News Nuggets 1390

DAYLEE PICTURE: Novices at a pagoda in Mandalay in Myanmar.  From National Geographic.

UP-FRONT CHINESE MILITARY NUGGET!!
You can't make this stuff up.
China’s Deceptively Weak (and Dangerous) Military (Ian Easton) from The Diplomat
Yes -- dangerous if you are a member of the Chinese military.
"In April 2003, the Chinese Navy decided to put a large group of its best submarine talent on the same boat as part of an experiment to synergize its naval elite. The result? Within hours of leaving port, the Type 035 Ming III class submarine sank with all hands lost. Never having fully recovered from this maritime disaster, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is still the only permanent member of the United Nations Security Council never to have conducted an operational patrol with a nuclear missile submarine. China is also the only member of the UN’s “Big Five” never to have built and operated an aircraft carrier. "
People who STILL think the Chinese Military is going to challenge the US someday soon, read the rest of this story.

China and Japan's Deteriorating Relationship (Shannon Tiessi) from The Diplomat
"The Diplomat speaks with Michael Green about the root cause of the tensions, the possibility for conflict, and strategies for repairing relations."

Under the Cross in China (Xiao-bo Yuan) from the Boston Review
"While Christian ceremonies in China are still a rare sight, they have become common enough to warrant the specialized services of Christian wedding planners. “Daniel” Shao, orchestrator of this particular wedding and dozens like it every year in Nanjing, began his business while still a college student."

What's Happening in Kiev Right Now Is Vladimir Putin's Worst Nightmare (Julia Ioffe) from the New Republic
"One day people are camping out in a snowy fountain in Moscow, the next they've set up camp and put up barricades in the center of town, bringing traffic to a halt, sowing chaos, and toppling the government. It is the authoritarian take on the broken windows theory, turned upside-down.  What's been happening in Kiev this winter is a textbook case."

Why We Need a Bank at the Post Office (John Nichols) from the Nation 
"Senator Elizabeth Warren points out that reviving this old institution would provide basic services to millions of underserved Americans."

Turns Out Anti-Union Volkswagen Workers May Have Screwed Themselves And The South from the Huffington Post 
"Volkswagen employees may have made a huge mistake when they rejected union membership on Friday. ... The German "co-determination" model mandates works councils, which connect employees to management, at all large German companies. Following the union vote, the head of Volkswagen's works council told German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung that the automaker would hesitate to expand in the U.S. South."

Health-Care Jobs Are Getting Squeezed, Finally (Peter Orszag) from Bloomberg
"Would allowing health-care workers to perform more tasks lower costs? Evidence is spreading that health-care costs are growing much more slowly than before. Now, it's not just a flattening in Medicare spending; the deceleration has spread to employment, too."

History: Get Me Rewrite! (Maureen Dowd) from the New York Times
"With the help of his own personal librarian, Laura, W. has been trying to reframe his legacy to take the focus off his botched wars, just like L.B.J.’s family. His presidential library highlights his work on AIDS in Africa, belatedly tapering the roles of his sulfurous regents, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld."

The Future Looks Dull From Here (Ezra Klein) from Bloomberg
"Washington seems likely to be a lot less important over the next few years than it was over the past few years. The capital just isn’t where the action is. Which isn’t to say that Americans don’t live in interesting times."
I disagree with Klein here -- in part.  I think what's happening in DC right now is critically important.  I could be way wrong on this, but I believe we're seeing (in slow motion) the death throws of the current iteration of one of our major political parties.  For the GOP, most of the roads ahead lead to a cliff and, rather than endless gridlock (which most beltway critters are predicting) I think that change (when it comes) it will be neither subtle nor gradual -- it will be like going off a cliff.

California Exceeds 2014 Exchange Enrollment Goals from USA Today
""These enrollment numbers mean that with six weeks to go, California has already exceeded its projected base enrollment for the 2014 open-enrollment period," said Covered California executive director Peter Lee. "While this is a strong showing, our goal is not pinned to meeting projections, but to making sure every Californian gets covered.""

Nevada Congressional Candidate Says Non-discrimination Laws Amount to 'Segregation' from Daily Kos
"You have to admire, just a little bit, the dedication the conservative movement brings to Orwellian speech. Shooting first prevents violence! Following your own religious convictions instead of my own is stifling religious freedom! Non-discrimination is discrimination!"

Remember when Reapportionment Would Help Republicans? (Markos Moulitsas) from Daily Kos
"Republicans should learn from this: If you celebrate population growth as a means to electoral dominance, make sure your policies are in line with the people who make up that population growth. So, you know, don't stand in the way of immigration reform or minimum wage hikes or Obamacare."

A Blue Georgia (Markos Moulitsas) from The Hill
"Demographic changes are inevitably driving Texas and Arizona into purple — and eventually blue — territory. The growth of the Latino population is poised to overwhelm predominantly conservative white voters in both states, absent a genuine and successful rebranding by the Republican Party. But another red state will reach that status sooner: Georgia."

How Chris Christie Ruled the New Jersey Machine (Jonathan Chait) from New York Magazine
"“If he's [just] found guilty of being from New Jersey, that won't hurt him at all.” But of course, being from New Jersey is exactly the problem. The state itself is filled with wonderful, honest people, one of whom is married to me. But its political class is relentlessly corrupt."

Unsealed Email Ties Scott Walker to Secret Email System from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
"Court documents have previously showed Walker's aides set up a secret wireless router in the county executive's office and traded emails that mixed county and campaign business on Gmail and Yahoo accounts. The email from Archer made public Wednesday is the closet link yet between that system and Walker."
Sure, GOP.  If Christie doesn't work out, nominate this guy in 2016.

Scott Walker, Eyeing 2016, Faces Fallout from Probes as Ex-aide’s E-mails are Released from the Washington Post
"Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who has been eyeing a 2016 presidential run since his battles with labor unions made him a Republican star, is in the midst of dealing with the fallout of two criminal investigations at home that could complicate his move to the national stage."

This Could Be the Start of Scott Walker’s Bridgegate (Emma Roller) from Slate
"... for the first time, Walker has been directly tied to a secret email system that members of his staff used to coordinate his gubernatorial campaign while Walker was Milwaukee County executive. Among the pile of emails, it was found that Walker also used his campaign email to conduct county executive business."

The Right’s Hopes are Dashed: Why There’s No Civil War Among Democrats (Joan Walsh) from Salon
"Hacks and pundits are desperately seeking conflict between the Warren and Clinton “camps.” Democrats shouldn't help."