text:
\section{Introduction}

The nuclear symmetry energy $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}(\rho )$ that encodes
the energy related to the neutron-proton asymmetry in the equation of state
(EOS) of isospin asymmetric nuclear matter (ANM) plays a crucial role in
both nuclear physics and astrophysics \cite%
{LiBA98,Dan02,Lat04,Ste05,Bar05,LCK08}. It is also relevant to some
interesting issues regarding possible new physics beyond the standard model
\cite{Hor01b,Sil05,Kra07,Wen09}. Although significant progress has been made
in recent years in determining the density dependence of $E_{\text{\textrm{%
sym}}}(\rho )$ \cite{Bar05,LCK08}, large uncertainties still exist even
around the normal density $\rho _{0}$. For instance, while the value of $E_{%
\text{\textrm{sym}}}(\rho_{0} )$ is determined to be around $30\pm 4$ MeV
mostly from analyzing nuclear masses, the extracted density slope $L$ of $E_{%
\text{\textrm{sym}}}(\rho )$ at $\rho _{0}$ scatters in a very large range
from about $20$ to $115$ MeV depending on the observables and methods used
in the studies \cite{Tsa09,Car10,She10}. Since many observables in
terrestrial laboratory experiments intrinsically depend on both $E_{\text{%
\textrm{sym}}}(\rho_{0} )$ and $L$, the extraction of $L$ at an accuracy
required for understanding more precisely many important properties of
neutron stars \cite{Lat04,XuJ09} is still severely prohibited, although the
uncertainty of $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}(\rho_{0} )$ is relatively small. To
extract $L$ with higher accuracy is thus of crucial importance.

Theoretically, studies based on both mean-field theories \cite%
{Bro00,Hor01,Fur02,Yos04,Che05b,Tod05,Rei10} and droplet-type models \cite%
{Mye69,Oya03,Dan03,Cen09} have shown that the neutron skin thickness $\Delta
r_{np}=\langle r_{n}^{2}\rangle ^{1/2}-\langle r_{p}^{2}\rangle ^{1/2} $ of
heavy nuclei, given by the difference of their neutron and proton
root-mean-squared radii, provides a good probe of $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}%
}(\rho )$. In particular, $\Delta r_{np}$ has been found to correlate
strongly with both $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}(\rho_0 )$ and $L$ in microscopic
mean-field calculations \cite{Bro00,Hor01,Fur02,Yos04,Che05b,Tod05,Rei10}
using different parameter sets for the nuclear effective interactions, which
all fit the binding energies and charge radii of finite nuclei but
correspond to different $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}(\rho)$ and give different $%
\Delta r_{np}$. It is, however, difficult to extract an accurate value for $%
L $ from comparing calculated $\Delta r_{np}$ of heavy nuclei with
experimental data as $\Delta r_{np}$ depends on a number of nuclear
interaction parameters in a highly correlated manner \cite{Fur02,Rei10} and
the calculations have been usually carried out by varying simultaneously the
interaction parameters. Similar difficulties also exist when one tries to
extract other physical quantities from observables of finite nuclei within
mean-field theories or density functional theories~\cite{Col04}. A
well-known example is the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock (SHF) approach using normally $%
9$ interaction parameters. Although experimental data on
nucleon-nucleon scatterings and properties of both finite nuclei and
infinite nuclear matter would in principle put strong constraints on
the combinations of these
parameters~\cite{Vau72,Ton84,Mar02,Yos04,Agr05,Rei06,Cao06}, there
is generally no constraint on most of the individual interaction
parameters. Instead of varying directly the $9$ interaction
parameters within the SHF, we propose here an alternative approach
based on a modified Skyrme-Like (MSL) model \cite{Che09} to express
them explicitly in terms of $9$ macroscopic observables that are
either experimentally well constrained or empirically well known.
This opens the possibility to explore transparently the correlations
between properties of finite nuclei and the macroscopic properties
of nuclear matter within the SHF approach. In the present work, we
use this method to study the correlation between $\Delta r_{np}$ and
various macroscopic observables of infinite nuclear matter by
varying individually the values of the latter within their known
ranges. We then demonstrate that existing $\Delta r_{np}$ data on Sn
isotopes can give important constraints on $L$ and
$E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}(\rho_0 )$. Combining these constraints with
those from recent analyses of isospin diffusion and double
neutron/proton ratio in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate
energies~\cite{Tsa09}, we further show that a more stringent
limit on $L$ is obtained approximately independent of the value of $E_{\text{%
\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$. Finally, we discuss the implication of these
new constraints on both the $\Delta r_{np}$ of $^{208}$Pb
and the core-crust transition density and pressure in neutron
stars.

\section{The theoretical model}

\label{Theory}

In the present work, we use the so-called standard Skyrme interaction (see,
e.g., Ref.~\cite{Cha97}), which has been shown to be very successful in
describing the structure of finite nuclei, especially global properties such
as binding energies and charge radii, although non-standard extension is
possible~\cite{Cha97}. In the standard SHF model, the total energy density
of a nucleus is written as~\cite{Cha97}
\begin{equation}
\mathcal{H}=\mathcal{K}+\mathcal{H}_{0}+\mathcal{H}_{3}+\mathcal{H}_{eff}+%
\mathcal{H}_{fin}+\mathcal{H}_{SO}+\mathcal{H}_{sg}+\mathcal{H}_{Coul}
\label{HSky}
\end{equation}%
where $\mathcal{K}=\frac{\hbar ^{2}}{2m}\tau $ is the kinetic-energy term
and $\mathcal{H}_{Coul}$ is the Coulomb term, and $\mathcal{H}_{0}$, $%
\mathcal{H}_{3}$, $\mathcal{H}_{eff}$, $\mathcal{H}_{fin}$, $\mathcal{H}%
_{SO} $, $\mathcal{H}_{sg}$ are given by
\begin{eqnarray}
\mathcal{H}_{0} &=&t_{0}[(2+x_{0})\rho ^{2}-(2x_{0}+1)(\rho _{p}^{2}+\rho
_{n}^{2})]/4  \label{skyrme1} \\
\mathcal{H}_{3} &=&t_{3}\rho ^{\sigma }[(2+x_{3})\rho ^{2}-(2x_{3}+1)(\rho
_{p}^{2}+\rho _{n}^{2})]/24 \\
\mathcal{H}_{eff} &=&[t_{2}(2x_{2}+1)-t_{1}(2x_{1}+1)](\tau _{n}\rho
_{n}+\tau _{p}\rho _{p})/8  \notag \\
&&+[t_{1}(2+x_{1})+t_{2}(2+x_{2})]\tau \rho /8 \\
\mathcal{H}_{fin} &=&[3t_{1}(2+x_{1})-t_{2}(2+x_{2})](\nabla \rho )^{2}/32
\notag \\
&&-[3t_{1}(2x_{1}+1)+t_{2}(2x_{2}+1)]  \notag \\
&&\times \left[ (\nabla \rho _{n})^{2}+(\nabla \rho _{p})^{2}\right] /32
\label{Hfin0} \\
\mathcal{H}_{SO} &=&W_{0}[\overrightarrow{J}\cdot \overrightarrow{\nabla }%
\rho +\overrightarrow{J}_{p}\cdot \overrightarrow{\nabla }\rho _{p}+%
\overrightarrow{J}_{n}\cdot \overrightarrow{\nabla }\rho _{n}]/2 \\
\mathcal{H}_{sg} &=&(t_{1}-t_{2})[J_{p}^{2}+J_{n}^{2}]/16  \notag \\
&&-(t_{1}x_{1}+t_{2}x_{2})J^{2}/16  \label{skyrme7}
\end{eqnarray}%
in terms of the $9$ Skyrme interaction parameters $\sigma $, $t_{0}-t_{3}$, $%
x_{0}-x_{3}$, and the spin-orbit coupling constant $W_{0}$. In the above
equations, $\rho _{i}$, $\tau _{i}$ and $\vec{J}_{i}$ are, respectively, the
local nucleon number, kinetic energy and spin densities, whereas $\rho $, $%
\tau $ and $\vec{J}$ are corresponding total densities.

In the MSL model, the EOS of symmetric nuclear matter (SNM) and the nuclear
symmetry energy $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}(\rho )$ can be expressed,
respectively, as \cite{Che09}
\begin{equation}
E_{0}(\rho )=E_{\mathrm{kin}}^{0}u^{2/3}+Cu^{5/3}+\alpha u/2+\beta u^{\gamma
}/(\gamma +1),  \label{E0}
\end{equation}%
\begin{equation}
E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}(\rho )=E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}^{\mathrm{kin}}({\rho
_{0}})u^{2/3}+Du^{5/3}+E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}^{\mathrm{loc}}({\rho })
\label{Esym}
\end{equation}%
where $u={\rho /}\rho _{0}$ is the reduced density; $E_{\mathrm{kin}}^{0}$
and $E_{\mathrm{sym}}^{\mathrm{kin}}$ are, respectively, the kinetic energy
at $\rho _{0}$ and its contribution to $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}(\rho )$; and
$E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}^{\mathrm{loc}}({\rho })$ is the local
density-dependent symmetry energy given by%
\begin{equation}
E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}^{\mathrm{loc}}({\rho })=(1-y)E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}%
}^{\mathrm{loc}}({\rho _{0}})u+yE_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}^{\mathrm{loc}}({\rho
_{0}})u^{\gamma }
\end{equation}%
with the dimensionless parameter%
\begin{equation}
y=\frac{L-3E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})+E_{\text{\textrm{\ sym}}}^{%
\mathrm{kin}}({\rho _{0}})-2D}{3(\gamma -1)E_{\text{ \textrm{sym}}}^{\mathrm{%
loc}}({\rho _{0}})}.
\end{equation}%
The model also includes following density-gradient term in the interaction
part of the binding energies for finite nuclei
\begin{equation}
E_{\mathrm{grad}}=G_{S}(\nabla \rho )^{2}/(2{\rho )}-G_{V}\left[ \nabla
(\rho _{n}-\rho _{p})\right] ^{2}/(2{\rho )},  \label{Egrad}
\end{equation}%
where $G_{S}$ and $G_{V}$ are the gradient and symmetry-gradient
coefficients~\cite{Ton84}.

