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This comment is related to last week’s news. There has been some commentary in the mainland press (and pro-PRC Taiwan press) about Abe’s visit to Beijing which contrasts English-language media coverage. Rather than being merely about investment and a tactical Chinese pivot in response to Trump, the narrative is that the trip and Abe’s comments are about concerns in Tokyo that the US is A) unpredictable/unclear on Taiwan and B) unreliable in the event of an armed conflict. I suppose one piece of evidence is that Abe took the opportunity to reaffirm Japan’s commitment to the status quo on the issue. Not sure if this is just spin from Beijing or an element that was overlooked in the English-language press.

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Trump's proposed ban on birthright citizenship is a total non-starter. He's either getting bad legal advice or ignoring good legal advice. It's in the 14th Amendment, which can't be overturned by Congress, let alone by a presidential executive order. The language and legislative history of the amendment are clear. Here's a good explainer: https://reason.com/volokh/2018/10/30/birthright-citizenship-and-the-constitut

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