Donald Trumps's closing remarks after the first debate of Republican candidates for president.

His pet pig keeps interrupting.

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Chicago Violence Rises With the Heat of the Summer

It looks that the U.S. is the most violent society in the western hemisphere. Why is to so? According to one estimate 12000 people are murdered every year in the U.S.

Chicago is one example. Rest of the country has similar incidences of violence.

"The figures can be numbing: There were more than 2,000 shootings in Chicago last year, and the city is on pace for more this year. The violence rises in the heat of summer. But beneath the sobering figures are personal stories, both of fear and resilience. NBC News' Tracy Jarrett spent time in Chicago to hear them." NBC

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Russia's Invasion of Ukraine - A New Cold War?

 Is there a new Cold War? The situation in Ukraine is escalating with Russian troops invading the Crimea, and with concerns about Russian soldiers potentially advancing further. There has been a dip in world markets in response to this news. The United States has halted trade and investment talks with Russia and the planned G8 summit in Sochi looks to be in trouble.

In the 21st century, an era of globalization and trade, a post-Cold War era, this talk is shocking, and really does sound like another Cold War could be upon us. Hopefully not, hopefully this situation will de-escalate soon and Putin will come to his senses. Though Putin seems mad with power - with Czarist delusions - and seems determined to recreate the Russian Empire. Thankfully the United States is more cautious, and does not have a desire for military confrontation.

The timing is ironic, soon after the over-priced $50+billion Sochi Olympics, an overpriced Olympics rife with corruption and mismanagement. Many in Sochi were displaced as Putin embarked on the absurd project of hosting a Winter Olympics in a subtropical climate.

Though not everyone in the West is off the hook, John Baird used shockingly provocative language - in a situation that should call for diplomacy - by saying Putin's invasion of Ukraine was like Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia. Over-using the Hitler analogy - as Baird did - marginalizes the suffering of the Holocaust, the brutality of WWII.

In all this, de-escalation is needed. Let's hope this situation calms down soon, that we are not pulled into another Cold War.

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Dangerous and erratic weather in U.S

Signs of more dangerous storms to come as the effects of climate change become more intense. What will the deniers say now? Global climate change - from human activities - is no longer a prediction... it's a reality, and it's getting worse. It is costing governments money as they have to clean up after multiple disasters. Also, creates havoc for people's lives.

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John Baird in his Santa's lap

"I am concerned that there is a little bit too much enthusiasm as a result of the different tone. And what we hope is, the world won't take the pressure off the regime (Iran) to make the substantive changes that are needed."

"The stakes are so high, we have to stay focused on what actions they take," Baird said.

I believe that Iran must not develop nuclear weapons. But by the same token Israel must hand over its nuclear and chemical weapons to U.N. to be destroyed. U.S. must demand the same from Israel what it is demanding from Syria and Iran. No double standards and hypocrisy.

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U.S and Russia reach a deal on Syria

"The United States and Russia struck a deal Saturday under which Syria will allow its stockpile of chemical weapons to be removed or destroyed by next year — easing a crisis over a threatened American military attack."

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"The Russian foreign minister called it an agreement “based on consensus and compromise and professionalism.” France welcomed it as an “important step forward.” Kerry and his British and French counterparts will talk about the deal’s implementation over lunch Monday in Paris."  
  I believe it is a good compromise and another war in the Middle East will be avoided. However, it leaves Assad in power and I don't know how that will play out. Will opposition to Assad in Syria buy this deal? Will it stop civil war and killings? 100,000 Syrian died prior to the use of chemical weapons. Will that slaughter stop or continue? That is not clear.

Read more here.

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Assad of Syria agrees to put chemical weapons' stockpile under international control

Russia asked Syria to put chemical weapons stockpile under international control and Assad has agreed to that. Will that stop U.S. strike against Syria?


 "Syria welcomes a Russian proposal to place its chemical weapons under international control, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said Monday after talks in Moscow, praising the Kremlin for seeking to "prevent American aggression."  Moualem, who spoke to reporters through an interpreter after Russia expressed hope the proposal could avert military strikes against Syria, stopped short of saying explicitly that President Bashar al-Assad's government accepted it."
Read more CBC News.

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A missile attack on Syria will further perpetuate the civil war

According to Clare Short, Former Secretary of State for International Development, it will be a blunder to carry out a missile attack on Syria. In a column in The Huffington Post she writes:

"It is notable that the Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention said after the Damascus attack, that it did not look like military strength toxins because otherwise those who help the injured would have had to wear protective clothing. Other experts have said that sarin gas is not difficult to manufacture. It is also significant that in recent months, the Syrian regime has made advances in the fighting and the opposition has lost ground. This is a strange time for the regime to use chemical weapons but a good time for the opposition to claim this if they can persuade the West to take action and therefore weaken the regime's military capability. We must also be clear that there are some very nasty, Al Qaeda linked elements now fighting on the opposition side in Syria who have been accused of atrocities and warcrimes."

Read more here.

