 percent over the year and 0.9 percent over the month in October. I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 7
The Week in Short US CONGRESS
Nonpartisan Organization Says Democrats’ Budget Would Cost $2.4 Trillion, Not $1.75 Trillion
House Democratic lawmakers at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Nov. 5.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), a nonpartisan organization with an emphasis on federal finances, has said that Democrats’ budget reconciliation, which has been marketed as a $1.75 trillion bill, will actually cost around $2.4 trillion. The $1.75 trillion bill was unveiled by the White House after months of negotiations with a handful of moderates who refused to vote for the original, more expansive $3.5 trillion budget proposal. But according to CRFB, this new $1.75 trillion figure is far too conservative. Climate provisions in the bill would set the nation back by $555 billion, while universal pre-K and childcare programs would come in at $390 billion, and a proposed family leave program would cost $195 billion, to name a few of the most expensive proposals.
HEALTH
Naturally Immune Federal Workers Sue Fauci, Walensky
8 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
Attendees examine a Remington shotgun at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting, in Indianapolis on April 28, 2019. REMINGTON
Gun-Maker Remington Relocates Global Headquarters From New York to Georgia Gun-maker Remington is set to relocate its global headquarters from New York to LaGrange, Georgia, where it plans to open a “new advanced manufacturing operation” and “world-class research and development center,” the company announced. In a statement, the company, which is the United States’ oldest firearms manufacturer, said it plans to invest $100 million and hire 856 people over a five-year period in Troup County. Remington said that several of its strategic products will be manufactured in Georgia, without specifying which weapons would be made there. “Georgia’s firearms industry is respon-
sible for thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of investment in our communities,” Gov. Brian Kemp said. “I am a proud owner of some of Remington’s first-class product, and now, I am excited to welcome them to their new home in the Peach State. As yet another big manufacturing win for our state, I look forward to seeing the oldest firearms manufacturer in America thrive in Georgia’s pro-business environment.” Founded in 1816, Remington Arms is one of the largest domestic producers of shotguns and rifles in the world. The company said it will be hiring for multiple positions across production, operations, engineering, and management in the future.
FROM LEFT: DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES; BRYAN WOOLSTON/REUTERS; CHARLOTTE CUTHBERTSON/THE EPOCH TIMES; SETH WENIG/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Federal workers who have recovered from COVID-19 have filed a class-action lawsuit against Dr. Anthony Fauci and other government officials over a COVID-19 vaccine mandate that still forces them to get a jab. The government not only failed to offer a carve-out exemption for naturally immune workers, or those who have recovered from the disease, but neither President Joe Biden’s executive order nor the guidance explaining it outlines why naturally acquired immunity isn’t an acceptable alternative to vaccination, the lawsuit states. “Because [the plaintiffs] already have natural immunity, there is no coherent purpose for the federal government to require them to undertake a medical procedure to be vaccinated if they choose not to, or be terminated from their employment, their careers,” Robert Henneke, general counsel at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and one of the lawyers representing the government workers, told The Epoch Times. The plaintiffs say the mandate violates the Administrative Procedure Act, which allows courts to overturn government actions deemed “arbitrary, capricious, or an abuse of discretion.”
The Week in Short US VACCINE MANDATES
Naturally Navy SEALs Sue Biden Admin Over Denial of Religious Exemptions to Vaccine
A group of Venezuelans waits to be picked up by Border Patrol after illegally crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into Del Rio, Texas, on June 3. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
Biden Admin Sends Court Dates to 78,000 Illegal Aliens The Biden administration is sending notices to tens of thousands of illegal immigrants who were released into the U.S. interior without being given a date to appear in court, the government confirmed to The Epoch Times. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “is mailing charging documents to place noncitizens in removal proceedings who have been paroled or released under prosecutorial discretion by Customs and Border Protection,” an ICE spokesman told The Epoch Times in an email. The illegal immigrants, numbering about 78,000, will receive information packets, including documents informing them that their case will be processed via deportation proceedings and directing them to report to their closest ICE office. Agents will log biometric information, take photographs, and inform them of future check-in requirements and court dates. UNITED AIRLINES
United Can Put Unvaccinated Workers on Unpaid Leave, Judge Rules United Airlines can carry out its plans to place workers who receive exemptions from its COVID-19 vaccine mandate on unpaid, indefinite leave, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, a Trump nominee, last month ordered United not to proceed with its plans as he sought to make sure workers who filed for an exemption weren’t unduly harmed before oral arguments took place. But in an opinion issued after the arguments, Pittman said plaintiffs had not
Several dozen Navy SEALs and sailors have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration for denying them religious exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for members of the military, according to a legal group that filed the complaint on their behalf. The unnamed SEALs and sailors, who filed their complaint in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth, named President Joe Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro as defendants in the lawsuit. Their complaint argues that the plaintiffs sought a religious exemption to the Pentagon’s vaccine mandate but were denied the “fundamental right to the free exercise of religion and protection from agency action that is unlawful, contrary to law, and arbitrary and capricious.” Lawyers for the SEALs also made reference to recent media reports that quoted a Navy spokesperson as saying that to date, “multiple religious accommodation requests related to the COVID vaccine mandate have been adjudicated and none have yet been approved.”
A pilot walks by United Airlines planes at San Francisco International Airport on April 12, 2020. met their burden to prove they would suffer irreparably. United says it will grant exceptions to its mandate for religious and medical reasons but that all of those who get exemptions will be put on unpaid leave for an undetermined length of time.
Navy personnel prepare doses of a COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site in New York on Feb. 24. I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 9
The Week in Short World UK
UK Vaccine Mandate May Force 123,000 Out of Health Care Sector
A man shows discarded masks he found on a beach in the residential area of Discovery Bay on Lantau island, Hong Kong, on May 13, 2020. GLOBAL
Nearly 26,000 Tons of PandemicRelated Plastic Waste Pollutes the Ocean: Study Some 25,900 tons of pandemic-related plastic now pollute the ocean, with the majority stemming from hospital and medical waste, a study has found. The study, published in the online journal PNAS, found that since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic until Aug. 23, a total of about 8.4 million tons of plastic waste had been generated from 193 countries. The amount of plastic waste far exceeds the capability of countries to process it, researchers said. CHINA
China Has Mock-Ups of US Naval Vessels, Satellite Images Show
10 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
BOLIVIA
Bolivians Reject ‘Gateway to Communism’ Law, Initiating Nationwide Civil Strike Trade union leaders and civic leaders in the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz called upon businesses and transportation workers to unite in what they’re calling an “indefinite civil strike,” in response to a new law approved by the nation’s legislature that some have called a “gateway to communism.” The strike against the socialist government of President Luis Arce began on Nov. 8. The action was in response to a new law, number 386, officially titled the “National Strategy to Fight Against Legitimizing Illicit Profits and the Financing of Terrorism.” The law allows the nation’s president to regulate the aspects of the nation’s financial system strictly by decree. The law centralizes broad swaths of Bolivia’s power structure and allows the government access to private bank accounts, leaving many Bolivians worried about the future of their money and businesses. “This law is obscene and must be reversed,” Ronnie Marancenbaum, a civil engineer and protest organizer, told The Epoch Times.
THIS PAGE FROM TOP: ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES; SATELLITE IMAGE ©2021 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS
New satellite images have revealed mock-ups of U.S. Navy vessels in a desert in western China. The structures, designed to look like a U.S. aircraft carrier and destroyers, are likely intended to be used as targets in military training. The images were captured by A satellite image shows a carrier Maxar Technologies, a Colorado-based imaging company. They target in Ruoqiang, Xinjiang region, China, on Oct. 20. were taken via satellite over the Ruoqiang area of the Taklamakan Desert, in China’s Xinjiang region. A statement by the U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) said the location at which the targets were photographed was previously used for missile testing, including tests of China’s so-called carrier-killer missile, the DF-21D, in 2013. “This new range shows that China continues to focus on anti-carrier capabilities, with an emphasis on U.S. Navy warships,” USNI stated.
The UK’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for frontline health and social care staff in England may force more than 120,000 people to leave the industry, according to government estimates. Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced that all those working in the National Health Service and social care must be fully vaccinated as of April 1, 2022, to continue in their roles. The Department of Health and Social Care said the mandate will apply to health and social care workers who have “direct, face-to-face contact” with patients unless they are exempt.
World in Photos
A trader leads his camels at sunset, at the Pushkar Camel Fair in India's northern state of Rajasthan on Nov. 9. Held each November, the fair is one of India's most highly rated spectacles, attracting more than 400,000 people over 14 days. HIMANSHU SHARMA/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
A member of the Polish Territorial Defence Forces continues to patrol the Belarus–Poland border in Kuznica, Poland, on Nov. 9, as thousands of illegal immigrants attempt to enter Poland on Nov. 9. Countries bordering Belarus have said the migrant crisis on the European Union's eastern borders could escalate into a military confrontation.
Portraits of people who died trying to cross the Berlin Wall, on the 32nd anniversary of the fall of the wall, in Berlin on Nov. 9. JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
POLISH MINISTRY OF DEFENCE VIA GETTY IMAGES
I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 11
In Pursuit of a Secure Border ON THE BORDER
Amid limited federal enforcement, Texas is now prosecuting illegal aliens for trespassing, but the system is being built on the fly in small counties
12 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
Kinney County Attorney Brent Smith in his office in Brackettville, Texas, on Oct. 29. Smith said he's filed around 900 charges for criminal trespass since August, with more pending.
✒ Text & Photos by Charlotte Cuthbertson I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 13
The Lead Border Security
COURTESY OF RANCHERS
Recent trail camera photos of illegal aliens walking through ranches in Kinney County, Texas. Ranchers in Kinney County have seen an unprecedented increase in the number of illegal immigrants.
They’ll probably end up in places like Michigan, Missouri, West Virginia, Washington—we’ll never see them again. Brad Coe, sheriff, Kinney County
14 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
K
INNEY COUNTY, TEXAS—Charging W an illegal immigrant with a misdemeanor such as criminal trespass sounds simple enough. But throw 1,008 cases at a small county with a jail that has 14 spaces and a court system that usually handles six or seven cases per month—using Microsoft Word—and the wheels start to fall off. On June 10, when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed state troopers to start arresting illegal aliens—on charges including trespass, criminal mischief, and evading on foot—officials in Kinney County jumped on the idea. County Sheriff Brad Coe was keen to stick illegal immigrants with any charges he could to deter them from coming to his county. “We’re going to try to hold these people accountable,” Coe said. He also wanted to get them in the system because the illegal aliens captured in Kinney County have evaded Border
Patrol, so they’re unknown. Since January, ranchers and local law enforcement had seen an unprecedented increase in the number of illegal aliens traversing the county, and they’d given up on expecting federal solutions. Local ranchers, tired of cut fences and property damage, signed affidavits allowing the sheriff and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to press charges on their behalf. Although Abbott announced the Operation Lone Star border security initiative in June, it took almost two months to secure enough jail space and for the DPS to work out the process. The state set up a temporary 100-bed detention center in neighboring Val Verde County and cleared out the 1,000-bed Briscoe Unit in Dilley. Meanwhile, in July, almost 10,000 illegal aliens evaded Border Patrol in the Del Rio Sector, according to preliminary Customs and Border Protection numbers. By August, DPS was ready to start the initiative in Val Verde and Kinney counties. In Kinney, DPS assigned a small team to work the brush near the U.S.–Mexico border in areas of high foot traffic. The officers quickly started arresting an average of 25 illegal aliens per day from private ranches, often at night.
The Lead Border Security
THE EPOCH TIMES
At the sheriff’s office, state troopers and local jail staff took about two hours to complete the paperwork and magistrate seven Mexicans who were arrested late on Aug. 7. They’d been walking for two days before being caught on a ranch. Two said they had already tried crossing a month ago but got caught by Border Patrol and expelled. Another man, who said he was aiming to get to New York, said this was his third time trying to get through. He said his cousin intended to pay the $4,000 smuggling fee upon his delivery to New York.
“We’re playing catch up, trying to get the resources at the same time to do everything.” Brent Smith, county attorney, Kinney County
Several said they’ll probably try again, while others weren’t as enthusiastic. They all said a “travel agent” on the Mexican side of the border directed them on where to cross, gave directions of where to walk, and had planned to coordinate a vehicle pick-up for them. At first, Kinney County Justice of the Peace Narce Villarreal came down to the sheriff’s office in the middle of the night to magistrate the groups before DPS transported them the 30 miles to the Val Verde facility. But the hours became untenable and the sheriff’s office parking lot was overwhelmed with detainees, so the whole process was moved to Val Verde. From Val Verde, the illegal aliens would eventually be transported 126 miles to the Briscoe Unit in Dilley while they waited for their court hearing. Subsequently, some were then transported another 200 miles to the Segovia jail facility in Edinburgh.
The Prosecution Meanwhile, Kinney County Attorney Brent Smith was scrambling to take up the flood of new cases. He had started the job in January and was building the backend process on the fly. He had to go to the county commissioners to request a software system that would streamline the paperwork on the cases—Word documents had become too unwieldy under the volume. He contacted two other county
attorneys to double-check that his complaints were solid. Smith said he’s filed around 900 charges for criminal trespass since August, with more pending, and has had to rely heavily on Mason District Attorney Tonya Ahlschwede, who is part of Texas’s border prosecution unit, to keep up. Former chief of the Del Rio Border Patrol Sector Austin Skero, who retired at the end of July, also joined the unit as an investigator. After a misdemeanor arrest, Smith examines the evidence in the case file from the sheriff’s office or DPS. If it’s determined that trespass occurred, he’ll file a complaint against the individual for trespassing, which is a Class B misdemeanor. The charge is elevated if the individual has a deadly weapon, is found more than 100 feet past the property line on agricultural land, or if the alleged crime took place during a disaster (the county has been in a perpetual state of disaster since April). Once charged, the suspect will make a plea, and if he pleads guilty, he’ll most likely get time served and be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It’s not a hefty penalty, but “we’re hoping they avoid our county,” Smith said. The maximum punishment for a Class B misdemeanor in Texas is 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine, whereas a Class A is one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. As the cases have piled up, it has become a race against time for Smith.
The area on the Texas–Mexico border where Kinney County shares 16 miles of international border and provides a direct route to San Antonio.
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I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 15
The Lead Border Security
“If they don’t make bail, they’re in jail the whole time until trial,” he said. From the time of the arrest, he has 30 days to file a Class A misdemeanor complaint against a detained individual before the habeas corpus statute requires a personal recognizance (PR) bond to be set and the individual released. In some cases, Smith received the arrest files from DPS on day 29, or even beyond day 30. In other cases, the complaints were filed within the 30 days, but the inmate had bonded out of jail and was nowhere to be found. Logistics and lack of manpower were the bottlenecks, he said. “Because what the state did, when they planned on this process, they got the jails set up, they got defense attorneys funded, but not one prosecutor was there to get the prosecution set up for this,” he said. “So we’re playing catch up, trying to get the resources at the same time to do everything— versus the defense had everything set up from the very beginning.” 16 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
Texas state troopers complete paperwork after arresting illegal immigrants for criminal trespass on a local ranch, at the Kinney County Sheriff's Office in Brackettville, Texas, on Aug. 8, 2021. Kinney County Justice of the Peace Narce Villarreal (bottom R) magistrates a group of illegal immigrants, at the Kinney County Sheriff's Office.
On Oct. 14, Abbott announced $36.4 million in grant funding toward border prosecutions and 12 border counties, including more than $3.1 million in grant money to Kinney County, as part of Operation Lone Star. But the money doesn’t just appear in the county bank account. It’s grant money that requires an application process, and the county must carry the costs in the meantime. Smith has already spent more than his annual office supplies budget (about $1,200) on file folders for the trespass cases.
Court Proceedings The first of Kinney County’s cases came up on the court docket during the last week of October. They were conducted over video conference with retired judges coming in to fill the gaps. On Oct. 26, Judge Vivian Torres sat on the virtual bench. The cases proceeded slowly, with frequent pauses for the translator to ensure the defendant understood the goings-on.
