In the first six months of 2024 alone, nearly 5,000 complaints were filed with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), marking a sharp increase from the same period in the previous year. This comes as it was recently revealed that Islamophobia, as well as the situation in Gaza, are among the top issues for Muslim American voters in 2024.
CAIR reported that it had received 4,951 complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian acts in the first half of 2024, compared to 2,937 reported in the same period in 2023. The rise in anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian discrimination and harassment comes amid a global wave of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, which has intensified since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas following the militant group’s attack on the Jewish state on October 7 and Israel’s subsequent response on Gaza, which numerous countries and international organizations have described as “genocide.”
The report by CAIR reveals that there was a significant increase in complaints of Islamophobia in the educational field in May during protests on university campuses across the US over the Israeli military’s operation in Gaza. Student protests, which called for an end to economic and military support for Israel, received extensive media coverage during that period.
In that regard, Corey Saylor, the CAIR’s director of research and advocacy, said,
“Too many places of higher education, which have historically permitted Islamophobic speakers to poison their campus in the name of academic freedom, apparently find anti-genocide speech intolerable. Since last fall university administrators have been a primary perpetrator of anti-Muslim racism.”
“Our data shows that as student protests dominated media coverage of the movement opposing the Gaza genocide, employers also continued punishing their employees for their viewpoints. We are also seeing Federal Agencies like Customs and Border Protection and the FBI interpreting being Muslim or anti-genocide as suspicious activity,” Saylor added.
The complaints filed, the report notes, also included hate crimes and discrimination in immigration, asylum and employment processes. CAIR said it received 8,061 complaints throughout 2023, with nearly half—3,578—in the last three months of 2023, after the conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out.
At the same time, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organization that watches over the human rights of Jewish people around the world, reported that anti-Semitic incidents in the US increased by 140% in 2023 compared to the previous year.
The ADL stated in April,
“8,873 incidents of assault, harassment, and vandalism across the country. The total represents a 140-percent increase from 2022 – already a record-setting year – and the highest level recorded since ADL started tracking this data in 1979.”
Given that Islamophobia has increased in the US, it is unsurprising that Islamophobia, along with the situation in Gaza, are among the top issues for Muslim American voters in 2024. A new poll conducted by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) in partnership with Change Research and Emgage Foundation shortly before President Joe Biden Biden dropped out of the 2024 US presidential election found Muslim American disillusionment with the Democrats on the war in Gaza and rising issues of Islamophobia.
According to the poll, the majority of Muslim Americans who voted for Biden in 2020 said before his departure that they would not vote for him in 2024 because of his policies on Gaza.
In 2020, 65% of Muslim voters chose Biden over Trump. Muslim American votes could have played a pivotal role in the results of three swing states — Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania — that Biden won and ensured his ultimate victory. However, the 2024 poll found that only 12% of Muslim Americans said they intended to vote for Biden.
In regards to Kamala Harris, expected to be the Democrat candidate to challenge Donald Trump, Muslim Americans might be enticed by her if she carries out their main demand – a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Although she has vowed not to “look away” or “be silent” towards the suffering in Gaza, she has made no effort to secure a ceasefire. Harris will not be able to win back the Muslim American vote Biden lost without supporting the end of arms transfers to Israel, restoration of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to help Palestinians, and ensuring humanitarian aid reaches Gaza.
However, Muslim Americans will be disappointed if they expect Kamala Harris or Donald Trump to openly endorse a ceasefire, end arms transfers to Israel, or ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza. Rather, it is likely that empty promises will be made whilst Islamophobia is allowed to fester as the conflict in the Middle East deepens.
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The sordid story on the CIA-backed operation against the WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange during his time cramped in London’s Ecuadorian Embassy continues to froth and thicken. US officials have persisted in their reticent attitude, refusing to cooperate with Spain’s national high court, the Audiencia Nacional, regarding its investigation into the Agency’s espionage operations against the publisher, spearheaded by the Spanish security firm Undercover (UC) Global.
Since 2019, requests for assistance regarding the matter, including querying public statements by former CIA director Mike Pompeo and former head of counterintelligence, William Evanina, along with information mustered by the relevant Senate Intelligence Committee, have been made to US authorities by judges José de la Mata and Santiago Pedraz. These have been treated with a glacial silence.
On December 12, 2023, the General Subdirectorate of International Legal Cooperation furnished the US authorities “an express announcement” whether such judicial assistance would be denied.
Spain’s liaison magistrate in the US, María de las Heras García, duly revealed that the tardiness to engage had been occasioned by ongoing legal proceedings being conducted before the US District Court of the Southern District of New York. As Courtney E. Lee, trial attorney at the US Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs explained, supplying Spain’s national high court with such information would “interfere” with “ongoing US litigation”. Hardly a satisfactory response, given requests made prior to the putative litigation.
The litigation in question involved a legal suit filed in the US District Court of the Southern District of New York by civil rights attorney Margaret Ratner Kunstler, media lawyer Deborah Hrbek, and journalists John Goetz and Charles Glass.
In their August 2022 action, the complainants alleged that they had been the subject of surveillance during visits to Assange during his embassy tenure, conduct said to be in breach of the Fourth Amendment. The plaintiffs accordingly argued that this entitled them to money damages and injunctive relief from former CIA director Mike Pompeo, the director of the Spanish security firm Undercover (UC) Global David Morales, and UC Global itself.
On December 19, 2023 District Judge John G. Koeltlgranted, in part, the US government’s motion to dismiss while denying other portions of it. The judge accepted the record of hostility shown by Pompeo to WikiLeaks openly expressed by his April 2017 speech and acknowledged that
“Morales was recruited to conduct surveillance on Assange and his visitors on behalf of the CIA and that this recruitment occurred at a January 2017 private security industry convention at the Las Vegas Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.”
The litigants found themselves on solid ground with Koeltl in the finding that they had standing to sue the intelligence organisation. “
In this case, the plaintiffs need not allege, as the Government argues, that the Government will imminently use their information collected at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.”
The plaintiffs would “have suffered a concrete and particularized injury fairly traceable to the challenged program and redressable by favorable ruling” if the search of the conversations and electronic devices along with the seizure of the contents of the electronic devices were found to be unlawful.
The plaintiffs also convinced the judge that they had “sufficient allegations that the CIA and Pompeo, through Morales and UC Global, violated their reasonable expectation of privacy in the contents of their electronic devices.” But they failed to convince Koeltl that they had a reasonable expectation of privacy regarding their conversations with Assange, given the rather odd reasoning that they were aware the publisher was already being “surveilled even before the CIA’s alleged involvement.” Nor could such an expectation arise given the acceptance of video surveillance of government buildings. Problematically, the judge also held that those surrendering devices and passports at an Embassy reception desk “assumed the risk that the information may be conveyed to the Government.”
Sadly, Pompeo was spared the legal lash and could not be held personally accountable for violating the constitutional rights of US citizens.
“As a presidential appointee confirmed by Congress […] Defendant Pompeo is in a different category of defendant from a law enforcement agent of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics.”
In February this year, US Attorney Damian Williams and Assistant US Attorney Jean-David Barnea clarified the Agency’s line of response in a submission to Judge Koeltl.
“Any factual inquiry into these allegations – whether they are true or not – would implicate classified information, as it would require the CIA to reveal what intelligence-gathering activities it did or did not engage in, among other things.”
As the agency could not “publicly reveal the very facts over which it is seeking authorization to assert the State Secrets Privilege, it is not able to respond to the relevant allegations in the complaint or to respond to any discovery requests pertaining to those allegations.”
Richard Roth, an attorney representing the four litigants, found this reasoning bemusing in remarks made to The Dissenter.
“From our vantage point, we cannot imagine how there is any privilege at all that relates to proprietary information of American citizens who visited the Ecuadorian embassy.”
In April, CIA director William J. Burns sought to further draw the veil in submitting a “classified declaration” defining “the scope of the information” concerning the case, claiming it satisfactorily explained “the harm that reasonably could be expected to result from the unauthorized disclosure of classified information.” For those in such lines of work, alleged harm has no quantum or sense of proportion.
Again, Roth was unimpressed, issuing a reminder that this case had nothing to do with “terroristic threats to destroy America that were uncovered through technology or a program that must never be disclosed or else the threat will succeed.” The case, importantly, concerned the CIA’s search and seizure of cell phone and laptop devices in the possession of “respected American lawyers and journalists, who committed no crime, and who have now stood up against the loss of liberties and the government’s intrusion into their private lives by copying the contents of their cell phones and laptops.”
As long as the Agency stifles and drags out proceedings on the grounds of this misused privilege, the Justice Department is bound to remain inert in the face of the Spanish investigation.
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Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He currently lectures at RMIT University. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG). Email: [email protected]
Demonstrations erupted during mid-June in the East African state of Kenya which encompasses the largest economy in the sub-region.
The now withdrawn Finance Bill, which would have imposed large tax hikes on consumer goods and services, prompted a series of protests where the Kenyan police killed and wounded dozens of people for exercising their democratic rights to assembly and speech.
After the announcement by President William Ruto that he would not sign the bill, the youth then demanded his resignation. In response to demonstrations every Tuesday and Thursday, Ruto dissolved his cabinet, firing most of the members.
Nonetheless, the demonstrations are continuing under the slogan of “Enough is Enough”. Many young people are angered by a perceived indifference to the plight of the working and poor people in Kenya. They do not see the existing government under Ruto as providing any viable alternative to the political status quo.
On July 23, a pro-government grouping came into the streets on motorcycles calling for a harsher police crackdown on the “Enough is Enough” movement. On that same day, anti-government protesters attempted to block access to the airport outside the capital of Nairobi to press for the resolution of their demands. The police had declared the airport area as non-negotiable regarding protest actions.
Consequently, there were additional clashes between the police and the pro-government forces on the one hand against the youth-led protesters. It was not immediately clear who was financing the pro-government grouping. Undoubtedly, the group is closely allied and sponsored by the Ruto administration.
Demonstrations were also held on July 23 in other major cities throughout Kenya including Mombasa, the coastal port city on the Indian Ocean, the town of Kisumu near Lake Victoria and in Migori. Kenyan police have used lethal force to stem the demonstrations which have in some instances turned violent.
A recent report in the Kenya Star claimed that Members of Parliament (MPs) and even three staff aides of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua have been detained and questioned by members of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). They are being investigated for ostensibly funding people to damage businesses and loot goods from stores. The MPs and the Deputy President have denied these allegations.
Since mid-June when the demonstrations began, there have been reports of kidnappings by police of activists. Due to these reports, the Kenyan Supreme Court did issue a ruling prohibiting such operations by law-enforcement personnel.
These demonstrations have had a negative impact on the Kenyan economy domestically and internationally. The government reasoning behind the proposed tax hikes is clearly related to the burgeoning debt obligations which were being passed on to the workers and youth.
Due to the rising prices for commodities and services, the standard of living inside the country has declined significantly. It has become almost impossible for youth to feel optimistic about their future.
These variables have taken a toll on the value of the national currency, the shilling, causing even more uncertainty for consumers:
“The Kenyan shilling has continued to experience significant volatility against major currencies, something largely attributed to the disruption of trade and tourism activities due to the recent protests. The latest data from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) shows that commercial banks closed the markets Friday (July 26) exchanging the dollar at Sh131.574. Some two weeks ago, the dollar traded at Sh128. A month ago, before the start of the protests, the shilling remained its dominance exchanging at 128.77 to the dollar before falling to 129.52 on June 27 and further to 130.46 by July 19. Financial experts have argued that the protests contributed immensely to the weakening of the shilling.”
Since the demonstrations in Kenya gained international attention, other countries have witnessed an upsurge in youth activism. In Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria there have been marches and planned protests all prompted by the overall economic crisis on the African continent.
Nigeria protests against bad governance on August 1, 2024 (Source: Abayomi Azikiwe)
Uganda Government Takes Steps to Stop Anti-corruption Demonstrations
In the neighboring East African state of Uganda, the government has warned youth-led demonstrators not to engage in protests demanding an end to corruption. President Yoweri Museveni accused the organizers of the “#March to Parliament” movement of being a threat to public order.
On July 27, the Ugandan authorities reported that 104 people had been arrested in connection with demonstrations. Police officials told the youth-led movement that additional attempts to stage rallies and marches would result in problems with law-enforcement.
“Uganda’s Police Spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke stated, ‘Between July 22 and July 25, 2024, demonstrators attempted to #MarchToParliament in Kampala, leading to significant police intervention.’… The protestors are part of a youth-led march against the rise of corruption in the Ugandan Parliament. On July 23, the march resulted in several opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) members being arrested. The parliamentary opposition leader, Joel Ssenyonyi, accused the police of using excessive force. Even though the demonstration was decentralized and planned through social media, officials banned it due to public order concerns. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni also purportedly warned that protestors were ‘playing with fire.’”
Accusations have been made over the last several months over widespread corruption within the Ugandan parliament. Although the government says it is investigating the allegations, the #MarchtoParliament movement feels compelled to hold public demonstrations against the Museveni administration.
Nigerian Youth Stage Demonstrations Against Bad Governance
The Federal Republic of Nigeria has the largest population of any other African state on the continent with 230 million people. Even though Nigeria is rich with crude oil, the failure to modernize its petroleum extraction and refinement infrastructure has held back the country from achieving qualitative development.
On August 1, there were mass demonstrations in several cities across the country. The focus of the protests centered on the problems related to bad governance.
President Bola Tinubu, who was just sworn into office last year, has imposed austerity measures including the lifting of subsidies for fuel and other commodities which has caused prices to skyrocket due to the decline in the value of the national currency, the Niara. The police, military and political officials are quite concerned about the potential for social unrest. In 2020, a nationwide rebellion took place demanding the liquidation of a controversial police unit ostensibly designed to end armed robberies.
Despite the apparent deliberate interference with the operations of the internet and telecommunications services on August 1, News Central Africa reported:
“Economic activities have come to a halt as the much anticipated #EndBadGovernance protest began in several cities across the country. From Abuja to Abeokuta and Port Harcourt to Lagos, banks and businesses have closed, leaving roads unusually empty as protesters defy last-minute efforts by authorities to stop the demonstrations. In Kaduna, typically bustling streets are deserted as protesters march to voice their grievances about poor living conditions. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is grappling with soaring inflation and a sharply devalued naira after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu implemented economic reforms a year ago aimed at reviving the economy. The protest movement tagged #EndbadGovernanceinNigeria, has gained traction online, with many Nigerians struggling with 40 percent food inflation and fuel prices that have tripled since Tinubu’s reforms. In Abuja, security forces have blocked roads leading to Eagle Square, a planned protest site, while in Lagos, police and soldiers are stationed at key locations, including the Lekki tollgate, a site of violent protests in 2020.”
These demonstrations follow a brief general strike by the trade unions during early June demanding a raise in the minimum wage to stave off the impact of hyperinflation. The industrial actions in June came just eight months after other strikes in October 2023.
The Role of Youth and the Crisis in African Political Economy
In Ghana a High Court ruling has issued a ban on demonstrations in that West African state. Similar issues which have prompted protests and rebellions in other states are motivating the youth in Ghana as well. See this.
It is not surprising that young people are emerging to oppose the worsening economic situation in various African states. In Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, the neo-liberal approach of governments is rooted in the incapacity to pay down international financial debt obligations at the aegis of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
African Union (AU) member-states encompass the youngest population in the world. Some 70% of the population on the continent are under the age of 30. See this.
If organized properly, these young people would be in a position to make an enormous contribution to the transformation of the continent from Neo-colonialism to Pan-Africanism and Socialism. The unification of Africa is essential for the eradication of poverty and the transition to a path towards sustainable development.
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Abayomi Azikiwe is the editor of the Pan-African News Wire. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.
Featured image:Demonstrators opposed to the “Finance Bill 2024”, which proposes a tax bill, march towards the parliament building to protest against the Kenyan President William Ruto in Nairobi, Kenya on July 23, 2024. (Source)
In a rather surprising development, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz is demanding that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) expel Turkey over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent remarks about intervening in the Jewish State over the latter’s widely condemned military campaign in Palestine.
“in light of Turkish President Erdogan’s threats to invade Israel and his dangerous rhetoric, Foreign Minister Israel Katz instructed diplomats… to urgently engage with all NATO members, calling for the condemnation of Turkey and demanding its expulsion from the regional alliance.”
Kat is also accusing the Turkish authorities in Ankara of joining the “Iranian axis of evil”, as he calls it, “alongside Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen.” The Atlantic Alliance in any case does not even have, as of now, a mechanism to expel a member, and back in 2021 NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenbergsaid that creating such a system “would never happen”.
The Israeli move is arguably quite arrogant, given the fact that the country is not even a NATO member itself – although it is, as the US government calls it, a “major non-NATO ally” (MNNA), in the spirit of the so-called Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) since 1994. Israeli leaders however have traditionally viewed their country as a “natural partner” to the political West. Back in 2007, then Leader of the Opposition (and today’s Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahusaid, at the Second Annual NATO-Israel Symposium, that “Israel is NATO – we are the West. We are the same.” Although a rhetorical statement, 17 years on, his thinking remains quite the same on that issue.
During a speech to his Justice and Development (AK) Party on Sunday Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country could intervene militarily in Israel’s war in Palestine.
“We need to be very strong so that Israel cannot do these ridiculous things to Palestine. Just as we entered Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we can do something similar to them.”
Erdogan’s statement prompted the Israeli Foreign Minister to say in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that, by supposedly threatening to attack Israel, the Turkish leader would be following the steps of Saddam Hussein (who ended up captured by US soldiers). The reference is odd, considering the fact that, unlike Iraq, Turkey is a NATO member state. In a rejoinder, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted that “just as genocidal Hitler ended, so will genocidal Netanyahu”, referring to the ongoing massacre of Palestinians (which many have described as a genocide). Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has gone so far as to state that Erdogan has “become the voice of humanity’s conscience.”
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) July 28, 2024
It is a bit ironic that Erdogan should mention the Nagorno-Karabakh region (also known as Artsakh) as an example of an area where Turkey intervened. This is arguably a stance where Ankara sided with the aggressor: it backed the the Azerbaijani September 19 military campaign, which has been described by David J. Scheffer (a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations) as the “ ethnic cleansing” of the ethnic Armenian population of the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in Azerbaijan.
Thus, it is fair to assume that Armenians in general certainly do not see Erdogan as “the voice of humanity’s conscience” at all. Ironically, Israel too helped the Azerbaijani capture of Nagorno-Karabakh, supplying it with weapons. The country is a major supplier of oil to Tel Aviv, plus it is a strategic ally against their common enemy Iran. So in that particular conflict, Turkey and Israel are aligned, even indirectly. Beyond that, the two countries do not agree on much.
Over the last decade, the relationship between Tel Aviv and Ankara has been deteriorating. In March 2022, as I wrote, there were attempts at a reconciliation with Turkey then seeking rapprochement with its traditional foes – but Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza (launched in October 2023 with the Operation Swords of Iron), changed everything. It has not only halted any Turkish-Israeli steps towards reconciliation: since the 2020 Abraham Accords, a number of Arab states had normalized their relations with the Jewish state and, in some cases, even deepened strategic cooperation agreements. In this context, Saudi Arabia was seen as potentially being the next one in line. Until the Gaza crisis came about.
Likewise, the current Red Sea crisis (with the Houthis rebels disrupting naval trade) is in itself a direct spillover effect of the US-backed disastrous Israeli operations in Palestine.
The Israeli military campaign started as a response to Hamas’ October 7 unprecedented violent attacks and has prompted massive demonstrations across Ankara and Istanbul (and also in many cities in Europe and all over the world). According to UN special rapporteur on the right to food, Israel is deliberately starving the Palestinian population, which constitutes genocide.
Back to Turkish-Israeli tensions, it is not the first time top Turkish officials compare Israeli leaders to Nazi ones, and there has been a war of words for a while, especially after the US-backed country launched its military operations in Palestine. Erdogan’s latest statement however marks an escalation of tensions. One may recall Turkey restricted some of its exports to Israel in April and is said to have stopped all trade with the country in May.
Tel Aviv in turn is threatening to end its free trade agreement with Ankara. Could things escalate militarily? Erdogan’s statement, if taken seriously, seems to point in that direction. This would further complicate an already intricate geopolitical chessboard. With Israel’s recent assassination of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, the long-going proxy Israeli-Iranian war (the so-called “secret war”) risks escalating into direct warfare – which is a disturbing prospect. I wrote about this scenario in July 2022, and today it looks closer than ever.
Turkey’s attempts to project itself as a regional or even a global leader (as the “voice of humanity’s conscience”, in the words of its Foreign Ministry) are part of wider ambitions that many have described as a Neo-Ottomanist agenda. Such has always faced opposition in the Middle East and beyond. One may recall that as early as 2021, Gulf nations (with the exception of Qatar) thought of Ankara and Tehran as a larger threat than Israel – with Turkey involved in a number of proxy wars with Arab states in North Africa.
Moreover, normalization agreements with Tel Aviv were on the rise. With that in mind, despite the tensions involving Persians, Arabs and Turks, one could argue that today Israel is inadvertently doing more for bringing together Muslim countries than anyone else. Meanwhile, the deepening division within NATO and the wider political West are clearly exposed, with Turkey increasingly being the odd man out (who does not hesitate to use leverage, as seen in the case of Sweden’s accession to the organization), and there being no way of out this awkward situation for the Atlantic Alliance.
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The US has achieved another “milestone” after its national debt surpassed the $35 trillion mark, the US House of Representatives Budget Committee announced on July 29. Yet, despite debt increasing and the economy struggling, the US is still not deterred from achieving its military ambitions.
Whether or not one commits to the principle that carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas is helping to warm the world, it does seem that people who may wish to execute a major disaster for their own purposes might like to give the world a notorious villain-at-large to blame it on.
In 24 hours Israel has murdered the man with whom it would need to negotiate hostage release in the short term and political settlement in the long term, and a key figure in its most dangerous potential military enemy which has refrained from full-on war.
A tool that has been used as part of the ideological subversion of society is predictive programming – the process of informing and conditioning the population about events that are soon to occur.
The Deep State has embarked on a ruthless, take-no-prisoners, all-out assault on truth-tellers. Activists, journalists and whistleblowers alike continue to be terrorized, traumatized, tortured and subjected to the fear-inducing, mind-altering, soul-destroying, smash-your-face-in tactics employed by the superpowers-that-be.
American complicity in the genocide in Gaza as well as in two possible wars in Lebanon and Iran due to the Israeli embrace is a tragedy for all parties involved, but the damage being done to future generations of American citizens cannot be remedied. Our country has done many bad things, but this whole hearted alliance with unmitigated evil is a betrayal of the birthright of every American.
President Biden — if you feel like pretending Biden is still serving as president and still making the decisions in the White House — has pledged to support Israel against any retaliations for its recent assassination spree in Iran and Lebanon which killed high-profile officials from Hamas and Hezbollah.
A White House statement asserts that Biden spoke with Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday and “reaffirmed his commitment to Israel’s security against all threats from Iran, including its proxy terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis,” and “discussed efforts to support Israel’s defense against threats, including against ballistic missiles and drones, to include new defensive U.S. military deployments.”
Hilariously, the statement also claims that “the President stressed the importance of ongoing efforts to de-escalate broader tensions in the region.”
Yep, nothing emphasizes the importance of de-escalating broader tensions in the region like pledging unconditional military support for the region’s single most belligerent actor no matter how reckless and insane its aggressions become.
Biden promises Netanyahu the U.S. will defend Israel from any reprisal attacks pic.twitter.com/9meq2hTBmq
This statement from the White House echoes comments from Secretary of “Defense” Lloyd Austin a day earlier, who said
“We certainly will help defend Israel” should a wider war break out as a result of Israel’s assassination strikes.
All this babbling about “defending” the state of Israel is intended to convey the false impression that Israel has just been sitting there minding its own business, and is about to suffer unprovoked attacks from hostile aggressors for some unfathomable reason. As though detonating military explosives in the capital cities of two nations to conduct political assassinations would not be seen as an extreme act of war in need of a violent response by literally all governments on this planet.
In reality, the US isn’t vowing to defend the state of Israel, the US is vowing to help Israel attack other countries. If you’re pledging unconditional support to an extremely belligerent aggressor while it commits the most demented acts of aggression imaginable, all you’re doing is condoning those acts of aggression and making sure it will suffer no consequences when it conducts more of them.
A kevlar vest stops being a tool of defense when you wear one to prevent yourself from being stopped by police while conducting a mass shooting.
Washington’s position is made even more absurd after all the hysterical shrieking and garment-rending from the Washington establishment following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Israel murdered the leader of the Hamas political bureau, not a military commander, and he was the primary negotiator in the mediated ceasefire talks with Israel. This was a political assassination just like a successful attempt on Trump’s life would have been, but probably a lot more consequential. And yet the only response from Washington has been to announce that it will help Israel continue its incendiary brinkmanship throughout the middle east.
Washington swamp monsters talk all the time about their desire to promote “peace and stability in the middle east”, while simultaneously pledging loyalty and support for a middle eastern nation whose actions pose a greater obstacle to peace and stability in the region than any other. These contradictions are becoming more and more glaring and apparent before the entire world.
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(Originally published September 16, 2023)
“First thing I saw was trees up and down every street and between houses in Santa Rosa California where the houses are not partially burned. They’re turned to white ash like a crematorium. But, above all that, I saw the trees virtually untouched! And that didn’t go well for me, knowing my whole background in trees! …I didn’t know what was going on here! This was all new to me!”
– Robert Brame, Forensic arborist upon analyzing 38 fires in California and presenting photographs detailing fire behaviour not considered possible. [1]
According to media reports, Canada’s experience with wildfires is without precedent. Millions of acres of forest from BC to Alberta to Quebec to New Brunswick were scorched. Thousands of residents of Yellowknife in the North West Territories were withdrawn from their lodgings as the flames advanced mercilessly. [2][3]
And the many, many distraught people who lost their homes look bleakly into the night-time sky and ask the question why.
The most available answer to explain the scenario comes up in the universities and mainstream media. Climate Change. If only human society had acted sooner…if only we had committed more resources to reversing the tide…if only we valued nature over the new stylish hummer…if only we had not been burdened by the presence of all those nasty climate change deniers… this new phenomenon of wildfires along with other weather disasters could have been avoided. [4]
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to visit New York City in the coming week to talk of Climate Change. And his Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault are planning tough measures to take Canada toward “carbon neutrality” before it is too late. [5][6]
It should however be pointed out that individuals have been caught committing acts of arson in many of these forests. As well, people are witnessing the wildfires in Maui and in California and so on have some peculiar properties. For example, photography of homes destroyed, cars destroyed, while a nearby trees are still erect! [7][8]
Whether or not one commits to the principle that carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas is helping to warm the world, it does seem that people who may wish to execute a major disaster for their own purposes might like to give the world a notorious villain-at-large to blame it on. Looking at this dynamic forms the basis for this week’s look back at the “Summer of Hell” courtesy of the Global Research News Hour.
In our first half hour, we speak with frequent guest Peter Koenig, who has written two recent articles for Global Research on the topic of Environmentally Modified Techniques (ENMOD) which he says may be causing the extreme weather phenomena that we have been witnessing over the last few years.
In our second half hour, we are joined by Anthony Hall, an Alberta-based academic and colleague. He has also written on Climate Change “Fakery,” the rivalry between the Canadian Prime Minister and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and spells out the dynamics between oil and gas rich province of Alberta and the bulk of the population dwelling in Eastern Canada.
Anthony Hall is a Professor Emeritus of Globalization Studies at University of Lethbridge in Alberta Canada. He had been a teacher in the Canadian university system since 1982. Dr. Hall, has published a big two-volume publishing project at McGill-Queen’s University Press entitled “The Bowl with One Spoon”.HE contributes to Global Research. His recent article Oil and Gas and Climate Change Fakery is published in full on his substack and will appear in multiple parts on GR.
In addition, one can check out the vast archives on ENMOD and climate change on Global Research. As well, check out the other climate links in the Peter Koenig and Anthony Hall archives.
CIXX 106.9 FM, broadcasting from Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. It airs Sundays at 6am.
WZBC 90.3 FM in Newton Massachusetts is Boston College Radio and broadcasts to the greater Boston area. The Global Research News Hour airs during Truth and Justice Radio which starts Sunday at 6am.
Campus and community radio CFMH 107.3fm in Saint John, N.B. airs the Global Research News Hour Fridays at 7pm.
CJMP 90.1 FM, Powell River Community Radio, airs the Global Research News Hour every Saturday at 8am.
Caper Radio CJBU 107.3FM in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia airs the Global Research News Hour starting Wednesday afternoon from 3-4pm.
Tristin Hopper (June 13, 2023),’FIRST READING: Are eco-terrorists causing all the fires?’, National Post; https://nationalpost.com/news/are-eco-terrorists-causing-all-the-fires
The US has achieved another “milestone” after its national debt surpassed the $35 trillion mark, the US House of Representatives Budget Committee announced on July 29. Yet, despite debt increasing and the economy struggling, the US is still not deterred from achieving its military ambitions.
Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Ky., called the development a “dubious milestone” and urged for more fiscal and spending responsibility to address the growing national debt.
“Today, we grieve yet another dubious milestone in the fiscal decline of the most powerful and prosperous nation in history. President Reagan’s words 34 trillion dollars ago still hold true today,” Arrington said in a statement, expressing hope that the Republican Party could somehow alleviate the situation if Donald Trump wins the November election.
“I believe Republican leadership in 2025 is our last best hope to restore fiscal responsibility before it’s too late,” he added.
The US national debt has soared in recent years under President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, who had repeatedly promised to reduce it during his 2016 campaign. By the time Trump left office, the debt had grown by $8.4 trillion to $27.7 trillion, with more than half of the borrowings related to COVID-19 measures. The trend has continued under Biden, with the incumbent president now surpassing the $35 trillion mark.
The US is, in fact, the largest debtor nation in world history, and according to the International Monetary Fund, public debt will exceed 123% of GDP this year and reach nearly 134% by 2029. This means that it will be impossible for the US to overcome its debt. The IMF even recently warned the government about the debt level that will be reached if current policies are maintained.
“Under current policies, the general government debt is expected to rise steadily and exceed 140% of GDP by 2032. Similarly, the general government deficit is expected to remain around 2.5% of GDP,” the financial institution said in a statement on June 27.
The IMF added that the US needs to reverse the current rise in its public debt-to-GDP ratio to avoid a growing risk to the country and the global economy.
Responding to the US breaking a new debt record, Maya MacGuineas, president of the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said in a statement:
“This news is incredibly sobering – and incredibly unsurprising for anyone who has been following our fiscal trajectory. Just last month, the Congressional Budget Office warned Americans that debt held by the public is on its way to a new record share of the economy in three years. The deficit will be nearly $2 trillion this year and nearly $3 trillion in ten years.”
“We are going to have to get serious about the debt, and soon. Election years cannot be an exception for trying to prevent completely foreseeable dangers – and the debt is one of the major dangers we are facing,” she added.
Nonetheless, despite the growing debt, Moscow is not under any illusions that this will change Washington’s militaristic ambitions.
“Of course, the US, as one of the largest global economies, has a direct impact on the international economic situation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on July 30. “However, it is unlikely that this whole situation will somehow hinder their militaristic ambitions.”
US global dominance is gradually collapsing due to its weakening economy and the emergence of a multipolar world order in which Russia, China, India, and other countries play a major role. With the emergence of the multipolar world, Washington will soon have to communicate with other powers on an equal footing, especially since, as the failed anti-Russia sanctions have shown, the US can no longer use its economic might to impose its will.
Although US debt is growing and ordinary citizens are suffering from a cost-of-living crisis, Washington’s militaristic ambitions will certainly continue unabated. This is seen in the fact that in May, it was revealed that Congress had approved $175 billion of emergency support for Ukraine since 2022, an astronomical figure considering the US is $35 trillion in debt.
More alarmingly, it appears that the US will continue to waste billions upon billions on a war that Ukraine cannot possibly win. The US announced on July 29 that $1.7 billion in military aid would be sent to Ukraine, including an array of munitions for air defence systems, artillery, mortars and anti-tank and anti-ship missiles.
Nonetheless, if the debt continues to grow, the US may have no choice but to massively scale back its astronomical military spending, which will account for an eye-watering $842.0 billion in 2024. Whether it is a Democrat or a Republican in the White House next year, it is doubtful that the debt will be reduced over the next presidential term.
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A tool that has been used as part of the ideological subversion of society is predictive programming – the process of informing and conditioning the population about events that are soon to occur. For example, in years previous to the 2020 Covid fake pandemic masses of people were conditioned to be scared about worldwide pandemics and deadly killer viruses. Several movies and television series were produced about a worldwide coronavirus pandemic. Examples include ‘Dead Plague’ and ‘Contagion’. ’Contagion’ was based on a coronavirus pandemic with lockdowns, social distancing, face masks, etc., being introduced. The Covid fake pandemic that later occurred was predicted in detail in these movies – the population had also been primed to accept it.
London Olympics 2012
Remember the London Olympics 2012 opening ceremony?
Doctors and nurses dancing around children in hospital beds. A massive figure of death holding a needle. This was a prime example of how they condition the masses to accept a generated reality soon to occur. The statistics of death and injury related to Covid vaccination have been documented by many doctors and researchers, for example by Professor Chossudovsky on the Global Research website, and in one of my own books.
Beijing Winter Olympics 2022
At the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 each team carried a snowflake aloft seemingly paying homage to what we were told was a ‘snowflake of winter’. The 6-pointed snowflake symbol was the centrepiece of the entire ceremony. Yet in the freeze-frame below we see the snowflake seemingly transform into the 6-pointed star symbol of Zionist Israel. Why did this occur? Was this a co-incidence?
See also this articleon the ancient origins of this hijacked symbol.
The satkona is the oldest spiritual symbol known to the world. In the oldest known Vedic literature, Sri Brahma-samhita, the Sat-kona is mentioned in a description of the supreme abode of Goloka, the abode of Krsna, God personified in ancient Vedic literature
The use of the satkona is evidenced in ancient Vedic cultures dating back over 5,000 years ago. The satkona has been used throughout the ages in India, Nepal, China, Tibet, Sri Lanka, and other countries in Asia by proponents of Vedic Vaisnavism, Jainism, and also in Buddhism.
Paris Olympics 2024
The recent opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics did not seem to be about sport rather something else entirely. The event has come under heavy criticism from people worldwide with conservative, traditional, and God-conscious values. The event was filled with woke left-wing symbolism, overt perversity, and seemingly pagan or satanic references. Personally I felt like washing my eyes out as quickly as possible.
One of the scenes that sparked particular controversy was of a table of drag queens with one in the middle wearing some form of crown or halo on her head and standing in front of DJ gear. The already infamous scene appeared to be a recreation and mockery of Leonardo da Vinci’s mural of Jesus and his Twelve Apostles at table of the Last Supper. Was this an intentional replacement of Jesus and the disciples at the Last Supper with men in drag? Was this an intentional mockery of those with Christian faith?
“One of the main performances of the Olympics was an LGBT mockery of a sacred Christian story – the Last Supper – the last supper of Christ. The apostles were portrayed by transvestites,” the spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, posted on Telegram.
We were then presented with a naked blue man in flower garlands singing suggestive lyrics and pointing at his groin. This was apparently supposed to represent Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and ecstasy. However, this could also be interpreted as a mockery of Lord Krishna, who is described in the ancient Vedic scriptures as an avatar of God who lived on Earth 5,000 years. Regardless of the truth of the matter, the whole spectacle was in appallingly bad taste.
French singer Philippe Katerine during the Paris Olympics opening ceremony(X/@Scipionista)
The ceremony was littered with pre-recorded scenes with references to non-traditional sexual inclinations that left many viewers aghast. It appeared to be an overt display of LGBTQ+ perversity and sexual abandonment, containing a bearded drag queen crawling on all fours; the beginnings of a menage à trois; and an intimate embrace between two men who danced, hugged, kissed and held hands. The in-your-face nature of the show seemed to be an insult to people with conservative or God-conscious values. I for one would not allow impressionable children to watch this degrading melee.
The athletes themselves were paraded and welcomed down the River Seine in many boats. Was this a mind programming reference to the huge numbers immigrants from faraway places that have been arriving in boats to Europe for years now? The people of Europe, it seems, are meant to welcome and accept mass (often unvetted) immigration regardless of the consequences and well documented increases in crime. Meanwhile, mere days before the opening ceremony a 25-year Australian woman, a tourist, was allegedly gang raped in Paris by 5 men of an immigrant background, see this report.
Rejecting Indoctrination and Mind Control – The Value of Discernment
The woke left, hypnotised by decades of new world order propaganda have welcomed and embraced bogus and perverse socio-political agendas. Sports events, TV, internet, and AI neuromancers channel corporate-funded propaganda and thought controls to the minds of the masses. These are mind control wands of the globalists.
When we hear about ‘multi-culturalism’ and ‘diversity’ in the woke political sense – what does it actually mean? The entire world has been multi-cultural for thousands of years before this funded political agenda. Why are these code words and ideologies so embedded into the cultural psyche? Who is funding the subversion of America and the wider world with these ideological agendas?
There is value in discernment, and in distinguishing good from evil. An increasingly perverse and dangerous ideological culture has been foisted upon us all. It can be rejected, and a more God-conscious life can be embraced. Perverse and toxic lifestyles devalue God-given life force (chi), and brain force – see also this article. Life is a mirror not a window, and surely a purified God-conscious life demands internal God-conscious values.
