Welcome to European Tribune. It's gone a bit quiet around here these days, but it's still going.

April 2022

by Bernard Sat Apr 2nd, 2022 at 08:06:18 AM EST

Your take on this month's news


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by Bernard (bernard) on Sat Apr 2nd, 2022 at 08:06:44 AM EST
... which is quite surprising, given that there are no anti-government media outlets in Hungary.

Voting today

With turnout rising to 52.75% by 1300 GMT after a slow start hampered by unseasonably cold weather and snow in Budapest, both sides took to social media to urge their supporters to go and vote.

The war has made life awkward for Orban after more than a decade of close Hungarian political and business relations with Russia and President Vladimir Putin, but he has retained a lead in opinion polls.

The leader of the opposition, 49-year-old conservative Peter Marki-Zay, has framed the election as a choice between East and West. He says Orban has eroded democratic rights, turning Hungary towards Russia and away from the European Union where it belongs.

Useful technique to rally the conservative vote : put a strawman "anti-woke" proposition on the ballot :

Alongside the election, Hungarians were voting in a referendum on sexual orientation workshops in schools - a vote that rights groups say fuels prejudice against LGBTQ people.


It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Sun Apr 3rd, 2022 at 04:04:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Politico.eu

BUDAPEST -- Russia's war in Ukraine has upended Hungary's election campaign for Moscow-friendly Prime Minister Viktor Orbán -- just not in the way one might think.

Orbán's close relationship with President Vladimir Putin has been under renewed scrutiny since the revanchist Russian leader decided to attack Ukraine, Hungary's neighbor. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called out Orbán for not offering stronger support to his embattled country.

In many European countries, the prime minister's stance might mean the end of a political career.

Not so in Hungary.

Ahead of Sunday's parliamentary election, Orbán has avoided the campaign becoming a referendum on his history with Moscow. Instead, his message comes down to one simple idea: He'll keep Hungary out of the war, his opponents won't.

It doesn't matter that the Hungarian opposition isn't advocating for Hungary to send troops into Ukraine, Orbán has used state resources and a friendly media echo chamber to suggest the opposite.

His team has tapped a government coronavirus email database to blast out talking points and plastered the country with taxpayer-funded posters that proclaim, "Let's preserve Hungary's peace and security!" next to Orbán's image. Pro-government outlets and Orbán's own foreign minister are even accusing the government in Kyiv of supporting Hungary's opposition alliance.

Polls suggest the tactics are working: Orbán is in the lead in terms of popular support.



It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Sun Apr 3rd, 2022 at 04:21:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Hungary's Orban handily wins 4th presidential term
With 92 percent of the votes counted, the governing Fidesz party is en route to obtaining 135 seats in the 199-member parliament, while the opposition will have only 56. That configuration would allow the government to retain the two-thirds majority that has enabled it to unilaterally implement changes to the constitutional order over the past 12 years.
[...]
One of the surprises of the elections, however, was the result obtained by the Our Homeland party, an extreme rightist group that surpassed the 5 percent threshold for parliamentary representation and will now hold 5 seats in the legislature. One of the symbols of the opposition's failure to prevail was the fact that its candidate for the premiership, Peter Marki-Zay, was unable to win the presidential vote even in Hodmezovasarhely, the city where he has served as mayor since 2018.
only five minutes of free opposition air time
It hardly seemed to matter that Orban's claims against the opposition had any basis or that the "War or peace" slogan was simplistic and extremist. The important thing is that the premier knew how to read ["the room"]. In his victory speech, he thanked his "friends in the United States, Italy, Austria and Spain" for their support in the elections.
by Cat on Mon Apr 4th, 2022 at 02:43:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Balkan Insight | Serbian President, Ruling Party Won Elections, 3 Apr
CESID said that Vucic had won 59.8 per cent of votes cast in the presidential elections, while his SNS won 43.5 per cent of votes cast in the parliamentary elections. Its partner party, the Socialist Party of Serbia, SPS, won another 11.6 per cent, giving them a healthy majority.
[...]
In the parliamentary elections, the "United for Serbia" coalition, the strongest opposition option, won 12.9 per cent of the votes cast and the green-left opposition coalition "Moramo" ("We Must"), won 4.4 per cent. Several right-wing options also crossed the threshold, including NADA, which took 5.4 per cent, Oathkeepers, which won 3.9 per cent and Dveri, which won 4 per cent.
[...]
"This shows, on what I am unusually proud, that after Nikola Pasic (Serbian and Yugoslav PM at the beginning of the 20th century), I will be the Serb who was the longest in power in our country," Vucic said at the press conference after the elections. "I want to say that I am proud of our campaign, which was the cleanest and most beautiful, and that I am proud that we have not slandered anyone," Vucic added.
eh?
The leader of the opposition Movement of Free Citizens, Pavle Grbovic, was attacked near a polling station in Zemun, a Belgrade suburb, while confronting people, allegedly SNS members, with parallel voter registrations. ...Police also said they were working to identify "the person who attacked the Serbian Progressive Party MP Bratislav Jugovic" in Cacak, western Serbia. Two candidates of the opposition "Moramo" ("We Must") list reported being attacked in front of voting stations in Belgrade.
Politico.eu.com | For Serbia's Vučić, the big challenge comes after election day
The EU has made clear that it expects membership candidates, such as Serbia, to follow its line on sanctions and foreign policy more generally.
[...]
Outsiders often mistake Belgrade's close ties to Moscow as evidence of an enduring Russophilia among Serbia's political class and wider society. But the truth is far more pragmatic: Serbia is almost entirely dependent on Russian gas, which it gets at a special low price.
[...]
"There also needs to be a signal that EU enlargement is there for those who comply and not for those who don't -- clear rewards and punishment -- which we haven't had for a long time," [Oxford U Department of Politics and International Relations western Balkans specialist Tena] Prelec said.
*oLDAmoRT *učić *ictory quote
"I can promise you that we will not be throwing out Dostoevsky at schools, or Tchaikovsky in opera. Serbia will try to maintain partnership and friendly relations with Russia," Vucic said, reiterating that Belgrade is neutral with regard to military alliances and that "this policy will continue."
by Cat on Mon Apr 4th, 2022 at 03:54:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]
DW | What political newcomer Robert Golob's election win means for Slovenia, 26 Apr
The Freedom Movement party, which was formed on January 26, 2022, won 41 of the 90 seats in Slovenia's parliament. Turnout was high at almost 70%.

Voters reject ruling coalition

Four other established parties will be represented in the next parliament: [3 term PM] Janez Jansa's Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) with 27 seats, the Christian Democrats (NSi) with eight, the Social Democrats with seven and The Left with five. Although both the SDS and NSi -- which were part of the previous coalition government -- improved on their results from previous elections, it is clear that the electorate did not support their way of governing.
[...]
"We do not have a basic social consensus on who we are and where we are going. What are the key issues of our future, what do we really want? The previous government wanted to transform society into an 'illiberal' democracy. The opposition has clearly opposed this and has other ideas. But we, as a society, must have a consensus on what is right and what is wrong. We don't have that."

[political analyst Aljaz] Pengov Bitenc emphasized that while the result is good for democracy, it still came down to weighing two unfavorable options. "In fact, we chose between two bad options: an authoritarian government, on the one hand, or one of the economic and social austerity programs that we will have to go through if we want to put public finances in order."

by Cat on Wed Apr 27th, 2022 at 12:21:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]
UNSC BUCHA "massacre" briefing in progress ...

The Hill | Zelensky calls for Russian expulsion from UN Security Council

If Russia is not removed from the council, Zelensky said the body should just be dissolved. "If there is no alternative and no option, then the next option would be dissolve yourself altogether," he said.
m'k
by Cat on Tue Apr 5th, 2022 at 04:02:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

running time 00:26:15 (~ 3 min delayed EN intepreter's translation of VZ pleadings)
feat. UA infomercial "technical difficulty" ...
and interstial remarks by UNSC April president, Barbara Underwood (UK), turfed to UNSC May president, Linda Thomas-Greenfield (US), UNSC June president Ferit Hoxha
 ...presented @ 00:25:43 (still frame corpse vignettes, musical score, chron titles: Motyzhyn, Irpin)

by Cat on Tue Apr 5th, 2022 at 04:35:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Politico.eu.com | Von der Leyen, Borrell to meet Zelenskyy in Kyiv
The visit to the Ukrainian capital will take place before Saturday, when von der Leyen is set to attend a Stand Up For Ukraine event in Warsaw, Mamer added. The event, jointly organized by the Commission president and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, will raise money for Ukrainian refugees
from whom?
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola met with the Ukrainian leadership in Kyiv on Friday [1 Apr, Bucha Genocide Day].
archived Wed Mar 2nd, 2022, Jan 18th, 2022
Meanwhile, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer will also visit Kyiv later "in the next few" days ... Last month, three of central Europe's prime ministers -- Poland's Mateusz Morawiecki, the Czech Republic's Petr Fiala and Slovenia's Janša -- also traveled to Kyiv to meet Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Politico.eu.com | EU launches process to slash Hungary's funds over ["]rule-of-law["] breaches
by Cat on Tue Apr 5th, 2022 at 05:23:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Hosting the foreign prime ministers in his own capital would be a symbolic success for Zelenskiy, who has stayed in Kyiv to rally his nation with nightly messages.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Tue Apr 5th, 2022 at 06:48:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
euractiv | EU launches 'Isolate Russia from the world' mission, importer "embargo" trash talk.
Europe relies on Russia for about 40% of its gas, 25% of its oil and 45% of its coal.

In Paris, Macron said the events in Bucha justify imposing "a new set of sanctions" in the next few days, particularly on Russian coal and oil.

"The embargo on oil and coal" is one of the possibilities, which "will be discussed in Brussels at the COREPER on Wednesday [6 April]," the Elysée added.

ESL: to embargo means to withhold commodity exports voluntarily, as in OPEC oil embargo from 1973 to 1974 caused great price inflation for western consumers.
HOW MUCH OIL AND COAL DOES THE EU EXPORT TO RUSSIA?

ESL: to blockade means to close entry to and exit from a location by force, as in Israel's and Egypt's blockade of Gaza in 2007 caused great suffering for civilians.
HOW COULD THE EU ARMED FORCES BLOCKADE TRANSPORT OF RUSSIAN OIL AND COAL?

by Cat on Tue Apr 5th, 2022 at 07:37:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Tue Apr 5th, 2022 at 07:49:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]
wut: ban on Russian coal. coal embargo. phaseout of Russian coal
by Cat on Tue Apr 5th, 2022 at 09:16:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
'Very hard to see' how Bucha killings 'could be staged': DW's Nick Connolly

Google Tech Lead (ret'd): Monetize the war porn like a pro

by Cat on Tue Apr 5th, 2022 at 09:23:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Qu'est-ce qu'un embargo ?

L'embargo est une des sanctions de nature économique qui peuvent être prises à l'encontre d'un État. Il consiste à restreindre ou à empêcher certaines importations et/ou exportations d'un État. La pression économique ainsi exercée vise à le contraindre à respecter ses engagements internationaux.

Lazy translation into English (if the English definition is substantially different).

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Wed Apr 6th, 2022 at 12:11:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]
VOldeMoRE BULLETIN: "US announced an oil embargo against [sic] Russia"
by Cat on Fri Apr 8th, 2022 at 09:51:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
DICTION CORNER embargo, n. --example of correct usage in a complex *-English sentence AND concomitant euphemism (not to be confused with uhhh contextually sensitive yet pervasive COVID-19 lock-down "mechanisms")

US BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, May 19, 2020

Given the success of recent direct DOL issuances through our websites (and other means), we have concluded that the Internet permits the public and interested users to independently obtain releases, and it is no longer necessary to employ an indirect release < wipes tears > method to credentialed news media using an embargo and lock-up facility process.
[scare quotes omitted]

US BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS | glossary and historical note, 5 Mar 2020

Questions and Answers about Eliminating Electronics from DOL Lock-up Facility

In order to protect our economic data from premature disclosure < wipes tears > and to ensure fairness in the use of the data, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will eliminate all computers and other electronics from its lock-up facility. We have not yet determined when < wipes tears > we will implement the new policy. We will give the public at least 14 calendar days' notice before we implement any policy changes.

What is a lock-up facility?
Since the mid-1980s, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) have provided prerelease access to their most important data releases for news organizations under strict embargoes, known as "lock-ups." This is consistent with Office of Management and Budget [OMB] Statistical Policy Directives.

Credentialed press receive data in a secure room < wipes tears > outfitted with signal detection technology that is monitored to ensure nobody inside the room can communicate with the outside world. BLS and ETA staff are present to answer any questions reporters may have. Currently, credentialed press write stories < wipes tears > on computers disconnected from the internet and transmit them when connections are restored exactly at the release time. When the changes in procedure have been implemented, reporters will take notes and write stories on paper.

Personal electronic devices are prohibited from the lock-up facilities.

BLS uses the lock-up for several major releases each month, including the Employment Situation and Consumer Price Index. ETA uses the lock-up for the Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims data. These are economic data that have significant commercial value < wipes tears > and may affect the movement of commodity and financial markets upon release. ...

by Cat on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 03:00:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Remember, children, in any case, possession is 9/10 the law. One cannot embargo (v.) what one does not first exclusively possess.
by Cat on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 03:09:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Please excuse me for not accepting US hegemony over the English language; there is no accepted authority which may prescribe the definition of a word in English. Dictionaries are obliged to describe usage in order to provide definition. You have described one non-limitative use case.

Etymology : the Spanish verb embargar means to arrest. The English word embargo can best be translated to Spanish as  prohibición.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 04:14:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
May we now anticipate your first "just semantics" lecture, "Habeas Corpus: Interpreting  *English in Procedural Law and Practical Applications of International Norms to Natural and Incorporated Persons"?
OR
"Possession is a Social Construct: Your not the boss of me"?
archived arrest/detain, suspect/defendant
by Cat on Sun Apr 10th, 2022 at 03:38:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
excuse me, who's the pedant here? [INSERT IRRITATING EMOTICON]

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Sun Apr 10th, 2022 at 09:32:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
OPEC Oil Embargo, Its Causes, and the Effect of Bretton Woods Agreement
"The OPEC oil embargo was a decision to stop exporting oil to the United States."
Europeans Agree on Unity in OIL CRISIS; Issue New Statement Favorable to ARABS
"support for international guarantees and DEMILIZARIZED ZONES after a Middle East settlement"
the OIL CRISIS for Royal Dutch Shell
October 2003 marked the 30th anniversary of the Arab oil embargo levied against [sic] The Netherlands as a 'punishment' for its pro-Israeli stance in the October War....Yet the affair of the oil embargo was by no means merely a response to the help lent to Israel. The oil crisis was also part of, or rather an expression of, an intense power struggle in the international oil sector. The RADICAL ARAB OIL PRODUCERS were intent on breaking down the traditional relations in this sector in which The Netherlands occupied an important position
What caused the 1970s oil PRICE SHOCK.uk
There were a series of energy crises between 1967 and 1979 caused by PROBLEMS in the Middle East but the most significant started in 1973 when Arab oil producers imposed an embargo.

The decision to boycott [sic] America and punish the west in response to support for Israel in the Yom Kippur war against Egypt led the price of crude to rise from $3 per barrel to $12 by 1974.