The Lead Border Security
SCREENSHOT VIA THE EPOCH TIMES
Defense lawyer Sylvia Delgado had arranged a plea deal for several defendants that reduced their charge from a Class A to a Class B misdemeanor and a sentence of “time served,” with court costs being waived. The defendants pleaded guilty, and the judge agreed to the plea deal terms, which included a 72-day sentence, which had been served. Delgado said she’s been assigned about 190 cases so far by the Lubbock Public Defenders’ Office and has been focusing on getting the first ones out of jail because they’d been detained so long. She said she meets her clients via Zoom video conference. “And I tell them specifically: ‘You have not been forgotten. I’m your attorney, I’m going to work to get you out,’” Delgado told The Epoch Times on Oct. 28. Delgado said she lets them know that she’ll attempt to get them released on a no-fee PR bond, try to get charges reduced, and, if they want to plead guilty, ask for time served. “And then, unfortunately, when I go back to see them before docket, a lot of them are gone,” she said. Of her 18 clients for the Nov. 2 court docket, she has only been able to follow up with the six who are still in jail. “I met with Joselito, and Joselito had told me, ‘Well, Ms. Delgado, I just want to plead guilty and get sent back to Mexico. I just want to go back to Mexico.’ “So I was looking for Joselito. And he’s nowhere to be found.” She was told by the other inmates that Joselito was transferred to ICE, while others had returned to Mexico after bonding out. Other defense attorneys have also said they
Defense lawyer Sylvia Delgado (bottom R) speaks during an arraignment hearing for an illegal alien charged with criminal trespass in Kinney County, Texas, on Oct. 28.
OF THE MORE THAN
1.6
MILLION illegal alien apprehensions in fiscal year 2021, Border Patrol apprehended almost 958,000, or 58 percent, crossing into Texas.
had no idea where their clients were after they bonded out. The region’s district attorney, Suzanne West, told The Epoch Times that she believes inmates who bond out are released to ICE. ICE didn’t confirm that it was taking custody of the inmates, or what happened next. A spokesperson said the agency is following the enforcement priorities set out by the Biden administration. “In Texas and elsewhere, ICE conducts an individualized determination in each case to assess whether arrest and removal is warranted. This determination includes an assessment of aggravating and mitigating factors, as well as a determination of whether the person is removable under the law,” ICE spokesperson Monica Yoas stated in an email to The Epoch Times. “ICE fully respects the civil rights and liberties of all people when conducting this assessment.” The Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which operates the Briscoe and Segovia jails, said that as of Oct. 29, the Briscoe unit held 654 illegal alien inmates, with 536 from Kinney County, 105 from Val Verde, 10 from Zavala, and three from Frio County. In Segovia, all 291 illegal alien inmates are from Kinney County. Delgado said she has asked for an investigator to help on the ground to find the missing people and has meanwhile obtained a continuance in court for their hearing dates. “If they’re truly lost, like we don’t ever hear from them again, we don’t know what happened. If I can’t really find out, then they’re probably just going to keep getting reset,” she said. “So I suppose a warrant may issue, but we’re not there yet. We’re just not there in that system yet.” Most of the defendants on the next several I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 17
A total of 52 illegal immigrants from Mexico and Honduras wait to be booked for criminal trespass after being arrested by Texas state troopers on local ranches, at the Kinney County Sheriff's Office in Brackettville, Texas, on Aug. 8.
“And then, unfortunately, when I go back to see them before docket, a lot of them are gone.” Sylvia Delgado, public defender, Operation Lone Star
dockets, totaling about 60 cases, had their cases dismissed because defense lawyers argued that the complaints were deficient as they lacked the landowner’s name. Smith later said he was disappointed that the name of the ranch wasn’t sufficient for the court, as he was hoping to avoid naming the landowner in public records. The landowner’s name is usually included in the arrest file, which the lawyer can access. “A lot of ranchers are concerned about cartel retribution, possibly, if their name comes up in complaint after complaint after complaint” he said. “So we can still refile it and prosecute once we correct that information. But you know, they’re not going to show up.” Smith’s office scrambled to amend the 900 complaints already filed to include the landowner name and the GPS location of the alleged offense. Defense lawyers appeared to change tack on the Nov. 2 docket and entered “not guilty” pleas for all their clients who were still present. The judge subsequently ordered the release of each defendant on a no-fee PR bond and set a pre-trial hearing for Nov. 18. Ahlschwede, from the border prosecution unit, told the court on Nov. 2 that several illegal aliens who had been released from jail after paying a cash bond have since been arrested again for criminal trespass in Kinney County. 18 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
Smith said one man was released after paying a $4,000 cash bond. “Then we re-arrested him 10 days ago. And despite it being a multiple offense, they gave a $500 bond. Well, we filed the motion to revoke [the bond] once we got the case file—which was 10 days after it occurred,” Smith said. The man had been released three days prior to receiving the motion. “By the time we got the file, he was already gone. Who knows where he’s at now,” Smith said. Coe said his office has been juggling a steady stream of people coming in to pay cash bonds with wads of crisp $100 bills. “Some of them are $5,000. Where are they getting the money?” he said. At one point, he had more than half a million dollars in cash sitting in his vault. “I’d bet there’s a 99 percent chance that they don’t show up [to court],” Coe said of the released illegal alien defendants. “They’ll probably end up in places like Michigan, Missouri, West Virginia, Washington—we’ll never see them again. So are we doing this all in vain? I mean, it’s doable. It’s very, very new. It’s just getting the mechanism rolling.”
Impact Coe said he hoped the convictions might be a roadblock for illegal aliens if they ever tried to file for some type of assistance or become U.S. citizens. “That’d be a check mark against them. Some type of consequence has to be there,” he said. However, in reality, having a trespass conviction on record will act more like a speedbump, according to former immigration judge Andrew Arthur, who is now a resident fellow in law and policy for the Center for Immigration Studies. “Generally, this isn’t going to have any effect on them from an immigration standpoint, but again, sleeping in a room with 30 guys for six months really does have a way of concentrating one’s attention,” Arthur told The Epoch Times on Oct. 27. Even if the Texas legislature passes a bill that would enhance punishment to a third-degree
CRIMINAL TRESPASS Texas Penal Code Sec. 30.05. (a) A person commits an offense if the person enters or remains on or in property of another, including residential land, agricultural land, a recreational vehicle park, a building, a general residential operation operating as a residential treatment center, or an aircraft or other vehicle, without effective consent and the person: (1) had notice that the entry was forbidden; or (2) received notice to depart but failed to do so."
The Lead Border Security
Several illegal aliens who had been released from jail after paying a cash bond have since been arrested again for criminal trespass in Kinney County. felony for illegal alien trespassers, the impact on future immigration status would be negligible, Arthur said. “But again, anything that impedes people’s ability to enter the United States, anything that’s going to require them to be detained pretrial, or imprisoned post-trial, is going to be a deterrent,” he said. “Now, how strong a deterrent effect that is remains to be seen.” Arthur said the deterrent effect was worth the taxpayer dollars spent on the trespass prosecutions. “The problem is that Texas is doing the job that the federal government should be doing.”
Volume The majority of Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border occur in Texas. Of the more than 1.6 million illegal alien apprehensions in fiscal year 2021, Border Patrol apprehended almost 958,000, or 58 percent, crossing into Texas. Customs and Border Protection doesn’t publish the number of illegal aliens that Border Patrol agents have detected but who subsequently evade apprehension, but the internal numbers have sat at around 50,000 per month this year, according to an inside source. It’s impossible to estimate the number of those who aren’t detected at all. Within the Operation Lone Star border effort, the DPS had made 7,744 criminal arrests as of Oct. 14, including 1,300 for criminal trespass and 6,339 on felony charges. State troopers had been involved in 822 vehicle pursuits, mostly chasing smugglers who were transporting illegal aliens. Kinney County has charged significantly more illegal aliens with trespass than Val Verde County
so far, which started the initiative at the same time. Other counties, such as Frio and Zavala started prosecuting more recently, while Uvalde and Brooks counties are considering getting started but are strapped with the same lack of resources that Kinney County has experienced. Smith said the volume of prosecutions coming from Kinney County were a result of the county officials caring about the issue. “They want to do something more about it than just close your eyes and not watch what’s happening to your county,” he said. Smith said he’s been accused by a defense lawyer of being racist for prosecuting illegal aliens. “The criminal complaints make no mention of immigration status or hinge on race. If you come down to Kinney County and trespass on private property, we’ll arrest you too,” he said in a statement on Oct. 26. Delgado, the defense lawyer, said she hadn’t seen any malfeasance, despite the scramble to pull everything together. “It’s a big ship and it’s making a large turn in a small canal. And so we are all working really hard to get things moving. And I believe it is starting to unclog,” she said. Smith predicted that the system will be much more robust within a couple of months. “What we’re working on right now is tweaking the language of the complaints, researching everything, making sure there’s nothing else they [the defense] can pick at,” he said. “Now, will this Operation Lone Star continue for the next three years? Probably so. Unless the federal government decides to actually follow the laws passed by Congress—which at the moment they’re not doing. “The only realistic solution to this crisis will require deploying all of the Texas military on the border and actually prevent the illegal entries from occurring. Right now, it’s like trying to build a dam after the flood gates have already been opened.” ■
Illegal immigrants wait to be magistrated on trespassing charges in Kinney County outside the sheriff's office in Brackettville, Texas, on Aug. 6. Having a trespass conviction on record will act like a speedbump, rather than a roadblock, for illegal aliens who try to become U.S. citizens.
I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 19
TRUCK PART TRANSPORTATION
SHORTAGE TRUCK COMPANIES
in unprecedented scramble to find spare parts
✒ By Allan Stein 20 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
In Focus Supply Shortages
“We’ve never seen as bad a [parts] shortage in our company.” John Elliott, vice chairman, Truckload Carriers Association
I
Due to a shortage of newer truck parts, truck companies have had to find parts of older truck models to keep older trucks on the road. PHOTO BY THE IMAGE BANK/GETTY IMAGES
t’s a simple fact of life for the commercial trucking industry: Without replacement parts, the big semis stop rolling. And when the trucks stop rolling, store shelves across the United States won’t be refilled with products. “It’s getting horrible” simply finding parts to fix the long-haul trucks, said Patrick Benford, general manager at Rocky Mountain Truck Centers, in Flagstaff, Arizona. “We’ve run into a situation where parts are just not available,” Benford said. “What we’ve started having to do is search anywhere [parts can be found]. We’re using vendors we’ve never had to before.” Need a new water pump? That part could be weeks away on back-order. The same thing goes for any part that uses a computer chip, due to the worsening global supply shortage of semiconductors. At Rocky Mountain Truck Centers, a big white Freightliner semi that was parked in the service bay needed a new clutch, but even that part took longer to arrive. “I don’t see us getting out of this any time soon,” Benford told The Epoch Times. “We believe it’s going to get worse over the next two years.” At one of Rocky Mountain Truck Centers’ Colorado facilities, customer relationship manager Tony Downs said the parts shortage has had serious implications for commercial trucking— and truckers. “We’re having serious disruptions in parts supplies, there’s no question,” Downs told The Epoch Times. “Of course, anything with a chip is in really short supply these days.” He said the shortage is due in part to cargo ships waiting to be off-loaded at ports of entry in California. The situation is being made worse with over-
30 or 40
PERCENT
TONY DOWNS, a truck
facility manager, said that if the truck transport industry were to lose 30 or 40 percent of drivers because they refused to take the vaccine, the industry would “go into panic mode.”
I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 21
In Focus Supply Shortages
Service technician Chad Singer at Rocky Mountain Truck Centers in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Nov. 1.
22 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
“We’ve run into a situation where parts are just not available. ” Patrick Benford, general manager, Rocky Mountain Truck Centers
With newer trucks (2015 or later) certain air quality sensors have a tendency to fail, causing some truck engines to not operate. To make matters worse, newer parts aren’t generally compatible with older trucks. Anderson said trucks minted in 1999 (and earlier) are exempt from many restrictive government air quality regulations. This provides further incentive to keep older vehicles in good working order. Still, he said it’s becoming more difficult to find parts for them, given the dwindling supply and increasing demand. “We’ve seen the demand on these older trucks— enough to keep us busy,” he said. John Elliott, chief executive of Load One in Michigan and vice chairman of the Truckload Carriers Association, said parts that are in short supply include turbochargers, air quality sensors, and batteries. As a result, truck companies have been moving heaven and pavement to keep older trucks on the road, he said.
ALL PHOTOS BY ALLAN STEIN/THE EPOCH TIMES
seas parts manufacturers having to shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic and then start back up. And with the federal vaccine mandate for companies with more than 100 employees set to go into effect Jan. 4, that could spell more trouble for the parts supply chain, according to Downs. He said if the truck transport industry were to lose 30 or 40 percent of drivers because they refuse to take the vaccine—“then we go into panic mode.” “Truckers are a pretty independent lot. They don’t like being mandated,” Downs said. “A lot of these guys will just quit driving a truck.” As bad as the situation is now, it can only get worse with truck companies scrambling to find parts anywhere they can find them, he said. Companies are already having to “cannibalize” parts from older semis, although parts from newer trucks aren’t as readily available at salvage yards, which are “doing more business than ever,” according to Downs. At C&H Truck Parts in South Sioux City, Nebraska, parts manager Ray Anderson said the company has been keeping busy selling used semi parts in 2021. “We’re seeing a change in a lot of the phone calls we’re getting,” Anderson said. “People have always been interested in keeping older trucks running.” Anderson said 2007—and older—diesel-fuel trucks parts are more plentiful, since newer truck parts haven’t had time to accumulate yet.
In Focus Supply Shortages
Wait times for parts on back order are also taking longer than usual— sometimes three weeks or longer. “We’ve never seen as bad a [parts] shortage in our company,” Elliott told The Epoch Times. “Unfortunately, it’s in the newer trucks with all the bells and whistles.” Wait times for parts on back order are also taking longer than usual—sometimes three weeks or longer. While larger truck transport companies are better equipped to weather these shortages, “it’s pretty much a perfect storm” for the industry as a whole, Elliott said. “Everything I see and everyone I talk to says it’s going to get worse before it gets better. We haven’t seen the worst of it yet,” he said. Cathy Roberson, president of Logistics Trends and Insights in Atlanta, noted that the log-jam of cargo ships along the west coast has made the demand for parts “crazy up.” “The factories are having to play catch-up while the market is demanding more,” Roberson said. “The minute they produce [parts], they get snatched up.” “It’s crazy.” According to USA Trade Online, ocean freight imports of motor vehicle parts and accessories are up by 8.1 percent in 2021 versus 2019 and up by 40 percent versus 2020. During the same January to August time frame, air freight imports of parts rose by 87.6 percent in 2021 versus 2019 and 100 percent versus 2020. “It just shows the demand is so much,” Roberson said. “Semiconductor chip [shortages] impact every single industry. “It’s not like you can just turn on the light switch and it’s all taken care of. This is going to take some time to unwind. The problem is, you’ve got to have trucks to move the parts.” In the meantime, “everyone is freaking out,” according to Roberson. “There’s going to be stuff on the shelves [but] those specific Nike shoes—you may not get those [in time for Christmas],” she said.
Shannon Adams, assistant manager at Rocky Mountain Truck Centers in Flagstaff, Ariz.
A Freightliner semitruck waits to be repaired at Rocky Mountain Truck Centers in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Nov. 1. The parts shortage is due in part to cargo ships waiting to be off-loaded at ports of entry in California.
87.6 PERCENT AIR FREIGHT imports of parts rose by 87.6 percent in 2021 versus 2019 and 100 percent versus 2020.
Tony Bradley, president and chief executive of the Arizona Trucking Association, said the nationwide shortage of truck drivers —80,000 in total—has only exacerbated worsening supply chain issues. “Even before the pandemic, the situation was we had a shortage [of drivers],” Bradley said. “It’s an older workforce. We are doing everything we can to get [younger] drivers. The reality is, it’s difficult.” Benford said it’s not easy to find new talent to fix newer, electronically sophisticated big-rigs. “Even here, it’s just trying to hire people—and it’s all gone downhill,” Benford said. “I just don’t get it.” Asked what the future may hold for truck parts, he laughed nervously. “If we can’t get parts, we can’t fix vehicles. Then things are going to stop moving,” Benford said ominously. ■ I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 23
IN FOCUS BACK TO EARTH European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet of France speaks to the media on Nov. 9 at the Cologne Bonn Airport in Cologne, Germany, after arriving from Florida following the landing of the SpaceX capsule carrying him and three other astronauts. The group had spent six months on the International Space Station. PHOTO BY BERND LAUTER/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
H E A LT H
FEDS SEEK TO BLOCK PROMOTION OF A NASAL SPRAY
AGAINST COVID Xlear nasal spray.
