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Over the weekend we talked about the rising tensions between Germany and Turkey and the implications that could have for European military agreements in the region. The Germans were upset over Turkeys refusal to allow official visits to the German troops stationed at Incirlik air base, a primary military facility used by a number of countries including the United States. That snub seemed to be a tit-for-tat result of Angela Merkels refusal to extradite Turkish citizens in Germany who Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is accusing of being supporters of last years attempted coup.

The situation has boiled over fairly quickly, and now the Associated Press reports that Germany is pulling their troops and aircraft out of Incirlik.

Chancellor Angela Merkels Cabinet has decided to pull German troops and reconnaissance aircraft out of Turkeys Incirlik air base after Turkish officials refused to let members of parliament visit those stationed there.

The decision Wednesday announced by Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen comes after a lengthy impasse over the visits and ongoing friction between Berlin and Ankara. Theyve involved a multitude of other issues, including the arrest of German journalists in Turkey and Germanys decision to grant asylum to soldiers and others who Turkey alleges were involved in last years failed coup.

This may not be a huge deal in terms of the overall war against ISIS but its definitely an inconvenience to the Germans. Theyve got some Tornado recon planes at Incirlik as well as a refueling plane used by several members of the coalition. Merkel can move the aircraft and personnel to a base in Jordan, but thats not as convenient as the base in Turkey and will lengthen response times. Of course, both sides are agreeing that the logistics to make the move will take up to two months and they may patch things up in the meantime and decide to leave them there.

But no matter which way it goes, this is only one more example of the fraying of Turkeys alliances with western powers under Erdogan. Hes been making unreasonable demands of the countries hes supposedly an ally of while continuing to push his luck in other areas. Hes still holding American Pastor Andrew Brunson in prison and on Friday he arrested the father of an NBA player. Many of the actions Erdogan is taking would have been cause for a complete collapse of diplomatic ties in more peaceful times, but Turkey occupies such a critical position in geopolitical affairs these days they can seemingly get away with pretty much anything. Not only are they a key component in the fight against ISIS, but they are holding back a potentially far more serious flood of refugees from Syria and Iraq which could be streaming into Europe without their cooperation.

Merkels move is the first true slap on the wrist that Erdogan has received over his various atrocious actions. Will anyone else be standing up to him in the near future? For at least the time being, color me skeptical.

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Germany to withdraw from Turkish air base, breaking with Erdogan - Hot Air

Trump Derangement Syndrome continues to spin out of control within certain segments of society, and offenders seem unable to recognize when a line has been crossed.

The Public Theater's rendition ofJulius Caesar in New York City is a prime example of the phenomenon.

This version of Shakespeares tragedy features a Caesar who bears a striking resemblance to President Donald Trump, complete with his trademark orange hair, business suit, and long red (or blue) necktie. True to the original play, the rash populist Caesar ends up being assassinated on the Senate floor by a group of conspirators including his friends Cassius and Brutus -- saving the Republic from his dangerousreign.

They didn't even attempt to be subtle with the imagery, according to one woman who was able to see a sneak preview of the performance. During the murder scene when the Trumpian Ceasar is stabbed to death, "an American flag hovers overhead," according to the woman, while "blood was spewing everywhere out of his body. She told Joe Piscopo on AM 970 THE ANSWER that the audience seemed disturbingly accepting of the heinous scene.

The Public Theater kicked off its annual free Shakespeare in the Park summer programming with Julius Caesaron May 23, but the play doesn't officiallyopen until June 12.

Via Mediaite:

It describes the Roman leader as Magnetic, populist, irreverent, and bent on absolute power. The description also notes that a small band of patriots, devoted to the countrys democratic traditions, must decide how to oppose him.

Laura Sheaffer, a sales manager at Salem Media who saw the sneak preview, described the ghastly performance in an interview with Mediaite.

The actor playing Caesar was dressed in a business suit, with a royal blue tie, hanging a couple inches below the belt line, with reddish-blonde hair just like Trump, Sheaffer said.