The OIL CRISIS.eu
In order to force the Western countries to put pressure on Israel during the Yom Kippur War, the ARAB oil-producing countries cut oil exports to Europe and America. The countries which were members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), supported by the SOVIETS, thus forced a sharp rise in the price of crude oil, which led to a global energy crisis. Oil became a WEAPON in the international struggle against Israel and its allies. Production was cut and embargo measures imposed on those countries deemed to be UNFRIENDLY, COUNTRIES which directly depended on outside sources for almost two thirds of their imports.
REUTERS | Europe can learn lessons from 1970s RATIONING, 1 Apr 2022

no can do!
euobserver | MEPs seek full embargo [sic] on Russian energy, 7 April 2022

The European Parliament has called for an immediate and "full" embargo on [sic] imports of Russian oil, coal, nuclear fuel, and gas in response to the atrocities committed in Bucha, Irpin, and other Ukrainian cities.

The text was adopted by an overwhelming majority of 513 votes against 22 with 19 abstentions. And although such resolutions are non-binding  < wipes tears >, they can ramp up pressure on member states.

by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 10:58:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
euractiv | OPEC tells EU it's not possible to replace potential Russian oil supply loss, 12 Apr not that "embargo", the other one
The European Union reiterated its call in the meeting for oil-producing countries ["RADICAL ARABS"] to look at whether they can increase deliveries to help cool soaring oil prices, a European Commission official told Reuters. EU representatives also pointed out that OPEC has a responsibility to ensure balanced oil markets, the official said
wut
In the meeting with OPEC, the EU said OPEC could provide more production from its spare capacity, according to an OPEC document seen by Reuters.
mighty white of them
Russian oil has been excluded from EU sanctions so far. But after the 27-country bloc agreed last week to sanction Russian coal - its first [sic] to target energy supplies - some senior EU officials said oil could be next.

The European Commission is drafting proposals for an oil embargo on [sic] Russia, the foreign ministers of Ireland, Lithuania and the Netherlands said on Monday at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, although there was no agreement to ban Russian crude.
[...]
The EU expects its oil use to decrease 30% by 2030, from 2015 levels, under its planned policies to fight climate change - though in the short term, an embargo [BY RUSSIA?] would trigger a dash to replace Russian oil with

EU27 RATION CARDS
by Cat on Tue Apr 12th, 2022 at 08:53:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The miraculous reconciliation of Spain and Morocco last week is imo caused by the necessity to reopen the ferry connections because I suspect a lot of people are planning to go south in the coming months. The boomers will have to convince their new White Xian buddies that they need someone to change the sheets and help with washing...
by Tom2 on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 06:57:45 AM EST
[ Parent ]
This historic event deserves more than an off-topic aside.

There is no miracle : Morocco had closed its border with Ceuta and Melilla (or, if you prefer, [back on topic]  Morocco had  embargoed all trade with these medieval enclaves, having complete control over said trade). They were dying economically, because duty-free trade (carried out mostly by Moroccans with handcarts) is their only economic function.

The official Moroccan version :

Morocco, Spain Agree on Immediate Border Reopening for Passengers, Goods

Rabat - Spain and Morocco have taken a number of bold decisions as part of plans to open a new phase of bilateral relations, including the full restoration of the movement of people and goods.

A joint declaration between Spain and Morocco stipulates that the two countries are looking forward to establishing a "sustainable and ambitious roadmap" to improve their bilateral relations.

Morocco and Spain issued the joint declaration following a meeting between Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and King Mohammed VI on Thursday evening.

King Mohammed VI extended an invitation to Sanchez to visit Morocco after Spain officially endorsed Morocco's position regarding the Western Sahara dispute.
[...]
Pedro Sanchez expressed satisfaction with the joint decision between Morocco and Spain, emphasizing that the two countries are opening a new phase based on "permanent communication, transparency, mutual respect, and signed agreements."

He added that the two countries are celebrating a "historic moment of responsibility," establishing that the agreement will contribute to ensuring the interests, stability, and integrity of both countries.

His Majesty plays hardball, accepting a considerable economic and social cost for Morocco, and gets results : explicit recognition of the Moroccan claim on the former Spanish Sahara :

Some background :
Western Sahara. Spain aligns with Morocco and gets angry with Algeria

It's all part of the painful and complex decolonisation process...

Note that Algeria is kicking and screaming, and trying to raise the price of the gas it exports to Spain... through Morocco. Good luck with that.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 10:40:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]
That's what Ukraine said, isn't it?
by Cat on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 07:07:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Just like in internet routing, Russia eventually identified Ukraine as damage and routed its gas around it. After a couple of decades of enriching oligarchs on both sides of the border.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Thu Apr 14th, 2022 at 10:59:05 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Politico.eu.com | Gas embargo [sic] to plunge Germany into 'sharp recession,' according to experts, 13 Apr passive-aggressive agitprop
"If gas supplies were to be cut off [BY _____], the German economy would undergo a sharp recession," said Stefan Kooths, director of business cycles and growth at the Kiel Institute for the ["]World["] Economy.

Did Russia refuse to supply gas to DE? Has Russia stop supplying gas to DE? Let's ask EASEE-gas which party actually produces gas that EU27 "network users" deliver to final customers.

by Cat on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 07:04:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
et voilà! EURO embargo!

yahoo! Bloomberg | EU Warns Putin's Rubles-for-Gas Demand Would Breach Sanctions, 14 Apr

The Person™ said the EU would work with national authorities to inform European companies that hold contracts of the assessment and provide [EASEE-gas?] guidance.

The new process would hand over total control [?] to the Russian state through its central bank [Gazprom?] in terms of when the transaction is completed and at what point the buyer is released from the obligation, The Person™ said of the analysis. It would also give Russia control over the applicable exchange rate [BWAH!], which Moscow could manipulate to its benefit [HOW SO? LOL].

ye olde CURRENCY MANIPULATOR tricks!
The analysis warned that this new method could introduce new costs to the buyer since the transaction would be completely controlled by Russia, the person said....The process may also have an impact on other bans EU sanctions on various money-market instruments that could be issued by Gazprombank.
[...]
The commission has repeatedly said that agreed contracts must be respected and that nearly all [?] of those explicitly stipulate payment in euros or dollars [USD], and the bloc will respond to any attempt by Russia to circumvent sanctions.
open market EUR:RUB FX?
But the decision on how to pay for the supplies will ultimately rest on the companies buying gas from Russia and they will be in a tricky position as European firms need to comply with all the restrictive measures that are in force.

The News Glory | EC finds decree on gas payment in rubles violating EU sanctions, 14 Apr India
Earlier that day, Alexei Pushkov, a member of the Federation Council, said that the West is also aware of the consequences of the possible emergence of a "gas ruble" against the backdrop of anti-Russian sanctions. In his opinion, Western countries want to prevent the ruble from breaking out into European and then global financial fields.
[duh]
On April 12, Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov told Izvestia that constructively minded countries were exploring the possibility of paying in rubles. He also stressed that this form of payment [inter-bank FX "messaging system"] does not increase the cost of buyers. According to the minister, other players today cannot provide a replacement for Russian gas, neither in terms of volumes, nor in terms of the availability of the appropriate infrastructure.
US Treasury | RUSSIAN HARMFUL FOREIGN ACTIVITIES SANCTIONS, a raft of prohibited USD:RUB trades released 15 Apr 2021, last update 24 Feb 2022

merits duplication in Mission of EU on Road to Failure

by Cat on Thu Apr 14th, 2022 at 08:46:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]
China Daily | US sanctions on Russia double-edged sword
Even if the Wall Street companies violate the US government sanctions, the fine they need to pay is only a small fraction of their profits. In other words, the US-led sanctions are comparable to an order banning companies from other countries to trade with the sanction targets, reserving the target markets for US companies only.
S/T cost of doing business
Wall Street has various means for arbitrage. Usually, it combines such approaches as credit default swaps, which refers to financial derivatives that allow an investor to swap or offset their credit risk with that of another investor, buying low and selling high of Russian corporate stock equity and bonds, and acting as a middleman, earning brokerage fees by brokering deals between investors eager to dump Russian bonds, as well as hedge funds willing to take risks in the name of helping clients manage their exposure.

But if there is a Russian debt default, it will render the Wall Street buys worthless.

archived Tue Apr 5th, 2022
by Cat on Thu Apr 14th, 2022 at 02:47:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Turkey means business, 14 Apr
The sanctions imposed on Russia after its attempted invasion of Ukraine have mobilized Russian retailers. The first contacts started after the Russian Council of Shopping Centers (RCSC), an organization representing developers, shopping center owners and retail chain operators, announced that they would fill the gap created by Western companies that withdrew from Russia with brands from countries such as China, Turkey, India and Iran.
[...]
"Investor groups call and request to meet with us regarding the vacant stores after Western brands withdrew from Russia," said Sinan Öncel, chairman of the United Brands Association (BMD). "We also plan to go to Russia in the coming days and detail the process," he added.
[...]
So far, four Indian brands have signed initial agreements with Russian firms, and another half a dozen are expected to come on board later this week, said Susil Dungarwal, the founder of retail consultancy firm Beyond Squarefeet Advisory which is facilitating partnership talks with Russian companies.
by Cat on Thu Apr 14th, 2022 at 04:16:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
yahoo! REUTERS | Japanese yen falls to 20-year low as dollar outlook bright, 13 Apr gas-rubble
The Japanese yen weakened past the 126 yen per dollar mark on Wednesday for the first time since 2002, while the euro was pinned at a one-month low as investors bought the U.S. currency after hawkish comments by Federal Reserve officials.
[...]
The euro fell to $1.0821 overnight, its lowest level against the dollar in more than a month and hovered nearby at $1.0837 in London trading. German lawmakers called for an ["]embargo on["] Russian oil [sic] as soon as possible, which if implemented would further weigh on the region's growth prospects.
parity watch JPY:RUB, 1:0.65, JPY:USD, 1:0.007
by Cat on Thu Apr 14th, 2022 at 04:33:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
euractiv | Ukraine lobbies for cuts in Russian Nord Stream 1 gas shipments [sic], 21 Apr
Ukraine is working behind the scenes to convince Western allies to shift Russia's shipments of natural gas from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Ukraine's pipeline, increasing Kyiv's leverage in its conflict with Russia, energy officials told Reuters.
< wipes tears >
Doing so, they said, would force Russia to move more of its Europe-bound gas through Ukraine. That would make Moscow pay more transit fees that could help Ukraine's wartime defense and deter Russia from damaging Ukraine's gas pipelines in the meantime, they told lawmakers and Biden administration officials in Washington last week.
< wipes deck chairs >
The officials proposed that 40% of Nord Stream 1's capacity be redirected to the Ukrainian pipeline immediately, gradually increasing to 100% by April 2023. That would give EU states time to build up winter stockpiles and diversify.
DW | Opinion: Germany, scapegoat of the Ukraine war, 18 Apr
by Cat on Thu Apr 21st, 2022 at 04:07:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Politico.eu.com | EU closes in on Russian oil ban -- but how tough will it be?, 21 Apr
Europe is weighing up various options that fall short of an all-out embargo [sic].
[...]
An immediate, full-blown ban imposed by the EU on oil [purchased from Gazprom by EU] is still a no-go for economic powerhouse Germany. Berlin has indicated to other EU capitals it's ready to consider cutting Russian oil -- even if it is not yet able to abandon imports of gas -- but only under specific conditions, which are now being discussed with the European Commission.
All's good wit GOTT though, if Gazprom's oil transits Ukraine? LOL new uses for "naturalization"
by Cat on Thu Apr 21st, 2022 at 04:43:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Two (2) non-eurozone EU members walk into a bar carrying their "own currency", demands to "embargo" Russian oil and gas, EU "9-step" ration cards, and investor-owned utility (IOU) disconnection notices ...

Politico.eu.com | Russia halts gas shipments to Poland and Bulgaria, 27 Apr "coordinated EU response"

"There is no contractual basis for the suspension of the supply of the gas delivered under the [1996] Yamal Contract," PGNiG said.
EC | EU Countries and the euro: Poland ("preparing to adopt the euro"), Bulgaria ("ERM-II since 10 July 2020")
extortion watch EUR:RUB, 1:78.97
PLN:EUR, 1:0.21 ; PLN:RUB, 1:16.65
BGN:EUR, 1:0.51 ; BGN:RUB, 1:40.09
Bulgaria also balked at the demand to pay in rubles. The new Russian payment system is "at odds with the agreement that is effective until the end of this year and poses considerable risks for the Bulgarian side," said the energy ministry.
[...]
Poland's 1996 agreement with Gazprom expires at the end of the year, and Warsaw has said it won't be renewed. Piotr Naimski, in charge of strategic energy infrastructure, said that Poland was already planning to end Russian gas supplies, and that Gazprom's decision "speeds that up."
EC | Statement by Commission President von der Leyen following the announcement by Gazprom on THE DISRUPTION of gas deliveries to certain EU Member States
The announcement by Gazprom that it is unilaterally stopping delivery of gas to customers in Europe is yet another attempt by Russia to use gas as an instrument of BLACKMAIL.

This is UNJUSTIFIED and unacceptable.

And it shows once again

wut y'all have there is a failure to communicate... "a rational system of government"

How the LARGEST DEMOCRACY in the world manages payments in arrears, 4 Apr

by Cat on Wed Apr 27th, 2022 at 02:52:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
APsplainin European nations accuse Russia of natural gas 'BLACKMAIL', 27 Apr
Russian energy giant Gazprom said in a statement that it hadn't received any payments from Poland and Bulgaria since April 1 and was suspending their deliveries starting Wednesday. And if those countries siphon off Russian gas intended for other European customers, deliveries to Europe will be reduced by that amount, the gas company said.
extortion watch USD:RUB, 1:74.10
PLN:USD, 1:0.22 ; PLN:RUB, 1:16.65
BGN:USD, 1:0.53 ; BGN:RUB, 1:40.09

ESL Promo

NO "DISCOUNTS" for "UNFRIENDLY" buyers!
by Cat on Wed Apr 27th, 2022 at 03:58:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Russian energy giant Gazprom said in a statement that it hadn't received any payments from Poland and Bulgaria since April 1 and was suspending their deliveries ...

"As of the end of the business day on April 26, Gazprom Export had not received payments for gas supplies in April from Bulgargaz (Bulgaria) and PGNiG (Poland) in rubles," Gazprom said in a statement. [Source SP Global]

Unbelievable bullshit and propaganda inside Europe ...

My diary explained the context and what the facts are. Poland 🇵🇱 did not sign a new contract and got in trouble this winter due to gas shortage. Germany supplied natural gas through the Yamal pipeline, flow eastward. The Dutch in turn had an obligation by contract to deliver more Groninger gas, contrary to promises to end extraction due to major damages to infrastructure, homes, churches and buildings. #quakes

Poland Surges Towards Energy Sovereignty by Oui on Dec 21st, 2021 |

Poland's post-Gazprom supply conundrum | ICIS - Feb. 15, 2021 |

Delays to US LNG project funding and the restart of Danish gas production may leave Poland more exposed to the spot market from 2023 than initially intended.

State-owned supplier PGNiG's 26 year-long Yamal pipeline supply contract with Russian producer Gazprom expires in the end of next year.

PGNiG is Poland's largest oil and gas company, dominating the industry from exploration to storage as well as transmission and trading.

In 2017, PGNiG booked enough capacity on the pipeline to replace 80% of volumes currently supplied by Russia.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Apr 27th, 2022 at 04:50:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
News from the future: MUSK CUTS TWITTER SUPPLY TO EU27.