By comparing expressions (\ref{E0}), (\ref{Esym}), and (\ref{Egrad}) in the
MSL model with corresponding ones in SHF, the $9$ Skyrme interaction
parameters in Eqs.~(\ref{skyrme1})-(\ref{skyrme7}) can be related to the $9$
parameters $\alpha $, $\beta $, $\gamma $, $C$, $D$, $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}%
}^{\mathrm{loc}}({\rho _{0}})$, $y$, $G_{S}$ and $G_{V}$ in the MSL model by
following analytic relations
\begin{eqnarray}
t{_{0}} &=&4\alpha /(3{\rho _{0}}) \\
x{_{0}} &=&3(y-1)E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}^{\mathrm{loc}}({\rho _{0}})/\alpha
-1/2 \\
t{_{3}} &=&16\beta /\left[ {\rho _{0}}^{\gamma }(\gamma +1)\right] \\
x{_{3}} &=&-3y(\gamma +1)E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}^{\mathrm{loc}}({\rho _{0}}%
)/(2\beta )-1/2 \\
t_{1} &=&20C/\left[ 9{\rho _{0}(}k_{\mathrm{F}}^{0})^{2}\right] +8G_{S}/3 \\
t_{2} &=&\frac{4(25C-18D)}{9{\rho _{0}(}k_{\mathrm{F}}^{0})^{2}}-\frac{%
8(G_{S}+2G_{V})}{3} \\
x_{1} &=&\left[ 12G_{V}-4G_{S}-\frac{6D}{{\rho _{0}(}k_{\mathrm{F}}^{0})^{2}}%
\right] /(3t_{1}) \\
x_{2} &=&\left[ 20G_{V}+4G_{S}-\frac{5(16C-18D)}{3{\rho _{0}(}k_{\mathrm{F}%
}^{0})^{2}}\right] /(3t_{2}) \\
\text{\ }\sigma &=&\gamma -1
\end{eqnarray}%
with $k_{\mathrm{F}}^{0}=\left( 1.5\pi ^{2}{\rho _{0}}\right) ^{1/3}$. Since
the $7$ parameters $\alpha $, $\beta $, $\gamma $, $C$, $D$, $E_{\text{%
\textrm{sym}}}^{\mathrm{loc}}({\rho _{0}})$ and $y$ in the MSL model can be
expressed analytically in terms of the $7$ macroscopic quantities $\rho _{0}$%
, $E_{0}(\rho _{0})$, the incompressibility $K_{0}$, the isoscalar effective
mass $m_{s,0}^{\ast }$, the isovector effective mass $m_{v,0}^{\ast }$, $E_{%
\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$, and $L$ \cite{Che09}, the $9$ Skyrme
interaction parameters $\sigma $, $t_{0}-t_{3}$, $x_{0}-x_{3}$ can also be
expressed analytically in terms of the $9$ macroscopic quantities $\rho _{0}$%
, $E_{0}(\rho _{0})$, $K_{0}$, $m_{s,0}^{\ast }$, $m_{v,0}^{\ast }$, $E_{%
\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$, $L$, $G_{S}$, and $G_{V}$ via above
relations.
\begin{figure}[tbp]
\includegraphics[scale=1.2]{LandauGV.eps}
\caption{{\protect\small (Color online) The symmetry-gradient coefficient }$%
G_{V}${\protect\small \ dependence of }$G_{S}${\protect\small \ and }$W_{0}$%
{\protect\small \ (a), Landau parameters }$G_{0}(\protect\rho _{0})$%
{\protect\small , }$G_{0}^{\prime }(\protect\rho _{0})${\protect\small , }$%
G_{1}(\protect\rho _{0})${\protect\small , }$G_{0}^{\prime }(\protect\rho %
_{0})${\protect\small \ (b), and the reduced critical density }$\protect\rho %
_{cr}/\protect\rho _{0}${\protect\small \ for symmetric nuclear matter and
pure neutron matter (c).}}
\label{LandauGV}
\end{figure}

As a reference for the correlation analyses below, we use following default
values for the macroscopic quantities. For the $7$ bulk properties of ANM,
we take $\rho _{0}=0.16$ fm$^{-3}$, $E_{0}(\rho _{0})=-16$ MeV, $K_{0}=230$
MeV, $m_{s,0}^{\ast }=0.8m$, $m_{v,0}^{\ast }=0.7m$, $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}%
}({\rho _{0}})=30$ MeV, and $L=60$ MeV. Empirically, values of the gradient
coefficient $G_{S}$ and the symmetry-gradient coefficient $G_{V}$ are poorly
known, although they can be constrained by the
nuclear surface energy coefficient $a_{S}$, the Landau parameters for the
spin and spin-isospin channels in symmetric nuclear matter at the saturation
density, i.e., $G_{0}(\rho _{0})$, $G_{0}^{\prime }(\rho _{0})$, $G_{1}(\rho
_{0})$ and $G_{0}^{\prime }(\rho _{0})$, and the stability condition of
nuclear matter~\cite{Mar02,Agr05}. For the existing standard Skyrme
parameter sets, we have roughly $G_{S}=110\sim 150$ MeV$\cdot $fm$^{5}$ and $%
G_{V}=-40\sim 40$ MeV$\cdot $fm$^{5}$. Here we use the empirical value of
the surface energy coefficient $a_{S}=18$ MeV~\cite{Mye69} to determine $%
G_{S}$. We note that the surface energy coefficient $a_{S}$ also depends on
the spin-orbit coupling constant $W_{0}$~\cite{Tre86,Mar02,Agr05} that can
be determined by the neutron $p_{1/2}-p_{3/2}$ splitting in $^{16}$O. Since
the latter depends on $G_{S}$ and $G_{V}$, the three quantities $G_{S}$, $%
G_{V}$, and $W_{0}$ need to be determined simultaneously.

Keeping the $7$ bulk properties of ANM unchanged, we plot in Fig. \ref%
{LandauGV} (a) $G_{S}$ and $W_{0}$ as functions of $G_{V}$ with the values
of $G_{S}$, $W_{0}$, and $G_{V}$ simultaneously giving the surface energy
coefficient $a_{S}=18$ MeV and fitting the neutron $p_{1/2}-p_{3/2}$
splitting in $^{16}$O. In Figs. \ref{LandauGV} (b) and (c), we further show
the $G_{V}$ dependence of the Landau parameters $G_{0}(\rho _{0})$, $%
G_{0}^{\prime }(\rho _{0})$, $G_{1}(\rho _{0})$, $G_{0}^{\prime }(\rho _{0})$%
, and the critical density $\rho _{cr}$ above which at least one Landau
parameter violates the stability condition for symmetric nuclear matter and
pure neutron matter. Requiring the $\rho _{cr} $ of symmetric nuclear matter
to be larger than $\rho _{0}$ leads to $G_{V}\gtrsim -20$ MeV$\cdot $fm$^{5}$
and putting $\rho_{cr}>\rho _{0}$ for pure neutron matter further leads to $%
G_{V}\gtrsim 5$ MeV$\cdot $fm$^{5}$. Empirically, the Landau parameter $%
G_{0}^{\prime }$ has been extensively investigated, and its value can vary
from about zero to $1.6$ depending on the models and methods~\cite%
{Ost92,Bal98,Ben02,Zuo03,She03,Agr05,Wak05,Bor06}. In the present work with
the standard SHF approach, a positive $G_{0}^{\prime }$ leads to $G_{V}$ $%
\lesssim 70$ MeV$\cdot $fm$^{5}$ as shown in Fig. \ref{LandauGV} (b).
Furthermore, the Landau parameter $G_{0}^{\prime }$ can be extracted from
the spin-isospin response in finite nuclei, and its value has been found to
be $0.45\pm 0.06$ in the standard SHF approach~\cite{Fri86,Fra07}.
Therefore, we choose here $G_{V}=5$ MeV$\cdot $fm$^{5}$ which leads to $%
G_{0}^{\prime }=0.42$, $G_{S}=132$ MeV$\cdot $fm$^{5}$, and $W_{0}=133.3$ MeV%
$\cdot $fm$^{5}$. It is interesting to see that the value $G_{S}=132$ MeV$%
\cdot $fm$^{5}$ is quite consistent with that used extensively in the
literature~\cite{Oya03,Oya98,XuJ09}. This new Skyrme parameter set obtained
with above empirical values for the macroscopic quantities is referred as
MSL0. Summarized in Table \ref{MSL0} are values of corresponding Skyrme
parameters and some macroscopic quantities.

