US News Metro Long Island Politics

Sports NFL MLB Olympics NBA NHL College Football College Basketball WNBA

Entertainment TV Movies Music Celebrities Awards Theater

Lifestyle Weird But True Sex & Relationships Viral Trends Human Interest Parenting Fashion & Beauty Food & Drink Travel

Health Wellness Fitness Health Care Medicine Men’s Health Women’s Health Mental Health Nutrition

Science Space Environment Wildlife Archaeology

Today’s Paper Covers Columnists Horoscopes Crosswords & Games Sports Odds Podcasts Careers

Email Newsletters Official Store Home Delivery Tips

Switch between CA and NY editions here.

Fast Takes: Brazilian president’s lousy Beijing bet, Israel’s not the problem and more

See more of our coverage in your search results.

Latin beat: Lula’s Lousy Beijing Bet

“Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has intensified his confrontation with the US and his reliance on Communist China — a strategy that could seriously jeopardize Brazil’s economy, security, and sovereignty,” warns Arturo McFields at The Hill. The leftist leader’s embrace of “panda bonds” and “yuan as currency” will limit Brazil’s “financial freedom to sell to countries other than the communist power.” Joint space-related ventures will enable Beijing to “improve military capabilities” in a US sphere of influence. Lula’s China ploy is high- risk: Tying Brazil’s “telecommunications, space security, trade and now bonds” to Beijing’s “economic fluctuations” will “leave Brazilian finances vulnerable.” Upshot: “Confrontation with the US is both futile and unnecessary, but dependency on Beijing puts Brazil’s economy at risk and endangers the security of the Americas.”

Mideast watch: Israel’s Not the Problem

Sam Harris won’t debate his support for Israel, the podcaster explains at his Substack, because no Jewish state’s “failings” come close to altering the facts that “the ethical difference between Israel and her enemies remains vast,” “militant Islam is 10 times worse than you think” and “the global preoccupation with the Jewish state” is “contemptible.” The world’s obsession with Israel, “and the double standards to which its people are held,” are........

© New York Post