APsplainin EU embargo on Twitter transmission

Officials agreed just days ago on the landmark legislation, expected to take effect by 2024. It's unclear how soon it could spark a similar crackdown elsewhere, with U.S. lawmakers divided on efforts to address competition, online privacy, disinformation and more.

That means the job of REINING IN a Musk-[wholly owned] Twitter could fall to Europe -- something officials signaled they're ready for.

alternative Meta Telegram supply story developing ...
by Cat on Wed Apr 27th, 2022 at 04:11:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
EU Green Party lawmaker Alexandra Geese, who was involved in negotiating the law, said, "Elon Musk's idea of free speech without content moderation would exclude large parts of the population from public discourse," such as WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR.
by Cat on Wed Apr 27th, 2022 at 04:14:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Not to mention people who publish in leftish media sources, people who are victims of abuse, migrants, members of non-fundamentalist religions, handicapped people, people too poor to buy Tesla cars, etc. Twitter will become the media wing of the KKK. At least in the US.
by asdf on Thu Apr 28th, 2022 at 02:11:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]
CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, PETITIONER v. REAGAN NATIONAL ADVERTISING OF AUSTIN, LLC, ET AL, 21 Apr
To identify whether speech entails solicitation, one must read or hear it first. Even so, the Court has reasoned that restrictions on solicitation are not content based and do not inherently present "the potential for becoming a means of suppressing a particular point of view," so long as they do not discriminate based on topic, subject matter, or viewpoint.
by Cat on Wed Apr 27th, 2022 at 04:19:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

oh

by Cat on Sun Apr 17th, 2022 at 08:25:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Why the "scare quotes" around ""massacre""?

What do you call it? The greatest conspiracy since the faked moon landings?

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Wed Apr 6th, 2022 at 12:14:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
War, M. Pétain, in the first instance.
archived Wed Aug 18th, 2021
by Cat on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 02:27:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
At the time Pétain was ruling occupied France:

by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 05:25:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Am I to understand now, that German occupation of France was not a consequence of war, but a mutually beneficial commercial venture of some sort?
by Cat on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 05:48:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
???
by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 06:30:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Are you saying that when soldiers kill large numbers of civilians in wartime, it's not a massacre?

Show me your dictionary, pedant.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Fri Apr 8th, 2022 at 12:37:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I just tracked down the post you linked :

The minute I sniff narcotics, the insinuation of "lawful" war crimes--eg summary execution of POWs described by Geneva--and credibility of witnesses flies out my window. Whether controlled by Taliban war lords or army of the "legitimate" gov, detection of conflict between drug gangs for control of the local supply, "slave labor" or small holders, and personal profits should override rhetorical claims to moral high ground. Most mornings I awake, I can shake off the conviction that NATO's professional regulars can do no wrong, no how, ever, simply because ibn told the inferiority of its enemies is a foregone conclusion and the purposes of "intervention" is impeccable.

While the Coalition of the Willing evade responsibility for that booming trade after routing Taliban in 2001, knowledge of state-sanctioned operators and so-called "abusers" (common criminals) who exploit conditions of civil distress (sharia or republican) won't so easily dissipate in the memories of either individuals or "authorized" law enforcers.

Frankly, common beliefs of just wars circumventing "harm's way" and preserving only the virginity of women and children is fucking ludicrous.

Clearly, you linked this post of yours because you see an analogy with the Bucha "massacre".

Can you spell it out please? I'm sick of trying to extract something meaningful from your convoluted self-referentiality.


It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Fri Apr 8th, 2022 at 12:46:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
common beliefs of just wars circumventing "harm's way" and preserving only the virginity of women and children is fucking ludicrous.

In the annals of human kind, there is no war without injuries and deaths. There is no such enterprise. There is, however, no shortage of extremely peculiar, topical belligerence and faintly patronizing will to make distinctions without difference among methods and numbers of survivors of war.

by Cat on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 12:36:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
War is an abomination. Once a war is underway, anything goes, and it is not useful to make a distinction between belligerents and civilians; in particular, the notion of "war crime" is a nonsense.

Is that a fair summary of your thinking?
If so, would it not have been useful to actually write it down?

I spend far too much time trying to work out, often unsuccessfully, what you mean; precisely because I respect you, and your views. Your desire to obfuscate often leaves me frustrated and resentful, and inspires pissy replies from me, which I regret. I wish we could do better.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 02:41:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Personally, I avoid pissy replies. When Cat doesn't want to be understood, she doesn't want to be understood. And I'll leave it at that.
by Bernard (bernard) on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 08:21:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The problem is that she actively discourages discussion. For me, discussion is the major value of Eurotrib (information and opinions can be found anywhere).  

For someone who claims an interest in the decline and extinction of discussion sites, this is paradoxical behaviour (unless she is hell-bent on driving this one to extinction too; in which case it all makes sense. I hope I'm wrong)

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 08:56:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Sun Apr 10th, 2022 at 07:24:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Dangerous Idea of a Well-Behaved War, since the Treaty of Westphalia, father of all civilized wars
by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 01:42:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Fine, but there are degrees of atrocity.

War is diplomacy by other means.
Bearing in mind that any war ends with one of two possible outcomes :

  1. total obliteration of one side's fighting capacity, and absorption of the spoils (territory, population, mineral rights...) by the other
  2. negotiation between the two sides (the usual outcome)

and all treaties aside, the idea that rape, pillage and wanton killing is OK because there's a war on, is profoundly wrong, not only on a human level, but because it's not advancing the military project (unless the project is actually genocide, or "denazification"), and is considerably worsening the negotiating situation. It labels the perpetrators as either an undisciplined rabble (or worse, if they are following orders).  

Even bank robbers know this : if they also rape the cashier then shoot her in the liver, the sentence will be heavier.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Tue Apr 12th, 2022 at 01:19:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Yle | Russia calls seizure of artworks illegal, summons Finnish ambassador to Moscow, 7 April
On Wednesday, Finnish customs said that it had confiscated three shipments containing artworks at the Vaalimaa border crossing during the weekend.

According to Customs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the items, which are estimated to be worth 42 million euros, are included in the list of sanctions the EU has imposed against Russia.

Authorities have started an investigation into suspected aggravated breaches of regulations, with 10 people currently under investigation. No arrests have been made so far.

The Russian Foreign Ministry addressed the issue in a press release on Thursday, which stated "What happened cannot be described as anything other than illegal."

pirate guidelines will do
by Cat on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 05:44:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
euractiv | Neighbouring Russia causes business problems in Finland, 18 Apr country risk
According to Youssef Zad, an economist at the Finnish StartUp Community, some professionals have decided not to move to Finland with their families, and others want to move away. The upside is that contacts and applications from Russian IT and other professionals are increasing, which is helping to ease the labour shortage, said Zad in the YLE report.
by Cat on Mon Apr 18th, 2022 at 10:12:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
DW | Ukraine: 50 people die in rocket strike on Kramatorsk train station,8 Apr
Photographs and videos taken just after the blast showed the dead on the ground, many with limbs missing and in one case, a head severed. The remnants of the Russian rocket revealed "for the children" had been written on the side.

What do we know about the attack?
In a Facebook post, Zelenskyy said a Russian* Tochka-U missile struck the Kramatorsk train station.
[...]
After the attack, Kramatorsk's mayor, Oleksandr Honcharenko, said authorities continued to work on resuming the evacuation of residents by buses and cars. During an online briefing, Honcharenko called for assistance with the effort.
[...]
Russia has denied responsibility for the attack. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed Russia does not use the type of missile [Tochka-U] identified in the attack. Military experts almost immediately dismissed that claim and pointed to the use of Tochka-U* missiles already in the six week-old war following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

DW | Ukraine: EU chief offers Kyiv fast track to membership, 8 Apr
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv on Friday presented Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with paperwork for his country to join the European Union. Handing over a document at a joint press conference, she said: "This is where your path towards the European Union begins."

"We stand ready to support you in filling out this questionnaire," von der Leyen said, adding: "It will not be, as usual, a matter of years, but rather a matter of weeks" to complete this step.
[...]
During the joint press conference von der Leyen said: "Russia will descend in economic, financial and technological decay while Ukraine is marching towards a European future."
[...]
Von der Leyen traveled to Ukraine with her deputy Josep Borrell, who is also the bloc's commissioner for foreign and security affairs. During the trip, the first by high-ranking EU officials since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, von der Leyen traveled to the city of Bucha.

Borrell also said the EU would supply €7.5 million ($8.2 million) to train Ukrainian prosecutors to investigate war crimes, which Russia is accused of committing in the country. The EU's foreign policy chief added that he hoped the bloc would offer Kyiv another €500 million in the coming days.
archived pallets of dollars

* Both RFA and UAF reported "soviet-era" Tochka-U combat since 2014 UA offensive in Donbas; since Mar 2022, "V" painted shells attributed by UAF to RFA, contradict MoD.ru "modernization" to Iksander (NAT0:  SS-26 Stone) by 2020.
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
| SS-21 "Scarab"
, RF inventory estimate 2016
CISIS  Missile Threat | OTR-21 Tochka (NATO: SS-21 "Scarab"), variants, 31 Mar update
military wiki | OTR-21 Tochka,operators by country

by Cat on Fri Apr 8th, 2022 at 09:21:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Fri Apr 8th, 2022 at 09:31:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I wonder how many of the regulars here have visited a 3rd world country, or even the "developing-world" recently. Maybe someone should explain them that prices of anything but veggies is actually higher than in a retail store or a so-called 'ethnic grocery store' in the US/EU? How exactly is another war going to help this state of things?
by Tom2 on Fri Apr 8th, 2022 at 11:29:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Excuse me, but which other hypothetical war are you talking about?

I don't think there's anyone here who doesn't want Putin's war to stop (with the possible exception of your good self).

(Your remark about groceries is true, and I guess it's profound, because it's unfathomable in the context)

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 09:49:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I speak of the war launched by the US and the UK against Europe, back in late December. Did it occur to you that 80 percent of the planet is not falling for it and considers that it is also under attack by the usual financial circles?
by Tom2 on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 09:53:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I think you are writing in a code that can only be understood by those within your own intellectual circle.

The idea that the USA and the UK (which entities within these polities? Deep State perhaps?) agreed on anything to the extent that they conjointly declared war on "Europe" (the European Union? The continent?) is... a little bit opaque for the profane.

Enlighten us. Entertain us.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Sun Apr 10th, 2022 at 09:39:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 01:34:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This has been developed by Baud (retired NATO/UN) and by Falk (retired UN/Princetion) already.
https:/www.sott.net/article/466340-Retired-Swiss-Military-Intelligence-Officer-Is-it-Possible-to-Ac tually-Know-What-Has-Been-And-is-Going-on-in-Ukraine
https:
www.palestinechronicle.com/this-geopolitical-war-is-a-geopolitical-crime

Here are other arguments I find interesting (by https:/original.antiwar.com/mark-rothschild and lifted from MoA)

There is an argument that the Ukraine War is a proxy war of the USA against Russia. This idea that the Ukraine war is really a "geopolitical struggle" between the USA and Russia is an attractive idea that on closer examination is clearly wrong, or at least very misleading.

To correctly understand the Ukraine conflict you need to undertake and analysis by asking and answering the following three questions: 1) Who could have prevented this war from starting? 2) Who benefits afterward, no matter who "wins"? 3) Who will lose the most after the war, no matter who wins the military conflict?

First of all, the phrase "geopolitical struggle" is an incomplete description of the power relations at play between states. The word "geo-economic" is a more focused word that emphasizes that power relations between states are played out along a continuum extending from economic competition to kinetic violence.

Answering the first question - who could have prevented this war from starting - is straightforward. The United States could have prevented this war by not encouraging Ukraine to attempt NATO membership, but this only takes our analysis so far because it does not address the second question, which is who will benefit afterward no matter who "wins". There are three possible answers because there are three (not two) protagonists - the USA, Russia, and the EU (mostly lead by Germany and its junior partner France). I have omitted Ukraine from the analysis of the second question because Ukraine will undoubtedly not benefit after the war. No matter who "wins", Ukraine has already lost in many ways.

To continue with answering the second question, it is clear that the Russian economy will not benefit from the war. This much has been admitted by President Putin. No matter, Putin's view is that Russia is not fighting for economic advantage, but for its vital national security interests.

One vital national security interest from the Russian point of view is that even if Russia is defeated in Ukraine and its military expelled into Russia, then Russia will finally discredit the Russian "Westernizers" who have been a thorn in the side of Putin and the Russian "Realists" who have warned for years that the West is an implacable and determined threat to Russian sovereignty. However, this losing outcome is at best a consolation prize, nevertheless a kind of win for Russian anti-Western "Realists".

The third question is the most interesting and the most elusive: who, besides Ukraine, will lose the most after the war - no matter who "wins" the military conflict? Russia and the United States both can benefit to various degrees from either defeat or victory, but what about Germany and the EU?

Setting aside for the moment the question of who is victorious militarily, we should ask what will the post-war geo-economic world look like?

Russia will likely lose much of its EU energy export market, but in time will find other outlets for these exports. Germany (and the EU) will lose access to realistically priced Russian natural gas and Germany's export-oriented energy thirsty economy is likely to go into a prolonged recession.

Some Ukrainian refugees will be able to return to their homes, but a large number will need to be resettled in Western Europe, adding to post-war strain on these economies. It goes without saying that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline running from Russia under the Baltic will not become operational for many years (if ever), and Germany's natural gas deficit will continue to bedevil German industrial planning.

Therefore, Germany stands to lose the most after the war - no matter who wins the military conflict. Germany loses under any end-of-war scenario.

If we view this conflict from a distance we will observe that long standing US geo-economic policy is above all, to dominate the Western Hemisphere and this is stated quite frankly in the famous Monroe Doctrine which remains a core principle for American military geo-strategy. This doctrine could be unflatteringly called "hegemony". Adversaries of the United States have called it "imperialism", but names don't matter. What matters is policy. The policy is domination, and this policy of domination extends to Europe as well, where it is euphemistically called "Atlanticism".

The Atlanticist doctrine is subtle and often portrayed as a defensive alliance of Western liberal democracies against the forces of illiberal authoritarianism. On the surface, it is true that Atlanticism, its military expression NATO, and its economic expression the EU, are democracies, but that does not negate the fact that net-net, these institutions act to the advantage of the USA and the disadvantage Europe.

This should not be surprising because economically, Europe is a peer competitor of the USA. Russia with its smaller economy is not even close to being a peer competitor of the USA.

Therefore, the proper view of the Ukraine conflict is that it is an expression of the competition between Europe lead by Germany and the Anglo-American world lead by the USA.

The USA provoked Russia to attack Ukraine knowing this would cause short term and even long term damage to the German economy. From the American point of view, Russia is collateral damage. It is collateral because damaging Russia satisfies no core America interest. On the contrary, an alienated hostile Russia helps justify the continued existence of NATO and keeps the USA as a major power broker in Europe.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline was a symbolic and actual threat to EU dependence on the USA and was the proximate cause of both the kinetic war being fought between Russia and Ukraine and the hybrid war waged by the USA against Germany.

by Tom2 on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 08:22:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]
That is an interesting and thoughtful post, Tom2.
I think you ought to re-post it as a diary, because it requires thoughtful discussion.

I disagree on a number of points, obviously, but it's such a refreshing change to have a cogent analysis from the point of view of someone who has previously only expressed himself in encrypted  messages.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 11:01:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 03:42:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
tabloid Turkey | Akar suspects mines in Black Sea released 'intentionally'
"We do not know who left the mines in the Black Sea. They are Russian-made, but the issue of which country left it is under investigation. There are reports that there are around 400 mines. We talked to the Bulgarian and Romanian authorities. They also carry out monitoring," Akar stated.