By Alice Giordano
26 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
ple should continue to rely on medical professionals over ads.” The commission and the Justice Department declined to make any further comment. XLEAR’S ATTORNEY ROBERT Hous-
man, of the Washington firm Book Hill Partners, told The Epoch Times that the commission is “flat out lying” about the company’s claims being unsupported. Housman pointed out that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)—along with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an arm of the Department of Health and Human Services—funded clinical studies of the use of nasal sprays like Xlear’s and published findings last year that found they were an effective treatment and method of prevention for COVID-19. “When Xlear tells people about sci-
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: SAMIRA BOUAOU/THE EPOCH TIMES; THORSTEN FRENZEL/PIXABAY
T
HE LEA DING U. S. manufacturer of xylitol-based products says the federal government is deliberately trying to conceal a nasal spray it developed that it says has been scientifically proven to be effective in treating and preventing COVID-19. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in federal court against Utahbased company Xlear on Oct. 28, saying it has deceptively advertised its nasal spray as a treatment and preventative of COVID-19. The lawsuit asks a federal court to permanently ban the company from promoting the nasal spray as a treatment for COVID-19 and also asks that monetary penalties be levied against it. COVID-19 is the disease caused by
the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. The DOJ filed the complaint on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission, which alleges the company has violated the Federal Trade Commission Act and the Consumer Protection Act by making false claims about the benefits. The spray’s main ingredients are saline, grapefruit seed extract, and xylitol, a plant-derived sweetener commonly used in oral care products. “Companies can’t make unsupported health claims, no matter what form a product takes, or what it supposedly prevents or treats,” said Samuel Levine, director of the trade commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a press release on the lawsuit. “That’s the lesson of this case and many others like it, and it’s why peo-
Pandemic Treatment
entific studies, even ones republished by the NIH, we are somehow misleading people and making false claims. It’s nonsensical,” Housman told The Epoch Times. “Rather than embrace nasal interventions, the government is trying to eliminate their use because they don’t fit the government’s highly flawed, vaccine-only agenda.” On Sept. 20, 2020, the NIH and NIAID published the findings of a random clinical trial they funded at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee on the merits of using hypertonic nasal saline irrigations to combat the CCP virus. THE R ESEARCHER S IN that study
wrote that the “effect of nasal irrigation on symptom resolution was substantial,” reporting that “nasal congestion and headaches in COVID patients resolved an average seven to nine days earlier” in the study group. “Our analysis suggests that nasal irrigations may shorten symptom duration and may have potential as a widely available and inexpensive intervention to reduce disease burden among those affected,” the researchers wrote in their findings. “We would advocate the use of hypertonic nasal saline irrigations in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients as a safe and inexpensive intervention to reduce symptom burden.” Housman pointed out that the NIH also published the results of a clinical trial, held a few months later in November at the Larkin Community Hospital in Florida, that found the Xlear nasal spray specifically cleared symptoms of the disease in half the time.
The Justice Department didn’t specifically cite the Larkin, Vanderbilt, or Augusta trials in its lawsuit. It instead cited the results of lab studies conducted earlier at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill and the University of Tennessee involving in vitro and animal testing, neither of which the DOJ and FTC argue is a viable way to test nasal spray for live, human COVID-19 patients.
The federal government has warned companies against promoting nasal sprays for the treatment and prevention of the disease.
The lawsuit additionally pointed out that the University of Tennessee study is based on a nasal spray containing iota-carrageenan, which the Xlear spray does not contain and, therefore, cannot be used as scientific evidence to support Xlear’s claims. THE L AWSUIT A LSO stated that re-
searchers at Chapel Hill admitted that without further research it couldn’t conclusively determine that “administering treatment through the nose is the best way to treat COVID-19.” Housman said the trade commission cherry-picked findings within the lab studies to make them fit its agenda. The federal government has warned companies against promoting nasal sprays for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. BlueWillow Biologics, a Michigan biopharmaceutical company that manufactures a nasal antiseptic, and the Miami-based company Halodine, which created a proprietary iodine-based nasal antiseptic swab, both received warning letters earlier this year from the FDA to discontinue their promotion of their nasal products as a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19. ■
IN ADDITION TO the Tennessee and
Florida trials, another random clinical trial—more recently conducted at Augusta University’s Emergency Department in Georgia—also concluded that the use of nasal spray was beneficial in treating COVID-19. Researchers in the university trial, which is still ongoing, have so far found that patients with the CCP virus that participated in daily nasal irrigation were eight times less likely to be hospitalized than the national rate.
A battle is on in the courts over whether certain nasal sprays can be used as a treatment for COVID-19. I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 27
São Paulo Oktoberfest. More than 70,000 people are expected to attend this year's event, which will require vaccination or a negative PCR test for entry. PHOTO BY OKTOBERFEST BRAZIL
World Pandemic
BR A ZIL
HOLIDAY FESTIVALS RESUME
IN BRAZIL AS PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS RELAX
B
By Autumn Spredemann razil is readying itself for a return to festivals after an almost two-year ban on mass gatherings. In the state of São Paulo, Brazil, pandemic restrictions on events ended on Nov. 1, marking a return to festivals after an almost 600-day ban on large public assemblies. There are dozens of events and trade shows already scheduled for the final months of 2021, including highly anticipated affairs such as the F1 Grand Prix, Oktoberfest, and the large Christmas village of Villa de Natal. However, to attend, participants must wear a face mask and either be fully vaccinated against the CCP virus or provide proof of at least one vaccine dose along with a negative PCR test within 48 hours of the event. For many, this is an acceptable price to pay for a return to pre-pandemic festivities. “The evolution of vaccination in São Paulo and Brazil ensures responsible fun,” Walter Cavalheiro Filho, chief executive of WGroup and founder of Oktoberfest, told The Epoch Times. More than 70,000 people are expected to attend Oktoberfest, which employs 2,200 technical experts, 400 gastronomy professionals, and around 500 other personnel in areas such as security and sanitation.
“An event of this size will move the economy of São Paulo and the country,” Filho said. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, the pathogen that causes COVID-19, has killed 608, 235 people in Brazil, which is the nation that also has the highest reported caseload in Latin America. A pandemic response was initiated in 2020, and the subsequent restrictions fueled high levels of unemployment and inflation throughout the country.
Nov. 1 marked a return to festivals after an almost 600 day ban on large public assemblies. “The entertainment area was one of the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Filho said. Filho’s Oktoberfest event has generated more than $7 million for the city’s economy in 2019. For small-business vendors such as Alma Martins, the reinstatement of public events is an important part of economic resuscitation. “Things have been tough everywhere for business owners, especially ones who count on big events [for income],” Martins said.
She is planning to operate a restaurant booth at Villa de Natal. As for the “pay to play” requirement of vaccination to take part in public events, Martins doesn’t think that it will be a deterrent for participants. “Just about everyone [in São Paulo] has at least one dose already, and people are excited to celebrate this holiday [season] with family and friends,” she said. São Paulo has among the highest vaccination rates in the country, with 100 percent of its 65 and older population having been vaccinated against the CCP virus. Brazil has immunized 55.3 percent of its total population against the virus, with a total of 263,777,530 doses having been administered by Oct. 29, according to the World Health Organization. “Nobody is waiting to celebrate this year. The virus remains, but so do we. My family and I plan to do many things [for the holidays] including Villa de Natal,” Alphaville, Brazil, resident Maria Sousa said. Despite the general air of excitement surrounding the November and December lineup of activities, some residents aren’t happy about the requirements to enter. Santa Cecilia, Brazil, resident Alvaro Fernandez had been looking forward to the Formula 1 Grand Prix, but was faced with a hard decision when attempting to purchase tickets. “I was told, point-blank, a PCR test [alone] wasn’t going to cut it,” Fernandez told The Epoch Times. “I mean, I’m all for safety and trying to suppress the virus, but now we’re required to have at least one dose of the vaccine [to attend events]? “What’s wrong with just asking people for a PCR test?” Despite the entry requirements, Filho said the return to large-scale events is necessary because they celebrate the friendship between people while offering joy, music, typical cuisine, and culture. “They’re needed for the people who were practically isolated and without entertainment for a year and eight months,” Filho said. The office of the mayor of São Paulo didn’t respond to a request for comment by press time. ■ I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 29
Officers stand guard at San Quentin State Prison's death row adjustment center in San Quentin, Calif., on Aug. 15, 2016. In California, around half of prison staff didn’t get vaccinated by the Oct. 14 deadline. PHOTO BY JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES
VAC C I N E M A N DAT E
PRISON STAFF SHORTAGES MAY WORSEN By Cara Ding
30 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
THORSTEN FRENZEL/PIXABAY
States worry vaccine requirement at federal prisons could exacerbate staff shortages
Nation Prisons
RIGHT PAGE FROM TOP: JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES; ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ/GETTY IMAGES; SHUTTERSTOCK
W
ith state and federal vaccination deadlines approaching, prison employees remain some of the most reluctant government workers to get the anti-COVID-19 shots. Fearing major staff losses over vaccinations—correctional officers, unions, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have asked the courts to halt the mandate. At the same time, organizations that advocated for mass releases of prisoners during the height of the pandemic have seized the opportunity to push for more. Across 50 state prisons in New York, 55 percent of staff have reported to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 8; statewide, it’s 67 percent. In Illinois, less than half of prison staff have reported to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 28, while 70 percent of inmates are. In California, around half of prison staff didn’t get vaccinated by the Oct. 14 deadline. Newsom joined California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to ask a federal judge to pause the mandate. Their lawyers argued that around 2,000 employees nearing retirement could walk out of the prisons tomorrow if they wanted to, according to Los Angeles Times. Filling those positions would be hard as fewer applicants came in during the pandemic, they added. At the federal level, the largest union representing federal prison workers—the American Federation of Government Employees Council of Prison Locals—filed a lawsuit against President Joe Biden over the vaccine mandate on Oct. 30. In early November, the union organized a nationwide protest to heighten awareness of the staffing shortage, overtime hours, and potential effects of the mandate at federal prisons. Alan Mills, executive director of Uptown People’s Law Center in Chicago, said there are two reasons why the vaccination rate among prison staff is much lower than that of the general population. Mills said prison work typically attracts a macho type of individual who doesn’t like to be told what to do or who thinks he or she is tough enough to beat the virus on his or her own. Secondly, most prisons are located in rural areas, where people are generally less willing to get vaccinated than those in urban areas.
A CDCR officer escorts a convicted inmate from his cell at San Quentin State Prison's death row in San Quentin, Calif., on Aug. 15, 2016. Most prisons are located in rural areas where people are generally less willing to get vaccinated than those in urban areas.
“It really depends on how strong your opposition is.” Alan Mills, executive director, Uptown People’s Law Center California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks in Universal City, Calif., on June 15. Fearing major losses of staff, Newsom joined the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in asking a federal judge to pause the mandate.
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Though the vaccination rates among prison staff remain low, he predicts they will climb as more employees reach the point of choosing between their jobs or the vaccination. “It really depends on how strong your opposition is,” he told The Epoch Times. “It is one thing to say I’m morally
opposed, and it is another thing to say I’m willing to sacrifice my job for my moral belief.” During the height of the pandemic, Mills and others pushed for mass releases of prisoners across the country, saying prisons were COVID-19 hotspots and posed great health risks to those living and working there. Almost every state reduced its prison population in 2020, with many continuing to do so this year. In New York, the state prison population is at the lowest since 2003, numbering around 47,400 in December 2020. Texas, which has the nation’s largest state prison population, had about 120,000 inmates in October, the lowest the state has seen since 1995; Illinois’s prison population was around 27,000 in June, a decline from the 40,000 before the pandemic. Now, Mills is asking for even more releases in face of the low vaccination rate among prison workers and the potential for staffing shortages. ■ I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 31
President Joe Biden promotes the bipartisan infrastructure deal and Build Back Better in Scranton, Pa., on Oct. 20. Despite the back-andforth between the moderate and progressive wings of the Democratic Party, the bill was passed. PHOTO BY NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
32 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
Policy Impact Investment Frenzy
I N F R A S T R UC T U R E
Infrastructure Stocks Rally After Biden Spending Plan Passes Investment pours into infrastructure-linked names, including Caterpillar and Nucor, after Congress clears the $1.2 trillion spending bill By Andrew Moran
T
he s&p 500 closed above 4,700 on Nov. 8, recording a fresh record high after Congress approved President Joe Biden’s infrastructure spending proposal. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq Composite also touched new all-time highs. During a raucous Nov. 5 on Capitol Hill, the House of Representatives passed a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. The legislation, which received a final vote of 228–206, now heads to Biden’s desk for his signature. “We took a monumental step forward as a nation,” Biden told reporters on Nov. 6. “We did something that’s long overdue ... a once-in-a-generation investment that’s going to create millions of jobs modernizing infrastructure, our roads, our bridges, our broadband, all range of things.” The infrastructure component of the president’s Build Back Better agenda includes $550 billion in new federal spending. The bill allocates $110 billion for highways and roads, $66 billion for passenger and freight rail, $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging stations, $25 billion for airports, and $65 billion to modernize the power grid.
Despite the back-and-forth between the moderate and progressive wings of the Democratic Party, the bill was passed, sending institutional and retail traders into a buying frenzy. Investors poured into industrials and materials stocks to kick off the trading week. Caterpillar shares jumped 4.07 percent, asphalt maker Astec Industrials soared close to 15 percent, U.S. steel picked up 2.7 percent, construction materials provider Vulcan Materials rose 4.95 percent, and steelmaker Nucor advanced 3.6 percent. United Rentals, the world’s largest equipment rental company also enjoyed a modest gain of 0.21 percent. ChargePoint Holdings, the biggest U.S. electric vehicle charging company based on market capitalization, surged nearly 12 percent. Traders’ bets on the vast spending spree on America’s infrastructure also supported industry-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs), including the Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF (PAVE), rising 1.29 percent. Year-to-date, PAVE has risen about 38 percent. The investment security’s top holdings consist of Nucor, Emerson Electric Co, Eaton Corp PLC, and Kansas City Southern. Base metals also climbed during the Nov. 8 trading session. Copper on the New York Mercantile Exchange settled 0.86 percent higher, while I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 33
Policy Impact Investment Frenzy
A crew works on resurfacing a road in Alhambra, Calif., on June 24. The infrastructure component of the president’s Build Back Better agenda includes $550 billion in new federal spending.
London Metal Exchange aluminum finished up 1.9 percent. NYMEX palladium rose 3.29 percent, and platinum inched 1.99 percent higher. This also fueled gains in commodity stocks, including Freeport-McMoRan, tacking on 6.45 percent. Alcoa, the world’s eighth-largest producer of aluminum, which operates in 10 countries, increased by 2.15 percent.
What Market Analysts Are Saying
34 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
Anthony Pettinari, analyst, Citi
Rise of the Retail Investor Financial markets in 2021 have been dominated by armchair investors, influencing the movement of many different stocks. The rally in infrastructure-related equities further highlighted how much of a significant role retail traders play in the current marketplace. Typically, professional investors will load up on a stock before something bullish takes place and
FROM LEFT: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES; SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES
Market strategists were bullish on the infrastructure package, predicting its broader impact on the U.S. economy. “Investors have waited for a significant stepup in infrastructure spending for decades, and from Obama’s ‘shovel-ready projects’ to Trump’s ‘infrastructure week,’ they have largely been disappointed,” Citi analysts, including Anthony Pettinari, said in a note. “Accordingly, we view this generational investment as a significant catalyst for growth for a number of our stocks.” Philip Ng, an equity research analyst at Jefferies, wrote that many infrastructure-related companies could enjoy strong earnings growth for many years, with some firms and investors poised for seven years of gains. “The bill increases highway funding by 50% over the next five years, and we estimate it could increase [aggregate shipments of construction materials] by ~9% over five years from late 2022/ early 2023,” Ng stated.
“Investors have waited for a significant step-up in infrastructure spending for decades.”
The measures inside the bill could further nudge American consumers toward greater electric vehicle adoption, too. “The EV component of the Biden Infrastructure plan only buoys the EV adoption curve in the U.S. over the coming years,” Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives wrote in a note on Nov. 7. But Chinese and U.S. inflation could threaten to derail benchmark indexes’ tremendous performances. “U.S. indices continue flirting with all-time high levels following a surprise NFP read, the approval of Biden’s $550 billion spending bill, and the discovery of an oral COVID treatment from Pfizer,” Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote, wrote in a note. “But inflation worries come to overshadow the Monday optimism in the run up to the most recent Chinese and U.S. inflation data release due Wednesday, which should reveal a further rise in producer and consumer prices.”