In the scene before Caesar is assassinated, his wife Calpurnia begs him to stay away from the Senate, claiming she is having nightmares of his murder. According to Sheaffer, the actress playing Calpurnia bore a resemblance to first lady Melania Trump replete with a Slavic accent.

Sheaffer also noted that in the scene, the actor playing Trump Caesar steps out of a bathtub stark naked, which she said struck her as disrespectful, and a mockery of the office of the President.

In the next scene the Trumpian Caesar is attacked by the Senators and stabbed to death as an American flag hovers overhead, according to Sheaffer. They had the full murder scene onstage, and blood was spewing everywhere out of his body.

To be honest I thought it was shocking and distasteful, Sheaffer continued. If this had happened to any other president even as recently as Barack Obama or George W. Bush it would not have flown. People would have been horrified.

I mean it was the on-stage murder of the president of the United States, she said.

Sheaffer pointed out that the play ends with Marc Anthony celebrating Brutus for his bravery, saving the Romans from Caesars rule. The message it sent was that if you dont support the president, its ok to assassinate him.

I dont love President Trump, but hes the president. You cant assassinate him on a stage, Sheaffer said.

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Trump Derangement Syndrome Spirals Out of Control with Sick Performance of Trumpian Julius Caesar - PJ Media

Media Matters for America (blog)

Eric Trump retreats to Hannity after report that his charity lied about devoting all its profits to research cancer ... Media Matters for America (blog) Eric Trump retreated to Fox News' Hannity -- hosted by his father's biggest media sycophant -- to lash out after Forbes reported that charitable activity by the Eric Trump Foundation seems to defy federal tax rules and state laws that ban self-dealing ... Eric Trump Goes Off On His Father's Critics: 'They're Not Even People' (VIDEO)TPM How Donald Trump Shifted Kids-Cancer Charity Money Into His BusinessForbes Eric Trump: Dems 'not even people'The Hill all 177 news articles »

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Eric Trump retreats to Hannity after report that his charity lied about devoting all its profits to research cancer ... - Media Matters for America...

Local Democrats are concerned about how the plan could negatively impact its workers.

In terminal A of Bush Airport Congresswomen Shelia Jackson Lee stood backed by airport union workers.

They are worried about losing their jobs if air traffic control is privatized.

Cynthia Cole is one of those workers.

You are looking at 10,000 to 20,000 individuals who are going to be impacted by this, Cole says. And there is no guarantee to their jobs.

The congresswoman says there has been progress made in bettering the air traffic control system, and it would be unwise to stop now.

Right here, at Bush we have begun the Next Generation technology, and invested millions of dollars to build that facility at the air traffic controllers, Jackson Lee says. What happens when those assets go into a private bank, a private entity?

NextGen technology was put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2014.

It aims to help airports become more efficient.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz said on Fox News that privatizing air traffic control would not only help modernize the system, but bring more jobs.

Original post:
What Does Privatizing Air Traffic Control Mean For Houston Jobs? - Houston Public Media

The first Japanese animated feature, the 1945 propaganda film Momotaro: Sacred Sailors, is being released on DVD and video in the U.S. Although the occupation forces ordered the film destroyed after World War II, a copy somehow survived and has been restored.

The film is noteworthy in a number of ways, especially its stereotypical images of Causcasians the flip side of the racist depictions of the Japanese in American wartime cartoons.

Anime enjoys a huge following in the U.S. and around the world, but the first Japanese animated feature had little in common with more recent favorites like Pokmon or Sailor Moon. Mitsuyo Seos 74-minute Momataro: Sacred Sailors (Momotaro Umi no Shinpei) was meant to support the war effort with its depiction of Japanese forces conquering ineffectual Caucasian colonials

During the war, Japanese animators, like their U.S. counterparts, made military training films and propaganda shorts that were shown theatrically. Seo had already made Momotaros Sea Eagles (1942), a 37-minute featurette showing an animal army attacking Pearl Harbor, when the Ministry of the Navy commissioned Sacred Sailors.