Some say that maybe the mines were left in the Black Sea within a plan for NATO minesweepers to enter the Black Sea to put pressure on Turkey, Akar said. "But we will abide by the Montreux rules. We will not let warships into the Black Sea. We will not allow the Black Sea to be drawn into the war," he told the party members.

The minister also emphasized that these mines normally lock themselves when they break from the rope, but Turkey observed that such a system did not exist in the mines which the Turkish military destroyed. "So it could have been left like that on purpose. We are investigating," he added.

archived Turkey is serious, Turkey means business, Key Role East-West Relations for NATO Member Turkey, two naval mines were found and defused, drift towards the borders of Norway
by Cat on Sun Apr 10th, 2022 at 04:35:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Wall Stree Journal | Thousands of Ukrainian and Russian Sailors Remain Stuck in Ports, 7 Mar, DE, GR merchant marines in the Azov
An estimated 50,000 Russian and Ukrainian sailors are at sea or waiting at ports ["]around the world["] to be replaced. There are no flights back home, and most can't get paid as their bank accounts don't work or have come under sanctions.

"We evacuated 40 sailors from two Greek-owned ships stuck in the port of Odessa in Ukraine," said Alexandros Papaioannou, spokesman for Greece's foreign ministry. "They were from Greece, Romania and the Philippines. We also moved out our consul staff because Odessa ["around the world"] will likely come under attack."
[...]
As many as 5,000 sailors from Russia and Ukraine work on German merchant vessels, with sailors from both countries often working on the same ships.

"We are shocked with what is happening and demand that all ships and their crews be allowed to leave the conflict zone unharmed," Gaby Bornheim, president of the German Shipowners Association, told reporters in Hamburg. "People from dozens of countries live and work on board the ships of Germany's merchant fleet--including thousands of Ukrainian and Russian seafarers. Their well-being is paramount."

almayadee | DPR: Ukrainian nationalists seize 2 foreign ships in Mariupol, 10 Apr
by Cat on Sun Apr 10th, 2022 at 07:17:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ukrinform | Ukraine closes sea area in north-western part of Black Sea to repel Russian aggression, 10 Apr (trans. EN)
Ukraine has closed a sea area in the north-western part of the Black Sea since February 24, 2022 to repel Russian aggression from the sea. The relevant statement was made by the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry [orig. UA published 26 Feb 2022], an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
by Cat on Sun Apr 10th, 2022 at 07:47:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"signs of western solidarity"

euractiv | Civilians flee east Ukraine as Kyiv [UAF] readies for Donbas battle

Evacuations resumed on Saturday (9 April) from Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine, where a [Tochka-U] missile strike killed 52 people ["including 5 children"] at a railway station a day earlier, as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson [?!] became the latest Western leader to visit Kyiv.
[...]
And more Russian shells did arrive on Saturday, killing five people in the eastern cities of Vugledar and Novo Mikhaylovka, local governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram [!].

Meanwhile, in Kramatorsk, minibuses assembled at a church to collect shaken evacuees. Almost 80 people, most of them elderly, sheltered in a building [basement?] near the targeted station.
[...]
AFP reporters at the station saw the remains of a missile tagged in white paint with the words "for our children" in Russian -- an expression used by pro-Russian separatists to invoke their own losses [?] since fighting in Donbas began in 2014 [--and UAF serial number].
[...]
Speaking Saturday from Warsaw, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said a global pledging event for Ukrainian refugees has raised €10.1 billion ($11 billion).

archived "ethnic-Russians" under siege--women, children, the infirm by UAF?, Odesa SBU 10 Apr

euractiv | Ukraine says 1,200 bodies found near Kyiv as east [DPR, LPR] braces for Donbas onslaught by RFA?
Bucha -- where authorities say hundreds were killed, some with their hands bound -- has become a byword for the brutality allegedly inflicted under Russian occupation.

Ukraine's prosecutor Venediktova said 1,222 bodies had been found there and in the broader region around Kyiv so far. At least two corpses were found inside a manhole at a petrol station on a motorway outside Kyiv on Sunday, an AFP reporter saw. The bodies appeared to be wearing a mix of civilian and military clothing.

by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 02:17:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 02:53:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Barron's AFP | Austria's Nehammer Holds 'Direct, Hard' Talks With Putin, 11 Apr READOUT
Just over an hour after the meeting started at around 4:00 pm local time (1300 GMT) in Putin's residence in Moscow, Nehammer's office sent out a statement saying that it had ended.
[...]
"I mentioned the serious war crimes in Bucha and other locations and stressed that all those responsible have to be brought to justice," [Nehammer] said.
[...]
No joint press conference will be held but Nehammer is expected to address reporters alone at around 7:00 pm local time (1600 GMT).

On the topic of sanctions Nehammer said he had "told President Putin very clearly that the sanctions will remain and be intensified as long as people keep dying in Ukraine". Nehammer also told Putin of the "urgent" need for humanitarian corridors "to bring water and food into besieged towns and (to) remove women, children and the injured".

"I will now inform our European partners about the conversation and discuss further steps," he said.

by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 04:31:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Day #25

Day #47: NATO R2P Bucha/Boutcha "symbol of atrocities"
La Presse AFP | "Difficult" [hard] discussion between Putin and the Austrian Chancellor, 11 Apr

... The Austrian conservative chancellor went to Moscow on his own initiative after visiting Ukraine. He "has no European mandate", his Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said earlier on Monday. ...
La Press AFP | Kyiv expects the fall of Mariupol [ex Azovstal werks] and a Russian assault in [or offesnsive from?] the East, 11 Apr
"Today will probably be the last battle" in Mariupol "because our ammunition is running out", the 36th Brigade  of the National Navy of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which is fighting in this city, besieged for more than 40 days by the Russian army and largely destroyed[, wrote on Facebook on Monday].
[...]
"I am the first to find the strength to say" that the Ukrainian forces cannot liberate Mariupol, "it is now impossible militarily", [Oleksiï Arestovitch*] declared Sunday evening on YouTube, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensk* telethon UPDATE
Speaking to South Korea's National Assembly on Monday by videoconference, Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had "completely destroyed" Mariupol, and said he feared that "tens of thousands of people" had perished there.
What PUTIN really wants
Analysts believe that Vladimir Putin, mired in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance, wants to secure a victory in this region before the May 9 military parade in Red Square marking the Soviet victory over the Nazis.

"Next week", "Russian troops will move on to even greater operations in the east", warned Mr. Zelensky on Sunday.

* wikiwtf; March 3, 2022; March 15, 2022; March 29, 15:27; Day #25 lampoon
by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 05:36:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
What's with the map?
Russian flags on Kharkhiv and Odessa?
Is that a personal fantasy? Prediction?

If you want a map, updated daily from open sources by a Georgian think tank, try this one.

(may be more useful than your awful blogger.)

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Tue Apr 12th, 2022 at 03:37:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Politico.eu.com |  The West studies how to make Russia foot the war bill, 12 Apr counting Mexicos
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is warning Russians that they will have to get used to the word "reparations."

Under this scenario, the U.S., U.K., EU countries, Canada and Japan would need [?!] to arrange the seizure and confiscation of the nearly $300 billion held in their territories.
[...]
While ["a 2005 U.N. resolution"] would provide the potential legal grounds for action, this kind of seizure has never been done before. The closest potential precedent -- a U.S. effort to use $7 billion of frozen Afghan central bank assets to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan -- is still underway.
< wipes tears >
The so-called freeze-and-seize task force set up by the European Commission had grabbed €29.5 billion as of Friday, including yachts, helicopters, real estate, and artwork belonging to oligarchs and people affiliated with the Kremlin worth around €6.7 billion. According to EU officials, diplomats and Ukrainian officials, talks are taking place on whether these assets -- or the proceeds from their sale -- could be devoted to Ukraine's reconstruction. They caution, though, that confiscation can only happen legally under limited circumstances, and that it will depend on national criminal law in each country.
honor among thieves
by Cat on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 08:30:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
VOldeMoRE BULLETIN: "Warsaw Summons French Envoy After Macron Calls Polish Premier `Right-Wing Anti-Semite' and Homophobe"
The diplomatic spat between Paris and Warsaw began on Monday after Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki blasted Emmanuel Macron The Polish Foreign Ministry summoned French Ambassador to Poland Frederic Billet in response to President Macron's characterisation of the Polish prime minister as a "far-right anti-Semite who bans LGBT people."
Earlier Friday, Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller dismissed Macron's characterization of Morawiecki as an anti-Semite as an "incomprehensible" "lie" uttered out of election campaign-related emotion.

Macron lashed out at Morawiecki Thursday in his interview with Le Parisian, and along with his comments about the Polish leader's alleged anti-Semitism and homophobia recalled Warsaw's "arbitrary dismissal of many judges" in recent years.
[...]
Donald Tusk, chairman of the Polish opposition party Civic Platform, waded into the spat by assuring his "dear Emmanuel" in a tweet that "no decent Pole supports Madame Le Pen, just like no decent Pole supports [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor] Orban or Putin. Poles, in their overwhelming majority are for Europe, Ukraine and freedom, regardless of the rubbish PM Morawiecki says."

Politico.eu.com | Macron calls Polish PM an 'extreme-right anti-Semite who bans LGBT people', 8 Apr
BONUS
Poland's Kaczyński slams Orbán for refusing to condemn Bucha killings, 8 Apr
"My assessment is unequivocally negative -- I must admit that it is all very sad," Kaczyński, the deputy prime minister and leader of the ruling Law and Justice party, told Radio Plus. "When Orbán says that he cannot see what happened in Bucha, he must be advised to see an eye doctor."
by Cat on Fri Apr 8th, 2022 at 09:47:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Well. Nobody's denying that Morawiecki is a far-right anti-Semite who bans LGBT people (he can hardly deny it himself, for fear of losing his electoral base).

It may be considered that Macron lacked diplomacy in pointing it out. But given Morawiecki's previous vituperative personal attack on Macron for attempting to mediate in Putin's war ("you don't negotiate with criminals, you fight them... Would you negotiate with Hitler, with Stalin, with Pol Pot?" to which the obvious answer is yes, unless I'm missing something), it's not exactly an escalation.

(I may have missed Morawiecki's of the other wannabe mediators : Erdogan, Orbàn, Schröder, Bennett, the Pope...)

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 10:10:43 AM EST
[ Parent ]
"lie factory" UPDATE w/e 9 April

Politico.eu.com | What if you held a French election and nobody came?, 7 Apr

For Macron, who faces his greatest challenges from the far right and far left, voter apathy presents a threat of its own. Not only might it favor his electoral rivals, who can count on motivated bases to turn out for them; it presents his opponents with the opportunity to cast his expected reelection as lacking legitimacy. ...
Politico | The White House is freaked out that PUTIN's next* big win could be in Paris, 8 Apr
A possible victory by Le Pen, a PUTIN SYMPATHIZER, could destabilize the Western coalition against Moscow, upending France's role as a leading European power and potentially giving other NATO leaders cold feet about staying in the alliance, according to three senior administration officials not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations. ....
archived NBC News deploying declassified intelligence

* in a parallel universe, uninformed PUTIN lost his war one month ago

by Cat on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 03:31:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
* in a parallel universe, uninformed PUTIN lost his war one month ago

Certainly not in this universe. He's still losing it today (having declared victory, convincingly! in the first phase, and pivoted to the Donbass).

He will, in the end, get his ass whupped there too. But it will take a while, sadly.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 04:18:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
euractiv EDITORIAL | The strange death of the French Republican party, 11 Apr
This year's presidential runoff will be much closer than the 2017 version, though Macron is still a heavy favourite. His main enemy is complacency and voter fatigue.

Yet just as significant is who won't be contesting the runoff. The results for Republican candidate Valerie Pécresse and Socialist party candidate Anne Hidalgo were even more dismal than the pre-election polls had forecast. They took a fraction over 7% between them and were both below the 5% threshold for minimum reimbursement of campaign spending.

The slow decline of the centre-left and centre-right is a trend that has been repeated across much of Europe over the past decade but it is particularly pronounced in France. Ten years ago, Socialist candidate Francois Hollande defeated Republican Nikolas Sarkozy. Fast forward to the present, and the two parties who had previously dominated French politics throughout the Fifth Republic are now nothing more than minor fringe players, struggling to make themselves heard. They are both broken beyond repair. ...

by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 01:31:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Sun Apr 10th, 2022 at 05:56:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Catholic News
The head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church asked Pope Francis to scrap plans to have a Ukrainian woman and a Russian woman carry the cross together during the pope's Way of the Cross service at Rome's Colosseum April 15.

Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, major archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, said April 12, "I consider such an idea untimely, ambiguous and such that it does not take into account the context of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine."

For Eastern Catholics in Ukraine, he said, "the texts and gestures of the 13th station of this Way of the Cross are incoherent and even offensive, especially in the context of the expected second, even bloodier attack of Russian troops on our cities and villages.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Tue Apr 12th, 2022 at 07:37:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Sat Apr 30th, 2022 at 03:18:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I've been waiting for this
The EU's police agency, Europol, will be forced to delete much of a vast store of personal data that it has been found to have amassed unlawfully by the bloc's data protection watchdog. The unprecedented finding from the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) targets what privacy experts are calling a "big data ark" containing billions of points of information. Sensitive data in the ark has been drawn from crime reports, hacked from encrypted phone services and sampled from asylum seekers never involved in any crime.


It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Mon May 2nd, 2022 at 04:33:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Sat Apr 2nd, 2022 at 08:07:04 AM EST

In England, the percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) continued to increase in the week ending 26 March 2022; we estimate that 4,122,700 people in England had COVID-19 (95% credible interval: 4,013,600 to 4,228,300), equating to 7.56% of the population or around 1 in 13 people.

Covid experts call for return of free tests as UK cases hit new high | The Guardian |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sat Apr 2nd, 2022 at 07:56:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Tories Wish All More Freedom ...

... under the cover of war.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sat Apr 2nd, 2022 at 07:57:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
ANSA

The tiny republic of San Marino has got the world's first LGBT head of State.

Paolo Rondelli, ex vice-president of Arcigay Rimini and the first ambassador of the Republic in the United States, has been named one of the two new captain regents, heads of state who have no executive powers and who serve six-month terms.

They mean openly gay, of course, so Benedikt IX or Ludwig II don't count.
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Sun Apr 3rd, 2022 at 11:36:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Xavier Bettel is merely Prime Minister of Luxembourg, since 2013. The head of state being Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
by Bernard (bernard) on Sun Apr 3rd, 2022 at 06:09:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I guess prince lb*rt of M*n*c is still anachronically closeted.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Sun Apr 3rd, 2022 at 06:35:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Isn't M*n*C itself an anachronism?
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Sun Apr 3rd, 2022 at 09:38:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 08:19:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Guardian "READOUT" | . 9 Apr
With air travel impossible, Johnson will have driven to Kyiv, most probably from eastern Poland. The 400 mile route from the border passes the western city of Lviv. On the outskirts of the capital Johnson will have seen blown-up Russian tanks by the side of the road, as well as ironic welcoming signs painted by Ukrainians saying: "Russia go fuck yourself".

Johnson is a popular figure in Kyiv after having delivered vital anti-tank weapons, the Swedish-made NLAW system, to the Ukrainian army. Zelenskiy has repeatedly praised the UK's staunch support.