Will those that carry out demonic actions will be subject to karma? The Christian teaching is that “whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” I am also reminded of the words of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a great saint in the Vedic tradition of devotion to God.
“… you have got a short duration of life… The best thing is that you mold your life and go back to home, back to Godhead. Oil your own machine, instead of thinking what will happen elsewhere. [Those things] will happen. Because people will go on with their rascal civilization, natural consequences will be there.”
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Mark Keenan, is a former scientist at the UK Government Dept. of Energy and Climate Change, and at the United Nations Environment Division. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG). He is author of the following books available on amazon.com:
Within a span of just 10 days, huge landslides at two places have claimed over 500 human lives and threatened the displacement of thousands of people, bringing out in stark terms the fast increasing threat from landslides.
This tragic loss is in addition to the harm caused by several other relatively smaller landslides in various parts of the world, including the landslide-prone Himalayan region.
In the first tragedy in Gofa district of southern Ethiopia many homes in scattered rural settlements of foothill area were buried by stones and mud on July 20. Many people were buried in the rubble and villagers who quickly gathered on hearing their cries for help tried their best to rescue but could get only very limited success as they had only rudimentary tools like spades and shovels. Officials reached the site but well-equipped rescue teams could not reach in time to save many people. Some desperate villagers kept digging even with their hands to find survivors, including their near and dear ones.
However a second tragedy struck soon as there was another massive landslide which took away the lives of several those villagers who were engaged in rescue work. If better trained disaster rescue teams had come in time, it is likely that at least the loss of human lives in the second wave could have been prevented due to the better skills and training of the rescuers who could have anticipated the second landslide and taken adequate precautions.
Moreover the entire region was known for considerable time to be very prone to big landslides, a fact mentioned by local residents after the tragedy, and preventive actions should have been taken much earlier. Most of the houses were mud and tin constructions and the hills were affected by deforestation.
Nearly 257 people are reported to have died in this disaster. However the actual death toll may be much higher due to the many people buried in the rubble. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs had stated at an early stage of the tragedy that the death toll may go up to around 500.
The second huge landslide tragedy took place on 30 July in Wayanad district of Kerala state of India. Kerala has been highlighted worldwide for several of its higher development indicators but its many-sider ecological degradation and neglect are less widely known. This, together with higher concentration of rainfall in less time, as experienced several times in recent years, has made the state and the wider Western Ghats region more exposed to floods and landslides.
Rescue operation underway after a landslide triggered by heavy monsoon rains, in Wayanad district, July 30, 2024. Photo: PTI
In the early hours of July 30 three villages in particular suffered very serious harm, following the falling of the debris of a landslide of a nearby hill into a river, leading to a new ad deadly torrent of the river ravaging more hillsides, also moving towards human settlements, bringing death and destruction.
At the time of writing, the loss of over 180 human lives in this tragedy has been confirmed, while almost the same number of people are reported to be missing. At the same time, credit must be given to the teams which have rescued about 1500 people from the affected area, and taken up other supportive work, in very difficult conditions.
Soon after the tragedy prominent ecologist Madhav Gadgil, who was the Chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, stated that such increasing tragedies in the state could have been avoided to a significant extent if the state government had given adequate attention to the recommendations made by the Ecology Expert Panel. He added that the affected area was of the category of highly ecologically sensitive area where indiscriminate construction and quarrying activities should have been carefully avoided.
The common lesson emerging from Gofa and Wayanad is that much higher attention and priority should be accorded to disaster protection and prevention at a time when threat from disasters is increasing due to several factors.
At a more immediate level, there is the urgent task of looking after the safety and other needs of those people who are either still living in high-risk areas close to where the landslides struck. The UN estimated that the number of such people in Gofa region alone may be close to 15,000. Only careful, participative analysis conducted with the close involvement of the affected communities can reveal how many of these people need to be moved to the safety of other areas. Clearly a lot remains to be done for these people, for those injured in these landslides as well as those families which have lost their main income-earners in these tragedies.
The wider challenge is to identify high-risk landslide zones carefully for important preventive action so that tragedies that can claim many lives whether by threatening settlements or roads and highways can be avoided.
Above all, there is need for ecologically sensitive and protective development policies in hilly regions that avoid deforestation, indiscriminate construction and mining.
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Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Protecting Earth for Children, Man over Machine, A Day in 2071 and India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.
Featured image: Search and rescue operations are still ongoing at the scene of the deadliest landslide scene in Kencho Shacha Gozdi village, gofa zone (Photo: Gofa Zone Communications Office/Facebook)
The Pentagon just tested a hypersonic weapon, but refuses to disclose whether it was successful or not. It doesn’t even want to specify which system was involved or if there was an actual launch, as the US military often runs ground tests and presents them as “successful weapon launches”. In a previous test, the US Army’s “Dark Eagle”, a ground-based hypersonic weapon, failed miserably, forcing the Pentagon to go back to the drawing board. The initial plan was to have the weapon ready in the next two months, a year later than originally planned. The US Army and Navy are running a joint Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) program which aims to save costs by using the Common-Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB). However, the US military simply cannot master the technologies needed to make an operational weapon. Apart from dozens of failures, there are also regular cancelations of tests (just last year, there were three scrubbed test launches).
Last month, the Pentagon announced it supposedly conducted a “successful test” of the C-HGB designed for both the US Army’s “Dark Eagle” and the US Navy’s IRCPS (Intermediate Range Conventional Prompt Strike). However, it released no data about the launch, prompting many to question the validity of its claims. US military sources report that “there has been no known full end-to-end test of the missile involving a production-representative launch system”. The latest test of the unknown hypersonic weapon leaves much to be desired, with a US defense official telling The War Zone that “this test was an essential benchmark in the development of operational hypersonic technology” and that “vital data on the performance of the hardware and software was collected that will inform the continued progress toward fielding hypersonic weapons”. The source refused to provide any specifics, including the exact date, which is speculated to be July 25.
Combined with public warning notices and using online flight tracking software, observers concluded that the weapon was launched from Cape Canaveral precisely on July 25. The presence of several US Navy and NASA aircraft tracking the test on that day also supports this hypothesis. Observers and military experts mostly agree that the weapon in question was indeed the LRHW equipped with the C-HGB. Although this is yet to be explicitly confirmed by the US military, the previous aborted “Dark Eagle” tests were supposed to take place at Cape Canaveral. The concept of the missile is essentially a copy of Russia’s “Avangard” HGV (hypersonic glide vehicle), only on a much smaller scale and range. However, unlike Moscow, the US is incapable of producing an operational weapon. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) repeatedly criticized the Pentagon for its incompetence and warned about numerous delays and cost overruns.
The US military is regularly getting ahead of itself and failing to induct new weapon systems. Back in 2021, the US Army reactivated missile units that have been dormant since the (First) Cold War and deployed “Dark Eagle” launchers without missiles, expecting the weapon to be ready in months. However, it’s been three years since then and all data indicates that the missile won’t be ready before 2026 (in the best-case scenario). As a result, the US now lags not only behind China, but even North Korea and Iran. Some experts say that this could partially be because various US companies refuse to cooperate and share data. As for the US inferiority to Russian hypersonic weapons, it’s now measured in decades, a fact that not even Western experts deny. Still, the mainstream propaganda machine regularly talks about the US military’s plans to “dominate hypersonic weapons” with missiles such as the “Dark Eagle”, even though the Pentagon is yet to conduct a verifiable successful launch.
Although many thought such a prognosis was too far-fetched at the time, it seems this scenario is likelier than ever before. In the last two years alone, there have been at least half a dozen failures, including those reported in GAO’s latest reviews. There are claims of a “successful test” in June, but footage shows that none of the planned ground or sea-based launchers were used, once again prompting the informed public to question the validity of such claims. All this is only reinforcing the fact that the US has fallen decades behind its geopolitical adversaries. The miserable failure of its pompously announced “Super Duper” missileshows just how widespread these troubles are in various US hypersonic programs. After the cancelation of the AGM-183A (better known as the ARRW), the US Air Force stated it would be shifting away from it to “focus its efforts on the development of an air-breathing Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM)”, which is a joint effort with several Australian companies.
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The First Amendment assures us of a right to free speech.
It does not, unfortunately, explicitly assure us of a right to not be lied to by our government and its various officials. Any hope of holding government officials accountable for their lies rests with the political process, in the voting booths and through the impeachment process, which themselves have become so ineffective as to offer little real hope of transparency, accountability or reform.
We have been lied to so much, for so long, and on every subject, by government officials of every stripe that political lies have become our norm. It says something about the sorry state of our nation and the low bar we have set for those we elect to represent us.
However, although there are few consequences for government officials who lie to the public, the Deep State continues to wage war on those who challenge its lies, half-truths and obfuscations.
The Deep State has embarked on a ruthless, take-no-prisoners, all-out assault on truth-tellers.
Activists, journalists and whistleblowers alike continue to be terrorized, traumatized, tortured and subjected to the fear-inducing, mind-altering, soul-destroying, smash-your-face-in tactics employed by the superpowers-that-be.
In an age of prosecutions for thought crimes, pre-crime deterrence programs, and government agencies that operate like organized crime syndicates, this is a new kind of tyranny being imposed on those who dare to expose the crimes of the Deep State, whose reach has gone global.
What happened to Assange was intended to send a message to anyone who dares to speak truth to power: don’t even consider it.
Included among the leaked Manning material were the Collateral Murder video (April 2010), the Afghanistan war logs (July 2010), the Iraq war logs (October 2010), a quarter of a million diplomatic cables (November 2010), and the Guantánamo files (April 2011).
The Collateral Murder leak included gunsight video footage from two U.S. AH-64 Apache helicopters engaged in a series of air-to-ground attacks while air crew laughed at some of the casualties. Among the casualties were two Reuters correspondents who were gunned down after their cameras were mistaken for weapons and a driver who stopped to help one of the journalists. The driver’s two children, who happened to be in the van at the time it was fired upon by U.S. forces, suffered serious injuries.
This is morally wrong.
It shouldn’t matter which nation is responsible for these atrocities: there is no defense for such evil perpetrated in the name of profit margins and war profiteering.
In true Orwellian fashion, however, the government would have us believe that it is Assange and Manning who are the real criminals for daring to expose the war machine’s seedy underbelly.
Federal judge Anthony J. Trenga of the Eastern District of Virginia also fined Manning $500 for every day she remained in custody after 30 days, and $1,000 for every day she remained in custody after 60 days, a chilling—and financially crippling—example of the government’s heavy-handed efforts to weaponize fines and jail terms as a means of forcing dissidents to fall in line.
This is how the police state deals with those who challenge its chokehold on power.
Make no mistake: the government is waging war on journalists and whistleblowers for disclosing information relating to government misconduct that is within the public’s right to know.
Yet while this targeted campaign—aided, abetted and advanced by the Deep State’s international alliances—unfolded during President Trump’s watch, it began with the Obama Administration’s decision to revive the antiquated, hundred-year-old Espionage Act, which was intended to punish government spies, and instead use it to prosecute government whistleblowers.
Unfortunately, the Trump Administration not only continued the Obama Administration’s attack on whistleblowers. It injected this war on truth-tellers and truth-seekers with steroids and let it loose on the First Amendment.
In May 2019, Trump’s Justice Department issued a sweeping new “superseding” secret indictment of Assange—hinged on the Espionage Act—that empowered the government to determine what counts as legitimate journalism and criminalize the rest, not to mention giving “the government license to criminally punish journalists it does not like, based on antipathy, vague standards, and subjective judgments.”
“The indictment would criminalize the encouragement of leaks of newsworthy classified information, criminalize the acceptance of such information, and criminalize publication of it.”
Boutrous continues:
“[I]t doesn’t matter whether you think Assange is a journalist, or whether WikiLeaks is a news organization. The theory that animates the indictment targets the very essence of journalistic activity: the gathering and dissemination of information that the government wants to keep secret. You don’t have to like Assange or endorse what he and WikiLeaks have done over the years to recognize that this indictment sets an ominous precedent and threatens basic First Amendment values…. With only modest tweaking, the very same theory could be invoked to prosecute journalists for the very same crimes being alleged against Assange, simply for doing their jobs of scrutinizing the government and reporting the news to the American people.”
We desperately need greater scrutiny and transparency, not less.
Indeed, transparency is one of those things the shadow government fears the most.
Why? Because it might arouse the distracted American populace to actually exercise their rights and resist the tyranny that is inexorably asphyxiating their freedoms.
This need to shed light on government actions—to make the obscure, least transparent reaches of government accessible and accountable—was a common theme for Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, who famously coined the phrase, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
“Light is the only thing that can sweeten our political atmosphere—light thrown upon every detail of administration in the departments; light diffused through every policy; light blazed full upon every feature of legislation; light that can penetrate every recess or corner in which any intrigue might hide; light that will open up to view the innermost chambers of government, drive away all darkness from the treasury vaults; illuminate foreign correspondence; explore national dockyards; search out the obscurities of Indian affairs; display the workings of justice; exhibit the management of the army; play upon the sails of the navy; and follow the distribution of the mails.”
Of course, transparency is futile without a populace that is informed, engaged and prepared to hold the government accountable to abiding by the rule of law.
After all, we’re citizens, not subjects. For those who don’t fully understand the distinction between the two and why transparency is so vital to a healthy constitutional government, Manning explains it well:
Manning goes on to suggest that the U.S. “needs legislation to protect the public’s right to free speech and a free press, to protect it from the actions of the executive branch and to promote the integrity and transparency of the US government.”
Technically, we’ve already got such legislation on the books: the First Amendment.
The First Amendment gives the citizenry the right to speak freely, protest peacefully, expose government wrongdoing, and criticize the government without fear of arrest, isolation or any of the other punishments that have been meted out to whistleblowers such as Edwards Snowden, Assange and Manning.
The challenge is holding the government accountable to obeying the law.
More than 50 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in United States v. Washington Post Co. to block the Nixon Administration’s attempts to use claims of national security to prevent The Washington Post and The New York Times from publishing secret Pentagon papers on how America went to war in Vietnam.
As Justice William O. Douglas remarked on the ruling,
“The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government. And paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people and sending them off to distant lands to die of foreign fevers and foreign shot and shell.”
More than 50 years later, the people’s right to know about government misconduct continues to be pitted against the might of the Deep State.
Yet this isn’t merely about whether whistleblowers and journalists are part of a protected class under the Constitution. It’s a debate over how long “we the people” will remain a protected class under the Constitution.
Following the current downward trajectory, it won’t be long before anyone who believes in holding the government accountable is labeled an “extremist,” is relegated to an underclass that doesn’t fit in, must be watched all the time, and is rounded up when the government deems it necessary.
Eventually, we will all be potential suspects, terrorists and lawbreakers in the eyes of the government.
All of us are in danger.
Partisan politics have no place in this debate: Americans of all stripes would do well to remember that those who question the motives of government provide a necessary counterpoint to those who would blindly follow where politicians choose to lead.
We don’t have to agree with every criticism of the government, but we must defend the rights of allindividuals to speak freely without fear of punishment or threat of banishment.
Never forget: what the architects of the police state want are submissive, compliant, cooperative, obedient, meek citizens who don’t talk back, don’t challenge government authority, don’t speak out against government misconduct, and don’t step out of line.
What the First Amendment protects—and a healthy constitutional republic requires—are individuals such as Julian Assange who routinely exercise their right to speak truth to power.
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The Israeli lawmaker from the ruling Likud party, Hanoch Milwidsky, said that “everything is legitimate” when asked whether it was justified to rape Palestinian prisoners. “To insert a stick in a person’s rectum, is that legitimate?” asked Ahmad Tibi, a Palestinian lawmaker…. “Yes!If he is a Nukhba everything is legitimate to do to him,” screamed Milwidsky back. —Maktoob Media
Israel has crossed all lines of barbarism and savagery. This a new level of depravity. —Abdi, Twitter
On Monday, Israeli extremists broke into an IDF military base in Beit Lid to protest the detention of nine Israeli reservists who allegedly tortured and sodomized a Palestinian prisoner in their custody. The chaotic disturbance within the building was captured on video and widely circulated on Twitter. (See here) The mob was enraged by the fact that military personnel could be held accountable for the brutal and inhuman treatment of Palestinian detainees. They believe that any punishment meted out to Palestinian prisoners –however cruel and barbaric– is both warranted and justifiable. As numerous people have noted on social media, the protestors were essentially defending the right of the reservists to rape Palestinian prisoners. That is the only conclusion one can draw from their behavior.
🚨🇮🇱BREAKING: ISRAELI ‘PROTESTERS’ BROKE INTO “IDF” MILITARY COURT BUILDING IN BEIT LID
Armed militias and protesters broke into the court and detention building in ‘protest’ against any action against Sde Teiman israeli soldiers who sodomized and ra*ped Palestinian detainees. pic.twitter.com/48G8sQgEFM
Here is the short video of the extraordinary exchange between MK Ahmad Tibi and Likud Member of the Knesset Hanoch Milwidsky who candidly states that pushing a stick up a prisoner’s rectum is acceptable treatment that should not prompt investigation, prosecution or punishment. (Video)
MK Ahmad Tibi (TA'AL): To insert a stick in a person's rectum, is that legitimate??? MK Hanoch Milwidsky (Likud): Yes! If he is a Nukhba everything is legitimate to do him!
Some of you have probably already heard about the events in Sde Teiman concentration camp today: MPs came… pic.twitter.com/JynQZOqnDH
So, according to Milwidsky, Israeli reservists should not be required to comply with basic human rights laws that prohibit the inflicting of cruel and inhuman treatment on prisoners in their care. We wonder what Milwidsky’s reaction would be if Hamas adopted that same policy and applied it to the Israeli hostages it captured on October 7? Is he willing to accept that “Sauce for the goose, is sauce for the gander” or does he think there should be a special legal “carve-out” for those prisoners that Israel arbitrarily labels as “terrorists”, a term that is loosely applied to all two million native Palestinians presently living in Gaza? This is from a post at Antiwar.com:
On Monday, Israeli military police detained Israeli soldiers who were suspected of raping a Palestinian prisoner at the notorious Sde Teiman prison in southern Israel. Israeli media reported that the Palestinian prisoner was transferred from Sde Teiman to a hospital with an injury to his anus that was so severe he could not walk.
When the Israeli military police went to Sde Teiman to detain soldiers suspected of forcibly sodomizing the Palestinian man, they were met with resistance…. The arrest of the suspected rapists sparked protests from far-right Israeli activists. Members of the Israeli Knesset joined protesters as they stormed Sde Teiman…. Later in the day, protesters stormed Beit Lid, the base where the Israeli soldiers are being held.
Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of the Jewish Power party, praised the detained Israeli soldiers, calling them the “best heroes” and denouncing their arrest as “shameful.”…
Israeli whistleblowers have detailed widespread abuse and torture at the Sde Teiman prison, which holds Palestinians detained from Gaza. The New York Times reported last month that Palestinians who made it out of the facility said they were subject to sexual torture.
Younis al-Hamlawi, a senior nurse who was detained by Israeli forces in Gaza after he left Al-Shifa Hospital over allegations that he was tied to Hamas, told the Times that Israeli soldiers penetrated his rectum with a metal stick, causing him to bleed and leaving him in “unbearable pain.”
The Times report said a leaked report from the UN “cited a 41-year-old detainee who said that interrogators ‘made me sit on something like a hot metal stick and it felt like fire,’ and also said that another detainee ‘died after they put the electric stick up’ his anus. Israeli Police Detain Soldiers Suspected of Raping a Palestinian, Sparking Protests, antiwar.com
The reason this story is now appearing in headlines (instead of buried in the back pages of the newspaper), has nothing to do with Israel’s long-documented history of prisoner abuse. No, because this story isn’t really about prisoner abuse. It’s about the bitter struggle between Israeli Jews over the soul of their country. Regrettably, the fanatics and miscreants appear to be winning that battle. This is how the editors at Middle East Observer summed it up:
⚡️We knew that the Israeli societies are divided. But who would have thought that they almost got into a civil war over the right to rape and torture Palestinians ?
The mutiny is so bad that Top IDF officers, including Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, stopped critical… pic.twitter.com/G3A6DoEZPZ
— Middle East Observer (@ME_Observer_) July 29, 2024
It’s not all bad news though. The riots at Beit Lid have turned out to be a powerful wake-up call for a few open-minded Zionists who now understand that they have been intentionally misled by their leaders, their media and even their closest friends. Check out this heartfelt statement by Schaiel Ben-Ephraim:
I feel stupid and ashamed. In May, an expose came out on CNN detailing the abuses in Sde Taiman. Then, the NYT released their own article on it. Both were backed up with Israeli sources, crossed with Palestinian ones.
I dismissed them because my government sources and Israeli…
Lawyer Khaled Mahajneh, after meeting Palestinian prisoners in the Ofer concentration camp, reported that “israeli” guards tortured a Palestinian prisoner by inserting a fire extinguisher pipe into his rectum and activating it, in front of all the other prisoners. (Unbelievable)
Lawyer Khaled Mahajneh, after meeting Palestinian prisoners in the Ofer concentration camp, reported that "israeli" guards tortured a Palestinian prisoner by inserting a fire extinguisher pipe into his rectum and activating it, in front of all the other prisoners. https://t.co/vYxC9DjrPwpic.twitter.com/UNUPyS5nYB
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Michael Whitney is a renowned geopolitical and social analyst based in Washington State. He initiated his career as an independent citizen-journalist in 2002 with a commitment to honest journalism, social justice and World peace.
He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG).
In late June, Kenyan President William Ruto backtracked on a tax-hiking finance bill after protests left at least 20 people dead and more than 150 injured when police opened fire with live ammunition.
According to Patrick Gathara of The New Humanitarian, the youth-led protests were triggered by a range of proposed new taxes that will increase the financial burden on families already struggling with rising prices.
In response to the ongoing nationwide protests that led up to the aforementioned incident, Ruto said he would withdraw the bill as “members of the public insist on the need for us to make more concessions. The people have spoken.”
Fine words, but Amnesty International had previously reported that 21 social media activists had been abducted by state security agents as the government moved to curb the growing dissent.
Ruto has withdrawn the bill and sacked cabinet members to appease the demonstrators. Whether it will, remains to be seen.
Prior to that, in late March, World Bank Group President David Malpass said that poorer countries would be ‘helped’ to get back on their feet after the lockdowns.
However, such ‘help’ would be provided on condition of the acceptance of a booster shot of neoliberalism:
“For those countries that have excessive regulations, subsidies, licensing regimes, trade protection or litigiousness as obstacles, we will work with them to foster markets, choice and faster growth prospects during the recovery.”
Two years later, in an April 2022 press release, Oxfam International insisted that the IMF must abandon demands for neoliberal-driven austerity as hunger and poverty continued to increase worldwide.
According to Oxfam, 13 out of the 15 IMF loan programmes negotiated during the second year of the COVID event required new austerity measures such as taxes on food and fuel or spending cuts that could put vital public services at risk. The IMF was also encouraging six additional countries in Africa to adopt similar measures.
Demonstrators display placards during the Anti-Finance Bill protests in Nairobi on June 20, 2024. Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
Kenya and the IMF agreed a $2.3 billion loan programme in 2021, which included a three-year public sector pay freeze and increased taxes on cooking gas and food. More than three million Kenyans were facing acute hunger as the driest conditions in decades spread a devastating drought across the country. Oxfam said nearly half of all households in Kenya were having to borrow food or buy it on credit.
It was similar in Cameroon, Senegal and Surinam, for example, which were required to introduce or increase VAT, a tax that disproportionately impacts people living in poverty.
In Sudan, nearly half of the population live in poverty, but it was directed to scrap fuel subsidies, which would hit the poorest hardest.
Oxfam and Development Finance International also revealed that 43 out of 55 African Union member states face public expenditure cuts totalling $183 billion between 2022 and 2027.
Many governments are nearing debt default and being forced to slash public spending to pay creditors and import food and fuel. The world’s poorest countries were due to pay $43 billion in debt repayments in 2022, which could otherwise cover the costs of their food imports.
Oxfam has shown that low- and middle-income countries paid $106 billion in debt repayments and interest to G7 countries in 2023.
In a recent article, journalist Thin Lei Win shared a comment from Professor Raj Patel, member of the International Panel of Experts on Food Systems (IPES-Food). He is reported as saying:
“Debt servicing at these insane interest rates is making it even harder for countries to make sure the hungry are fed. In Kenya, a neoliberal government has met its citizens’ hunger not with food but with violence and tax increases. This is, alas, an augury of the world to come.”
According to the recently released report The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, one in 11 people went hungry in 2023 and more than one in four were cutting back on the quantity and quality of the food they consume.
One in five people faced hunger and more than a half were eating less or nothing at all for days at a time.
Thin Lei Win notes that soaring inflation and stagnant incomes have put healthy food out of reach for many people, while a reliance on global markets to feed the population has made them hostages to either spiking import bills or market volatility.
Solutions
Aside from releasing nations from their heavy debt burdens, the solution involves boosting the resilience of local food systems. With nearly 30% of the world food insecure and 42% unable to afford a healthy diet, it is essential to challenge and move away from a global food regime that relies on corporate-controlled supply chains, creates food insecurity (not least in Africa: see the online article Destroying African Agriculture) and uses debt and dependency to leverage compliance with the demands of powerful agribusiness conglomerates.
That much is made clear in the new report Food From Somewhere (IPES-Food) that argues for building food security and resilience through ‘territorial markets’. It notes that the past three years have seen big cracks emerge in global commodity markets and corporate-controlled supply chains resulting in supply chain chaos, lost harvests, volatile food prices and empty shelves.
The authors say:
“Feeding a hungry world requires resilient and robust food systems. In this comprehensive review, IPES-Food finds that a fundamental shift towards close-to-home food supply chains (‘territorial markets’) offers a more resilient, robust and equitable approach to food security.”
The report notes that a wide variety of vibrant food provisioning systems exist beyond corporate-controlled supply chains:
“From public markets and street vendors to cooperatives, urban agriculture to online direct sales, food hubs to community kitchens; territorial market channels are contributing to feeding as much as 70% of the world’s population every day. They are based around small-scale producers, processors and vendors, rooted in territories and communities, and play multiple roles within them. Yet they are continuously overlooked.”
Territorial markets are the backbone of food systems in many countries and regions, and the report highlights how they build resilience on multiple fronts, including ensuring access to seasonal, diverse, more nutritious foods and diets, demonstrating high degrees of resilience and adaptability to shocks, providing decent prices and steady incomes for small-scale producers and enhancing environmental sustainability by promoting low-input, biodiverse farming.
They also sustain traditional food cultures and foster community connections, solidarity and social capital.
However, governments are propping up fragile, disaster-prone global supply chains through agricultural subsidies, trade and investment agreements, tax breaks and food supply infrastructure skewed towards large-scale, industrial export agriculture.
The report adds:
“At the same time, corporate power continues to grow, eroding traditional practices and food cultures, co-opting local and territorial chains and reshaping diets around staple commodities and ultra-processed foods.”
It concludes that public procurement and state purchasing should be redirected to schemes that support sustainable small-scale producers and subsidies should be shifted to invest in the infrastructure, networks and people that underpin territorial markets, including public marketplaces, collectives and cooperatives.
Moreover, local markets need to be protected from corporate co-optation. This involves breaking up supply chain monopolies and encouraging sustainable, biodiverse farming practices and diverse healthy diets.
By moving towards food sovereignty in this way, we can not only avert future food crises and the ramping up of a debt-trap strategy but also challenge a food regime that has its roots in a persistent colonialism and imperialism facilitated by the imposition of neoliberal trade policies and World Bank/IMF directives at the behest of global agribusiness interests.
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Does anyone in Israel in a position of power truly understand what the expressions “human rights” and “rule of law” really mean?
Developments over the past ten months in Gaza would suggest “No,” that Israel’s government, its legal system, and its constitution exist solely to empower the state to do whatever it wishes, which in the current version includes the genocidal elimination of the Palestinian people and the theft of their land and property to be incorporated into a Greater Israel that plausibly will include the already annexed Syrian Golan Heights as well as all of historic Palestine running from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
But even given the fundamental dishonesty over the Jewish state and what it represents, there is something truly frightening about some recent developments which suggest that the long running United States government pander to Israel and its presumed interests have poisoned the chalice, making Americans absolutely complicit in the Israeli war crimes and other assorted crimes against humanity. And the level of control over Washington by Israel virtually guarantees that it will only get worse.
I am, of course, referring to the recent state visit of the world’s leading war criminal Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, where he was worshipped by both Congress and the White House alike together with considerable fawning from the heavily Jewish-influenced media. Netanyahu, to put it succinctly, spoke for an hour in his address to the US Congress, emitting lie after lie. And the Congress critters responded with an outburst of love combined with total subservience, delivering 53 standing ovations, close to one per minute. The most exuberant ovation occurred when Netanyahu denounced the 50,000 or so demonstrators who surrounded the Capitol building to express their disgust at the Jewish mass murderer’s presence. Bibi called the protesters, some of whom were pepper-sprayed and arrested by a heavy police presence including 360 imported New York City Policemen fresh from their beatings of protesters at Columbia University, “useful idiots paid for by Iran.” That particular lie produced paroxysms of celebration among the leaping and waving Congressmen. Given that performance, does anyone need any confirmation that free speech seems to be off the agenda when it comes to Israel and the clowns who nominally represent the American people in Washington, who once upon time swore an oath to support the Constitution, but now consider speaking ill of the Jewish state to be a “hate crime.” Indeed, bills have been introduced in Congress to that effect.
It is interesting to go through his speech to determine what Netanyahu was trying to accomplish and what lies he thought he could get away with. Actually, he did nothing but lie while blaming most of his neighbors, particularly Iran, for the turmoil that Israel has caused in the Middle East for the past 75 years. And predictably, much of the coverage of the Netanyahu appearance in the mainstream media on the following day was toothless and even laudatory. It generally reflected what was hailed as Bibi’s “fiery speech” that “did not give an inch” which vowed to continue fighting until “total victory” is achieved. “It’s a clash between barbarism and civilization. It’s a clash between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life.” Ironically, Netanyahu was right about the clash of civilization though he was wrong about who represented which side: Israel backed completely by the US is pure evil. And the Netanyahu visit should be seen as a call to arms. The Jewish state is struggling economically and militarily in its war of extermination in Gaza and it knows it is not in any shape to take on Hezbollah and Iran, so it has decided to let the United States do the heavy lifting. Reading between the lines on what occurred in meetings with the two presidential aspirants as well as with a non-compos-mentis Joe Biden, it is clear that Netanyahu expects American boys and girls to do his fighting for him as well as covering the costs.
American complicity in the genocide in Gaza as well as in two possible wars in Lebanon and Iran due to the Israeli embrace is a tragedy for all parties involved, but the damage being done to future generations of American citizens cannot be remedied. Our country has done many bad things, but this whole hearted alliance with unmitigated evil is a betrayal of the birthright of every American.
So how low can you go, but the tale of Netanyahu visits Congress was soon joined by another truly awful story that demonstrates that there is no bottom to the evil in the minds and hearts of Israel’s leaders as well as among a large majority of the Israeli people, which Mondoweiss calls a “genocide from above and below.” Few Americans are aware of the atrocities that occur by virtue of what the Israelis choose to call their legal system. There is a body of law that is applicable to protect Jews and their interests, but where those interests collide with those of the native Palestinians, be they Christian or Muslim, only one outcome is acceptable even when something comparable to a legal procedure takes place. This has enabled the horrible settlement movement with something like 800,000 Jewish settlers having stolen Palestinian land and other property and has meant that Palestinians who were driven from their homes by force when Israel was founded have no ability to return to their own homes. At its most extreme, severely injuring or even killing a Palestinian, which occurs regularly, often at the hands of the heavily armed settlers, is a crime that is almost never prosecuted. To cite only one recent example, Palestinian-America journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who was wearing a clearly visible journalist vest was shot and killed by an Israeli army sniper in May 2022. In spite of repeated demands that her murder be fully investigated, no one was ever identified or punished for the killing. Israel has also killed 20 other journalists in the past several years with no one being punished. Often Israeli soldiers stand by and watch crimes involving Jewish perpetrators, never interceding to help the Arab victim. If the Palestinians resist they are immediately labeled as “terrorists” and have no rights of self-defense against the occupiers, be they army or nominally civilians.
A story that appeared a week after the Netanyahu visit illustrates perfectly the two-tiered justice in Israel and the occupied territories. There are currently nearly 10,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, the number having increased sharply since the war against Gaza began. Many are Gazans, but an increasing number are from the West Bank, which is also being targeted for “settlement” and eventual annexation. Many are held under what is referred to as “preventive detention,” in which they are not charged with a crime, do not appear in any court, and are held at the will of the Israeli army or police. In jail, they are frequently tortured and starved. If they are ever released, they show the signs of the torture and Israeli human rights groups, among other witnesses, have provided substantial evidence of what is taking place behind closed doors. Israel soldiers are, for their part, not shy about what they do to Palestinians, posting photos and videos online of dead Palestinians, torture in detention areas, and the gleeful destruction of Gazan homes and property.
The story is as follows: There are a number of detention centers run by the Israeli Army that are generally used to torture Palestinians prisoners, not in the old fashioned “intelligence” role to obtain “information,” but just for the entertainment of the soldiers who are the jailers. Sde Teiman, one such center in the southern Negev desert region, recently made the news due to a particularly outrageous bit of torture engaged in by ten of the soldiers in charge of the prisoners. Conditions in Sde Taiman reportedly included
“Electric shocks, amputations due to bad conditions, severe beatings, surgery without anesthesia, playing loud music until inmates’ ears bleed, deaths due to bad sanitary conditions, systematic torture and sexual abuse.”
A Palestinian from Gaza was reported serially sodomized and otherwise raped at the detention site using various implements even including a cell phone which was inserted in the man’s rectum and turned on for the amusement of the Israeli soldiers. The victim also had a wooden stick inserted in similar fashion and it was believed that he was only one of a number of other prisoners who were treated in that same way, which appears to be systemic throughout the detention facilities run by the army. The activity was only exposed when the victim began bleeding heavily both internally and externally and was unable to walk with a “serious wound in his rectum area”, which may have occurred if or when the phone was removed from inside of him and he was taken to a hospital where what had taken place was revealed. The army, somewhat uncharacteristically, sent some military policemen to the center to detain the soldiers for questioning but the suspects fought back using pepper spray and building barriers. When nine of the men (one went AWOL) were eventually taken to a nearby military base at Beit Lid, the MPs were confronted almost immediately by an angry crowd of civilians, consisting largely of settlers and ultra-nationalists, led by several Likud party parliamentarians who demanded that the soldiers be set free. Something like a melee ensued. The unruly crowd chanted its support for torture and even called for the summary execution of the Palestinian prisoners, which has been an “option” supported by some in the Netanyahu government.
The rioters were so aggressive that they actually broke into the Israeli military base and there was considerable support for their actions even coming from Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who said he was “shocked” to see IDF troops being detained for questioning “in a way that is suitable for arresting dangerous criminals.” He added that the soldiers were doing a “holy job” at the base. Far-right Knesset member Simcha Rotman called the troops “heroes,” instead attacking Israel’s “justice and enforcement systems” for detaining them.
Typically, later in the day, when asked by the press about the rape accusations, US State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patelrefused to say whether gang raping and torturing Palestinian prisoners would be considered a war crime, even if conclusively demonstrated by witnesses and other evidence. Patel explained
“So the reports of abuse are deeply concerning, and we have been clear and consistent with Israel and the IDF that they need to treat all detainees humanely and with dignity in accordance with humanitarian law.”
He said that the US was going to let “due process” play out in this case. The western media that is bothering to cover the story are refusing to even use the word “rape” or “sodomy” in reference to the allegations, with the BBC describing how the soldiers are accused of “severely mistreating a Palestinian prisoner” while the New York Times prefers to call it “suspected abuse”.
At the heart of the discussion is the fact that Israel’s Knesset uniquely has a proposed law that was first formulated in 2022 by current National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir which would give automatic immunity to any soldier or policeman who kills or seriously injures any Palestinian. The immunity does not apply if the victim is a Jew. The law still has not passed through parliament, but many conservatives in Israel believe it is the guideline used by the military and judiciary de facto. Ben-Gvir has, in fact, denounced the questioning of the nine men as “shameful,” adding that the Israeli security establishment should support the soldiers and “learn from the prison service: light treatment of terrorists is over. Soldiers need to have our full support.” Ben-Gvir is also supporting a separate bill that would authorize the systematic execution of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. It also does not apply to Jews. In a video statement, Ben-Gvir said that Israel should be able to kill Palestinian prisoners with a “shot to the head.” He also recommended that Palestinian prisoners be given just enough food to keep them alive until the execution law comes into effect.
So, when it comes to human rights Israel lives in another parallel universe where there is one set of rules for Jews and other for gentiles. Perhaps the easily visible brutality evident in the recent Netanyahu speech to Congress coupled with stories like that out of Sde Teiman and the daily horror inflicted on the Gazans will bring about some kind of wake-up for the American public, which has been heavily propagandized and continues to believe in the myth of the perpetual victimhood of the Jewish people. The real victims of the “miracle of Israel” are those in western countries that the Jewish diaspora continues to buy and manipulate as well as the poor Palestinians who are forced to live under a form of daily repression and humiliation that is almost unimaginable.
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Philip M. Giraldi, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest, a 501(c)3 tax deductible educational foundation (Federal ID Number #52-1739023) that seeks a more interests-based U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Website is councilforthenationalinterest.org, address is P.O. Box 2157, Purcellville VA 20134 and its email is [email protected].