\begin{table}[tbp]
\caption{{\protect\small {Skyrme parameters in MSL0 (left side) and some
corresponding nuclear properties (right side).}}}
\label{MSL0}%
\begin{tabular}{lr||lr}
\hline\hline
Quantity & MSL0 & Quantity & MSL0 \\ \hline
$t_{0}$ (MeV$\cdot $fm$^{3}$) & $-2118.06$ & $\rho _{0}$ (fm$^{-3}$) & $0.16$
\\
$t_{1}$ (MeV$\cdot $fm$^{5}$) & $395.196$ & $E_{0}$ (MeV) & $-16.0$ \\
$t_{2}$ (MeV$\cdot $fm$^{5}$) & $-63.9531$ & $K_{0}$ (MeV) & $230.0$ \\
$t_{3}$ (MeV$\cdot $fm$^{3+3\sigma }$) & $12857.7$ & $m_{s,0}^{\ast }/m$ & $%
0.80$ \\
$x_{0}$ & $\ -0.0709496$ & $m_{v,0}^{\ast }/m$ & $0.70$ \\
$x_{1}$ & $-0.332282$ & $E_{\text{sym}}(\rho _{0})$ (MeV) & $30.0$ \\
$x_{2}$ & $1.35830$ & $L$ (MeV) & $60.0$ \\
$x_{3}$ & $-0.228181$ & $G_{S}$ (MeV$\cdot $fm$^{5}$) & $132.0$ \\
$\sigma $ & $0.235879$ & $G_{V}$ (MeV$\cdot $fm$^{5}$) & $5.0$ \\
$W_{0}$ (MeV$\cdot $fm$^{5}$) & $133.3$ & $G_{0}^{\prime }(\rho _{0})$ & $%
0.42$ \\ \hline\hline
\end{tabular}%
\end{table}

\begin{figure}[tbp]
\includegraphics[scale=1.2]{EbRc.eps}
\caption{{\protect\small (Color online) Relative deviation of the binding
energies and charge rms radii of }$^{16}${\protect\small O, }$^{40}$%
{\protect\small Ca, }$^{48}${\protect\small Ca, }$^{56}${\protect\small Ni, }%
$^{78}${\protect\small Ni, }$^{90}${\protect\small Zr, }$^{100}$%
{\protect\small Sn, }$^{132}${\protect\small Sn, and }$^{208}$%
{\protect\small Pb from SHF with MSL0.}}
\label{EbRc}
\end{figure}

To test the new Skyrme parameter set MSL0, we calculate the binding energies
and charge rms radii for a number of closed-shell or semi-closed-shell
nuclei: $^{16}$O, $^{40}$Ca, $^{48}$Ca, $^{56}$Ni, $^{78}$Ni, $^{90}$Zr, $%
^{100}$Sn, $^{132}$Sn, and $^{208}$Pb. Figure \ref{EbRc} shows the
relative deviation of the charge rms radii and binding energies of
these nuclei from those measured in
experiments~\cite{Aud03,Ang04,LeB05}. It is seen that the MSL0 can
describe the experimental data very well except for the light
nucleus $^{16}$O for which the deviation reaches to about $2-3\%$.
This is a remarkable result as MSL0 is not obtained from fitting
measured binding energies and charge rms radii of finite nuclei as
in usual Skyrme parametrization. It should be pointed out that our
main motivation for introducing the MSL0 is not to construct another
Skyrme parameter set to describe data, but to use as a reference for
the correlation analyses in the following. As we will show, varying
$G_{S}$, $G_{V}$ and $W_{0}$ will not affect the conclusion in the
present work.

\section{Results}

\label{Result}

To reveal clearly the dependence of $\Delta r_{np}$ on each macroscopic
quantity, we vary one quantity at a time while keeping all others at their
default values in MSL0. Shown in Fig. \ref{RnpPbSnCa} are the values of $%
\Delta r_{np}$ for $^{208}$Pb, $^{120}$Sn and $^{48}$Ca. Within the
uncertain ranges considered here, the $\Delta r_{np}$ of $^{208}$Pb and $%
^{120}$Sn exhibits a very strong correlation with $L$. However, it depends
only moderately on $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$ and weakly on $%
m_{s,0}^{\ast }$. On the other hand, the $\Delta r_{np}$ of $^{48}$Ca
displays a much weaker dependence on both $L$ and $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({%
\rho _{0}})$. Instead, it depends moderately on $G_{V}$ and $W_{0}$. This
explains the weaker $\Delta r_{np}$-$E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho })$
correlation observed for $^{48}$Ca in previous SHF calculations using
different interaction parameters \cite{Che05b}. These results demonstrate
that the $\Delta r_{np}$ of heavy nuclei can provide reliable information on
the symmetry energy around the normal density.

As we vary one of the macroscopic quantities in Fig.
\ref{RnpPbSnCa}, it is of interest to see how this affects the
binding energy and charge rms radius. This is shown in Fig.
\ref{EbPbSnCa} and Fig. \ref{RcPbSnCa}, respectively, for the
changes in the relative deviation of the binding energies and charge
rms radii of $^{208}$Pb, $^{120}$Sn and $^{48}$Ca from the data.
Within the uncertain ranges for the macroscopic quantities
considered here, it is seen that the relative deviation of the
binding energy is basically less than $3\%$ except the case for the
macroscopic quantity $E_0$. For the charge rms radius, the relative
deviation is even much smaller. Especially, for the heavy $^{208}$Pb
and $^{120}$Sn, the relative deviation of the charge rms radius is
basically less than $0.5\%$ except the case for the macroscopic
quantity $\rho_0$. These features imply that the binding energies
and charge rms radii of finite nuclei can be
reasonably reproduced when we perform the correlation analysis shown in Fig. %
\ref{RnpPbSnCa} by varying individually the macroscopic quantity. This is
particularly the case when we only change the macroscopic quantities $L $
and $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$ from the MSL0 in the correlation
analyses.

\begin{figure}[tbp]
\includegraphics[scale=1.2]{RnpPbSnCa.eps}
\caption{{\protect\small (Color online) The neutron skin thickness }$\Delta
r_{np}${\protect\small \ of }$^{208}${\protect\small Pb, }$^{120}$%
{\protect\small Sn and }$^{48}${\protect\small Ca from SHF with MSL0 by
varying individually }$L${\protect\small \ (a), }$G_{V}${\protect\small \ (b), }$G_{S}$%
{\protect\small \ (c), }$E_{0}(\protect\rho _{0})${\protect\small \ (d), }$E_{\text{%
\textrm{sym}}}(\protect\rho _{0})${\protect\small \ (e), }$K_{0}${\protect\small \ (f)%
, }$m_{s,0}^{\ast }${\protect\small \ (g), }$m_{v,0}^{\ast }${\protect\small \ (h), }$%
\protect\rho _{0}${\protect\small \ (i), and }$W_{0}${\protect\small
\ (j).}} \label{RnpPbSnCa}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}[tbp]
\includegraphics[scale=1.2]{EbPbSnCa.eps}
\caption{{\protect\small (Color online) Relative deviation of the binding
energies of }$^{208}${\protect\small Pb, }$^{120}${\protect\small Sn and }$%
^{48}${\protect\small Ca from SHF with MSL0 by varying individually }$L$%
{\protect\small \ (a), }$G_{V}${\protect\small \ (b), }$G_{S}${\protect\small \ (c), }$%
E_{0}(\protect\rho _{0})${\protect\small \ (d), }$E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}(\protect%
\rho _{0})${\protect\small \ (e), }$K_{0}${\protect\small \ (f), }$m_{s,0}^{\ast }$%
{\protect\small \ (g), }$m_{v,0}^{\ast }${\protect\small \ (h), }$\protect\rho _{0}$%
{\protect\small \ (i), and }$W_{0}${\protect\small \ (j).}}
\label{EbPbSnCa}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}[tbp]
\includegraphics[scale=1.2]{RcPbSnCa.eps}
\caption{{\protect\small (Color online) Same as Fig.~\protect\ref{EbPbSnCa}
but for the charge rms radii.}}
\label{RcPbSnCa}
\end{figure}

Experimentally, much effort has been devoted to determining the values of $%
\Delta r_{np}$ for finite nuclei using various methods. In particular, the $%
\Delta r_{np}$ of heavy Sn isotopes has been systematically measured \cite%
{Ray79,Kra94,Kra99,Trz01,Kli07,Ter08}. As an illustration, we first show in
Fig. \ref{RnpSnL} (a) the comparison of available Sn $%
\Delta r_{np}$ data with our calculated results using different values of $%
20 $, $60$ and $100$ MeV for $L$ and the default values for all
other quantities in MSL0. It is seen that the value $L=60$ MeV best
describes the data. To be more precise, the $\chi ^{2}$ evaluated
from the difference between the theoretical and experimental $\Delta
r_{np}$ values is shown as a function of $L$ in Fig. \ref{RnpSnL}
(b). The most reliable value of $L$ is found to be $L=54\pm 13$ MeV
within a $2\sigma $ uncertainty.

\begin{figure}[tbp]
\includegraphics[scale=1.5]{RnpSnL.eps}
\caption{{\protect\small (Color online) (a): The }$\Delta r_{np}
${\protect\small \ data for Sn isotopes from different experimental
methods and results from SHF calculation using MSL0 with }$L=20$%
{\protect\small , }$60${\protect\small \ and }$100${\protect\small \
MeV. (b): }$\protect\chi ^{2}${\protect\small \ as a function of }$L
${\protect\small . (c): Constraints on }$L${\protect\small \ and }$%
E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}(\protect\rho _{0})${\protect\small \ from the }$%
\protect\chi ^{2}${\protect\small \ analysis of the }$\Delta r_{np}$%
{\protect\small \ data on Sn isotopes (Grey band as well as dashed and
dotted lines). }}
\label{RnpSnL}
\end{figure}

Since the value of $\Delta r_{np}$ depends on both $L$ and $E_{\text{\textrm{%
sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$, a two-dimensional $\chi ^{2}$ analysis as
shown by the grey band in Fig. \ref{RnpSnL} (c) is necessary. It is
seen that increasing the value of $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho
_{0}})$ systematically leads to smaller values of $L$. More
quantitatively, the value of $L$ varies from $67\pm 10.5$ to $37\pm
15.5$ MeV when the value of $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\ \rho _{0}})$
changes from $26$ to $34$ MeV. Furthermore, we have estimated the
effects of nucleon effective mass by using $m_{s,0}^{\ast }=0.7m$
and $m_{v,0}^{\ast }=0.6m$ as well as $m_{s,0}^{\ast }=0.9m$ and
$m_{v,0}^{\ast }=0.8m$, in accord with the empirical constraint
$m_{s,0}^{\ast }>m_{v,0}^{\ast }$ \cite{LCK08,Les06}, and the
resulting constraints are shown by the dashed and dotted lines. As
expected from the results shown in Fig.\ \ref{RnpPbSnCa}, effects of
nucleon effective mass are small with the value of $L$ shifting by
only a few MeV for a given $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}( {\rho _{0}})$.
We have also checked that effects of varying other macroscopic
quantities are even smaller.