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Poverty in America - especially children

The U.S is one of the richest countries in the world but poverty is aplenty. I was in New York, Manhattan area, and I could not walk a street without being accosted by beggars. These beggars don't ask for money, they demand it. If you don't give them a quarter or 50 cents some may spit on you.

George W. Bush spent $2 trillion, trillion with 't', imagine how many people could have been fed with that money and provided shelter.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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In U.S dead people can donate to political parties

So there is a life after death after all and one can remain active politically even after his/her death. The soul is still hovering around. Only in U.S. eh!!!

graphit/Shutterstock

“The dead can't vote, but they can give money to politicians.

Thirty-two people listed on federal campaign records as "deceased" have contributed more than $586,000 to congressional and presidential candidates and political parties since Jan. 1, 2009.” Mother Jones.

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Is America's exceptionalism just an illusion?

Is America's exceptionalism over and its influence internationally dwindling? The short answer is 'yes'.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

“****American exceptionalism, not so accepted? Our country’s ongoing spat with Russia is the latest in what’s been a frustrating year on the foreign policy front for the White House and President Obama specifically. From Egypt to Syria to Russia and China, there have been more setbacks than successes. While we like to think other countries once quaked in the face of U.S. power, but that hasn’t been the case since, well, the Iraq war. More recently, the Edward Snowden saga highlighted just how hard it is for the U.S. to get China and Russia, specifically, to bend. The limits of U.S. power in this flatter world are becoming more noticeable by the day.” NBC News.

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Russian Warships to visit Cuba

It looks that relations between Russia and U.S have taken a new turn. The American government is quite upset over Russia giving refuge to Edward Snowden. Now the renewal of close relations by the Russians with Cuba is another indication of cooling off relations with America. Déjà vu all over again – during J.F. Kennedy presidency and Cuban missile crisis. Is cold war on again? Too early to tell.

Russian Warship

“During his visit to Cuba in April, Russia’s Chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, met with Cuban Defense Ministry officials and reiterated that Russia and Cuba remain defense partners.

Some Russian military sources have previously indicated that if a political decision is made Moscow could resume operations at the Lourdes facility and also use airbases in Cuba for refueling of strategic aircraft.” RIA Novosti.

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"One Nation Under The Gun": Gun Deaths Since Sandy Hook

This article clearly highlights why real gun control legislation is needed in the United States, the number of gun deaths is staggering, "In the 98 days since (Sandy Hook), guns have killed at least 2,243 more people."

How many more people will have to die senseless deaths from guns before real action is taken to stop these tragedies? The map below illustrates this situation:



You can also check out the map here, by clicking on this link and then clicking "Next." This map keeps a running account of the gun deaths across the United States since the tragic Sandy Hook shootings, visually displaying the mounting violence across the country.

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U.S. Gun Deaths Since Sandy Hook Top 1,280

Some of the faces of  the victims of gun violence  
Source The Huffington
Post.

This story from the Huffington Post is very relevant, 1,280 gun deaths in the US since Sandy Hook. This story highlights the multitude of gun deaths in the United States, including youth and children whose lives have been taken. These stories do not make the national headlines of a massive one-time killing, but they add up to a staggering tragedy, and of course every human life lost unnecessarily is a tragedy. Here are a few examples from that story of gun deaths over frivolous disputes:

Silly arguments became final arguments. A man was murdered over two broken cigarettes. Another after getting into a spat at a taco truck. Travis Len Massey, 23, was shot and killed by his sister's boyfriend in a family dispute over a missing gun. A 52-year-old Jacksonville man shot and killed a longtime friend over an argument, according to police. When asked what the argument was about, the gunman said he didn't remember, according to a television report.

Here is another example from that story, showing the dangers of guns when it comes to children:

A 6-year-old accidentally killed a 4-year-old. A different 4-year-old accidentally killed a 58-year old.

Overall, rates of gun death and gun violence in the United States are far greater than any other western country.

Americans have to stop listening to fanatical lobbyists like the NRA, there needs to be common sense policy, there needs to be proper gun control. It is an essential matter of public safety.

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Piers Morgan vs. Alex Jones: Jones Explosive Pro-Gun Tirade

I agree with Piers Morgan on this, Alex Jones' angry rant is the best advertisement out there for gun control. It is people like Jones who defy common-sense, though unfortunately people like him have a following, which is why there is a lack of common sense in many areas of American policy, including gun control. It is appalling how Alex Jones is afraid to confront the facts about gun violence - facts and reality are anathema to him. He cannot come to terms with the fact that gun violence is dramatically lower in Britain because of stricter gun control measures there. You can click here to read the story.