As planned, the people of Gaza are now dying in much larger numbers from starvation and disease than from Israeli weaponry. For all practical purposes, no food or medical supplies are getting into Gaza. Even the handcarried supplies that outside medical personnel used to carry in are now prohibited and confiscated.
Our objective is to save lives including those of newly born babies who are the victims of the Covid-19 “Vaccine”. At this juncture in our history, the priority is to “Disable the Fear Campaign” and “Cancel the Vaccine” (including the repeal of the so-called “Pandemic Treaty”).
Clearly the attack on Haniyeh was very provocative in terms of its timing and event—attacked just around the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected President. So talk of avenging this was only to be expected and Iran has already spoken of ‘harsh punishment’ and of ‘revenge as duty’.
We’re really in a civilizational split, and it goes much deeper. What’s at stake is what kind of economy is the world going to have? Is it going to be a financialized, neoliberal post-industrial economy, which is what the United States and Europe are pushing? Or is it going to be the kind of economy that textbooks talk about, where economies produce agricultural and industrial goods to feed themselves and make everybody prosper?
Another month of hostilities in Ukraine is coming to its end. July of 2024 brought important tactical victories to the Russian army. Over the last month, Russian forces took control of one of the largest areas since the beginning of the year. The advance of the Russian army is comparable to the gains made in the spring of 2022.
Researchers found a striking 620% increased risk of myocarditis and 175% increased risk of pericarditis in people who received the vaccine compared to historical controls. The study also revealed a 62% increased risk for Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder.
This letter and the appendix show probative evidence that the human toll in Gaza is far higher than is understood in the United States. It is likely that the death toll from this conflict is already greater than 92,000, an astonishing 4.2% of Gaza’s population.
Recentemente, terroristas tuaregues mataram vários soldados do Grupo Wagner durante uma emboscada no norte do Mali. No início, acreditou-se que se tratava apenas de um incidente militar na zona de conflito do Sahel, mas há evidências de um profundo envolvimento ucraniano e ocidental na tragédia. Aparentemente, os inimigos da Rússia estão interessados em usar as redes terroristas africanas como mais uma ferramenta de guerra por procuração contra Moscou.
O ataque ocorreu em 27 de julho. Muitos membros do PMC russo morreram devido ao uso de drones e veículos suicidas pelos rebeldes. O número exato de mortes é desconhecido, mas é possível saber que dezenas de cidadãos russos foram assassinados devido às imagens partilhadas pelos terroristas na internet. Nos vídeos é possível ver corpos no chão, bem como soldados russos rendidos sendo torturados.
O cenário militar africano sempre foi complicado e cheio de desafios estratégicos para todos os lados nos combates. O território do Mali é disputado por separatistas tuaregues e vários outros grupos extremistas que querem dividir o país em etno-estados regionais, principalmente nas áreas de maioria étnica tuaregue. Os terroristas utilizam frequentemente táticas ilegais, incluindo o assassinato de civis, armas proibidas e todas as formas de crimes de guerra. A milícia tuaregue está abertamente ligada ao ramo saheliano da Al Qaeda, o que revela a ideologia extremista e criminosa por detrás deste grupo. Recebem apoio de potências ocidentais interessadas em impedir a normalização política e social do Mali.
Como é sabido, o Mali tem sido um importante ator regional no processo de reconfiguração geopolítica multipolar de África. Juntamente com o Burkina Faso e o Níger, países africanos que também viveram revoluções multipolares anti-francesas, o Mali tem sido um ator relevante na diminuição da influência ocidental sobre África. Para o efeito, os países do Sahel têm recebido apoio militar russo, principalmente através do Grupo Wagner, que opera na região sob contrato com estados locais para combater grupos terroristas, tanto diretamente como através do apoio aos exércitos locais.
Apesar da natureza complexa da região e do envolvimento de diversas potências nos acontecimentos militares no Sahel, o Grupo Wagner é amplamente conhecido pela sua experiência em operações contra organizações terroristas. Com ampla experiência de combate e sendo reconhecido como o melhor exército privado do mundo, Wagner nunca tinha vivido uma situação como essa em solo africano, razão pela qual alguns analistas suspeitaram do envolvimento de agentes internacionais na preparação da emboscada.
Por exemplo, Alexander Ivanov, diretor da Comunidade de Oficiais para Segurança Internacional, disse:
“A emboscada que encontraram foi muito melhor organizada do que a que encontraram antes. Eles tinham unidades especiais e de reconhecimento …, veículos e armas especiais. Parece que as forças ocidentais os coordenaram(…) Tem sido relatado desde o ano passado que forças estrangeiras – agentes franceses, empresas militares privadas americanas e até instrutores ucranianos contratados para treinar militantes – intensificaram as suas atividades nesta região. É necessária uma reavaliação séria das forças e capacidades por parte de todos os especialistas militares russos e dos nossos aliados para controlar a situação.”
A análise foi então confirmada pelo oficial ucraniano Andrey Yusov, que disse que Kiev forneceu informações aos separatistas tuaregues, para que soubessem a localização dos soldados russos, permitindo um ataque de alta precisão.
“Os rebeldes receberam as informações necessárias, o que permitiu uma operação militar bem sucedida contra os russos (…) Não discutiremos os detalhes neste momento, mas haverá mais por vir”, disse ele.
É claro que estas declarações devem ser encaradas com ceticismo, pois existe sempre a possibilidade de os ucranianos estarem a blefar e estarem tentando projetar uma imagem de poder maior do que a que realmente têm. No entanto, imagens de soldados brancos mascarados entre as fileiras dos terroristas tuaregues também têm circulado na Internet. Aparentemente, os terroristas receberam não só apoio de inteligência, mas também assistência pessoal, com comandos ucranianos e ocidentais, com forças especiais que participaram diretamente nas hostilidades.
Na verdade, muitas pessoas podem duvidar desta notícia, alegando que não faz sentido que a Ucrânia e os seus patrocinadores se envolvam num conflito regional em África enquanto uma guerra de alta intensidade ocorre nas fronteiras da Rússia. No entanto, este argumento é refutado quando a realidade do Sahel é analisada em profundidade. Os analistas políticos consideram frequentemente o Sahel como uma espécie de “coração africano”, devido ao elevado potencial geoeconômico da região. A perda de influência da França sobre o Sahel foi uma grave derrota para o Ocidente, razão pela qual as potências atlântistas estão a fazer todo o possível para impedir que os governos revolucionários pró-Rússia assumam o controle total da área.
A Ucrânia, sendo um mero proxy ocidental, pode ser forçada pelos seus próprios patrões a cooperar também contra os russos em África, apesar da situação crítica no seu próprio território. Para os países ocidentais, é vital que o Sahel saia da esfera de influência das potências eurasianas (Rússia e China) e volte a ser uma colónia francesa.
Na Ucrânia, no Sahel ou em qualquer outro lugar do mundo, a guerra por procuração é a mesma: entre as potências coloniais da OTAN e os estados multipolares da Eurásia.
In the early hours of 31 July, Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of Hamas was assassinated in Iran (see AP report of 31 July, ‘Hamas leader Ismael Haniyeh is killed in Iran by an alleged Israeli strike, threatening escalation).
Till the time of writing this, Israel has not said anything regarding its involvement in this, but both Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel.
Haniyeh had gone to Iran to attend the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected moderate President of Iran Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, and had met the President hours before.
An official statement of Iran stated, “the criminal and terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dearest guest in our house.” A statement of Hamas said that Haniyeh died in a “treacherous Zionist raid.” The military wing of Hamas has stated that this takes the battle to new dimensions.
While both sides have confirmed the attack on the building where Shukr was staying, at the time of writing this Hezbollah has not yet confirmed his death, saying that as the rubble of the building is still to be cleared there remains the possibility that he may be alive.
Israel has stated that Shukr was targeted due to his alleged involvement in the attack on Golan Heights on July 27.
Much earlier the US authorities had announced an award of 5 million dollars for information relating to Shukr as he was accused by them of involvement in terrorist attacks on US assets.
These two attacks have come at a time when the Lebanon front had already become very tense and there was much speculation of a wider war on this front breaking out.
On the plus side peace negotiations for a settlement in Gaza were also continuing and the USA had stated that these were making progress.
What is clear is that the peace negotiations have received a big setback. At the same time the Lebanon front has become even more tense. Above all the chances of Iran being dragged against its wishes into direct confrontation with Israel have increased once again, as earlier this year in April.
Clearly the attack on Haniyeh was very provocative in terms of its timing and event—attacked just around the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected President. So talk of avenging this was only to be expected and Iran has already spoken of ‘harsh punishment’ and of ‘revenge as duty’.
Now the world waits precariously, as in April, to see what exactly this retaliatory action of Iran will be and what will be the further response of Israel.
On the other front, if Hezbollah and Israel get involved in a bigger fight, again in that case also Iran cannot remain aloof. Further if there are steps towards direct confrontation between Iran and Israel, then the USA and some close allies may be only a step away from direct involvement.
Hence just now there appear to be all the signs of a further escalation of Middle East conflict. This will be disastrous for world peace and so diplomats and all forces of peace need to work overtime and make the best possible efforts for preventing the further deterioration of an already deeply worrying situation.
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Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Planet in Peril, Protecting Earth for Children, Man over Machine and A Day in 2071. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.
Featured image: Ismail Haniyeh (Licensed under CC BY 4.0)
The claim: COVID-era excess deaths were a direct result of a pandemic respiratory virus.
Research has suggested, however, that these patterns in global mortality rates have another cause.
Joseph Hickey, Ph.D. took part in a study on this very topic, and along with his co-authors, concluded that public health interventions had a major role to play in these fatalities — dispelling the popular assertion that it was the infectious disease.
Hickey provides valuable insights on this investigation and its findings on “Defender In-Depth.”
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The Worldwide Corona Crisis, Global Coup d’Etat Against Humanity
by Michel Chossudovsky
Michel Chossudovsky reviews in detail how this insidious project “destroys people’s lives”. He provides a comprehensive analysis of everything you need to know about the “pandemic” — from the medical dimensions to the economic and social repercussions, political underpinnings, and mental and psychological impacts.
“My objective as an author is to inform people worldwide and refute the official narrative which has been used as a justification to destabilize the economic and social fabric of entire countries, followed by the imposition of the “deadly” COVID-19 “vaccine”. This crisis affects humanity in its entirety: almost 8 billion people. We stand in solidarity with our fellow human beings and our children worldwide. Truth is a powerful instrument.”
Reviews
This is an in-depth resource of great interest if it is the wider perspective you are motivated to understand a little better, the author is very knowledgeable about geopolitics and this comes out in the way Covid is contextualized. —Dr. Mike Yeadon
In this war against humanity in which we find ourselves, in this singular, irregular and massive assault against liberty and the goodness of people, Chossudovsky’s book is a rock upon which to sustain our fight. –Dr. Emanuel Garcia
In fifteen concise science-based chapters, Michel traces the false covid pandemic, explaining how a PCR test, producing up to 97% proven false positives, combined with a relentless 24/7 fear campaign, was able to create a worldwide panic-laden “plandemic”; that this plandemic would never have been possible without the infamous DNA-modifying Polymerase Chain Reaction test – which to this day is being pushed on a majority of innocent people who have no clue. His conclusions are evidenced by renown scientists. —Peter Koenig
Professor Chossudovsky exposes the truth that “there is no causal relationship between the virus and economic variables.” In other words, it was not COVID-19 but, rather, the deliberate implementation of the illogical, scientifically baseless lockdowns that caused the shutdown of the global economy. –David Skripac
A reading of Chossudovsky’s book provides a comprehensive lesson in how there is a global coup d’état under way called “The Great Reset” that if not resisted and defeated by freedom loving people everywhere will result in a dystopian future not yet imagined. Pass on this free gift from Professor Chossudovsky before it’s too late. You will not find so much valuable information and analysis in one place. –Edward Curtin
ISBN: 978-0-9879389-3-0, Year: 2022, PDF Ebook, Pages: 164, 15 Chapters
Luca Placidi: Welcome, everybody. It is a great pleasure and honor to have with us today Professor Michael Hudson. For those who still do not know him, Michael is a professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and he is a researcher at the Levi Economics Institute at Bard College.
Just to mention a few works published with the help of technology, we want to recall Superimperialism, the Economic Strategy of the American Empire.
Its third edition came out in 2021. Then we have “… And Forgive Them Their Debts,” published in 2018.
The latest is The Collapse of Antiquity, published in 2023.
Michael is also a former Wall Street analyst, a political consultant, and is hosting the Geopolitical Economy Hour together with Radhika Desai, which is broadcast at Ben Norton’s YouTube channel, Geopolitical Economy Report.
Professor, welcome, and thanks again for being with us today.
Video: Prof. Michael Hudson
Michael Hudson: Well, thank you for inviting me. I’m glad to be able to speak to an Italian audience.
Luca Placidi: That is very good. Thank you. To kick off our conversation, would you agree that the Ukrainian war and even more the latest NATO summit with its final declaration are showing us that we are now back in a multipolar war, in which the global South it is opposed to the Western world?
Michael Hudson: Well, it’s more than just a geographic split. We’re really in a civilizational split, and it goes much deeper. What’s at stake is what kind of economy is the world going to have?
Is it going to be a financialized, neoliberal post-industrial economy, which is what the United States and Europe are pushing? Or is it going to be the kind of economy that textbooks talk about, where economies produce agricultural and industrial goods to feed themselves and make everybody prosper? I almost would use Rosa Luxemburg’s phrase, Barbarism or Socialism, because the West no longer has the means of real economic control over trade and production. It only has military force, terrorist violence and corruption to maintain its control.
The NATO West does financial control by having loaded down the global South and even many Asian countries with dollarized debt for the last 70 years. That dollarized debt holds them in a financial neocolonialism, an international debt peonage. Besides that, the ultimate power that the United States and Europe have to maintain their unipolar control to prevent other countries from going their own way and pursuing their own interests is to bomb them and mobilize terrorism.
The NATO West has lost its basic industrial or agricultural control because it has outsourced its industry to China and other Asian economies, and its sanctions against Russia and other countries have obliged them to become self-sufficient instead of relying on the West for a widening range of their basic needs. So these countries are now in a position to use their labor, industry and agriculture to make themselves prosperous and regain control over their economies, not to make U.S. and European investors rich. They want to take control of their economies in a way that will raise their wages and living standards.
That can’t be done if they follow a policy of privatization, World Bank advice and the IMF’s instructions to sell off their land and raw materials, privatize and sell off their public infrastructure, communications, electrical systems and water rights to foreigners while getting rid of government regulation and social-support programs. The West’s demand is to let the private sector run everything without government “interference.” Well, there’s no way that any economy can grow and get prosperous without being a mixed economy with strong public infrastructure providing basic needs at non-monopoly prices.
There are many natural area for governments to operate more efficiently than the private sector. They can provide basic services that otherwise would be monopolized to charge extortionate prices to extract predatory monopoly rents for their owners. If a government doesn’t provide education, the result will be what’s happening in America, where the average cost of a college education is $40,000 or $50,000 a year. If you don’t have public health, you’re going to have a very expensive privatized health care that’s not available to everybody. In the United States that absorbs 18% of GDP, more than any other country. That kind of monopoly overhead doesn’t leave much room for the overall economy to be competitive with mixed public/private economies.
Most important, if you let money and credit be privatized by banks instead of doing what China has done and keep money as a public utility, then you let banks decide where the economy’s credit will be allocated. That makes them the economy’s central planners. Their preference is to supply credit not to finance industrial investment and growth, but to finance debt-leveraging to inflate prices for real estate, stocks and bonds, and for raiders to take over companies and empty them out, leaving debt-ridden shells in their place. like Thames Water in Britain, Sears Roebuck in the United States. That is what has been happening since the 1980s under Thatcherism and Reaganomics.
So the split between the West and the rest of the world, the global majority, is really about what kind of an economy most of the world will have. That’s why the United States is fighting so viciously to maintain its unipolar control. It’s fighting against the global majority today in the same way that it fought against the Soviet Union after 1917. It doesn’t want a rival kind of economic system to develop. So what we’re seeing is a split with the global majority that is trying to decide how to design an economy that’s going to help their member countries grow? That is the global fracture that is occurring, and it’s a civilizational break.
How are Global South countries to grow if they remain obliged to pay all of the dollarized foreign debts that they’ve been loaded down. These debts are the legacy of being obliged to follow destructive International Monetary Fund advice to impose austerity and to privatize and sell off their assets in the public domain in order to obtain the dollars to pay their foreign creditors? The Western model is thus basically a form of financial colonialism. Its anti-government philosophy has devastated the Wes’s economies as well as those of debtor countries.
The rest of the world thus has an object lesson in what to avoid if it does not want to end up looking like the United States, post-Thatcher/Blair Britain or Germany since its anti-Russia sanctions of2022. I’ve discussed this in The Destiny of Civilization: Finance Capitalism, Industrial Capitalism or Socialism (2022). Today’s civilizational break is not only against Russia and China. You can trace the break back to the Bandung Conference of non-aligned nations in 1955, seventy years ago.
In 1955, what was called the Third World or non-aligned nations recognized that they were being made poorer and poorer by the rules of the world economy that American diplomats and geopolitical strategists institutionalized with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the dollar standard. That international trade and monetary system was exploitative, first and foremost against America’s potential rivals in Britain and other European countries, and against the former colonial systems of these countries that the United States sought to appropriate and exploit for its own benefit.
The post-World War II order has been a new kind of imperialism. It basically is a financial imperialism, not the European-style colonial imperialism enforced by a military occupation. Financial control has proved less costly and hence more efficient for the neoliberal mode of international exploitation. Non-aligned victim countries couldn’t break away in 1954 or since because Cuba, Indonesia and the other non-aligned nations were not large enough to “go it alone.” If they tried to go it alone, they would have ended up looking like Venezuela has looked like in the last few years, or like Cuba looked like after its revolution. If the United Sates and Europe had imposed such sanctions, countries resisting this system would have been obliged to surrender to the West to avoid economic disruption. But sanctions were not even necessary at that time under “free market” imperialism U.S.-style.
The United States was in a position to treat countries resisting this exploitation it as outcasts. Its threat was to tell countries that acted to protect their economies, and especially their public enterprise, that the West would isolate them if they tried to go it alone. Their economies were indeed too small, even on a regional level, to survive on their own. They felt that they needed U.S. support and that of its IMF and World Bank.
What has changed is the remarkable growth of socialist China since the 1990s and post-neoliberal Russia since the late 1990s under President Putin. Today for the first time, Eurasian nations have enough economic self-sufficiency outside of the United States and Europe to be able to go it alone. They no longer need to depend on the NATO West, which is losing its ability to economically control them.
In fact, it’s the NATO West that has become dependent on China, Russia and the rest of Eurasia, along with the Global South if its people can resist their own client oligarchies to throw off their financial chains and adherence to the self-serving U.S. “rules-based order.”
What is so ironic is that U.S. diplomacy itself is spurring their break-away. One might have expected that China, the Global South and India, Latin America and Africa came to realize just how they’re being exploited, they would have taken the lead in breaking away. Yet it is the United States and NATO that have driven them to break away, by imposing trade and financial sanctions that have forced them to go it alone.
Ever since the war in Ukraine by the United States to break Germany and Europe away from their trade and investment relations with Russia and China began in 2022, the United States has mobilized its European and other English-speaking dependencies to impose economic sanctions that has devastated economies obeying these policies. The backlash resulting from German de-industrialization and America’s elbowing aside France as an arms supplier (e.g., for submarine sales to AUKUS and in trying to replace France in its former African possessions) is driving other countries away. America and Europe have isolated themselves from the Global Majority, replacing its prosperous trade and investment with Russia and China with economic dependency on the United States for oil and other higher-priced imports.
What’s so amazing is how self-destructive of its own global empire U.S. diplomacy has been. The focus of U.S. diplomacy on locking in its control over Europe, Australia, Japan and South Korea by obliging them to join its anti-Russian and anti-Chinese sanctions has obliged these designated U.S. enemies to replacing trade dependency on the West with their own mutual self-dependency.
They realize that they can never depend on the United Stats and European satellites for imports again. That should have been obvious to U.S. strategists. Once a country is blocked from importing its food, what’s it going to do? It’s going to grow its own food. When the United States imposed sanctions on Russia to block European exports of food to it, for instance, Russia was driven to produce its own butter, crops and other food instead of importing it from the Baltics and other former suppliers. And when U.S. officials demanded that its allies stop exporting computer chips to China, it moved quickly to develop its own domestic supply.
Other countries can’t depend on the United States or Europe for their food because they may be cut off again. So they’ll have to become self-sufficient. They can’t depend on the NATO West for industry or technology because it can try to disrupt their economy by interrupting their supply chains to force it to follow pro-NATO policies. As for Europe, it is left dependent on the United States now that it has let itself be isolated from Eurasia and the Global South.
The global fracture that is occurring in today’s world is not reversible. And it is all happening so quickly. Once a market is lost to countries able to free themselves and provide their own basic needs, that market is not recoverable. If the United States and NATO Europe stops exporting food and industrial products to sanctioned countries, they will make these products themselves. So when you sanction a country, it’s as if you’ve provided them with tariff protection to nurture their own production. That’s the “infant industry” argument that enabled the United States to rise to industrial power in the late 19th century. The logic was clearly spelled out by U.S. strategists. (I summarize this strategy in America’s Protective Takeoff: 1815-1914: The Neglected American School of Political Economy (2010). Needless to say, U.S. neoliberal rhetoric has sought to erase this history so as to “pull up the ladder” so that its logic will not be used by other countries to emulate the U.S. economic success – the same government sponsorship of industry that made Germany, France and other countries so successful since the 19th century.
Latin America and Africa are seeing that it is time to liberate their economic from “free-trade imperialism.” Instead of using their agricultural land to export plantation crops to the North, they’re going to use their land to begin feeding themselves with their own grain, their own rice and other food crops so that they no longer have to depend on American and European farm exports.
The U.S. policy of bullying countries by imposing trade sanctions has cut its own economic throat, so to speak. It’s almost humorous to see it dismantle the free-trade imperialism and dollar dependency that earlier generations of U.S. diplomacy tried so hard to impose on the rest of the world.
The meetings this year by the BRICS+ countries under Russian leadership this year and China next year are all about how to plan a trajectory for becoming independent from reliance on the West. That is what U.S. diplomacy itself has driven them to do.
Luca Placidi: As you were saying, Professor, it seems like the TINA Paradigm has been destroyed because now we have alternatives. It seems that the European political class is hopelessly submissive to the U.S. agenda. This is really disturbing, at least for us in Europe, because the war in Ukraine has destroyed the European economy.
Just think, as you’ve described, how the impact of the sanctions has penalized industrial production especially in Germany and Italy. Yet this has not been enough for Europe to reverse course and pull out of this conflict.
Michael Hudson: I think that you could call the war in Ukraine since 2022 an American war against Europe, because the great loser has been Germany, Italy, France and the rest of Europe. The United States has seen the writing on the wall and decided that if there’s going to be a fight between North America along with NATO against the rest of the world, it had better start by solidifying its control over Europe as a profitable market and debtor instead of its turning to Asia and being lost by the United States.
Image: Half a million tons of methane rise from the sabotaged Nord Stream pipeline. (Photo: Swedish Coast Guard)
Essentially, U.S. strategists are acknowledging that they know that America is not able to produce a real industrial surplus anymore. Its neoliberal trade policy has outsourced its industry to Asia. The only new market that it can secure if the Global Majority breaks away is that of Europe. That explains why the United States arranged for the Nord Stream pipeline to be blown up, and convinced Europe voluntarily to commit economic self-destruction by not buying low-priced Russian gas, oil and raw materials. While this has driven Russia and China together with their Asian neighbors, the losers have been European.
German industry has been moving out of the country to the United States and elsewhere for lower-cost energy. It’s been emigrating largely to the United States, making it the beneficiary. If you’re a German industrial company, what else are you going to do if its economy is shrinking?
If you look at labor productivity over the last hundred years, it goes parallel with energy use per worker. Energy is really the key. That’s why a centra; aim of American foreign policy since 1945 has been to control other countries in two ways, starting with oil. The United States, along with Britain and Holland, have controlled the world oil trade so that they can turn off the electricity, turn off the lights of countries that try to break away and act in their own self-interest.
Along with oil, the second tactic that America has used is to control grain and food. Let independent countries starve in the dark. But here once again, the sanctions have mainly been to make Europe suffer. Remember, America has fought against the European Economic Community ever since it was created in 1958. From the outset, America fought against the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). But for the EEC, the most important aim of integration was to protect its farmers and do for European agriculture what America had done for its agriculture.
Agricultural price supports enabled capital investment to raise farm productivity. Europe rationalized its agriculture and increased its capital investment to make it more productive. The result was that Europe has not only replaced its dependence on American food exports, but has become a major agricultural exporter. But now the expanded European Union is now suffering because of the sanctions not only against importing Russian gas to make fertilizer. And by supporting Ukraine, Europe is letting it dump its low-cost grain in Poland and other countries. Farmers already have staged riots to protest against their farm markets being undersold by the Ukrainians – with U.S. investors trying to buy up this land. That could roll back European agricultural independence and make it dependent once more on the United States or on countries that U.S. investors control.
The effect of this Cold War III so far has been to drive Europe back into the American orbit. The United States insists that there’s no alternative to this neoliberal geopolitics. Western textbooks indoctrinate students to believe that neoliberalism is the best way to run an economy efficiently – by not having a government to protect self-reliance and living standards, not to regulate against predatory monopoly and financial rent-seeking. The aim is to let capitalism evolve into monopoly capitalism, which is really finance capitalism, because monopolies are organized by the financial sector as “the mother of trusts.”
Although the United States has said there’s no alternative, there obviously is. But if countries don’t follow an alternative, they’re going to end up looking like Germany. In fact, what’s happened to Europe as a result of the war in Ukraine and U.S. sanctions is an object lesson for other countries to see what they don’t want to happen to them.
The neoliberal program has broken down in the West just as it has long since broken down for the Global South. Its central aim is to privatize the public sector. Yet for centuries the European capitalist takeoff was funded by industrial capitalists themselves aiming to lower the cost of production so that they could undersell other countries by government subsidy of tangible capital formation.
How can economies lower their cost of production? For starters, if companies are obliged to pay wages high enough for their workers to pay for their own health care and insurance, to pay for their own education, for their own debt-leveraged housing costs, the high price of paying a living wage will eat into industrial profits. To avoid this, European countries, like the United States, had their governments provide inexpensive basic needs so employers wouldn’t have to cover these costs.
The basic strategy of industrial capitalism was for governments to provide education, public health and basic infrastructure that otherwise would have been monopolized in private hands. Governments educated workers, trained them and helped raise their productivity by protecting and subsidizing capital investment. Governments provided water and electricity at subsidized rates so that labor would not have to spend its wages to buy high cost energy, high cost transportation and kindred basic needs. The result was to lower the break-even costs of labor, so that European and American industrialists could undersell other countries.
Image: Thames Water HQ By The Thames In Reading – Berkshire. (Licensed under CC BY 2.0)
Neoliberalism ended this seemingly obvious economic strategy. Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan started a class war by the British and U.S. financial sectors against labor by privatizing their public utilities. Instead of England’s government providing clean water, which everybody needs to live, it sold off rent-seeking rights to financial managers raising prices to extract monopoly rents. To make matters worse, Thames Water and other privatized companies borrowed from banks and used the money to pay dividends to stockholders and buy their own stock to raise its prices to reap capital gains.
These rentier charges are now taking a big chunk out of the European wage earner’s budget. That makes employers pay higher wages. You can say the same thing for telephone service and other basic infrastructure utilities that now are privatized and financialized. Privatizing formerly subsidized telephone service and communications makes workers pay much more. The result is a wage squeeze, but also a profit squeeze because of the high cost of living and doing business in a rentier economy.
So since 1980, the whole European model – in fact, the whole model of industrial capitalism – has been reversed. Instead of industrial capitalism trying to cut the costs of production, minimizing what Marx called the false costs, the faux frais of production, prices charged by privatized infrastructure monopolies have gone way up. Labor’s living standards throughout Europe have been squeezed at the same time that their wages have had to be increased so that they can afford to pay for privatized services that used to be subsidized public services. Following the neoliberal model has made Europe uncompetitive, just as it has deindustrialized the U.S. economy.
The lesson for China has been to have socialism to restore the 19th-century industrial ethic that nearly all economic observers believed was leading to socialism of one kind or another. China’s living standards have soared, yet its wages are lower than that of the neoliberal economies thanks to the fact that socialism provides inexpensive transportation, public health care and so forth as described above.
Most important of all, socialist China creates its own money and controls its credit system. Instead of the Bank of China lending money to financial predators to buy companies and load them down with debt and drive their stock prices before leaving them as bankrupt shells like Thames Water in England, the government spends money directly into the economy. It’s overinvested in housing and real estate, to be sure, but it’s also invested in modernizing its high-speed railroads, modernizing its communication system, modernizing its cities, and above all its electronic internet system used for monetary payments. China has liberated itself from debt dependency on the West – and in the process, made the West dependent on it.
This could only have been done by government investment and regulation under a long-term plan. The Western financial model lives in the short run. If you’re going to allocate credit and resources to make fortunes by living in the short run by taking as much as you can as quickly as you can, you will not be able to make the capital investment to develop long-term growth. That’s why American information technology companies have not been able to keep up with their Chinese counterparts. Financialized “market forces” oblige them to use their income for stock buybacks and to pay out of dividends. That is the case with U.S. technology across the board.
China’s companies investing in information and internet technology plow their profits back into reinvestment in more research and development. Such innovation has shifted from the West to the East, which has rediscovered the logic of industrial capitalism developed by the 19th century’s classical political economists.
To be sure, China and other BRICS+ countries are trying to reinvent the wheel. They know that the Western model doesn’t work. The question is, what is the best alternative to neoliberalized, privatized and financialized economies?
It is amazing to me that there has been so little discussion of classical economics in the West. The value, price and rent theory of Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill and their contemporaries came to a head with Marx. That has left almost the only people talking about industrial capitalism’s economic reforms have been Marxists. Universities in America no longer teach the history of economic thought – or economic history, for that matter. It is as if there is only one kind of economy – the anti-government privatized “free market” that has taken over since the 1980s.
Students are taught that there is only one way to run an economy: the free enterprise neoliberal way. So when Asian and African countries send their students to the United States or England to study, they’re not taught about how industrial capitalism took off by raising wages and living standards to make labor more productive. Instead, the learn the economics of class war – from the employer’s short-term view.
Neoliberal trade theory is the most blatant example of today’s junk economics being awarded by Nobel Prizes as if that can somehow legitimize it. The result is the International Monetary Fund’s austerity plan masquerading as “stabilization plans.” Once a country like Argentina or Chile runs up a foreign debt, it is directed to obtain the money to pay this foreign debt by imposing anti-labor policies, dissolving labor unions, lowering wage levels while taxing labor (“consumers”) more, as if pauperized labor will make them competitive enough to earn enough export income to pay their foreign creditors.
When a policy like this has been shown to be destructive for the past century yet is still being imposed, it’s obvious that this is not an innocent error. You might call it a very successful error. It has succeeded in preventing the Global South from earning its way out of debt and from developing is own self-sufficiency in food and other basic needs. It has succeeded in creating domestic client oligarchies whose interests are to become agents of this Western NATO-centered model instead of seeking to develop their own economies.
It is to avoid this destiny that today’s geopolitical breakaway by the global majority in Asia, Africa and Latin America are moving to replace the finance-capitalist model. Their move to reinvent the wheel is following the logic of the original industrial capitalist takeoff that was evolving into socialism. If you look back to the late 19th century’s flowing of classical political economy, not only by Marx but by political parties across the political spectrum, we can see that there was going to be socialism of one kind or another.
What kind of socialism is it going to be? There was Christian socialism, libertarian socialism, Marxian socialism and other kinds of socialism. This classical literature and political debate was rich, but it came to an end with World War I. That was a disastrous turning point in Western civilization. The rentier classes, the landlords, the monopolists and the bankers had been fighting back against the industrial reforms that were happening in the most advanced industrial economies of Europe and the United States. The wealthy elites were terrified that support for these reforms would lead in Europe to a revolution like that created Soviet Russia. The West was even more terrified of what seemed to be happening in Germany that was looking like it was likely to go socialist.
The vested rentier interests, especially the wealthiest classes, feared that this threatened to end the ability of a wealthy financial oligarchy of the One Percent, maybe even five percent of the population. For the past century it has built up its financial wealth by forcing the rest of the economy into debt. The result has been a social malaise as Western populations in the United States and Europe, have come to believe that There Is No Alternative.
The lack of an alternative has enriched the One Percent. The U.S. economy has polarized, and so has Europe’s economies. The wealth of Europe, Italy included, has been sucked up to the very top, to the financial layer that has taken control of economic planning and public policy as if their privatized self-interest is more productive and efficient than an alternative that would raise labor’s living standards and self-reliance.
Financial elites throughout the world are a cosmopolitan class. It’s not only wealthy Italians but wealthy Europeans, wealthy Americans draining money from their own industrial sectors, the agricultural and the commercial sector. This stateless international class has its law of motion in its drive to force the entire global economy into debt so as to use its debt leverage to foreclose, above all on the assets of the public sector by getting governments into debt.
Backed by the IMF, World Banks and U.S. courts, international bondholders (including domestic oligarchies keeping their wealth outside of their own countries) force debtor governments to sell off public infrastructure. In the case of corporate debt, creditors foreclose on companies and break them into parts.
This behavior has de-industrialized the United States and Britain. Yet while the economies of the United States and Europe have gotten poorer and poorer, the wealthiest One Percent have got richer and richer. That’s why the United States and Europe have not joined the Global Majority but are trying to fight against its demonstration that there is a better alternative for civilization.
The NATO West’s ruling elites have overplayed their hand. By treating the rest of the world as an enemy for resisting U.S.-sponsored control, this diplomacy has driven other countries together to create an alternative. That alternative involves creating alternative institutions to the International Monetary Fund in a BRICS central bank to deal with inter-government balance of payments relations. It involves a new Bank for Economic Acceleration as an alternative to the World Bank, a bank to finance their own economic development by creating its own credit system to the global majority increase its infrastructure, agricultural and industrial investment. It also requires a new International Court of Justice to prevent oil companies and mining companies from polluting countries and resist being charged to pay for the cleanup costs that they’ve caused in their drive for quick natural-resource rents.
Ultimately, the Global Majority needs to create an alternative to the United Nations itself. All these institutions – the United Nations, the IMF and the World Bank – are subject to American veto power. The United States has long announced that a central tenet of its foreign policy is that it will not join any institution that it can’t control by vetoing if they do something that does not benefit the United States.
In the last few days, President Putin has proposed creation of a BRICS parliament. The aim is to create a large group of countries that will design a new set of the rules of how an international economy should work. President Putin also said that the United Nations has a good set of rules, but the United States has vetoed their application in practice. The fact that the United Nations doesn’t have an army has left it powerless to resist the U.S., Ukrainian and Israeli violations of basic international law.
This emerging alternative BRICS group certainly will leave the United Nations to operate on the sidelines, but the “real” reformed United Nations will consist of the group of the global majority and its own set of institutions, acting as a unit in which the United States does not have veto power. That will transform the dynamic of how most of the world’s economies operate.
All this is an area that economists don’t talk about. Academic economics has become tunnel visioned, with simplistic ideas of government spending, inflation, money and credit, all without a concept of economic rent as unearned income to be minimized rather than made the foundation for financial fortunes.
The Western dynamic of “wealth creation” has been to raise real estate prices on credit. The middle class is told that it is getting richer as its housing prices rise, yet the effect is to prevent new wage-earners from joining the middle class unless they inherit their housing from their parents. The economic discipline no longer talks about how a country can actually enrich itself. So what the Global Majority needs is really a New Economics,
Luca Placidi: Thank you, Professor. There’s one other topic that is very important and that we are seeing at this moment. That is what is happening in Palestine, between Palestine and Israel and the war that they call “against Hamas” while they seek to drive out or destroy the entire Palestinian population.
Michael Hudson: When politicians from the United States to Germany and other European countries talk about the Ukrainian war or what is happening to Palestinians right now, there is a uniform a bipartisan alignment. Trump is saying what Biden is saying, and so is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. That is to support Israel up to the end, and also Ukraine.
Yet the whole world has been shocked by the genocide that the Israelis are waging not only in Gaza but on the West Bank. Their brutality, the bombing of the hospitals, the assassination of reporters and journalists so that the world can’t see what is happening has catalyzed the world’s moral outrage that is setting its identity against that of the NATO West.
Image: The funeral of two Palestinian journalists killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. (Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)
The attack against Palestinians is with American bombs, just as is the case with Ukraine’s and NATO’s attack on Russian-speaking territories. So it’s not simply Israel that is attacking Palestine. This is primarily an American attack. You can think of it as a logical extension of the U.S. attacks on Iraq, Libya and Syria. The common denominator is the American view that Israel serves as a U.S. landed aircraft carrier to control Near Eastern oil. If the United States can maintain control of the Middle East and its oil trade, it will retain the power to turn off the power of other countries by cutting them off from oil. As I explained earlier, oil has been a key to American power for the past century.
That is the military reason why the United States is backing Israel in dropping American bombs on Gaza, while the U.S. intelligence spy network is telling them where to bomb. American strategists have long followed the strategy that in order to win, you have to bomb the hospitals first. The idea is not simply to kill the enemy population, but to cripple its members with anti-personal bombs to leave a lasting overhead cost in supporting women and men who are maimed for life. And most important is to bomb the children, so that they will not grow up to wreak retaliation.