Johnson travelled to Kyiv on 1 February before the invasion and held talks with Zelenskiy in the Mariinsky Palace, the president's official residence.

He said then the UK would impose sanctions on Russia as soon as the "first Russian toecap" strode into Ukrainian territory. He also warned - correctly - that Russia's armed forces were a "clear and present danger".

< wipes tears >
reference
Schenck v. the United States, 249 U.S. 47 (1919), *-English Law
"The test says that the printed or spoken word may not be the subject of previous restraint or subsequent punishment unless its expression creates a clear and present danger of bringing about a substantial evil."
by Cat on Sun Apr 10th, 2022 at 05:01:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Radar Box | Brize Norton
(BZZ / EGVN)
, 9 Apr, ZZ336 R/T flight path
by Cat on Sun Apr 10th, 2022 at 07:31:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Sun Apr 10th, 2022 at 05:25:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 09:45:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Stop matching lone female Ukraine refugees with single men, UK told
"Leading refugee charities raised their concerns about the Homes for Ukraine scheme in a letter to Michael Gove, the minister in charge of the scheme. Louise Calvey, the head of safeguarding at the charity Refugee Action, told the Observer it was at risk of being a 'Tinder for sex traffickers'."
by Cat on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 08:39:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Tens of thousands of asylum seekers could be sent to Rwanda, says Johnson

Oh look over there! An immigrant!

Tens of thousands of unauthorised migrants who seek sanctuary in the UK will be flown more than 4,000 miles to Rwanda under a new set of immigration policies, Boris Johnson has said.
...
Johnson defended the cost of the Rwanda plan, which will include an initial payment of £120m, saying the asylum system was already costing £1.5bn a year and hotel costs would only increase.


It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Thu Apr 14th, 2022 at 02:40:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Politico.eu.com | UK seals deal with Rwanda to offshore asylum seekers
The U.K. will send asylum seekers who attempt to cross the English Channel to Rwanda for processing, after sealing a £120 million deal with the Rwandan government. British Home Secretary Priti Patel will sign the agreement this afternoon during a visit to Rwanda's capital, Kigali, following nine months of negotiations and several failed attempts to reach similar deals with other countries and offshore territories.
wut
Asylum seekers judged by the Home Office to likely be economic migrants would be flown to the Commonwealth country and held in a facility until their application is processed, while the rest of the asylum seekers would stay in stricter, Greek-style centers in Britain until the Home Office makes a decision on their applications.
[...]
According to Home Office statistics, about 90 percent of the 28,526 migrants who arrived in Britain on small boats through the Channel last year were male, with the majority of these believed to be single. Officials say single men trying to get to the U.K. by this route are more likely to be economic migrants
than Tinder subscribers
by Cat on Thu Apr 14th, 2022 at 04:08:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Commonwealth country

wtmff...

it was a BELGIAN colony.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Fri Apr 15th, 2022 at 01:59:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Fri Apr 15th, 2022 at 02:46:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Fri Apr 15th, 2022 at 02:53:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Most of the population doesn't speak neither English nor French, but Kinyarwanda, "the national language of Rwanda."

Paul Kagame, the current president has been leading the rebel force FPR that was based in anglophone Uganda.

Wiki:

Since the 1994 genocide, the complications of relations with successive French governments and the return of numerous Tutsi refugees from anglophone Uganda meant an increase in the use of English by a higher proportion of the population and administration.

In 2008, the government changed the medium of education from French to English.[5] By 2018 the Rwandan government had introduced French as a foreign language class at the primary school level, and French was still widely used by members of the upper classes. A Rwandan historian, Antoine Mugesera, stated that French is still used among the educated, but Kinyarwanda is used for matters relating to simple topics and messages.[6] English is now considered as the primary language among other foreign languages.

Rwanda happens to be a member of both the Commonwealth and the Francophonie, along with Cameroon, Mauritius, Seychelles and Vanuatu, so it is no unique case.

by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Apr 15th, 2022 at 06:34:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
That's funny as hell, and somehow under-reported in the French press. As a citizen of a "Commonwealth" country myself (and having HM QE2 as my nominal head of state, in that context) I am somewhat ashamed.

And it's the poeticest of justice : France turned a blind eye to/enabled the preparations for genocide, precisely because Mitterand and his clique were obsessed with the danger of "losing" Rwanda from the Francophone community.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Tue Apr 19th, 2022 at 01:24:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Nothing new, contractors in the US, France and others have all used undocumented migrant workers for their greatest benefit. Of course in Africa, it is a two-way scheme, since the UN pays countries to host refugees.
https:/www.timesofisrael.com/israel-precedent-prompts-outrage-as-uk-plans-to-send-refugees-to-rwand a
by Tom2 on Sat Apr 16th, 2022 at 09:28:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]
The Scotsman
Government agency, Education Scotland, had come under criticism from unionists for educational resources in which analysis of films involving the Loch Ness Monster was used as a way to understand the union.

The resource asks children to analysis several movies in which the Loch Ness Monster appears, but was criticised by some education campaigners.

But what does she think of Brexit?
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 10:15:52 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 09:33:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Tue Apr 26th, 2022 at 01:28:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Sat Apr 2nd, 2022 at 08:07:22 AM EST
Sacramento Bee | Live Updates: 6 killed, 12 hurt in Sacramento shooting; police find weapon, search for shooter[s], 3 April UPDATE
"The shooting -- among the worst in Sacramento history -- happened just after 2 a.m. [02:00, 3 April], but details about the exact location of the incident occurred have not been confirmed."
by Cat on Sun Apr 3rd, 2022 at 07:55:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
1 killed, 11 injured in shooting at Dallass outdoor concert, police say, 3 Apr 00:15
"Other attendees sustained minor trampling injuries in the scuffle of people fleeing the scene"
by Cat on Mon Apr 4th, 2022 at 03:30:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]

BONUS

 

by Cat on Tue Apr 5th, 2022 at 12:45:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]
The US blocks Russia from making a $600 million bond payment as it ramps up the pressure on Moscow
Up until Monday, the Treasury had been allowing American banks to process the payments so that money would reach US bondholders ... But the department changed policy Monday, with a spokesperson telling Insider: "The US Treasury will not permit any dollar debt payments to be made from Russian government accounts at US financial institutions.

"Russia must choose between draining remaining valuable ["frozen"] dollar reserves or new revenue coming in [from US-EU trade sanctions, contract breaches, and reparations claims?], or < wipes tears > default."
[...]
Even if Russia finds a bank to pay foreign investors, bondholders may not be able or willing to accept the money, he said. He added that a default would be a nightmare for Russia that could lock it out of global capital advanced economy markets for years to come.

The payment process credit default swap (CDS) and collateral deb obligations (CDO) transfer pricing could be further complicated by the fact that an exemption sanctions waiver insurance that allows US bondholders to receive Russian debt payments is due to expire on May 25.

archived escrow
by Cat on Tue Apr 5th, 2022 at 08:30:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
APsplainin w/e 9 Apr, What PUTIN really wants confirmed

Russia's failure to take down Kyiv was a defeat for the ages

as the seat of national power, Kyiv was the main prize. Thus the thrust by elite airborne forces in the war's opening hours.

But Putin failed to achieve his goal of quickly crushing Ukraine's [?!] outgunned and outnumbered army.

More Western sanctions to hit Russia after Bucha killings
a ban on all [EU] new investment [FDI] in the country [RUSSIA] and an EU embargo  on [sic] coal ... The European Commission's proposed ban on coal imports would be the first [?!] EU sanctions targeting Russia's lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine.
[...]
"A billion euro [USD 1.1B, UAH 32B, RUB 90B] is what we pay Putin every day for the energy he provides us since the beginning of the war. We have given him 35 billion euro. Compare that to the one billion that we have given to the Ukraine in arms and weapons," Borrell said.
< wipes tears >
Separately, the [US] Treasury Department moved Tuesday to block [ban, blockade, or embargo?] any Russian government debt payments with U.S. dollars from accounts at U.S. financial institutions again, making it harder [sic] for Russia to meet its [US-denominated] financial obligations.
In Bucha, Ukraine, burned, piled bodies among latest horrors
One blackened body had arms raised in supplication, the face contorted in a horrible scream. The skull of another had a bullet hole in the left temple. The small blackened foot of a child could be seen in the tangle of charred bodies piled together in Bucha, the town outside of Kyiv where GRAPHIC evidence of killings and torture has emerged following the withdrawal of Russian forces....
AP 19 Mar - 4 Apr "satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies" display embargo
by Cat on Wed Apr 6th, 2022 at 04:44:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
NYT, NY Post, Telesur, Sputnik, yahoo!Business Insider unexpectedly, simultaneously "verify", Video appears to show Ukrainian soldiers executing Russian soldier captured in an ambush outside Kyiv
Video posted on [public] Telegram [account] Monday appears to show Ukrainian soldiers killing captured Russian troops in a village near Kyiv, according to a report from The New York Times. The video was verified by The Times, however, the outlet decided not to publish [embargo?] it due to its graphic nature imaginary monopoly of credibility.
[...]
The video, The Times reported, also shows at least three other Russian soldiers dead near the victim -- identified by white armbands commonly worn by Russian troops [and Ukrainan civilians identified as UAF enemy collaborators]. One of the soldiers has an obvious head wound and his hands are tied behind his back, according to the report from The Times.
NBC News | no evidence Russia has brought any chemical weapons near Ukraine, 6 Apr
It's one of a string of examples of the Biden administration's breaking with recent precedent by deploying declassified intelligence as part of an information war against Russia. The administration has done so even when the intelligence wasn't rock solid, officials said, to keep Russian President Vladimir Putin off balance.
Haaretz | Zelenskyy Says Post-war Ukraine Will Emulate Israel, Won't Be 'Liberal, European', 5 Apr
by Cat on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 01:46:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]
THE SEVENTH NATIONAL POLL: UKRAINE DURING THE WAR (MARCH 30-31, 2022), pub'd 5 Apr
n=1500 respondents
"in all oblasts, except for the temporarily occupied territories of the Crimea and Donbas"
by Cat on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 01:53:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]
US Library of Congress | Ukraine: Martial Law Introduced in Response to Russian Invasion
On February 24, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued Decree No. 64/2022 on the Introduction of Martial Law in the entire territory of Ukraine.

On the same day, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian legislature) approved the presidential decree allowing imposition of the legal regime of martial law for a period of 30 days. (Decree art. 1.)

The presidential decree said that the decision had been proposed by the Council of National Defense and Security of Ukraine because of the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The decree is in accordance with article 106, paragraph 20 of the Constitution of Ukraine and with the Law of Ukraine on the Legal Regime of Martial Law. (Art. 2.)

According to the decree, the military command, together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, other national and regional executive authorities, and local self-government bodies, must ensure Ukraine's defense, public safety, and state interests as prescribed by the Law on the Legal Regime of Martial Law.

US Library of Congress | Ukraine: New Laws Criminalize Collaboration with an Aggressor State
On March 3, 2022, the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine, in response to the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, adopted two new laws criminalizing any type of cooperation with an aggressor state. The new laws are Law No. 2108-IX on Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts regarding the Establishment of Criminal Liability for Collaboration Activities (Criminal Liability for Collaboration Law), and Law No. 2107-IX on Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts on Ensuring the Responsibility of Individuals Who Carry Out Collaboration Activities (Individual Responsibility for Collaboration Law).

The Criminal Liability for Collaboration Law establishes penalties for individuals under Ukraine's jurisdiction for cooperating with an aggressor state, its occupation administrations, and its armed forces or paramilitary formations. (Criminal Liability for Collaboration Law art. 1.)
[...]
Investigation of crimes prosecuted under article 111(1) of the Criminal Code are to be conducted by investigators of security agencies [SBU] and include an extended term of pretrial investigation.

by Cat on Sun Apr 10th, 2022 at 08:24:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 07:05:30 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Sorry if already posted here, unable to track all comments these days

Ursula von der Leyen's bad acting.
https:/twitter.com/sirsiron/status/1512468002284969997?s=24

The person standing to her right is Sergey Korotkikh!
https:
pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1497539605842780165/pu/img/IJbuoFRtHRAFs7YW.jpg
He is the leader of the Boatman/Boatswain Boys, i.e. the former Azov commander who was caught on video requesting and receiving permission to shoot civilians at Bucha.

He is also wanted for terrorism for actions including the murder of Shamil Odamanov, a beheading on video of two young men.
https:
/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Shamil_Odamanov

How is it possible for the President of the European Commission to appear on video with a person like this and it not be front page news?

by Tom2 on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 07:36:49 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 05:41:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Stripes Bloomberg | Miss Nancy's schedules a $95M sales call in Taipei, 7 Apr
"Pelosi will arrive in Taipei on Sunday following a visit to Japan, according to reports Thursday in both Taiwan and Japan, including by Fuji News Network, which cited people it did not identify."
by Cat on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 05:29:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 01:09:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Q. America is a nation that can be defined in a single word.
by Cat on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 01:11:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
APsplainin | 2 killed and 10 wounded in Cedar Rapids nightclub shooting, 10 Apr 01:30
"officers who were just outside the club because of an earlier incident rushed inside just as 100-150 people streamed out of the bar"
by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 12:19:21 AM EST
[ Parent ]
At least [13] people shot, 'undetonated devices' found at Brooklyn subway station, 12 Apr
"The shooting comes as crime in the city's sprawling subway system has ticked up in recent months."
by Cat on Tue Apr 12th, 2022 at 04:27:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 07:14:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on April 13, 2022
Shenzhen TV: On April 12 local time, a shooting occurred at a subway station in Brooklyn, New York City, which has injured at least 29 people. What is China's comment? Are there any reported Chinese casualties?
Zhao Lijian: I have noted relevant reports. We always oppose and condemn acts of gun violence, and express our sympathies to the injured and their families.
[...]
Tragedies lik e the shooting at the Brooklyn subway station have been happening time and again, which has to do with the proliferation of gun and gun violence in the US. Gun violence is a grave, persistent human rights problem in US society. But on the exact same day of the shooting, the US Department of State released the [BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR ?!] 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. While making groundless accusations about other countries' human rights conditions throughout, the report made no mention of the deteriorating human rights situation at home. Systemic racial discrimination, violent law enforcement and other serious issues aside, the severity of gun violence is well recorded. According to the "Gun Violence Archive" website, more than 10,000 people in the US died in gun violence incidents, including 131 mass shootings, since the beginning of this year. Aren't the numbers staggering enough to alert the US? Isn't the life and security of its own people worth the attention of the US?

The US is undoubtedly a country of shooting. We sincerely hope such tragedy as shooting at the Brooklyn station will not happen again, and the American people can truly live without gunshots, discrimination and fear. The US government can by no means lecture others on human rights. What it should do is stop passing judgement on other countries' human rights conditions and do something concrete to improve the poor human rights conditions within its borders. 

Global Times editorial | US human rights report 'a price list' to extort other countries, 14 Apr
by Cat on Thu Apr 14th, 2022 at 03:40:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
In China, the shooter would have been ID'd by CCTV, and his credit rating would have cratered.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Thu Apr 14th, 2022 at 03:46:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
and how does that law enforcement differ from USA?
by Cat on Sun Apr 17th, 2022 at 08:21:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 05:45:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
9 People Wounded in South Carolina Mall Shooting, Police Say, 16 Apr
"five others were injured in an ensuing stampede during the gunfire"

US rocked by 3 mass shootings during Easter weekend; 2 dead
1 SC mall (above)
1 SC "lounge," nine people injured
1 PA house party, two killed, eight injured

by Cat on Sun Apr 17th, 2022 at 08:15:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw cited a piece [sic] of math homework from a public school in Missouri surrounding [sic] Maya Angelou's past [sic]."
by Cat on Mon Apr 18th, 2022 at 10:06:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Still Calling It A Democracy?