\begin{figure}[tbp]
\includegraphics[scale=1.2]{rhoTPb.eps}
\caption{{\protect\small (Color online) Contour curves in the }$E_{\text{%
\textrm{sym}}}(\protect\rho _{0})${\protect\small -}$L${\protect\small \
plane for the }$\Delta r_{np}${\protect\small \ of }$^{208}${\protect\small %
Pb (a) from SHF calculation with MSL0 and the core-crust transition
density $\protect\rho _{t}$ (b). The shaded region represents the
overlap of constraints obtained in the present work (dashed lines)
and that from Ref.\ \protect\cite{Tsa09} (dash-dotted lines).}}
\label{rhoTPb}
\end{figure}

The above constraints on the $L$-$E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho
_{0}})$ correlation can be combined with those from recent analyses
of isospin diffusion and double $n/p$ ratio in heavy-ion collisions
at intermediate energies \cite{Tsa09} to determine simultaneously
the values of both $L$ and $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$.
Shown in Fig. \ref{rhoTPb} (a) (and (b)) are the two constraints in
the $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$-$L$ plane. Interestingly,
these two constraints display opposite
$L$-$E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$ correlations. This allows
us to extract a value of $L=58\pm 18$ MeV approximately independent
of the value of $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$. This value
of $L$ is essentially overlapped with other constraints extracted
from different experimental data in the
literature~\cite{Tsa09,Car10,She10} but with much higher precision
although the constraint on $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$ is
not improved. It also agrees well with the value of $L=66.5$ MeV
obtained from a recent systematic analysis of the density dependence
of nuclear symmetry energy within the microscopic
Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approach using the realistic Argonne V18
nucleon-nucleon potential plus a phenomenological three-body force
of Urbana type~\cite{Vid09}. Furthermore, it is in remarkably good
agreement with the value of $L=52.7$ MeV extracted most recently
from global nucleon optical potentials constrained by world data on
nucleon-nucleus and (p,n) charge-exchange reactions~\cite{XuC10}.

Also shown in Fig. \ref{rhoTPb} (a) are contours of the $\Delta
r_{np}$ of $^{208}$Pb. Based on the constraints on $L$ and
$E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$ shown by the shaded region in
Fig. \ref{rhoTPb}, it is seen that the $\Delta r_{np}$ of $^{208}$Pb
is tightly limited to a narrow region of $0.175\pm 0.02$ fm, which
is quite consistent with other constraints from various experiments
\cite{LCK08} but with much smaller uncertainty. The Lead Radius
Experiment (PREX) \cite{PREX} being preformed at Jefferson Lab aims
to determine model-independently the $\langle r_{n}^{2}\rangle
^{1/2}$ of $^{208}$Pb to $1\%$ accuracy, and this is expected to
further improve the determination of $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}(\rho
)$ at subnormal densities.

\begin{figure}[tbp]
\includegraphics[scale=1.2]{XrhoT.eps}
\caption{{\protect\small Same as Fig.~\protect\ref{RnpPbSnCa}
but for the core-crust transition density }$\protect\rho _{t}$%
{\protect\small \ in neutron stars.}}
\label{XrhoT}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}[tbp]
\includegraphics[scale=1.2]{XpT.eps}
\caption{{\protect\small Same as Fig.~\protect\ref{RnpPbSnCa} but
for the the core-crust transition pressure }$P_{t}${\protect\small \
in neutron stars.}} \label{XpT}
\end{figure}

To see the implications of our results in astrophysics, we have
carried out a similar correlation analysis for the transition
density $\rho _{t}$ and corresponding pressure $P_{t}$ at the inner
edge of neutron star crusts, which play crucial roles in neutron
star properties~\cite{Lat04,XuJ09}, using their values evaluated in
a dynamical approach \cite{XuJ09}, and the results are shown in Fig.
\ref{XrhoT} and Fig. \ref{XpT}, respectively. It is seen that the
$\rho _{t}$ ($P_{t}$) displays a particularly strong correlation
with $L$ ($L$ and $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$), a weak
dependence on $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$ and $K_{0}$
($K_{0} $), but almost no sensitivity to other macroscopic
parameters. These features are consistent with the results in
Ref.~\cite{XuJ09} where $\rho _{t}$ has been shown to display a
stronger correlation with $L$ than $P_{t}$ in SHF calculations using
different interaction parameters. The contours of the core-crust
transition density $\rho _{t}$ in neutron stars in the
$E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$-$L$ plane is shown in Fig.
\ref{rhoTPb} (b). It shows that the value of $\rho _{t}$ is limited
to $0.069\pm 0.011$ fm$^{-3}$ by the constraints on $L$ and
$E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$ obtained in the present work.
Including further the uncertainty in the value of $K_{0}$, we obtain
a value of $\rho _{t}=0.069\pm 0.018$ fm$^{-3}$. A similar analysis
leads to $P_{t}=0.33\pm 0.21$ MeV/fm$^{3}$. These results agree well
with the empirical values \cite{Lat04} but are slightly larger than
previous results in Ref. \cite{XuJ09} using
$E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})=30.5$ MeV and $L=86\pm 25$ MeV
extracted only from the isospin diffusion data in heavy-ion
collisions \cite{Che05a}.

\section{Summary}

\label{Summary}

We have proposed to analyze the correlation between observables of finite
nuclei and some macroscopic properties of asymmetric nuclear matter by
expressing explicitly the parameters of the nuclear effective interaction in
terms of the macroscopic properties of asymmetric nuclear matter. This would
allow us to extract information on some important physical quantities from
data on finite nuclei in a more transparent way.

Using such a correlation analysis within the standard SHF approach, we have
demonstrated that the neutron skin thickness of heavy nuclei can provide
reliable information on the symmetry energy, and the existing neutron skin
data on Sn isotopes can give important constraints on the symmetry energy
parameters $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$ and $L$. In particular,
combining the obtained $L$-$E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$
constraints with that from recent analyses of isospin diffusion and double $%
n/p$ ratio in heavy-ion collisions has led to a quite accurate value of $%
L=58\pm 18$ MeV approximately independent of the value of $E_{\text{\textrm{%
sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$. The obtained $L$-$E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$
constraints also put a stringent limit of $\Delta r_{np}=0.175\pm 0.02$ fm
for the neutron skin thickness of $^{208}$Pb.

Furthermore, we have explored how the core-crust transition density
$\rho _{t}$ and the corresponding pressure $P_{t}$ in neutron stars
correlate with the macroscopic properties of asymmetric nuclear
matter. Our results have indicated that the $\rho _{t}$ displays a
particularly strong correlation with $L$, a weak dependence on $E_{\text{%
\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$ and $K_{0}$, but almost no sensitivity to other
macroscopic parameters. On the other hand, the $P_{t} $ exhibits a strong
correlation with both $L$ and $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$, and a
weak dependence on $K_{0} $. The $L$-$E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}({\rho _{0}})$
constraints obtained in the present work leads to $\rho _{t}=0.069\pm 0.018$
fm$^{-3}$ and $P_{t}=0.33\pm 0.21$ MeV/fm$^{3}$.

Although we have mainly analyzed in the present work the correlation
between the neutron skin thickness of finite nuclei and the symmetry
energy within the standard SHF approach, our method can be
generalized to other correlation analyses or mean-field models. In
particular, it will be interesting to see how our results will
change if different energy density functions are used. These studies
are in progress.

\section*{ACKNOWLEDGMENTS}

This work was supported in part by the NNSF of China under Grant No.
10975097, Shanghai Rising-Star Program under Grant No. 06QA14024, the
National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) under Contract No.
2007CB815004 and 2010CB833000, U.S. NSF under Grant No. PHY-0758115 and
PHY-0757839, the Welch Foundation under Grant No. A-1358, the Research
Corporation under Award No. 7123, the Texas Coordinating Board of Higher
Education Award No. 003565-0004-2007.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