Policy Impact Investment Frenzy
The Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF rose about 38 percent year-to-date.
then unload those shares when the news breaks. This would cause newcomers who bought into the latest developments to suffer tremendous losses. In this marketplace, it has become different. Jim Cramer, former hedge fund manager and host of CNBC’s “Mad Money,” alluded to Nucor as “too obvious for the pros.” However, as Cramer noted on Nov. 8, retail traders bought into the good news and could continue buying the positive trends. “It’s a new world, more straightforward, less pessimistic, and you ignore this optimism at your own peril,” he said. “Individual investors have a lot of power.” The rise of the retail army formed during the early days of the CCP virus pandemic, according to a Charles Schwab survey released in April. The poll found that 15 percent of current retail investors started their investing journey last year, prompting the financial institution to dub them “Generation Investor.” Although retail investing has slowed during the economic recovery, Goldman Sachs analysts stated in June that they think the retail crowd will remain prevalent during the present boom. “High cash balances and continued retail participation in equity markets should bolster household equity demand,” said the investment bank’s chief U.S. equity strategist David Kostin. “The tradeoff households face between equities and other asset classes favors equities through year-end given anemic money market and credit yields. Additionally, any signs of a sustained increase in inflation would favor equities over bonds or cash.”
Questions About What’s Next for US Markets The U.S. government will release consumer inflation numbers for October on Nov. 10. The market
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Investors poured funds into industrial and materials stocks to kick off the trading week on Nov. 8.
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is penciling in an annual inflation rate of 5.8 percent. If accurate, this would be up from the 5.4 percent reading in September. Should inflation strengthen, it could revive speculation that the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates earlier than previously anticipated. Last week, Fed Chair Jerome Powell told reporters during a news conference that the central bank can remain patient on interest rates, adding that it could respond if needed. However, as inflation swells amid growing wages and skyrocketing food and energy prices, market observers believe the first rate hike could happen in the second half of 2022, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. During the November Federal Open Market Committee policy meeting, officials approved tapering the organization’s pandemic-era $120 billion-per-month asset-buying program. It plans to wind down the stimulus and relief initiative by summer of next year. Analysts at the Bank of America forecast the Fed pulling the trigger on five rate hikes, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2022. A CNBC Fed Survey revealed that 60 percent think inflation is high enough to prompt the central bank to move on rates sooner than previously predicted. In addition, a Bloomberg News survey of economists between Oct. 22 and 27 revealed that the benchmark interest rates could rise to 0.75 percent in the middle of 2023. The Federal Reserve’s dot-plot, an economic forecast of Fed Board members and presidents, will be updated in December. The previous dotplot highlighted that half of the officials expected rate hikes late next year, while the other half anticipated rate normalization in late 2023. “Although Chair Powell maintains the Fed can be patient with regards to rate hikes, with measures of underlying inflation and wages intensifying and broadening, the clock is ticking on how long it can hold that line,” ANZ analysts wrote in a note. Could the U.S. economy endure rate hikes? Market experts are pointing to the strong October jobs report, growing automobile sales, and robust activity in the services sector. “We are on the train to normal,” said Kristina Hooper, chief global market strategist at Invesco. ■ I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 35
HOL LY WO OD
Lights, Camera, Safety! How the CCP virus has changed the way Hollywood acts
By Jennifer Dornbush
36 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
Most Hollywood productions remain strict on social distancing and mask wearing guidelines.
10% 20%
safety is now 10 to 20 percent of all production budgets.
other COVID-19 safety officers across a 24-hour schedule. “On set, there are about five COVID-19 safety officers,” he said. HE DOESN’T IMAGINE COVID-19 SAFETY in
Hollywood going away anytime soon with the CCP variants and flu season about to start. “Even a cold, or flu, can shut a production down if your No. 1 actor gets sick,” he said. MacKenzie and Katianna Lee, daughters of TV writers, saw COVID-19 safety jobs as a way to gain entry-level jobs in the industry while relieving the isolation and loneliness of being at home. Katianna Lee was studying cinema and TV arts at Cal State Northridge when the lockdowns began. “Two months later, I graduated into the pandemic,” said Katianna Lee, a COVID-19 health
ALL PHOTOS BY RODIN ECKENROTH/GETTY IMAGES
t t h e on se t of c ov i d -1 9, the illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, all Hollywood productions shut down overnight. By mid-summer 2020, a handful of productions ramped up again, emerging with a brand-new production budget line item—COVID-19 safety. Nick Greco was one of the first COVID-19 safety monitors to be trained and hired in July 2020. He has been an actor in Los Angeles since 2005, taking crew jobs on network and cable TV shows to pay the bills along the way. “I became unemployed when the pandemic started and then, a few months later, this job was offered to me. I’ve been thankful for having a job during a pandemic,” Greco said. “A year and a half ago, this was not a job. Now it’s one of the more essential jobs in TV and film.” Sometimes titled COVID-19 compliance officer, COVID-19 compliance manager, or COVID-19 production assistant, Greco’s role includes making sure people wear masks, wash their hands, and maintain social distancing. He orders all the PPE and sanitizing equipment and oversees the cleaning. Greco also supervises the COVID-19 testing days. “Every crew and cast member gets tested once a week. And then there are others on set who get tested more than once a week,” Greco said. “I don’t get any push back. But sometimes it does feel like being a hall monitor.” Greco, who is unable to divulge the name of the production for which he’s employed due to a nondisclosure agreement, works with two
On the set of the indie feature film “The Star City Murders” in Los Angeles on July 1. In 2020, Hollywood productions maintained strict social distancing guidelines, creating new enforcer jobs for young people eager to get into the industry.
Pandemic Safety Measures
Katianna Lee eventually progressed to health and safety manager when she took a new position on a Disney show. She says the hardest part of the job is making sure everyone is complying with the COVID-19 safety rules. She’s had to deal with every type of person on set. “There are important people on set who don’t like the rules,” she said. “Sometimes you have to tell them to put their mask on. They may respect you, but they may also hate you.” IN A TIME WHEN MOST YOUNG PEOPLE were
and safety manager on a Disney show. “My older sister, MacKenzie, was in production and informed me about this COVID-19 safety job. We thought, ‘If we learn how to do this, we’ll be on set and we’ll meet everyone and have access to everyone and everything!’ “What a great way to learn the industry.” Kaitianna Lee was hired on for an ABC show in October 2020. “I remember the first day on set, I didn’t know set lingo. And I was trying to figure out who everyone is and what they did,” she said. In preparation for the job, she attended 30 hours of training and learned OHSA regulations. She was also trained by her boss on site. Her first position was COVID-19 production assistant (PA). Her daily routine as a COVID-19 PA was similar to Greco’s. Last year, when Greco and the Lee sisters started working in COVID-19 safety, no one in the industry had ever worked on a film set with these kinds of safety protocols in place. “Masks, face shields, only 25 percent capacity in a transportation van, plastic sheets on the seats of the vans, having to stay six feet apart of everyone on set. How is that even possible with costumers, grips, and actors?” MacKenzie Lee said. “When they could, productions tried to hire people that lived together. Producers hired spouses, roommates. My sister and I worked together on a job.” This year, protocols have loosened a little and aren’t as heavily enforced.
“There are important people on set who don’t like the rules. Sometimes you have to tell them to put their mask on. They may respect you, but they may also hate you.” Katianna Lee, health and safety manager, Disney
feeling the anxiety of being locked up at home, Katianna Lee considers herself blessed to have found an on-set community in Hollywood. She went from months of isolation and loneliness to being with a community of 150 to 200 people on set every day for months. “I was having laughs and bonding for 14 to 15 hours a day. Within three weeks, I knew all their names. You start to just become family. And that felt special at a time when no one was seeing anyone. It was very fulfilling,” she said. MacKenzie Lee, who is a COVID-19 safety office administrator, has worked COVID-19 safety for Disney, Marvel, Paramount, and Hulu and on multiple music video productions. She thinks COVID-19 safety jobs are going to be around for a while. And COVID-19 safety is now 10 to 20 percent of all production budgets. One of MacKenzie Lee’s most discouraging moments happened after she alerted a producer that several people on set had been exposed to the CCP virus. Protocol required that they be sent home and quarantined. “That producer didn’t like that and fired me,” she said. She says the biggest takeaways from working COVID-19 safety are the friends that she’s made working on productions during the pandemic. “You really connect at a core with people, rather than surface level, when times get hard. You talk about things that really matter to you,” she said. She’d like to eventually work as a producer. “I really got to know people on a personal level. I’ve experienced the bottom of the bottom, and this will definitely help me be more connected to my cast and crew. I want them happy!” Jennifer Dornbush is a screenwriter, author, and forensic specialist. She wrote the theatrically released film and novel “God Bless the Broken Road” (2018) and has worked in TV developing and writing both original and adapted work. She is currently adapting her mystery series “The Coroner’s Daughter” for Lifetime TV. Visit jenniferdornbush.com. I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 37
S U C O F NI COMING TO AMERICA Fire engines spray water over an Airbus A350 of German airline Lufthansa prior to its take off for Miami from Munich, Germany, on Nov. 8. The United States reopened its borders to foreign visitors fully vaccinated against COVID-19 after 20 months of travel restrictions, paving the way for eagerly anticipated reunions among family members and friends. PHOTO BY CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
38 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 39
China Political Warfare
C H I N E S E I N F LU E N C E
CCP’s Political Warfare Left Unchecked in US
While global awareness of Beijing’s malign influence is on the rise, the US lags behind in recognizing and countering the threat, experts say News Analysis
By Terri Wu
40 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
in the United States—a Google search in October resulted in fewer than five media articles. Yet when the CCP issued a similar ultimatum to Australia—a list of 14 grievances, including some against Australia’s key policies—the nation roared back. Following Australia’s call for an independent inquiry into the pandemic origins in April 2020, Beijing has imposed a series of trade restrictions targeting major Australian imports, including coal, beef, barley, and wine. Collectively, these targeted exports to China were worth about $25 billion in 2019, or 1.3 percent of Australia’s gross domestic product, according to The Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based think tank. The Aussies, however, didn’t bow down. “Australia will always be ourselves,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in an interview in November 2020. “We will always set our own laws and our own rules according to our national interests—not at the behest of any other nation, whether that’s the U.S. or China or anyone else.” This response drew broad-based support, according to John Lee, a senior fellow at Washington-based think tank Hudson Institute and former Australian national security adviser. “The people and even the media are right behind the fairly tough stance that the Australian govern-
Chinese soldiers march past Tiananmen Square in Beijing, in this file photo. The Chinese Communist Party's influence operations are allowing it to fight a war against the free world without firing a single shot.
KEVIN FRAYER/GETTY IMAGES
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) gave the United States two lists when U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman visited the megacity of Tianjin in July. One was “a list of U.S. wrongdoings that must stop”; the other, “a list of key individual cases that China has concerns with.” Together, they urged the U.S. government to reverse a slew of China-related policies. Following the senior CCP officials’ reprimand of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Alaska in March, the lists sounded like an ultimatum. Items on the “wrongdoings” list included investigations into the origins of COVID-19, visa restrictions on CCP members, and sanctions on CCP leaders. The indictment of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, who was in Canada fighting extradition to the United States, was also cited in the “wrongdoings” list. Meng later reached a deal with U.S. prosecutors and was allowed to return to China in late September. At a press conference a few days after Meng’s release, the regime’s foreign affairs spokesperson Hua Chunying mentioned the two lists again when asked about Beijing’s response to the United States’ China policies. “We hope the U.S. can attach high importance and take concrete actions to empty the two lists,” Hua said. The two lists didn’t get much media attention
China Political Warfare
Political Warfare
ment has taken against China,” Lee said during a Hudson Institute podcast in August. A poll by the Lowy Institute showed that Australians’ perceptions of China had plummeted to a record low this year; 63 percent of Australians saw China as “more of a security threat to Australia,” a 22 percent increase from 2020. Nine of the 14 items on China’s list of grievances were not about the COVID-19 origins investigation or other matters relating to Beijing’s policies toward Xinjiang, Hong Kong, or Tibet, Lee said, but “policies that Australian leaders passed for the Australian population.” “So that showed that China wanted to effectively influence and even veto over Australian domestic and foreign policy. Because Australia has not allowed that to occur, we continue to suffer the sorts of coercive economic policies that China’s throwing at us,” he said. The third item on the list was “foreign interference legislation, viewed as targeting China.” The laws were introduced in 2018 following what then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called “disturbing reports of Chinese influence.” The legislation imposed disclosure requirements for lobbyists of foreign governments, and criminalized covert and coercive activities intended to interfere with democratic processes.
14
GRIEVANCES The CCP presented Australia with a list of 14 grievances, pressuring the country to reverse domestic and foreign policies that weren't favorable to the regime.
The CCP’s influence operations are a part of its three warfares doctrine—psychological, public opinion, and legal warfare—which guides the CCP in its quest to win a war against the free world without firing a single shot. Psychological warfare seeks to demoralize the enemy; public opinion warfare seeks to shape the hearts and minds of the masses; legal warfare seeks to use systems of law to deter enemy attacks. The three warfares doctrine has been summarized in the West as “political warfare,” and has been described by renowned Cold War American diplomat George F. Kennan as “an extension of armed conflict by other means.” The CCP’s political warfare “requires efforts to unify military and civilian thinking, divide the enemy into factions, weaken the enemy’s combat power, and organize legal offensives,” according to a report by the Jamestown Foundation. The CCP learned the fundamentals of its political warfare strategies from the Soviet Union. However, Ken McCallum, head of the UK’s counterintelligence service MI5, in October 2020 likened China’s influence operations to “climate change,” whereas Russia’s was just “bad weather.” In a 1983 lecture, former Soviet agent Yuri Bezmenov, who defected to the West, said: “The highest art of warfare is not to fight at all, but to subvert anything of value in the comfort of your enemy, until such time that the perception of reality of your enemy is screwed up to such an extent that he does not perceive you as an enemy. And your system, your civilization, and your ambitions look to your enemy as an alternative, if not desirable, then at least feasible—‘better red [than dead].’” Analysts have noted that Beijing’s political warfare operations are breathtaking in size and scope, and most are kept away from the public’s eyes. Virtually no segment of society is left untouched, though key target areas are those sectors that have an outsized role in shaping a society’s mores and perceptions: education, media, politics, culture, and social media. Tactics are also wide-ranging, from disinformation to blackmail to economic coercion to cyberattacks. “Chinese communist political warfare uses covert, corrupt, and coercive means to manipulate public perceptions and undermine democratic values,” Mark Stokes, executive director of Virginia-based think tank Project 2049 Institute, told The Epoch Times in an email. “Political warfare, including propaganda, is fundamental to Marxist-Leninist forms of authoritarian governance.” I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 41
China Political Warfare
Political warfare, including propaganda, is fundamental to MarxistLeninist forms of authoritarian governance. Mark Stokes, executive director, Project 2049 Institute
Global Awareness on the Rise
America Plays Catch-Up John Lee, senior fellow at Washington-based think tank Hudson Institute and former Australian national security adviser.
Faced with such an expansive effort to subvert Western democracies, public awareness is sorely needed to counter Beijing’s campaign, analysts say. At least two U.S. senators are trying to raise awareness. In August, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)
42 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced the Countering the Chinese Government and Communist Party’s Political Influence Operations Act, requiring “an unclassified interagency report” on the CCP’s political influence operations in the United States. “Beijing is a threat, not only to our nation’s national security interests but also to sovereign nations that fall for the CCP’s coercive diplomatic schemes. Democracies worldwide must wake up to the reality that China is an international bully,” Rubio told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement. But some observers say this simply isn’t enough. China expert and journalist Bill Gertz previously told The Epoch Times that the U.S. administration’s efforts to counter Beijing’s information warfare have been “woefully inadequate,” saying the U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC)—an interagency body tasked with countering foreign propaganda and disinformation campaigns—had done “very little” on this front. In response to this critique, a State Department spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email that the GEC launched a China division in 2018 “to help create a more balanced, transparent, and trustworthy information space.” “The GEC’s collaborative approach works with local partners to empower journalists, expose false narratives, and build community resilience to propaganda and disinformation,” the spokesperson said. A recently reported U.S. Army survey conducted in May 2020 indicated that almost 90 percent of soldiers hadn’t been warned about Chinese and Russian COVID-19 disinformation. The lack of awareness about Beijing’s operations seems to span across all levels of society, said Kerry Gershaneck, author of the book “Political Warfare: Strategies for Combating China’s Plan to ‘Win Without Fighting’” and visiting scholar at Taiwan’s National Chengchi University. “The threat that the CCP’s political warfare poses and the means China is using to divide, demoralize, deceive, and destroy us are almost completely ignored in the mainstream news media and academia,” he told The Epoch Times in an email. “Worse, they are little understood even within much of the U.S. government.” Gershaneck is a former counterintelligence officer, U.S. Marine Corps officer, and strategic planner and spokesman for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He said that while senior leaders in the Trump administration had delivered strong speeches and actions targeting the CCP’s abuses, the Biden
FROM LEFT: SHERMIE97/CC BY-SA 4.0; ROHAN THOMSON/GETTY IMAGES
Stokes acknowledged “a marked increase in global awareness of CCP political warfare over the last five years or so.” He credited Australia as one country leading the rise. In 2018, a series of investigative reports in the country exposed the alleged efforts made by wealthy Chinese businessmen with ties to Beijing’s “United Front” groups to influence local politicians. “United Front” groups refers to an array of overseas grassroots, community, and professional groups that ultimately serve to advance Beijing’s interests abroad and are supervised by the CCP’s United Front Work Department. The reports jolted the political class into action. “The last two governments [Turnbull and Morrison] took the lead in beginning the public conversation about what Beijing is doing and why legislation has been passed to outlaw certain activities by foreign entities. These governments encouraged the media to pursue these issues and piece the information and facts together for the public,” Lee wrote in an email to The Epoch Times. “In short, the Australian public is now on the lookout for instances of CCP activity, and this has been the best defense.” Similar trends are starting to take shape in Europe, too. In September, French military think tank the Institute for Strategic Studies of Military Schools published a 650-page report titled “Chinese Influence Operations—a Machiavelli Moment.” The document goes into extensive detail about the use of the CCP’s three warfares and other strategies in various areas, including film, education, media, and international organizations. In June, Germany’s Die Welt (The World) newspaper published a 21-page report, “China’s Secret Propagandists,” detailing how the CCP uses average Germans to influence public opinion online about COVID-19 in China. Major bookstores in the country were also involved in promoting Chinese propaganda publications, the report said. The article also gave examples of how the CCP rewarded local elites who opened doors for it and lobbied on its behalf with big public relations contracts, and retaliated against those who criticized it.