Saw this headline ...

Former Army colonel sues to block Jan. 6 committee subpoena for phone records | Politico |

A team of Donald Trump's lawyers and associates who launched a last-ditch effort to stay in power ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot enlisted the help of a retired Army colonel who specialized in psychological operations, The Washington Post reports. The so-called legal "command center" at the ritzy Willard hotel in Washington, D.C. featured Rudy Giuliani, former NYPD commissioner Bernard Kerik, and former White House Chief of Staff Steve Bannon. John Eastman, the lawyer who authored the memo outlining how then-Vice President Mike Pence could suspend the Senate's certification of the 2020 presidential election's results, also made appearances at the "war room," where Team Trump pushed the lie that he had won the election and reportedly devised ways to pressure Pence into stopping certification.

As the planet dies ...

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Tue Apr 19th, 2022 at 05:52:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]
former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for holocaust denial
Legitimate historians at the risk of being labeled "apologists for racism" have skewered the fanciful claims, but they as well as the proponents of the new history overlook the basic fact that no white colonist in the New World ever enslaved a black African. The black Africans were enslaved prior to their arrival in the New World. They arrived as slaves. They were enslaved by other blacks. Some of them were warriors captured in slave wars while trying to enslave other blacks.
[...]
By the time the United States was formed out of the British colonies, slavery had been a labor force institution for a century and a half < wipes tears >. For the US, slavery was an inherited institution, not a creation of independence and the Constitution. The Confederate States of America had no responsibility for the fact that the labor force of large scale agriculture was a slave labor force. This was an inherited labor force institution < wipes tears >. Whites as well as blacks were born into the institution.
by Cat on Tue Apr 19th, 2022 at 09:51:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]
At least 3 shot in Van Ness neighborhood of Washington, DC; police search for suspect, 22 Apr 15:30
"Officers pointed their rifles upward toward other buildings and windows as the people moved quickly down the street with their hands raised above their heads."
by Cat on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 10:55:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Tue Apr 26th, 2022 at 01:23:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Tue Apr 26th, 2022 at 03:09:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
ORF | The US: A Democracy Waging War with Itself, 26 Apr
During the Civil War, the US reached an inflexion point that shaped it into the country we know today. The Civil War was won by the Union under the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, the US's first Republican president. Lincoln ran for presidency on the anti-slavery agenda [BWAH!] and eventually abolished slavery. The Democratic Party, on the other hand, supported slavery and opposed civil rights. In what could be the greatest political ironies, former US President [Mitch] Obama is from the party that supported slavery and his successor Donald Trump is from the party [BWAH!] that abolished it. Lincoln's national political journey began with his nomination for the US Senate in 1858, speaking at which, he famously said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand". In many ways, the US of today is SO POLARISED that it is not just divided but is probably at war with itself.
< wipes tears >
by Cat on Tue Apr 26th, 2022 at 02:42:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
repressed "conflicts of interest"

by Cat on Wed Apr 27th, 2022 at 04:28:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]
former Fulbright-Clinton advisor to UA.gov, Nina Jankowicz gets a DHS "Disinformation Governance Board" to call her own.
by Cat on Thu Apr 28th, 2022 at 12:11:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Sat Apr 30th, 2022 at 09:58:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Sun May 1st, 2022 at 11:18:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Biden administration last week requested $33 billion more ...

Joe promised this amount will be paid for by Russia or in seized assets of Putin or his oligarchs wherever they have hidden their wealth.

The Jihad war against the Soviets was funded by the Saudi kingdom ... joint enterprise.
The Jihad war against Syria and Bashar Assad was jointly funded by KSA, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey.
The proxy war in Ukraine will be paid for by Russia ... ultimately.

And if we lose like in Afghanistan the assets will nevertheless be confiscated and your country will live in poverty till kingdom come.

In the middle of his manic escape last year, Mr Biden froze the Afghan central bank and the $7 billion inside it

The official logic is paper-thin: back in 2011, there was a default judgement titled 'Havish vs Laden' awarding $6bn to a group of 9/11 families, per a federal judge in New York. The parties being sued -- including the Taliban, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda and Iran -- never showed up (hence a default judgement). It's this sort of crazy litigation that the Oval Office has cited in its handout.

To be clear, Joe Biden and his inner circle of aging Beltway sadists are going to steal half the money, from a country on the brink of starvation.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon May 2nd, 2022 at 11:25:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Mon May 2nd, 2022 at 04:49:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
nearshoring has entered the room.
by Cat on Mon Apr 4th, 2022 at 01:32:52 AM EST
[ Parent ]
The new report found that "over 64% of the population views manufacturing attractive," he explained, while "the impact of parents on kids going into manufacturing has become much more positive up also nearly 50% over the last five years."

Trickledown effect of high unemployment, low wages in crappy service jobs.

The American working class is reborn (without the unions?)

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Mon Apr 4th, 2022 at 11:02:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Amazon union forms in New York
Workers at a New York warehouse voted 55% in favour of joining the Amazon Labor Union.

The group is led by former Amazon worker Chris Smalls, who made his name protesting against safety conditions at the retail giant during the pandemic.

Mr Smalls' victory marks a major defeat for Amazon, which had fiercely fought against unionisation.

However, in Alabama, where Amazon was facing a separate union drive, the company appeared to have fended off activists in a tight contest in which challenged ballots could yet overturn that result.

Amazon will undoubtedly do everything possible to bust the new union : infiltration, co-option, self-employed contractors with baseball bats...

And ultimately they will probably nearshore their operations to Mexico.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Mon Apr 4th, 2022 at 01:23:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Tue Apr 5th, 2022 at 04:29:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Zelensk* telethon update
"Our musicians wear body armor instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded in hospitals -- even to those who can't hear them. But the music will break through anyway."
by Cat on Mon Apr 4th, 2022 at 03:12:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 02:01:59 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 02:06:59 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 04:13:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 09:18:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
archived speachless
by Cat on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 01:22:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Miss Nancy: "What does Ron Klain know about anything?"
by Cat on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 03:36:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 03:37:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Sun Apr 10th, 2022 at 07:49:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 12:26:34 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 06:50:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 01:08:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Thu Apr 14th, 2022 at 01:53:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Eloon announced, he secured financing.
by Cat on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 01:38:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Tue Apr 26th, 2022 at 03:20:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Thu Apr 14th, 2022 at 04:00:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Wed Apr 20th, 2022 at 02:51:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
social-mediafication has entered the room.
by Cat on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 01:36:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 07:18:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Mon Apr 25th, 2022 at 10:56:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Wed Apr 27th, 2022 at 08:55:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Some background. Ida Robinson bought this brownstone in 1951, the first Black family on the block. Recently, Menachem Gurevitch, a real estate crook, stole the deed, pretending to be selling a mortgage. He is now trying to evict them. And then, according to Jewish Currents
The dramatic events that followed placed the Robinson-Torains at the center of a maelstrom, threatening to ignite longstanding tensions in the neighborhood between Black and Lubavitcher Jewish residents. On February 14th, three days after the family reentered their home, a group of perhaps 20 bochurim--college-age students who come to Brooklyn from across the globe to study at the Hasidic yeshivas clustered around Chabad-Lubavitch's international headquarters in Crown Heights--stormed the brownstone in an attempt to re-evict the Robinson-Torains by force. Video footage from the scene captured by neighbors and organizers shows them facing off in a chaotic scuffle with tenant activists.

[...]

At one point, for reasons unclear to the witnesses I spoke to, the bochurim began chanting "Mavet La'aravim," a chant commonly used at right-wing rallies in Israel meaning "Death to Arabs." When a Jewish member of BED and CHTU translated the phrase for his comrades, some eviction defenders chanted, "Free Palestine!"

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Mon Apr 4th, 2022 at 07:19:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Sat Apr 2nd, 2022 at 08:08:07 AM EST
National Geographic | The controversial quest to make a 'contagious' vaccine, 22 Mar
A new technology aims to stop wildlife from spreading Ebola, rabies, and other viruses. It could prevent the next pandemic by stopping pathogens from ["]jumping["] from animals to people.
wut
Vaccines are a key tool for preventing diseases from spreading, but wild animals are difficult to vaccinate because each one must be located, captured, vaccinated, and released. Self-spreading vaccines offer a solution. Advances in genomic technology and virology, and a better understanding of disease transmission, have accelerated work that began in the 1980s to make genetically engineered viruses that spread from one animal to another, imparting immunity to disease rather than [?!] infection.
vector trials
In 2000, the research team [Center for Research in Animal Health in Spain] submitted their laboratory and field data to the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, for evaluation and approval for real-world use. The EMA noted technical issues with the vaccine's safety evaluation and requested that the team decode the myxoma genome [sic], which had not been done before. ...
Still, Bárcena doubts that the EMA would have ever approved their vaccine given the hesitancy and controversy around genetically modified organisms [GMOs].
CRISPR Vaccines in progress
Renewed interest and funding for the technology popped up around 2016, and today several research groups are developing self-spreading vaccines for animals.

Each of these new vaccines are so-called recombinant [RNA] viruses. Researchers first identify a protein from the target microbe that serves as an antigen--a substance that triggers immune responses in vaccinated people or animals.
[...]
Each of these vaccines uses a cytomegalovirus, or CMVs, a group that belongs to the herpes family. CMVs help the researchers overcome several technical challenges. For one, CMVs have large genomes made from double-stranded DNA, which means their genetic code is more stable [than pos single-strand RNA] and can accommodate additional genes from the targeted ["]microbe["], says Alec Redwood, a principal research fellow at the University of Western Australia.

Risks of self-spreading vaccines
Despite the potential benefits, many experts warn that too little is known about zoonotic disease transmission and viral evolution to accurately predict what might happen if a self-spreading vaccine were released into the wild. ... In addition, there is an emerging understanding that viruses and bacteria exist in complex microbial ecosystems, perhaps keeping each other's populations in check. The impact of a self-spreading vaccine that wipes out one specific virus might have unknown consequences.

"Dramatically shifting the balance by attempting to eradicate or reduce an endemic virus in nature could risk the emergence of other pathogens which impact both the wildlife species themselves, as well as people and our domestic animals," says Peters.

The long road ahead
Most researchers agree that self-spreading vaccines could never be applied to human populations, because universal [EUA mandates FKA] informed consent[?!] would never be achieved.
[...]
"We can't even get people to take a vaccine in a global pandemic. The idea that you would be able to surreptitiously vaccinate the population with a virus without causing riots is just, you know, it's stuff of fantasy [or "herd immunity"]. It will never be used in humans," Redwood says.
COVID Trade War UPDATE
APsplainin | EU regulator advises AstraZeneca's COVID drug be cleared, 24 Mar
"The European Medicines Agency said in a statement that it was advising the use of the new drug, sold as Evusheld, in people age 12 and over before they were exposed to COVID-19, to prevent future infections."
archived Evusheld "our nation's elders", previously unknown viral microsm living in human gut
by Cat on Sun Apr 3rd, 2022 at 05:03:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Jerusalem Post | Polio outbreak in Israel caused by lack of vaccinations, 3 Apr
"It is a challenge for several reasons," [Head of Public Health Services Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis] explained. "First, due to fake news, suddenly everything has a question mark over it. Even vaccines that we have had for years and that we've seen eliminate diseases, suddenly they are being questioned."
[...]
Regarding those who choose not to vaccinate them for ideological reasons, she acknowledged that health officials must find a way to approach them, talk to them, and educate them on the sensitive subject.

The majority of polio cases are asymptomatic, with only 10%-20% presenting with flu-like symptoms, and less than 1% of all cases resulting in paralysis, such as in the case of the four-year-old child from Jerusalem. This fact, Alroy-Preis stressed, means that "there are likely hundreds of children in the Jerusalem area walking around with the virus who do not know they have it," making vaccination against the disease all the more important.

archived "Next Normal" USA biosecurity threats, persuasive messaging treatments
by Cat on Mon Apr 4th, 2022 at 04:14:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Ultra-Orthodoxy and preventable disease outbreak across the globe ...

Doctors warn of polio 'outbreak' threat as 2 new preliminary positive cases found | TOI - March 11, 2022 |

tip off the iceberg ...

Religious subgroups influencing vaccination coverage in the Dutch Bible belt

Despite progress towards eradication of wild poliovirus (WPV) in the three remaining endemic countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria, transmission of the virus has continued in 2018.

Militant attacks on polio workers haunt Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)

Regression in polio eradication in Pakistan: A national tragedy | CUI Sahiwal - 2016 |

The tragic use of data polio vaccinations to trace the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden ...

He Led the CIA to bin Laden--and Unwittingly Fueled a Vaccine Backlash

    Dr. Shakil Afridi is considered a traitor by many people for helping the Central Intelligence Agency track down and kill Osama bin Laden. In the United States, he is hailed as a hero.

    In global health circles, his story is a cautionary tale about the consequences that can spiral out of control when health professionals get too close to intelligence operations.

Invaders ...

In the first millenniums BC and AD, the Netherlands were invaded by Celts, Romans, Huns, and Germans. In more recent times, large numbers of Huguenots and Germans migrated into the Netherlands.

Human Genetics: Founder mutations among the Dutch (2004)

So are the genetics of Icelanders an unique living laboratory.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Apr 4th, 2022 at 09:22:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]
DW | UN votes to suspend Russia from its Human Rights Council despite opposition, 7 Apr
Of the 193 members in the assembly, 93 voted in favor and 24 voted against. Some 58 members abstained, giving the vote the two-thirds majority needed to pass.
[...]
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba thanked the members who voted in favor of removing Russia from the council in a message on Twitter. "War criminals have no place in UN bodies aimed at protecting human rights," he wrote.
evidently, excluding those pillars of European legal tradition that undermine reasonable doubt-- presumption of innocence, due process at trial, jury of one's peers, and unamnity--to the relief of the latest in as string of ICONIC "feminist" US ambassadors to the UN kitchen, The Gumbo Diplomat, Auntie Linda.
CNBC | UN votes to remove Russia from Human Rights Council, 7 Apr
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield introduced the proposal earlier in the week following accusations that Russian troops tortured and killed Ukrainian civilians in Bucha, a suburb near Kyiv.
[...]
Thomas-Greenfield said Tuesday that Russia's < wipes tears > membership on the council hurts its credibility, "undermines the entire U.N. and it is just plain wrong!"
[...]
Libya is the only country to be suspended from the 47-member Geneva-based council. The North African country was suspended in 2011 after a violent crackdown against protesters by forces loyal to then-leader Muammar Gaddafi.
landssakes, that thar's an ominous precedent.
by Cat on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 07:29:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Al Jazeera | UN suspends Russia from human rights body over Ukraine abuses, 7 Apr
rentier calculation of "2/3 majority" aside, as a practical NATO credibility is heading in the "wrong direction," in pollster speak. < checks watch > I foresee, epic blowback IF the the jail break from Azovstal's dungeon sees light of day on or about 1 May--"Gumbo" UNSC presidency month.
by Cat on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 09:13:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
PRC State Council | FM holds phone talks with Israel's alternate prime minister, FM, 7 Apr
BEIJING -- State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation on April 6 with Israel's alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid at the latter's request.
[...]
Noting that the Israeli side regards China as a friend and has always adhered to the one-China policy since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties, Lapid said the position has never changed and become an important foundation of its relations with China. Israel expects to maintain close high-level exchanges and deepen cooperation in various fields with China, he added.