The idea of making other Palestinians take care of crippled children who had their legs blown off or lost their arms is so inhuman, so against the most basic principle of civilization, that it has acted as a catalyst for other countries breaking away. On July 25, 2024, Israeli President Netanyahu was invited to the U.S. Congress to ask for its military support for his planned attack on Lebanon and his hope to drag America into an attack on Iran. He put the issue in a way that I think you and I can agree on: Having killed or wounded as many as 180,000 Palestinians in Gaza and accelerated settler murders and destruction of Palestinians and their property on the West Bank, he explained that, in words reminiscent of Rosa Luxemburg: “This is not a clash of civilizations, it’s a clash between barbarism and civilization, between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life.”
I think that this is precisely what is at stake. Netanyahu and his neocon supporters in the U.S. Congress who invited him indeed have thrown down the military gauntlet threatening the world with yet new U.S. and Israeli violence against the Middle Eastern oil-producing countries. Today’s buildup to such a war threatens the entire world with a new barbarism.
There already was a sort of tendency for the rest of the world, for Asia and the Global South to hope that somehow they could make do without making the enormous intellectual and moral break from the West. The feeling was that somehow they could survive through all this at least for the short run, as if things might somehow go back to some semblance of normal instead of continuing to polarize.
But what is happening in Israel the joint Israel-American attack on Palestine has shocked much of the world into realizing that this is what the United States might to do them, just as it’s what the US/NATO countries are doing to by fighting to the last Ukrainian. U.S. support for exterminating the Palestinians simply in order to use Israel as an arm to keep U.S. control of Middle Eastern oil is what is so abhorrent.
What is not to stop the Israelis from taking over Saudi Arabia and its oil, the Emirates, Kuwait, much as America did in Chile and Argentina to take over their minerals and land while assassinating labor leaders, land reformers and economics professors opposing Chicago School neoliberalism. The joint Israel and Ukraine wars have given a sense of urgency for other countries to realize that they have to act now in order to avoid a similar fate.
Other countries can’t simply be passive, because what is happening to the Palestinians can happen to all of them. That’s the degree to which Americans will go to maintain their global control. That’s why they are funding the Israeli attack on Palestine and the Ukrainian attack on Russian speakers. The Americans are providing the bombs and other weaponry, subsidizing their armies. This is what is creating the sense of urgency that is catalyzing the World Majority to realize that they must act more rapidly and decisively to make a real break.
Luca Placidi: Professor, I know that you’re extremely busy, so thank you very much. I want to thank you again, and I hope to have more time with you to go deeper on those topics. Thank you.
Michael Hudson: Well, thank you. I hope we’ll have a chance to have a follow-up for all of this.
Luca Placidi: We will, absolutely. Thank you very much.
Michael Hudson: Well, thank you again for having me.
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Countries around the world have come to an identical conclusion, including global powers such as India.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) proved this in a recent military exercise where it deployed its fighter jets as hostile attack aircraft that were “tracked and targeted” by the Russian-made S-400 SAM system. In what Indian sources described as a major success for the IAF, the Sudarshan S-400 air defense system “shot down” 80% of the “attacking” fighter aircraft while forcing the rest to retreat. High-ranking defense sources told India Today that the recent military exercise demonstrated significant air defense capabilities of the IAF, once again justifying the acquisition of SAM systems from Russia.
India currently operates three missile regiments of the S-400, while another two are to be delivered in the next few years. The Kremlin itself has committed to delivering the two remaining regiments by the third quarter of 2026. All five of the S-400 SAM system regiments were expected to be delivered by early 2024, but this was delayed due to the ongoing NATO-orchestrated Ukrainian conflict. However, the IAF fully integrated the three regiments that have been delivered so far, with all the Russian-made air defense systems now achieving full operational capabilities. The regiments are effectively divided into two groups, stationed in northern areas, bordering China and Pakistan, respectively.
“Current deployments indicate that we have nearly 1.5 squadrons each stationed on the fronts with China and Pakistan,” sources revealed.
The success reported by the IAF is hardly surprising, as the Soviet Union/Russia placed a significant emphasis on air defenses as part of its military doctrine. Moscow’s top brass never counted on fighting a war with absolute air superiority, as is the case in the political West, particularly the United States. Thus, the USSR and later Russia designed and produced the best air defense systems in history. Thus, the Kremlin has the tools necessary to provide adequate protection for its civilian infrastructure, as well as the military, including ground units and stationary strategic assets. Given the very close, half-a-century-long defense cooperation between Russia and India, Delhi’s choice is hardly surprising.
The two (Eur)Asian giants are working closely on a plethora of strategically important military projects, with the Kremlin transferring numerous technologies that are critically important to India and its security. The IAF is a major user of Russian-made SAM systems and aircraft, including the Su-30MKI, a joint Sukhoi-HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) project that gave Delhi the backbone of its air power. The “Flanker-H” is the country’s most capable fighter jet and the IAF is now running an ambitious modernization program to make the Su-MKI relevant for decades to come. Russia and India are working closely to circumvent illegal Western sanctions in order to achieve this.
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My speech from Clintel Anniversary Congress in the Netherlands, June 18, 2024.
“A planetary emergency is proposed to be declared at the UN Future Summit in September this year.
This could trigger the set up of an emergency platform to curb the alleged “climate crisis”.
Which actors are behind this proposal, and what are the consequences for our human liberties?”
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Video
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As planned, the people of Gaza are now dying in much larger numbers from starvation and disease than from Israeli weaponry. For all practical purposes, no food or medical supplies are getting into Gaza. Even the handcarried supplies that outside medical personnel used to carry in are now prohibited and confiscated. The relief agencies now warehouse their supplies outside Gaza, waiting in vain for permission to enter.
How much of the population of Gaza has died from the weaponization of food, water, sewage, sanitation and other requirements for life that have been removed and prohibited by Israel?
We don’t have – and may never have – those statistics. The population of Gaza has always grown in the past. Now it is shrinking. By how much? Surely hundreds of thousands, perhaps half a million or more. The casualty figures from weapons of war are meaningless. And the living skeletons of Gaza will drop in number as the existing supply of food inside the Strip drops toward zero.
As planned. What is the purpose of denying the means of life to an entire population, other than to eradicate that population? And what is the point of attempting to preserve a nation whose population willingly participates in such slaughter? If it has a future at all, it is only as a monstrous pariah. What impels such actions?
The young die faster and more frequently, first as fetuses, then as newborns, then as infants, then young, growing bodies that have no means to grow. But the adults also die faster, and especially the old. And if the plan works, they will all die.
Whose plan? Those who conceived it as part of the Zionist project, of course, but also those who willingly and enthusiastically provided the means. These are not merely the figureheads and functionaries that approve the tools of genocide, but the ones who buy and sell and profit from them, and those whom we elect to do our will.
Our will? Are we also complicit in a system for which we are responsible? Perhaps, but I suspect that we are in fact mostly not responsible for creating the system, in which we are more like pawns, moved by much larger hands, whose fingers are the media and educational systems, and whose arms are the agencies who implement the plans conceived by minds who consider themselves divine beings like the pharoahs, but with little or no perception that they rule in the interest of their subjects.
Of course, every society relies upon the compliance of the governed, in a system that is to varying degrees both consent and coercion. No doubt, Machiavelli would approve. What the Gaza genocide shows is that our overlords will do what they like, regardless of what we think or do. Didn’t Citizens United remove citizen agency from government? Nevertheless, the authors of the letter below suggest calling your electeds every day, to put as much pressure on them as possible. It wouldn’t hurt, but the pressure from a single AIPAC minder may be more than all of us can muster short of violent overthrow. A conscience is not a requirement of office, and highly discouraged.
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Paul Larudee is a retired academic and current administrator of a nonprofit human rights and humanitarian aid organization. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.
Featured image: The bodies of 30 Palestinians were were discovered under a mound of rubble at the grounds of the Khalifa bin Zayed elementary school in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on 31 January 2024 (Supplied to MEE)
New testimonies received by Euro-Med Human Right Monitor from recently-released Palestinian detainees from the Gaza Strip, including women and children, detail their subjection to torture and ill-treatment by Israeli authorities. The rights organisation cited revelations of crimes such as forced nudity, sexual harassment, and threats of sexual torture, calling for urgent international action to stop these violations.
Testimonies from a group of recently-released detainees who spent varying lengths of time in Israeli jails and detention centres were provided to the Euro-Med Monitor team. These individuals confirmed that they were subjected to severe beatings, dog attacks, strip searches, and denial of food and bathroom access, among other cruel practices that amount to torture.
The most concerning testimonies that Euro-Med Monitor received concern female detainees who were directly sexually harassed. The female detainees, who preferred to remain unidentified due to safety concerns, said that Israeli soldiers had harassed them by touching their genitals as well as making them remove their headscarves. Additionally, the rights group confirmed that the soldiers forced the female detainees and their families into providing information about others by threatening to indecently assault and even rape them.
A 70-year-old man who requested anonymity spoke with Euro Med Monitor’s team as well.
“[Israeli soldiers] took me from my house in the neighbourhood of Al-Amal in Khan Yunis,” the man, identified only as “M.N.”, stated. “I told them that I was sick and could not move, but they did not care. They forced me to take off my clothes. They took me to a demolished house; I had the impression that I was used as a human shield.”
M.N. explained that the Israeli soldiers made more arrests later on and “led us to a detention facility that was nothing more than an iron cage for severe torture”. He spent 10 days confined to the prison.
“We were subjected to daily insults and beatings,” M.N. added. “We went four days without drinking [anything]. They poured water on the ground in front of us as a form of torture. We were made to sit on our knees, given little food, and only allowed to use the restroom once.”
“They asked us to evacuate, so I left with my family west of Khan Yunis,” reported another man, identified only as “K.H.N.” due to safety concerns. “[Israeli soldiers] arrested me at the checkpoint and forced me to take off my clothes. I was severely beaten. Blankets soaked with water were draped over us. We did not drink any water and were abnormally cold.”
K.H.N. stated that the Israeli army
“later transferred us to another place, where we were subjected to another form of torture. Every new place had a unique method of torture. I was struck in the head by an officer, who continued to hit me after I complained.”
The severe cold prevented him from falling asleep, he told Euro-Med Monitor.
“They arrested me from Beit Lahia, and forced me to completely undress,” a third man, identified as “M.W.”, said to the rights organisation. “They detained me in an open area and severely beat me; I felt their hands scour my body. After severely beating me with rugs and rifle butts, they hung me by my legs. I was exposed to severe beatings for 4 to 6 hours [per day].”
He added:
“They threatened to rape my family, and asked for information that I did not know. They forced us to insult certain factions and personalities, to support Israel, and to say that the dog that was attacking us was ‘the crown on our head’.”
“They arrested me at the checkpoint on Salah al-Din Road,” revealed a woman who identified as “G”: “They asked me to head to a sand berm, where they blindfolded me, searched me with their hands, and asked me about Hamas and the tunnels.
“Then they moved me to an open area, then [transferred] me to a detention centre, where I was forced to take off my clothes,” G continued. “They provided me with nothing but [house clothes] and no underwear.” She was questioned multiple times while in custody, she told the rights organisation. “Every time I was stripped nude, with the female soldiers putting their hands on me, while male soldiers occasionally made rude comments, harsh insults that I cannot [repeat], and rape threats.”
According to Euro-Med Monitor, a recent report by Israel’s own media on the detention centre housing Palestinians from the Gaza Strip shows that Israel practises systematic torture, in violation of human rights agreements that were explicitly designed and implemented to prevent torture. The report shows detainees being shackled and forced to sit on the ground in iron animal-like cages—in accordance to the Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s October 2023 statement that Palestinians in Gaza are “human animals”.
Euro-Med Monitor stressed that Israeli forces are forcibly disappearing Palestinian detainees and subjecting them to brutal violence and even severe torture from the very first moment of their arrest right up until the moment of release. The organisation noted that Israeli authorities have refused requests from multiple human rights organisations, including Israeli ones, seeking information about Gazan detainees. Detainees from the Gaza Strip are being held in newly-established Israeli army detention facilities scattered throughout the Negev and Jerusalem, where they endure severe abuse, torture, and starvation.
According to Euro-Med Monitor, the Israeli army systematically humiliates detainees, holding them for extended periods of time without providing any valid reason, and often forcing them to chant in favour of Israel while disparaging Palestinian groups and individuals. Some Gazan detainees have been blackmailed by members of the Israeli army and Shin Bet, exchanging information with them in order to alleviate their torture, obtain certain “privileges”, or secure their release.
The rights organisation pointed to the concerning lack of an accurate count of detainees from Gaza. The Israeli army recently claimed that there are 2,300 detainees in Gaza; however, estimates based on the testimonies of those released suggest that the actual number of detainees is much higher. One detainee said that Israeli officers had personally informed them that there are thousands of Gazan detainees.
Israel’s Sde Teman army camp, located between Beersheba and Gaza, has been turned into a Guantánamo-like prison, stated Euro-Med Monitor. Detainees there are held in extreme conditions akin to open-air chicken cages, without access to food or drink for long periods of time. The organisation highlighted testimonies it has received about the deaths of two detainees inside the Sde Teman camp, one of whom had an amputated foot; Israel has not officially announced their deaths.
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor called on Israel to promptly reveal the names, whereabouts, and fate of all forcibly disappeared detainees, and to immediately stop its policy of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees. Euro-Med Monitor emphasised that Israel’s ruthless assaults on Palestinian detainees, which violate their dignity and purposefully cause them great pain and suffering, are tantamount to crimes against humanity and/or torture, which fall under the purview of war crimes and crimes against humanity as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Euro-Med Monitor stated that these breaches are related to Israel’s ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, which began on 7 October 2023. Specifically, the killing of Palestinian detainees inside detention centres is considered to be a crime of premeditated murder and an extrajudicial execution. This type of killing is prohibited by international law, especially international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and international criminal law, which considers intentionally killing civilians a war crime, according to the Rome Statute.
International law also prohibits arbitrary arrest and unlawful imprisonment, and considers them to be war crimes, said the rights group. International law forbids detaining and arresting someone and depriving them of their freedom by failing to provide any information about their whereabouts or fate in an effort to deny them legal protection for an extended period of time. According to the Rome Statute, enforced disappearance is considered a crime against humanity.
The Geneva-based rights group called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to bear its responsibilities and verify the detention conditions of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. Euro-Med Monitor also called on the Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to open an urgent and impartial investigation into the grave situation. This investigation is needed, it said, to probe the Israeli army’s liquidation of Palestinian civilians after their arrest in different areas of the Gaza Strip, to hold those responsible accountable, and to provide justice to all survivors as well as the families of victims.
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I have frequently explained that when I sat in the International Court of Justice and heard Israel’s lawyers tell lie after lie to justify or excuse the Gaza genocide, I could feel I was palpably in the presence of evil.
At least in the Hague you could also feel and indeed observe that most people in the courtroom – including the majority of the judges – were repulsed by the evil.
Yesterday that same evil, and the same lies, was manifested in the US Congress by Netanyahu, to an audience which glorified, reflected and amplified that evil.
Let us not forget that the large majority of citizens of the world, including majorities in many Western countries with pro-genocide leadership classes, are indeed repulsed by and reject the genocide.
The United States has now, openly and before the entire world, endorsed its genocidal imperialist project and rejected both the very notion of international law and the institutions which a more idealistic American generation worked so hard to create – the United Nations and the International Court of Justice.
Netanyahu’s slanderous attacks on the institutions of international law were applauded to the rafters by America’s political leaders. The whole world was watching, and took note.
The Zionist project per se is evil. To steal another people’s land and subject them to long and progressive genocide is about as evil a deed as can be imagined.
There is no such thing as a moderate or progressive Zionist. Apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide are fundamental to the entire Zionist project.
I am hopeful that for an entire younger generation around the world, any notion that the United States are the “good guys” has now been destroyed. The reduction of international relations to USA = good guys vs Russia and China = bad guys was never true.
In Europe I am also hopeful that this will lead to a more widespread realisation that NATO is anything but a force for peace and stability, that the destruction of Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan was a series of terrible crimes, and that Ukraine/Russia is massively more complicated than the media would have you believe.
We always have hope, we always have courage, and we always have determination. The fight for truth and freedom never ends.
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If you spend just a few minutes checking out ‘The Great Reset’ website of the World Economic Forum, starting at the page ‘Now is the time for a “great reset”’ – which includes a copy of what it calls ‘The Great Reset Transformation Map’ – and spend two minutes watching the World Economic Forum’s video ‘8 Predictions For The World In 2030’, you will quickly recognize that the WEF intends imposing profound changes to about 200 areas of human life by 2030.
Step by step, the UN’s top judiciary backed by a strong plurality of informed public opinion is in the process of making Benjamin Netanyahu the world’s most notorious war criminal during the twenty-first century’s opening decades. This development casts a shadow of harsh judgment over those that invited the Israeli Prime Minister to Washington DC.
On July 30, three hours before the Olympic triathlon’s first leg, intended to feature 1,500 metres of swimming, the World Triathlon announced that the men’s trial had been postponed till July 31. The decision to do so was made following a meeting “on water quality” held at 3.30am.
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games is only the latest in a long series of vile attacks on God, the Catholic Religion and natural Morality by the antichristic elite that holds Western countries hostage.
Why has the “Confidential Pfizer report” made public under Freedom of Information (FOI) in October 2021 not been quoted or referred to in parliamentary and public enquiries as a means to refuting the official narrative (which contends that the Covid-19 vaccine is “safe and effective”)? Neither has it been the object of media coverage.
If he is elected in the November 5 election, Donald Trump could leave NATO allies the choice either to “accept a forced settlement favoring Russia” or the US withdrawing defence guarantees, Politico reported. The main reason for this, according to allies of the former president, is that the Ukraine war is diverting resources needed to confront Beijing and defend Taiwan.
It is difficult to believe, but the hard fact is that the much needed funds for humanitarian assistance of critical importance are falling short to the extent of about 90 per cent or so.
Once upon a time America had a capitalist economy. Bank deposits were used for loans that expanded productive ability. America produced its own goods and grew its own food. America’s currency was backed by gold and inflation was nonexistent. New technology brought into play by new investment improved the productivity of labor, and living standards rose. Profits were plowed back into improved methods and expanded production.
Governments subsidized social infrastructure and education. This lowered the cost of transportation and, thereby, the cost of production and prices, and it provided industry and manufacturing with an educated work force. As an instate resident, my annual tuition at Georgia Tech came to about $450.
This highly successful way of running an economy was replaced by an entirely different economy, the one we have today. Who is responsible and how it came about is a story that can be told later but not in this column.
In the current economy bank loans are not made to finance new investment in new plant and equipment. They are made in order to finance the purchase of existing assets. Loans are made to purchase existing companies, load them up with debt, and sell off their assets. Loans are made to finance a buyback of a company’s own stock, thus raising the stock price and resulting in executive and board “performance” bonuses. Loans are made to finance real estate purchases and thereby drive up the values of real estate, thus raising the cost of housing.
The new economy is financialized. It lives off of interest on debt and fees, the plunder of public assets via privatization, and exploitation of third world economies via dollar-based bank loans that can only be repaid by the indebted country selling its public assets to its American creditors, usually at rock bottom prices.
The new American economy rests on the indebtedness, not the prosperity, of the American population and on the financial coercion of dollar-indebted foreign governments who pay their debts with their country’s assets.
The Federal Reserve destroyed family farms and monopolized food production in agri-business, monopolized the financial system in the hands of the five largest banks, and destroyed the value of the US dollar.
This is not a portrait of a successful economy with a future.
The Western World, especially the US, has offshored its industrial and manufacturing economy to Asia and Mexico. Offshoring has deprived the American workforce of the incomes associated with the production of the goods that Americans consume. When the goods and services come into the US to be marketed, they come in as imports, thus enlarging the US trade deficit.
The reason this exploitative system has been able to continue is that Washington used World War II to make the US dollar the means of international payment, that is, the reserve currency of the central banks of the world. Dollar-denominated debt instruments became the reserves of the world’s central banks.
To be the reserve currency means that the country’s debt is the reserves of all other countries’ central banks. Therefore, an increase in US government debt was not a problem, because it meant an increase in reserves of the world’s central banks. This is why financing the US debt was never a problem.
In the 21st century the US government itself has been busy at work destroying this privileged way of financing its ever-growing debt by weaponizing the use of the dollar as reserve currency. The sanctions imposed on Russia and other countries have created a general move away from the use of US Treasury debt as central bank reserves. Washington’s seizure of Russia’s central bank reserves held in dollars told the world that the same could happen to them. Consequently, the use of the US dollar in international payments has fallen from about 90% to a bit less than 50%. With the formation and expansion of BRICS it will fall further.
As other countries cease using the US dollar as their reserves, the large supply of dollars in the world–I recently read that the US national debt is now $35 trillion–is likely to be a supply that exceeds demand. The implication is a fall in the exchange value of the dollar, already confirmed by the rise in gold and silver prices. In the short run, Washington can prevail on the Japanese, UK, and EU central banks to support the dollar by using their currencies to buy dollars. But this rescue operation of the dollar cannot be forever extended.
When the time comes that Western central banks are no longer willing to risk the values of their own currencies in support to the US dollar and the gold and silver prices cannot longer be suppressed by the practice of selling naked shorts, America will become a third world country.
This is not a subject that interests many economists. The American economic profession is, in my opinion, a collection of people who, in exchange for grants and consultantships, have embraced the lie that offshoring of “dirty fingernail jobs” will result in higher paid new economy jobs for the work force. After all these years there is still no sign of these promised higher-paying replacement jobs. The same economists have told us that globalism, which makes us dependent on imports, is the wave of the future. The future of an import-dependent economy with a weakening currency is permanent inflation.
With robotics and artificial intelligence replacing the human work force while millions of immigrant-invaders enter the country annually, the future is also one of permanent unemployment.
The US economy is run by short-run profit maximization. The absence of vision means a bleak future even in the absence of the Great Reset.
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Paul Craig Roberts is a renowned author and academic, chairman of The Institute for Political Economy where this article was originally published. Dr. Roberts was previously associate editor and columnist for The Wall Street Journal. He was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy during the Reagan Administration. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.
Another month of hostilities in Ukraine is coming to its end. July of 2024 brought important tactical victories to the Russian army. Over the last month, Russian forces took control of one of the largest areas since the beginning of the year. The advance of the Russian army is comparable to the gains made in the spring of 2022.
The Russian military maintains the military initiative and continues offensive operations along the entire frontline, preventing the Armed Forces of Ukraine from accumulating large reserves in any one direction.
After the Russian army launched an offensive in the Kharkiv region and contained large Ukrainian forces near the border, it managed to achieve major territorial gains in the Donbass. The Pokrovsk direction, where the Ukrainian defense cannot stop crumbling, remains one of the most dangerous areas for the Ukrainian military. At the same time, the ongoing Russian attacks are bringing gains in other areas as well.
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Kyiv’s patrons in Washington are finishing this month with new dangerous gifts. The United States has announced another $200 million worth of military assistance to Ukraine.
The Americans paid special attention to the supply of anti-aircraft missiles for medium and short-range air defense systems, a serious shortage of which the Armed Forces of Ukraine are currently suffering. Russian reconnaissance drones that are coordinating the strikes and are targeting various bombs and missiles at strategically important Ukrainian facilities operating without any obstacles over the Ukrainian rear cities.
Kyiv’s other Western friends are also escalating the threat of a major military escalation. Poland announced a number of military operations to begin on August 1. In particular, the air operation called Eastern Dawn and Safe Podlachia overland operation will be launched in the eastern and southeastern parts of the country. These are not exercises, but military operations that allegedly have defensive goals. In fact, the Polish military is preparing for an escalation of the Ukrainian conflict, which may spread to NATO territory. Moreover, Warsaw is ready to ignite it.
Warsaw signed a joint defense agreement with Ukraine. The Poles were willing to shot down Russian missiles and declared their readiness to provide their airfields to deploy the F-16 fighters gifted to Ukraine by NATO. The Kremlin warned that the Ukrainian F-16 bases will become legitimate targets for Russian strikes.
In July, numerous flights of F-16 air groups of NATO countries in the airspace bordering Ukraine were recorded. Some flights were carried out with transponders turned off. NATO aircraft increased operations at airfields in Poland and Romania, including at night. An operational game on the covert transfer of F-16 aircraft to the Air Force of Ukraine has been held near the Ukrainian border.
Presumably, NATO is preparing to launch an air operation in Ukraine, and the Polish Air Force gets ready to enter the war.
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The second Russian-African conference of the Valdai Club Foundation was held on July 24 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in East Africa. Held under the theme: “Russia – Africa: Strategy for Cooperation in a Multipolar World,” the conference gathered more than 40 experts from Russia and Africa. Its primary aim was to identify new tasks for the research activities on African topics, the areas of substantive cooperation and aspects of new partnership.
The Valdai Club’s pre-conference report underscored the fact that already a year after the St. Petersburg summit, “a confidential and frank expert dialogue seems appropriate in promoting mutual cooperation and effectively implementing the tasks set at the summit.” Reminder: St. Petersburg summit declared ‘Action Plan 2023-2026’ within which to implement those several agreements signed.
xIn this insightful policy interview, Mikatekiso Kubayi, Researcher at the Institute for Global Dialogue associated with UNISA, Research Fellow: Institute for Pan African Thought and Conversation, Doctoral Candidate, Political Studies, University of Johannesburg, after the 2nd Russian-African conference in Tanzania, offers his expert thoughts and, further discusses the results, expectations and aspects of the challenges that starkly remain in the Russian-African relations. Here are the interview excerpts.
Kester Kenn Klomegah (KKK): As one of the participating experts, what were some of the most significant questions raised during the July 24th roundtable discussions held in Dar es Salaam, on Russia and Africa?
Mikatekiso Kubayi (MK): There were many interesting and important questions. Chief among them were questions on the exact priority areas for African development, technical capacity and development, Financing, and Trade. The roundtable sought to find and even innovate opportunities for collaboration and how to improve mutual gain from each other’s competitive advantage. This was at both bilateral and multilateral levels.
KKK: Why Russia’s efforts to regain its economic influence have achieved little tangible (visible) success, why is soft power softer than in Soviet days?
MK: The question is, ‘What would constitute visible success?’. The history of Russia’s engagement with Africa is well recorded. The development of global trade and the politics of global finance is also well-recorded. Africa’s challenges have been and continue to occupy high priority in the global discourse on global reforms, debt and its stifling servicing costs, and so on. Would a visible success constitute Africa’s overnight transformation into the Africa we want? Perhaps the focus should be on Africa’s interest in genuine development partnerships rather than be ‘influenced.’ That is what the relationship is about.
KKK: In your expert view, Russia’s economic power, its global status and its staunch membership of the ‘informal association’ – BRICS, how did the Dar es Salaam gathering assess its current investment and business engagement with Africa?
MK: Russia is keen to participate in areas that African partners identify as a priority. Technology, Agriculture, Energy, Education, and Health are priority areas. Opportunities for joint efforts, such as in R&D and other collaborative efforts, are explored.
KKK: What were some of the setbacks and obstacles identified? Did the gathering also map out strategic pathways to enhance engagement in the economic sectors in Africa?
MK: I believe this was the first roundtable organized in Africa by Valdai in this format and on this issue. The first step has been to engage and explore what has not been done and what can be done. These are two economies with limited financial resources yet many human (intellectual) and natural resources endowments; notwithstanding sanctions and developmental challenges, there was a shortage of joint exploration of priority areas of cooperation, coupled with consistent effort.
KKK: We’ve been talking about economic diplomacy between Russia and Africa. And it’s also important to look at the relations as a two-way street. Could you please explain possible reasons why African economic presence is extremely low, compared to Asian countries, in the Russian Federation?
MK: One could argue that its limited presence in the Russian Federation mirrors its development, levels of trade, and other areas that are accepted as needing improvement. The Asian continent has India, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other economies that have gone through massive development spurts and can leverage particular competitive advantages gained. Africa will also get there.
KKK: How do you see the future pathways? What would you finally say about the results of the Valdai’s conference in Dar es Salaam, under the theme: Russia – Africa: Strategy for Cooperation in a Multipolar World?
MK: A lot was identified as actionable areas. These areas will be carried forward as policy recommendations, material for track one diplomacy to take forward and for track two diplomacy to research and develop further in areas such as the application of technology in both regional and national value chains, investments in domestic production according to identified priority and strategic areas, joint efforts such as in research and development.
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Kester Kenn Klomegah, who worked previously with Inter Press Service (IPS), Weekly Blitz and InDepthNews, is now a regular contributor to Global Research. He researches Eurasia, Russia, Africa and BRICS. His focused interest areas include geopolitical changes, foreign relations and economic development questions relating to Africa. As a versatile researcher, he believes that everyone deserves equal access to quality and trustworthy media reports.
Swimming, or dipping, in faecal polluted waters is not unusual. The spirit longs for purity in the staining aqua, and the body keeps pace with it. The Ganges, for instance, features sacred rites and ceremonies defiant of science. In an aqueous body of lingering corpses, thickening pollutants and full flowing faeces, foolhardy believers can find spirituality.
Such foolhardiness has also found itself in Paris 2024, the occasion of the XXXIII Summer Olympiad. Since 1923, the River Seine’s toxicity had become the stuff of legend. Over five decades, the famous river received untreated sewage.
With the award of the Olympics came the intention to feature the Seine in various sporting events. No less than €1.4 billion was spent on cleaning the river, a project underway since 2015. There was much exaggerated nonsense coming from Paris deputy mayor Emmanuel Gregoire, who toldTime that, “Swimming at the root of the Eiffel Tower will be very romantic.”
In May, the city’s officials, including the president of the Paris 2024 organising committee, Tony Estanguet, opened an underground water storage facility intended to collect residual and access rainwater and halt untreated wastewater from entering the Seine. The structure, known as the Bassin d’Austerlitz, took 42 months to build at the cost of €90 million, with a storage capacity of 50,000 cubic metres.
There has been a procession of volunteers wishing to take to the Seine’s waters, if only to prove the point that it is sanitary. President Emmanuel Macron promised that he would “do it, but I won’t give you the date.”
French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, rarely resisting a chance for gratuitous publicity, was less cautious, clumsily taking the plunge. Then came the city’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo, who similarly made good her promise. (The occasion had been delayed by the sudden call for parliamentary elections.) “The Seine is exquisite,” she felt programmed to say. On emerging from the river, she professed to finding the water “very, very good. A little cool, but not so bad.”
Whatever exquisiteness Hidalgo might have detected, the data from Paris examined by POLITICO between June 3 and July 23 revealed concentrations of E. coli bacteria in excess of European safety standards for more than half the days surveyed.
The European branch of the Surfrider Foundation had also busied itself with testing water quality over the course of six months, paying special attention to the presence of E. coli and enterococci. In April, it issued a grave warning:
“Of the 14 samples taken, whether after heavy rain or on a sunny day, only 1 enabled our team to conclude that the quality of the water in the Seine at this particular point was even satisfactory.”
Participating athletes would “be swimming in polluted water and taking significant risks to their health.”
The sceptics have certainly been out in force. Many found themselves agitatedly grouped in a movement that came to be called, “Je Chie Dans La Seine Le 23 Juin”, the original date of Hidalgo’s Seine venture. The meaning had the true freshness of resistant ordure: “I shit in the Seine on 23rd June.” Some duly obliged.
Whatever the safety issues of this curving body of water banked by cultural monuments, the Seine featured as a vital prop to the event’s opening, marked by its murky and brooding flow, barges, discordant performances and enthusiastic athletes braying, cheering and crowing. But the organisers had not anticipated the extent of the downpour. Therein began the headaches.
On July 30, three hours before the Olympic triathlon’s first leg, intended to feature 1,500 metres of swimming, the World Triathlon announced that the men’s trial had been postponed till July 31. The decision to do so was made following a meeting “on water quality” held at 3.30am. “The tests carried out in the Seine today revealed water quality levels that did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held.”
Two previous training sessions had also been cancelled for the same reasons. Despite those cancellations, the Organising Committee CEO Étienne Thobois was unjustifiably optimistic in claiming that events could be held on Tuesday.
“The required flow of the river of one cubic metre per second has been met and we don’t have an issue.”
Belgium’s Marten Van Riel, ranked fourth in the men’s triathlon at the Tokyo Olympics, was less impressed.
“Changing the day like that in the middle of the night is disrespectful to the years of preparation of the athletes and to all (y)our fans that were going to watch live or on TV,” he vented on Instagram.
His fellow athletes are also taking few chances with the promises of officialdom, ingesting an increased amount of probiotics and refusing to wash hands after toilet sessions in an effort to improve immunity. But as Bill Sullivan of the Indiana University School of Medicine observes with sagacious relevance, “in the Olympics between humans and germs, the germs usually win.”
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Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He currently lectures at RMIT University. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG). Email: [email protected]
Featured image: The Seine and Eiffel Tower (Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)
Step by step, the UN’s top judiciary backed by a strong plurality of informed public opinion is in the process of making Benjamin Netanyahu the world’s most notorious war criminal during the twenty-first century’s opening decades. This development casts a shadow of harsh judgment over those that invited the Israeli Prime Minister to Washington DC.
Netanyahu’s fourth address to the US Congress on 24 July, 2024, came at a time when the stench of bribery, blackmail and organized crime had become unmistakable in the sordid operations of the US legislative branch.
Inside the most famous legislative edifice in Washington DC, a few hundred paid political stooges bobbed up and down as Netanyahu spoke. They repeatedly sprang to their feet to applaud the Perpetrator-In-Chief of the shocking genocidal atrocity currently afflicting the collective consciousness of global society.
Sensitive people throughout the world cannot help but notice the presence in our midst of a highly-publicized mass atrocity going on steadily for almost a year now. In the process, the diabolical crime is being normalized as if we are supposed to learn to take such mind-boggling atrocities in our stride.
Much of humanity is refusing to go along with this travesty of mass murder in which most of our governments, our corporations, and our churches are very complicit.
The dehumanizing effect on all sides of this most vicious ongoing crime spree is becoming too unconstrained and insidious to be tolerated. No more! How can we the witnesses of such sustained bestiality best convey our refusal to accept such a demoralizing effrontery to humanity?
The monstrosity of the US-backed onslaught on Gaza and the West Bank expresses a particularly barbaric form of belligerence that classically illustrates the broader meanings of Crimes against Humanity.
Pro-Palestinian supporters, holding banners, gather outside of the U.S. Capitol to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the United States Congress in Washington, DC on July 24, 2024 (Source: Tyrone Turner for NPR)
The macabre theatre inside the Capitol Building contrasted starkly with the understanding displayed by tens of thousands of demonstrators marching in the Washington streets around what came to be known as Fort Netanyahu.
The Capitol was dubbed “Fort Netanyahu” throughout the duration of the war criminal’s reign in Washington DC. How much longer can the person who was the most protected figure inside Fort Netanyahu continue his reign of terror? Can the war criminal continue the carnage on the basis of the argument he is innocent until proven guilty?
The War criminal’s “bunker” was the Watergate Hotel, another legendary building in Washington DC often associating with the crashing of Richard Nixon’s presidential career.
A meal of maggots was provided for the Genocider-In-Chief and his entourage. They used the network of tunnels emanating from the Watergate Hotel to travel back and forth to Fort Netanyahu.
What does the concept of innocent-until-proven-guilty mean to Palestinians currently being subjected to many different types of purposeful execution inside the Israeli-US concentration camp of Gaza. Palestinians in the Occupied Territories are not treated like they have the right to life, let alone the right to pursue liberty and happiness. Their lives are being snuffed out, often in agonizing and prolonged ways, because they are members of a group currently targeted for mass murder on a genocidal scale.
Let It Happen, Make It Happen, or “Security Failure”?
The event that unfolded outside the Capitol included in its agenda a call for citizens to promote and plan the Arrest of Netanyahu. Prominent among the participants in the initiative to apprehend the credibly-accused war criminal were seven major labour unions. These vehicles of organized labour include the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA), the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), the National Education Association (NEA), National Nurses United (NNU), the United Auto Workers (UAW), and the United Electrical Workers (UE).
The membership of these organizations encompasses over 9 million working people, about half of the USA’s trade unionists. The quest of organized labour for a lasting ceasefire is part of a much larger coalition including the formation of many associations encompassing, for instance, doctors and rabbis calling for an end to the genocide. See this.
This level of involvement by organized workers builds on what started as loose associations of students and faculty members. Such networking led to the appearance on many hundreds of campuses of tent encampments that provided strategic spaces for like-minded citizens to assemble and collectively stand up for the human rights of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
These developments resulted in efforts of obstruction urged on by Netanyahu’s extreme and inflammatory rhetoric.
The result was that Zionist-controlled university administrations, police forces and several violent goon squads soon created the condition where it became necessary for peaceful protestors to stand up for the rights of Americans to speak, assemble and write freely even when it comes to flagged subjects. Prominent among the taboos of the increasingly-repressive police state, is the nature of the US-Israeli collaboration in pushing forward the genocidal elimination and forced displacements of the targeted Palestinians.
Part of the toxic demagoguery pushed by Netanyahu and those that support the war crimes of his regime, is that the Israeli people were hit by Hamas terrorists out of the blue on October 7. Many accounts of October 7 have depicted the Israeli people and government as innocent victims of lethal attack.
So the argument goes, on Oct. 7 Hamas “animals” fired first. From this it is supposed to follow that the Palestinians of Gaza and the West Bank deserve everything pointed their way in the Israeli-US assaults that followed.
