Category Archives: Liberal

Pax Dickinson wants to fund the revolution. Not a blood-in-the-streets revolution, but one where hardcore right-wingers can economically secede from the parts of society they vehemently dislike. "We need parallel everything. I do not want to ever have to spend a single dollar at a non-movement business," Dickinson, the former CTO of Business Insider and general startup veteran, declared on Twitter.

Dickinson believes the money to build that parallel everything will come from crowdfunding. His new project, called CounterFund, is a lot like Patreon, a service that allows users to make monthly pledges to creators -- only with an unorthodox super-PAC grafted on. The way it works is that influencers -- Twitter personalities, podcasters, YouTubers, and so on -- join the platform, and then members of their audience donate like they would on Patreon.

Eighty percent of the money goes directly to the influencers. Ten percent is devoted to running CounterFund, and then the remaining 10 percent is spent by the top influencers as they see fit. What exactly that will be is a little hazy, but they could theoretically do anything -- commission a long narrative article, throw a benefit for an organization they like, or pay for a CounterFund member's healthcare.

The technology behind CounterFund will be owned by a separate company called Confed.Co. Dickinson told Inc. that Confed.Co will grant CounterFund a perpetual license, as well as exploring licensing deals with other entities interested in forming their own Patreon-esque fundraising sites.

Those entities will have to meet Dickinson's ideological requirements -- this is a strictly right-wing endeavor, and not tepidly so. "If Fox News will let you be on TV or Breitbart would be willing to employ you, @CounterFund is not for you," Dickinson said on Twitter. He's gotten some pushback from the other side -- Twitter users have expressed concerns about his team having a Jewish member.

In conversations with Inc., Dickinson explained that he sees CounterFund as the linchpin of a parallel far-right economy. The alt-right movement shouldn't fund or depend on platforms that are hostile to their goals, he believes. CounterFund's website sports endorsements from Richard Spencer, the suit-wearing white supremacist who went viral after being punched in the face, and comedian Sam Hyde, whose divisive show Million Dollar Extreme was kicked off the air by Adult Swim.

Dickinson is pitching CounterFund itself as a new kind of political party, one that cares for its community rather than pouring money into candidates' campaigns. It's hard to overstate the degree to which he's willing to take this project beyond mainstream acceptability. Dickinson compared CounterFund to Hezbollah: "Hezbollah is a government within a government. They collect garbage, they operate hospitals, they're an economy within an economy, and a government within a government."

He wants to connect "party members" with features like: "A jobs board, for only people who are in the party. A shopping board that only lists companies that are selling products that are within the party. So that you can take your money out of the leftist economy and put it into this new economy."

Dickinson is keen on this idea because he's been blackballed in the technology community for past ideological transgressions, as he tells it. In 2013, Dickinson was fired as the CTO of Business Insider for tweeting rape jokes (among other inflammatory things, some of which were intended as satire, he said at the time).

Dickinson later ran a crowdfunding site called WeSearchr alongside Chuck Johnson, a semi-notorious internet troll. WeSearchr raised more than $150,000 for a legal fund to benefit The Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website, and $7,700 to support former Breitbart employee Katie McHugh (including a donation from Dickinson himself) after she was fired for anti-Muslim tweets. Another lucrative campaign centered on the conspiracy theory that DNC staffer Seth Rich's murder was a political assassination. WeSearchr still exists, but Johnson and Dickinson had a falling-out (including unresolved financial disputes), which led to Dickinson splitting off to start CounterFund.

The arrival of CounterFund comes as Americans increasingly seem to be agreeing with the thrust of the Supreme Court's ruling on Citizens United vs. FEC: spending money is a form of political speech. People want to financially support companies that share their values and stick it to those that don't. Hence the #grabyourwallet campaign that encourages consumers to boycott any company associated with Donald Trump. Hence the outcry when people realized that Shopify hosts Breitbart's store, and that Cloudflare's technology protects virulent white supremacists from DDoS attacks. "You're either an SJW company, or you're not," as Dickinson bluntly put it. Neutrality -- taking all comers regardless of their politics -- is perceived as siding with the enemy.