Wang said that the Chinese nation and the Jewish nation have helped each other in history, and today we should support each other even more. China appreciates Israel's adherence to the one-China policy and understanding of China's legitimate propositions in safeguarding its core interests, he noted, adding that China believes Israel will continue to support China's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests.
[...]
The two sides agreed to speed up the negotiation and signing of a free trade agreement, so as to raise positive expectations about and send positive signals to the global economy that is facing a tightrope walk to recovery.

The two sides exchanged views on the Palestinian issue. Wang said China is glad to see Israel establish and develop normal friendly relations with countries in the region, which should be part of the overall reconciliation in the Middle East. The prolonged stagnation of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is not in the interests of all parties. Palestine also has the legitimate right to establish an independent state.
[...]
Lapid said Israel is committed to improving relations with Palestine.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue. Wang briefed Lapid on China's principled position, saying that all parties now hope to realize a ceasefire and restore peace. But for a cease-fire, there can be no more moves that add fuel to the flame; For peace, there should be no extreme pressure. Dialogue and negotiation should be the right direction supported by all parties, he added.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Iranian nuclear issue.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on April 7, 2022
Bloomberg: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi apparently plans to visit Taiwan on Sunday after her trip to Japan. This will be the first visit to Taiwan by a holder of the Speaker's office in 25 years. Does the foreign ministry have a comment on this? 
Zhao Lijian: China resolutely opposes all forms of official contact between the US and Taiwan. Congress is a branch of the US government and should stringently abide by the one-China policy that the US upholds. If Speaker Pelosi visits Taiwan, this would gravely violate the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US Joint Communiqués, seriously undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, severely impact the political foundation of China-US relations and send a seriously wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. China firmly opposes this and has lodged solemn representations with the US side.

The US should abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US Joint Communiqués, immediately cancel Speaker Pelosi's plan to visit Taiwan, stop official contact with Taiwan, and fulfill its commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence" with real actions. If the US insists on having its own way, China will take firm and strong measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. All possible consequences that arise from this will completely be borne by the US side.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on April 8, 2022
Bloomberg: So it appears Nancy Pelosi isn't going to make a trip to Taiwan after all, because she has COVID.< wipes tears > Do you have a comment about this?
Zhao Lijian: China has recently made its position clear on Speaker Pelosi's planned visit to Taiwan and Chinese officials have also lodged solemn representations with the US side. We extend sympathy to Speaker Pelosi for contracting COVID-19 and wish her a speedy recovery. What she should do is not postpone the visit, but cancel it immediately.
by Cat on Fri Apr 8th, 2022 at 10:15:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The kind of questions that cannot be asked these days
https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20220408-l-uemoa-et-la-c%C3%A9d%C3%A9ao-ont-elles-le-droit-de-continue r-de-sanctionner-le-mali
"Can Mali continue to be sanctioned in spite of the disastrous humanitarian consequences"

I wonder when the boomers' denial is going to finally see the answer to this question with the violence of a boomerang in their faces...

by Tom2 on Fri Apr 8th, 2022 at 10:59:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I cannot say if this power play is original or imported.
L'Uemoa et la Cédéao ont-elles le droit de continuer de sanctionner le Mali?, 8 Apr
A lire : Mali: quelle application de la décision de justice de l'Uemoa sur la levée des sanctions?

Sauf à lancer de nouvelles et longues procédures contre chacun des pays membres de l'Uemoa, Bamako n'a donc plus qu'à en appeler à la pression de l'Union africaine ou des Nations unies, pour obtenir gain de cause. C'est le sens du dernier communiqué publié le 7 avril par le gouvernement de transition. Mais compte tenu des tensions politico-diplomatiques actuelles, liées aux négociations en cours sur le retour à l'ordre constitutionnel et sur les nouveaux alliés russes de l'armée malienne, il est peu vraisemblable que cet appel soit entendu.

by Cat on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 12:19:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]
A little bit of context (because Tomtom is too lazy) :

The Economic Community of West African States (CEDEAO in French, 15 countries, 350 million people) decided economic sanctions against Mali after the military putsch of May 2021. There are also procedures against the putschist regimes in Burkina Faso and Guinea, in order to pressure these three member states into applying negotiated timetables for a return to elected governments. . In the case of Mali, the sanctions were decided because the putschists proposed a five-year timetable for a return to democracy, which was far too long for the other member states. The sanctions will end when an acceptable timetable has been agreed with the Malian junta.

The legal decision referred to in the article linked by Cat and Tom is from the court of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UMEOA), eight countries, all former colonies of France, and a subset of CEDEAO.

The decision of the court is, obviously, not binding on the CEDEAO countries, and therefore arguably inapplicable, as an a abandonment of the sanctions by the UEMOA countries would put them in breach of their CEDEAO treaty obligations.

BONUS, to illustrate the methods of governance applied by the Malian junta :
A UN envoy has demanded access to the Malian village of Moura, the site of an alleged massacre last month by local forces and suspected Russian fighters.

Mali's army announced on 1 April that it had killed 203 militants in Moura, in central Mali, during an operation in late March.

However, that announcement followed widely shared social media reports of a civilian massacre in the area.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said this week that Malian forces and foreign fighters killed 300 civilians in Moura in late March, in what it called "the worst single atrocity reported in Mali's decade-long armed conflict."

Several witnesses and other sources identified the foreign soldiers as Russians to HRW.



It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 11:02:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]
In a search for UN record of the SC Arria-formula meeting 6 Apr, called by Russia's permanent ambassador to investigate CWC violations, I noted with interest that only Mali: Briefing and Consultations, held the same day, merited placement on the current UNSC president's PR agenda.
UN NEWS | Amid Executions, Forced Disappearances in Mali, Mission Head Tells Security Council Little Progress Made towards Implementing Peace Agreement, 7 Apr MINUSMA report
[El-Ghassim Wane] said March saw several deadly attacks by the so-called Islamic State in the Greater Sahara terrorist group, around Menaka, and in the south, near Gao, leading to the death of 40 civilians and displacement of 3,640 households.
[...]
Stressing that security incidents are occurring in the context of the withdrawal of the French and other European ["]anti-terrorism forces["], he underscored the imperative that troop levels be maintained, and solutions can found to the challenges of insufficient capacity.
discriminating between illegitimate governments, wars, and crimes
Turning to reports of serious human rights abuses against civilians during the Malian armed forces' anti-terrorism operation in Moura, he underscored the need for the Malian authorities to cooperate with the Mission so it can access the site of the alleged violations.  

More generally, the UN mission has opened 17 investigations into allegations of indiscriminate [systemic?] attacks against civilians, extrajudicial arrests [detentions?], mistreatment [abuse?], forced disappearances [kidnap,] and extrajudicial killings [murder? manslaughter? capital punishment or execution?.

by Cat on Sun Apr 10th, 2022 at 05:35:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
South Front | ISRAELI ARMY KILLS PALESTINIAN, WOUNDS 13 OTHERS IN JENIN REFUGEE CAMP RAID (VIDEOS), 9 Apr
"Surreal footage from Jenin this morning, militant in an active gunfire exchange with the #IDF as several civilians stand directly behind the militant recording with their phones."
by Cat on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 03:57:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Indian Punchline | Israel reaches out to China, again, 7 Apr
The high water mark was reached last September when Israel's first private port was opened in Haifa built and operated by the government-run Chinese company Shanghai International Port Group [SPIG]. There are high expectations that the $1.7 billion  Bay Port at Haifa along Israel's Mediterranean coast will enable larger classes of cargo ships, carrying 18,000 containers or more, to dock and boost the country's standing as a regional trade hub.

Israel has been selling its state-owned ports and building new private docks in an effort bring down costs and reduce wait times for vessels to unload. This is important as 99% of all goods move in and out of Israel over sea and an upgrade is critical to maintain economic growth.

But for the Biden administration, it was bit too much that a Chinese state-owned company was establishing a 25-year presence in such a strategic port watching the warships of the Sixth Fleet transiting. So, to cut a long story short, when President Joe Biden took up with Bennett the issue of growing Chinese investments in Israel, including in high tech, at their very first meeting in the Oval Office last August, the latter reportedly promised to closely examine Chinese investments in Israel. ...



Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Sat Apr 9th, 2022 at 10:45:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on April 20, 2022
AFP: Solomon Islands' Prime Minister said that his country's security deal with China was signed a few days ago. Can the foreign ministry share any details of how and when the signing took place? You also mentioned yesterday that the security cooperation between China and Solomon Islands is open and transparent. When will China be making the signed version of the deal public?
Wang Wenbin: On your first question, I already gave my answer yesterday....
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on April 21, 2022
AFP: The US State Department has expressed concern about the lack of transparency of China's security agreement with Solomon Islands. It says this follows a pattern of China offering big deals with little regional consultation. Does the foreign ministry have any comment on this?
Wang Wenbin: The remarks by the US side wantonly criticized China-Solomon Islands security cooperation in disregard of facts and driven by ulterior motives. China and Solomon Islands have both talked extensively about our security cooperation....
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on April 22, 2022
AFP: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said China is exerting enormous pressure on Pacific Island Countries when he was asked about the security deal signed between China and Solomon Islands. Does the foreign ministry have any comment?
Zhao Lijian: We firmly reject the irresponsible remarks by certain Australian politicians on China-Solomon Islands relations. ...
archived Thu Apr 21st, 2022, Sat Sep 25th, 2021, Fri May 31st, 2019, "Grey": Anti-BEPS Regimes
by Cat on Mon Apr 25th, 2022 at 12:55:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]
After Sochi Olympics, Now Qatar World Cup

Sochi Olympics Cast Spotlight On Russia's LGBT Discrimination

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Apr 3rd, 2022 at 05:59:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
US State Dept | Demonstration Alert - U.S. Embassy Paris, France
Event:  Demonstration expected to take place on Sunday, April 3, 2022, beginning at 2:00 pm.  The group intends to protest against the far-right.  There is a potential for clashes.  Additional demonstrations in other major cities in France may also be planned.

Protests, clashes & blackout - What is happening?, 1 Apr, A/V 2 min trailer (EN)
Fresh demonstrations are planned on Sunday over the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, 2 Apr, A/V (EN)
REUTERS | Protesters in Sri Lanka defy curfew, police fire tear gas at students, 3 Apr

A senior police official said officers used tear gas and water cannons to stop a protest of university students in Kandy. "There were about 750 participants but no arrests were made," said Nihal Thalduwa, a police spokesman.

BLOOMBERG | More Than 200 Arrests Made at Climate Change Protests, 3 Apr

[UK] Activists from Just Stop Oil have been blocking access to oil terminals over the last three days, demanding that the Government stops new oil and gas projects.
RFERL | Pakistani PM's Supporters Rally After Parliament Is Dissolved, 3 Apr
by Cat on Sun Apr 3rd, 2022 at 11:32:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Hindu | Sri Lanka runs out of diesel, faces longest-ever blackout, 31 Mar
Colombo imposed a broad import ban in March 2020 in a bid to save foreign currency needed to service its $51 billion in foreign debt. But this has led to widespread shortages of essential goods and sharp price rises.

The government has said it is seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund while asking for more loans from India and China. Sri Lanka's predicament was exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which torpedoed tourism and remittances.

The ASEAN Secretariat | Instrument of Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia by the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, junior partner 2015-2019
archived Pakistan is broke, too, "secondary sanctions" watch
by Cat on Mon Apr 4th, 2022 at 12:02:13 AM EST
[ Parent ]
greekcitytimes | Greek Prime Minister Met With Pro Russia Protests In Thessaloniki, 3 Apr Holy Corps
Demonstrators with Greek and Russian national flags took to the streets of the second-largest Greek city on Saturday night [2 Apr], chanting "Greece, Russia, Orthodoxy" in condemnation of the government's approach to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to the news Break portal. The demonstration was accompanied by a motor rally of about 50 cars calling for "peace with Russia," the local media reported.
Ekatherimini | Greece bolstering NATO forces in Bulgaria, Romania, 4 April
Thracian Cooperation 2022
Ekatherimini | Bulgaria exploring nuclear synergy with Greece, 23 Mar
Bulgaria PM Kiril Petkov, interview
by Cat on Mon Apr 4th, 2022 at 04:43:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 08:49:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
ekathimerini| Ukraine's Ambassador rebuts `Russian propaganda' about Azov Regiment, 7 Mar
[Ukrainian Ambassador to Greece Sergii] Shutenko denies that the Azov Regiment is a neo-Nazi paramilitary organization and says that it has been incorporated since into Ukraine's National Guard under the strict control of the Interior Ministry, played a significant role in the city's recapture from Russian forces in 2014 and is now defending the partly-occupied and heavily destroyed city.
Nuland: Focus on LNG, not pipelines, US official tells Kathimerini, 7 Apr "3+1" = Ukraine security
almayadeen | Greek MPs leave Zelensky session for including message from neo-Nazi Azov, 7 Apr
"The speech by members of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion in the Greek Parliament is a challenge. They spoke of a history day, but it's a historic shame. Solidarity with the Ukrainian people is a given. But the Nazi cannot have a say in parliament," said SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras.
keeptalkinggreece | Azov soldier during Zelenskyy's address triggers outrage, 7 Apr
euractiv | Zelenskyy speech at Greek parliament overshadowed by Azov video, 7 April
Lawmakers from the biggest parties, ruling New Democracy (EPP), Syriza (EU Left) and socialists (Pasok) attended Zelenskyy's speech, while communists and the populist Greek Solution party abstained. Diem25, Yiannis Varoufakis's leftist party, was represented by just one lawmaker. ... former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said allowing this video to be broadcast in the Greek House was a "big mistake".

"The Greek government irresponsibly undermined the struggle of the Ukrainian people, by giving the floor to a Nazi. The responsibilities are heavy. The government should publish a detailed report of preparation and contacts for the event," commented former foreign affairs minister Nikos Kotzias.

The socialists issued a statement asking why Greek lawmakers had not been informed about the video intervention of an Azov Battalion member and called on the president of the Greek Parliament to bear responsibility. [...] Meanwhile, government spokesperson Giannis Oikonomou said the inclusion of the Azov Battalion message was "incorrect and inappropriate". However, he did not say who should be held responsible for this.

"What a distaster this country, a disaster for the Greek political class" A/V 00:16:58
by Cat on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 11:27:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
WSWS
China's Global Times reported that Shanghai had accomplished "mission impossible" Monday--the PCR testing of all 25 million-plus people in one day. Placing this figure into context, it is 10 times higher than all the tests conducted in the United States on January 10, 2022, when Omicron was surging across the country.

City officials said that the massive first-of-its-kind public health initiative was completed ahead of schedule at around 7 p.m. Monday. The previous day a city-wide antigen testing was conducted as a prelude to the PCR testing of the population.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Wed Apr 6th, 2022 at 07:43:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I gather, Chinese MSM has caught on to westworld MSM's swiveling between post-COVID light success ("endemicity"*) and COVID-lockdown failures. The earliest vintage I recall, from WUHAN FLU through DELTA SURGE, is  the XI-lifetime-dictator plot. That collapsed as China industry conspicuously recovered until the OMICRON outbreak. Then, reportage from the west reverted to boilerplate CHINA LIES to dismiss public health non-pharma "surveillance." With the new year an AP sub-plot is riding the ("stealth omicron") BA.2 7-day average SURGE in the west: 'Zero COVID' lockdown condemns Chinese miserable "herd immunity" to death by virulent strains to come. Combining that agitprop only a couple weeks ago, WION slipped a few phone cam clips, featuring med-techs beating Shanghai residents, into a segment otherwise given to SE populist conflicts with SE Asian autocrats--other than Modi.

