Category: Government, Law, and Education

Export Controls and Technology Transfers in a Global Economy

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How to keep critical information and technology away from those who wish to harm our country, our families, and ourselves.

By Mark D. Harris[1]

The MDHI’s work in Ukraine and the Middle East has stimulated discussion on bringing technology into these countries, which could be considered de facto technology transfers. For example, we have asked if it is permissible to bring new ultrasound machines into Ukraine to take care of patients. The answer that we discovered was a qualified “yes”, if we were willing to cut through thickets of red tape and wade through rivers of regulations. Ultrasound machines are not “prohibited/restricted”, and they are not “dual use” (military and civilian), but they are “high technology” and therefore subject to scrutiny. There have also been questions about robotics parts and 3D printers, both of which can be considered “dual use”

In an era of rapid innovation and global collaboration, the protection of sensitive technology is no longer just a matter of corporate security; it is a critical component of national security and international law. For organizations operating across borders, understanding the intricacies of export controls is essential to avoid severe legal penalties and reputational damage.

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Celebrating Uncle Sam

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A good way to celebrate America on its birthday (and other times) is to learn about good ole Uncle Sam. Where did he come from, what did he do, and where is he going? How much better is it to celebrate in 2026, the year of America’s 250th birthday!

By Mark D. Harris

The 250th birthday of America is only a week away. Raleigh County (WV) has a county fair, a baseball game, several fireworks displays, special dinners, a golf cart parade, and activities at our veterans and first responders museum, to celebrate the occasion. For these events, some of us will become Uncle Sam, entertaining others and telling them about our great nation. If any of our readers wants to serve as Uncle Sam for this, or any other Independence Day activity (in any year), the information  following can help.

Materials

  • Uncle Sam costume – basic costumes cost $30-100. High quality, custom made costumes will cost over $1,000.
  • Uncle Sam poster 24×36 – This is the classic portrayal which most people remember

What about weapons? Uncle Sam has been heavily involved in defending the nation.

  • Revolutionary and 1812 (west) Virginia Rifle (flintlock) – Brother Jonathan and later Uncle Sam (1812) would have had such a rifle.
  • Civil War rifle (caplock) – Springfield model 1861/3.
  • World War 1 – typically without a weapon at all, but reenactors can use the 1903 Springfield or the 1917 Enfield.
  • World War 2 – Uncle Sam could be portrayed with an M1903 Springfield bolt action rifle or the M1 Garand.
  • Vietnam – M16, standard issue rifle

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Why Ukraine will endure

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I wrote the article below, Why Ukraine will endure, on 27 Feb 2022, shortly after the Russians invaded Ukraine. I did not publish it at the time, though I don’t remember why. While in Kyiv last month, I told Dr. Rick Perhai and others from Kyiv Theological Seminary about the article, and he asked to see a copy. I knew that I had written the piece, but forgot that it was never actually published. So, I couldn’t find it on the MDHI website. Going through my hard drive archives today, while looking for something else, I found the lost article.

On one hand, I have been proven right. Against all odds, Ukraine has endured. Despite the emigration of Ukrainians, many stayed behind to defend their homeland. On the other hand, I did not foresee the momentous changes in warfare occasioned by this conflict. Drones and electronic warfare have revolutionized combat. Ukraine has proven itself masterful at using everything in its arsenal, and more importantly, in its people’s imaginations, to stop the Russian onslaught.

Diplomatically, sanctions have not been as effective as hoped, but then again, sanctions never are. China, North Korea, and India are providing Russia with more than token support. Putin still believes that he is winning and still refuses to negotiate in good faith for peace.

So, for my friends in Ukraine, I have now found the article that I told you about. Happy reading!

By Mark D. Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA.

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Civil Rights Legislation in the US

sculpture of martin luther king jr memorial in gray concrete wall
~ MD Harris Institute ~ Leave a comment

Despite mountains of paper, oceans of ink, and general support for civil rights, civil rights legislation remains controversial. This article summarizes the key parts of the current US civil rights legislation, including the Constitutional basis and disparate impact. It touches on the relationship between morality, religion, and rights. Finally, the article addresses some key ideas in the Bible about civil rights and their source.

By Mark D. Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA

What are civil rights?

A common definition is “Civil rights refer to the fundamental rights and freedoms granted to individuals by a government and are protected by law.”[1] This definition invites several questions.