Meanwhile, the concentrated liberalism of Silicon Valley means that right-wing dissidents, as well as some anodyne conservatives, worry about their ability to broadcast and monetize their views through popular social media services and other internet platforms. Consider the furor caused by rumors that Facebook discriminated against conservative news in its Trending Topics module, which eventually led to Facebook laying off its editorial team. For a member of the alt-right, it makes no sense to tacitly support a perceived "SJW" (social justice warrior) company like Patreon, which garners a percentage of every pledge.

Thus the current political climate is primed for ideologically oriented startups to take hold. "We're sort of having a hollowing out of the middle, where everyone's miserable," according to Dickinson. "The left half wants full-blown communism because they're miserable, and that's their solution, and the right half maybe doesn't know what they want, but they don't want that."

Dickinson is not the only one trying to organize. Cody Wilson is the man behind Defense Distributed, which develops 3D-printed guns. Wilson recently launched Hatreon as a way to support a YouTuber called TV KWA, after the latter was banned by Patreon. Podcaster Dick Masterson pulls in more than $20,000 per month on Patreon, and he reached out to Wilson publicly to ask about his options. Regardless, Wilson doesn't regard Hatreon as a business venture first, and told Inc. that he doesn't need it to take off like a rocket, the way a typical startup would hope to. "I don't see my site as exclusively the domain of the right, although I suppose that's the first group that will participate," he added.

"It's a schism," Dickinson told Inc. "We're becoming even more like two Americas than we were." Dickinson's ultimate aim is to wrest control away from his ideological opponents by building right-wing-friendly alternatives to their services and making the community more self-sufficient. "There's a cry for more organization amongst the alt-right movement," he explained. "They want something more than just these atomized people all doing their individual things."

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The Alt-Right Is Using Crowdfunding to Take on Liberal Silicon Valley - Inc.com

Premier Christy Clark has announced the B.C. Liberals key staffers as the party transitions to its new role as opposition, the same day that Premier-designate John Horgan named six women who will help fill out his leadership team.

The Liberal appointments include seasoned staffers and communications professionals.

These appointments will support our strong and experienced team of 43 MLAs in the legislature. Together, I believe we will form an extremely effective opposition to hold the NDP-Green alliance to account on behalf of British Columbians, an email signed by Clark, which was sent to Liberal staff and caucus this morning, said.

Clark has appointed Nick Koolsbergen as chief of staff. Koolsbergen most recently served as executive director of communications and research for the Liberal caucus and previously served as director of issues management in the Prime Ministers Office under Stephen Harper.

Jessica Woolford will serve as deputy chief of staff under Koolsbergen. Woolford most recently worked as executive director of corporate priorities at government communications and public engagement. She previously served as chief of staff to Minister Todd Stone and as an adviser to Ministers Mary Polak and Shirley Bond.

Clarks press secretary, Stephen Smart, will move into the role of executive director of communications and issues management for the Liberal caucus. Smart previously worked as a CBC reporter and has 18 years of media experience.

Primrose Carson will serve as executive director of operations and MLA support for the caucus.

Now that our leadership team is in place, in the coming days we will move forward with interviews of those staff who have expressed an interest in continuing to serve British Columbians through the B.C. Liberal Caucus, the email said.

Premier-designate John Horgan also announced today more names in the NDP leadership team lineup.

The six women, many of whom played key roles in Horgans election campaign, will serve in roles ranging from press secretary to the head of a new office dedicated to delivering on the NDP-Green alliance agreement.

After 16 years, we have a lot of work to do to address the problems caused by B.C. Liberal choices. Im confident that the leadership team were building has the energy, drive and commitment to deliver the change we promised British Columbians, Carole James, Victoria-Beacon Hill MLA and transition spokeswoman, said in a statement.

Donna Sanford, senior policy analyst at the climate action secretariat, will move into the role of executive director of the confidence and supply agreement secretariat. The new office will be responsible for delivering on the agreement between the NDP and Green parties, which sets out key priorities like campaign-finance laws and electoral reform.

Sage Aaron will serve as director of communications in the Premiers Office, a promotion from the same role at union MoveUP.

Kate Van Meer-Mass becomes director of operations in the Premiers Office, which will involve tour planning, scheduling and other leadership responsibilities.