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The Huffington Post: Interesting Headline

TO LIVE AND DIE IN AMERICA

3 Shot And Killed In Mich... 18-Year-Old Shot Multiple Times, Dies... Man Kills Wife, Teen, Himself... Man Shoots, Kills Own Son... Cops Shoot Teen Dead... Man Gunned Down In Parking Lot... 5 Dead In Spate Of Shootings... 2 Murdered In Philly... 2 Kansas Cops Shot Dead... Shooter Killed... 4 Die In Apparent Murder-Suicide... Ga. Cop Dies From Gunshot... Argument Leads Teen To Shoot Friend... Man Shot To Death...Teen Dies After Being Tied Up, Shot... Man Shot Dead In Street... Drug Deal Leads To Shooting Death... Mother Of 2 Killed In Road Rage Shooting... Man Shoots, Kills Intruder... 1 Killed In Coney Island... Man Dies From Gunshot Wounds... Cops Investigate Gun Death... Shooting Victim's Body Found On Bike Trail... Man Charged With Shooting Own Brother Dead... Man Dies After Being Shot In Chest... Body Of Shooting Victim Found In Pickup... Teen Arrested For Robbery Shooting Death... Man Carrying 2-Year-Old Son Shot Dead... Man Fatally Shot Near Home... Parolee Dies In Shooting... 1 Killed In Buffalo Shooting... Man Shot Dead In Apartment Complex... Street Gun Battle Kills Grandma Bystander... Man, Woman Dead In Apparent Murder-Suicide... Woman Shot Dead By Intruder... 14-Year-Old Arrested Over Fatal Gun Attack...Man Found Shot Dead In Parking Lot... Woman Shot In Face By Ex-Boyfriend... 1 Woman, 3 Men Shot Dead... 2 Die In Attempted Robbery... Army Reservist Shot To Death In Alley... Man Shot To Death In Bodega... 2 Shot Dead In Burned House... Man Shot During Break-In... Man Fatally Shot... 20-Year-Old Gunned Down... Man Shoots Self During Police Pursuit... 1 Killed In Baltimore Shooting... Cops ID Shooting Victim... 60-Year-Old Man Shot Dead... Shot Man's Body Found In Vacant House.... Woman Shot And Killed Outside Her Home... Shooting Victim Was 'Trying To Turn Life Around'... Slain Shooting Victim Found In Street.... Driving Altercation Leads To Shooting, 1 Dies... 3-Year-Old Dies In Accidental Shooting... Man Turns Self In After Allegedly Shooting Wife... Man Shot Dead Outside Home... 3 Slain In Separate New Orleans Shootings... Cops Investigate Shooting Death... Man Shot Dead In Ohio... Teen Shot To Death... Man Dies After Being Shot Multiple Times... Man Charged Over Son's Shooting Death...Cops Find 2 Men Shot Dead... 1 Dies In Shooting... Man Charged Over Gun Killing... 1 Shot Dead In Confrontation... Man Charged With Murder Over Shooting... Motel-Owner Shot And Killed... Husband Shoots Estranged Wife Dead... Suspect Arrested Over Deputy's Shooting Death... Police Probe Fatal Shooting... Cops Kill 2 Suspects In 3 Shooting Deaths... Man Killed Fighting Back Against Robber... Man Killed In Home Invasion.... Nightclub Shooting Kills 1... Child Brain Dead After Drive By Shooting... Man Charged Over Shooting Of Ex-Wife...Body Found In Vacant House... Teen Fatally Shot...

And that is the example Harper wants to follow when it comes to gun control.

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China: America is a violent society and is guilty of severe human rights violations

U.S criticized China for human rights violations in a report. China prepared its own report on U.S which states that U.S is the most violent society in the world and human rights violations are very frequent in U.S.


Alleged cinema gunman James Holmes appears in court after his shooting
 spree at a Batman premiere in Aurora, Colorado Photo: Getty Images

“The United States' own tarnished human rights record has made it in no condition, on moral, political or legal basis, to act as the world's "human rights justice," to place itself above other countries and release the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices year after year to accuse and blame other countries. We hereby advise the U.S. government once again to look squarely at its own grave human rights problems, to stop the unpopular practices of taking human rights as a political instrument for interference in other countries' internal affairs, smearing other nations'images and seeking its own strategic interests, and to cease using double standards on human rights and pursuing hegemony under the pretext of human rights.

Quite a lot Americans have no access to health care: report
• U.S.-led wars create humanitarian disasters: report
• U.S. leader in gun violence, gun deaths: report
• Millions homeless in U.S.: report
• Ethnic minorities severely discriminated against in US: report”

Read China report here.

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North Korea: Nuclear Proliferation

NBC Nightly News had an interesting piece on North Korea and policies of developing more and more potent nuclear arsenal which also has worldwide reach. This is indeed madness.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I agree that both North Korea and Iran must not have nuclear weapons especially when leadership in both these countries is erratic.

Unfortunately the U.S does not have moral authority to tell any other nation not to have nuclear weapons when the U.S itself has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world.

It is the U.S who has armed Israel with a nuclear arsenal to the teeth – 150 plus nuclear war heads. I believe the U.S also assisted other countries to acquire nuclear weapons. Nations which are so-called friends to the U.S. South Korea is an example.

All this nuclear madness must stop. All countries should refrain from acquiring nuclear weaponry. U.S nuclear weapons have the capacity to destroy all life on the planet earth many times over and so does Russia. Any nuclear war will be Armageddon for the world.

Global warming and nuclear weaponry are the major threats to human existence.

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