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text:
The Punter's De-Brief: Europe on a roll as Casey makes it three on the spin
Paul Casey with the Valspar Championship trophy again
England's Paul Casey has successfully defended his Valspar Championship crown while Scott Hend has won the Maybank Championship. Our man looks back at all the action in his weekly roundup...
"Casey's one-over par 72 might not sound like a terrific round of golf but with the wind up and the course far drier than it had been over the first few days, conditions were really tough. Nobody bettered 68 and Casey played brilliantly. He deserves much credit."
Casey defends the Valspar
At the Valspar Championship, world no.1 Dustin Johnson was a warm favourite to overturn a one stroke deficit with a round to go but he failed to birdie the gettable par five first and was never at the races after that, eventually beaten by three by third round leader and defending champ, Paul Casey. It was the first time DJ had failed to make a single birdie in a PGA Tour event since he threw away a six-stroke lead in the final round of the WGC-Champions in China in 2017.
DJ hit a low of [2.14] in-running, Louis Oosthuizen was matched at only [3.0] on the back-nine and after Casey had three-putted the 17th to drop back in to a tie with Jason Kokrak, the 33-year-old Canadian-born American hit a low of [1.9], but having been given a chance to finally win his first PGA Tour title, he fluffed his lines completely and bogeyed the 72nd hole.
I suspect Casey was helped by how poor the world number one played alongside him, and when he bogeyed the 17th (his fifth bogey of the day) and drove in to the church pew bunkers right of the fairway on 18, it did look that we might witness yet another Casey fold, but to his credit, he played a brilliant approach from the bunker to win by a stroke, despite shooting a one-over-par final round.
That might not sound like a terrific round of golf but with the wind up and the course far drier than it had been over the first few days, conditions were really tough. Nobody bettered 68 and Casey played brilliantly. He deserves much credit.
Following Francesco Molinari's win at Bay Hill and Rory McIlroy's victory at Sawgrass, Casey became the third European Tour winner in-a-row on the PGA Tour. The 41-year-old Englishman was a [34.0] chance before the off, having been matched at a maximum of [42.0].
Hend ousts Elvira at the Maybank
For much of the week, the Maybank Championship trundled along serenely with nothing out of the ordinary occurring. Benjamin Hebert's caddie was hospitalised with dehydration but that's not the strangest of happenings given the ridiculous heat there (Oliver Fisher was drinking a bottle of water every hole!) and we didn't even get any weather interruptions, which is very rare for any event in Kuala Lumpur, but all that changed right at the end...
Pre-event [220.0] chance, Scott Hend, who was matched at high of [310.0] before the off, looked in complete control with three to play but a birdie by pre-event [120.0] shot, Nacho Elvira (matched at a high of [220.0]), at 16 closed the gap to one and after both had parred the 17th, it was all to play for on the par five 18th.
We looked like getting a dramatic finish as it was but just as the final group teed off at the 72nd hole, the heavens opened. Hend was forced to lay up after his drive and Elvira's second finished just shy of the green. It looked like the Spaniard had a decent chance to tie Hend when the Aussie's third finished outside legitimate birdie range but with torrential rain falling, thunder cracked on his backswing as he played the chip and as result, he was left with even further to go than Hend for birdie. Immediately after the unfortunate chip, play was halted.
Conditions were horrendous and the only thing up for debate was why hadn't they suspended play earlier? Fellow Spaniard, Pablo Larrazabal, certainly wasn't happy...
Well... @EuropeanTour weather man had to call this in 15 minutes ago... they dont know how dangerous thunderstorms are... or what... @nachoelvira87 and all spanish golf didnt like that decision... NOT GOOD...
? Pablo Larrazabal (@plarrazabal) March 24, 2019
The weather front moved away as fast as it had moved in and with Hend trading at around [1.15], it looked likely that we were returning to the fray to witness a straightforward two-putt par for victory but Nacho was having none of it.
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!!@nachoelvira87 has drained it! pic.twitter.com/O1lfYU5FHQ
? The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) March 24, 2019
Hend two-putted for par and we were into extra-time. The market felt momentum was with the Spaniard and Hend was trading back out at odds-against, having been matched at a low of [1.02].
The playoff was a very straightforward affair. Hend clipped the trees off the tee but found the fairway and he again hit the trees with his approach, which finished up in a greenside bunker, from where he got up-and-down for a birdie four and the title.
It hasn't been a great week and Hend feels like one that I may have snared although his tweet before the off completely put me off!
Been a gr8 day so far in the @maybankchampion Pro-am...... had 2 birds crap on me, got stung by a wasp.... just need the Monkeys to steal my phone and that would top it off... ahhh also lost 6 balls so far@EuropeanTour @asiantourgolf #cangetbetter #pleasehelp
? Scott Hend (@hendygolf) March 20, 2019
Did he really lose six balls!?
I backed Dustin Johnson before round four and I backed him again in-running at [10.0] but I layed that backed at [5.0] so all I really did was boost the price. Not that it did me any good.
Obviously, I'm disappointed with the outcome but had I known this time yesterday that a round of 70 would have won him the title I'd have had considerably more on than I did! DJ had shot 14 rounds in the 60s in-a-row before yesterday's three-over-par 74 so the poor showing really did come out of nowhere and I'm happy to move on.
What Have We Learned This Week
The link between the Crans and the Palm Course at Saujana Golf and Country Club, explored in the preview, has been boosted further and Hend feels like one that got away given his humongous pre-event price. Hend finished runner-up at Crans in both 2016 and 2017 and the runner-up, Elvira, finished fourth there in September.
Over in Florida, Casey was the first to defend the Valspar but the third to win the title twice in just 19 years and the runner-up, Kokrak, who rarely contends anywhere, was finishing inside the top-eight for a third time at Copperhead so it's a venue where course form counts for plenty.
As already mentioned, Casey was the third European player to win in three consecutive weeks and the last time that happened was seven years ago, also in Florida. The windy, tough conditions in the Sunshine State seem to suit the Europeans, where quite a number are based anyway.
Is Elvira the Unluckiest Player on Tour?
This was the second time Elvira had lost in a playoff and the second time he'd traded at odds-on to get off the mark on the European Tour (he hit a low of [1.63] yesterday). He was unlucky with the thunder-strike yesterday and Hend was lucky to have a shot on both occasions he found the trees in the playoff but Elvira had been even more unlucky in Morocco three years ago when Jeunghun Wang beat him in a playoff...
Wang holed from 18 feet to get into the playoff, from 50 feet at the first extra hole to stay alive and from 20 feet to take the title! With just the smallest twists of fate Elvira could have already bagged a couple of titles and he most certainly deserves at least one. Hopefully it won't be long before he gets off the mark.
That's more than enough looking back given we have three events to look forward to and that one of them, the WGC-Match Play, starts on Wednesday. I'll try and get that preview out later today and the Indian Open and the Corales Puntacana R & C Championship previews will follow on tomorrow.
*You can follow me on Twitter @SteveThePunter
Steven Rawlings
More The Punter
Memorial Tournament: It's time to get with Tiger again at Jack's Place
Belgian Knockout: Accuracy and youth can reap Rinkven rewards again
The Punter's DeBrief: Wiesberger and Na return to winning ways
The Punter's In-Play Blog: DJ impossible to oppose at the Valspar
Valspar Championship: Snedeker a straightforward selection at Copperhead
Maybank Championship: Bhullar primed to strike at the Cobra
The Scottish Open
The Irish Open
Solheim Cup
Sarah Stirk

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Even zealots can straddle like politicians. Case in point, Michele Bachmann.The newest entrant in the Republican presidential sweepstakes is routinely feted on the right for her bold certitudes – which is one big reason why she has already soared to the top tier in Iowa – but, judging by her appearance yesterday on Fox News, she's also quite capable of talking out of both sides of her mouth.When asked to comment on the New York legislature's historic decision on Friday night to legalize gay marriage, Bachmann declared – at first – that she had no problems with the whole business, because, after all, tea-party conservatives like her are strong adherents to the principle of state's rights.In her words, "Under the 10th Amendment, the states have the right to set the laws that they want to set…That is up to the people of New York…It's a state law. And the 10th Amendment reserves for the states that right."Very sensible indeed. Clearly Bachmann realizes that if she wants to play in the big leagues, she'll need to show swing voters that she isn't out there on the fringe. National polls continue to show steadily increasing support for gay marriage – 53 percent of Americans said Yes to gay marriage in the May Gallup poll, the first time Gallup's majority barrier has ever been broken; and in April, a record 55 percent of independents said Yes to gay marriage in a CNN/ORC poll – so, at minimum, her state's rights talk is a conspicuous nod toward tolerance. To prove that she's ready for prime time, she knows that she needs to sand down the rough edges.The hitch, however, is that while Bachmann is a tea-party conservative on the separation of powers, she's also a religious conservative who vaulted to prominence in part by demagoguing gay people. The evangelical right has long adored her penchant for rhetorical bigotry – like the time she warned that gay marriage would lead to the indoctrination of schoolchildren; and the time she said that gay people lead "a very sad life, it's part of Satan"; and the time she suggested that it would be wise to warn kids that the music for The Lion King was written by a gay man; and the time she discussed Melissa Etheridge's breast cancer diagnosis in this manner: "This may be an opportunity for her now to be open to some spiritual things, now that she is suffering from that physical disease. She is a lesbian."Therefore, Bachmann yesterday couldn't simply insist that the elected lawmakers of New York have the right to define marriage as they please. She had no choice but to contradict herself – by also insisting that, whereas New Yorkers could indeed govern themselves in accordance with state's rights, it was also imperative that the federal government trump the New Yorkers, and invade everybody's bedrooms, by enacting a one-size-fits-all constitutional amendment that would codify marriage as a bond between one man and one woman. Because at least on this issue, evangelical conservatives (who will vote heavily in the Iowa caucuses) couldn't give a hoot about the conservative principle of state's rights.And so, on Fox News, she stressed her support for an anti-gay federal constitutional amendment that would trump New York's support for gay marriage. She also insisted that her position(s) are "entirely consistent."As she explained it, "states have, under the 10th Amendment, the right to pass any law they like. Also, federal officials at the federal level have the right to also put forth a constitutional amendment."Host Chris Wallace sought clarification: "Do you want to say it's a state issue and that states should be able to decide? Or would you like to see a constitutional amendment so that it's banned everywhere?"Bachmann: "It is – it is both. It is a state issue and it's a federal issue. It's important for your viewers to know that federal law will trump state law on this issue."So there it was, a little something for everybody. Bachmann hews to her convictions about state's rights and local control and government that's closest to the people, even when a state chooses to enact socially tolerant legislation – while insisting that such local initiatives might ultimately be swept away, many years down the road, by a federal crusade that would ideally codify conservative, out-of-the-mainstream morality for all 50 states.Is that clear to you? It certainly wasn't clear to Chris Wallace. At one point he told her, "I'm confused by your position on this."Understandably so. He was talking to a slippery politician, someone who was trying to wink at the sentiments of the tolerant American mainstream while heaving sufficient red meat to her true believers. In all likelihood, Michele Bachmann will be able to finesse this straddle in Iowa and South Carolina (where right-wing voters will hear what they want to hear), but in the end she is too much of a niche candidate for the long haul.