Jen Holmwood assumes the role of deputy director of communications in the Premiers Office; Sheena McConnell will serve as Horgans press secretary and Marie Della Mattia will work as special adviser to Horgan. All three held similar roles for Horgan as leader of the opposition.

asmart@timescolonist.com

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NDP, Liberals announce key staff positions - Times Colonist

CAMPTON, Ky.Americas biggest wrestling event took place in a high school gym. It was the main event, a crybaby match between Kyle Maggard and the Progressive Liberal Dan Richards, who has hit upon the perfect heel gimmick for this time and this country, and especially this county.

Wolfe County lies in the heart of Kentuckys Eastern Coalfield and shares a border with Breathitt County, where Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance visited relatives in his youth. Kim Davis, the Rowan County clerk famous foramong other thingsrunning up significant legal bills, calls eastern Kentucky home. Wolfe County is, to put it plainly, the sticks.

Eastern Kentucky has long relied on the coal industry for gainful employment, but over the years, coal jobs have vanished, leaving behind persistent poverty, obesity, and illiteracy. According to the Q1 2017 Kentucky Quarterly Coal Report, zero mines are currently operating in Wolfe County, and eastern Kentucky coal mines decreased total employment by 178 jobs, a 4.6 percent drop from the fourth quarter of 2016. Wolfe County is not the poorest county in the state (that distinction belongs to Owsley County, two counties away) but possesses a per capita income of $13,901.

Coal is the primary issue, not healthcare, a wrestling fan in attendance named Shirley told me. Because without the coal, people cant support their families. Without the coal, they cant pay their Medicaid bill. Its hard times.

Its what we live by, is coal, said Raymond, another spectator taking in the nights matches because he was just looking for something to do.

Ring announcer Nathan Lyttle said eastern Kentuckians have an inveterate optimism in two core facets of their lives. Family and coal; thats all it is, he said.

Richards, who uses these issues as fodder to draw heat (a positive or negative reaction from the crowd, though just take a guess which he gets), and Appalachian Mountain Wrestling booker Beau James know exactly how important it is to just about everyone at AMW shows.

Coal is not a job; its a way of life, James said. Its a tradition. Its a heritage. Its an Appalachian institution. When Dan says something about coal, people take it as, Hes talking about my grandad. Hes talking about my dad. Hes talking about me.

I think [the issue of] healthcare is a little too specific for people in eastern Kentucky, Richards added.

So when a Progressive Liberal chides the Appalachian crowds for continually voting against your own interests and stating matter-of-factly that [politicians] arent going to bring your jobs back, the people reflect for a moment about their unemployed spouse, their past-due medical bills, or whether there will be food on the table next week, and boo him. Loudly.

In the air-conditioned gym, the lights shone yellow upon the ring and the reporters and camerapeople from CNN, BBC, Vice, and local NBC affiliates. Lingering in the shadows were worn bleachers and a makeshift weight room; numerous banners signifying Wolfe Countys basketball prowess hung overhead. In the middle of it all, the reason many suddenly cared about the intricacies of Appalachian indie wrestling wore a blue Oxford shirt and khakis, and embraced his newfound fame by taking on a series of interviews before the show started.

I think its going to lead to more opportunity, Richards said of his swift rise to stardom. He was pragmatic about the possibilities, but hopeful too. Of course I have aspirations to go to WWE. Would I love to be a big star for them? Of course. I also recognize Im 37. [But Im] sure my name has come across their desk or their ears.

As the crowd of 125 filled the bleachers, Richards quietly retired to the solitude of his improvised dressing roomthe gyms equipment room, underneath the bleachers. It was clear that the hectic week, filled with camera crews and phone interviews, had taken a toll. Though the gate might not have fluctuated, Richards would now be performing for broadcasts that would be seen by people all over the worldand hed be the star of the show. Quite often, Im not the main event, Richards admitted.

Richards had become a star after media outletsincluding this onelearned of his shtick, which is clever and particularly relevant, but not necessarily over the top. Instead of a conservative acting as a parody of what he believed liberals to be like, here is an actual self-proclaimed Democrat merely exaggerating his politics in an area of the country that isnt particularly receptive. This microcosm is fascinating to people who otherwise wouldnt care about the industry; Richards is a heel whose gimmick can survive as long as the material is fresh, and theres no reason to think itll go stale any time soon.

The cozy spectacle of the nights earlier matches was complemented by homemade cupcakes and Ale-8-Ones. Then, it was time for the main event: Richards vs. Maggard, in which the loser would have to wear a diaper and drink from a babys bottle. As Richards emerged wearing his signature T-shirt covered with prints of Hillary Clintons face, he was met with a chorus of boos, taunts, and jeers, mostly from children. Killary! Killary! they chanted in unison.