China Political Warfare
administration seemed to be “stumbling its way towards a China policy, as it appears to be torn by various camps with agendas ranging from climate change to the resumption of full economic engagement with the totalitarian party-state.” “In the absence of a clear policy,” Gershaneck said, “there can be no national strategy to deal with this threat similar to the strategy the U.S. developed early in the Cold War to combat the Soviet Union’s political warfare.” The White House and the Office of the Secretary of Defense didn’t immediately respond to requests by The Epoch Times for comment. In Gershaneck’s view, the United States’ ability to fight back against political warfare has atrophied during the past three decades following the end of the Cold War. Randall Schriver, chairman of the board of the Project 2049 Institute and former deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, wrote in an Oct. 26 tweet: “During the Cold War, there was granular expertise on Soviet platforms across the Department of Defense. That broad, granular expertise doesn’t exist now with the competition with China.” Gershaneck advocated systemically educating U.S. leaders on this topic. To this end, he included an outline for a five-day “Counter-PRC [People’s Republic of China] Political Warfare Course” in his book. A search of the online curriculum link that West Point provided to The Epoch Times generated no results relating to Chinese warfare. The National Defense University in Washington didn’t comment on its education programs regarding the CCP’s political warfare. In an email, the U.S. Naval Academy said that its Political Science Department “does offer courses on a routine basis that touch on China and strategic warfare” and that “these classes include electives specifically on China (Politics of China and Japan), on Asia overall (Asian International Politics), and on the grand strategy of various countries (Grand Strategy & Great Power Politics).”
Chinese Military Prioritizes Political Warfare At the forefront of the CCP’s political warfare operations is its military, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The CCP Central Military Commission, the Party agency that oversees the armed forces, first identified the three warfares as a PLA priority and a part of its “strategy revolution” in a December 2003 policy document. Since then, the subject has become a significant field of research for PLA scholars, who have studied hundreds of historical cases, established guiding frame-
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks at a press conference in Canberra, Australia, on Oct. 7. When Beijing imposed a series of restrictions targeting major Australian imports worth at least $25 billion, the Aussies didn't bow to the pressure.
63%
AUSTRALIANS RESPONDED IN A 2021 POLL THAT THEY SAW CHINA AS "MORE OF A SECURITY THREAT TO AUSTRALIA," A 22 PERCENT INCREASE FROM 2020.
works, and published warfighting manuals. In late 2015, the PLA reorganized to align its operations with the political warfare approach. As a result, the Strategic Support Force (SSF) was created to “centralize most PLA space, cyber, electronic, and psychological warfare capabilities,” according to a 2018 report by the U.S. National Defense University. The SSF reportedly has around 300,000 troops, according to a 2021 report by the RAND Corporation. “If even one-third of those are for psychological operations and a portion of those are focused on social media, that would still be potentially thousands of people available to engage in disinformation on social media,” the report states. At a June panel discussion, Eric Chan, a senior Korea/China strategist in the U.S. Air Force’s Checkmate Directorate and an adjunct fellow at the Washington-based nonprofit Global Taiwan Institute, said that the CCP’s political warfare successfully defeated the Chinese Nationalist Party during the Chinese civil war from 1927 to 1949. The CCP, he said, took advantage of the Chinese people’s mentality of “Chinese first, political affiliation second” to get nationalists to defect over to the communist side. Chan said many Chinese military officers wonder how the U.S. military maintains troops’ morale and loyalty without political officers like those in the PLA. In Chan’s view, this is because with the U.S. Constitution taking pride of place, there’s no need for political officers. “One of my biggest fears is, as politicization increases in America and the identity of party politics starts ascending across our other identities as Americans, then that will leave a big, big hole for this type of political warfare that the Chinese Communist Party is extremely adept at playing,” he said. ■ I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 43
P OL I T IC S • E C ONOM Y • OPI N ION T H AT M AT T E R S
Issue. 05
Perspectives A Chinese laborer stands near a furnace as he works at an unauthorized steel factory in Inner Mongolia, China, on Nov. 3, 2016. PHOTO BY KEVIN FRAYER/GETTY IMAGES
Tax China to Defend Democracy Imposing a global tax on exports from China would significantly decrease both global emissions and the communist regime's totalitarian expansion. 45 44 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
HOUSING: BOOM, BUST, AND WHEN 46
✒
A REJECTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL EXCESSES? 48
IS THE US DECOUPLING FROM CHINA? 47
GUILTY AS CHARGED 50
ANDERS CORR is a principal at Corr Analytics Inc., publisher of the Journal of Political Risk. He is an expert in political science and government.
Anders Corr
A Global China Export Tax
Using a ‘China tax’ for climate finance and defense of democracy
C
hina isn’t like other countries. Its model, under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is to expand its power and control both vertically and horizontally— that is, in both territorial space and the individual’s actions within that space. This requires maximizing Beijing’s control relative to other countries, including through negotiations over climate issues. Unlike those that attended November’s COP26 climate negotiations in Glasgow, Beijing strives to beat other countries, not just solve the problem of global warming. It hopes that by skipping negotiations, other countries, subject to greater electoral pressures because they’re democracies, will agree to the necessary carbon reductions without China accepting significant reductions. That would increase China’s economic power relative to democracies, aiding Beijing’s short-term goal of military dominance in Asia, and longterm goal of global hegemony. For its bare-knuckle power politics of today, the CCP adeptly finds historical justifications. While China is the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, it claims that other countries previously emitted more, and so now it’s China’s turn to pollute. Or the 19th-century Opium Wars against China somehow justify China’s complicity today in the production and global distribution of deadly illegal drugs such as fentanyl. Or a nine-dash-line map drawn in the 1930s around the South China Sea—a sea the size of India and used by all countries in the region, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei—makes that vast body of water China’s territory and, therefore, justifies the Chinese navy, today, in ejecting the fishing boats of its neighbors from waters that are just 12 miles off their coastlines, and more than 1,000 miles from those of China.
China leads other authoritarian countries, in particular its most powerful rogue ally, Russia, in flouting their responsibility to further decrease carbon emissions. While the United States and Australia both exceed China in emissions per capita, largely because China is less developed than these AUKUS allies, they cannot decrease their emissions relative to China without losing relative economic and military power. Thus, unilateral emissions reductions, if taken by countries key to the containment of the CCP’s growing totalitarian threat, would be penny wise and pound foolish. They would simply shift the preponderance of economic and military power to Beijing, which has shown no real environmental ethos, but rather one that is exactly contrary to such an ethos: the unmitigated expansion of its own totalitarian power.
China is the world’s biggest emitter, and it's seeking the expansion of its totalitarian model into an illiberal global hegemony. Emissions reductions, therefore, can’t be divorced from an understanding of the political situation and trends in each country, and the goals that each country has for the international community. China is the world’s biggest emitter and the world’s biggest economy by purchasing power parity. It’s on track to become the world’s most powerful military, and it’s seeking the expansion of its totalitarian model into an illiberal global hegemony. Ignoring these facts by allowing China to relatively benefit economically, and therefore militarily, is to quicken the world’s slippage toward a decidedly illiberal end. Considering the CCP’s
power-hungry past and its willingness to destroy the environment and to destroy the diversity of its own population through genocide, this can’t be good for the world’s environment or people. There is a way, however, to both defeat the CCP’s hegemonic aims and simultaneously avoid global warming above 1.5 degrees Celsius. It involves acknowledging that China is different from all other countries, and that the same yardstick can’t apply to its aggressive command economy that can be applied to countries with democratic market economies. Countries that seek global hegemony through the use of a command economy, which today is only China, should be ring-fenced economically to bring them back to a model of freedom and respect for smaller nations. Decreasing the economic power of China achieves two goals: first, it would significantly decrease global emissions; and second, it would decrease the ability of China to use its powerful economy for military expansion into Taiwan, the South China Sea, Japanese islands, and the Himalayas. Slowing China’s economy could be achieved through the imposition of a global tax on China’s exports—to be enforced by like-minded international actors including the United States, Europe, Japan, Britain, Australia, and India. The revenues could be used for climate finance and defense expenditures necessary to maintain the international rules-based system against the CCP’s aggression. Beijing would resist, of course. However, the alternative is to allow China to continue to increase its emissions even as it is the worst emitter, and to use those emissions to leap ahead of other countries economically and militarily. Down that road is likely the end of the environment, the international system of sovereign states, and democracy as we know it. Down that road is likely a global and illiberal hegemony ruled by Beijing. I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 45
Milton Ezrati
MILTON EZRATI is chief economist for Vested, a contributing editor at The National Interest, and author of “Thirty Tomorrows” and “Bite-Sized Investing.”
Housing: Boom, Bust, and When The Fed must act to prevent a housing crash
T
he u.s. housing market is facing increasingly powerful crosscurrents. On one side, low mortgage rates buoy both buying and pricing. The recent increase in inflation has reinforced this lift, as it has made low rates that much more attractive, and many see real estate as a hedge against inflation. On the other side, rising house prices are taxing the limits of the average family’s income, a pressure that will become even more intense over time, especially if mortgage rates rise. How this mix of influences will pan out and how soon will depend almost entirely on the interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve. For the moment, the upside of these crosscurrents seems to be prevailing. Although surveys show that 40 percent of Americans think that this is a bad time to buy a house—a greater percentage than any time since the early 1980s— housing sales remain robust. In September, new home sales rose by almost 14 percent compared to August. Although the figure is down about 18 percent from the pandemic-distorted levels of a year ago, sales today are at an impressive 18 percent above 2019’s average. Construction activity in September, though down from August’s spike, was still 8 percent above year-ago levels and almost 21 percent above 2019’s average. Home prices have risen by 32 percent since 2019, but low mortgage rates and a rise in household incomes have kept the burden of supporting a mortgage manageable for the time being. Clearly, low mortgage rates are a critical part of this picture. In 2018, the average new mortgage carried
46 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
a rate of nearly 5 percent. By bringing that rate down to 3 percent today, the Fed has singlehandedly induced the home-buying surge. Since most people know that rates won’t remain this low indefinitely, buyers feel a special sense of urgency. Even those who would have waited to buy have crowded into the market to secure a low mortgage rate. Although the pandemic has skewed where buying has occurred, the Fed’s policy is the most significant factor.
If the Fed keeps interest rates lower than inflation, this buying push will continue, and home prices will rise accordingly. More recently, inflationary pressures have spurred buying still more. Consumer prices have risen at about a 6 percent annual rate so far in 2021. No one knows whether this rate of increase will persist, but people can see that inflation has vastly increased the appeal of low mortgage rates. Consider that a borrower paying 3 percent on his or her mortgage loan is making the payment with dollars that are worth roughly 6 percent less than they were a year ago, effectively gaining 3 percent in real terms. That’s quite a compelling inducement, especially for those who expect inflation to keep up at this rate or get worse. If the Fed keeps interest rates lower than inflation, this buying push will continue, and home prices will rise accordingly. History has shown that the pattern can go on for quite a while.
If allowed to persist, however, the price of housing will rise so much that it will strain the financial abilities of families to sustain a mortgage, even at today’s low rates. Buyers will then step back, and, as history has made clear, the housing market will crash. That’s what happened in 2008, after a long run-up in home buying and rising home prices. It’s nothing the nation wants to relive, even in a moderated form. After all, that movement away from housing led to the 2008–2009 financial crisis and the Great Recession. The Fed could forestall this ugly eventuality by gradually raising interest rates. Such a move would moderate the pace of buying by removing today’s feeling of urgency. A modest rise in rates might also convince some that inflation will abate, easing yet another source of buying pressure. Home prices would accordingly rise less steeply, the adjustment among buyers would develop more gradually, and the country would avoid a crash. Achieving this should now become the aim of Fed policy. It’s far from easy to get the right balance. Policymakers would have to raise rates decisively enough to have an effect, but not so quickly or so far that carrying a mortgage would become immediately unaffordable; then, all the Fed policy would do is precipitate a crash sooner than would have otherwise occurred. Although history provides little confidence that the Fed can manage this balance, such an effort is the only hope that housing can experience what might be called a “soft landing”—and by extension, that the economy can enjoy one as well.
EMEL AKAN is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times in Washington, D.C. Previously she worked in the financial sector as an investment banker at JPMorgan.
Emel Akan
Is the US Decoupling From China? There's a push for self-reliance, but do companies really support it?
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he pa ndem ic a nd supply chain disruptions have exposed how dependent countries are on China as the world’s top manufacturing hub, and since last year, there has been a lot of debate about decoupling from China to reduce reliance on a single country. But is decoupling really happening? So far, data suggest that countries and companies continue to invest big in China. Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country surged 19.6 percent in the first nine months of 2021 over 2020, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce. Investments from Southeast Asia as well as China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries contributed most to the FDI flow. Meanwhile, U.S.–China trade is booming. Through the first nine months of 2021, goods imported from China jumped 19 percent and trade deficit widened 15 percent compared to the same period in 2020. Yet one by one, foreign technology firms are pulling out of China. Yahoo Inc. is the latest U.S. company that has suspended its service due to an “increasingly challenging business and legal environment.” Yahoo’s announcement came after Microsoft stated in October that it would shutter its professional networking platform LinkedIn in China. LinkedIn earlier came under fire for censoring American journalists, international scholars, and human rights activists on its China app. Twitter and Facebook were banned from the country more than a decade ago and Google exited in 2010. “China today is far more selective about what it wants in terms of global capital and global investment,” said Dexter Roberts, senior fellow at Atlantic Council. Speaking at this year’s China Forum, hosted by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, Roberts noted that after China’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, the communist regime welcomed foreign investment with open arms to help
U.S. goods imports from China jumped 19 percent this year compared to 2020. grow its domestic industries. But now, China doesn’t need Western know-how and capital to the degree it once did, he said. So China is decoupling well before any other country. And this is because of the regime’s “dual circulation” strategy, a longstanding ambition to make China selfsufficient while making other countries more dependent on the Chinese market. China is forcing out foreign companies in the information and communication technology space “where they have viable domestic competitors,” according to Stephen Ezell, vice president at the U.S. think tank Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. “But where they’re still trying to catch up, in areas such as semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, they still welcome foreign investment,” he said. While some American technology superstars don’t feel welcome in China anymore, U.S. semiconductor companies are still expanding in the country. China’s reliance on U.S. supply of semi-
conductor goods increased significantly in the past five years. Nearly 73 percent of chip production in China comes from non-Chinese companies operating in the country. China relies heavily on the technologies of foreign companies as they’re more advanced compared to Chinese chipmakers. China also welcomes with open arms U.S. big banks and investment funds. Wall Street firms have been steadily increasing their footprint in China since Beijing agreed to open its markets to U.S. financial institutions in 2020. BlackRock, for example, became the first global asset manager licensed to start a wholly owned onshore mutual fund business in China this year. And Goldman Sachs has recently won approval to take full ownership of its securities business in the country. Meanwhile, a national push to strengthen U.S. supply chains in manufacturing is slowly bearing fruit. Nonprofit Reshoring Initiative estimated that by the end of 2021, reshoring and direct investment activities will bring more than 220,000 jobs back to the United States, the highest yearly number recorded to date. Many factories have been replacing imports of industrial goods with U.S.made products. Nicole Wolter, president and CEO of Illinois-based HM Manufacturing, has been a beneficiary of the recent reshoring trend. She sees a strong demand for her company’s products—power transmission components—as more customers try to bring their orders back to the United States. In an interview with NTD Business, Wolter said that her firm saw an increase of 50 to 75 percent in demand thanks to ongoing reshoring initiatives. Like many U.S. manufacturers, however, she suffers from acute shortages of labor and raw materials. “A lot of the reshoring initiatives have been fantastic. But right now, we’re working a lot of hours just to try to keep up,” she said. I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 47
CONRAD BLACK has been one of Canada’s most prominent financiers for 40 years and was one of the leading newspaper publishers in the world.