This simple-minded explanation puts the largest weight of the blame on Palestinians generally and on the leadership of Hamas particularly. Such an argument simply cannot stand up to close scrutiny. Starting with the testimony of the Herzl Halevi, Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Defence Force, there are many Israeli voices on the inside of events that point out that the official account of the breaching of the Gaza Wall by Hamas fighters acting independently, is simply not credible.
Those who broke through those walls were, at the very least, allowed to do so by the national security apparatus of Israel. Authorities responsible for maintaining the division between Gazans and Israelis on either side of the Gaza prison Wall must have let the breach happen. More than incompetence or negligence was involved.
In fact, with the complicity of Netanyahu the authorities might even have assisted in making the breach happen. Once many Palestinians had broken through the Wall in full sight of the spotters assigned to the watch video images of every inch of that strategic installation, the same authorities who let the Palestinians break through the barrier held back. They prevented the mounting of a concerted military responses for several crucial hours to help exacerbate the scale of the desired debacle.
The evidence is strong that those in charge of the Israeli security apparatus, including its US elements, wanted to create a pretext dramatic enough so that public opinion would gather in support of a genocidal response with the goal of depopulating Gaza of its Palestinian inhabitants. This preoccupation with depopulation is occurring at precisely the moment when the number of Palestinians on territory controlled by Israel is surpassing the number of Jewish Israelis.
While there is growing awareness that the Israeli Armed Forces bear much responsibility for the eliminating many Israeli citizens on October 7, this aspect of the ongoing debacle is generally downplayed.
Instead the official position usually emphasized, is that a massive “intelligence failure” prevented officials from acting on much prior information that Hamas was about to mount a military manoeuvre involving a breach of the Gaza Prison Wall. This “intelligence failure” was then followed by a massive litany of supposed incompetence, mistakes, and miscalculations on the part of the IDF, Mossad and related agencies on the US-Israeli side of October 7.
The constant repetition of the phrase, “intelligence failure,” has been embedded into the official narrative of October 7. The constant references to “intelligence failures” is meant to cause confusion especially of members of the Israeli public who tend to be well aware that something is terribly wrong with their government’s official explanation.
For instance, in a thinly-veiled intelligence agency spin published by Haartez in November of 2023, Prof. Uri Bar-Joseph of the University of Haifa referred to the future creation of a “Commission of Inquiry to Study the Intelligence Failure.” What kind of inquiry introduces the conclusion to be reached in the very title of the project?
The mood is changing in Israel as a growing constituency comes to understand that there is a giant cover up in their midst involving authorities that do not want a genuine inquiry of what happened on October 7. For instance the members of Kibbutz Be’eri responded on July 11 to a mini investigation into what happened to cause the failure of the IDF to respond to the crisis they faced.
“Why did numerous army forces gathered at the gate not enter the kibbutz for hours, while the kibbutz was burning and its residents cried for help? What caused the intelligence failure that enabled Hamas’ infiltration plan, and how did the border breach occur without an immediate response from the IDF? Did the soldiers who arrived at the kibbutz understand that their primary goal was to defend civilians?”
In responding to the inadequate findings of the IDF, a Local Regional Council member observed that the report
“continues the line that governs Israel – no one is responsible. No one is to blame. This is the greatest disaster in the country’s history, and the entire political and military leadership is standing still. For us, this is a partial investigation, since there was no interaction at all with the Council, and therefore does not reflect a complete picture of the heavy disaster. We demand a state commission of inquiry, and hope that the lessons and conclusions will be implemented now.”
The assertions that no one in government was responsible and that a series of “intelligence failures” constituted the main cause, is reminiscent of the response to the 9/11 false flag meant to give justification to the series of US-backed wars for Israel that followed. Both 9/11 and October 7 involved Netanyahu who has based much of his political career around his claims that he is an expert at protecting Jews and Christians from the incursions Muslim “terrorists” who are actually his paid assets.
The persistent stonewalling by Netanyahu of an investigation is explained by Allison Kaplan
over nine months since the devastation of October 7, Netanyahu has done everything in his power to avoid what every responsible Israeli political and military leader (and the vast majority of the Israeli public, according to multiple polls), has demanded: a full and complete official government investigation of the intelligence, operational and leadership failures that took place that day.
Thus, Netanyahu has been free to weave his own narrative, in which all mistakes and missteps can be attributed to the Israel Defense Forces – and none to the government responsible for proper oversight of the military, which he has led for years.
So it is disappointing – but hardly surprising – that once again, Netanyahu fended off a push for a national commission of inquiry into the October 7 failures, again claiming that “first, I want to beat Hamas” – without, of course, defining exactly what that means.
Sommer quotes Netanyahu’s political opponent, Yair Lapid, who went right to the core of the matter, arguing, the government is “afraid of an inquiry committee because they are responsible for the most severe disaster in the history of the state – and they know it.” See this.
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Dr. Anthony Hall is currently Professor of Globalization Studies at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta Canada. He has been a teacher in the Canadian university system since 1982. Dr. Hall, has recently finished a big two-volume publishing project at McGill-Queen’s University Press entitled “The Bowl with One Spoon”.
He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG).
Taurine, ergothioneine (ESH), and pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) are potential longevity vitamins that protect against premature aging by reducing oxidative stress and supporting mitochondrial function
Taurine supplementation shows promise in managing metabolic syndrome by regulating blood pressure, glucose levels, and lipid metabolism, with studies indicating significant health benefits
The Triage Theory explains how even mild nutrient deficiencies can contribute to aging and age-related diseases by prioritizing immediate survival needs over long-term health
Ergothioneine, found in mushrooms, acts as a master antioxidant and may play a role in preventing cardiovascular disease and protecting against neurodegeneration
PQQ encourages mitochondrial proliferation, improving mental processing and memory, and may protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s when combined with CoQ10
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Certain longevity vitamins, like taurine, ergothioneine (ESH) and pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), help protect against premature aging by reducing oxidative stress, supporting mitochondrial function and cellular health, providing neuroprotection and more.
Taurine, in particular, has emerged as a potential key player in longevity, with research suggesting it could be used as an antiaging therapy.1 Further, taurine supplementation also offers promise for reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome, a condition that affects more than 1 billion people worldwide.2
How Taurine May Help Manage Metabolic Syndrome
Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid. Unlike many other amino acids, taurine is not used to build proteins but rather plays several other critical roles in the body, such as supporting nerve growth, producing bile salts and helping with digestion and maintaining proper hydration.3
Taurine is considered a “conditionally essential,” or semi-essential, amino acid because, while your body can naturally produce it, supplementation might be necessary under certain conditions, such as in infants or in people with specific medical conditions.
Found naturally in various foods, especially meat, fish and dairy products, taurine is abundant in your heart, retina, liver, muscle and platelets, where it plays an important role in cell membrane maintenance, mitochondrial function, antioxidative defense mechanisms and regulating cation balance, which is the process of maintaining proper levels and distribution of positively charged ions (cations) within your body and its cells.4
This is a crucial aspect of cellular and physiological homeostasis. Taurine is also an important osmolyte, meaning it helps maintain proper fluid balance within your cells. In terms of metabolic syndrome, taurine shows promise as a beneficial dietary addition.
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of conditions, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, excess body fat around your waist and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels, which increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. Taurine regulates several key metabolic parameters associated with the condition, including:5
Controlling lipid metabolism
Improving glycemic markers, such as fasting blood glucose and insulin levels
Anti-inflammatory effects
Taurine Reduces the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome
Researchers from Taiwan conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis including 1,024 participants from 25 randomized controlled trials. Subjects took dosages of taurine ranging from 0.5 grams (g) to 6 g a day, with follow-up periods between five and 365 days.
Compared to control groups, those who took taurine had significant reductions in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides and fasting blood glucose, with no significant adverse effects.
“Taurine supplementation exhibits positive effects on multiple MetS-related factors, making it a potential dietary addition for individuals at risk of or already experiencing MetS,” the researchers concluded.6
Taurine’s blood pressure-lowering effect is likely due to increased nitric oxide availability and enhanced hydrogen sulfide production, which improve blood flow dilation. Taurine’s ability to reduce fasting blood glucose levels also suggests a positive impact on blood sugar control, possibly due to reduced liver glucose production, inhibition of glucagon activity, increased levels of uncoupling protein 1, which helps burn energy, and supporting the health of beta-pancreatic cells.7
Additionally, taurine may increase adiponectin mRNA expression and blood adiponectin levels, improving insulin sensitivity and overall metabolic health.8 Taurine also helped lower the amount of fat, or triglycerides, in the blood, likely by boosting the body’s production of bile acid. This extra bile acid helps remove more fat from the blood and moves it into the bile, which carries fat out of the body.
Triage Theory Reveals How Nutrient Deficiencies Lead to Premature Aging
The Triage Theory, developed by Bruce Ames, Ph.D., professor emeritus of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of California Berkeley, and former senior scientist at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, offers a simple but powerful explanation for how even mild deficiencies in vitamins and minerals (V/M) — especially longevity vitamins like taurine, ergothioneine (ESH) and pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) — can significantly contribute to the aging process and diseases associated with aging.
When your body faces a shortage of essential vitamins or minerals, it has to make a choice on how to use its limited supply. It behaves much like a crisis manager, deciding which functions to prioritize and which to neglect, based on immediate survival and reproductive needs.
Your body prioritizes the use of scarce vitamins and minerals for proteins and enzymes that are crucial for immediate survival and reproduction. Meanwhile, proteins and enzymes that are important for long-term health, which help prevent gradual damage that might contribute to bone strength or cardiovascular health, for instance, receive fewer of these nutrients.
Because longevity proteins are neglected during shortages, damage accumulates slowly over time, typically without obvious symptoms at first. But, over time, this ongoing damage can lead to diseases commonly associated with aging, such as osteoporosis or heart disease, which become apparent only later in life. In a paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Ames explains:9
“The triage theory provides a unifying rationale for why modest V/M deficiencies — insufficient to elicit overt symptoms of severe deficiency — might contribute significantly to the aging process and the diseases of aging.
Briefly, the triage theory posits that a strategic rationing response has been selected through evolution, which ensures that when a moderate shortage of a V/M is encountered, the scarce V/M is preferentially retained by those V/M-dependent proteins/enzymes that are essential for survival and reproduction, such as proteins essential for early development and immediate survival (i.e., ‘survival proteins’).
At the same time, proteins/enzymes needed for maintaining long-term health by preventing insidious damage are starved for that V/M and become increasingly inactive, thus leading to an increase in diseases of aging. A major aspect of degenerative aging is that the damage is insidious and clinically not obvious because it accumulates slowly over time and is apparent only later in life. The connection to V/M shortages is underappreciated.”
Taurine Is Important for Survival and Longevity
Taurine helps preserve mitochondrial functions while significantly reducing mitochondrial dysfunction, a significant contributor to age-related diseases. According to a report published in the Annals of Medicine & Surgery:10
“Taurine may strengthen your body’s antioxidant defenses and reduce your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. It is naturally created in a few body tissues, particularly the liver, and plays an essential role in the integrity of the central nervous system, immunity, vision and fertility.
The inclusion of taurine in the diet may provide a widely available, inexpensive, low-risk method of preventing aging with results that are better compared to currently available, expensive antiaging therapies.”
A person who weighs 70 kilograms (154 pounds) typically contains about 70 grams of taurine, which is present in all human tissues but concentrates in higher amounts in “electrically excitable and secretory tissues and in platelets.” Ames writes:11
“Taurine is particularly important in the mitochondria … Because of the involvement of mitochondria in energy production, there has been much interest in taurine in sports medicine in humans with reference to exercise-induced fatigue and recovery, as has been reviewed previously. In addition, a strong case has been made that taurine is the main buffer in mitochondria and that it moderates mitochondrial oxidant production.
… Another possibly important function of taurine is its detoxification of chloramine (a very toxic membrane-soluble oxidant) via its conversion to taurine-chloramine. Examples of several important insidious long-term pathologies that taurine would protect against are: CVD, brain dysfunction, and diabetes.”
Taurine, Ames says, could, at sufficient intake levels, “lead to healthy aging by ‘tuning-up metabolism’ and promoting metabolic harmony and health.”12
Taurine Deficiency May Drive Aging
Research published in the journal Science also found taurine appears to play an important role in longevity and healthy aging.13 According to the editor’s summary of the study:14
“Supplementation with taurine slowed key markers of aging such as increased DNA damage, telomerase deficiency, impaired mitochondrial function, and cellular senescence. Loss of taurine in humans was associated with aging-related diseases, and concentrations of taurine and its metabolites increased in response to exercise. Taurine supplementation improved life span in mice and health span in monkeys.”
For the study, researchers gave taurine supplements to middle-aged mice daily. Remarkably, both male and female mice that received taurine lived longer than those that didn’t, with their life spans increasing by about 10% to 12% and their life expectancy at 28 months rising by 18% to 25%.15
But extending life isn’t enough; the quality of that extended life is also crucial. The study found that taurine not only helped the mice live longer but also kept them healthier longer. Research involving Japanese adults also suggests higher taurine intake may protect muscle strength in middle age and beyond.16
In the study, higher taurine intake was linked to a significant increase in knee extension muscle strength over eight years.17 The research suggests taurine intake from the diet could play a crucial role in preserving muscle strength among older adults, marking the first research to link dietary taurine with muscle strength maintenance over time.
Taurine is found in animal foods such as seafood, red meat, poultry and dairy products. If you’re a vegan, you may want to consider a high-quality taurine supplement, as you’re not getting any from the foods you eat.
Ergothioneine — The Master Antioxidant — as a Longevity Vitamin
The fungal antioxidant ergothioneine is another compound that acts as a longevity “vitamin.” ESH is found in most mushrooms — in particularly high levels in oyster and king boletus varieties — as well as in moderate levels in beef and lamb. It’s sometimes referred to as a master antioxidant and may function as a specialized antioxidant that may play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Ames explains:18
“Its levels decrease significantly with age past 80 y[ears], and significantly lower levels were found in individuals with mild cognitive impairment [MCI]. It has been suggested that ESH acts as an adaptive antioxidant for the protection of injured tissues.
Rheumatoid arthritis has been associated with increased ESH levels in red blood cells in a case-controlled study. It is also present in high concentrations in mitochondria, a major source of oxidants, and it has been suggested that it may be a vitamin.
… The presence of ESH in human tissues, the essentiality of its transport system, its possible involvement in CVD prevention, its antioxidant, and cytoprotectant activities, all suggest that ESH is a putative longevity vitamin.”
Previous research showed that people with MCI had lower levels of ESH than their peers, leading researchers to believe it may play a role in neurodegeneration.19 The compound inhibits oxidative stress and protects against neuronal injury from substances including chemotherapy, even enhancing cognition in laboratory studies.20
ESH has also been shown to be protective against memory loss and loss of learning abilities in mice, as well as protect against such losses due to beta amyloid peptides, which are neurotoxic and known to contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.21
PQQ Is Another Promising Longevity Vitamin Important for Mitochondrial Health
PQQ is made by bacteria, but not by plants or animals. It’s a vitamin-like substance and cousin to CoQ10, which helps with mitochondrial biogenesis. The greater number of mitochondria you have, the more energy your cells are able to produce, and the better they function overall. So, having sufficient amounts of PQQ encourages the proliferation of mitochondria.
In a study on mice, supplementing with PQQ modulated both the quantity and function of mitochondria.22 Animal and human studies using doses between 10 and 20 milligrams (mg) of PQQ show significant improvement in mental processing and memory.23 The best results are obtained when you take PQQ in combination with CoQ10. Ames notes:24
“The health benefits of PQQ in humans have been reviewed … including for diabetes, antioxidant activity, neuroprotection, cognition, and lowering the level of C-reactive protein (i.e., inflammation).
In addition, PQQ supplementation improved antioxidant potential and decreased the levels of mitochondrial-related intermediates and metabolites in urine, providing support for previous studies that demonstrated that PQQ improved mitochondrial efficiency.”
PQQ has also been shown to protect against the development of alpha-synuclein, a protein associated with Parkinson’s disease, and beta-amyloid, associated with Alzheimer’s. Other research suggests “daily supplementation with 20 mg PQQ optimizes mitochondrial biogenesis in human subjects.”25
Prolonging Healthy Aging
Given that nutrient deficiencies are common, improving your diet or using supplements to ensure an adequate intake of these longevity vitamins could potentially help reduce the risk of chronic diseases and delay aging.
Taurine-rich foods include grass fed beef, seafood, eggs and dairy products. So, if you’re a vegan, you may want to consider a high-quality taurine supplement. Ergothioneine is found primarily in mushrooms, especially shiitake, oyster and maitake varieties, while PQQ is found in relatively low amounts in certain fruits and vegetables, such as kiwi, spinach, green peppers and potatoes.
If your dietary sources are limited or you’re looking for higher intake levels, ergothioneine and PQQ supplements are also available.
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The impact of a missile on a football field located in the Golan Heights resulting in 12 deaths, mostly children and young Druze, would be an alleged attack of false flag of Israel that would serve as a pretext for Netanyahu to invade Lebanon.
Biden-Netanyahu Agreement? After meeting Netanyahu in the White House with Biden, the still President communicated to Netanyahu the need to “overcome outstanding differences” with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to achieve a ceasefire agreement that would allow for the release of hostages and an end to the war in the Gaza Strip”. Biden also reaffirmed his support for the security of Israel against “Iran and its associated militias”, including Hamas, the Lebanese Shiite militia party Hezbollah to the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The Biden administration is desperately trying to get a Netanyahu declaration of “an indefinite truce”.
The Israeli government has called for a ceasefire to be established, which would allow the exchange of Jewish hostages still in Hamas’ hands and restore the movement of humanitarian aid trucks for more than one million Palestinians confined in Rafah.
Thus, Biden would be a major diplomat and would wash his image of “necessary collaborator of Israel in the ethnic cleansing of Gaza” and would allow him to go down in history as the peacemaker of Gaza as well as making it easier for Democratic candidate Harris to regain lost votes from the left wing of the Democrats and the voters African-American and Arab people.
Such an agreement would benefit both leaders and would consist of the total withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza that will remain as a demilitarized zone under the control of UN blue helmets, with which Lebanon would now be the target of Israel.
So, after the end of the Gaza campaign, Netanyahu with the blessings of the United States, would have decided to invade southern Lebanon in order to displace some 400,000 inhabitants across the Litani River; hoping to buy time until the foreseeable victory in November of a Donald Trump, in the certainty that he can count on his blessings to exonerate him from all guilt before the International Criminal Court.
False Flag Attack on the Golan?
The Israeli army reported on 27 July that a missile had hit a football pitch in the Golan Heights, killing 11 people, presumably all children and young people.
The IDF blamed the attack on the Hezbollah, but Mohamad Afif, the head of the group’s media office, denied that it had “any connection with the incident in Majdal”.
Such a false flag attack would, however, be the pretext for launching an invasion of Lebanon. Thus, the Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, declared to Channel 12 that “the moment of a total war against Hezbollah is approaching” and the head of Defense, Yoav Gallant, advanced “that we will attack the enemy hard”.
The aforementioned agreement between Biden and Netanyahu will also include the sending to Israel of about 1,800 bombs weighing 907 kilos and 1,700 bombs weighing 226 kilos in order to destroy South Lebanon and move its 400,000 people across the Litani River and create a security ring for Israeli settlements. However, such an invasion could mean the beginning of a major regional conflict that will mark the future of the area in the coming years and which would be the lifeline for Netanyahu who would evade pending trials and possible charges of crimes against humanity against the Gaza population.
Will Iran be the Next Target of the U.S.- Zionist Axis?
According to the secret agreement reached between Biden and Netanyahu, the CIA and Israeli Mossad would prepare similar false flag attacks in the Persian Gulf, after attributing their authorship to the Iranians. Taking advantage of the consequent Iranian response, the American Congress will declare a state of war. This process is known as “statutory authorization” and it is a prerequisite for President Biden to be able to enforce the 1973 War Powers Act, which authorizes him to send troops overseas.
So, taking advantage of the fact that Russia is occupied with Ukraine, China surrounded by the AUKUS nuclear crisis arc to protect Taiwan and that the US strategic reserves are at maximum, the Pentagon will use a surprise attack by Israel on Iran to start a new war in the Middle East with the dual objective of drying up China’s energy sources and setting up the cartography of the New Middle East.
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A Finlândia está prestes a se tornar o primeiro país do mundo a oferecer vacinas contra a gripe aviária para humanos, gerando um debate acalorado sobre a segurança e a necessidade das vacinas.
O Instituto Finlandês de Saúde e Bem-Estar (Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos ou THL ) anunciou planos para começar a administrar vacinas contra a gripe aviária H5N8 a grupos selecionados já na próxima semana, apesar da ausência de infecções humanas no país.
A Finlândia planeia oferecer a vacina contra a gripe aviária CSL Seqirus H5N8 a aproximadamente 10.000 pessoas consideradas em alto risco de exposição ao vírus.
Mia Kontio, uma autoridade de segurança sanitária da THL, disse ao STAT News que o país estava aguardando a chegada de 20.000 doses, com planos de administrá-las “assim que as vacinas estiverem no país”.
“O objetivo é iniciar a vacinação nas áreas de bem-estar o mais rápido possível, para que a série de vacinação de duas doses possa ser oferecida aos vacinados antes do início da temporada de gripe de outono”, disse a médica especialista do THL, Anniina Virkku.
Além da proteção contra a gripe aviária, o programa de vacinação visa prevenir a infecção simultânea com o vírus da gripe sazonal, “o que pode permitir o surgimento de um novo tipo de vírus”.
O THL observou que o programa de vacinação é direcionado a grupos de alto risco e não é uma recomendação geral para o pessoal de instalações sem contato com aves ou animais infectados.
‘Os EUA nunca tiveram um caso humano fatal de gripe aviária’
A cepa H5N1 da gripe aviária causou grande preocupação entre as autoridades de saúde do governo nos últimos anos, levando ao abate de centenas de milhões de aves em todo o mundo, de acordo com a Reuters.
O vírus expandiu seu alcance, afetando não apenas pássaros, mas também um número crescente de mamíferos, incluindo vacas nos EUA.
Em 2023, a Finlândia sofreu mortes em grande escala de aves selvagens devido a infecções pelo vírus da gripe aviária, disse o THL. O vírus também se espalhou amplamente pelas fazendas de produção de peles, causando alta morbidade e mortalidade em animais.
No entanto, a Agência Alimentar Finlandesa informou que os casos de gripe aviária em aves selvagens diminuíram significativamente em 2024 em comparação com o ano anterior.
Globalmente, as infecções humanas continuam raras. Desde dezembro de 2021, apenas oito casos de gripe aviária foram relatados em humanos em todo o mundo, de acordo com a Organização Mundial da Saúde.
Nos EUA, três trabalhadores leiteiros foram diagnosticados com infecções confirmadas ligadas ao recente surto entre bovinos, todos apresentando sintomas leves, de acordo com o STAT News.
Apesar do baixo número de casos humanos, as autoridades de saúde continuam preocupadas com o potencial do vírus sofrer mutação e se tornar mais transmissível entre humanos.
No entanto, o Dr. Peter A. McCullough, em sua postagem no Substack na segunda-feira, argumentou que mesmo se a gripe aviária passasse para os humanos, seria menos perigosa. “A transmissibilidade aumentada do H5N1 tem uma compensação de virulência diminuída”, ele escreveu.
Ele disse que as estatísticas alarmantes sobre as taxas de mortalidade humana provêm de casos antigos no Sudeste Asiático e que tais preocupações “não são apropriadas” para as estirpes atuais.
Além disso, os EUA “nunca tiveram um caso humano fatal de gripe aviária”, disse ele.
Uma vacina perigosa para uma doença que não existe’
Defensores da liberdade médica e especialistas em saúde expressaram fortes objeções à rápida distribuição da vacina contra a gripe aviária.
A médica internista e especialista em armas biológicas Dra. Meryl Nass destacou que as informações do produto da vacina contra a gripe aviária H5N8 adquirida recentemente pela UE — a mesma que está sendo distribuída na Finlândia — não incluem dados clínicos para essa cepa específica da vacina, o que significa que ela não foi testada em humanos.
O STAT News informou que a Agência Europeia de Medicamentos aprovou a vacina contra a gripe aviária H5N8 com base em estudos de imunogenicidade, em vez de ensaios tradicionais de eficácia, já que o vírus não está atualmente circulando entre humanos.
Nass observou que os cientistas não têm uma maneira clara de medir se a vacina protege contra os tipos H5 da gripe aviária e que não está claro se a vacina funcionaria contra outras cepas semelhantes do vírus.
Ela chamou o produto de “uma vacina perigosa para uma doença que não existe”.
Nass também observou que a vacina contém o adjuvante MF59C.1, que inclui esqualeno, polissorbato 80 e outros compostos que podem causar autoimunidade.
Jéssica Rosa, Ph.D., analista de vacinas e especialista em biomatemática, disse ter diversas reservas em relação ao programa. “Não há necessidade desta vacina e ela apresenta perigos, incluindo tolerância e reações autoimunes por mimetismo molecular”, disse ela ao The Defender.
A tolerância (ou tolerância imunológica) ocorre quando o sistema imunológico se torna menos responsivo a um determinado antígeno ao longo do tempo, reduzindo potencialmente a eficácia da vacina.
O mimetismo molecular refere-se às semelhanças entre os componentes da vacina e as proteínas humanas, o que poderia levar o sistema imunológico a atacar erroneamente os próprios tecidos do corpo, potencialmente desencadeando doenças autoimunes.
Rose também disse: “Injeções intramusculares nunca são a maneira de lidar com patógenos que entram no corpo pela respiração”.
McCullough alertou que a vacinação em massa poderia levar a uma “pandemia altamente prevalente” porque “promove cepas resistentes do vírus nos vacinados”.
Geert Vanden Bossche, DVM, Ph.D., expressou preocupações semelhantes. Ele disse ao The Defender: “Qualquer programa de vacinação em grande escala usando qualquer vacina administrada durante uma pandemia ou panzoótica transmissível aos humanos corre o risco de causar aumento de doença dependente de Ab [anticorpos] em grande escala e fuga imunológica em grande escala!”
O aumento dependente de anticorpos é um fenômeno em que os anticorpos produzidos pelo sistema imunológico em resposta a uma vacina ou infecção anterior podem piorar uma infecção subsequente. Em vez de protegerem contra o vírus, estes anticorpos podem ajudar o vírus a entrar nas células com mais facilidade, podendo levar a doenças mais graves.
Em relação às preocupações de Vanden Bossche sobre a fuga imunológica, ele fez o mesmo argumento para as vacinas contra a COVID-19, alegando que sua administração durante o surto de SARS-CoV-2 causou a evolução de variantes virais mais transmissíveis e perigosas.
McCullough criticou o que chamou de “propagação do medo promulgada pelo Complexo Biofarmacêutico”, sugerindo que ela foi “projetada para promover a vacinação em massa de animais e humanos com lucrativos contratos pré-comprados para os fabricantes de vacinas” e seus patrocinadores de organizações não governamentais.
July 30th, 2024 by His Excellency Carlo Maria Viganò
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games is only the latest in a long series of vile attacks on God, the Catholic Religion and natural Morality by the antichristic elite that holds Western countries hostage.
We had seen no less disconcerting scenes at the 2012 London Olympics, the 2016 inauguration of the Gotthard Tunnel, and the 2022 Commonwealth Games, featuring infernal figures, goats, and terrifying animals. The elite who organizes these ceremonies demand not only the right to blasphemy and the obscene display of the foulest vices, but even their mute acceptance by Catholics and decent people, who are forced to suffer the outrage of seeing the most sacred symbols of their Faith and the very foundations of the Natural Law desecrated.
We witnessed a dystopian dance macabre in which holograms of the horsemen of the Apocalypse alternated with a plump blue Dionysius, served under a bell of various courses; the parody of the LGBTQ+ Last Supper, the truculent performance of a decapitated Marie Antoinette singing Ça ira called to celebrate the horrors of the French Revolution;
the ballets of bearded transvestites and effeminate dancers accompanied by pitiful mime singers.
In this provocative spectacle, Satan knows how to do nothing except ruin God’s creative perfection, showing himself as the envious author of every counterfeit. Satan creates nothing: he only ruins everything. He does not invent: he tampers. And his followers are no different: they humiliate woman’s femininity in order to erase the motherhood that recalls the Virgin Mother; they castrate man’s manhood in order to tear from him the image of God’s fatherhood; they corrupt the little ones in order to kill innocence in them and make them victims of the most abject wokeism.
Image: Msgr. Carlo Maria Viganò
The opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games have given scandal, not only because of the arrogant display of the ugly and the obscene, but because of the infernal subversion of Good and Evil, the insane claim to be able to blaspheme and desecrate everything, even what is most sacred, in the name of an ideology of death, ugliness, and lies that defies Christ and scandalizes those who recognize Him as Lord and God. It is no coincidence that the one sponsoring this revolting carnival is an emissary of the World Economic Forum, Emanuel Macron, who passes off a transvestite as his own wife with impunity, just as Barack Obama is accompanied by a muscular man in a wig. It is the reign of mystification, of falsehood, of fiction erected as a totem, in which man is disfigured precisely because he was created in the image and likeness of God.
Tolerance cannot be the alibi for the systematic destruction of Christian society, a society by which billions of honest and hitherto silent people identify themselves.
This prevarication must end! And it must end not so much and not only because it hurts the sensibilities of believers, but because it offends the Majesty of God.
Satan does not have the rights of God, evil cannot be put on the same level as Good, nor can lies be equated with Truth. This is what our civilization is based on, a civilization that some would like to bury under the physical and moral rubble of a world in shambles.
It must be made clear that the patience and forbearance of the faithful and of citizens have been exhausted, that it is no longer time to “deplore” but to act, even and especially when civil and religious authority are complicit in the betrayal.
It is therefore necessary for Christians to organize around the world with concrete actions, first and foremost with a boycott of the Olympic Games and all their sponsors.
It is equally necessary for companies not subservient to globalism to revoke their sponsorship contracts, and for delegations and individual athletes to withdraw from the Games, which were inaugurated under the worst auspices.
We must expect and demand that those responsible for this intolerable bullying be held accountable for their actions, as well as for the corruption that also accompanies this event.
Finally, the homosexual set designer who gave birth to this blasphemous and vulgar spectacle must repay the fee that Macroniades charged French taxpayers.
I urge Catholics to make reparation by prayer, fasting, and penance for the outrages perpetrated against Our Lord Jesus Christ and against our holy Religion.
And may the confident recourse of those who are good before the Throne of the Most High not be divorced from a general awakening of consciences, so that the King of kings may once more reign over nations, societies, families, and the Church.
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If he is elected in the November 5 election, Donald Trump could leave NATO allies the choice either to “accept a forced settlement favoring Russia” or the US withdrawing defence guarantees, Politico reported. The main reason for this, according to allies of the former president, is that the Ukraine war is diverting resources needed to confront Beijing and defend Taiwan.
Soon after the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, Washington and its allies in NATO increased the flow of military aid to Kiev, which has only contributed to the prolongation of the conflict, depleted Western stocks of weapons, and exposed the weakness in American and German industry.
Trump’s return “would divide and weaken NATO — to the point where some allies might back down from a confrontation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and withdraw support from Ukraine.”
“However, if Trump wins in November, his advisers will likely say the Ukraine war simply needs to end in order to stop the US from being drawn in if Russia were to retaliate against NATO members supplying Ukraine,” the article added.
The author highlighted that NATO allies could potentially reject a peace deal and continue to aid Kiev, which could prompt Trump to withdraw US defence guarantees to those countries.
“Trump thinks European countries should do more to defend themselves, famously saying he’d encourage Russia to ‘do whatever the hell they want’ to NATO members that don’t pay their fair share to the alliance,” Politico wrote.
The Republican presidential candidate has repeatedly stated that if he is elected, the conflict in Ukraine would be resolved within 24 hours. Although this is unlikely, it does demonstrate that the former president is willing to quickly end the bloodshed in Ukraine, unlike the Kiev regime, which has legislated a ban on negotiations with the Kremlin.
Although it seemed almost certain that Trump would be entering the White House in January, the soft coup against Joe Biden has opened the path for Kamala Harris to challenge the Republican, and, at least according to polls, the Democrats have clawed back some of the support they had lost due to the current president’s cognitive decline.
In a Wall Street Journal poll, Harris trails Trump 47%-49%, while a HarrisX/Forbes released on July 26 found the vice president trailing Trump 45% to 47%.
Harris has successfully won back some of the voters lost, and it is now unclear who will emerge victorious from the elections. Nonetheless, due to the possibility of a Trump victory, NATO members must start preparing for a winding down of the war in Ukraine and accept the bitter reality that all of Russia’s demands will be met since it is in control of the situation on the battlefield.
It is recalled that in mid-June 2024, Putin formulated several key conditions for starting peace negotiations: Ukraine withdrawing its troops from the four new Russian territories (Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye), recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, giving up NATO membership and remaining neutral, non-aligned, and with a non-nuclear status, and dropping all sanctions against Russia.
If Trump is elected, he is likely to accept these terms so that he can quickly turn his attention to challenging China’s rise. Trump could even consider lifting sanctions on Russia so that the US and Europe can once again trade with a country that not only successfully boomeranged sanctions pain onto the West but deepened trading ties with major world and regional powers, such as China, India, and Brazil.
“Trump allies like Elbridge Colby, who is tipped as a possible national security advisor to Trump, see China as the main threat to U.S. security — not Russia — and they view Ukraine as diverting resources needed to confront China and defend Taiwan,” Politico reported.
The author says that “even if a Democrat wins the White House in November, the threat from China could well squeeze out further US funding for Ukraine anyway.” Nonetheless, the Biden administration or the Democrats in general have given no indication that they will wind down their support for Ukraine.
For Europe, a Trump victory would be disastrous as all their efforts to defeat Russia militarily and topple it economically would not only have failed but would inevitably result in a humiliating, albeit slow, reconciliation effort with Moscow. A Harris victory, too, will eventually result in more resources being turned towards China, but the fighting in Ukraine will be dragged out for much longer, leading to more death and destruction in the country.
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HIRAM, Ga. – The mother of a Hiram High School student who collapsed at her graduation and died just a couple of weeks later tells FOX 5 Atlanta that her daughter showed incredible strength and perseverance at that ceremony.
“She’s still smiling,” said Saevon Chum, mother of 18-year-old Sienna Stewart, as she re-watched the video of her daughter walking at graduation.
“Seeing her smiling was everything,” Chum said.
That’s because her daughter had just gone through a terrifying ordeal.
The Hiram High School graduation ceremony on May 23 stopped abruptly when Sienna Stewart fell unconscious.
n a video of the graduation that the high school posted on YouTube, the principal announced, “just give us a second please, we have a student, just give us a second…”
You can then hear school staff calling for Sienna’s mother.
“When I got there, the ambulance was already there. She had collapsed. She had had another episode. But this was the first time she collapsed unconscious,” Chum said.
Thankfully, after a few minutes, her daughter regained consciousness.
Chum and the paramedics wanted to take her to the hospital, but through tears, Chum says Sienna begged her to let her walk across the stage.
There are many COVID-19 crimes that have gone unpunished.
One large area of COVID-19 criminality involves transplant patients.
Unvaccinated transplant patients, for example. Sheila Annette Lewis was murdered in Alberta by Alberta Health Services CEO Verna Yiu, with the help of 4 corrupt Alberta Judges. Verna Yiu was rewarded for her many COVID-19 crimes with a new $700,000 job as University of Alberta Vice President.
Garnet Harper, 35 year old father of 5, was murdered in Ontario.
But COVID-19 Vaccinated Transplant patients are being eliminated as well, as the COVID-19 Vaccine often accelerates transplant damage and rejection.
18 year old Sienna Stewart was doing well with her heart transplant, which suddenly began to fail in April 2024. A police investigation should start with her COVID-19 Vaccination history, and autopsy with staining for the COVID-19 Vaccine mRNA and spike protein in her heart.
If she had COVID-19 Vaccines, there is a very high probability that the jabs damaged her heart and accelerated her Heart Transplant failure.
We are going to see this happen with all types of transplants.
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Dr. William Makis is a Canadian physician with expertise in Radiology, Oncology and Immunology. Governor General’s Medal, University of Toronto Scholar. Author of 100+ peer-reviewed medical publications.
Featured image is from COVID Intel
The Worldwide Corona Crisis, Global Coup d’Etat Against Humanity
by Michel Chossudovsky
Michel Chossudovsky reviews in detail how this insidious project “destroys people’s lives”. He provides a comprehensive analysis of everything you need to know about the “pandemic” — from the medical dimensions to the economic and social repercussions, political underpinnings, and mental and psychological impacts.
“My objective as an author is to inform people worldwide and refute the official narrative which has been used as a justification to destabilize the economic and social fabric of entire countries, followed by the imposition of the “deadly” COVID-19 “vaccine”. This crisis affects humanity in its entirety: almost 8 billion people. We stand in solidarity with our fellow human beings and our children worldwide. Truth is a powerful instrument.”
