Trump and the Emoluments Clause

The clause is designed to prevent bribery

The relatively obscure word emolument saw a marked increase in lookup on November 21st, as journalists discussed Trump's conflicts of interest.

The Washington Post recently reported considerable interest in booking Trump’s Washington hotel as a deliberate way for foreign visitors to show their support for the incoming Trump White House. Two legal experts—Richard Painter, who was former President George W. Bush’s chief ethics counsel, and noted constitutional legal expert Lawrence Tribe—both say that this appears to be an “emolument” (a gift) that a president isn’t allowed to accept.
—Jeff Nesbit, Time.com, 21 Nov. 2016

The emoluments clause could also come into play when Trump’s business sells condos at its properties or partners with foreign investors in the United States or other countries. A condo sale to a foreign dignitary could be seen as an emolument, especially if it were above the market rate.
—Paul Blumenthal, huffington post.com, 19 Nov. 2016

Emolument has been in use in English since the late 15th century and is defined as “the returns arising from office or employment usually in the form of compensation or perquisites.” There is an additional sense of the word, now obsolete, which is “advantage, benefit.”

The word comes from the Latin word emolument um, which means “profit” or “gain”; the literal meaning of the word is “sum paid to have grain ground up,” as it comes from the word emolere (“to grind up”).

The emoluments clause of the United States Constitution (Article 1, section 9) reads as follows: “No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”

Potatoes, Eggs, and Coffee Beans

Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffee beans in the third pot.
He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing.

After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.
He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup. Turning to her he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?”
“Potatoes, eggs, and coffee,” she hastily replied.
“Look closer,” he said, “and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.
“Father, what does this mean?” she asked.
He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity– the boiling water.
However, each one reacted differently.
The potato went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak.
The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.
However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.
“Which are you,” he asked his daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean? “
Moral:In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.
Which one are you?

Everyone Has a Story in Life

A 24 year old boy seeing out from the train’s window shouted…
“Dad, look the trees are going behind!”
Dad smiled and a young couple sitting nearby, looked at the 24 year old’s childish behavior with pity, suddenly he again exclaimed…
“Dad, look the clouds are running with us!”
The couple couldn’t resist and said to the old man…
“Why don’t you take your son to a good doctor?”The old man smiled and said…“I did and we are just coming from the hospital, my son was blind from birth, he just got his eyes today.
Every single person on the planet has a story. Don’t judge people before you truly know them. The truth might surprise you.

What was the Cold War?

The Cold War is the name given to the relationship that developed primarily between the USA and the USSR after World War Two. The Cold War was to dominate international affairs for decades and many major crises occurred – the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, Hungary and the Berlin Wall being just some. For many, the growth in weapons of mass destruction was the most worrying issue.

A clash of very different beliefs and ideology – capitalism versus communism – each held with almost religious conviction, formed the basis of an international power struggle with both sides vying for dominance, exploiting every opportunity for expansion anywhere in the world.

Note that USSR in 1945 was Russia post-1917 and included all the various countries that now exist individually (Ukraine, Georgia etc) but after the war they were part of this huge country up until the collapse of the Soviet Union (the other name for the USSR).

Logic would dictate that as the USA and the USSR fought as allies during World War Two, their relationship after the war would be firm and friendly. This never happened and any appearance that these two powers were friendly during the war is illusory.

Before the war, America had depicted the Soviet Union as almost the devil-incarnate. The Soviet Union had depicted America likewise so their ‘friendship’ during the war was simply the result of having a mutual enemy – Nazi Germany. In fact, one of America’s leading generals, Patton, stated that he felt that the Allied army should unite with what was left of the Wehrmacht in 1945, utilise the military genius that existed within it (such as the V2’s etc.) and fight the oncoming Soviet Red Army. Churchill himself was furious that Eisenhower, as supreme head of Allied command, had agreed that the Red Army should be allowed to get to Berlin first ahead of the Allied army. His anger was shared by Montgomery, Britain’s senior military figure.

So the extreme distrust that existed during the war, was certainly present before the end of the war……..and this was between Allies. The Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin, was also distrustful of the Americans after Truman only told him of a new terrifying weapon that he was going to use against the Japanese. The first Stalin knew of what this weapon could do was when reports on Hiroshima got back to Moscow.

So this was the scene after the war ended in 1945. Both sides distrusted the other. One had a vast army in the field (the Soviet Union with its Red Army supremely lead by Zhukov) while the other, the Americans had the most powerful weapon in the world, the A-bomb and the Soviets had no way on knowing how many America had.

So what exactly was the Cold War?

In diplomatic terms there are three types of war.

Hot War : this is actual warfare. All talks have failed and the armies are fighting.

Warm War : this is where talks are still going on and there would always be a chance of a peaceful outcome but armies, navies etc. are being fully mobilised and war plans are being put into operation ready for the command to fight.