For decades, historians believed the film was lost any prints that survived the firebombing of Tokyo would have been destroyed as militaristic propaganda by the Allied forces. But one somehow survived. Restoration began in late 2015, to mark the 120th anniversary of Shochiku Studio and the 70th anniversary of the end of war. Funimation is releasing the film on Blu-ray and DVD in the U.S.

In the most popular Japanese folk tale, Momotaro, the boy born from a giant peach, and his animal companions defeat demons on a nearby island and reclaim their stolen treasure. The character appeared regularly in wartime propaganda.

Sacred Sailors opens with animal children in a dreamily beautiful Japan bidding farewell to their dashing relatives who have completed their military training. The young officers move to a tropical Pacific island, where monkeys, elephants, rhinos, etc. cheerfully build hangars for the Japanese Navy and learn the Japanese alphabet. This idealized scenario presents the official ideology that Japan was liberating Asia from oppressive Western colonialism.

Momotaro leads his animal troops in a parachute assault on the mythical Kingdom of Goa that was conquered by Caucasians long ago. The animal troops quickly disarm enemy tanks and machine gun nests. The white defenders who have demons horns flap their arms and dither before surrendering to Momotaro. Among the troops is a crudely drawn version of Popeye, who drops a can of spinach as he raises his hands over his head. The film concludes with the Japanese children imitating the heroic parachutists by jumping from a tree onto a map of the United States.

One of the most striking features of Sacred Sailors is its use of ethnic stereotypes. The Caucasian characters have huge noses, large eyes and flabby bodies. These images provide a striking counterpoint to American propaganda cartoons like Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips (1944). Although Hollywood animators caricatured individual European Fascist leaders Hitler, Mussolini, Goebbels they drew the Japanese enemy as a racial stereotype with chrome yellow skin, buck teeth and slanting eyes.

Seo demanded a large budget and crew for Sacred Sailors, but the film was created under difficult circumstances. The material used to make cels was in such short supply, the artists had to wash and reuse them, giving some scenes a muddy look. Although no documentation exists, rumors persist that the voices of the British characters were provided by prisoners of war. Scholars agree that the voices belong to native English speakers, not Japanese actors.

Some sequences in the film boast a poetic grace, notably the striking parachute assault, which likens the falling soldiers to dandelion puffs. Other scenes include elements borrowed from Western sources. The singing animals at work show the influence of Disneys Snow White and Dumbo. A striking flashback sequence recounting the seizure of Goa is done in cutouts modeled on Lotte Reinigers The Adventures of Prince Achmed (Germany, 1926).

Its not clear how many people saw Sacred Sailors or what effect it had on national morale, although it was reportedly screened at the Imperial Palace for the crown prince, now Emperor Akihito. When it was released, the victory it depicted was obviously a fantasy. Tokyo had already suffered extensive bombing and the invasion of Okinawa was underway. Most children had been evacuated to the countryside; teenagers who remained in the cities were conscripted for factory work and had little time for amusements.

I suspect the film was shown primarily to the military, said John Dower, who won the National Book Critics Circle Award for War Without Mercy: Race & Power in Pacific War, in a phone interview. The subtitles for the passages in English were clearly not aimed at children: the Kanji characters are too complicated and sophisticated.

The influence of Sacred Sailors on modern anime is indirect. Osamu Tezuka, who played a key role in the creation of the postwar Japanese animation industry, saw the film as a teenager. He later wrote, I sat in the freezing Shochiku-za movie theater, which had somehow survived the bombings, and watched the film and I was so impressed, I began weeping uncontrollably. The lyricism and childlike spirit in all the reels were like a warm light, illuminating my mummified spirit, depleted of both hope and dreams. I swore then: I will someday make my own animated films.

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"Momotaro," a Japanese World War II-era propaganda animation film, finally gets a DVD release - Los Angeles Times