Conrad Black
A Rejection of Environmental Excesses? Foolish policies have done economic violence to American households
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he day of reckoning over the Western world’s self-destructive indulgence of the excesses of the environmental movement must now be almost at hand. An important part of the Bidenization of America has been the frivolous discarding of America’s status as an energy self-sufficient nation after 75 years of oil imports. As if completely deaf to the many and urgent warnings of the cost of shutting down the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada and groveling to the environmental agitators by rolling back offshore exploration and fracking, President Joe Biden and other administration spokespeople have, apparently unselfconsciously, lowered themselves to beseeching Russia and Iran, countries with whom the United States notoriously possesses no reservoir of goodwill, to join with the rest of OPEC in increasing oil production. The spectacle of the president of the United States going cap-in-hand to the Kremlin and the ayatollahs is more demeaning than the indignities of the helicopters leaving the embassy compound in Saigon in 1975 and the seizure of the embassy hostages in Tehran in 1979. And as the rites and antics of Bidenization accumulate, the major oil companies of the world have effectively ceased exploration, graciously introducing the eco-fairyland in Washington to the implications of supply and demand. That is, the supply of oil will decline as the demand increases and the price to ungrateful Americans increases. If Biden imagines that the Kremlin and the ayatollahs or even our esteemed allies in Saudi Arabia (who cut the price of oil in the late Obama years in order to put a rod on the backs of the ayatollahs and in doing so saved Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia from Putin’s efforts to revive the Soviet
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Union) are going to palliate the violence eco-Bidenism has done to scores of millions of American households by raising gasoline and home fuel prices for the American public, he’s more cognitively beset than is generally reckoned. (Ironically, the United States in the past 20 years, including the Trump term, had a brilliant record in reducing carbon emissions.)
One anticipates the draconian comeuppance that the whole country is reserving for the Bidenists next year. One anticipates the draconian comeuppance that the whole country is reserving for the Bidenists next year, providing a sobering lesson in electoral arithmetic, and especially in 2024. But we will have to endure these upcoming years with Job-like patience as the executive branch leads America into ever-greater unnecessary energy expenses and evermore absurd “sustainable” energy boondoggles.
Referendum? But there is a ray of hope that arises in mother England and in the contemporary plebiscitary spirit. It isn’t widely realized what an important geopolitical development Britain’s vote to depart the European Union five years ago was. And it’s possible that a sequel is in the making. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who led the campaign to depart Europe while maintaining cordial trade and political relations with it, all in the framework of the Western Alliance, is, inexplicably, a climate change enthusiast who in his more animated moments stops only slightly short of Biden’s parroted bunk about the “existential threat” of climate change.
But the British public, like the French “yellow jackets” who rioted and demonstrated for an entire angry year about gasoline and home heating fuel price increases due to additional taxation to combat climate change, have real reservations about Boris’s current hobby-horse. As this is an issue on which it will be difficult to impose party discipline, as public resentment over the cost of reducing carbon emissions with higher taxes and prices becomes clearer, some are already foreseeing a British referendum on this issue, a “Climate Chexit.” Historically, Britain is rivaled only by the United States and France as the most politically influential and widely emulated country in the world, and a British referendum on the cost of combating climate change, whatever its result, would generate substantial pressure for a similar consultation of public opinion in the United States. Congressional and parliamentary democracies tend not to like referendums. The history of both systems favors the election of legislators to work out the precise wording of the legislation and even in France, the history of referendums prior to the current Fifth Republic was of rubber-stamps of questionable accuracy of the most self-serving initiatives of the emperors Napoleon I and Napoleon III. The United States has no history of such nationwide plebiscites but any reasonably worded question about the desirability of proceeding with the Biden administration’s $550 billion carbon suppression program triumphantly unveiled at the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, will almost certainly produce an unambiguous vote for rejection. Since the faddists dominate the political class and the national political media, it would be a magnificent act of self-liberation for the United States to consult itself, and puncture the giant hot-air balloon of faddish and generally mindless environmentalism.
Fan Yu
FAN YU is an expert in finance and economics and has contributed analyses on China's economy since 2015.
Beijing’s Data ‘Exit’ Rules
Foreign companies interfacing with Chinese customers now face big risks
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oreign companies doing business in China have been waiting years for clarity from the Chinese communist regime on how they can extract their data out of China. They’re finally getting what they were waiting for. But it hardly clarifies everything, and actually introduces new landmines. Last week, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) released a new set of draft rules governing the steps businesses must undertake to transfer their Chinese data abroad. The rules will have far-reaching consequences, affecting Chinese companies seeking to list their stock abroad as well as foreign companies with operations within China and Hong Kong. This clarification has been hotly anticipated, as Beijing mandates that companies must undergo a series of data security “assessments” before they can transmit the data they own beyond China’s borders, to their headquarters, for instance. It does clear up a few things. First of all, the agency overseeing this data is the CAC, China’s internet watchdog. The rules also dictate what types of companies must apply for assessment, how to apply, the CAC’s general assessment framework, and penalties for failure to obtain permission. The rules also cover all data leaving China’s “borders,” which undoubtedly in this case means Hong Kong. So foreign companies doing business in Hong Kong also will need to be vigilant. It was previously a question as to whether Hong Kong was under the scope of this law, but legal experts have widely confirmed that Hong Kong is squarely within China’s boundaries for this purpose.
New rules grant the regime with broad powers to restrict and punish companies. But aside from these general guidelines, the rules are unclear in many respects. The CAC states that all businesses processing data obtained in China must conduct periodic self-reviews and assessments of risks of transferring data abroad, and the firms in scope include “information infrastructure” companies and “key data” owners. Companies gathering data from more than 100,000 residents or companies harboring “sensitive” personal information of 10,000 residents or more must undergo an approval process by the CAC before data can be transmitted. The CAC said it would take 45 to 60 days on average and it would take into consideration the necessity of such transfers, the sensitivity of the data, and risks of loss should such data be compromised. Who qualifies as “key data” owners, and what qualifies as “sensitive” personal information? That’s still unclear.
But such vague language would grant the CAC and the Xi Jinping regime with broad powers to restrict and punish companies. There also is considerable leeway to politicize such data without prior warning. Despite companies having to undergo self-assessment, the CAC is the judge. Most foreign companies collecting data—any form of data—on their Chinese customers should plan conservatively and assume their data is sensitive unless told otherwise. Consumer, technology, financial, and health care companies would most likely be affected. But it gets even more complicated. These rules dovetail with China’s new Personal Information Privacy Law (PIPL), which went into effect on Nov. 1. Similar to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which went live in 2018, China’s PIPL carries heavy penalties for transgressors and has extraterritorial impact. Companies, including foreign companies with no presence in China but that have Chinese customers, could face stiff penalties if they are found to be in violation of the law. China’s PIPL is even more strict than Europe’s GDPR in that the GDPR doesn’t limit transfers, and that the European guidelines stipulate that governments can’t obtain such data at will without subpoenas or warrants. The Chinese laws grant no such protections for companies. Both the PIPL and the data extradition rules leave enough gray areas within their definitions for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to interpret and enact restrictions and penalties without limit. Foreign companies interfacing with Chinese customers now face even more business risk than before. I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 49
JEFF MINICK lives and writes in Front Royal, Va. He is the author of two novels, “Amanda Bell” and “Dust on Their Wings,” and two works of nonfiction, “Learning as I Go” and “Movies Make the Man.”
Jeff Minick
Guilty as Charged
Can there be a healthy side to regret and guilt?
E
di t h P i a f, t h e diminutive French singer who could belt out a tune like nobody’s business, won acclaim for her song “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien,” or “No, I Regret Nothing.” Most of us in adulthood probably don’t share that sentiment. Regret can sit on our shoulders like a paratrooper’s pack, weighing us down by the thoughts of prospects diminished and opportunities demolished. We reach the age of 35 and wonder if our single-minded pursuit of a career has ended the possibility of marriage. Or we look around and see many of our friends successful in their careers while we seem stuck in a job that brings neither wealth nor satisfaction. Or perhaps we regret the damage our vices have heaped upon us. Our alcoholism cost us our marriage. Our addiction to gambling left us poor as any pauper in a Charles Dickens novel. Our hot temper and boorish behavior have gotten us booted from administrative posts in four law firms. Sometimes, too, even the little regrets haunt us: the insult that hit a friend like a punch in middle school; the ugly way we dumped a college girlfriend; that raging argument over politics with Uncle Buck that spoiled a Thanksgiving dinner five years ago. The first cousin of regret is guilt. We resented taking care of our elderly mother in the final years of her life and with her death now feel ashamed and guilt-ridden for those feelings. We look back at the years when we were raising children and wonder why we made so little effort to
50 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
We look around and see many of our friends successful in their careers while we seem stuck in a job that brings neither wealth nor satisfaction. attend their baseball games and dance recitals. Meanwhile, our society has a phobia about regret and guilt. We see this in many of our politicians, who apparently lack the ability to say, “Man, I really goofed up.” We see it in our therapeutic culture, where
counselors spend a good deal of time trying to erase guilt in their clients. In her song, Piaf announces that her regrets “are paid, swept away, forgotten” and that she has “set fire to my memories.” At the song’s end, she explains why she’s able to toss her regrets into a dumpster: “Because my life, because my joy/Today ... it begins with you!” This is a beautiful sentiment, but not especially believable. Any guy who could wipe away all of a woman’s past—“my troubles, my pleasures”—would be a superhero of romance. But is there a healthy side to regret and guilt? If these emotions are crushing us and our dreams, then the answer is no. We must seek out help. But remorse can also act as a fine teacher. Inside of me, for example, is a chamber of ghosts from the past, specters of rue and shame. One or more of them pops up daily, reminding me of the wrongs and injustices I have committed in my life, pointing a finger at the harm I caused to others and to myself. But here’s the good news: I have learned from these ghosts. Yes, I still hang my head in shame over what I’ve done or left undone, but these regrets make me want to be a better person, to try harder to bring joy and strength to my children, grandchildren, and friends, and to avoid the mistakes that gave birth to these spirits. Regret, as I say, is first cousin to guilt, but it’s also the mother of holding ourselves responsible for our actions.
Environmental Warriors Revolutionary Aircraft
Kaushik Rajashekara: Environmental Innovator, Sees Hope in Electrification By Nathan Worcester
P
rofessor Kaushik Rajashekara—“Raja” for short—hasn’t forgotten where his journey began. “I was born in a village,” Raja says— Devarayasamudram, in the Karnataka state of southwest India. “You know, Indian names are all very long.” Raja didn’t grow up rich. His father had to work in a town about 60 miles away, so he was usually away from home. Raja’s father could barely read and write. His mother was illiterate—all the more reason for Raja and his older brothers to work hard in school. “My mother always made sure I was No. 1 in the class—that was all she understood,” Raja said. He speaks frankly about why he studied physics, chemistry, and mathematics—to get a good job, you need a good education. “Even today, the Asian communities in the United States want to make sure their children are highly educated and become an engineer or a doctor,” he said. “Parents push them to be like that.” “At that time, I was not thinking about the contribution.” AFTER GRADUATING
from 10th grade in his village, Raja moved to Bangalore, or Bengaluru, for college at Bangalore University. He eventually earned degrees in electrical engineering,
including a doctorate, from Bangalore’s Indian Institute of Science (IIS). But Raja wasn’t a perpetual student. In between and during his studies, he gained valuable experience in the private sector. “PEOPLE DO THEIR master’s, then they
do their Ph.D., then they immediately become a professor,” Raja said. “They don’t know any practical aspects— where it is applied, and what is the significance of the research. If you work in industry, you get an idea of, ‘Where are these things useful?’” After immigrating to the United States, Raja went on to General Motors/Delphi Technologies and, later, Rolls-Royce. At those companies, he worked on everything from early electric and hybrid vehicles to fuel cell vehicles to electric and hybrid-electric aircraft.
“It can change—with the new technologies coming, and the new ways of finding resources, I don’t think we will have any problem.” In 2012, he returned to academia. After a stint at the University of Texas– Dallas, he joined the University of Houston, located in what he calls the “energy capital of the world.” In 2021, he was awarded the IEEE Medal for Environmental and Safety Technologies “for contributions to the advancement of transportation electrification technologies for the reduction of emissions and for improving energy efficiency.”
Criticism of electric vehicles often highlights the low ranges of many current batteries, as well as the lengthy charging times. Skeptics also point out that such batteries generally rely on toxic rare earth metals, which are still primarily sourced from China through environmentally damaging mining projects. Raja, an industry veteran, is optimistic that these problems can be solved, or at least mitigated, in time. “Cars are coming that can go for 500 to 600 miles [on a charge],” he said, noting that internal combustion engines took more than 100 years to reach maturity. “Now, people are looking at different types of batteries, like lithium sulfide— that has an energy density twice the lithium-ion battery,” he said. “Over the years, range will not be an issue.” Raja pointed out that new, Uber-like companies offer mobile electric vehicle charging, letting you shop at a grocery store or a mall while your car is charged in the parking lot. HE’S ALSO OPTIMISTIC about research
aimed at recycling batteries to minimize pollution and the need for large-scale mining—for example, by reusing old car batteries for energy storage in the electric grid. He likens worries about the scarcity of rare earths to past fears of peak oil. “We were all talking about, ‘We are running out of oil.’ But afterward, horizontal drilling came from the United States!” Raja said. “So, it can change— with the new technologies coming, and the new ways of finding resources, I don’t think we will have any problem.” While he doesn’t expect his students to agree with everything he says, he hopes they will see the urgency of the current situation—and continue to innovate. “We need to do something.” Nathan Worcester writes about the natural environment for The Epoch Times. He lives in Chicago.
COURTESY OF KAUSHIK RAJASHEKARA
I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 51
Nation Profile
Lenore Skenazy, founder of the Free-Range Kids movement and president of the nonprofit Let Grow, in New York on Sep. 14.
THOUGHT LEADERS
Overparenting and the Crippling of the Next Generation Can less supervision make young people stronger adults and better citizens?
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eurotic parenting is preventing children from developing emotionally and becoming independent, says Lenore Skenazy, founder of the Free-Range Kids movement and president of the nonprofit Let Grow.
years ago, you wrote a column: “Why I Let My 9-YearOld Ride the Subway Alone.” You got in big trouble. But now I guess the question is, why did you get in trouble? LENORE SKENAZY: Two days
after I wrote the column, which was in the New York Sun, I was on the Today Show, MSNBC, Fox News, and NPR. I got the nickname “America’s worst mom.” I got into trouble when I was on these shows because I said: “I trust my son. I trust the city. I trust strangers.” And to this day people ask:
52 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
“But what if he had never come home?” It’s like if you’re not thinking about that worst-case scenario as a parent, you’re considered evil, you’re considered in denial, and absolutely uncaring and heartless. MR. JEKIELEK: In the film,
Dr. Peter Gray talks about how something has really changed dramatically.