Reviews
This is an in-depth resource of great interest if it is the wider perspective you are motivated to understand a little better, the author is very knowledgeable about geopolitics and this comes out in the way Covid is contextualized. —Dr. Mike Yeadon
In this war against humanity in which we find ourselves, in this singular, irregular and massive assault against liberty and the goodness of people, Chossudovsky’s book is a rock upon which to sustain our fight. –Dr. Emanuel Garcia
In fifteen concise science-based chapters, Michel traces the false covid pandemic, explaining how a PCR test, producing up to 97% proven false positives, combined with a relentless 24/7 fear campaign, was able to create a worldwide panic-laden “plandemic”; that this plandemic would never have been possible without the infamous DNA-modifying Polymerase Chain Reaction test – which to this day is being pushed on a majority of innocent people who have no clue. His conclusions are evidenced by renown scientists. —Peter Koenig
Professor Chossudovsky exposes the truth that “there is no causal relationship between the virus and economic variables.” In other words, it was not COVID-19 but, rather, the deliberate implementation of the illogical, scientifically baseless lockdowns that caused the shutdown of the global economy. –David Skripac
A reading of Chossudovsky’s book provides a comprehensive lesson in how there is a global coup d’état under way called “The Great Reset” that if not resisted and defeated by freedom loving people everywhere will result in a dystopian future not yet imagined. Pass on this free gift from Professor Chossudovsky before it’s too late. You will not find so much valuable information and analysis in one place. –Edward Curtin
ISBN: 978-0-9879389-3-0, Year: 2022, PDF Ebook, Pages: 164, 15 Chapters
If you spend just a few minutes checking out ‘The Great Reset’ website of the World Economic Forum, starting at the page ‘Now is the time for a “great reset”’ – which includes a copy of what it calls ‘The Great Reset Transformation Map’ – and spend two minutes watching the World Economic Forum’s video ‘8 Predictions For The World In 2030’, you will quickly recognize that the WEF intends imposing profound changes to about 200 areas of human life by 2030.
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If you also spend just a few hours reading Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four – you will soon discover that the Elite program currently being imposed on us is far more onerous than anything presented in the dystopian novels written by Huxley and Orwell. Technology, after all, has advanced dramatically in ways that neither Huxley nor Orwell anticipated.
You will need to do a little further investigation, however, to discover that a range of tools – including genocides and wars, famines in some locations and serious economic dislocation in others, the Covid-19 ‘death shot’, 5G, geoengineering, Artificial Intelligence and synthetic biology – is being used by Big Brother to kill off a substantial proportion of the human population.
And, while hidden in plain sight, successively deploying a wide range of technocratic tools that are progressively imprisoning those left ‘alive’ as transhuman slaves.
In broad summary, this is being done by enclosing the Commons ‘forever’ and forcing people off their properties – for a discussion of how this is being achieved using ‘managed retreat’, see the series of articles by Kate Mason starting with ‘Managed Retreat New Zealand: Shhhh….be careful not to let the community know’ – and into a ‘Smart City’ prison.
These Smart City prisons will employ a dense network of 5G towers to facilitate communication and enable total control, where the imprisoned transhuman slaves will be geofenced to confine their movements to within 5 kilometres of where they are imprisoned.
And the detail in the Elite plan tells us exactly how it is being done.
Given that the Elite plan requires all 8 billion humans to submit, one way or another, and it is a lot easier to have people willingly submit to their death or transhuman slavery rather than contend with any resistance, the dystopian future being rolled out is being presented as a combination of necessary (to deal with various threats, including those posed by a non-existent virus and climate disruption), private (to ensure the integrity of your identity), safe and secure (from various online and other threats) to ensure maximum compliance. Of course, an avalanche of propaganda is also being used to obscure the view of what is really taking place.
Thus, initially, each surviving individual will have a Digital Identity, which will have attached to it a social credit score (determined by such factors as your personal, educational, employment and legal records and your internet search history to measure your degree of submission to Elite programs).
Traditional national currencies, which put money in your hands to spend or save as you liked, are being replaced by Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). Your allotment of this ‘currency’ will be determined by your social credit score, attached to your Digital Identity and programmed so that it can only be spent within your 5km radius and only at approved locations, in approved amounts on approved products or services.
In addition, a dense network of facial recognition cameras (which take a three-dimensional image of your face thus removing any confusion between you and your identical twin, should you have one) and license plate readers will ensure that every movement (including if in a driverless car) you make is tracked and monitored by the Artificial Intelligence program controlling your sector. And the network of loud hailers (installed on 5G towers, street lights and elsewhere) will facilitate the sharing of routine directives as part of the means by which approved behaviour is elicited and enforced.
But ultimately, as Elites have known for millennia, it is food that is the ultimate weapon of control.
As former US Secretary of State articulated in 1973: ‘Who controls the food supply controls the people’.
And, as Professor George Kent eloquently explained in 2008, it is in the interest of the Elite that people are hungry. See ‘The Benefits of World Hunger’.
So any critical analysis of what is being imposed on humanity must take careful account of how food – and the farming of it – is being utterly transformed.
In essence, the Elite plan is to feed us genetically mutilated, synthesized and poisoned trash and insects, profit from our ill-health, force small farmers off their land, undermine rural communities, and utterly transform the ancient practice of farming into a corporate, technocratic operation.
If you want some of the detail, there are excellent sources that highlight the importance of buying organic/biodynamic food while organizing to grow your own, and making sure that your local trading community can defend your food sources against the advancing technocracy.
In short, what the few examples above make clear is that we face a near-term future in which the control mechanisms will be all-pervasive.
Of course, you might still try to act outside the parameters of your social credit score – spend more money, spend it on something not approved in your case, grow your own food, travel outside your zone… – but the computer programs run by artificial intelligence will ensure that this does not happen by deactivating your ‘permission’ or, if this does not work instantly or other action is required, despatch a transhuman or technocratic police officer to intervene. If you still show signs of resisting the transhuman police officer, robot or drone sent to intercept you, it will, for example, simply fire an electromagnetic weapon to make you vomit until you comply.
Of course, while the program has been planned by the Elite and designed by its agents, it is not actually being implemented by the Elite or its agents. The entire ‘Great Reset’ program is being implemented by people like you and me who take orders without pondering the significance of their particular order and how it fits into the wider Elite program, just like the person putting together a bullet in a factory doesn’t ponder who will be killed by it.
It is less frightening, as the residents of the Brave New World know, to follow orders without thought or reference to conscience. It is less frightening to not ask questions and just ‘go along’. In essence, it is less frightening ‘not to know’.
And that is why these two dystopian novels end the way they do: Huxley and Orwell were astute observers of their fellow humans and knew how easily they submit. After all, being submissive is far less frightening than resisting. But even if we do somehow ‘know’, we are good at concealing our cowardice behind our favourite delusion, ‘taught’ to you in early childhood: ‘I am doing what I am told and that is the right thing to do.’ Which, in essence, is why so many people got repeatedly vaxxed and even the bulk of those who didn’t prefer to complain rather than act.
Anyway, with changes being made to 200 areas of human life, the Elite has not left much to chance or even many gaps through which one might sneak. Which means that effective resistance now is the only realistic possibility for averting life under Big Brother or Mustapha Mond and his fellow world controllers.
Of course, as the books illustrate superbly, there is no point seeking redress by asking Big Brother or Mustapha Mond. Similarly, if we seek redress through the Elite or its agents, we will not succeed.
And because the Elite program is so complex and sophisticated, if our resistance is to be effective it must be strategic. That is, we must focus on directly resisting the key foundational components of the Elite program ourselves. Otherwise, our resistance will simply be absorbed and dissipated to come to nothing.
Resisting the Brave New World of the Technocracy
The intention of the Elite’s advancing technocracy is to kill off vast numbers of humans and transhumanize and enslave the rest.
And given the sophistication and savagery of the program, defeating it will require commitment, persistence, courage and enormous strategically-focused effort by a large number of people.
‘We Are Human We Are Free’ is strategically-designed to defeat the Elite program and will succeed if enough people participate. You can read the 30 strategic goals identifying the critical points of resistance on the website with one-page flyers, identifying the minimum areas for action, available in 23 languages.
Conclusion
Aldous Huxley and George Orwell were well placed to perceive trends in society and prescient enough to warn us in novels written many decades ahead of ‘crunch time’. Sadly, humanity failed to take advantage of their warnings.
This means that we must act now if we are to have any chance of averting imposition of the Elite’s technocracy, including destruction of the global economy, even as their genocidal program advances.
Time is running out.
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Robert J. Burrowes has a lifetime commitment to understanding and ending human violence. He has done extensive research since 1966 in an effort to understand why human beings are violent and has been a nonviolent activist since 1981. He is the author of ‘Why Violence?’ http://tinyurl.com/whyviolence His email address is [email protected] and his website is here. http://robertjburrowes.wordpress.com He is a regular contributor to ‘Global Research’.
While in active service, Colonel Karapandžin served as an artillery division commander and Head of the Department of Operational and Educational Affairs in the command of the Artillery Brigade. At the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense (MoD), he performed operational tasks, as well as those in the field of media and public relations, serving as the Director of the “Defense” media center (“Одбрана” in Serbian). Colonel Karapandžin is a member of the Journalists’ Association of Serbia, as well as a regular author in many reputable media. He has published a large number of scientific and professional works, texts and books, including one about the Russian SMO in Ukraine, named “The Geopolitical Gambit – Special Military Operation” (currently available in Serbian only).
Despite his busy schedule, Colonel Karapandžin graciously accepted to conduct a written interview about the SMO for InfoBRICS. According to his assessment, after several turning points, the course of the SMO is heading toward its culmination, so the achievement of proclaimed Russian goals – the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine – is becoming more certain.
The Introduction to the General Dynamics of the SMO
Colonel Karapandžin argues that the determination of the Ukrainian side is the decisive defense of the Donbass, organized in three operational zones.
The first zone was running along the Severodonetsk – Lisichansk – Popasnaya line, the second and longest was Seversk – Soledar – Bakhmut – Konstantinovka – Avdeyevka – Maryinka – Ugledar (or what the Colonel calls the Donbass Arc), while the third and shortest line is Slavyansk – Kramatorsk – Druzhkovka. The first was taken in June 2022, while the second was breached in January 2023 and is currently the main focus of combat operations. Russian forces are most likely gravitating toward the city of Slavyansk and the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine can be accomplished by surrounding and destroying the Ukrainian combat potential in the third zone.
In line with the assessed operational planning, the achieved results and the duration, Colonel Karapandžin divided the current course of the SMO into stages and each stage into phases. Every stage was marked by one or two Russian offensives on smaller cities and a large number of open-field offensive battles and combat operations. The ratio of attacker-defender forces was generally out of the ordinary, usually 1:1 [offensive operations are normally conducted with an advantage of at least 3:1]. During the second stage, the Ukrainian side carried out offensive operations in the Kharkov area, while in the fourth it focused on the Zaporozhye direction. There were no offensive operations on a strategic level.
Drago Bosnic (DB): What was the true goal of Russian forces moving on Kiev in the initial stages of the SMO?
Image: Car belonging to Donbass Insider after it was destroyed by Ukrainian artillery shelling in the district of Petrovski, in the west of Donetsk city on 4 June 2022. Picture source: Donbass Insider
Ret. Col. Stevica S. Karapandžin (RCSSK): By analyzing intelligence data on Ukrainian plans for an offensive operation in the Donbass in early 2022, the Russian General Staff determined that the opposing side underestimated the strength of the forces in Crimea and this observation was implemented through the strategic employment [of these forces]. In order to divert the enemy’s attention, Russian forces were significantly increased along the border with Belarus, and in the period from February 10 to 20, these forces were pre-deployed there, carrying out massive training activities under the name “Allied Resolve” (“Объединенная Решимость” in Russian). To the Ukrainian side, this created a false impression of a plan for an offensive operation toward Kiev.
In reality, the plan existed only as a distraction and Ukrainian forces were urgently transferred from the Donbass in order to tie up Russian troops and prevent the fall of the capital city. The Russian side had the opposite intention – tying up the strongest Ukrainian forces in the defense of the cities of Kiev and Kharkov – in order to expose the areas in the south, which was successful. The first, shortest stage of the SMO – which was preparatory – was marked by a two-pronged Russian strategic surprise offensive, with exploitation at the operational and tactical level through continuous initiative. With the stretching and tying down of Ukrainian forces on a 3,000 km wide frontline, also involving a large number of tactical airborne assaults, high-precision missile strikes, a distraction operation around Kiev and the urgent capture of Mariupol, the Russian military’s focus was gradually shifted to the Donbass – from the military point of view, the key area of this war.
DB: Why was Mariupol so significant for Russia?
RCSSK: The original idea for the Russian offensive operation in Mariupol was to circumvent the Kalmius industrial district and direct its main forces toward the western and central parts of the city, isolating Ukrainian defenses in the industrial area. As the frontline moved to the north, Ukrainian forces were cut off from coastal areas and forced to abandon the defense of Kalmius, resulting in the gradual decline of their room for maneuver. Thus, Ukrainian troops were forced to defend their positions in the “Azovstal” steel plant, which ended with their encirclement and surrender.
In order to neutralize the Ukrainian group of about 8,000 fighters and enable the land connection between Crimea and the Donbass, the Russian side took its time to finish mop-up operations in Mariupol, and after more than a month of blockade, smaller Russian forces were still tied down by around 2,000 Ukrainian defenders. On April 21, assault operations were paused and “Azovstal” was blocked in order to allow the majority of Russian forces to advance further in the Donbass. The epilogue was the surrender of the remaining parts of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade and the “Azov” Regiment on May 20, 2022. The second stage of the SMO and Russian offensive operations in the Donbass began on April 19, 2022.
DB: How would you describe the strategic impact of the capture of Severodonetsk?
RCSSK: In the spring of 2022, in the first phase of the second stage of the SMO, Russian forces achieved a large number of successes in the Krasny Liman and Lugansk operational directions. Breakthroughs were carried on tactical routes Izyum – Barvenkovo, Izyum – Dolina, Krasny Liman – Yampol, Stara Krasnyanka – Privolye, Aleksandrovka – Severodonetsk and Popasnaya – Verkhnokayanka. Near the town of Privolye, they managed to cross the Seversky Donets River, formed a bridgehead on the southern bank, brought in fresh forces and, having taken control of Belogorovka, extended their operations toward Lisichansk. In May, they captured Rubezhnoye, and in June, Lisichansk and Severodonetsk, which was a success of operational significance.
After the capture of the first operational zone of the Ukrainian defense, which brought the Lugansk region under Russian control, a further advance was expected in order to break through the northern part of the second operational zone (Seversk – Soledar – Bakhmut) and the Slavyansk – Kramatorsk line. However, for the first, and for now, the only time, the Ukrainian side decided to defend Lisichansk and resorted to desperate defense, further strengthening the Seversk – Soledar – Bakhmut line. Because of this, as well as the Ukrainian operational success in the Kharkov direction in September 2022, the expected Russian offensive didn’t occur, just as Seversk wasn’t taken (apart from the battles fought in the nearby settlements of Serebryanka and Verkhnekamensko).
DB: What can You tell us about the capture of Soledar?
RCSSK: In the first half of 2023, the third stage of SMO commenced. With the “Wagner” PMC’s capture of Soledar in January 2023, the second operational zone of the Ukrainian defense was breached, which was a Russian tactical success with certain aspects of operational importance. This compromised the previously compact Ukrainian defenses in the Donbass, with the possibility of Russian forces circumventing Seversk from the south and Bakhmut from the north and placing these two areas in operational encirclement. The road-railway communication of the Ukrainian second operational zone was cut, placing it under Russian artillery fire control. With the success of its assault squads, the “Wagner” PMC tied up considerable enemy forces in Soledar, which forced the Ukrainian General Staff to strengthen the defenses by engaging units planned for operations in other directions. Then, for the first time, the Russian side applied the strategy of “sucking” Ukrainian reserves into the meatgrinder.
DB: Can You tell us more about the Battle of Bakhmut (now known as Artyomovsk)?
RCSSK: Bakhmut, which was in the operational encirclement for a long time, was also captured by units of the “Wagner” PMC in May 2023. Then, for the first time, the Russian side used the tactic of intentionally leaving one area as a “supply artery” of the enemy’s defenses, while continuously observing and keeping it under artillery fire control. In addition to having a negative impact on morale, particularly in terms of encouraging uncontrollable withdrawal, Ukrainian forces also suffered significantly greater losses in large open areas. The offensive operation to capture Bakhmut began on October 8, 2022. In line with the basic principles of defense, the width of a battalion’s coverage area should be 3-5 km, but the Ukrainian side’s in Bakhmut was no more than 1.5 km. The political leadership of Ukraine refused to give up, so the Russian side continued with the strategy of “sucking” Ukrainian reserves into the meatgrinder.
Russian offensive tactics included the most massive type of artillery strikes, the so-called “wave of fire”, with constant pressure from assault groups on selected tactical directions. By skillful choice of the center of operational gravity, but also by constant changes in the direction of attack, the Russian side kept creating a favorable balance of forces. This also implied great losses for the attackers and huge consumption of artillery munitions, which was measured in train cars. In street battles, rocket launchers with thermobaric munitions (man-portable MRO “Borodach”, a more advanced version of the RPO “Shmel”, and TOS-1A “Solntsepyok”), UMPK-equipped precision-guided FAB glide bombs and 240 mm 2S4 “Tyulpan” mortars were used en masse.
DB: What was the strategic impact of the Battle of Avdeyevka?
Image: Residential building in Avdiivka (Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine) after Russian rocket strike on 23 May 2023
RCSSK: In the second half of 2023, in the fourth stage of the SMO, the Ukrainian side suffered a failure of its offensive in the Zaporozhye operational direction. Naturally, the second phase of this stage soon followed, which was marked by a crawling Ukrainian attack and active Russian defense. Until it was lost, Avdeyevka was one of the few remaining sectors of the southern part of the Donbass Arc, the most important and most fortified Ukrainian defense position in the Donbass agglomeration. For a decade, Ukrainian forces used this area as a stronghold for artillery strikes on Donetsk, Gorlovka and Yasinovataya. Along with Peski, Russian forces previously took a number of settlements in the area (Stepovoye, Bogdanovka, Pervomayskoye, Veseloye, Opitnoye, Lastochkina, Severne, etc.) and the city was already in an operational encirclement for quite some time. Avdeyevka’s elongated shape, with a position perpendicular to the frontline, meant that the best way to capture it was a wide two-pronged assault, which is exactly what the Russian side did.
Once again, due to a political decision to defend the Donbass, Ukrainian reserves intended for other directions were “sucked” into the meatgrinder. An important moment for the Russian side was the capture of the Terrikon Hill. The advancing forces even dug tunnels under the positions of the defenders so that the attack was carried out from below, along with the demolition of Ukrainian fortifications. The offensive tactics that gave results in Bakhmut was reused – the city was in an operational encirclement, while a narrow “supply artery” to the west was left. Although General Syrsky started his appointment as the Chief of the General Staff with the strengthening of the forces in Avdeyevka, by sending, among others, the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade (including parts of the “Azov”), he soon decided to abandon the city. The withdrawal of Ukrainian units at the end of February 2024 indicated a difficult situation on the entire front. It remained unclear whether the decision to leave Avdeyevka was taken by the military leadership or if it was a consequence of an uncontrollable abandonment of defense positions.
DB: What is the current distribution of forces on both sides?
RCSSK: Russian forces in the third and fourth stages of the SMO were grouped into five strategic-operational groupings, and a sixth was recently formed. The focus of operations is Donetsk, where the “Center” group is advancing, and partly in the South Donetsk operational direction, where the “East” group is conducting offensive operations. The “South” group is advancing in the direction of Bakhmut, while the “West” group is focused on the Krasny Liman and Kupyansk operational directions. Defensive operations in Kherson and limited offensive operations in the Zaporozhye operational directions are carried out by the “Dnieper” group, while in order to stretch Ukrainian forces, the “North” group is advancing in the Kharkov operational direction. The Ukrainian forces, divided into five strategic-operational groups, are on the defense in all parts of the frontline. “Tavria” is tasked with Zaporozhye, South Donetsk and Donetsk, “Khortytsia” in Bakhmut, Krasny Liman and Kupyansk, “Odessa” in Kherson, “North” in the Kharkov operational direction, while the “Marun” group is in the reserve. The ratio of opposing forces is 1:1, albeit slightly higher in favor of the Ukrainian side.
DB: Where exactly is the center of combat operations shifting?
RCSSK: After the capture of Avdeyevka, Pervomayskoye and Maryinka, the Russian side gained room for initiative and advance to the west, which will put the Ukrainian defense in an increasingly difficult operational position, especially if communication on the Konstantinovka – Pokrovsk – Kurakhovo line is cut. In this way, along with the capture of Seversk and Ugledar as the two endpoints of the Donbass Arc, Ukrainian defenses would be broken. Thus, with the fall of Avdeyevka, the fifth stage of the SMO began, the essence of which is to crush the second Ukrainian defense zone, or more precisely, to capture its southern part. Thus, the focus of Russian offensive operations is on the Donetsk direction, which is implied by three indicators: the current great importance of Konstantinovka, the concentration of three Russian strategic-operational groups in a relatively small area and the character of Russian combat operations allegorically named the “Ocheretino Flower”. In this direction, the Russian group “Center” neutralized and captured more Ukrainian resistance points than all the other groups combined (Ocheretino, Berdychi, Novokalinovo, Novobakhmutovka, Netaylovo, Arkhangelsko, Orlovka, Solovyevo, Sokol, Keramik…), which can also be seen in the importance of capturing Avdeyevka.
The impression of “blooming” occurs due to alternating deep advances to the west and the securing of the captured wider lines. Due to the regular rotation of forces, other echelons are introduced and continue with the advance, with coordinated actions in the capture of important communications and the threat of trapping Ukrainian troops in cauldrons, which forces them to give up their defensive positions and withdraw in disarray. Attention should also be given to the importance of cooperation between the Russian “Center” group and neighboring groups. If the “South” group occupies Chasov Yar, its southern branch will play an important role in encircling the Ukrainian group in Toretsk, as well as in circumventing Konstantinovka. In addition to all that, the capture of Chasov Yar can have an extremely important psychological impact, because Kramatorsk, where the command post of the Ukrainian group defending the Donbass is located, is only about 40 km away from it. Cooperation with the “East” group in combat operations toward Ugledar and Kurakhovo is also important, which explains the purpose of Russian offensive operations toward Krasnogorovka.
DB: What additional operational directions could be activated?
RCSSK: The “East” group is also intensifying operations toward Velika Novoselka and Staromayorskoye in order to threaten the Dnepropetrovsk – Pavlograd – Pokrovsk route, a kind of “supply artery” of the Donbass Arc’s defenses. The Russian “Dnieper” group will most likely undertake limited offensive operations in the Zaporozhye direction in order to push parts of the Ukrainian “Tavria” group away from the so-called Surovikin line. Until October 2022, in the northern part of the frontline, the Russian side defended the zone on the line Kazachya Lopan – Lyptsi – Veseloye – Ternovaya – Staritsa, but after the Ukrainian offensive, those forces were withdrawn. Currently, smaller parts of the Russian “North” group are carrying out offensive operations in the general Belgorod – Kharkov direction, with the goal of soon reaching the aforementioned line, which is why the Ukrainian “North” group has been significantly strengthened by the urgent transfer of forces from other directions. There are ongoing battles for the town of Volchansk, while the goal of the Russian offensive is to stretch out Ukrainian forces. The Russian “West” group is intensifying operations toward Kupyansk and Seversk, where parts of the Ukrainian “Khortytsia” group are still defending successfully. The role of the Russian “West” group could be to capture Kupyansk, Yampol, Izyum and Seversk at the best moment (which is increasingly likely due to the accelerated wearing down of Ukrainian combat potential in the Donbass) and thus create the conditions for the introduction of the main forces of the Russian “North” group, most likely in the direction Belgorod – Kupyansk – Slavyansk.
DB: What do You think could happen in the following weeks and months?
RCSSK: The task of the main forces of the Russian “North” group could be to wedge into the rear of the Ukrainian forces defending the third defense zone, while the previous elimination of the Donbass Arc is one of the most important steps in the preparation of the Russian strategic offensive to destroy the Ukrainian operational potential in the Donbass – from the military aspect, the key to ending this war. On an operational level, as I said already, the next place the Russians will press is Velika Novoselka, in the south. The forces in the southern direction around Chasov Yar, Ocheretino and Novobahmutovka will encircle Toretsk. But that’s not the main line of attack and serves more as a form of psychological pressure. It’s very difficult to break through in this area.
That’s why the Russian forces will circumvent it and when they cut the Konstantinovka – Pokrovsk direction, the Ukrainian front will begin to disintegrate. They will encircle Slavyansk and Kramatorsk so that the main forces from the north will wedge through Kupyansk toward Slavyansk. When Russian forces close the cauldron, the war is effectively over. But first they must capture Kupyansk, Izyum, Seversk, Ugledar and Kurakhovo. Combat operations near Kharkov are aimed at stretching Ukrainian defenses when the time comes for a strategic wedge and the blockade of Kharkov from the east. This is precisely why only auxiliary forces operate in the north. There are around 150,000 troops in the reserve near Belgorod and Kursk, still waiting to commit to any direction.
DB: Thank You for this truly fascinating analysis!
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It is a point verging on the trite: an arms corporation suspected of engaging in corrupt practices, spoiling dignitaries and officials and undermining the body politic. But one such corporation is France’s Thales defence group, which saw raids on their offices in France, the Netherlands and Spain on June 26 and June 28. The prosecutors are keen to pursue charges ranging from standard corruption and attempts to influence foreign officials to instances of criminal association and money laundering.
It is clear in this that even the French republic, despite having a narcotics grade addiction to the international arms industry, thought that Thales might have gone just that bit far. Some 65 investigators from the Nanterre-based office responsible for battling corruption, financial and fiscal offences have been thrown into the operation. A further twelve magistrates from the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF), with the assistance of the European agency Eurojust, aided by Dutch and Spanish officials, have all been involved in this sprawling enterprise.
The police raids arise from two separate investigations. The first, starting at the end of 2016, involved suspicions of corruption pertaining to a foreign official, criminal association and money laundering. The topics of interest: thesale of submarines to Brazil, along with the construction of a naval base.
The second commenced in June 2023, with claims of suspected corruption and influence peddling, criminal conspiracy and money laundering connected with the supply of military and civilian equipment to overseas clients.
Giving little by way of details, a spokesperson for Thales insisted that the corporation “strictly complies with national and international regulations.” It had “developed and implemented a global compliance program that meets with the highest industry standards.” That, it may well turn out, is precisely the problem.
The company propaganda on such compliance with national and international regulationsis plentiful and fabulously cynical. After a time perusing such material, one forgets that this is a defence outfit much dedicated to sowing the seeds of death, a far from benign purpose. Group Secretary and General Counsel Isabelle Simon, for instance, is quoted as saying that the company, over the course of two decades “has developed a robust policy on ethics, integrity and compliance, which are the foundations of our social responsibility and the key to building a world we can all trust.”
The anti-corruption policy, so it is claimed, is also “regularly reviewed and updated to reflect increasingly strict international rules and requirements on corruption and influence peddling,” a point “further strengthened by Thales’s progress towards ISO 37001 certification.”
Typical of theguff surrounding modern organisational behaviour, the company wonks assume that workshops and training sessions are the way to go when inspiring a spirit of compliance. The more sessions you run, and the more you do, the more enlightened you become.In boasting about its “zero tolerance on corruption,” we are told that 11,270 “training sessions on corruption and influence peddling were delivered in 2019-2020.”
Other features are also mentioned to ward off any suspicions, among them a code of conduct intended to stomp on any corrupt practices, a “corruption and influence peddling risk map,” a disciplinary system, an anti-bribery management system and an internal whistleblowing program.
The presence of such measures tends to becosmetic. Even defence contractors need to show an iota of principle and “social responsibility”. But an iota is what it remains.As Bernard Keane of the Australian publicationCrikeyobserves,
“bribery might be a tool in Thales’ arsenal for dealing with defence officials around the world, along with stringing out negotiations for its own ends and refusing to comply with request [sic] for tender requirements”.
The last point Keane makes is of particular interest to Australian lawmakers, given the referral by the country’s defence department of a lucrative 10-year contract inked with Thales in 2020 to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).The contract covers the management of two Commonwealth-owned munitions facilities at Mulwala in New South Wales and Benalla in Victoria.
The referral was prompted by a report by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), which found the extent Thales had wooed Australian officials in a skewedtender process. A bottle of champagne, for instance, had been solicited by a defence official in the course of discussions, one that also involved providing Thales with confidential information. This all worked swimmingly for the official in question, given that he later joined the company.
Thales also got what it wanted, effectively bypassing, with the blessing of the defence department, a competitive tender process. This took place despitea 2017 offer from the global munitions company, NIOA, and the ANAO’s own recommendation to pursue an appropriate tender option.All in all, the audit found that “Defence’s management of probity was not effective and there was evidence of unethical conduct.”
This is putting it mildly, given that Thales had not only been involved in drafting the criteria for the request for tender (RTF) documents (some 28 workshops were held for that purpose between October 2018 and August 2019), but did so deficiently. In October 2019, this very point was made by the Defence Department, which noted no fewer than 199 “non-compliances” by the company against the RTF.
Apart from giving officialdom their time in the sun of oversight and regulation, chastening investigations into corruption do little to alter the spoliation that arises from the defence industry. Defence contractors are regularly feted by government authorities, often with the connivance of the revolving door.Yesterday’s officials are today’s arms sales consultants. The defence sector, notably for such countries as France, is simply too lucrative and important to be cleansed of its unscrupulousness. Even as these investigations are taking place to ruffle Thales, the Brazilian military establishment, by way of example, has happily continued doing business with the French weapons giant.
In February last year, the defence grouptrumpeted securing a contract with the Brazilian Airspace Control Department (DECEA) for the supply and installation of ADS-B ground surveillance stations to improve the safety of commercial civil aviation. The effort is not negligible: 66 stations to be installed in over 20 Brazilian states.
On June 17, the company announced the acquisition by the Brazilian Air Force of the Ground Master 200 Multi-mission All-in-one (GM 200 MM/A) tactical air surveillance radars.With much bluster, the announcement goes on to describe such radars as giving the user “superior situational awareness for air surveillance, as well as ground-based air defence (GBAD) operations up to Mid-Range Air-Defence (MRAD).” Some gloating follows: “The contract signed with the FAB consolidates Thales’ position as a leader in the radar market in Brazil.” One can only wonder how many palms were greased, and local regulations breached, for that to happen.
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Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He currently lectures at RMIT University. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG). Email: [email protected]
Featured image: The research centre of Thales in the business cluster of Paris-Saclay, France. (Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)
At a time when trillions of dollars are being wasted annually on weapons, high luxury and wasteful consumption as well gigantic projects of highly suspect usefulness, the most urgently needed funds to save human lives, including those of children, in humanitarian crisis situations are just not available.
It is difficult to believe, but the hard fact is that the much needed funds for humanitarian assistance of critical importance are falling short to the extent of about 90 per cent or so.
In its update published on May 31, 2024 (Global Humanitarian Overview or GHO) the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has stated that population in need of humanitarian assistance at world level in year 2024 is 308 million. However keeping in view the fund constraints OCHA is targeting only 187 million people needing humanitarian assistance in 71 countries. For this OCHA needs funds amounting to 48.6 billion dollars in 2024. However up to May 2024 it had received only 7.8 billion dollars. Hence the gap was about 40.6 billion dollars (48.6 minus 7.8).
By the end of June the amount raised had risen to about 9 billion dollars. In other words only about 18 per cent of funds needed were available, leaving a gap of about 82 per cent.
However while examining this number please keep in mind that OCHA is targeting only 187 million people out of the 308 people in need. If all the people in need are considered, then the available funds would equal only 10 per cent of what is needed, or perhaps even less.
This is an amazing reflection of the kind of world we are living in, where over a thousand billion dollars are being thoughtlessly, in fact cruelly, spent on prolonging horrible wars and weapon-piles but a hundred billion dollars cannot be spared for saving highly endangered human lives, including children and expectant or breastfeeding mothers, in the worst affected humanitarian crisis areas.
Of course there is spending other than the one mobilized by OCHA or outside its network on humanitarian assistance, but then there are also many other people needing help due to extreme hunger, deprivation and insecurity who are left out in the OCHA estimate. Even if all data are included, the conclusion is inescapable that the overwhelming majority of the people who need urgent humanitarian help are not getting this, or else what they are getting falls fall short of their needs.
In addition whatever little help is available is not being distributed equally. Urgent needs of millions of people are being neglected to a horrible extent. This includes people of several countries like Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Myanmar and Afghanistan which are not on the priority lists of main donor countries.
The conditions are so alarming in several places that several refugees and displaced people, who have been denied help needed to survive, are returning to home places amidst continuing conditions of high insecurity and may be killed.
Clearly there is very urgent need for raising humanitarian aid funds at least to the levels targeted by OCHA, while remembering that these are only modest targets and are not adequate for meeting humanitarian needs. Next year higher targets should be set and these should be met. In addition there is great urgency of ending various conflicts as early as possible. The number of conflicts has increased in recent times and higher numbers of people are caught in them. Conflicts are also getting more prolonged than before and possibilities of peace agreements for ending wars and conflicts have been significantly reduced. This is a very important cause of the increasing number of people needing humanitarian assistance. In addition, apart from the shortage of funding, conflicts also create conditions in which it becomes more difficult to take relief to people caught in conflicts.
Even after several conflicts end, in view of the devastation caused by them, need for humanitarian assistance in these regions will continue. Hence clearly two of the world’s biggest priorities should be to bring very early peace in various conflict zones and to raise the funds needed to provide humanitarian assistance in adequate ways.
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Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Protecting Earth for Children, Planet in Peril, A Day in 2071 and India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.
A food security issue is looming. ‘Food security’ means following an agricultural policy which ensures that a nation state is broadly capable of feeding its own people.The UK was running at 60% self-sufficiency home production figure for most of the past two to three decades. It dropped to around 45% five years ago and this year (2024) that figure has fallen to just 32%.
The dark diabolical cult which pretends to run our world and which has long prepared the final stage of their full supremacy, UN-Agenda 2030, and The Great Reset, must follow strict Cult rules. Among them is a simple one: they must tell their “victims” – in this case all of humanity — what they are planning to do.
Only weeks after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted the meeting between the leaders of India and Russia as a “huge disappointment,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preparing for an official trip to Kiev in the third week of August.
As of the present, the utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been the steady trend among universities worldwide as well as among educational institutions in our contemporary educational milieu. Artificial Intelligence is here with us to stay and it is counterproductive and counter-intuitive for both educators and learners to adapt the “Fight-Flight-Freeze” reaction in the shadow of the pervasive and prevalent utilization of AI in our contemporary education.
Key decision-makers and policymakers from the Global North and Global South should foment stronger partnerships through memoranda of understanding and agreements to foster access to opportunities in the areas of health, education, gender parity, labour market reforms, affirmative action and social protection to alleviate inequalities.
Ambassador Samantha Power, former US Ambassador to the UN, and now director of USAID, an office of the US State Department, traveled to Armenia on July 10 to strong-arm Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan into buying gas from Azerbaijan, instead of Russia.
The U.S., which has been losing ground in every field and recently lost all moral and ethical values by applauding Netanyahu, the architect of the Gaza genocide, in the American Congress, cannot control the global maritime traffic flow at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
There’s no restoring the trust that was just lost at that level, but the Polish-Hungarian Brotherhood still endures in the hearts of their patriots since they’ll never let politicians break the bonds between them.
Polish-Hungarian tensions have been boiling for the past two and a half years due to their polar opposite approaches towards the latest phase of the Ukrainian Conflict and finally spilled over this weekend. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban lambasted Poland in a speech where he accused it of seeking to replace the EU’s traditional Franco-German axis with a new one comprised of itself, the UK, Ukraine, the Baltic States, and Scandinavia, with the innuendo being that this is contributing to continental instability.
He elaborated that this is actually an old Polish plan and is being advanced by exploiting the Ukrainian Conflict’s latest phase in order to become the number one US base in Europe. Orban added that this amounts to Warsaw giving up on the Visegrad Group, which was envisaged as a third center of power in Europe between the Franco-German axis and Russia when it was first formed. He also called Poland two-faced for criticizing Hungary for purchasing of Russian resources while doing the exact same thing.
His observations predictably provoked a sharp response from Poland, whose Deputy Foreign Minister Teofil Bartoszewski denied Orban’s accusations of doing business with Russia and then suggested that Hungary should withdraw from Euro-Atlantic organizations to form “a union with Putin”. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto reacted to these provocative words with the following post on Facebook in which he made it clear that bilateral relations won’t be the same after what just happened:
“The Polish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs reacted sharply to yesterday’s speech in Tusnádfürd les… The reaction proves the truth of the Hungarian saying that goes: the truth hurts.
With the intention of preserving the Polish-Hungarian brotherhood, we endured the provocations and hypocrisy of the current Polish government for a long time, but for now the glass is full.
While the current Polish government judges and accuses us because we import petroleum from Russia – which is absolutely necessary for the operation of the country, if we take a good look at the list of buyers of one of the largest Russian oil companies, we will certainly find the Poles there as well.
There would be no problem with this, because energy supply ultimately has physical bases, but if it has been turned out like this, then you shouldn’t be hypocritical and shouldn’t accuse others.”
As can be seen, the Polish-Hungarian Brotherhood of the past seven centuries is officially dead at the state-to-state level, though it still lives on in the hearts of patriots from both countries who know that Poland’s last two governments are to blame for this. The incumbent liberal-globalist one went overboard with its anti-Hungarian rhetoric, but their conservative-nationalist predecessors were already giving Hungary the cold shoulder and throwing shade in its direction.
Each administration hates Russia more than they love their own country, which led to them ruining their historic brotherhood with Hungary over its right to retain relations with Moscow. It also accounts for why the prior one agreed to a trilateral alliance with the UK and Ukraine two weeks before the special operation began and then helped sabotage spring 2022’s peace talks as explained here. These developments can be seen in hindsight as the first steps toward Poland abandoning the Visegrad Group.
