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Qatar tribune THE murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan has spotlighted the fury that many Americans feel toward the nation’s dysfunctional health insurance system. It has also tapped a profane undercurrent in national discourse today that makes otherwise rational people think it’s acceptable to express such fury with dehumanizing jokes and memes about the violent taking of a life. What isn’t getting enough attention, but should, is the alleged instrument of that violence. Murder suspect Luigi Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania carrying a “ghost gun” that authorities believe was the murder weapon. It’s part of a burgeoning industry of untraceable weapons that Congress should have cracked down on years ago — but that, thanks to congressional paralysis on any issue addressing gun violence, might soon enjoy expanded federal protection. America’s federal gun laws are woefully inadequate, as proven by our worst-in-the-advanced-world firearms death rates, but there are some current restrictions that help. Firearms manufacturers are required to stamp each new gun with a serial number. Acquisition and transfer records are required when the weapon is sold and resold. Criminal background checks are required for any gun purchase made through a federally licensed dealer. All of it is designed to both prevent gun violence and to aid police in tracking down perpetrators of violence when it happens. “Ghost guns” are guns assembled by buyers from mail-order kits and/or 3D-printer plans instead of being sold as fully functioning weapons. The only logical reason for this roundabout process is to make it easier for people who aren’t supposed to have weapons to get them — and to make it harder for police to trace them when they’re used in crimes. Common sense dictates that, regardless of how a gun came into being, federal requirements regarding serial numbers and the rest should still apply. A gun assembled at home can be used to kill with just as much finality as one bought in a gun shop. Yet because of the gun lobby’s hold over American politics, the legal status of ghost guns today remains in limbo. Congress, at the gun lobby’s bidding, has refused to specify in federal law that ghost guns must come under the same restrictions as other guns. The Biden administration responded with administrative rules that require manufacturers of ghost gun components to adhere to the same regulations as firearms manufacturers, including stamping the parts with serial numbers and keeping relevant sales records. Opponents sued to overturn those restrictions, arguing that gun kits aren’t guns — never mind that they can be assembled by buyers into functioning weapons in as little as 30 minutes. The US Supreme Court heard arguments in the case (Garland v. VanDerStok) in October; its opinion is pending. But the incoming Trump administration could render the case moot. During President Donald Trump’s first term, he loosened federal regulations on 3D-printer technology related to ghost guns and sided with the gun lobby on most issues. Trump could summarily rescind the Biden administration’s ghost-gun restrictions upon retaking office. All indications are that his fellow Republicans who will control both chambers of Congress would back such a move. Congressional Republicans have consistently supported a hands-off approach to an industry that exists for literally no reason but to hamper law enforcement in criminal investigations. More and more criminals are figuring that out. The number of ghost guns recovered at crime scenes has exploded 10-fold in just the past five years, from under 1,800 in 2016 to more than 19,000 in 2021, according to data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. While the assassin could just as easily have killed Thompson with a standard-issue handgun, the fact that it was apparently a ghost gun could conceivably complicate the case against Mangione. Police say the ghost gun found on Mangione is “consistent” with the type of gun used in the killing. But that doesn’t provide the solid link they might be able to establish if they could work with a serial number, manufacturing records, background checks and other law enforcement tools that, by intentional design, are not available for ghost guns. In other words, the fact that Mangione allegedly used such a gun to carry out the murder could in theory make it more difficult to prosecute him. If so, will Republicans continue to shield the unrestricted proliferation of this made-for-crime industry from even the minimum firearms standards currently on the books? It’s not a rhetorical question. By failing to pass commonsense legislation stamping ghost-gun restrictions into federal law, Congress aids the criminals who are aided by this niche of the firearms industry. Remember that the next time some gun-lobby politician waxes on about supporting “law and order.” Copy 16/12/2024 10NASHVILLE, Tenn — Josh Heupel made clear his No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers couldn't have started their regular season finale any worse giving up 14 points within the first five minutes. The Vols showed