Weekly Reading: Spooks, Buchanan!, Loss, Sanctuary cites, Mada's Legal Morass, FAOs and I am 2nd

How an obscure adviser to Pat Buchanan predicted the wild Trump campaign in 1996
Well this is an interesting article...but who could have really predicted Trump...

On Flying, and Who We Lost
A beautiful heartbreaking post about aviation, friendship and loss.

I Am Second
Then who's first, you will have to see for yourself.  Some incredible videos and stories.

The Struggle With Sanctuary Cities in Iowa
I am learning new things about our crazy political/electoral system all the time.

Eyewash: How the CIA deceives its own workforce about operations
The CIA, of course, denies any knowledge...between articles like these and watching Homeland...

UPDATE: Law and Legal Systems in Madagascar: A Political Siege
A good primer on the pol-legal systems of Madagascar.  I've been here two years and there were quite a few things that I learned.  It's difficult to find much political analysis on Madagascar in English so this was nice to run across.  One quote in particular caught my attention: "Montesquieu recommended that “power should be a check to power” to avoid abuses. However, Madagascar which wishes to be a democratic regime views the legislature and judiciary subordinated to the executive. Further, the Constitution appears to be an instrument used to legitimate and strengthen its supremacy."

IS THE UNITED STATES CONDUCTING THE CORRECT TYPES OF SECURITY COOPERATION MISSIONS IN THE AFRICAN CONTINENT?

This links auto-downloads the PDF--a bit annoying but so far a good 50 pages thesis that I am reading through.    His short answer is yes but AFRICOM needs a more balanced approached in Phase Zero ENCAP, MEDCAP and SC/SA activities.  You can just skip to page 48 to read his conclusions.

Foreign Area Officers learn from the experts at Monterey language school
Nothing I love more than a little FAO propaganda!

"Every FAO is an expert on political-military issues in a particular region of the world, is knowledgeable of security cooperation, highly trained in language skills and interpersonal skills, and is an experienced officer."

We definitely are not trained in 'interpersonal skills' but it's not a bad idea...although I am not sure what that would look like

What I Read Last Week: Pro-life means pro-gun control, a missile's aftermath, Yakuza photos, Contempt in Marriage and Politics in Madagascar

How one evangelical activist changed his mind on gun violence
A preacher's journey toward an expansive understanding of pro-life the grew from one focused on protecting the unborn to also protecting life in general through gun control.  Personally, I tend to agree that protecting the unborn goes hand in hand with fighting gun violence from a consistency aspect.


In Yemen, Death From Above, Grief Below
While we're reading about the value of life, this is a sober account of what the aftermath of a missile strike looks like for civilians.  So often, the actuality of these events are masked behind passive headlines--it's important to remember that a person's value is independent of their country of origin and that government's relationship to another.

This Photographer Was Given Access Inside One Of Japan’s Yakuza Crime Families
An intriguing and frightening glimpse into the seedy underworld of Japan's crime world.  The depth to which the photographer seems to have been lulled into its pull speaks to families' power--he glosses over the deleterious aspects of their existence quickly--ignoring the implications of prostitution, bribery and corruption.

Easier Said Than Done On the elusive quest for political stability in Madagascar
While Soamiely may be pretty much the only person writing in English on Malagasy culture and politics, he's also an incredible talented and interesting writer.  He's on my weekly reading list.  This article is a great example from June this year in which he dissects the (in)efficacy of the government in Madagascar to make concrete progress.

Couples Who Stay Together Follow This One Rule
I will just give you the rule: "If an argument crosses over from anger to contempt, it needs to stop immediately."

What I Read Last Week: Lonely Rats, the Libya Novel You Never Knew About, BMX in Mada, Blind Hikers and an Age 18 List for Your Kids

The War on Loneliness
A great post related to the exploding heroin addiction problem in the United States.  Turns out addiction is less pronounced and powerful when people are in community.  People crave relationships...we were made for them.

A LIBYAN NOVEL YOU SHOULD READ

It was only recently translated from Italian into English.  It's billed as a multi-generational fictional history of Libya beginning from the 1900s in the vein of the epic The Cairo Trilogy: Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, Sugar Street --one of my favorites.  I just started it and am adding it to my 2015 Reading List.  

A Stage Across the Sea An unjustly-neglected Libyan novelist captured the twisted logic of colonialism, past and present. 
In which a very intelligent writer named Ursula Lindsey lays out exactly why The Confines of the Shadow is such an important book.

DADA | The Malagasy Trialist
Cool little video about a Malagasy stunt bike rider named Dada up in Nosy Be.

The blind hiker who takes on the wilderness
Don't need to say much more than the title.   The hiker described has started a cool charity called The Far Sight Foundation .  He was the first blink hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail--check out his website.

CASH FAMILY “AGE 18 LIST” FOR OUR KIDS
A great post from the Chaplain for Mercy Ships that is here in Madagascar right now.  In it he offers a template to write out your hopes for your children by the time they turn 18.  Working backward from that then gives you an ability to build up those characteristics in your children.