About a minute in, Richards began to bleed from his nose, and due to state regulations, the match had to be suspended until he could staunch the bleeding. According to Lyttle, one kid screamed, Is that Hillarys abortion blood? Lyttle lambasted the childrens parents for the remark.

After Richards resumed the match, a wad of spit from the mouth of a ringside spectator sailed through the air in the direction of the Progressive Liberal. Richards, ever the heel, spit back. (Lyttle said he was appalled that anyone would spit in the first place.)

The match pushed the turnbuckles and ropes to their maximum capacity, or so it sounded. Richards seized control after another wrestler, Misty James, distracted the referee and interfered, and amidst the crescendo of boos, the Progressive Liberal unleashed his finisher, a cross-arm neckbreaker he calls the Liberal Agenda, and pinned Maggard. The match was over. A liberal had won in coal country, and the conservative had to suck on a bottle of room-temperature milk and put on a diaper.

In wrestling and in politics, there is no real high road; the lasting victories tend to belong to whoever can go lower. The crowd wanted to see the Progressive Liberal humiliated, and they got what they came for. As seen in the video above, Maggard called himself a man of my word, briefly griped to the official about his opponents dirty tactics (which was technically true), took a tiny sip of the bottle, and spit it out. As the oblivious Richards gloated and taunted the crowd, Maggard forced the bottle to his mouth and knocked him to the mat.

The wrestler Richards pejoratively called Fox News Maggot made his foe put on the diaper, even if it was just for a brief moment before Richardss allies stormed in to beat the stuffing out of the defeated deplorable. After a brawl that resulted in the official getting knocked out, a bunch of sullen wrestlers uninvolved in the original contest stalking around, and a group of children chanting Rematch! mixed in with incomprehensible yelling and boos, Richards exited the ring as he tried to convince a hostile crowd that he was the real winner of the night. Read as deeply into that scene as youd like.

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The "Progressive Liberal" Won But Still Ended Up In A Diaper - Deadspin

Welcome to the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston

For nearly 50 years, the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston (UUCR) has been home to liberal religion in our area. We strive to be a spiritual community where hearts and minds are encouraged to grow, question, discover, and learn.

UUCR has a long history of diversity and inclusion, of affirmation and advocacy. These beliefs and actions are at the core of Unitarian Universalism and are at the core of our church. We are a Welcoming Congregation; our church embraces people of any age, sex, race, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, class, ability, language, or cultural background.

UUCR supports each person in his or her religious journey. We invite you to share your religious journey with us.

We invite you to visit.Sunday Services at the UUCR are at 10:00 a.m. To read a letter of welcome from our minister, click here.You will find information about this week's Sunday Service on the right. To learn more about our upcoming services, please click here. To read more about what to expect during your visit, please click here. For directions to UUCR, click here.

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Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston

LONDON Britain's scheduled exit from the European Union may never happen because its main political parties are too divided on the issue, said Vince Cable, a veteran lawmaker bidding to lead the fourth largest political party, the Liberal Democrats.

Prime Minister Theresa May's failure to win an outright majority in a snap national election last month has cast doubt on her capacity to lead Britain out of the EU, sharpening a debate on what sort of exit deal the government should seek. "I'm beginning to think that Brexit may never happen," Cable told the BBC on Sunday. "The problems are so enormous, the divisions within the two major parties are so enormous I can see a scenario in which this doesn't happen."

Cable served as business minister between 2010 and 2015 when the pro-European Liberal Democrats were the junior partners in a coalition government led by May's Conservative Party.

He is currently the only candidate in a contest for leadership of his party.

The Liberal Democrats' influence has waned since 2015, and they hold just 12 out of 650 seats in parliament.

They campaigned in the 2017 election to give Britons a second referendum on leaving the EU once a final deal had been agreed - something Cable described as a possible way out of Brexit.

The Conservatives are historically divided between a deeply eurosceptic faction and more pro-European members. That is expected to make life difficult for May when she puts Brexit legislation through parliament because she will need to unite the party to win key votes.

The second-largest party, Labour, is also riven by disagreement on what kind of deal would work best for Britain's economy.