  1. What are rights? Things that people are allowed to do? Things that people are allowed to abstain from doing? How do rights interact between individuals and groups?
  2. What rights are fundamental? The US Declaration of Independence includes the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Are there others? The US Supreme Court and International Courts have interpreted fundamental rights broadly. For example, the term civil rights now includes a right to privacy, which was never mentioned in any of the founding documents but came from the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1976).
  3. What are freedoms? The ability to do whatever you want? The ability to do whatever God created you to do? Who decides, the individual, the society, or someone or something else?
  4. Who “grants” civil rights? God? The king? In a government of, by, and for the people, wouldn’t the people be “granting” such rights to themselves?
  5. What is “government?” Definitionally, it is “the action or manner of controlling or regulating a nation, organization, or people.” What are the jurisdictional limitations? Does the US government “grant” civil rights to residents of Mauritania? Is the United Nations a government, and does it grant civil rights?
  6. Who are individuals? Citizens? Visitors? Men? Women? Members of a certain race or socioeconomic class? No civilization in history has granted equal rights to every member of society. No society in history has ever held that every person should have exactly equal civil rights (criminals and the physically incompetent often have their rights limited by governments). Ancient civilizations from Rome to Xian to Tenochtitlan have held the emperor to be divine, thereby exercising rights far beyond anyone else. In Hammurabi’s Babylon, the Amelia (elites) had far greater protections than the Mushkenum (freemen) and the Ardu (slaves).
  7. Which law protects civil rights? English common law? Muslim Sharia law? Christian canon law? Hindu Manu Smriti? Buddhist Sangha regulations? Something else?
  8. Should certain groups be protected? If so, which ones? How do you define these groups? Under Sharia, Christians and Jews are dhimmi, not enjoying the same rights and liberties as Muslims. Under the Hindu caste law, each caste has more rights than those below.
  9. What is the relationship between civil rights law and other categories of law, such as civil liberties law? Does a statute or regulation requiring people to use preferred pronouns in addressing a transgender individual violate the US Constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech?

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Philosophy Masquerading as Science

sky
~ MD Harris Institute ~ 1 Comment

Science and technology have revolutionized our world. The average person in a developed country lives better and longer than kings did only 150 years ago. Science is so powerful in the minds of people that it, rather than religion or philosophy, as in an earlier age, is the sole arbiter of truth. Modern people who want to prove their point, whatever that point is, appeal to science. But science cannot answer every question. Often, people and organizations push a political agenda and pretend, or actually believe, that science has proven their agenda to be right. This email conversation is an example.

By Mark D. Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA

Several years ago, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) published a policy supporting the requirement for employers to provide contraception for their employees, without a faith-based exception. I sent an email to the AAFP asking why they took such a position.  Such controversial stances would alienate members without achieving meaningful policy goals.  Further, such a position was political, not scientific. AAFP sent me the reply below.

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Defending Taiwan

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The world in 2025 is a bigger geopolitical mess than it was in 1914. Taiwan, Ukraine, and Israel are developed states at the epicenter of life-or-death struggles.[1] After a recent visit to Taiwan, this article describes a way, and quite probably the only way, for Taiwan to survive as an independent nation if China invades.

By Mark D. Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA

Chiang Kai Shek (1887-1975) fled mainland China and moved his nationalists, the Kuomintang (KMT), to Taiwan after their defeat by the communists under Mao Tse Dung (1893-1976) in 1949. Since that year, the Communists ruling mainland China have declared that Taiwan is a renegade province and they will take it back by any means possible, including war.[2]  Every modern Chinese ruler, including the current autocrat Xi Jin Ping, has reaffirmed this intention.[3]

A pre-invasion scenario

Chinese paramilitary “fishing boats”, coast guard ships, and naval vessels encircle Taiwan under the guise of military exercises, law enforcement, or humanitarian actions. These boats partially disrupt Taiwanese imports and exports. Then they leave, having learned valuable lessons and helped lull Taiwanese defenders and politicians into a sleepy acquiescence, like a frog in warming water. Chinese aircraft from bases such as Longtian (in Fujian) harass Taiwanese responding forces. Cyber attackers, space forces, special forces, and others engage. Much of this is happening today. By not firing the first shot, the Chinese undercut nations that may oppose them. If no one physically challenged the blockade, Taiwan would slowly be strangled to death.

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