MRS. SKENAZY: Peter Gray
is one of the co-founders of Let Grow, the nonprofit I run that’s trying to bring independence back to childhood. He’s an evolutionary psychologist who has studied play throughout history and its role in kids’ lives. It’s how the kids learn to make something happen. It’s how they learn to get along. We have replaced that with
BRENDON FALLON/THE EPOCH TIMES
Once dubbed “America’s Worst Mom” after letting her 9-year-old son take the New York subway alone, she’s featured in the new documentary “Chasing Childhood.” Here’s an excerpt of her interview on American Thought Leaders:
JAN JEKIELEK: Some
Nation Profile
We have a society dedicated to making sure that children won’t have to deal with anything scary or bad, or if something comes up, there’s somebody to help them through it.
zero, that’s exactly the issue here. It drives parents crazy when we think we can control for everything, and we can’t. One reason we’re so nervous about kids is because you can’t say when something terrible happens that God works in mysterious ways, or there’s a greater plan we don’t understand, or even that fate is fickle. If you could realize that it’s not all in your control, you could relax a little, because if something goes horribly wrong, God forbid, it’s not all on you, and people understand. There’s some sympathy and support. But when it’s all on you— and we are in this very judgmental era when we think anything that goes wrong is your fault as a parent—you feel like you must control everything. MR . JEKIELEK: Some-
thing you document extensively in this film is that there’s a huge cost when this play, this freedom to figure stuff out, is taken away from children. MR S . SK ENAZ Y: What’s
something that might look like play, but it’s really adultrun. I mean, if you’re going to lacrosse or soccer or Kumon or chess, whatever it is, there’s an adult showing up. But there’s no chance for the kids to figure out all the messiness of how to get along. We’re not giving them a chance to come up with anything on their own and make it happen. MR. JEKIELEK: On this show,
one topic which I haven’t really talked to anyone about until today, the only way to
call it is a “safetyist culture.” MRS. SKENAZY: We’re in
a society that’s telling us almost every day that everything your child is doing could be a disaster unless you’re hypervigilant. MR. JEKIELEK: We’re seeing
this during this whole COVID pandemic, too. You want to reduce the risk to zero, which in my understanding is not remotely possible. MRS. SKENAZY: Yes. The
idea of reducing risk to
interesting is when I ask people about what they loved doing as a kid and they reminisce, and then I ask, was your mom there? Nobody says yes. That’s because we weren’t under constant supervision. Life is so rich, but we keep editing it down. There’s something very different about exploring the world on your own and letting curiosity blossom. MR . J EK IELEK : You were
talking in the film about this mental health crisis among the kids.
MRS. SKENAZY: We have a
society dedicated to making sure that children won’t have to deal with anything scary or bad, or if something comes up, there’s somebody to help them through it. They’re missing the opportunity to face little problems along the way and get used to them. What if there’s a spat, for example? You want to jump in before anyone’s feelings get hurt. But if you’re telling a kid, no, you can’t even handle an argument with your friend, a spat in the midst of playing Barbies or dress up, you’re telling them they have no inner strength. You’re taking away the opportunity for a kid to get used to one of the many things that they’re going to have in their life, which is an argument with a friend. You’re telling them that they’re fragile because they can’t handle it, and you’re keeping them fragile because they haven’t handled it; you’ve been there instead. One of the things that Peter Gray says is that children are built to encounter the world, and that includes all the good stuff and a good dollop of the bad stuff, too. And if you only have the parties and the sleepovers and the Chuck E. Cheese, and you never have the arguments, the betrayals, a little bit of teasing or frustration or disappointment, you don’t have the warp and the weft. You only have one way of the threads going, and that’s not a strong net. Psychologically you’ve been deprived of developing the entire structure that’s going to hold you up for the rest of your life, which is “I can deal with that,” “That reminds me
I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 53
Nation Profile
It’s possible that democracy is a reflection of children’s successfully playing. of that time,” or “That was horrible, but I lived.” To try to make kids’ lives absolutely frustration-, sadness-, and risk-free is to try to keep the kid on the umbilical cord, embryonic, and then send them off while they’re still like this and say, good luck, kid. MR. JEKIELEK: Does this
create more compliant people? MRS. SKENAZY:
If discomfort is illegal or so awful that kids don’t feel they should have to deal with it, you’re creating a society that is hypersensitive and quick to look for somebody to come and do what mom did. MR. JEKIELEK: In “Chasing
Childhood,” you go into communities that are interested in parents who are thinking: I’ve gone a little too far in protecting my child. How does that work? MRS. SKENAZY: I formed
54 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
Lenore Skenazy and her 9-year-old son Izzy, in New York in May 2008.
Izzy Skenazy in the subway in New York in May 2008. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
JEZ COULSON/INSIGHT
Let Grow with Peter Gray, Dan Shackman, who used to be the chairman of the board of FIRE, which fights for free speech on campus, and Jonathan Haidt who cowrote the “The Coddling of the American Mind.” The goal of Let Grow was to re-normalize the idea of letting go. Schools are doing the
project because they’ve seen the kids getting really, really anxious and sometimes very passive because they don’t want to do anything wrong, and they’re awaiting orders. This is not good in the classroom. You want kids who are curious and alive and excited. The project doesn’t take much class time, and it’s free. If you want a society where kids become adults who solve their own problems and don’t wait for the authorities and don’t call HR and learn how to get along and think of brilliant new ideas that might be a solution to a problem, you need practice. And play is the ultimate practice for being a functioning adult. We think of kids as playing they want to be like grownups, but what are they doing? They’re organizing a game, it’s boring, they want to change the rules: Let’s vote. OK, let’s change who’s going to be first base, or let’s play backward. It’s possible that democracy is a reflection of children’s successfully playing. If you don’t have children playing, and if you have somebody telling them where to be all the time, you’re not preparing them for democracy; you’re preparing them for something else.
T R AV E L • F O O D • L U X U R Y L I V I N G
Issue. 05
Unwind
Geologically speaking, the story of the Grand Canyon began nearly 2 billion years ago. PHOTO BY DIEGO GRANDI/SHUTTERSTOCK
American Wonder How to experience the otherworldly marvel that is the Grand Canyon. 60
JUST SAY NO to giving socks this year. A gift of a food or drink subscription makes the holidays last all year. 58 WE’LL SHOW you how to make your next vacation look like an episode of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." 64 AN INVITATION TO a formal holiday dinner can be cause for panic—unless you’ve read our latest guide on polished manners. 67
I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 55
Here you get an idea of the immaculate custom pool, the covered piazza at the western wing, the gardens, and the courtyard beneath the breakfast room.
CHARLESTON CHARM
With views of the Low Battery and the Ashley River, this mansion exudes immaculate Southern elegance
By Phil Butler
O
NE OF CH A RLES TON PENINSUL A’S
56 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
Phil Butler is a publisher, editor, author, and analyst who is a widely cited expert on subjects from digital and social media to travel technology.
BISSELL JENKINS HOUSE CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA $11,200,000 • 7 BEDROOMS • 9,415 SQUARE FEET • 0.5 ACRE KEY FEATURES: • CHARLESTON COLONIAL REVIVAL ARCHITECTURE • PRESTIGIOUS CORNER PROPERTY • COMMANDING ROOFTOP VIEWS • POOL AND GARDENS • CONTEMPORARY GUEST HOUSE AGENT CARRIAGE PROPERTIES CHARLES SULLIVAN, FOUNDING PARTNER 843-266-8006
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELLIS CREEK PHOTOGRAPHY
grandest properties, the C. Bissell Jenkins House on Murray Boulevard, is available for purchase. Built in 1913, the house was the first home located along the new thoroughfare near the Ashley River. Designed by Walker and Burden architects, the mansion is a perfect example of the Charleston Colonial Revival style that became popular in the early 20th century. The asking price for the house, one of the most recognizable in this prestigious part of the city, is $11,200,000. Monumental in every respect, the property’s wonderful Tuscan portico, red tile roof, and rooftop observation deck are perfect complements for the unique location. Situated on a half-acre of landscaped gardens, the house is built from Summerville brick and trimmed in limestone. The three-story main house, its two-story guest house, and the lush grounds and pool face the wide Ashley River, James Island, and Charleston’s famous harbor in the distance. Built by Charleston businessman and banker Claudius Bissell Jenkins, the five-bedroom main house features imposing rooms encased in fine plaster, exquisite mahogany paneling, a wide center hall, and a grand staircase. On the first floor, there’s an all-glass morning room,
gallery, study, and superbly appointed kitchen. The second floor of the house features a three-room master suite, which spans the entire front of the mansion and faces the river. This suite has its own piazza, separate laundry room, and a gigantic gym space tall enough for a basketball goal should the new owners choose. There’s also a mini-bar on this level. A guest suite takes up the east side of the floor and has its own private sun deck overlooking the formal gardens below. On the third floor, you’ll find another minibar and kitchen, a second laundry room, walk-in cedar closets, plus three more spacious bedrooms with en suite baths of their own. A custom-made staircase designed by architect Eddie Fava leads to the rooftop deck with its commanding views of Charleston. Across the gardens below, a reimagined two-story guest house features wonderful views and amenities. The first level has a private suite with bath, while the second level boasts a tasteful main bedroom with master bath. There’s no doubt the prestigious location and the elegance of an age gone by serve to distinguish this property.
The two-bedroom guest house has been reinvisioned as a mix of classic-meetscontemporary charm. The open floor plan and modern feel are a pleasant departure from form. The house features all the luxury and style you’d expect.
Here again, you see the uncompromising workmanship exhibited in the house’s master suite lounge. The suite takes up the entire front of the second floor and the doors lead onto a balcony overlooking the river.
A view of the spacious kitchen from the family room. This space is a nice blend of traditional colonial charm with unpretentious contemporary utility. Adjacent on the left is the breakfast room with doors leading to the pool and gardens.
The entrance foyer looks out onto the Low Battery and the Ashley River, which borders the Charleston peninsula. C. Bissell Jenkins was the developer of this part of the city, with his house being the first built here.
The lavish crimson of the sitting area carries over into an immaculate and cozy master bedroom with its own west-facing balcony. On the other side of the sitting area, the master dressing room features a fireplace and huge closets. I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 57
HOLIDAY T
his year, instead of giving your loved ones yet another bathrobe or new pair of socks, consider one of these unique gifts that will show how much you really care.
GIFT GUIDE 2021 You'll find something special for everyone on your list.
By Bill Lindsey & Many Ngom
PERSONAL FREEDOM MACHINE
PLUG-IN PORSCHE
Everrati Electric Car Conversion
BASE PRICE: $273,500 (£200,000), EVERRATI.COM
58 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
YO U R OWN AIRLINE
HondaJet Show you care by giving the gift of a personal airline. The HondaJet will take up to five passengers on 1,223 nm jaunts at up to 486 mph. If you want to be the pilot, HondaJet will help you earn your license. PRICED FROM $5,300,000, HONDAJET.COM
A helicopter is the ultimate freedom machine, ready to whisk you up and away. The single-seat XET can cruise up to 115 mph. Get the “factory finished” option ready for the owner to install the engine, under factory supervision. MSRP: FROM $50,000 LESS ENGINE ($22,000), COMPOSITE-FX.COM
HELICOPTER: PHILLIP N. BLAHA
Everrati replaces the engine of a classic Porsche 911 with a 440 bhp electric motor, and then entirely renovates the suspension and interior. With a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.5 seconds and a 180-mile driving range, it blends practicality with performance.
Composite FX XET Personal Helicopter
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TA S T E T H E F L O R I D A K E Y S
1. George Stone Crab Claws
from a wide variety of domestic and international regions. Open and enjoy!
T H E C O N S U M M AT E P A R T Y HOST’S HANDBOOK
From Oct. 15 to May 1, commercial fishermen harvest the taste of the Florida Keys. Only one claw is removed before the crab is tossed back in the ocean to regrow it. Let George send them for your holiday feast.
A HANDSOME GAME ROOM UPGRADE
Gift the secrets of effortless entertaining, and you might earn yourself an invitation to your recipient’s next party in the process. The notebook includes pointers from entertaining guru Fiona Leahy and plenty of pages for planning and notes, all bound in elegant crossgrain leather.
PRICES START AT $110 PER MONTH FOR FOUR BOTTLES PER MONTH (OTHER OPTIONS AVAILABLE), PLONKWINECLUB.COM
PRICED FROM $89.97 PLUS SHIPPING, GEORGESTONECRAB.COM
5. 9’ Antique Walnut Shuffleboard Table
TIME TO WRITE
Give the game room or man cave a unique flair with an indoor shuffleboard table. Crafted of solid Aspen, this pub-quality table features a 44-mm solid wood playing surface, scoring markers, and eight pucks. In between games, cover it to use as a buffet table.
2. Carl F. Bucherer and Caran d’Ache Limited Edition As analog timepieces and handwritten notes become ever rarer, watchmaker Carl F. Bucherer and the artisans of Caran d’Ache have joined forces to keep traditional ways alive. The set consists of a 25-jewel flyback chronograph boxed with a matching silver-plated, rhodium-coated rollerball. MSRP: $7,200, CARANDACHE.COM I N S TA N T R O YA LT Y
3. Established Titles Lordship and Ladyship Title Packs For those on your list who insist on being treated like royalty, make it official. The purchase price is used to acquire a “souvenir plot” of Scottish land. As landowners, recipients have the right to use the title of lord or lady. $49, ESTABLISHEDTITLES.COM
HAPPINESS IN A BOT TLE , EVERY MONTH
4. Plonk Wine Club
Make finding and enjoying new wines simple. Each month, those on your list will receive 4, 6, or 12 bottles of red, white, or mixed wines
$3,319.99, MYMANCAVESTORE.COM WET PETS
6. BiOrb Halo Aquarium An aquarium gives life to any room, and the biOrb Halo with a menu of 16 LED lighting options is as beautiful as it is easy to maintain. Sized from 4 to 16 gallons, it comes ready to add fish and water. PRICED FROM $123.99, PETSMART.COM H A N D - PA I N T E D ELEGANCE
7. De Gournay Tobacco Leaf Trumpet Vase Hand-fired and hand-painted using traditional, centuries-old Oriental porcelain-making techniques, this 18-inch trumpet vase combines elegance and practicality. Use it to beautifully display fresh bouquets, or turn it into a lamp. FROM $2,458 FOR A PAIR, DEGOURNAY.COM
8. Smythson Notes on Entertaining With Fiona Leahy Soho Notebook
$275, SMYTHSON.COM
TURN BACK TIME , OVERNIG HT
9. La Prairie Skin Caviar Nighttime Oil Complete a luxurious evening skincare routine with the newest addition to La Prairie’s signature caviar collection. Rich with caviar retinol and lipids, the deeply nourishing formula softens and smooths, lifts and firms, and visibly reduces lines and wrinkles. $530, LAPRAIRIE.COM
A LUSCIOUS BOUQUET
10. AERIN Ambrette de Noir Parfum A captivating tribute to femininity, Ambrette de Noir opens with rose petals and notes of freesia, orange flower, jasmine, and white peony. An AERIN-exclusive co-distillation of musky ambrette seed and tonka absolute, along with vanilla bourbon and cedarwood, make this fragrance a rare gem. $335 FOR 3.4 OUNCES, AERIN.COM
I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 59
Travel National Parks
Visitors take in the sunset over the park at the North Rim.
The Grand Canyon, From Rim to Rim Most visitors stick to the South Rim, but there’s much more to explore By Tim Johnson
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60 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
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erally unforgettable—even decades later, you’ll remember that feeling of emptiness, the sense that you could never wrap your mind around this endless marvel no matter how hard you try. Indeed it’s big. Stretching 18 miles across, the canyon is 277 miles long and about a mile deep. It takes five hours to drive from the South Rim Village to the North Rim Village, although 90 percent of visitors visit only the South Rim, which is easily accessible from the transcontinental Interstate 40. Fortunately, there are many ways to experience America’s greatest natural wonder—here are five of the very best.
1 Hike From Rim to Rim
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In a typical year, 5 million to 6 million visitors visit the canyon, but just a tiny percentage make it down to the bottom and even fewer hike from the North Rim to the South Rim, a journey that isn’t for the faint of heart (or the poorly trained). Stretching 24 miles, it’s not the length that will
FROM LEFT: PAT TR/SHUTTERSTOCK; NOOTPRAPA/SHUTTERSTOCK; JIM MALLOUK/SHUTTERSTOCK
ne of America’s greatest icons, the Grand Canyon, is an almost incomprehensible natural attraction. Like the Taj Mahal or the Eiffel Tower, its image has become almost ubiquitous. Indigenous people have lived there for thousands of years, building communities in the clefts of the rock. Spanish explorer García López de Cárdenas was the first European to spot the canyon, back in 1540, led there by Hopi guides, although no Europeans would return for more than two centuries. President Theodore Roosevelt visited in 1903 and was overwhelmed by the canyon, saying it “fills me with awe” and calling it “the one great sight that every American should see.” He designated this huge gorge a national monument in 1908, and Woodrow Wilson designated the almost 2,000-square-mile Grand Canyon National Park in 1919. Since then, it has been recognized as both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Natural Wonder of the World. One’s first approach, striding to the edge, away from the bustle of Grand Canyon Village, is lit-
Travel National Parks challenge you—it’s the descent and ascent. Connecting North Kaibab Trail and Bright Angel Trail, the trip to the bottom of the canyon takes you down 6,000 feet, with 4,500 feet of strenuous switchbacks awaiting on the other side. If that sounds like a little too much (it will also involve an overnight in a campground or a lodge), tackle just the Bright Angel Trail from the South Rim and turn back at Indian Garden. You’ll only get about halfway to the bottom, but you’ll have sweeping views all along the way and be back by the end of the day.
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those afraid of heights will still feel jittery, the designers assure visitors that it’s safe, as it’s able to support 70 jumbo jets fully loaded with passengers.