Last month Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn sacked three members of his policy team after they defied his wishes by coming down in favor of Britain staying in the single European market in a parliamentary vote.

(Reporting by William James; editing by John Stonestreet)

LONDON A post-Brexit trade deal with the United States would not be enough to make up for leaving the European Union, British justice minister David Lidington said on Sunday, tempering Prime Minister Theresa May's enthusiasm about the U.S. offer.

BRUSSELS The European Union and Canada said on Saturday they had agreed to start a free trade agreement on Sept. 21, paving the way for over 90 percent of the treaty to come into effect.

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Brexit may never happen, says top Liberal Democrat Cable - Reuters

In April, 500 workers and activists made the case in Detroit for $15 an hour.(Photo: David Guralnick / Detroit News)

Politicians on the left should take note: Advocating for expanded entitlements and a more caring government may make for good campaign sound bites but less than stellar policies.

Look at the impact of the Fight for $15 minimum wage push. Chances are youve seen these protests, which have popped up around the country. Detroit has hosted several.

Its been a hysteria sweeping the country, says Mark Perry, American Enterprise Institute scholar and professor of finance and business economics at the University Michigan-Flint.

In April, 500 workers and activists made the case in Detroit for $15 an hour. Michigans minimum wage jumped to $8.90 at the start of this year. At the federal level, it is $7.25 an hour.

Liberals have embraced this cause. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders certainly did as they competed for the Democratic nomination for president last year. And after announcing his bid for Detroit mayor earlier this year, state Sen. Coleman Young II said a $15 minimum wage would be on his to-do list. Several Michigan Democrats whove already announced their candidacy for governor have also made this a priority.

Clamoring for higher wages and free college tuition is popular these days. Even President Donald Trump, thanks to his daughter Ivanka, is pushing for a paid family leave mandate. While these may sound like positive developments, in practice they pose real problems. Someone has to pay for these benefits usually middle-class taxpayers.

Commenting on Youngs proposal, Michael Saltsman with the Employment Policies Institute, countered: Wayne County in particular cant afford this hollowing out of its entry-level workforce. Nearly two-thirds of young adults in the county arent in the workforce at all.

Thats the opposite effect Detroit workers need, especially those looking to build a resume. And Saltsmans argument lines up with new research out of Washington state that should give higher wage proponents pause.

Heres what $15 an hour actually looks like in practice. In 2014, Seattle passed a measure to raise its minimum wage to $15 (gradually), and it has provided researchers with excellent data of what each pay jump means for area employers and workers.

It doesnt look good. Researchers from the University of Washington have found that although employees are indeed making more an hour, they have also seen a 9 percent loss in hours worked. For workers in Seattle, that amounts to $125 a month. The research team also estimates a loss of 5,000 low-wage jobs (a 6.8 percent decline) because of the wage mandate.

In addition to the burden on employers, especially small businesses, these high wages are also harming low-skilled workers who need experience, as employers will aim to hire someone worth $15.

It takes away their bargaining power, Perry says.

And the study was only looking at the impacts of the $13 hourly wage. Expect more negative results as the city hits the $15 target. Seattle was one of the first cities to adopt this high a wage, which made it ideal to study. But others have followed suit, including San Francisco and Washington, D.C. and most recently Minneapolis.

It just doesnt make sense, Perry says. It sells politically, but very few economists would support a $15 wage anywhere. Hopefully this will sober people up a bit.

ijacques@detroitnews.com

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Jacques: When liberal policies flop - The Detroit News

So the film footage which features lots of moody shots of desolate French housing estates includes a clip of Gordon Browns excruciating moment on the 2010 campaign trail when he dismissed a Labour pensioner as bigoted for airing her concerns over immigration. Meanwhile Bush is presented as an arty, right-on liberal, yet is a closet chauvinist and has yet to pay any money to his sound technician.

Its all very self consciously un-theatrical: the first third consists simply of Hoss narrating extracts although thanks to the hypnotic clarity of Eribons prose and the cool susurrations of Hosss voice, that brings its own pleasures.

It is at its best when it disrupts itself. Hosss real life late father was a true working class hero who created a trade union for guest workers (immigrants) in Germany and, disenchanted by party politics, went to Brazil to establish environmental farming policies for an Amazon village. His story forms the final third of the show.