Scottybot is Mixer.com's premier chat bot, offering an extensive list of features, many of which are not seen elsewhere. It hosts the typical features, such as anti-spam filtering, commands, repeating messages, ability to change the bot name, and more. It also hosts many unique features, such as a points system, games, raffles for each tier of user (Aka Everyone/Followers/Subscribers) and more, including a downloadable GUI, which is optional, that is your one stop shop to control both your bot and your channel.
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text:
June 06, 2012 in BLOG
I would have to say that the one of the biggest thing that inspires me to be a better photographer is a scene from the movie "Walk the Line." It is the scene when Johnny Cash and his band are attempting to get Sam Phillips to give them a record deal. Sam was not at all impress with what they where playing and said this,
"If you was hit by a truck and you was lying out there in that gutter dying, and you had time to sing *one* song. Huh? One song that people would remember before you're dirt. One song that would let God know how you felt about your time here on Earth. One song that would sum you up. You tellin' me that's the song you'd sing? That same Jimmy Davis tune we hear on the radio all day, about your peace within, and how it's real, and how you're gonna shout it? Or... would you sing somethin' different. Somethin' real. Somethin' *you* felt. Cause I'm telling you right now, that's the kind of song people want to hear. That's the kind of song that truly saves people. It ain't got nothin to do with believin' in God, Mr. Cash. It has to do with believin' in yourself."
To paraphrase what Sam was saying here, if it could take just one photograph to express your feelings about your time here on earth, what image would you take. (Or retake) Would it reflect your inner self or would it be the same old photograph that has been done over and over again? This is something that Heather Frederick from VoxPhotographs was trying to drill into my head last year when she did my portfolio review. It was not until I saw this movie did what Heather was saying to me it sink in.
Hopefully this helps inspire you to do something different.
Thanks for visiting and happy shooting. (this is not the original but the message is still there)
Tags: about me, art, artist statement, BLOGROLL, colleagues, Heros, INSPIRATION, INSPIRATIONAL, Johnny Cash, photograph, Photographer, photography, photography books, photography rules, rules of photography, USEFUL, vox photography