Cold War :

this term is used to describe the relationship between America and the Soviet Union 1945 to 1980. Neither side ever fought the other – the consequences would be too appalling – but they did ‘fight’ for their beliefs using client states who fought for their beliefs on their behalf e.g. South Vietnam was anticommunist and was supplied by America during the war while North Vietnam was pro-Communist and fought the south (and the Americans) using weapons from communist Russia or communist China. In Afghanistan, the Americans supplied the rebel Afghans after the Soviet Union invaded in 1979 while they never physically involved themselves thus avoiding a direct clash with the Soviet Union.

 

 This lack of mutually understanding an alien culture, would lead the world down a very dangerous path – it led to the development of weapons of awesome destructive capability and the creation of some intriguing policies such as MAD – Mutually Assured Destruction.

The Blood Forest

Photographer and street artist Philippe Echaroux has created a powerful series of images to highlight the issue of illegal logging and continuing deforestation of the Amazon rain forest.

Sources show a recent increase in this activity, despite efforts by the Brazilian government to curb it.
Working alongside the Paiter Surui people of western Brazil, Echaroux created these spectral images by projecting large scale portraits of the indigenous community on to foliage on its land.

Women make history in World Surf League contest in Hawaii

There are 12 women and 24 men competing in separate events at the perilous Hawaii break, where competitors’ training regimes include building up the ability to hold their breath under water for four minutes in case they are pinned under by crashing waves.

*Pakistan's Foreign Policy*

*INTRODUCTION*
No country today can think of a life independent of other nations.Every country has to develop relations with other countries so as to meets its requirements in economical,industrial and technological fields.It is thus necessary for every country to formulate a sound foreign policy.Pakistan is an important third world country in its developmental stage.It also has formulated her foreign policy keeping in mind its geography ,politics and economics.

*DEFINITION OF FOREIGN POLICY*
Foreign Policy can be defined as :
"Relations between sovereign states.It is reflection of domestic politics and an interaction among sovereign states.It indicates the principles and preferences on which a country qant to establish relations with another country."

*PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN POLICY IN LIGHT OF QUAID-E-AZAM'S WORDS*
The father of the nation,Quaid-e-Azam defined Foreign Policy towards other countries of the world in 1948,as follows:
" Our Foreign Policy is one of friendliness and good-will towards all the nations of the world.We do not cherish aggressive designs against any country or nation.We believe in the policy of honesty and fair play in national and international dealings and are prepared to make our outmost contribution to the promotion of peace and prosperity among the nations of the world.Pakistan will never be found lacking in extending its material and moral support to the oppressed and suppressed of the United Nations Charter."

*BASIC GOALS OF PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN POLICY*
1.Maintenance of territorial integrity.
2.Maintenance of its political independence.
3.Acceleration of social and economic development.
4.Strengthening its place on the globe.
5.Keeping cordial and friendly relations with all countries.

*GUIDING PRINCPLES OF PAKISTAN'S FPREIGN POLICY*
Following are the principles of Pakistan's Policy:
1.Protection of freedom and soveregnity
Pakistan came into being after great sacrifices of million of Muslims ,like any other country,she also considers with deep regard the need for preservation of its independence and does not allow any country to harm its freedom .Therefore,the principle of protection of independence and sovereignty is the corner stone of Pakistan's Foreign Policy.
2.Cordial Relations with Muslim Countries
Pakistan always tries to establish cordial and friendly relations with Muslim countries.It has always moved its concern against Israel,India and U.S.S.R capturing Palestine,Kashmir and Afghanistan respectively.She has shouldered high responsibilities and used her influence for safeguarding the rights of the Muslims.Pakistan is also an active member of the Islamic Conference.
3.Non Interference in Internal Affairs of Other ountries
Pakistan has sought to establish normal and friendly relations with all countries especially its neighboring countries,on the basis of universally acknowledge the principle of national sovereignty,non use of force,non-interference in the internal affairs of state.
4.Implementation of U.N Charter
Pakistan's policy is to act upon UN Charter and to support all moves by the UN to implwmwnt it.Pakistan has been the member of UN since the year of its birth.
5.Promotion of World Peace
Pakistan policy is to promote peace among nations.It has no aggresive designs against any country.Neither does it support any such action.Pakistan has always held that the international disputes should be settled through negotiations rather than non-battlefield.
6.NON-ALIGNMENT
Pakistan follows the policy of Non-Alignment i,e to keep away from alignment with any big power bloc and avoids taking sides in the cold war.It has also given up its association with SEATO and CENTO and was included in NAM in 1979.
7.Support for Self-Determination and Condemnation of Racial Discrimination
Pakistan is a staunch supporter of the right of self-determination and has been in the fore front of efforts to eliminate colonialism.It has advocated the right of self determination of Kashmir.

*CONCLUSION*
The guiding principle of Pakistan's Foreign Policy are rooted in the country's Islamic ideology,its rich cultural heritage and historical experience.As an Islamic and non-aligned country,Pakistan supports Islamic caouses and firmly upholds the above mentioned principles,which hold out the promose of a just and equitable world order in which nations can live in peace and security.
By Central Superior Service Telegram group