they can finish, which has them on the verge of hosting a College Football Playoff game. Nico Iamaleava threw for 257 yards and four touchdowns rallying Tennessee to routing in-state rival Vanderbilt 36-23 Saturday. “Finishing the way that we needed to and that we wanted to always is sweet, and these guys earned the right for this to be a big game," Heupel said. "They went out, they took it.” The Volunteers (10-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference; No. 8 CFP) needed a big victory to impress the College Football Playoff committee. They beat Vanderbilt (6-6, 3-5) for a sixth straight season leaving the Commodores needing to win their bowl game to post their first winning record since 2013. Better yet, the Vols rebounded from a nightmare start giving up the first 14 points by scoring 29 straight points. They led 24-17 at halftime on Iamaleava's first three TD passes. “Once they took the momentum, we kind of allowed them to have it for the rest of the game," Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said. "And you got to credit Tennessee. I mean, obviously, they were playing for the playoffs and credit coach Heupel and his team for their winning performance.” Junior Sherrill returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown for Vanderbilt to stun a mostly orange crowd. Dylan Sampson fumbled on the Vols’ second play from scrimmage, and Sedrick Alexanader's 4-yard TD run on a 26-yard drive put Vandy up 14-0 quickly. Then Iamaleava got Tennessee going with a 28-yard TD pass to Dont’e Thornton Jr. Tennessee got a break when Max Gilbert's 50-yard field goal bounced off the crossbar and over. Iamaleava found Thornton again on an 86-yard catch-and-run TD, then he tossed an 18-yard TD pass to Miles Kitselman. “Nico I just thought played really well throughout the course of the football game ...,” Heupel said. An early interception remained on Iamaleava's mind postgame. He also scrambled six times for 42 yards and wasn't sacked once. “I still feel like I can do better,” Iamaleava said. Iamaleava capped the opening drive of the third quartewith a 14-yard TD pass to Mike Matthews. The Vols added a safety by Tyre West and another Gilbert field goal. Diego Pavia threw a 31-yard TD pass to Richie Hoskins late with Vandy's 2-point conversion failing for the final margin. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
China seems to have a dogged determination to emerge as a global leader but there are a number of factors preventing it from securing that position. For instance, most of the states in the global leadership position don’t have major territorial disputes, but in the case of China, it not only has territorial disputes with India but it is also facing a hostile environment over the issue of the South China Sea. In addition to that, Taiwan is an inveterate issue that would keep on haunting it. If Beijing tries to annex it by force, it would definitely push the world towards a conflagration besides greatly halting its own rise as a global economic power. On military matters, China has only one nuclear ally Russia, which has been reeling under economic sanctions, while the US has three more declared nuclear powers as allies and one undeclared nuclear power. Washington also has large economic powers like Germany, Japan, South Korea, Italy, Canada and Australia in its sphere of influence. If Beijing starts pumping a large chunk of its resources into weapons and defence, then it would amount to repeating the mistakes of the Soviet Union, that faltered because of its disproportionate military spending. But if it does not match its military might with that of the US, it faces the risk of being overwhelmed by the hostile environment in the South China Sea and South Asia. A hegemon also has to make sacrifices to woo the support of other countries. For instance, one can criticise the US as much as one wants, but after all Washington did help Europe come out of the devastation that was inflicted upon the continent during the Second World War. Through the Marshall Plan, it helped Germany and other countries to rebuild themselves, besides showing to the world that the countries which are under the influence of the US can make tremendous strides within no time. The rise of South Korea and Japan as economic powers could not have been possible without substantial assistance by the US. Washington guaranteed their security, which enabled these two states to direct their energies towards economic recovery and technological advancement. The Soviet Union, despite its limited resources, supported revolutions in Vietnam, Cuba, North Korea and a number of other states besides supporting communists in East and Central Europe. Moscow sent 22,000 advisers to China soon after the 1949 revolution, helping Beijing prepare the first five-year economic plan. France and the United Kingdom extended help and succour to their former colonies by importing their manpower, which immensely bolstered the faltering economies of the newly emerged states. China, Global Leadership And The Spectre Of World War 3 The case of China is completely different. It is yet to demonstrate such generosity. Beijing is being accused of plundering the