In a typical year, five to six million visitors visit the canyon, but just a tiny percentage get down to the bottom. C o l r a d R i ve
2 Stay at the Bottom
4 Raft on the River
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If you’re fortunate enough to get a reservation, spend the night at Phantom Ranch. Built by the legendary Fred Harvey Company and opened in 1922, this lodge and series of wood-and-stone cabins between the Colorado River and Bright Angel Creek stand as the only accommodations constructed below the rim. It was originally to be called Roosevelt’s Chalets, but Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, who drew up the plans, insisted on the current name. There, you’ll have a comfortable bed, a hot meal, and a cool drink, but no television or cellphone connections. If you really need to make a call, there’s a payphone a halfmile away at a nearby campground.
The park’s South Rim lies 60 miles north of Williams and 80 miles northwest of Flagstaff.
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If You Go When to Go: Grand Canyon National Park is at its busiest during the summers, so if you’re looking for lighter crowds, try shoulder seasons—March through May, or September through November.
While people often challenge whitewater rapids in big inflatable rafts, the Grand Canyon Dory Getting There: Company rolls down the Airlines service Phoenix, Flagstaff, Colorado River on a style and Las Vegas. of wooden boat used for Amtrak rail plus centuries by Portuguese bus service from fishermen. Large enough Flagstaff; Grand to carry four people, with Canyon Railway from Williams. room for camping and outdoor gear below deck, The park offers a free shuttle along expert boatmen navigate the South Rim. the rapids with oars. The dories are fast and sturAccommodations: Campgrounds, dy, and those inside will lodges, and cabins always get a thrilling ride are available when they hit big water. but make sure But make sure you have to reserve far in advance. enough time to enjoy it: The shortest voyage lasts five days and the longest, almost three weeks, as it runs the entire length of the river, about 280 miles, through places with colorful names such as Elves Chasm and Blacktail Cavern.
5 Chopper Over Top The best view is always from above. Lift off from the South Rim—or Las Vegas—and peer out through the massive windows on an Eco-Star helicopter. It’s brief and amazing, from the heart-pounding moment you stride beneath the rotors and slip into the stadium-style seating onboard to the second the ground falls away to the moment you arrive on the North Rim, all the way across the canyon.
The Grand Canyon Skywalk is suspended 2,000 feet above the canyon floor.
Tim Johnson is based in Toronto. He has visited 140 countries across all seven continents.
3 Walk on Glass For a spectacular view that doesn’t require an overnight backpacking trip (or many sweaty workouts to prepare), the Skywalk at Grand Canyon West will take you well past the rim. Extending 70 feet out over the floor of the gorge, look down through the glass to gaze at the ground more than 4,000 feet below. While
Stretching 18 miles across, the canyon is
277 MILES long, and about a mile deep.
Rafting on the Colorado River. I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 61
Epoch Booklist
RECOMMENDED READING HISTORY
History of the United States
By Noah Webster
A Forgotten History of America Written for students in 1838, this textbook by prolific author Noah Webster (of dictionary fame) is a fascinating look into early America’s place in the world, as colonists dealt with unfriendly native tribes and being the pawns of powerful European nations. FORGOTTEN BOOKS, 2018, 364 PAGES
Carnage and Culture
By Victor Davis Hanson
Landmark Battles of Western Culture From the naval battle at Salamis in Greece to Midway in World War II, from the defeat of the Romans at Cannae to the Battle of Tet in Vietnam, “Carnage and Culture” brilliantly traces the rise of the West, empha-
sizes the role of warfare in creating its institutions and ideals, and provides vivid descriptions of nine pivotal battles. Given our recent failures in Afghanistan, an increasingly dangerous world, and a weakened American military, this history of conflict is a must-read. ANCHOR BOOKS, 2007, 546 PAGES
POETRY
Legends of Liberty
By Andrew Benson Brown
The American Revolution, in a Poem “Legends of Liberty” is a witty, inventive, and brilliant new poem by a fresh and great star in the American poetic galaxy, Andrew Benson Brown. This is poetry that will make you laugh out loud, make you think and question what you know, and make you admire the linguistic pyrotechnics that are a hallmark of this accomplished work. Good news, too: It’s a narrative—so, a real story you can follow!— that takes you on a journey through the American Revolution. If you want poetry that really entertains while informing, then this is the book for you. TAJ CLASSICS, 2021, 169 PAGES
62 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
Are there books you’d recommend? We’d love to hear from you. Let us know at features@epochtimes.com
This week, we suggest a bit of humor to brighten your days, and recommend a classic American play that will touch your heart.
FICTION
Right Ho, Jeeves
By P.G. Wodehouse
Mirth and Mayhem Welcome to the world of Bertie Wooster and Jeeves, where the butler time and again rescues his employer from dire straits. A cousin’s broken engagement, the Market Snodsbury Grammar School prizes, and Gussie Fink-Nottle’s romantic pursuit of Madeline Bassett— these are only some of the webs in which Bertie becomes entangled. Can he escape? Only by the intervention of the remarkable Jeeves. One of the great comic novels of literature. ARCTURUS PUBLISHING, 2019, 256 PAGES
NONFICTION
Got Warrants?
By Timothy Cotton
Dispatches From the Dooryard Cops are keen observers of human nature,
and these short vignettes drawn from actual police reports in small-town Maine provide good chuckles. We come along for the ride as they deal with the inebriated—they detect the “slight scent of the nectar of bad decisions” aka “Devil’s Koolaid” aka “liquid license remover”—and suspects with humanity. DOWN EAST BOOKS, 2021, 224 PAGES
DRAMA
Our Town
By Thornton Wilder
The Great American Play? Set in the fictitious Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, at the beginning of the 20th century, this 1938 play focuses on two young people, Emily and George, and their dreams, their mutual affection, their marriage, and Emily’s early death. For decades, the play’s powerful ending has often moved audiences to tears. A wonderful reflection on embracing life while we live it. “Oh, earth,” Emily laments from the grave, “you’re too wonderful for anybody to realize you.” If you or your teens have missed “Our Town,” you’re in for a marvelous surprise. HARPER PERENNIAL CLASSICS, 2003, 204 PAGES
FOR KIDS
Castle
By David Macaulay
Building a 13th-Century Fortress Aimed at the older elementary school crowd, “Castle” recreates the efforts required to build a castle and its surrounding town in the Middle Ages. This book clearly explains the engineering and work that went into making these fortresses. HOUGHTON MIFFLIN PUBLISHERS, 1977, 80 PAGES
Library Lion
By Michelle Knudsen
For the Love of Books In this picture-rich book, a lion marches into the library and proves to be surprisingly well-suited for the environment. When extenuating circumstances present themselves, the lion is forced to break the rules in order to help. CANDLEWICK PRESS, 2006, 48 PAGES
Epoch Watchlist
Ian Kane is a U.S. Army veteran, filmmaker, and author. He enjoys the great outdoors and volunteering.
WHAT TO WATCH
This week, we check out a couple of action films, along with a feel-good movie and a film that covers the life of a real American hero.
ACTION | ADVENTURE | DRAMA
DRAMA | WESTERN The Harder They Fall (2021)
Dune (2021 ) Based on author Frank Herbert’s 1965 book of the same name, this science-fiction drama is the first of two films (its title on-screen is “Dune: Part One”). We follow the film’s protagonist, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), of the prestigious House Atreides, as he contends with some very dangerous forces on the desert world known as Arrakis. The stakes? Control over the planet and the most valuable resource in the universe: spice. This is an impressive film with great direction by Denis Villeneuve, a herculean score by composer Hans Zimmer, and excellent visuals that don’t overwhelm.
MOVIE INFO
Release Date: Oct. 22, 2021 Director: Denis Villeneuve Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson Runtime: 2 hours, 35 minutes MPAA Rating: PG-13 Where to Watch: In theaters
CLASSICS Jim Thorpe: All-American (1951)
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
The Battle of Britain (1969)
This riveting tale about an outstanding athlete and iconoclast is quite a rollercoaster ride. Instead of focusing on the rosy parts of Jim Thorpe’s (Burt Lancaster) life, this movie is an exploration of all of the trials, triumphs, and tribulations that he went through. It’s also an appreciative look at a Native American hero.
A band of banditos, led by a man named Calvera (Eli Wallach), has been plaguing a small Mexican village for years. The village enlists the help of a drifter named Chris Adams (Yul Brynner), who teams up with another man, Vin Tanner (Steve McQueen). The two add five more to their posse; each joins the group for different reasons.
The Germans have steamrolled much of Europe and launched an aerial attack to ravage their next target: Great Britain. The brave pilots of the RAF struggle to get their planes off the ground to challenge the overwhelming German air force. An all-star cast and great action scenes complete this magnificent war drama.
If you want action and drama, served up Old West-style, then saddle up for this 130-minute thrill ride that could have easily been longer. Jonathan Majors stars as Nat Love, a revenge-minded man who is on the trail of Rufus Buck (Idris Elba), who has recently been sprung from jail. Majors and Elba are backed up by some spectacular supporting actors, such as Delroy Lindo as lawman Bass Reeves, the first black deputy U.S. marshal
west of the Mississippi River, and Zazie Beetz as Mary Fields, aka “Stagecoach Mary,” a spirited member of Love’s gang. MOVIE INFO
Release Date: Oct. 22, 2021 Director: Jeymes Samuel Starring: Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, RJ Cylers Runtime: 2 hours, 10 minutes MPAA Rating: R Where to Watch: In theaters
COMEDY | DRAMA | ROMANCE Life Is Beautiful (1997) Guido (Roberto Benigni) is an Italian man of Jewish descent who travels to Tuscany for better economic opportunities. Guido soon meets Dora (Nicoletta Braschi) and, with his relentless brand of outrageous humor, eventually wins her heart. They have a son, Giosué (Giorgio Cantarini), and the trio is sent to a concentration camp, where Guido uses his same wit and charm to protect his son from the horrors there.
This film is a modern classic and Oscar-winning blend of comedy, drama, and rising tension. MOVIE INFO
Release Date: Dec. 20, 1997 Director: Roberto Benigni Starring: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini Running Time: 1 hour, 56 minutes MPAA Rating: PG-13 Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, DirectTV, Apple TV, Redbox
I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 63
As everyone who dreams of yachting knows, the two best days of a boat owner’s life are the day they buy it and the day they sell it. By Bill Lindsey
Lifestyle Yachting
Many charter yachts have all the amenities of a world-class resort.
When choosing a yacht, look for one offering activities for all your guests.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHERAKHAN ARCHIVE
Make sure to bring a waterproof camera to catch all the action.
HERE’S A BETTER IDEA: CHARTER IT.
T
he dream of owning a luxurious private yacht conjures visions of exotic ports, lavish meals, and 24/7 luxury. A yacht is the ultimate getaway vehicle that allows you to discover what lies beyond the horizon. However, there may be a better option than owning a yacht—chartering it. With a crewed charter yacht, you have all the comforts of home and a staff to do all the work, leaving you free to enjoy the adventure. You can go where you want, when you want. The best way to make this come true is to work with a yacht chartering firm that will arrange the ideal vessel, crew, and destination to fit your needs. A charter yacht is essentially a portable waterfront resort, complete with bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining area, an enclosed lounge (salon), and open-air seating to work on a tan. Larger yachts will have cabins on one level, the dining area on another, with a third level for sunbathing. Unlike a traditional resort, when you get tired of the scenery, you can simI N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021 65
Lifestyle Yachting ply pull up anchor and find a different view. The larger the yacht, the more likely it will be equipped with “toys” such as smaller boats (tenders), personal watercraft, paddleboards, and diving equipment. Some superyachts even have a personal submarine to explore the reefs and a helicopter to ferry guests to and from shore. The possibilities are limited only by your budget.
When you get tired of the scenery, you can simply pull up the anchor and find a different view. The number of people in your party will help determine the size of the yacht—and the crew—needed. Just as some resorts are smaller than others, so too are charter yachts, available in sizes from 35 feet to well beyond 200 feet. The size will dictate the number and opulence of accommodations and amenities. And for those who prefer the romance of wind power, many charter fleets include traditional sailboats and wider, very stable catamaran sailing yachts. When chartering a yacht, the crew may be a captain-and-spouse team sharing the duties of driving, cooking, and maintaining the vessel. Larger yachts can be staffed by a captain to drive and manage the crew, which may include a chef to prepare meals, stewards and stewardesses to wait on guests, and an engineer to look after the engines. Big yachts are a good choice for parties of six or more people on voyages longer than 100 miles each way that may last for a week or more. On larger yachts, crew quarters are usually located away
from the guest cabins to ensure privacy for guests. Often those who own a yacht prefer to charter one to explore new ports that are too far away for them to use their own vessel, with a crew to handle all of the chores. While those chartering may have the skills and experience to operate the yacht, in most cases, a captain who’s familiar with the vessel and is licensed to operate in the waters being cruised is required. This is especially important when cruising in foreign waters. So how do you know what size yacht you need and how much it will cost? Start by determining how many cabins are needed and if any will be shared. Will the guest list include children who want access to a wide selection of water toys? Where do you want to cruise? Charters in the Mediterranean or Caribbean seas may be more expensive than those in U.S. waters. When do you want to go? Fees will be higher during the high season—from June to August in the Mediterranean and from December to March for the Caribbean. A typical fee for a 100-foot yacht with a crew accommodating eight people for a week is $50,000. A 70-foot yacht for six guests might come in at $30,000. Additional costs include a 10 to 20 percent tip, taxes, and the advance provisioning allowance (APA). A typical APA is equal to 35 percent of the weekly charter fee; it covers the cost of food, fuel, dock fees, and shoreside expenses. Choosing the right yacht is important, but so too is working with the broker to ensure you get a crew you can get along with for a week in tight quarters. “The yacht will always be fantastic, but having the perfect crew is what makes a charter a huge success,” said Ami Ira of Fort Lauderdale-based Blue Oceans Yachting.
LIFESTYLE
BON VOYAGE! Charter yachts are floating 5-star hotels
1 Be Pampered When you charter a yacht, you are the guest of your own lavish party. Sit back and let the captain drive, and the chef and crew take care of all your needs.
2 Go When You Want One of the great things about a yacht charter is that you decide when to go. If it is winter at home, gather up family and friends and head for a warmer climate.
3 Go Wherever You Want Charter yachts with knowledgeable crew are available around the globe, allowing you to follow the routes of pirates in the Caribbean or explore the Mediterranean. Luxurious “superyachts” are often available for charters. 66 I N S I G H T November 12 – 18, 2021
Formal Dining
A Survival Guide
To clink or not to clink, that is the question Formal dinners can be a lot of fun, but if you’ve never attended one, it can be a bit daunting to know how to behave and what to wear. No need to worry; we’ll make sure you have a great time. By Bill Lindsey
1 Watch Your Host or Hostess
4 Be Thoughtful If COVID vaccination isn’t required to attend, decline if you are uncomfortable dining with others who may not be vaccinated. Myka Meiers of Beaumont Etiquette says: “Notify your host of any dietary restrictions when you RSVP and arrive on time. Put your napkin in your lap when the hostess does and offer to help clean up afterward; it is appropriate to leave 30 minutes after coffee and dessert are served.”
If the dinner isn’t formal, men should wear a long-sleeved dress shirt, tie, and a jacket; you can remove the jacket and tie if the host isn’t wearing either one. A cocktail dress is perfect for ladies, but leave the huge purses at home. Allow the hostess to direct you to your chair and while dining, eat to match her pace. If unsure which utensil to use, watch to see what the hostess uses.
2 Clink Your Drink?
Do pass the salt, but always with the pepper, passing it—and any food—around the table in a counterclockwise direction. Trabert says, “If the dinner is not a birthday or anniversary celebration, there is no need to bring gifts, flowers, or wine.” He says to make sure to send a handwritten thank-you note—not a text or email. Tea or chocolates accompanying the note may result in receiving future invitations.
5 Hold Your Calls Meiers and Traubert both agree phones must be muted; taking calls during dinner simply isn’t done. It’s also impolite to respond to texts unless it is a true emergency, in which case you should discreetly excuse yourself from the table. Resist the urge to rummage through a purse or suit jacket. Unless you dropped a fork or knife, there’s nothing in there you need while dining. Stay seated for the entire meal.
SHUTTERSTOCK
“Rather than clinking glasses when a toast is made, raise yours while making eye contact all around. If you are the subject of the toast, raise the glass in acknowledgment, but don’t take a sip,” Justin Trabert of Artful Matters says. Clinking and reaching across the table to do so can lead to spills as well as cracked glasses. Trabert says not to bring wine for the meal; allow the host to make that choice.
3 Dos and Don’ts
I N S I G H T November. 12 – 18, 2021 67
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