text:
US Navy Rim of The Pacific (RIMPAC) War Games, Coopting China, Isolating Russia?
By K. R. Bolton
Global Research, July 10, 2016
Region: Asia
Theme: Militarization and WMD, US NATO War Agenda
The Rim of the Pacific biennial naval exercises taking place near Hawaii under the auspices of the US Navy have caused some comment due to the inclusion of China. However joint military exercises between the USA and China are part of a co-operation of long duration.
The U.S. Navy states of the exercises: "Twenty-six nations, 45 ships, five submarines, more than 200 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel will participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise scheduled June 30 to Aug. 4, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California." The theme is "Capable, Adaptive, Partners." "This year's exercise includes forces from Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, People's Republic of China, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom, and the United States," with Brazil unable to attend."[1]
Notable is the exclusion of Russia, while Russia's BRIC partners were invited: Brazil, India, China. China has attended RIMPAC since 2014. Russia had participated in 2012 and 2013, but has not been re-invited. However, the USA had been urging China to participate since 2010. Indian analyst Vijay Sakhuja, although maintaining that the relationship between the USA and China is one of mutual suspicion, stated of 2014 RIMPAC and China's participation that the USA wanted to "enhance engagements with the People's Liberation Army Navy," dispel suspicions that there was a containment policy towards China, and to "enmesh the Chinese into multilateral naval engagements."[2]
So far from being seen as an enduring antagonist, the USA continues to regard China as a potential ally in the containment of Russia and a pivotal factor in a global economy, and beyond that a world order. The USA's outlook towards China is different from its outlook towards Russia. The present Chinese regime is one that can be worked with, and even partnered.
"Regime change" in Russia is the contrasting aim of the USA. We have seen shadow boxing between the USA and China before, while pursuing a containment policy against Russia, or the USSR as it was then called. The efforts to woo China vis-a-via the USA and Russia will not be forsaken over other geopolitical issues that are trivial by comparison. Despite BRICS and the Shanghai Co-operation organization, China will remain open as to its course in regard to the USA and Russia. The relationship between Russia and China is as pragmatic as that between Hitler and Stalin. In the post-Soviet Russo-China accord China has had her own way continually, pushing Russia out of former spheres of influence. Despite the smiles and handshakes between the leaders, the Russian leadership is cognizant of China's designs on the Russian Far East and recently offered free land to Russians. A perceptive summary of Russo-Chinese relations, and the deeply embedded distrust, states:
In the long-term, however, the China-Russia relationship encounters almost insurmountable odds. History is one of the main culprits here, with Beijing-Moscow ties strained by a series of unequal treaties, like the 1858 Treaty of Aigun and the 1860 Convention of Peking, both with major territorial consequences on China that reverberate until this day. Then there was Mao's rejection of Soviet reforms after Stalin's death and the subsequent antagonism within the Soviet bloc, along with numerous Cold War-era border skirmishes, both in the Western part of the border near Xinjiang and in the Eastern part of the border, near Manchuria. Another important culprit is geography. The border in the East, approximately 3,645 kilometers long, is porous by nature and has few natural barriers to restrict traffic. Yet another important factor geography brings to the equation is demography, which is at the core of the Siberian question in the Far East.[3]
Thriving China Good for America
What is of more significance than media focused cat and mice games of surveillance between Chinese and American ships and planes, is the strategic aims of the USA towards China expressed at high policy levels. In 2011 Hilary Clinton wrote a significant article for Foreign Policy, entitled "America's Pacific Century," highlighting the focus of the USA on the region.[4] While the assumption might be made that U.S. interests will result in rivalry between China and the USA, Clinton unequivocally reiterated the long-held view among the policy-making establishment that regards China not as a rival but as a partner. She stated this in a speech with the same title at the East-West Center the following month:
Our most complex and consequential relationships with an emerging power is, of course, with China. Some in our country see China's progress as a threat to the United States, while some in China worry that America seeks to constrain China. In fact, we believe a thriving China is good for China, and a thriving China is good for America. President Obama and I have made very clear that the United States is fundamentally committed to developing a positive and cooperative relationship with China.[5]
Clinton referred to high level dialogue that had been taking place between the USA and China militarily, diplomatically and economically, referring to the Strategic and Economic Dialogue started in 2009 and the Strategic Security Dialogue. U.S. corporate interests have seen China as having the greatest potential as a market, and this outlook is not new. The ground was laid when Mao was alive, with Henry Kissinger's dialogue that had been long urged by globalist interests in such bodies as the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Trilateral Commission. The pro-China outlook among the globalist establishment has not dissipated. The economies have become symbiotic, and Clinton alluded to the desirability of this symbiosis in her speech:
On the economic front, the United States and China have to work together – there is no choice – to ensure strong, sustained, balanced future global growth. U.S. firms want fair opportunities to export to China's markets and a level playing field for competition. Chinese firms want to buy more high-tech products from us, make more investments in our country, and be accorded the same terms of access that market economies enjoy. We can work together on these objectives, but China needs to take steps to reform. In particular, we are working with China to end unfair discrimination against U.S. and other foreign companies, and we are working to protect innovative technologies, remove competition-distorting preferences. China must allow its currency to appreciate more rapidly and end the measures that disadvantage or pirate foreign intellectual property.[6]
What is required of China is reform, and indeed that is what China has been pursuing for decades, but not to the point of allowing the undermining of State authority. Such State stability is also in the interests of the USA to maintain, to avoid ensuing chaos and economic dislocation. That is why there is the aim of "reform" for China, as distinct from "regime change" demanded for Russia.
Clinton addressed the USA's attitude towards Chinese economic incursions into the small Pacific nations, which are often followed by a Chinese military presence. Such Chinese expansion is generally assumed as being seen by the USA as resulting in economic, diplomatic and military rivalry. This is not so. The question was asked by Derek Mane from the Solomon Islands, referring to "the economic leverage China is getting in the region," and alluding to Papua New Guinea and Fiji. Clinton replied:
"With respect to Chinese investment, the United States does not object to investment from anywhere, particularly in our Pacific Island friends, because we want to see sustainable growth. We want to see opportunities for Pacific Islanders. But as I said in my speech, we want also to see investment carried out by the United States, by China, by anyone, according to certain rules that will truly benefit the countries in which the investment occurs."[7]
Other than the USA and China there is no "anyone." Clinton was stating that there is no rivalry between the USA and China in the region. Her allusions to the "rights" of anyone else are the necessary platitudes that have justified U.S. interference across the world since Woodrow Wilson. They have become nothing more than clichés.
A delegate from China, Mien Cui, asked Clinton about the role of foreign students, as the future policy makers, given that many of these future Chinese foreign policy makers are getting educated at American universities. Clinton replied, "We have a program to try to get 100,000 more students – more American students studying in China, more Chinese students coming to the United States," along with other Asian states. Again we see a symbiosis between China and the USA, where the future elites of both nations are being culturally, politically and intellectually cross-pollinated.
"Enhancing the global good"
Clinton, although no longer Secretary of State, but making a bid for the Presidency, was expressing what goes beyond the thinking of the Obama Administration or any other temporary Democratic or Republican presidency. It is the long held view of globalists towards China (and not solely those based in the USA), which coalesces in bodies such as the Trilateral Commission. Richard C Bush in a paper for the Brookings Institute, referred to the Clinton Foreign Policy article, a speech by Obama to the Australian Parliament and a talk by National Security Adviser Tom Donilon to the Center for Strategic and International Studies on the USA's attention towards the RIMPAC region. Bush stated that "On the implication of rebalancing priorities for China, all three reiterated the U.S. desire to expand the areas on which Washington and Beijing could cooperate to enhance the global good."[8] "Donilon stressed that re-balancing 'does not mean containing China or seeking to dictate terms to Asia."[9]
Bush remarks that a "rising power" pursuing "revisionist" goals often leads to war with an "established power" (in this instance the USA). However he draws a distinction between popular perceptions and those of policy makers, stating that "To date, the Chinese leadership appears to believe that American intentions are benign, while the nationalistic and vocal public believes they are malign." Bush is here drawing a distinction between popular perceptions and assumptions among the Chinese (and American) people, and attitudes at higher levels of policy making. It might be added that when U.S. Congress calls for weapons sanctions on China in relation to "human rights" for example, this does not necessarily reflect the outlook and aims of the globalist executives and policy analysts, such as Trilateralists, but politicos such as Clinton are obliged to give a certain amount of public lip service to such sentiments, before the real business of governing the world is conducted. Over the long term, Richard Bush writes on the possibility of friction over the "transition of power":
The rebalancing policy of the United States is a measured response to East Asia's new realities. It is not designed to contain China but it is the premise and basis for addressing China's revival in ways that China will choose to play a constructive rather than disruptive role in regional and global affairs.[10]
Contrasting attitudes towards Russia and China
In comparison, a Brooking Institute article by Michael E O'Hanlon, senior Fellow at Brookings, specialising in military and security issues, and co-director of its Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence, castigates Obama for what he considers the president's soft attitude towards Putin. Obama's "restraint" "does not hold water." The Cold War rhetoric towards Russia is revived:
More than an intellectual mistake, it is entirely unsustainable in American politics; there is no way the next president will maintain such a view. Even Trump would almost surely see his bromance with Putin fall apart … since the Ukraine problem and other matters are unlikely to solve themselves and Putin is unlikely to take the initiative to solve them in good faith.[11]
O'Hanlon proceeds to call Putin a "thug" and refers to Russian "provocations" against NATO, neutral countries and the USA. It takes a wilful blindness to ignore the U.S./NATO provocations on Russia's border, and ground-floor interference in such issues as the Ukraine. O'Hanlan hopes that restraint will be sufficient, but sees the need for a military response as likely.
Fiona Hill, Director of the Center on the United States and Europe, and a senior Fellow at Brookings, testified to the House Armed Services Committee, February 10, 2016, that "Russia today poses a greater foreign policy and security challenge to the United States and its Western allies than at any time since the height of the Cold War."[12]
The differences in outlook towards China and Russia are reflected by veteran foreign policy analysts such as Kissinger and Brzezinski, and by plutocrats such as George Soros, David Rockefeller, and Goldman Sachs executives, the latter in recent years becoming a notable presence in such globalist think tanks as the Bilderbergers. Again the hope is of "reform" that will see China become an integral part of a world order, as distinct from the "regime change" demanded of Russia. Russia in contrast to China has proved a disappointing investment to the international banks, indicated by the recent drawback there by Goldman Sachs.[13] While Goldman Sachs is heavily involved in China, for his part Putin sees the bankers as part of the anti-Russian offensive. Putin regarded the recent leaking of the "Panama Papers" as part of an effort by the USA and Goldman Sachs to influence the Duma elections in September this year.[14] While Goldman Sachs had signed up to be the Kremlin's global PR firm in 2013 this seems to have come quickly unstuck. Putin's attack perhaps reflects Goldman Sachs having withdrawn the previous month from a deal to underwrite $3 billion of Russia's debt.[15]
Continuation of CFR/Trilateral policy
The machinations of globalist think tanks and investors are of more consequence than public shadow boxing and rhetoric from politicians. While the public sees and hears jibes between China and the USA and exaggerated reports of innocuous so-called confrontations at sea or over air space, all the while the economies of both continue in symbiosis, high level dialogue and even joint military manoeuvres continue, and Chinese analysts sit in conference with their counterparts at meetings of globalist think tanks. Of the latter, the Trilateral Commission (TC) was established by David Rockefeller whose family dynasty have been long-time friends of China. TC and Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) personnel were prominent in establishing official dialogue with China during the Nixon-Mao years, fronted by the omnipresent Henry Kissinger. Indeed, the CFR, a long running globalist think tank, touts its role in the development of Sino-US relations.[16]
In 2006 the TC issued its second post-Soviet report on Russia. As one would expect they had seen hope in the first Yeltsin years, which soon turned chaotic. From late 2003 Putin started reversing policies. The Trilateral position is to maintain dialogue rather than push Russia towards isolation, with the aim of subverting Russia. Business is seen as the force for "dynamic change." "It attracts the young elite and interacts with the outside world; in a growing number of companies, it requires conformity with international standards of law, accountancy and governance."[17] That is to say, economics is the most effective manner of subverting a state's traditional values. It is the revolutionary character of capitalism, exemplified by George Soros. "The young elite" is an emerging class of trans-national, trans-cultural nomads; it is a global elite (what might be called "rootless cosmopolitans" in Stalinist parlance) or what G Pascal Zachary approvingly called the "Global Me" in a book of that name. Tourism, travel and scholarships are seen as means by which Russians can be influenced by foreign methods and thinking; or what critics might more cynically call "infection." NGOs are also listed as an important factor. Since then Putin has also recognised this and the Duma took steps to eradicate the influence of the type of NGOs that have been funded by OSI, National Endowment for Democracy, et al, instrumental in creating "color revolutions" first of all in the ex-Soviet bloc states.
It is of interest that China is represented on the Executive of the Trilateral Commission by Chen Naiqing, Vice President of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, Beijing. In addition there are Chinese members of the TC's "Asia Pacific Group": Li Zhaoxing, Former Foreign Minister of RPC, Beijing; Lu Shumin, Executive President of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, Beijing; Ruan Zongze, Executive Vice President of China Institute of International Studies, Beijing; Sio Chi Wai, Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Macau Special Administrative Region; Wu Jianmin, Member of the Foreign Policy Advisory Group of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Senior Research Fellow of Counsellors' office of the State Council, Member and Vice President of the Wuropean Academy of Sciences, Beijing; Wu Xinbo, Director of the Center for American Studies and Executive Dean of the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University, Shanghai; and Yang Wenchang, President of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, Beijing.[18]
That proportion of Chinese members of the TC is more than a token representation. They could not be members without approval from the State.
Co-operation or confrontation?
High level co-operation is not new. Dr David Finkelstein, in a paper for the Center for Naval Analyses stated that co-operation on security and international issues was taking place before the normalization of relations in 1979:
We recall that during the height of the Cold War the two nations demonstrated that when a pressing and shared security concern (in that case, the former Soviet Union) presented itself, Washington and Beijing were capable of working together, extant differences notwithstanding. Security consultations and sometime security cooperation between the two countries continue today. But as the record of security cooperation is reviewed, one comes to the conclusion that, for the most part, U.S.-China security cooperation has been mainly of a political nature and operationalized at a high level of strategic policy coordination.[19]
Dr Finkelstein, vice president for the Center for Naval Analyses and director of CNA China Studies, explains of the last point that "Security cooperation between the two nations has been largely the purview of U.S. and Chinese civilian officials and diplomats, not generals and admirals." That is surely where it matters. Generals and admirals do not run most states. One might also add that also where it matters perhaps even more so than the words and actions of official and diplomats, is among the corporate executives, NGO directors, and think tank analysts than meet together at the Bilderberg and Trilateral gatherings. He states that "sound military-to-military" cooperation between China and the USA is lacking. Finkelstein refers to the previous extensive military co-operation with China enabled by that great crusader against the USSR, Ronald Reagan.
Over the next half-decade, China acquired a series of American weapons systems. It paid $22 million for American help in modernizing its factories to produce artillery ammunition and projectiles. China spent an additional $8 million for American torpedoes, $62 million for artillery-locating radar and more than $500 million for American help in modernizing its jet fighters…China also entered into several commercial transactions, in which it bought American hardware directly from U.S. defense firms. The most notable of these was the purchase of 24 Sikorsky S-70C helicopters from United Technologies Corp.[20]
While USA's high tech military transfer with China halted due to the "Tiananmen Sanctions" enacted by Congress in 1989, a few years later President Bill Clinton had succeeded in somewhat rectifying this with "a U.S.-China 'constructive strategic partnership' for the 21st century," resulting in the Defense Consultative Talks (DCT) and the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement (MMCA).[21]
Throughout the first decade of the 21st century, the overall trend in U.S.-China relations was quite positive. … During this period, the United States supported China's entry into the WTO (2001) and high-level consultative dialogues, such as the 'Senior Dialogue' (2005) and the 'Strategic Economic Dialogue' (2006), were established, and there was co-ordination between the two regarding North Korea.[22] During the George W Bush administration policy papers suggested that China was a global competitor, and Chinese analysts saw this as a US mentality that required an enemy.[23]
Finkelstein considers that a lack of high level security co-operation will continue due to the lack of a common military threat such as that posed by the USSR. However, the USA remains eager to secure China as an ally. Both states must appease contrary factions, and sabre-rattling serves this purpose. Finkelstein, as with many others, sees Taiwan as the continuing point of major contention. It is questionable whether the USA would remain loyal to Taiwan if push came literal shove. The USA pursued a "two China" policy which allowed China entry into the UNO and the removal of ROC, and "one China" remains the policy of the USA. As with other scenarios for conflict between the USA and China, one might ask how realistic is a conflict between the People's Republic of China and ROC? Again, does sabre rattling and shadow boxing indicate substance? Taiwan under Chiang had a command economy and Chiang's nationalist ideology was based on resisting the incursions of international finance. Despite the image of Taiwan as an outpost of U.S. imperialism, Chiang pursued independent economic policies, and not until recently did Taiwan become a market economy. Taiwan pursued economic nationalism.[24] More latterly Taiwan has pursued globalization, and this includes Taiwanese investment in Mainland China and Taiwan acting as a bridgehead for other investors into China.
U.S. companies can draw on Taiwan's relationships and expertise in expanding their business arrangements in all of Asia, especially China. The Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), which entered into force in September 2010, further enhances Taiwan's competitiveness in the Chinese market and establishes Taiwan as a strategic springboard for its trading partners. As of the end of 2014, nearly 50,000 Taiwanese companies had invested directly in Mainland China and ASEAN, forming a complete supply chain system for U.S. companies to develop their Asian markets and the rest of the world.[25]
China and Taiwan cannot afford conflict any more than China and the USA. There will be no confrontation between China and the USA over Taiwan.
Finkelstien presents alternative scenarios to rivalry:
While none of the persistent and gnawing inhibitors listed above are about to vanish, there are new forces at work in international security, and especially within China, that argue for the possibility of security cooperation between the two defense-military establishments as the current decade unfolds. The most significant development behind this line of thought is the combination of the increasing globalization of China's national security interests with the diversification of non-traditional security threats which China also faces as a result of its emergence as a global political and economic actor.[26]
Finkelstein cites several Chinese positions that are, it might be noted, in accord with globalist attitudes on the role of China in a world order:
Beijing is beginning to acknowledge a new reality: a China with global economic interests is a China with global political interests and, increasingly, a China with global security interests. The 2006 version of the PRC defense white paper proclaimed (almost nervously), 'Never before has China been so closely bound up with the rest of the world as it is today,' and a causal connection was made between economic globalization and national security interests. Chinese leaders also acknowledge that securing China's globalized security interests will require cooperation between the PRC and other 29 nations. This concept was hinted at in the work report of the 17th Party Congress (2007), which declared, 'China cannot develop in isolation from the rest of the world, nor can the world enjoy prosperity or stability without China.'[27]
This seems the same position as that of Kissinger, Rockefeller, Soros, Trilateralism, et al. It might be contended that these issues are more significant than the issue of America's backing of Taiwan, and routine clichés about "human rights." We are dealing with high policy in the interests of global economics, besides which the puppet show for public consumption among both Chinese and Americans is trivial. Of other areas where there is a common security focus, such as in dealing with piracy, Finkelstein writes:
… the United States and China have already recognized the need to cooperate, and in fact do cooperate, extensively in civil maritime security affairs. One of the little-known successes in U.S.-China security cooperation is the relationship between the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and its multiple counterparts in China. Technically, this is non-military security cooperation, but in many cases it has a very paramilitary flavor.[28]
A ground force equivalent to RIMPAC sponsored by the USA and conducted in Mongolia, took place in 2015, with participation by the Chinese army.
Around 300 U.S. personnel, from the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, will participate in the exercise, along with 600 Mongolian Armed Forces troops. U.S. and Mongolian troops will comprise the majority of the roughly 1,200 military personnel from 25 countries scheduled to participate or observe this year's exercise. The complete list of participants, per U.S. PACOM, includes "Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, China, Czech, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, ROK, Singapore, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, UK, and Vietnam." … U.S. Marine Brigadier General Christopher J. Mahoney noted that Khaan Quest 2015 will help participating militaries "create professional military-to-military relationships" and "build personal and lasting connections." No statements from either the Mongolian or the U.S. side emphasized the significance of China's first-time participation.[29]
It is notable that Exercise Khaan Quest was only sparsely mentioned by the Chinese media, and China's involvement has not received commentary from the USA. Such co-operation does not accord with the popular view of rivalry. Again, Russia is missing, despite the "peacekeeping" character of the operations, and Russia's immediate interest in the area, as distinct from Canada, Italy, et al. Mongolia is one of the states that was once part of the Russian sphere of influence, but has been drawn to China; an example of the manner by which China has profited most from the post-Soviet decline of its Russian "ally."
There is an inherent, one might say spiritual, basis to an enduring conflict between Russia and the USA. Americans have been poisoned against Russia since journalist George F Kennan, later funded for his revolutionary fervor by Jacob Schiff of Kuhn, Loeb and Company, started writing and lecturing across America against Russia in 1886, as among the first to start calling for "regime change."[30] The conflict between Russia and the USA is one of difference in world-views; one mercantile, the other spiritual and both universal (Russia as the "Katehon" holding back the forces of the Antichrist, remains a deep-set mystique). The USA and China think in terms of trade and economics. [31] The differences between them are not of the same magnitude and quality as those vis-a-vis Russia. [32]
[1] "26 Nations to Participate in World's Largest Naval Exercise," US Navy, http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/Pages/26-Nations-to-Participate-in-World%27s-Largest-Maritime-Exercise.aspx#.V22-Orh96M8
[2] Vijay Sakhuja, "Rim of the Pacific Exercises (RIMPAC): Thaw in China-US Tensions?," Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, June 28 2014, http://www.ipcs.org/article/us-south-asia/rim-of-the-pacific-exercises-rimpac-thaw-in-china-us-4529.html
[3] Dragoș Tîrnoveanu, "Russia, China and the Far East Question", The Diplomat, January 20, 2016; http://thediplomat.com/2016/01/russia-china-and-the-far-east-question/
[4] Hilary Clinton, "America's Pacific Century," FP, October 11, 2011, http://foreignpolicy.com/2011/10/11/americas-pacific-century/
[5] Hilary Clinton, "America's Pacific Century," November 10, 2011, U.S. State Department, http://www.state.gov/secretary/20092013clinton/rm/2011/11/176999.htm
[8] Richard C Bush, "United States policy towards Northeast Asia," SERI Quarterly, Brookings Institute, April 2013, 38.
[9] Ibid., citing Donilon, "Remarks By Tom Donilon, National Security Advisory to the President: 'The United States and the Asia-Pacific in 2013,' March 11, 2013."
[11] Michael e O'Hanlon, :US-Russian Relations Beyond Obama," April 20, 2016, Brookings Institute, http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/order-from-chaos/posts/2016/04/20-putin-obama-next-administration-ohanlon
[12] Fiona Hill, "Russian Adventurism and the US Long Game," Brookings, Inst., March 3, 2016, http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/order-from-chaos/posts/2016/03/03-russian-adventurism-us-policy-hill
[13] "Goldman Sachs lays off Russia staff: more expected, Reuters, June 8 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-goldman-sachs-russia-idUSKCN0YU23I
[14] "Putin sees US, Goldman Sachs behind leak of Panama Papers," Blomberg, April 15 2016, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-14/putin-sees-u-s-goldman-sachs-behind-leak-of-panama-papers
[15] "Goldman Sachs says Niet to Russian bond deal," Fortune, March 3 2016, http://fortune.com/2016/03/03/goldman-sachs-russian-bond-deal/
[16] Peter Grose, Continuing The Inquiry: The Council on Foreign Relations from 1921 to 1996 (New York: CFR, 2006), 42-43.
[17] Roderic Lyne et al, Engaging Russia: The Next Phase (Trilateral Commission, 2006), 179-181.
[18] Trilateral Commission 2016 membership roster.
[19] David Finkelstein, The military dimensions of US-China security co-operation, CNA, 2010, 1.
[20] Finkelstein, 7, citing James Mann, About Face: A History of America's Curious Relationship with China, from Nixon to Clinton (New York: Vintage Books, 1998), 141–142.
[21] Finkelstein, 14.
[22] Ibid, 14.
[24] Chiang Kai-shek, China's Destiny & Chinese Economic Theory (New York, 1947).
[25] U.S. TaiwanConnect, http://www.ustaiwanconnect.org/
[27] Ibid., 28-29.
[29] Ankit Panda, "A First: China Sends Troops to US-Mongolia-Led Khaan Quest Exercise," The Diplomat, June 23 2015, http://thediplomat.com/2015/06/a-first-china-sends-troops-to-us-mongolia-led-khaan-quest-exercise/
[30] George F Kennan, Siberia and The Exile System (New York: The Century Co., 1891).
[31] For a particularly insightful study of Chinese civilization see: Amaury De Riencourt, The Soul of China (Avon: Honeyglen Publishing, 1989 [1958]).
[32] For a consideration of the Russian messianic imperative see for example: Ellis Sandoz, Political Apocalypse: A Study of Dostoyevsky's Grand Inquisitor (Wilmington: ISI Books, 2000).
Copyright © K. R. Bolton, Global Research, 2016
Articles by: K. R. Bolton