resources of developing countries, giving nothing in return. No country where China invested emerged as a modern South Korea or Japan. Developing states didn’t witness any transfer of industries or technology from China. On the contrary, its investment seems to be creating problems for the host states. Sri Lanka could be cited as one of the examples where much-vaunted Chinese investments did not demonstrate any miracles. The island state rather faced a slave master relationship which forced it to surrender its assets. The much-vaunted China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) did not industrialise the Islamic Republic either; instead the Pakistani market has been flooded with Chinese goods and the balance of trade has been in favour of the communist country – not for months or years, but for over two decades now. Most of the Chinese investment was carried out in the power sector, adding to the financial woes of the country. The Chinese joined parasitic independent power producers, claiming huge profits with people of the country paying far more in power bills than they paid before this investment. China secured a number of contracts that had nothing to do with CPEC. Neelam-Jhelum and other construction projects could be cited as examples. Even garbage lifting in cities like Karachi has been doled out to Chinese companies. Its investment in Balochistan did not mitigate the hardships of people there. It is believed that their problems have multiplied owing to the investment, which has also intensified the flames of insurgency. Can Beijing say that it has created any new South Korea? Can it claim that it has rebuilt a shattered economy in any part of the global South? Pakistani policymakers had expected that China would set up industries here or at least shift some of its assembling plants to the Islamic Republic. They followed the Chinese saying that underscores the need of building a nest to attract birds. A number of infrastructure and energy projects have already been completed under CPEC, but the country is yet to witness the growth of industrial development or rise of the manufacturing sector. Some critics believe that given the amount of security and the resources that we spend on the protection of the Chinese indicates that this investment has not been as beneficial as was being expected. Gender Gap In Climate Leadership: Why COP29 Must Elevate Women And Young Girls In Climate Action Some Pakistani policymakers had thought the labour cost in China would rise, prompting that country to shift some of its assembling plants to the Islamic Republic which would provide jobs to local people. It was also expected that China would train Pakistani youth so that they could be adjusted in these assembling plants or Chinese manufacturing units but now it is very clear that China is going to use robots on a massive scale that would address the rising cost of labour in the communist country. Therefore, it would not need cheap Pakistani manpower and it is not Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates that would invite Pakistani labour to do low income jobs. On the contrary more than 60,000 Chinese worked in Pakistan over the years. So instead of providing jobs to Pakistanis, CPEC turned out to be a blessing for Chinese workers who got jobs here and investors who made tons of profit. To be a global power, a hegemon needs a success story. Does China have a success story? It may indeed have a success story for its own people, where it has lifted more than 700 million people out of poverty, raising their living standards, wiping out illiteracy and making tremendous strides in science and technology. But when it comes to its investment in third world countries, can Beijing say that it has created any new South Korea? Can it claim that it has rebuilt a shattered economy in any part of the global South? Critics say it is becoming increasingly clear that China has surplus infrastructure and machinery, prompting the communist country to come up with infrastructure projects. Beijing is still reluctant to help developing countries industrialise themselves. Instead it is trying to flood markets of poor states with cheap Chinese goods. Even if Beijing tries to industrialise these countries, it is not possible for such states to manufacture industrial goods on a mass scale and at reasonable rates. Economic logic says that without mass production cheap goods cannot be manufactured. Legal Battle Between TRG Leadership And Former CEO Heats Up If China really wants to be a global power, it will have to make sacrifices helping countries in the Global South industrialise, creating a vibrant working class that could also influence the way these countries conduct politics. If Beijing keeps on flooding the states in the Global South with its cheap goods, it will be difficult to buy the rhetoric of the communist country that claims Chinese investment is a win-win situation. So far, it seems to be a one-way traffic with balance of trade everywhere seems to be in favour of China because it is capable of producing cheap goods and striking trade deals that overwhelmingly benefit itself. 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