The ruling liberal-globalists took everything to its logical conclusion since their radical ideology pushed them to deal a deathblow to this brotherhood at the state-to-state level instead of continuing to behave passively-aggressively towards it like their predecessors were in order to prevent a full-blown rupture. There’s no restoring the trust that was just lost at that level, but the Polish-Hungarian Brotherhood still endures in the hearts of their patriots since they’ll never let politicians break the bonds between them.
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Andrew Korybko is an American Moscow-based political analyst specializing in the relationship between the US strategy in Afro-Eurasia, China’s One Belt One Road global vision of New Silk Road connectivity, and Hybrid Warfare. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.
Merck last week announced “positive” results from a Phase 2/3 clinical trial for a monoclonal antibody drug the pharmaceutical giant is developing to protect infants against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease.
The drug, clesrovimab, met its safety and efficacy endpoints, the company said in a press release, reducing the need for medical attention for infants who took the drug through 150 days. Clesrovimab targets infants in their first RSV season.
The press release offered no other details of the study. The company said it will present the clinical trial results at an unnamed “upcoming scientific congress” and file them with global regulators for approval.
If approved, clesrovimab will be the third monoclonal antibody to treat RSV-related illness that is available for babies. Palivizumab, sold under the brand name Synagis, a short-acting monoclonal that must be administered monthly, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998 and is typically used only for high-risk infants.
The FDA in July 2023 approved AstraZeneca and Sanofi’s nirsevimab, under the brand name Beyfortus, for all infants under 8 months or high-risk infants up to 24 months of age. The drug went on the market in the fall of 2023 in the U.S. and Europe.
Merck said it assessed clesrovimab for any injection-related adverse events, adverse events of special interest, solicited systemic adverse events, or serious adverse events. The drugmaker said clesrovimab met its safety endpoints, although it didn’t say what those endpoints were.
An investigation by The Defender found that at least two infant deaths reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS, were linked to Beyfortus.
And French scientist Hélène Banoun, Ph.D., identified a significant increase in mortality among newborns between 2 and 6 days old in France following the start of the nirsevimab vaccination campaign there. The babies were injected before leaving the hospital.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added the monoclonal antibodies to its 2024 childhood immunization schedule, even though they are not vaccines.
Vaccines stimulate the immune system to trigger an immune response. Monoclonal antibodies are lab-cloned proteins injected into the body that act like antibodies, seeking out antigens in the body to destroy.
The CDC had to change the name of its vaccine schedule to “vaccines and other immunizing agents” before adding the RSV monoclonal antibodies to the list.
RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild cold-like symptoms but can lead to hospitalization and, in rare cases, death in infants and the elderly. By age 2, 97% of all babies have been infected with the RSV virus, which confers partial immunity, making any subsequent episodes less severe.
The protection conferred by the monoclonal antibodies lasts weeks after injection and then wanes over time, according to the CDC. And the antibodies carry risks, including the risk of making RSV illness worse in some children, according to Banoun’s research.
“It is crazy to give newborns monoclonal antibodies — a potentially dangerous product for symptoms they probably won’t get,” Dr. Meryl Nass told The Defender. “Give them vitamin D and breastfeed them and the problem will disappear for almost all babies.”
Dr. Paul Thomas, pediatrician and author of the forthcoming book, “Vax Facts: What to Consider Before Vaccinating at All Ages & Stages of Life,” told The Defender:
“Monoclonal antibodies are a very new technology, and this is an area of medicine where I would urge caution and avoid becoming an early adopter of this technology. There will likely be serious side effects and unexpected negative outcomes.”
Growing Market for ‘Blockbuster’ Drug
Merck’s clesrovimab is gearing up to compete with Beyfortus, the only comparable product, in a market that is growing rapidly, helped along by the national vaccination campaigns launched in the U.S. and several European countries.
“We are encouraged by these findings and look forward to working with regulators to provide a new option to help address the impact of RSV on infants and their families,” Dr. Paula Annunziato, senior vice president of infectious diseases and vaccines in Global Clinical Development at Merck Research Laboratories, said in the press release.
The drug netted about $592 million during its first year on the market. Sanofi said it expects that number to roughly double this year, breaching “blockbuster” status — $1 billion in sales — Fierce Pharma reported.
Beyfortus’ uptake in the U.S. has surpassed previous childhood immunization benchmarks, such as those for rotavirus and pneumococcal disease, Sanofi told Fierce Pharma. About 20% of eligible infants in the U.S. and over 80% in France, Spain and Luxembourg — the other countries with 2023-2024 nirsevimab vaccination campaigns — have received the drug.
Sales were constrained only by shortages of the drug last year. Top Biden administration health officials have been meeting with the companies to support them in ramping up production, hoping to double the number of doses available this year.
‘Perfectly Healthy Baby Now Enters the Unknown of Pharmaceutical Trials’
Merck in 2020 was also developing an mRNA RSV vaccine for older adults in conjunction with Moderna but gave those rights back to Moderna so it could pursue monoclonal antibody development for infants.
Moderna continued developing that RSV vaccine. The FDA approved Moderna’s adult mRNA RSV shot for adults over 60 in May — Moderna’s second-ever product to be approved for the market, NBC reported.
The company is now running a clinical trial for an RSV mRNA vaccine for children and teens ages 2-17. Children and teens in that age group are not typically considered to be at risk of severe or life-threatening RSV infections.
Moderna also is conducting an mRNA vaccine trial called the Rhyme Trial for an RSV and a human metapneumovirus (hMPV) vaccine for infants ages 5-24 months. According to Moderna, the mRNA drug offers better protection than the “passive protection” from monoclonal antibodies, because the mRNA shot will stimulate the child’s immune system to create its own protection.
One of the clinics hosting the Rhyme Trial in the United Kingdom posted a photograph on Instagram, celebrating the first baby — “six-month-old Robyn” — to get a shot and calling for other participants in the trial.
Thomas said it was “horrifying” that Moderna, which before its RSV vaccines had only brought one dangerous product, the COVID-19 vaccine, to market, was now conducting experiments on babies for another product.
Thomas said:
“The image that went viral shows a bunch of adult researchers smiling holding one of their victims who seems a bit perplexed. Perhaps this baby is wondering why they are so happy. This baby just got an experimental treatment. A perfectly healthy baby now enters the unknown of pharmaceutical trials!”
The Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford is running the Phase 1 study, which is meant to test the new mRNA vaccines on about 200 infants for their safety, tolerability and how well they prevent infections from the viruses.
The trial is testing two vaccines at once. Some babies will receive mRNA-1345, its RSV vaccine approved for adults, and others will receive mRNA-1365, designed to protect against RSV and hMPV. Others will receive a placebo, although the study notes that the placebo may be Nimenrix — a meningococcal vaccine — rather than a true placebo.
According to the CDC, hMPV is a virus that causes common cold symptoms and circulates every winter. Most people, including children, develop no serious complications from the cold, although it can cause bronchiolitis and pneumonia, particularly in older vulnerable people.
Thomas said that in his clinical experience, hMPV was an illness “we simply do not need to worry about.” If there is any use for a shot, he said, it should be reserved for high-risk individuals. “It would not make any sense to have this product unleashed on all healthy children, as they simply are not at risk of anything serious happening.”
Children in the trial will receive three doses of the vaccine or placebo over four months and follow-up will happen through in-person visits and phone calls. Parents will also keep an electronic diary to track side effects and illness.
The parent information sheet warns that side effects could include myocarditis or pericarditis, for which parents should seek immediate medical attention. “Most of the time, people recover with treatment and rest” from those conditions, it says.
During follow-up visits, clinicians will take blood samples and nasal swabs from children. The samples will be maintained for 25 years and used for future research as well.
Previous attempts to develop an RSV vaccine failed after vaccine-induced antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) resulted in infant deaths.
ADE occurs when antibodies bind to a pathogen but can’t prevent infection. Instead, the antibodies do the opposite of what was intended — they act as a “trojan horse,” facilitating the pathogen’s entry into cells and exacerbating the immune response.
Recent research has shown this may be a problem with the current monoclonal antibody treatments as well.
The Rhyme Trial parent information sheet acknowledges that this happened with the previous attempt to develop an RSV vaccine for children but states, “That vaccine was made by a very different method than the RSV vaccines in this Study,” and “Experts believe that there is very little risk of this happening with the mRNA-1345 or mRNA-1365 vaccines in this Study.”
They will be monitoring children closely to see if such a reaction occurs, they note.
Parents won’t be compensated for participation, although they can be reimbursed up to 43 pounds for travel and meal costs.
Moderna’s trial also will be carried out in the U.S., although most locations listed for the study on the clinical trials government website are listed as “not yet recruiting” subjects.
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Brenda Baletti, Ph.D., is a senior reporter for The Defender. She wrote and taught about capitalism and politics for 10 years in the writing program at Duke University. She holds a Ph.D. in human geography from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s from the University of Texas at Austin.
Only weeks after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted the meeting between the leaders of India and Russia as a “huge disappointment,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preparing for an official trip to Kiev in the third week of August. India is embarking on a peace mission akin to Chinese and Hungarian efforts, despite Zelensky condescendingly and incorrectly claiming that Modi’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was a “devastating blow to peace efforts.”
The visit follows on from Modi’s recent trip to Russia and highlights New Delhi’s balanced foreign policy approach. Moscow respects this approach and does not condemn the Indian leader’s expected meeting with Zelensky, unlike Kiev and Washington, which expressed frustration and disappointment because Modi met with Putin.
Even weeks after Modi met with Putin, Washington was evidently still angered by the meeting.
US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu, on July 24 told the US House Foreign Affairs Committee that the US government had shared its “disappointment” about the “symbolism and timing” of Modi’s trip to Moscow and had “tough conversations” with “our Indian friends,” whilst House Representative Joe Wilson, who serves as a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, remarked:
“It is shameful for India to continue supporting war criminal Putin in his mass slaughter of Ukrainians.”
However, India is an independent country that continues its long-held policy of non-alignment and will not be intimidated by Washington into not deepening its bilateral ties with Russia. At the same time, as part of balancing diplomacy, New Delhi pursuing closer relations with Kiev will not hinder its ties with Moscow.
It is recalled that only on July 12, days after Modi met with Putin, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said,
“I respect that India likes its strategic autonomy, but in times of conflict, there is no such thing as strategic autonomy. No war is distant anymore. And we must not just stand for peace, we must take concrete actions to make sure those who don’t play by peaceful rules, that their war machines cannot continue unabated. That’s something that the United States needs to know, and that India needs to know, together.”
At the time, India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reemphasised his country’s strategic autonomy:
“The US ambassador is entitled, obviously, to his opinion. We also have our own — and different — views. Our comprehensive global strategic partnership with the United States gives us the space to agree to disagree on certain issues while respecting each other’s viewpoints.”
This correspondence alone demonstrates that India unapologetically pursues its interests and is not beholden to foreign powers.
According to Indian media, the Kiev regime “has proposed Ukraine’s national day — August 24 — as a possible date although there is a possibility that the visit might be unannounced in view of the security situation.”
If Modi visits on August 24, the Kiev regime will propagandise it as a symbolic gesture that India is drifting from Russia. For New Delhi, the visit will be a balancing signal to the West, helping foster its image as a peace seeker and strengthening its diplomatic role.
In a demonstration that Modi’s expected visit to Ukraine will not strain India-Russia ties, the Indian Navy’s INS Tabar stealth frigate participated in the Russian Navy Day celebrations in St. Petersburg on July 28. The impressive parade showcased more than 200 ships and over 100 pieces of combat equipment, and INS Tabar’s participation epitomised the growing ties between the two countries.
Despite Western sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war, India and Russia are strengthening economic ties and have set an ambitious bilateral trade target of $100 billion by 2030, a 50% increase from the current $66 billion. India’s exports to Russia amounted to just $4.26 billion in the financial year that ended in March, and Russia’s exports, mainly crude oil and petroleum products, stood at $61.43 billion, creating a massive trade imbalance. However, compensating for this vast trade imbalance is the fact that India is getting Russian oil at below-market rates, thus cutting India’s overall oil import bill.
India is examining ways to exploit export opportunities, such as supplying goods that Russia cannot directly attain from other countries due to the sanctions and expanding trade transactions in national currencies – the Indian rupee and the Russian ruble.
“We are also looking at the rupee-ruble trade. … It’s a twin strategy [that] we are working on,” Indian Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal told reporters on July 15. “We are looking at various sets of commodities, for example, electronics, engineering products and other items” regarding exports to Russia.
Washington will not dissuade Indian decision-makers from abandoning long-held policies, and Kiev will not shame New Delhi for its longstanding ties with Moscow, given that they are founded on cooperation and trust. Nonetheless, even the gaslighting by Washington and Kiev will not dissuade India from pursuing a peace agenda, and Modi will continue presenting himself as a potential mediator between Zelensky and Putin.
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There is only one country in the world right now, in the midst of Israel’s slaughter in Gaza, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is guaranteed dozens of standing ovations from the vast majority of its elected representatives.
That country is not Israel, where he has been a hugely divisive figure for many years. It is the United States.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu was back-slapped, glad-handed, whooped and cheered as he slowly made his way – hailed at every step as a conquering hero – to the podium of the US Congress.
This was the same Netanyahu who has overseen during the past 10 months the slaughter – so far – of some 40,000 Palestinians, around half of them women and children. More than 21,000 other children are reported missing, most of them likely dead under rubble.
It was the same Netanyahu who levelled a strip of territory – originally home to 2.3 million Palestinians – that is expected to take 80 years to rebuild, at a cost of at least $50bn.
It was the same Netanyahu who has destroyed every hospital and university in Gaza, and bombed almost all of its schools that were serving as shelters for families made homeless by other Israeli bombs.
It was the same Netanyahu whose arrest is being sought by the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, accused of using starvation as a weapon of war by imposing an aid blockade that has engineered a famine across Gaza.
It was the same Netanyahu whose government was found last week by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to have been intensifying Israel’s apartheid rule over the Palestinian people in an act of long-term aggression.
It was the same Netanyahu whose government is standing trial for committing what the ICJ, the world’s highest judicial body, has termed a “plausible genocide”.
And yet, there was just one visible protester in the congressional chamber. Rashida Tlaib, the only US legislator of Palestinian heritage, sat silently grasping a small black sign. On one side it said: “War criminal”. On the other: “Guilty of genocide.”
One person among hundreds mutely trying to point out that the emperor was naked.
Cocooned From Horror
Indeed, the optics were stark.
This looked less like a visit by a foreign leader than a decorated elder general being welcomed back to the Senate in ancient Rome, or a grey-haired British viceroy from India embraced in the motherland’s parliament, after brutally subduing the “barbarians” on the fringes of empire.
This was a scene familiar from history books: of imperial brutality and colonial savagery, recast by the seat of the imperium as valour, honour, civilisation. And it looked every bit as absurd, and abhorrent, as it does when we look back on what happened 200 or 2,000 years ago.
It was a reminder that, despite our self-serving claims of progress and humanitarianism, our world is not very different from the way it has been for thousands of years.
It was a reminder that power elites like to celebrate the demonstration of their power, cocooned both from the horrors faced by those crushed by their might, and from the clamour of protest of those horrified by the infliction of so much suffering.
It was a reminder that this is not a “war” between Israel and Hamas – let alone, as Netanyahu would have us believe, a battle for civilisation between the Judeo-Christian world and the Islamic world.
This is a US imperial war – part of its military campaign for “global, full-spectrum dominance” – carried out by Washington’s most favoured client state.
The genocide is fully a US genocide, armed by Washington, paid for by Washington, given diplomatic cover by Washington, and – as the scenes in Congress underlined – cheered on by Washington.
Palestinians line up to fetch some water in a refugee camp in Gaza. (Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)
Or as Netanyahu stated in a moment of unintentional candour to Congress:
“Our enemies are your enemy, our fight is your fight, and our victory will be your victory.”
Israel is Washington’s largest military outpost in the oil-rich Middle East. The Israeli army is the Pentagon’s main battalion in that strategically important region. And Netanyahu is the outpost’s commander in chief.
What is vital to Washington elites is that the outpost is supported at all costs; that it doesn’t fall to the “barbarians”.
Outpouring of Lies
There was another small moment of inadvertent truth amid Netanyahu’s outpouring of lies. The Israeli prime minister stated that what was happening in Gaza was “a clash between barbarism and civilisation”. He was not wrong.
On the one side, there is the barbarism of the current joint Israeli-US genocide against the people of Gaza, a dramatic escalation of the 17-year Israeli siege of the enclave that preceded it, and the decades of belligerent rule under an Israeli system of apartheid before that.
And on the other side, there are the embattled few desperately trying to safeguard the West’s professed values of “civilisation”, of international humanitarian law, of the protection of the weak and vulnerable, of the rights of children.
The US Congress decisively showed where it stood: with barbarism.
Netanyahu has become the most feted foreign leader in US history, invited to speak to Congress four times, surpassing even Britain’s wartime leader, Winston Churchill.
He is fully Washington’s creature. His savagery, his monstrousness is entirely made in America. As he implored his US handlers: “Give us the tools faster and we’ll finish the job faster.”
Finish the job of genocide.
Performative Dissent
Some Democrats preferred to stay away, including party power broker Nancy Pelosi. Instead, she met families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza – not, of course, Palestinian families whose loved ones in Gaza had been slaughtered by Israel.
Vice President Kamala Harris explained her own absence as a scheduling conflict. She met the Israeli prime minister, as did President Joe Biden, on Thursday.
Afterwards, she claimed to have pressed Netanyahu on the “dire” humanitarian situation in Gaza but stressed too that Israel “had a right to defend itself” – a right that Israel specifically does not have, as the ICJ pointed out last week, because Israel is the one permanently violating the rights of the Palestinians through its prolonged occupation, apartheid rule and ethnic cleansing.
But the dissent of Pelosi – and of Harris, if that is what it was – was purely performative. True, they have no personal love for Netanyahu, who has so closely allied himself and his government with the US Republican right and former president Donald Trump.
But Netanyahu simply serves as an alibi. Both Pelosi and Harris are stalwart supporters of Israel – a state that, according to the ICJ’s judgment last week, decades ago instituted apartheid rule in the Palestinian territories, using an illegal occupation as cover to ethnically cleanse the population there.
Their political agenda is not about ending the annihilation of the people of Gaza. It is acting as a safety valve for popular dissatisfaction among traditional Democratic voters shocked by the scenes from Gaza.
It is to deceive them into imagining that behind closed doors, there is some sort of policy fight over Israel’s handling of the Palestinian issue. That voting Democrat will one day – one very distant day – lead to an undefined “peace”, a fabled “two-state solution” where Palestinian children won’t keep dying in the interests of preserving the security of Israel’s illegal settler-militias.
US policy towards Israel has not changed in any meaningful sense for decades, whether the president has been red or blue, whether Trump has been in the White House or Barack Obama.
And if Harris becomes president – admittedly, a big if – US arms and money will continue flowing to Israel, while Israel will get to decide if US aid to Gaza is ever allowed in.
Why? Because Israel is the lynchpin in a US imperial project for global full-spectrum dominance. Because for Washington to change course on Israel, it would also have to do other unthinkable things.
It would have to begin dismantling its 800 military bases around the planet, just as Israel was told by the ICJ last week to dismantle its dozens of illegal settlements on Palestinian territory.
The US would need to agree a shared global security architecture with China and Russia, rather than seek to bully and batter these great powers into submission with bloody proxy wars, such as the one in Ukraine.
The Coming Fall
Pelosi, remember, smeared students on US campuses protesting Israel’s plausible genocide in Gaza as being linked to Russia. She urged the FBI to investigate them for pressuring the Biden administration to support a ceasefire.
Netanyahu, in his address to Congress, similarly demonised the demonstrators – in his case, by accusing them of being “useful idiots” of Israel’s main foe, Iran.
Neither can afford to recognise that millions of ordinary people across the US think it is wrong to bomb and starve children – and to use a war with an unachievable aim as the cover story.
Hamas cannot be “eliminated” through Israel’s current bout of horrifying violence for a very obvious reason: the group is a product, a symptom, of earlier bouts of horrifying Israeli violence.
As even western counter-terrorism experts have had to concede, Israel’s genocidal policies in Gaza are strengthening Hamas, not weakening it. Men and boys who lose their family to Israeli bombs are Hamas’s most fervent new recruits.
That’s why Netanyahu insisted Israel’s military offensive – the genocide – in Gaza could not end soon. He demanded weapons and money to keep his soldiers in the enclave indefinitely, in an operation he termed as “demilitarisation and deradicalisation”.
Decoded, that means a continuing horror show for the Palestinians there, as they are forced to continue living and dying with an Israeli aid blockade, starvation, bombs and unmarked “kill zones”.
It means, too, an indefinite risk of Israel’s war on Gaza spilling over into a regional war, and potentially a global one, as tripwires towards escalation continue to grow in number.
The US Congress, however, is too blinded by championing its small fortressed state in the Middle East to think about such complexities. Its members roared “USA!” to their satrap from Israel, just as Roman senators once roared “Glory!” to generals whose victories they assumed would continue forever.
The rulers of the Roman empire no more saw the coming fall than their modern counterparts in Washington can. But every empire falls. And its collapse becomes inevitable once its rulers lose all sense of how absurd and abhorrent they have become.
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Jonathan Cook is the author of three books on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and a winner of the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism. His website and blog can be found at www.jonathan-cook.net
Featured image: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., July 24, 2024. (Reuters Photo)
There is increasing need for more comprehensive estimation of costs of conflicts and wars. It is expected that wider realization of very high costs of war can contribute much to more emphasis being placed on reducing the possibilities of wars and conflicts and for overall enhancement of peace prospects all over the world.
Generally the most widespread single indicator of costs of war that has been commonly used refers to the number of people who die in a war or conflict directly due to the violence of the conflict including shooting, bomb-blasts etc.However it is increasingly realized that wars also increase the possibilities of hunger, displacement, homelessness, collapse of water and sanitation facilities as well as other essential infrastructure, denial of medical care, spread of disease, mental stress and suicides. All this also results in a large number of deaths.
While deaths caused by violence like shooting and bombs is referred to as deaths caused directly by war, the other deaths are referred to as deaths caused indirectly by wars and conflicts. The indirectly caused deaths can be very high in the context of civil wars. However even in other wars these have been found to be generally much higher than directly caused deaths.
This concept of indirectly caused deaths received a lot of attention in Iraq where a very large number of deaths of children were reported due to indirect causes. Another factor that was highlighted here was that use of depleted uranium weapons leaves behind high risks of very serious diseases like cancer and this continues to cause high levels of distress many years or even decades after the actual fighting has stopped. In other conflicts the use of landmines (example Angola), cluster bombs (as in Laos) and chemical warfare and herbicides (as in Vietnam) have left behind very long-term destructive impacts (not to mention the widely known and most horrible long-term impacts of atom bombs suffered in the two Japanese locations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki).
More recently it is the comprehensive estimates prepared by Brown University regarding the costs of the USA’s War on Terror which have drawn a lot of attention to the concept of indirect costs. In these estimates during the roughly two decades of the War of Terror 2001-21 it was estimated that 0.9 million or nine lakh people were directly killed. However the estimates of indirect deaths were nearly four times of this. If you add directly and indirectly caused deaths then as many as 4.5 million deaths were caused, mostly in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan etc. but each and every affected country was not covered.
A view of Palestinians as they try to continue their daily life amid Israeli attacks at the Jabalia Refugee Camp in Jabalia, Gaz on February 17, 2024 [Dawoud Abo Alkas – Anadolu Agency]
In the case of the ongoing Gaza conflict somewhat similar assumptions have been used to find out the number of indirectly caused deaths. In Gaza the latest estimate is that nearly 38,000 people have died directly in the violence. However this does not include those people who were buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings and hence could not be identified or counted. Roughly their number has been estimated to be about 10,000.
If these numbers are counted then the number increases to about 48,000 directly caused deaths by violence. However if it is assumed that four indirect deaths are caused per directly caused death, as in the case of Brown University’s estimates for the War on Terror, then the number of indirectly caused deaths is about 192,000 and the number of total deaths in the Gaza conflict up to July 14, 2024 is about 240,000. This amounts to about 10 per cent of the entire population which is a very high estimate for a very small region like Gaza within a period of about just nine months of conflict. The reason for this is that living conditions of Gaza have been ruined on such a colossal scale by relentless bombing that survival is indeed becoming very difficult.
In fact indirectly caused deaths can easily be an even higher multiple of directly caused deaths in several conflicts. Various estimates indicate that these can range from three times to even higher than ten times. Chances of these higher estimates are higher in conflict zones like Gaza where living conditions have been so badly destroyed that most essential infrastructure has collapsed.
The indirect and even direct deaths have been even more difficult to estimate for the Ukraine conflict as very different statistics have been emerging from various sources.Still as the number of directly caused deaths is at least 200,000 (likely to be more) and as there has been massive destruction of basic living conditions over vast areas what we can conservatively estimate is that indirectly caused deaths here too are a multiple of four or about 800,000 and hence the overall mortality of this conflict has crossed about one million.
In addition we must not forget the large number of people, soldiers as well as civilians, who are very seriously injured or disabled in wars and have to live with these injuries and disabilities for a long time.
These are only some important aspects of a more comprehensive evaluation of wars and conflicts. This must be seen together with the increased possibilities of conflicts and wars in recent times. We can obtain an idea of this increasing threat of conflicts from the latest (2024) report of the Global Peace Index.
The Global Peace Index (GPI) ranks 163 independent states and territories according to their level of peacefulness, covering 99.7 per cent of the world’s population. Produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), the GPI has been frequently mentioned as the world’s leading measure of global war and peace.
One of the most significant findings of this report is that many of the conditions that precede major conflicts are higher now than they have been since the end of the Second World War. In addition the number of conflicts are also increasing in various parts of the world. As the GPI tells us, there are currently 56 active conflicts, the most since the end of Second World War, and with fewer conflicts being resolved, either militarily or through peace agreements.
The GPI tells us further that the number of conflicts that ended in a decisive victory fell from 49 per cent in the 1970s to nine per cent in the 2010s, while conflicts that ended through peace agreements fell from 23 per cent to four per cent over the same period.
The latest GPI also tells us that conflicts are also becoming more internationalised, with as many as 92 countries now engaged in a conflict beyond their borders, the most since the inception of the GPI in 2008, complicating negotiation processes for a lasting peace and prolonging conflicts. Trying to explain this worrying phenomenon, the GPI argues that
the “internationalisation of conflict is driven by increased great power competition and the rise of middle level powers, who are becoming more active in their regions.”
Further GPI 2024 tells us that although the measures of militarisation had been improving for the first 16 years of the GPI, the trend has now reversed and in 2024 militarisation deteriorated in 108 countries.
The combination of these factors, GPI argues, means that the likelihood of another major conflict is higher than at any time since the inception of the GPI. According to the GPI, this year’s results found that the average level of global peacefulness deteriorated by 0.56 per cent. This is the 12th deterioration in peacefulness in the last 16 years, with 65 countries improving and 97 deteriorating in peacefulness. This is the highest number of countries to deteriorate in peacefulness in a single year since the inception of the index.
Thus not only are comprehensively estimated costs of wars and conflicts much higher than is commonly realized, in addition the possibilities of wars and conflicts, including much bigger wars and more prolonged conflicts, have been increasing in recent times. Hence clearly we are living in very high risk times and there is a very strong case for strengthening of the forces of peace at all levels. The ability of the UNO as a force of peace must increase with overdue reforms. The forces of peace should work with much greater continuity instead of becoming active only as fire-fighting forces. There must be much greater unity among them, and closer links with forces of environment protection and justice.
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Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Protecting Earth for Children, A Day in 2071 and Planet in Peril. More information and photo if required can be seen at his web-site bharatdogra.in. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.
Western politicians, the same ones who support and applaud apartheid Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, would have us believe that they support democracy and freedom and humanitarianism as foreign policy goals.
These same AIPAC-funded politicians would also have us believe that they support religious and ethnic pluralism as foreign policy goals.
Now more than ever their duplicity is being revealed as the war propaganda that it is.
As the West revels in its mockery of Christ’s Last Supper, Western-supported Israel has been slaughtering Christians in Palestine who seek shelter from the genocide in the supposed safety of churches.
Slaughters such as these are consistent with Western foreign policy. The West, (including Israel), with its overt and covert support for internationally-proscribed extremist terrorist groups, including ISIS and al Qaeda, is responsible for sectarian extremism in Syria and beyond, and the concurrent purge of christians from the “New Middle East”(1). Empire deploys these proxies to destroy prey countries and their peoples, and to advance imperial “hegemony”.
Interestingly, as noted by professor, author and human rights lawyer Dan Kovalik,(2) it is Hezbollah which helped the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) liberate Maaloula, where the language of Christ is still spoken, from the Western-supported sectarian terrorist groups.
Importantly, Eastern Orthodox Christianity is also being persecuted and expunged from modern-day Ukraine since Washington installed a nazi-dominated coup government in 2014.(3)
The established, and very catastrophic pattern, is that beneath the war propaganda and vacuous political statements, the West and its agencies support and control all manner of extremism, including so-called “Islamist”, and Zionist, and nazi/genocidal ethnic nationalist. All of them anti-democratic, anti-human rights, anti-pluralism… and anti-Christian.
The Olympic opening ceremonies that mocked The Last Supper are consistent with these genocidal values.
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Mark Taliano is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG) and the author of Voices from Syria, Global Research Publishers, 2017. He writes on his website where this article was originally published.
Before 1959, Cuba had a modest record of five Olympic medals, four of them gold, won in Paris in 1900, Saint-Louis in 1904 and London in 1948. At the time, sport was far from being a government priority, and the island’s few sports facilities were mainly concentrated in the capital and reserved for the bourgeoisie. The vast majority of the population was thus excluded from any access to sporting activities.
With the arrival of Fidel Castro to power, the revolutionary government introduced a national policy of social inclusion, universalizing access to education, health, culture, leisure and sport. In 1961, the National Institute of Sports, Physical and Sports Education and Leisure (INDER) was created, launching a nationwide sports development program, with a policy of identifying the best talent. Free public infrastructures, accessible to the greatest number, were built throughout the country, and physical and sports education was taught in every school on the same footing as any other subject. Sport thus became a people’s right, and ceased to be a privilege reserved for a minority.
Cuba made the political choice of the Olympic spirit by banning money-grubbing professional sport in 1962, and achieved spectacular results. After discreet results at the Tokyo Games in 1964 (1 silver medal) and Mexico City in 1968 (4 silver medals), the Caribbean island reaped the rewards of its commitment with 8 medals at Munich in 1972 (3 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze), 13 medals at Montreal in 1976 (6 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze) and 20 medals at Moscow in 1980 (8 gold, 7 silver and 5 bronze).
For political reasons, Cuba did not take part in the 1984 Los Angeles or 1988 Seoul Olympics. After a long absence of 12 years, the island triumphed at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. Despite the serious difficulties caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union, the island won a total of 31 medals, including 14 gold, 6 silver and 11 bronze, ranking fifth in the world, just behind the new Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the United States, Germany and China.
In 1996, at the Atlanta Olympics, Cuba, hard hit by the disappearance of its historic Soviet partner and the resurgence of Washington’s economic sanctions, continued its momentum and achieved remarkable results, despite the “Special Period of Peace”. With a total of 25 medals, including 9 gold, 8 silver and 8 bronze, the small Caribbean island climbed to 8th place in the world rankings, behind the USA, Russia, Germany, China, France, Italy and Australia.
The Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympic Games were also great successes for Cuba, with 29 medals (11 gold, 11 silver and 7 bronze) and 27 medals (9 gold, 7 silver and 11 bronze) respectively. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Cuba won 30 medals (3 gold, 10 silver and 17 bronze) and 15 medals (5 gold, 3 silver and 7 bronze) at the 2012 London Olympics. Finally, at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the island won 11 medals (5 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze), while its record at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is 15 medals (7 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze) and a remarkable 14th place.
For the period from 1896 to 2021, Cuba ranks first in Latin America with a total of 235 medals, including 84 gold, 69 silver and 82 bronze. The island has no rivals on the continent. Brazil, a demographic behemoth with a population of over 200 million, ranks second with 150 medals. Argentina ranks third with 77 medals. Mexico is fourth with 73 medals, and Colombia is fifth with 34. If the number of Olympic gold medals is divided by population, Cuba, with its 11 million inhabitants, ranks first in the world.
Boxing is Cuba’s king sport, with no fewer than 78 Olympic medals, including 41 gold, 19 silver and 18 bronze. Boxing legends Teofilo Stevenson and Félix Savón wrote the history of the noble art as three-time Olympic champions. Above all, they made their mark by refusing astronomical sums of several million dollars to turn professional. Stevenson was offered the sum of five million dollars in exchange for a fight against Mohamed Ali, but he preferred to remain faithful “to the affection of his people”. During his historic visit to Cuba in 1991, just after his release from prison, Nelson Mandela, a great boxing fan, asked Fidel Castro to meet Stevenson, one of his favorite boxers. Felix Savón, for his part, was approached by the famous promoter Don King for a fight against Mike Tyson, then at the height of his powers, in exchange for a $10 million purse. His response was identical: “I would never trade the love and affection of my people for all the millions in the world”.
Cuba has won 45 Olympic medals in athletics, including 11 gold, 14 silver and 20 bronze. Wrestling and judo are the island’s third and fourth Olympic sports, with 27 medals (11 gold, 6 silver and 10 bronze) and 37 medals (6 gold, 15 silver and 16 bronze) respectively. Greco-Roman wrestling legend Mijaín López has won four Olympic gold medals and is in the hunt for a historic fifth title.
For the Paris 2024 Olympics, Cuba is entering a modest delegation of 61 athletes (27 women and 34 men). It is true that the flight of athletes to other countries with greater resources has seriously damaged the island, which is currently facing one of the most serious economic crises in its history, mainly due to the state of siege imposed by the United States. In fact, no fewer than 21 Cubans born and raised on the island will be defending the colors of fourteen other flags (Spain, Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria, USA, Canada, Turkey, Chile, Puerto Rico, Azerbaijan, Poland, Brazil, Belgium, IOC). But Cuba, the island of Olympic champions, accustomed to adversity and which has made resilience second nature, as usual, will proudly defend the colors of its flag and its people.
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Salim Lamrani holds a doctorate in Iberian and Latin American Studies from Sorbonne University, and is Professor of Latin American History at the University of La Réunion, specializing in relations between Cuba and the United States.
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This briefing note will inform the coordinators and scholars of the Sustainable Leadership and Positive Peace Research Fellowship Programme and global audiences about key findings from the 2023/2024 Human Development Report published by the United Nations Development Programme.
It will also present practical recommendations for the problems identified within the report concerning human development, threats to security and the role of sustainable leadership and positive peace in promoting global cooperation.
The Human Development Index (HDI) was introduced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1990 amidst the international context that standard measures of development such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita were insufficient to measure the complexity and multi-dimensional components of development including living standards, health and well-being, education, inequalities, multi-dimensional poverty, gender parity, agency and political participation. Inclusive, resilient and sustainable policies, practical interventions and institutions are necessary for ensuring that development is people-centred and future-oriented.
However, the 2023/2024 Human Development Report notes that wars, civil disturbances, mass inequities in income and wealth distribution and access to opportunities, growing poverty, rising populism, environmental degradation and climate change along with the long-lasting implications of the COVID-19 pandemic have reversed decades of gains in social and economic development, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and continue to be key threats to international peace and security and democratic norms, practices and public institutions and administration. This necessitates the research and evidenced-based policy mandate of the collaborative endeavour between the Global Sustainable Futures Network and UN-Aligned through its Sustainable Leadership and Positive Peace Research Fellowship Programme. The 2023/2024 Human Development Report outlines the following findings that should guide the individual and collective decision-making and implementation of research project activities within a short- to long-term period:
Between 1999 and 2019, the global human development index (HDI) was on track for most countries that were categorized for scoring high or very high human development.
Although the global human development index (HDI) has rebounded to project high records for Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries in 2022 and 2023, the global HDI is still below pre-pandemic levels. The COVID-19 pandemic has subverted global progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The decline of the human development index (HDI) in 2020 and 2021 was unprecedented.
The global COVID-19 recovery is highly unequal whereby 51% of Least Developed Countries (LDCS) human development indices have not surpassed the 2019 HDI values while all Organizational for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries have rebounded and surpassed the 2019 HDI values in 2023.
Extreme weather events, greenhouse gas emissions and environmental vulnerabilities drive rapid, planetary changes.
Innovation is central to attaining deep, transnational/societal transformations.
Power and resource imbalances and diverse, development needs, interests and strategies often hinder coherent, integrated and collective decision-making.
Agency refers to expanding people’s capabilities and scope for opportunities but agency gaps are widening for poor and marginalized communities in developed and developing countries.
Learning from successful efforts to managing complex, global challenges can enhance global cooperation.
Sustainable leadership can propel and sustain social norms in support of global cooperation.
Interdependence between public institutions and development state and non-state actors needs to be harnessed through collaboration and coordination to advance human development.
Proposed Policy Recommendations to the Issues Raised in the 2023/2024 Human Development Report
Key decision-makers and policymakers from the Global North and Global South should foment stronger partnerships through memoranda of understanding and agreements to foster access to opportunities in the areas of health, education, gender parity, labour market reforms, affirmative action and social protection to alleviate inequalities.
