Our own researched topics 2019 through end of session 2020
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING ARE OUR OWN TOPICS
Great Decisions continues from the first week of December 2019 through the last week of April 2020 the list of topics and research links follows:
New topics are listed here
In December, our meetings will concentrate on topics which have been suggested by our membership. At this point, supporting materials for each and every topic will be posted here our website. December topics are:
Dec. 17 2019
Majority of Cyberattacks against the US
What if a foreign nation cyber attacked and took over a government’s IT network, bringing an entire nation to its feet? Does this seem like a far-flung scenario? It isn’t. In April 2018, the small independent Caribbean nation of Saint Maarten faced a total public shutdown for an entire day. The previous month, the city of Atlanta was crippled by a ransomware attack that lasted two weeks and cost nearly $3 million.
In the US alone, Baltimore, Charlotte, Dallas and San Francisco have been victims of cyber attacks during the past year, following (ironically) a transition to smart city technology.
Presenter: Herb Goldstein
Cyberwarfare in the United States
How the Chinese cyberthreat has evolved List of cyberattacks
Inside the Cyberattack That Shocked the US Government
October 2019 Cyber Attacks Statistics
Cyberattacks Against the US Government Up 1,300% Since 2006
Climate Change Still Seen as the Top Global Threat, but Cyberattacks a Rising Concern
Cyber Threats from the U.S. and Russia Are Now Focusing on Civilian Infrastructure
Half of all countries aware but lacking national plan on cybersecurity, UN agency reports
Kennan Cable No. 41: A Cyber Treaty With Russia
Click on the arrow below for topic information and research links
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China Moscow Axis
December 10, 2019
The Beijing / Moscow Axis. Much debated. Is there really one? Is China the new leader of Asia Pacific with Russia the junior partner? For now, it appears that this alliance is a mere marriage of convenience; at best an uneasy tactical relationship. The glue most certainly is their mutual hatred of The Western world led, of course, by the United States. Should our foreign policy be on a country by country basis or should we consider the strength of this alliance as a threat to the United States. The Presenter will examine these issues and leave it to our participants to assess how this supposed alliance might shape US foreign policy.
Presenter: Karen Berson
The New Beijing – Moscow Axis
‘‘Serious’ rivalry still drives China-Russia relations despite improving ties
US Obsession With Containment Driving China And Russia Closer
China's unexpected move during huge war games with Russia shows their relationship is still uneasy
Moscow, Beijing and Washington: A Complicated Triangle
The Geopolitics of the Beijing-Moscow Consensus
Chinese Immigration to Siberia: A Source of Tensions between Moscow and Beijing?
A Nixon Strategy to Break the Russia-China Axis
Click on the arrow below for topic information and research links
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The Worldwide Opioid Crisis
In order to cope with the opioid crisis we have to understand it's history.
How did it start?
The history of opium in China began with the use of opium for medicinal purposes during the 7th century. In the 17th century the practice of mixing opium with tobacco for smoking spread from Southeast Asia, creating a far greater demand.
Heroin, morphine, and other opiates trace their origins to a single plant—the opium poppy. Cultivation of the plant dates back to the earliest years of human civilization, and opium use was well known in ancient Mesopotamia.
The narcotic drug has been used both recreationally and as a medicine for centuries. Opium derivatives, including morphine, became widely used pain relievers, particularly in the 1800s. Heroin, too, was first synthesized for medical use before physicians realized its potent addictive properties.
We will explore the many issues describing the topic in links including those listed below:
The deadly genius of drug cartels
The Story of America’s 19th-Century Opiate Addiction
The Opioid Crisis: A Global Problem
What is the best course of action when dealing with an opioid crisis?
And much more !!
12/03/2019 Presenter: Mel Lintz
UN Report Finds Opioids Are Responsible for Nearly 400,000 Deaths Worldwide
The global opioid crisis is worse than we thought.
Overdosing on Regulation: How Government Caused the Opioid Epidemic
Opioids of the Masses
Stopping an American Epidemic From Going Global
Opioids responsible for most drug-related deaths in Europe, says UN Drugs Report
About 271 million people — 5.5% of the world's population aged 15–64 — used drugs in 2016,
How Europe’s heroin capital solved its overdose crisis
What Canada can learn from Portugal about opioid addiction, rehab and recovery.
Europe's silent opioid epidemic
Russia’s Addiction Problem
Suppressing the opioid crisis and poor treatment regimes combine for a failed strategy.
Iran's drug problem: Addicts 'more than double' in six years
Opioid use booming as tramadol crisis emerges in Africa - U.N. drug report
Europe's silent opioid epidemic
Russia may hold the key to solving America’s opioid crisis
Click on the arrow below for topic information and research links
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The 8 of "our topics" session will start December 3, 2019
scheduled to end the first week of May 2020
You ill receive an email prior to it's presentation.
New topics beyond the one above will be listed at the top of this one approximately 2 weeks before presentation date.
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