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Thomas Ostermeier tackles liberal hypocrisies in Returning To ... - Telegraph.co.uk

Liberal committed five errors as the Bee Jays reached the low point of their season Saturday night in Great Bend. The Bee Jays allowed one earned run in the 8-3 loss Saturday night at Al Burns Field in Great Bend.

Sam Beattie went five innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. He allowed six runs but only one was earned. Tyler Tognarine tossed two scoreless innings. Derek Craft allowed two unearned runs in the eighth.

Great Bend scored three unearned runs in the first on two hits and three errors. They added two more unearned runs in the second after one error and two hits. Kyle Schmidt launched his third homer of the year to left in the third. Great Bends Peyton Barnes homered in the fourth for the only earned run allowed. That made it 6-1 Bat Cats. Liberal loaded the bases with no outs but only scored two runs. Gage Teer walked with the bases loaded and the other run scored on a double play. Liberal had first and third with one out in the sixth but hit into another double play. The Bat Cats scored two more runs on two errors and one hit. Great Bend out hit the Bee Jays 12-7 and Liberal had five errors compared to Great Bends one.

Derby passes Liberal for first in the Jayhawk League. Derby is 23-9 while Liberal is 22-10. Hays is 21-9 and Dodge City is 20-10. The Bee Jays have lost four of the last five. Great Bend is 16-16. Liberal plays at Great Bend Sunday night at 7 on 1270 and kscbnews.net.

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Leaky Liberal Defense Costly in Loss - KSCB News.net

Since the inauguration of the Trump administration, the United States appears to have abdicated from a role it has fulfilled since the end of World War II namely, that of defender of the liberal international order. For example:

The U.S. is forcing Mexico and Canada to renegotiate the North America Free Trade Agreement to the detriment of the pact.

The administration has expressly stated that the U.S. will never again return to the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The U.S. has opposed the inclusion of words vowing opposition to protectionism in Group of Seven and Group of 20 statements.

The administration favors a bilateral approach to trade negotiations and no longer accepts multilateral trade talks.

The Trump administration has deliberately refused to confirm to European allies that it will observe its mutual defense obligations.

Not one to mince words, U.S. President Donald Trumps policy adviser Steve Bannon has said that the globalists gutted the American working class and created a middle class in Asia. In the Trump administration, the only way to attack a political enemy is to spread rumors that he or she is a globalist. A friend of mine, now a political appointee to an important White House post, is one of those exposed to such attacks.

The economic landslide that is gutting the working class will likely continue over the long term. Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans appear to be preparing a fundamental response to address the problem.

Moves that significantly influence this landslide namely Chinas export offensive, disregard of World Trade Organization rules, monopolistic industrial policy and pursuit of an exclusive China-led order have only just begun. Trumps America First politics is likely to end in failure.

If the U.S. decides to close its doors and erect new walls, the countries of Asia will begin to build a regional order without the U.S. The world will not come to a halt even if the U.S. declares it can no longer engage with it. And China will be all too happy to fill a vacuum left by declining U.S. involvement in Asia.

In the past, the U.S. once attempted to construct separate regional orders in Europe and Asia. After the end of World War I, the U.S. turned its back on the League of Nations, and, in the process of disengaging from Europe, turned to the Asia-Pacific region with the intent of developing a regional order centered on a policy of cooperation with China and disarmament. This was known as the Washington system since the Nine-Power Treaty regarding China was concluded at the Washington Naval Conference of 1921-1922.

This experiment ended in failure. The U.S. advocated an open door policy and the equal rights of all nations to trade with China as the guiding principles of this new order. However, Chinas dissatisfaction with its unequal status in the international order led to an outburst of Chinese nationalism.

Meanwhile, despite being one of the victors of World War I, Japan was not accorded first-class power status under the Washington system. Coupled with Japans frustration with racial discrimination evident in the U.S. Immigration Act of 1924, this prevented the creation of a strong domestic base of support for the Washington system.

The fundamental problem, however, was the U.S. governments lack of commitment to defend at all costs the principles and pacts upon which the Washington system was based.

By contrast, the U.S. was deeply committed to the post-World War II liberal international order, which centered on the Bretton Woods system, and maintained and further developed this system with solid bipartisan support at home.