International financial, justice/legal, trade and social institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB), World Trade Organization (WTO), International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the United Nations (UN) should be reformed to enhance the decision-making representation, leverage and power of countries of the Global South. Enforcement mechanisms should be introduced, implemented and monitored in these institutions to ensure fairness in decisions, rulings and agreements in alignment with both contextually sensitive and common principles underpinning public international law.
Countries of the Global South that continue to suffer from historical and contemporary, systemic disadvantages should further capitalize on South-South cooperation to exchange and apply best practices in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies to address environmental vulnerabilities and climate change. Additionally, they should seek to access concessionary development financing loans from Southern regional blocs with established development banks.
Developed country governments, developing country governments and international institutions should build data and technical capacities to ensure greater integration and coherence of socially and culturally responsive policies and programmes of action in alignment with monitoring, evaluating and attaining the Sustainable Development Goals indicators and targets.
Universities, research institutes and research non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should strengthen their engagement with community-based organizations and social movements that are connected to poor and vulnerable communities. A combination of knowledge-based innovation and direct participation can bolster advocacy efforts geared towards policy and legislative changes at the sub-national, national, regional and international levels.
There should be an increase in cross-border public education, awareness and peace-building opportunities and campaigns, to mitigate against the consequences of polarization and populism which spread hate, discrimination and violence.
Civil society and human rights organizations should be given greater civic space in collective decision-making in both countries of the North and South to bridge the gaps in trust and legitimacy between citizens and governments and public confidence in democratic reforms and institutions.
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Tina Renier is an Afro-Jamaican scholar-activist. She is also a Research Fellow for the Sustainable Leadership and Positive Peace Research Fellowship Programme, a UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab expert and a regular contributor to Global Research. She received a Master of Arts in International Development Studies from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
July 29th, 2024 by Prof. Henry Francis B. Espiritu
As of the present, the utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been the steady trend among universities worldwide as well as among educational institutions in our contemporary educational milieu. Artificial Intelligence is here with us to stay and it is counterproductive and counter-intuitive for both educators and learners to adapt the “Fight-Flight-Freeze” reaction in the shadow of the pervasive and prevalent utilization of AI in our contemporary education.
It is therefore incumbent upon all educational stakeholders, namely: administrators, support staff, and indeed teachers and students to respond proactively in an integral and holistic manner than react in an unreflective and piecemeal way regarding the issues of utilization and integration of Artificial Intelligence in our contemporary day-and-age.
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education has opened up a world of possibilities, promising personalized learning experiences and streamlined administrative tasks. However, as I delve deeper into this realm, I find myself confronted with a myriad of ethical dilemmas that demand my careful reflection and consideration. In this essay, I will share my personal exploration of the complex ethical problems associated with the incorporation and utilization of AI in education and propose strategies to navigate and resolve these ethical complexities.
I.) The Problematics of AI Use in Education from the Perspective of Legality, Ethicality, and Authenticity
A.) The Problematics of Algorithmic Bias in Artificial Intelligence:
One of the most pressing ethical concerns in AI-driven education is algorithmic bias. AI algorithms, trained on the collation and gathering of data from the internet based on mainstream trending, may inadvertently perpetuate biases related to race, gender, or socio-economic status. For instance, automated grading systems may favor certain writing styles or penalize students from underrepresented backgrounds, leading to unfair outcomes and exacerbating existing inequalities in education.
As a teacher, algorithmic bias in AI hits close to home, stirring up deep concerns about fairness and equity in education. It is heart-wrenching to witness how these systematic errors in computer systems can sow seeds of injustice among my students. It means that resources and opportunities might be recommended based on skewed data driven by an algorithm bias fed by skewed computer algorithmic elitism, perpetuating inequalities in data and information fed by computer using its own algorithm. It is a gut-wrenching realization that biased assessments from AI algorithms could unfairly affect the students view and perspectives on issues and events, undermining their research results and limiting their view of the world.
Every day, I grapple with the weight of algorithmic bias in education, knowing that it has the power to shape the trajectory of my students’ viewpoints. It is deeply personal to me because I see the faces of those students who might be unfairly judged and limited by these biases fed by AI programmed algorithms. This issue is more than just algorithms and data; it’s about the very essence of education: the belief that every student deserves to know the complete facts and data and not just selected facts driven by selective algorithm fed by computer apps on them. As I reflect upon this problem of algorithmic bias and the problem of skewed data, selected facts, and twisted information fed by the algorithm of AI apps, I am driven by a fierce determination to advocate for my students, demanding transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in the technologies that shape their learning experiences. Because as a teacher, my greatest hope is to create a classroom where every student’s potential can flourish, unencumbered by the shadows of selective and skewed information fed by the algorithmic biases coming from AI apps, AI-driven systems, as well as AI companies.
B.) Information Privacy and Data Security:
The issue of privacy and data security strikes a chord with me as I realize the magnitude of sensitive information amassed by AI-powered educational platforms. The thought of student data being vulnerable to breaches, unauthorized access, or misuse fills me with grave concern. Protecting this data is not just a matter of compliance; it is a matter of respecting the privacy rights of students and maintaining trust between educational institutions and their stakeholders.
C.) Transparency and Accountability:
As someone who values transparency, integrity, and accountability, I find the opacity of AI algorithms in educational decision-making processes deeply unsettling. Unlike traditional teaching methods where educators provide rationale for their decisions, AI-driven systems often operate as “black boxes,” leaving me questioning the accountability behind their recommendations. It is essential for me to understand how these systems arrive at conclusions or recommendations to ensure fairness and mitigate the risk of cognitive biases and factual errors.
D.) Digital Divide and the Need to See that No Student is Left Behind in the use of Digital Media and AI:
The digital divide poses yet another ethical dilemma that weighs heavily on my conscience. The thought that unequal access to AI technologies and digital infrastructure among students could widen the gap between the privileged and the marginalized students fills me with a sense of injustice. Bridging this divide is not just about providing equal opportunities; it is about addressing systemic inequalities and ensuring that all students have access to the tools they need in order for them to succeed.
E.) Impersonalized Education and Depersonalization of Learning:
The prospect of depersonalizing learning experiences through over-reliance on AI troubles me deeply. While AI can offer personalized learning recommendations based on data analysis, it lacks the human touch, the personal sensitivity, the emotive warmth, and the authentic person-to-person interaction that educators bring to the classroom. I fear that this depersonalization could hinder students’ socio-emotional development and detract from their integral and holistic learning experiences.
II.) Problems of Inauthenticity, Deception, Cheating, Plagiarism, Privacy, and Intellectual Property Rights: Possible Strategies and Recommended Resolutions to Address Ethical Challenges Posed by AI Use in Contemporary Education
For me, prioritizing algorithmic transparency is not just a recommendation; it is both legal and ethical imperative.Disclosing how AI systems operate, including the data inputs, decision-making processes, and potential biases, is essential for fostering accountability and trust. Transparent AI algorithms empower stakeholders, including educators, students, and parents, to understand and critique the system’s outputs.
Establishing robust data privacy regulations is another area where I feel very crucial in exploring the ethical and legal use of AI. These regulations should include strict guidelines for data collection, storage, sharing, informed consent, and data or information privacy; thus ascertaining that AI providers, AI programmers, and AI corporations fully and absolutely comply with ethical standards and legal requirements. Additionally, implementing encryption and other security measures is very crucial for protecting sensitive student data from breaches or cyberattacks.
Actively identifying and addressing biases in AI algorithms is a responsibility that I feel must be taken seriously by Artificial Intelligence programmers. Diversifying training data, conducting algorithmic bias audits, and incorporating fairness metrics into AI development processes are essential steps in minimizing the risk of algorithmic discrimination and skewed data or information selectivity. Furthermore, providing ongoing training and education to AI developers and stakeholders in recognizing and mitigating biases is crucial for promoting AI fairness and equity.
As someone who strongly believes in the power of inclusive education to transform lives, I am deeply concerned of this formidable challenge of bridging the digital and information divide. Prioritizing digital inclusion initiatives that provide equitable access to AI technologies and digital resources for all students is not just a goal; it is an ethical imperative. This involves educational institutions investing in digital infrastructures, providing subsidies for AI technology adoption, and offering training programs for faculty and students alike to enhance digital literacy skills to all educational stakeholders and to the marginalized communities deprived of access and training of digital technologies especially AI.
Emphasizing a human-centered education and person-centered teaching is at the core of my approach to addressing ethical challenges in AI education. AI technologies should complement, rather than replace the human educators’ active roles in the educational process. AI-driven technologies should be designed to augment teachers’ capabilities, facilitate personalized learning experiences, promote student-teacher learning collaboration, and enhance critical thinking skills among students, while preserving the warm and living human touch in imparting education to the studentry.
To close this essay, I must reiterate that Artificial Intelligence is here to stay and it is counterproductive and counter-intuitive for both educators and learners to adapt the Fight-Flight-Freeze reaction in the shadow of the pervasive and prevalent utilization of AI in our contemporary education.
Therefore, the incorporation and utilization of AI in education must be marked by a deep sense of responsibility to navigate ethical and legal quagmires surrounding AI prudently and responsibly.
By addressing issues related to algorithmic bias, data and information privacy, transparency, digital inclusion, and human-centered design, there is indeed a very serious ethical need and solemn responsibility for teachers, students, school administrators, and AI providers to harness the potential of AI to enhance teaching and learning experiences while upholding ethical principles and safeguarding student welfare. It is my sincere hope that by engaging in ongoing dialogue and collaboration, these education stakeholders can ensure that AI serves the best interests of teachers, learners, and the society as a whole.
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Prof. Henry Francis B. Espiritu is Associate Professor-7 of Philosophy and Asian Studies at the University of the Philippines (UP), Cebu City, Philippines. He was Academic Coordinator of the Political Science Program at UP Cebu from 2011-2014, and Program Coordinator of Gender and Development (GAD) Office at UP Cebu from 2015-2016 and from 2018-2019. He is presently the Focal Point Faculty for Gender and Development in the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu, College of Social Sciences.
Prof. Espiritu’s research interests include Theoretical and Applied Ethics, Islamic Studies particularly Sunni jurisprudence (Sunni Fiqh), Islamic feminist discourses, Islam in interfaith dialogue initiatives, Islamic environmentalism, Classical Sunni Islamic pedagogy, the writings of Al-Ghazali on pluralism and tolerance, Islam in the Indian Subcontinent, Turkish Sufism, Ataturk Studies, Ottoman Studies, Genghis Khan Studies, Central Asian Studies, Marxian Political Thought, Muslim-Christian Dialogue, Middle Eastern Affairs, Peace Studies, Public Theology, Political Economy, Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Postmodernism in Philosophy.
He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG).
Os inimigos da Rússia continuam a tentar espalhar o terror no país, tentando criar polarização étnica e religiosa. Em 26 de julho, uma nova tentativa de ataque a uma igreja cristã numa região russa de maioria muçulmana foi frustrada pelas autoridades. O incidente ocorre no meio de uma série de casos recentes de terrorismo perpetrados por radicais islâmicos na Federação Russa, com fortes suspeitas de que estes crimes são realizados com apoio internacional.
A FSB e a polícia do Daguestão trabalharam em conjunto para impedir um ataque terrorista a uma igreja cristã na cidade de Kaspiysk. Os terroristas planejavam realizar uma operação de sabotagem contra policiais e fiéis ortodoxos, repetindo as mesmas táticas utilizadas no ataque ocorrido no mês passado.
Agentes de segurança encontraram com os criminosos diversos equipamentos como bombas caseiras, componentes químicos para fabricação de explosivos, armas brancas e bandeiras de organizações terroristas e seitas salafistas radicais. Os criminosos também possuíam manuais sobre guerrilha, combate, tiro e produção de bombas e artefatos incendiários. Após a prisão, os criminosos contaram aos oficiais do FSB tudo sobre seus planos e como o ataque deveria acontecer. Eles planejaram usar todo esse conhecimento e equipamento em sua ação, explodindo uma igreja enquanto atacavam policiais nas ruas com facas.
Se as autoridades russas não tivessem sido eficientes na identificação dos perpetradores e na neutralização da ameaça, este poderia ter sido um ataque extremamente violento, talvez até com mais vítimas do que o último incidente no Daguestão. Por esta razão, o caso recebeu muita cobertura mediática, mas importa sublinhar que nos últimos meses muitas ações como esta têm sido levadas a cabo pelo FSB e pela polícia, frustrando tentativas de ataques terroristas em diversas regiões, especialmente em regiões de maioria muçulmana.
Existem vários fatores que precisam ser analisados para compreender o recente fenômeno terrorista na Rússia. Desde 2022, a principal prioridade das autoridades russas tem sido a Ucrânia, razão pela qual a maior parte dos esforços do serviço de segurança tem sido evitar a infiltração inimiga nas fronteiras russo-ucranianas. Isto criou um certo desequilíbrio de atenção em relação a outras regiões instáveis do país – o que certamente foi identificado pelos inimigos externos como uma vantagem estratégica e uma possibilidade de atacar a Rússia.
As regiões islâmicas do Cáucaso eram conhecidas por atividades terroristas no passado. Grupos salafistas radicais como o ISIS levaram a cabo vários ataques terroristas e de sabotagem no Daguestão, por exemplo, e tiveram sucesso na difusão da sua ideologia violenta entre a juventude local no passado. No entanto, com a ação constante das autoridades russas, tanto em termos de punição de criminosos como de integração de cidadãos de diferentes etnias e religiões, a situação no sul da Rússia estabilizou, conduzindo a um período de paz e prosperidade.
Os adversários geopolíticos de Moscou compreenderam que reabilitar o terrorismo é a melhor forma de prejudicar o Estado russo. Por isso, houve recentemente um grande fluxo de dinheiro, incentivos através das redes sociais e até entrega de armas e contratação de mercenários para a realização de ataques. O objectivo é espalhar o medo dos “terroristas do Cáucaso” entre os russos étnicos e os cristãos ortodoxos, que são a maioria do país. Isto criaria divisão, polarização e ódio étnico e racial na sociedade russa.
No entanto, os russos parecem ter identificado o problema a tempo. Ações como esta indicam que a inteligência russa já está a prestar especial atenção a esta questão, tendo conseguido frustrar vários ataques. Além disso, à medida que as forças militares russas avançam no campo de batalha, as possibilidades de infiltração inimiga na fronteira diminuem gradualmente, razão pela qual os serviços de segurança podem preocupar-se menos com a zona especial de operação militar e concentrar-se na resolução de questões internas.
Além disso, os estrategistas ocidentais que fomentam o terror na Rússia parecem não ter conseguido compreender alguns aspectos básicos da psicologia social russa. Em vez de desespero e sentimentos antigovernamentais, estes ataques apenas geram sentimentos patrióticos ainda maiores e um apoio esmagador à ação militar contra os inimigos do país. Há também o factor de unidade nacional, que é extremamente importante na Rússia. O anti-racismo e a ausência de divisões étnicas e religiosas são um dos princípios fundamentais do país. É pouco provável que o Ocidente seja eficaz na promoção de sentimentos polarizadores entre os russos comuns, uma vez que a maioria deles compreende corretamente que este é um problema geopolítico e não étnico ou religioso.
No final, o terrorismo parece ser a última arma do inimigo contra a Rússia. O foco crescente no terror indica um elevado nível de desespero entre os estrategistas ocidentais.
Since 1945, American geopolitics have relied heavily on sea power and the dollar’s dominance. This strategy enabled the U.S. to win the Cold War in 1989 and declare a unipolar world. By fortifying key maritime chokepoints and controlling global sea trade routes through allies, bilateral agreements, bases, and naval presence, the U.S. dominated global trade and finance. As George Friedman, the founder of the American think tank STRATFOR, wrote in his 2010 book, “The Next Decade”:
“American power is based on the oceans… Global trade depends on the oceans. Whoever controls the oceans controls global trade… The U.S. controls all oceans. No power in history has achieved this. This control forms the foundation of U.S. security and its ability to shape the international system. Without U.S. approval, no one can navigate the seas.”
American Naval Power Is Ineffective
Today, things are not going as Friedman predicted. Since December 2023, maritime trade, which depends on the oceans and six strategic chokepoints, canals, straits, and nodes, has been significantly disrupted.
The U.S., which has been losing ground in every field and recently lost all moral and ethical values by applauding Netanyahu, the architect of the Gaza genocide, in the American Congress, cannot control the global maritime traffic flow at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The strategic strait, located between Yemen and Djibouti and only 25 km wide at its narrowest point, is now at great risk. (see Map below)
This situation has triggered developments that will disrupt global maritime trade. About 50 ships, carrying 7 million barrels of oil and 1.2 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG), used to pass through this strait daily. These quantities have now decreased by about 60%. The reason is the inability to prevent attacks by Iran-backed Yemeni Shia Houthis against Israel and Western-linked trade ships and even warships, amidst the ongoing civil war since 2015.
As the Israel-Palestine conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, enters its ninth month, and in a context where the conflict has turned into a one-sided disproportionate use of force against mostly women and children under Israel’s firepower, the Yemeni Houthis are implementing a strategy of direct attacks on trade ships and the warships protecting them to create an asymmetric impact and deter Israel from the massacre, which they see as state terrorism. These attacks pose serious threats of death, injury, sinking, and damage to ships, their crews, and their cargo. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) reported that as of November 2024, the interests of at least 65 countries and 29 major energy and shipping companies have been affected by Houthi actions, leading them to change their routes to avoid Houthi attacks.
Houthis at Sea
The first Houthi attack on Israel occurred on November 9, 2023. Since then, the Houthis, affiliated with the Ansarullah organization, have carried out around 150 attacks or attempted attacks in the surrounding seas, mainly in the Bab el-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden. Initially, they launched drone attacks from 2,000 km away on the Israeli port city of Eilat in the Red Sea. They then began attacking Israeli-flagged/owned ships using the narrow military geography advantage of the strait with missiles, armed drones, and surface vehicles. On November 19, 2023, the Houthis hijacked the Israeli “Galaxy Leader” ship in the Red Sea and took it and its crew to Yemen. On November 25, 2023, they carried out a drone attack on the “Kalandra” ship of the Israeli ZIM company off the coast of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean. On November 27, 2023, they attacked the American destroyer USS Mason and the nearby Liberian-flagged ship Central Park. On December 9, 2023, the Houthis declared that all ships heading to Israeli ports would be targeted.
Countermeasures Begin
On December 18, 2023, the U.S. announced the launch of Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect trade ships in the region, receiving support from Bahrain, the UK, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles, and Spain. On December 19, 2023, the U.S., EU, NATO, Australia, the Bahamas, Japan, Liberia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Singapore issued a joint declaration condemning the Houthi attacks. As the attacks did not cease, on January 3, 2024, the same countries threatened to use force against the Houthis. On January 10, 2024, the United Nations, through Security Council Resolution 2722, warned the Houthis to stop their attacks. Ultimately, on January 13, 2024, the U.S. and the UK launched Operation Poseidon Archer, targeting Houthi land targets with cruise missiles and air power. By the start of this operation, the Houthis had attacked 15 ships, causing missile damage to six and hijacking one. However, rather than decreasing, the attacks increased following Poseidon Archer. By the end of March 2024, 27 more Houthi attacks had occurred, damaging 12 ships. On February 20, 2024, the EU launched Operation Aspides for escort and protection at sea, involving France, Italy, Germany, Greece, and Belgium.
Attacks Continue, Damage Range Expands
Despite the naval escort and prevention operations initiated by the U.S. and EU since the end of 2023 and the punitive and neutralization operations targeting Houthi radar, workshops, manpower, ports, and bases, Houthi attacks are not decreasing. Between March and July 2024, nearly 100 attempts occurred. Despite the intensification of airstrikes on Yemen and the support of the Israeli Air Force, the Greek ship “Tutor” sank on June 12, 2024. Furthermore, the Houthis increased their attacks following every destructive move by Israel in Gaza. On July 19, 2024, the Houthis displayed an extraordinary capability by hitting Tel Aviv with a drone. This demonstrated their ability to acquire long-range firepower projection means, indicating that the waters of the Eastern Mediterranean could also become dangerous in the future. Israel’s retaliation by striking the Hodeida port with its aircraft signifies that Israel is officially at war with Yemen.
Weaknesses of the Navies
Western navies’ modern air defense destroyers/frigates, with their three-layer (long-range, medium-range, and point defense) systems, have intercepted many rocket/missile/UAV attacks. However, they have not achieved 100% success, as the munitions used are very expensive and take a long time to integrate logistically. There is a vast cost difference between the missiles launched from Yemen and the air defense missiles used on modern warships. While Yemen’s weapons cost thousands of dollars, the preventive missiles used by Western navies cost millions. The prolonged presence of the American aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower in the region did not yield tangible and lasting results. American sailors felt unsafe at sea for the first time. An Eisenhower group pilot told AP:
“Most sailors, given the country’s military engagements in recent years, were not accustomed to being fired upon… The Red Sea experience was incredibly different, traumatic for the group, and something we hadn’t thought much about… It might be a new experience, but the U.S. Navy will need to adapt quickly and permanently.”
Houthi attacks were sometimes detected at the last moment. Often, these attacks penetrated multiple layers of the ship’s defense in a way not seen in modern history. AP reported that many sailors saw “the missiles launched by the Houthis seconds before their ship’s defense systems destroyed them.” According to a U.S. official speaking to CNN, the destroyer USS Gravely, on patrol, managed to intercept an approaching Houthi cruise missile with the Phalanx (CIWS) close-in weapon system after it had bypassed multiple layers of air defense.
Normalizing Maritime Trade Is Very Difficult
Even though the U.S. and EU’s operations to protect commercial traffic continue in the region, it is challenging for traffic to return to its previous statistics. The Red Sea route to Israel’s Eilat port, especially in the Gulf of Aqaba, is no longer used. On July 18, 2024, it was reported in the media that Eilat port had gone bankrupt.
Additionally, the Red Sea-Suez route’s classification as dangerous for all ships has increased insurance premiums by 6-7 times, and many companies are unwilling to risk increased damage threats. Large container companies like Maersk, MSC, OOCL, and CMA CGM have preferred the Cape of Good Hope route over the Red Sea-Suez-Mediterranean connection for the past eight months. This shift has significantly increased freight rates for tankers from the Strait of Hormuz and container shipments from China/Hong Kong. The decline in container traffic through Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea and the shift to the Cape of Good Hope route have disrupted container movements worldwide. In major hubs like Singapore, waiting times now exceed a week.
Eilat’s Harbor (Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)
Houthis’ Past Maritime Experience
The Houthis’ attacks on maritime targets are not new. During the intense period of the Yemeni civil war that began in 2015, amidst heavy embargoes and blockades imposed by the Saudis and their allies, the Houthis carried out successful attacks on a Saudi corvette with a missile off Hodeida on January 31, 2017, on another Saudi frigate with a suicide boat on February 5, 2017, and on a Saudi tanker with guided munitions on April 2, 2018, in the same area. On June 12, 2018, a Houthi missile attack on a high-speed support vessel of the UAE, bringing soldiers and ammunition to the strategic Hodeida port controlled by the Houthis, nearly sank the vessel. Besides, from June 2017 to the end of 2018, the Houthis conducted four separate attacks on Saudi coalition warships using remote-controlled boats. On July 27, 2018, Saudi Arabia announced the suspension of Saudi tankers’ passage through the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, citing personnel safety and environmental risks. Despite allocating 10% of its national income to defense spending, making it the third largest in the world with a $56 billion defense budget in 2018, Saudi Arabia could not subdue the Houthis or their maritime capabilities. Despite having the support of eight Sunni Arab states and the Saudi Air Force in the naval blockade against Yemen initiated in March 2015, the Saudi Navy could not succeed against the Iranian-backed Houthis. Despite being significantly weaker and more limited in manpower and resources compared to the Saudis, the Houthis managed to humiliate the Saudi Navy in front of the world.
High Morale of the Houthis
The moral superiority underlying the ship attacks launched against Israel on November 19, 2023, stems from this success against the Saudis in 2018. Before 2018, 3 million barrels of oil passed through Bab el-Mandeb daily, with the largest share belonging to the Saudis. Most of the processed products from the Yanbu Refinery on the Red Sea coast reached global markets through this strait. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia had reduced its dependence on this strait and the Strait of Hormuz with a pre-constructed pipeline that could transfer 5 million barrels of oil daily to the Red Sea. Considering scenarios where Iran might close the Strait of Hormuz, through which 15 million barrels of oil pass daily, turning the Red Sea into a dangerous area by the Houthis is indeed a significant blow to American naval geopolitics. The Houthis have further increased their leverage on the ground with the moral impact of these successes and the new tactics and techniques they have developed. As I have repeatedly emphasized, without a land invasion, it is not possible to eliminate the asymmetric naval warfare capability the Houthis have developed over the past 20 years. The question is: “Can the U.S. and its inseparable allies, Israel and the UK, launch a military invasion in Yemen? Can Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries be convinced to engage in another proxy war?”
Houthis Might Continue Even If There Is a Ceasefire
On the other hand, the Houthis’ ability to disrupt global trade continues despite intense airstrikes, suggesting that they might continue their anti-U.S./EU actions in the future, even if a ceasefire is achieved in Gaza. Aside from the increasing support the Houthis receive from Iran, the growing strategic cooperation between Iran, Russia, and China makes the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, under Iran’s direct and indirect influence, the Achilles’ heel in the global power struggle for the U.S. and the EU. Today, if the Lebanon (Hezbollah)-Israel conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean escalates into an Iran-Israel and Iran-U.S. conflict, the world would lose the commercial traffic in two straits crucial for energy supply. The U.S., EU, and their partners in the Far East could not withstand the consequences of this loss. This ongoing threat would also be devastating for states like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, aiming to become global logistics hubs.
Houthis Are Undermining the Reputation of American Naval Power
The Yemeni resistance affects global maritime trade with its results. For instance, globally, 1,600 containers are either loaded or unloaded every minute. Or every day, 5.5 million tons of oil are transported by sea. Disruptions in the Bab el-Mandeb and Red Sea routes cause chain reactions in other areas. As a result, Israel, a state with no geostrategic depth and 90% of its foreign trade dependent on sea transportation, is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain its war economy. This situation is also crucial for U.S. support because Israel, impoverished and with fleeing investors, cannot extend the war without U.S. financial and munitions aid.
On the other hand, it can be said that the U.S. will not leave Israel in the lurch like it did with Ukraine. The U.S.-based Israel is much stronger and more populous than the Israel in the Levant. This was clearly seen in the Netanyahu show applauded in Congress last week. Thus, the U.S. will continue to protect Israel, and in this case, anti-U.S. states like Russia, China, and Iran will try every means to disrupt global maritime trade through the Houthis.
Satellite photo of Bab-el-Mandeb (From the Public Domain)
Disrupted global maritime trade will lead to a loss of power and prestige for the U.S., which has claimed to dominate the oceans since 1945. The Houthis will continue to undermine the reputation of American naval power. Preventing this is both laborious and difficult for the U.S. Without a land invasion or complete severance of maritime contact with Iran, it is not easy to stop the Houthis. If an invasion operation starts in the Red Sea, a Hezbollah-Israel and Iran-U.S.-Israel conflict would be inevitable, leading to the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, which would mean the collapse of the global economy. If the U.S. continues to applaud Israel in Congress, the geopolitical turmoil it faces will grow. The issue is who will decide on America’s geopolitical priorities. As long as American democracy and the election process are driven by Jewish finance, it is clear who will decide these priorities.
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Ret Admiral Cem Gürdeniz, Writer, Geopolitical Expert, Theorist and creator of the Turkish Bluehomeland (Mavi Vatan) doctrine. He served as the Chief of Strategy Department and then the head of Plans and Policy Division in Turkish Naval Forces Headquarters. As his combat duties, he has served as the commander of Amphibious Ships Group and Mine Fleet between 2007 and 2009. He retired in 2012. He established Hamit Naci Blue Homeland Foundation in 2021. He has published numerous books on geopolitics, maritime strategy, maritime history and maritime culture. He is also a honorary member of ATASAM.
The argument can be made that this is a mutually beneficial way to advance their respective ulterior interests and isn’t as substantive as some might have initially thought due to the serious political and technical challenges that this project faces.
A top Russian expert candidly analyzed their country’s newly signed gas pipeline Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iran from late June in two interviews with Sputnik and Azerbaijan’s News.Az. Igor Yushkov, who’s described by the prestigious Russian International Affairs Council as a Professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation and leading expert at the National Energy Security Fund, strongly suggested that this might be more about optics than substance.
This agreement appears to be a game-changer at first glance since some of the 300 million cubic meters of gas per day that Russia plans to export to Iran, which Sputnik calculated roughly equals the maximum output of the now-defunct Nord Stream pipelines, could also meet some of India’s growing energy needs. The primary obstacle though will be in getting the approval of all Caspian states for an undersea pipeline, which Yushkov hinted to his country’s media might be much more difficult than it seems.
He elaborated more on this to Azerbaijani media, explaining that the estimated $10 billion worth of investments required wouldn’t make the venture profitable if Kommersant’s report about the gas being sold at around $100 per thousand meters is true. That’s close to the price paid by the CIS countries and is 62% lower than what China pays for importing gas from the Power of Siberia pipeline. He concluded that the plans “seem unrealistic and are most likely pursuing political rather than economic goals.”
Yushkov might be onto something too since it’s important for readers to remember that Russia is reportedly embroiled in a pricing dispute with China over the Power of Siberia II pipeline that was analyzed in this piece here from early June shortly after Putin’s latest trip there the month prior. In brief, Russia wants to get the highest price possible while China wants the lowest, with each believing that the other will bend to their demands the longer that the talks drag on.
From Russia’s perspective, the US’ impending “Pivot (back) to Asia” will inevitably lead to more credible threats against the maritime energy supply chains that China is dependent upon for powering its economy, thus compelling the People’s Republic to agree to higher prices for more reliable Russian gas. Meanwhile, China’s view is that growing financial pressures on Russia will compel it to agree to lower prices for reasons of convenience, helped along as they are by the difficulty of selling its gas elsewhere.
With these competing calculations in mind, the newly signed Russian-Iranian gas MoU might actually be a ploy for improving Moscow’s negotiating leverage with Beijing by showing the latter that it does indeed have supposedly viable alternatives for selling its gas to Asia. As for what Kommersant reported regarding the low rate that Russia allegedly agreed to sell its gas to Iran for, it’s either inaccurate or a preliminary understanding that could very well change as the talks towards a final deal evolve.
After all, if Russia is supposedly desperate enough for revenue that it’ll begin the long process of trying to seek all Caspian states’ approval for an undersea pipeline which can’t be assured and which’ll require a huge investment that’ll barely pay off in the event that they agree, then it doesn’t make sense to hold off on a deal with China. The Power of Siberia II could begin construction immediately after the contract is signed, would predictably cost less, and wouldn’t face anywhere near the same technical challenges.
For these reasons, it’s apparent that everything isn’t as clear-cut as it seems when it comes to the Russian-Iranian gas MoU, with this agreement being less of a game-changer than it appeared at first glance upon further scrutiny and much more like a ploy of sorts to bolster Russia’s hand in talks with China. Iran is probably playing along since the optimistic reports that followed from friendly media drew awareness to its crucial geostrategic position and accordingly improved its soft power at no cost to itself.
Altogether, it can therefore be concluded that their newly signed understanding is a mutually beneficial way to advance their respective ulterior interests and isn’t as substantive as some might have initially thought. To be sure, it would indeed be a game-changer if their envisaged undersea pipeline is built and Russian gas either directly travels to India or is provided to it by Iran via a swap arrangement, but that’s unlikely to happen. Absent any serious progress, most people might even forget about this by next year.
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Andrew Korybko is an American Moscow-based political analyst specializing in the relationship between the US strategy in Afro-Eurasia, China’s One Belt One Road global vision of New Silk Road connectivity, and Hybrid Warfare. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.
Ambassador Samantha Power, former US Ambassador to the UN, and now director of USAID, an office of the US State Department, traveled to Armenia on July 10 to strong-arm Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan into buying gas from Azerbaijan, instead of Russia.
The President Joe Biden administration supports the war in Ukraine by providing billions of dollars of weapons to Ukraine to fight Russia.
Prior to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline being destroyed, Biden had made a speech promising that the US would prevent Russia from selling gas to Germany and Europe. It is an economic war waged on Russia, as well as militarily on the battlefields.
The Nord Stream 2 had been sanctioned by Germany, and Biden was afraid that Germany would lift the sanctions because of a bad winter.
According to Hersh, Biden was obsessed with reelection in 2024, and wanted to win the war in Ukraine. Biden’s advisors in the Oval Office feared that Germany and Western Europe might stop weapons support to Ukraine, and the German chancellor could turn the pipeline on.
Biden placed winning the war in Ukraine above the warmth and health of the German people, even though winning a war in Ukraine is improbable, according to military experts.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has criticized Power’s trip to Armenia because USAID hasn’t provided financial support to Armenians who left Karabakh and returned to their homeland Armenia as displaced persons, and victims of ethnic cleansing.
Despite previous visits and flowery speeches, Power has not initiated any funding programs for the Karabakh Armenians who lost their homes, possessions, lands and livelihoods.
In September 2023, almost 200,000 ethnic Armenians fled the battles, and eventual defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh following Azerbaijan’s victory ending three decades of ethnic Armenian separatist rule there.
“The United States is deeply concerned about reports on the humanitarian conditions in Nagorno-Karabakh and calls for unimpeded access for international humanitarian organizations and commercial traffic.”
The ANCA say the needy are still waiting for help from Power and the Biden administration.
During Azerbaijan’s attacks on the Armenia people living in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the US supported the Azerbaijan government. There is no reason for the government of Armenia to view the US as a friend or supporter.
By contrast, the Russian peace-keeping troops tried to perform their job in the Nagorno-Karabakh armed conflict, but in the end, Armenia was defeated.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have made peace; the armed conflict is over, but the pain of hundreds of Armenian deaths at the hands of the Azerbaijanis remains fresh in the minds and hearts of Armenians.
Now, Ambassador Power is asking Yerevan to buy their gas from a former enemy, instead of a loyal friend.
On July 15, just days after Power visited, joint military drills with the US began, and reflects the pressure Power and the Biden administration are putting on Armenia to forge closer ties with the US.
Image: Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia (Licensed under CC BY 4.0)
Russia had been Armenia’s main economic partner and hosts a Russian military base. Armenian authorities accused Russian peacekeepers who were deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh of failing to stop Azerbaijan’s onslaught. Moscow rejected the accusations, arguing that its troops didn’t have a mandate to intervene.
American military help was completely absent in the struggle for Nagorno-Karabakh.
“Has she no shame?” asked Sossy Saroyan in Latakia, Syria while referring to Power.
After the attack and massacre in Kessab, carried out by the US supported Free Syrian Army (FSA) and their allied Al Qaeda terrorists, US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, was asked to comment on what happened in Kessab.
Power said,
“The US is very concerned about what happened in Kessab, but unfortunately the armed groups there are not ones we have leverage on.”
Power had lied. The FSA was the armed wing of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) based in Istanbul, Turkey and headed by its President, Ahmed Jarba. Both the FSA and SNC received their support, funds, training and weapons from the US government through Congressional funding and through the CIA program, “Sycamore Timber”.
To prove the US connection to the attack, destruction, occupation, massacre and kidnapping in Kessab in March 2014, Jarba visited the FSA stationed in occupied Kessab on April 11, 2014.
On May 23, 2014, Jarba was sitting in the Oval Office with US President Barak Obama and Susan Rice. On Jarba’s visit he met with Secretary of State John Kerry and received the use of two offices in Washington to be used as a US base of operation for the SNC and FSA.
On the same day that Jarba was in Kessab, US Ambassador to Turkey, Francis J. Riccardone, Jr. visited the 26 very elderly kidnap victims from Kessab who had been taken at gunpoint to Vikifly, Turkey as captives of the FSA.
Ambassador Riccardone had brought his wife with him, as she was a language specialist, and they also had a translator with them.
Ambassador Riccardone had just one question to ask of the captives who all but one was over the age of 80. His question posed to the group of captives was, “Are any of you American citizens?”
Kessab, Syria does have a number of dual citizens, Syrians by birth, who have obtained US citizenship after living, working and paying incomes taxes in the US in the past. In fact, at least four American citizens had lost their homes, farms and businesses when the US-sponsored terrorists attacked Kessab.
However, the group collectively answered, “No, we are just Syrians.”
At that point, Ambassador Riccardone and his entourage got up to leave. He was there for one purpose only, to free any US captive, but none were US citizens so he left them.
The very elderly Syrian Christian Armenian kidnap victims were captives of an armed group which stated goal was to establish an Islamic government in Damascus, and to remove the existing secular government which had protected the rights of all Christians in Syria. The victims begged Ambassador Riccardone to please not leave them in captivity in Turkey, which had massacred 1.6 million Armenians in the 1916 Armenian Genocide, but to transport them to Latakia, Syria where all the residents of Kessab were sheltering at the Armenian Church.
The dozens of elderly, infirm, and immobile Armenians of Kessab were forced by Ambassador Riccardone to remain captives in a foreign country historical known for its genocidal hatred of Armenian, for three months, until they were transported by the Turkish government, allied with Obama, to Beirut, Lebanon and from there they were bused to Latakia, Syria.
Kessab has never recovered, and is a partial ghost-town because of the Obama-Biden administration.
The Armenians of Syria could teach the Armenian government a hard lesson learned from bitter experience: don’t expect help from the US, because they do not have friends, they only have interests.
Biden wanted to win the Ukraine war, and secure a ceasefire in Gaza to ensure reelection. Instead he has failed at both, and has lost the election.
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