* yes, a TabloidUSA epidemiologist entered endemicity into the "next normal" ledger, in advance of CDC-adjusted "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" format.

by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 08:08:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I hope some day someone leaks the 2 page MCKinsey slides that must lie somewhere in DC. The first page just says Pandemic, the second Endemic.
by generic on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 08:52:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Politico | Economies face 'long COVID' THREAT as data shows rates SURGING, 7 Apr loss leaders
The U.K.'s Office for National Statistics reported on Thursday that an estimated 1.7 million people were living with long COVID at the start of March in the country. Cases have risen by an alarming 200,000 per month this year.
[...]
People who developed long COVID in the first wave of the pandemic can't prove it [?] because no free tests [?] were available at the time, pointed out Ann Li, speaking from Belgium on behalf of Long COVID Europe, a coalition of patient associations.
[...]
A study in Romania found 57 percent of people developed long COVID in a sample of those infected, of whom just 1 in 5 had received at least one vaccine dose. And in highly vaccinated Denmark, a study that has not yet been peer reviewed found that 30 percent had symptoms six to nine months after infection.
[...]
For patients with debilitating long COVID, there is no playbook for how to get back to normal life and return to work. Much appears to come down to a ["]postcode lottery["], with health services across the EU giving a range of advice -- from getting a good night's sleep, offering antidepressants and exercise, to experimental treatments such as blood filtering [?!] at the more invasive end.
Try to act surprised.
"There is a cycle of inflammation going on, involving mast cells, activated platelets, T cells, potential micro clots [thrombosis?], the endothelium [vascular anatomy?]," said [Imperial College London chair of medical informatics and decision making Brendan] Delaney, of Imperial College London. This is all causing decreased oxygen to tissues [hypoxia?] and persistent inflammatory responses, he told an event in London last month.
[...]
In Germany, one private clinic in Mülheim is treating patients with severe long COVID with what's termed HELP apheresis [2011]. It's a process that in effect filters the blood for micro clots.
by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 09:35:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]
HANKYOREH |S. Korea reports first case of Omicron recombinant XL, 13 Apr
The patient, who tested positive on March 23, had been fully vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19. The individual hadn't traveled overseas around the presumed time of infection and is currently out of quarantine without any notable health issues. The XL variant is a genetic recombination of the BA.1 and BA.2 ("stealth Omicron") subvariants of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. It's one of 17 recombinants whose lineages have been identified so far.
[...]
"The presumed reinfection rate in Korea is low because we had relatively few primary infections through December of last year, but the number of primary infections has gone up considerably during the Omicron wave. We expect that impact to become apparent at least 45 days from now, so the number of reinfections could go up a lot in the future," said Park Yeong-jun, head of epidemiological research at the CDCH.
HANKYOREH | S. Korea's COVID-19 caseload falls below 100,000 for first time in 48 days, 12 Apr
The seven-day average of new domestic cases per day, which provides a gauge of trends with the current wave, was calculated at 218,472 for the week of April 3-9. This was down from a peak above 400,000 three weeks earlier during the third week of March (March 13-19), when it reached 404,548.
[...]
Critical cases and deaths have not fallen substantially. Critical cases were down to 1,099 on Sunday compared with 1,315 on March 31, but remained in excess of 1,000 for a 35th straight day. The seven-day average of deaths per day was down slightly to 312.3 for the week of April 4-10 compared with 359.4 for the fourth week of March (March 20-26).
by Cat on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 10:29:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 08:12:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]
APsplainin | China tightens controls as more virus cases reported, 12 Mar
The government reported 588 new confirmed cases and no death in the 24 hours through midnight Friday. Its numbers are low compared with some countries, but authorities say they are ready to lock down communities if one case is found.
APsplainin | Shanghai hospital pays the price for China's COVID response, 9 Apr
"If you're asymptomatic, what's going to hurt you?" said Ray Yip, the founding director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control office in China, who maintains close ties with Chinese health officials. "The only people who get sick are those with diabetes, obesity, chronic disease, old people. Protect those people. You can protect them."
Global Times EDITORIAL | 'Dynamic zero-COVID policy' the only way out of current complex situation, 11 Apr
by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 08:27:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Can someone explain the Germans that their official pictures look a bit neocolonial??
https://www.dw.com/fr/annalena-baerbock-au-mali-pour-jauger-la-situation/a-61459037
by Tom2 on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 08:09:36 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Imperial colonies are fake news, and Baerbock has indicated that "the incredibly large" terra nullius is not safe for EU27 settlers.
by Cat on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 05:57:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Which of the pictures would you call the "official" one, the one by Florian Gaertner or the one by dpa? Or both? What makes them "official"?
by Katrin on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 08:10:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Apr 14th, 2022 at 06:40:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Soviet cartoon. The Russians are now trying to cancel it.
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Mon Apr 18th, 2022 at 03:52:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
So who was NSO's client?

The Spanish government has said the mobile phones of the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, and the defence minister, Margarita Robles, were both infected last year with the Pegasus spyware that its manufacturers claim is available only to state agencies.

In a hastily convened press conference on Monday morning, Félix Bolaños, the minister for the presidency, said Sánchez's phone was targeted in May and June 2021, while Robles's was targeted in June 2021. Data was extracted from both phones.

Bolaños said the "illicit" and "external" targeting would be investigated by Spain's highest criminal court, the Audiencia Nacional, adding the targeting must have come from abroad as any such monitoring in Spain would have had required judicial authorisation.

My guess is Morocco.


It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Mon May 2nd, 2022 at 04:29:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The US should always be a suspect when it comes to surveilliance of EU politicians. But I guess they have better tools, or use a convenient "partner" (like Morocco).
by fjallstrom on Mon May 9th, 2022 at 01:54:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Here we go... So many people make the same mistake as Chomsky... seeing every political interaction in the world through the prism of US imperialism.

I'm not minimising American imperialism. But given the last thousand years or so of interactions between Spain and Morocco, it would not be unreasonable to assign some agency to the nominal actors.

Morocco has been playing hardball with Spain in recent times (blocade of Ceuta and Mellila for two years, weaponising African migrants, etc) which recently culminated in the de facto recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the former Spanish Sahara.

Look no further for motives for bugging telephones.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Thu May 12th, 2022 at 07:31:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Less than a year ago it was a scandal in Denmark where the US used collaboration with Dansih security services to spy on politicians in neighbouring countries.

So unless we assume that this deal was exclusive to Denmark, we can safely assume that US in general uses neighbouring security services to spy on politicians in Europe.

I don't see how ignoring that improves ones guesses, and until some more information comes out guesses is all we got.

by fjallstrom on Fri May 13th, 2022 at 07:38:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]
OK, OK. I concede that it's all about the USA, all the time.
So, let's see. they used the centuries-old rivalry between Morocco and Spain to piggy-back on Pegasus because...?

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Fri May 13th, 2022 at 11:58:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]
It would in that case be for the same reason as to why they tapped Merkels phone, and all the data on politicans they got through Denmark. And if Denmark is not special, realistically they have the same deal with all EU countries they have collaboration with. Most likely they have surveilliance on all important EU politicians all the time if they can.

The main reason that it wouldn't be the US - or that the US wouldn't piggyback on Morocco if it is Morocco - would be that they didn't need to use Pegasus because they already had better tools in place.

A global empire has a tendency to be involved in most conflicts, because to not get involved is to not use certain conflicts to advance the interests of the empire. And why would an empire do that?

by fjallstrom on Mon May 16th, 2022 at 10:20:22 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Sat Apr 2nd, 2022 at 08:08:29 AM EST
yahoo!Finance Bloomberg | European Farmers Turn to GM Feed to Replace Corn From Ukraine
92% of U.S. corn is GM, according to the Center for Food Safety, with similar levels in Brazil.
[...]
That will help to avoid shortages, said a spokesperson for CESFAC, the association of feed makers in Spain, one of Ukraine's biggest customers, along with the Netherlands. Strategie Grains head Andree Defois forecasts that the EU will import 800,000 tons of U.S. corn this season, the most since 2017-18.

"Some farmers in central Europe and Denmark are starting to run out of non-GMO feed," Ase Andersson, global head of media at dairy giant Arla, said in an email.


by Cat on Mon Apr 4th, 2022 at 02:44:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Does this mean there won't be enough corn ethanol to adulterate US gasoline?

That's tragic.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Tue Apr 5th, 2022 at 06:13:00 AM EST
[ Parent ]
S&P Global | US EPA proposes cuts to 2020 biofuel mandate, with plans to raise blending in 2022, 7 Dec 2021

REUTERS | Exclusive: Biden weighing cuts to 2022 ethanol blending mandate proposal, 12 Jan 2022

S&P Global | EPA proposes binding June 3 deadline to finalize new biofuel blending mandates, 23 Feb 2022

The US Environmental Protection Agency has proposed to commit to a June 3 deadline for finalizing biofuel blending requirements for 2021 and 2022 to settle litigation over its delay in setting annual mandates for the Renewable Fuel Standard program.
[...]
At issue is the EPA's obligation under the CAA to annually review biofuel blending targets set by Congress in 2005 and 2007 and issue a rule setting the amount of renewable fuel that must be mixed with gasoline and diesel, in line with market conditions, no later than Nov. 30 of the preceding compliance year. New renewable fuel volume obligations for 2020, 2021, and 2022 were pitched by the agency in December after much delay precipitated by the Trump administration leaving office without proposing an RVO for 2021. Those have yet to be finalized.

Economic injury
Ethanol group Growth Energy filed a complaint Feb. 8 with the US District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that the EPA failed to perform its duties tied to the RFS program (Growth Energy v. Regan, et al, 1:22-cv-00347)....

fly-over has more GMO corn than it can dump in the EU
by Cat on Wed Apr 6th, 2022 at 10:59:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
umm then maybe it's time to grow something else?

How are Coca Cola's annual sales going? Have we passed Peak Coke? Does Coke consume more GMO corn than the ethanol pork-barrel boondoggle?

"EPA remains committed to the growth of biofuels in America," said Nick Conger, an EPA spokesperson. "We look forward to reviewing the robust comments that we receive from all stakeholders before finalizing our rulemaking later this year."

This idiot is defending his patch, but biofuels are not even last decade's Really Neat Idea. And alcohol from corn was, from the start, a "solution" waiting for a technological breakthrough, which never came, for reasons of fundamental chemistry.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 01:08:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 at 02:38:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]
NPR | Biden will ease restrictions on higher-ethanol fuel as inflation hits a 40-year high, 12 Apr
his administration will temporarily allow E15 gasoline -- gasoline that uses a 15% ethanol blend that is usually banned from sale from June to September -- to be sold this summer, a measure intended to help ease gas prices.

The president made the announcement at an ethanol plant in the small town of Menlo, about 50 miles west of Des Moines, Iowa, the country's leader in the production of corn, which is vital to biofuels. ...Biden admitted that E15 fuel is available only "at a few thousand pumps today," but said the U.S. will invest $100 million in biofuel infrastructure. E15 gas is currently available at about 2,300 fueling stations, according to the Department of Energy.
[...]
In contrast to E10, which makes up the bulk of gasoline sold in the United States, the sale of E15 is typically banned during the summer under the Clean Air Act because of air pollution concerns.
[...]
In 2019, President Donald Trump allowed E15 to be sold year-round in what was seen at the time as a bid to increase his political standing with farmers after his trade war with China hurt U.S. farmers. It was a move that a federal court overruled after the fact, saying EPA exceeded its authority, and the Supreme Court declined to take up an appeal earlier this year. Calls for Biden to follow Trump's lead came from a number of farm-state lawmakers, including Iowa Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst.
[...]
And although industry groups have touted alleged emissions benefits of biofuels like ethanol, a 2018 2019 report from the Government Accountability Office noted "limited effect, if any, on greenhouse gas emissions."

by Cat on Wed Apr 13th, 2022 at 06:26:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
ok... Biden double down on ethanol boondoggle.
(might be a rap in it, with a bit of work)

I'm presuming that each litre of ethanol costs the federal government a non-negligeable amount, so this is a sort of convoluted subsidy on gasoline that dare not speak its name. I'll have a look at the current economics
of the thing.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Thu Apr 14th, 2022 at 02:10:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Boondoggle recovers from COVID
A total of $0.21 fixed costs per gallon of ethanol produced through 2017 and $0.15 per gallon in 2018-2021 (the decline is due to the loan payoff)
Non-corn, non-natural gas variable costs (including denaturant) of $0.21-$0.26 per gallon in 2007-2011
Non-corn, non-natural gas variable costs excluding denaturant of $0.16 -$0.20 per gallon after 2011
Variable denaturant costs after 2011 computed as 2 percent of wholesale CBOB price
82.5 cubic feet of natural gas per bushel of corn processed

2.75 gallons of ethanol (including denaturant) produced per bushel of corn processed over 2007-2011; 2.80 gallons of ethanol per bushel of corn over 2012-2014; 2.85 gallons of ethanol per bushel of corn over 2015-2018; and 2.90 gallons of ethanol per bushel of corn over 2019-2021

Just as I thought; incremental gains in efficiency, the breakthrough never arrived (ethanol from cellulose was the holy grail which was supposed to save the world).

Note that about 35,000 Btu of heat energy [natural gas] is required to produce a gallon of ethanol. For comparison, the energy content of ethanol is about 75,000 Btu per gallon.

So, half of the energy of a gallon of ethanol is fossil fuel. The other half is food (corn starch and sugar).

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Thu Apr 14th, 2022 at 03:44:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Sat Apr 2nd, 2022 at 08:08:56 AM EST


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Apr 3rd, 2022 at 07:30:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I had no idea you were a cricket fan, Oui.
We have so much in common.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Sun Apr 3rd, 2022 at 03:37:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Sat Apr 2nd, 2022 at 08:09:13 AM EST
by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 11:08:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"La Marseillaise", the national anthem of France, was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg. It was originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" ("War Song for the Army of the Rhine").

The song was adopted by volunteer soldiers from Marseille and became then known as "La Marseillaise".

by Bernard (bernard) on Mon Apr 25th, 2022 at 08:38:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Sun May 1st, 2022 at 11:54:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Sat Apr 2nd, 2022 at 08:09:30 AM EST
Chris Bray is Stupid and Evil, possibly "pissy"
... Without wading back into the exceptionally complicated details of that long controversy, I learned two things from the experience that have never left me.

First, as I traveled to Boston to go to court, and as I wracked up PACER charges downloading legal briefs and judicial orders, I would have email exchanges with newspaper reporters who wanted me to tell them what had happened. I would shoot back an email message that said, "Judge's ruling attached," and they would reply, "Yeah, saw the attachment, what does it say?"

Over two years, through events in a trial court and in an appellate court, with multiple parties pursuing complicated and divergent courses, reporters would not read. They wouldn't read the 40-page legal briefs filed by the lawyers for all the competing sides, but they also wouldn't read a three-page order from a judge. They would not read, period. They wanted the tl;dr, in a sentence or two. "Yeah, what's it say?"...

by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 03:18:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Mon Apr 11th, 2022 at 05:54:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]


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