Societal challenges such as obesity and unhealthy lifestyles cannot be legislated away plus other news and views

Politicians with hopeless legislation will not fix the obesity epidemic - London Sunday Telegraph ($)
In the eyes of many politicians, it isn’t important that regulations deliver results so long as it feels like a good idea and authorities are seen to be doing something. ... Even the most apparently obvious policy solution to a problem – introduced in good faith and with the best intentions– creates ripples impacting on people’s lives in ways politicians may well have been unable to predict, particularly when it comes to lifestyle issues. It is therefore of paramount importance to exercise caution when legislating, and to proceed only when there is overwhelming evidence to suggest the measure will deliver.
The problem is that politicians are increasingly expected to provide a solution for every problem under the sun as we look to the state to replace the influence of other institutions – family or religion, for example – in our lives. It requires a significant amount of self-awareness and moral fortitude to recognise and accept that the power to legislate over people’s lives doesn’t necessarily translate into the wisdom ideally required to do so. Especially when there is a rising tide of voices telling legislators that it is a moral responsibility of the state to act.
A truly wise politician knows to resist the siren call. Societal challenges such as obesity and unhealthy lifestyles cannot be legislated away. To try and do so is unwise and irresponsible.
The Military Doesn't Advertise It, But U.S. Troops Are All Over Africa - NPR
When U.S. troops were ambushed in Niger last October, the widespread reaction was surprise: The U.S. has military forces in Niger? What are they doing there? Yet in many ways, the Niger operation typifies U.S. military missions underway in roughly 20 African countries, mostly in the northern half of the continent. They tend to be small, they are carried out largely below the radar, and most are focused on a specific aim: rolling back Islamist extremism.
The U.S. Has No Clear Strategy For Africa. Here's Why It Really Needs One  - NPR
What needs better explaining is why it is necessary for U.S. diplomatic, military and other government agencies to provide support to our partners on the continent. U.S. policymakers and senior leaders in the military and State Department have known for decades that Africa is a nexus of extremist groups, criminal networks and illicit trafficking, yet the government has inadequately addressed the root causes of instability in parts of Africa.
EU bans pesticides linked to declining bee numbers - Financial Times
Environmentalists welcome ban but agrochemicals industry calls for further research 
Today, Francis is increasingly embattled. The political climate has shifted abruptly around the world, empowering populists and nationalists who oppose much of what he stands for. Conservative forces arrayed against him within the Vatican have been emboldened, seeking to thwart him on multiple fronts.
Yet a close look at his record since becoming pope and the strong reactions he has engendered also shows that Francis continues to get his way in reorienting the church. And his supporters say that the backlash against his views has only made his voice more vital in the debate inside and outside the church over the issues he has chosen to highlight, like migrants, economic inequality and the environment.
But even they concede that Francis’ message has fallen decidedly out of sync with the prevailing political times, in contrast to, say, Pope John Paul II, who provided the spiritual dimension for Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher’s battle against communism.
When Russia Becomes the U.S.S.R. on Steroids, Israel Can Become a Target Too - Haaretz
Russia has returned to the international stage and considers itself an equal to the United States, despite Washington’s huge economic and military advantage.
And to gain dominance once again, the Russians are increasingly using all the tried and true methods of the Cold War (not that the Americans are innocent of using very similar methods). Cyberattacks, along with sophisticated propaganda and disinformation on social media, ramp up the consequences. This is already the Soviet Union on steroids, both because its rivals’ secrets are more accessible than in the past, and because it’s easier today to spread the messages to the general public.
At the same time, the Russians are helping to weaken Westerners’ confidence in the effectiveness and justness of their democracies. When Russia’s RT television films Syrians who deny that a chemical slaughter was carried out by the Assad regime, when on Twitter the Russian ambassador in London mocks the claims about the poisoning of the former spy, the purpose is the same. The propaganda isn’t designed to convince Westerners of the justness of the Kremlin’s ways, it’s to confuse their perception of reality to the point where they’ll no longer believe in anything.

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