However, Michael Anton and other anti-globalist theorists in the Trump administration have called for disturbing changes to this tradition. In their view, trade policies should be considered a matter of national defense. The forward deployment of U.S. troops, including overseas American military bases, should be reduced to the minimum. The U.S. should no longer use foreign policy to promote democratization abroad.

To be sure, Anton and his colleagues have a point: In the post-Cold War period, the democracy-promoting foreign policies of the Bush and Clinton administrations failed (as illustrated by Americas policy in the Middle East) in part due to the misguided belief that the U.S. could create a global community comprised of like-minded states.

At the same time, the liberalism, internationalism and multilateral rules and organizations shared by like-minded democratic states, if maintained, can become the cornerstone of peace and prosperity indeed, they have performed this function. Despite its hegemonic status, the post-World War II U.S. managed this system in a user-friendly manner.

This version of the U.S. is nowhere in evidence today. The liberal international order now finds itself without a leader. Princeton University professor John Ikenberry says that when it comes to preserving the liberal international order, Much will rest on the shoulders of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany. Specifically, he says, Abe should keep promoting liberal trade agreements, modeled on the TPP, and Merkel, as the leader of the country that perhaps most embodies the virtues and accomplishments of the postwar liberal order, is uniquely positioned to speak as the moral voice of the liberal democratic world.

While this may be too much to expect, Japan could treat the new American absence as a historic opportunity to pursue a proactive Asian foreign policy. Rooting the Asian regional order in the principles of liberal international order will be vital to the establishment of long-term strategies for Japans trade, national security and its approach to the regional order.

Now is not the time for Japan to compete with China, but to develop a long-term vision for engaging with China. There should be areas in which Japan can cooperate with China for regional development in the Asia-Pacific region. Japan must couple these cooperative efforts with power-balancing measures. What is needed for Japan is a broad-minded and dogged form of diplomacy.

Yoichi Funabashi is chairman of the Asia Pacific Initiative and former editor-in-chief of the Asahi Shimbun. This is a translation of his column in the monthly Bungei Shunju.

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It's time to protect the liberal international order - The Japan Times

By Marton Dunai | VECSES, Hungary

VECSES, Hungary Hundreds of Hungarian right-wing militants gathered in a Budapest suburb on Saturday to launch a new political movement they hope will run in next year's parliamentary elections on a ticket that includes open racism.

Hungary's main opposition party, Jobbik, has been moving away from its far-right roots and is staking out a more centrist position. This has created space for new hard-right initiatives.

Three groups held a rally in the suburb of Vecses labelled "unfurling the flag of the far right". Although attendance was limited its leaders have reached a national audience in the media and plan to take part in the 2018 elections.

The movement, to be called Force and Determination, looks to be more radical than any political organization targeting a serious political role since the fall of Communism, and uses openly racist language to oppose liberalism and immigration.

Balazs Laszlo, one of the movement's leaders, told the crowd of mostly black-clad muscular, tattooed men that Europe showed an ill-conceived tolerance in the face of peril from its existing minorities and the influx of millions more people.

"Tens of millions are added to the ranks of the Arabs, Africans and Gypsies who will show no tolerance once they realize the power that their demographic significance lends them," he said. "Our ethnic community must come first... there is no equality."

Zsolt Tyirityan, another leader of the movement, used the Nazi ideology of Lebensraum, or living space, to paint a stark picture of Europe's present.

"World history is made and lost on population, the fight for living space and the fight to hold on to living space," he said. "Anyone who says different is either delusional or lying. Any way you look at it, the strongest always wins."

He added: "I have race awareness. I am proud to be a white European... And I reserve the right to defend that."

Echoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban's frequently touted ideal of an illiberal state, he said:

"We declare war on liberalism. They are our main enemy and we will do everything to destroy their ideals in our public... These people lose their nationality, their race awareness and soon their sexual identity. Such people must be forced out of our living space."

After Tyirityan spoke, a supporter approached him to sign a new copy of Adolf Hitler's book Mein Kampf.

(Reporting by Marton Dunai; Editing by Stephen Powell)

HAMBURG President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday he thought his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump had been satisfied with his assertions that Russia had not meddled in the U.S. presidential election.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Saturday said that the U.S.-Mexico relationship cannot be defined by "murmurs," the day after U.S. President Donald Trump said Mexico would "absolutely" pay for his proposed southern border wall.

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Hungarian hard right launches new anti-liberal, racist movement - Reuters