text:
IMF-ing the world!
Image from schizoamerica.com
As protesters decry their capitalist policies, the International Monetary fund meets, and the proscriber of austerity reflects on the state of world economic progress.
"The recovery is underway, but unemployment in most countries is still too high," remarked Dominique Strauss-Kahn, International Monetary Fund Managing DirectorThis worry over jobs comes as Greek labor unions announce fresh protests over IMF policies they accuse of making their country's economic and jobs situation worse: austerity measures, public spending cuts, tax rises, and privatization. They're all part of the IMF doctrine for debt crisis management it's now imposed on Greece. It's a policy that has been forced on many developing nations over decades."I think most Western policy makers think it's tough love," Gerald Epstein, Economics Professor at the University of Massachusetts, said of the IMF mindset on these neo-liberal policies.Tough love marked by reliance on the free market and not the role of the state, which critics like Epstein say hurts these countries and contributed to the financial meltdown, this as IMF and World Bank leaders brace for another."We are one shock away from a full-grown crisis," Robert Zoellick, World Bank President said. "The financial crisis taught us that prevention is better than cure. We cannot afford to forget that lesson."But a group of thinkers believe the curriculum is all wrong. At the very place decades ago the IMF was signed into being by world leaders , a different group of economic and policy leaders gathered together who believe the institution is outdated and needs to be rethought altogetherThey are calling for a shift away from Western dominance and thinking in the organizations."We've really been looking at this through our problems our lenses and most of our countries have not been subject to IMF programs," Epstein asserted.But even as some of those countries, who have, such as Brazil, call for a greater say in the IMF as part of the BRICS block of emerging countries, some don't see any real change in the works."I expect the next president of the World Bank will be an American and the next managing director of the IMF will be a European," predicted Simon Johnson, former chief economist of the IMF. "And that's the same pattern we've had since those institutions were established."This is despite the limitations of the framework to global economic effectiveness."That's a major limitation and weakness in their governance but again it's not going to change anytime soon," Johnson added. A warning over what could be in the pipeline as the IMF talks austerity with Portugal to secure its debt crisis loan lifeline and an economically-strapped Egypt talks about getting billions in soft loans from the bank.As the old adage goes, "the more things change the more they stay the same," reiterated Johnson.
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BRICS build on economic and political ambitions
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IMF and World Bank's aid tightens noose around poor nations