Pocketbook influence

People want Pres. Trump to be tough on Saudi Arabia for killing that journalist. But he or any President won't. The Saudi royal family has a Svengali-like hold on world leaders because their perceived need for oil overrides any need for integrity. So it is up the world consumer. I'm 65,  and for the last six years I've ridden my bike 16 miles to work 4 days a week in any weather above 32°F and in afternoon I ride 4 miles to the bus and take that the rest of the way home. We have one car which we mostly use on weekends as my wife walks to work most days. Anyone who lives within 10 miles of work should ride a bicycle. Walk that 4 or 5 blocks to the corner store instead of driving. The only way we're going to reduce the influence of the Middle East is to cut back on using oil. Do your best.

Desperation

People bemoan Chinese business espionage and Russian election meddling. But it's actually a compliment to U.S. freedom and innovation. The Chinese keep such tight control of their people, that they don't have the freedom to innovate and the best they can do is copy our technology. Russia is a 3rd rate commodity based economy run by a mob that shuts down any independent ooperators. So they manufacture overseas adventures to keep people's minds off their incompetent government. These countries are like a Chihuahua nipping at our heels. When they stop doing it, that's when we are in trouble.