by Ann Garrison, August 10, 2022
Greetings. Thank you for inviting me and imagining that I might have something to say. I had the great pleasure of visiting Eritrea in April and I love it. I’m going to say more about why later.
US Threatens Ethiopia and Eritrea with “Genocide Designation”
Day: August 13, 2022
South African Minister Tells West To Stop “Patronising Bullying” On Ukraine
Minister Pandor made these statements while sitting next to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken
South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor has warned global powers against dictating how African countries should respond to global issues saying South Africa will never accept what she termed “patronising bullying”.
South African Minister Tells West To Stop “Patronising Bullying” On Ukraine
Related:
Blinken: US Won’t ‘Dictate Africa’s Choices’ on Russia, But…
In South Africa, Blinken has been pressed about legislation passed by the House this year that aims – in the words of its author, House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) – to “counter the malign influence and activities of the Russian Federation and its proxies in Africa.”
The text describes Russia’s “malign influence and activities” as those “that undermine United States objectives and interests.” – i.e, US corporate interests!
Last week, Pandor offered pointed criticism of the legislation, describing it as an “unprecedented” measure that is “intended to punish countries in Africa that have not toed the line on the Russia-Ukraine war.”
The Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act passed the House in April in a 415-9 vote, and now faces Senate consideration.
‘Offensive’
At a joint press briefing with Blinken on Monday, Pandor expressed the hope the Senate would reject the “offensive” bill.
“When we believe in freedom, as I’m saying, it’s freedom for everybody, you can’t say because Africa is doing this, you will then be punished by the United States,” she said.
Pandor argued that South Africa’s position on Ukraine was one of abhorring war and supporting a search for peace.
She also suggested that the U.S. employs double standards, by supporting freedom for Ukraine but not for the Palestinians.
“We should be equally concerned at what is happening to the people of Palestine as we are with what is happening to the people of Ukraine,” she said. “We’ve not seen an even-handed approach in the utilization of the prescripts of international law.”
In a television interview in Johannesburg earlier in the day, Blinken was asked about the House legislation, and said, “I can only speak for our administration and for the president. Our focus is not on saying to friends, partners: you have to choose.” – liar!
In contrast to those diplomatic words, when the Meeks bill was first marked up by the committee he chairs, ranking member and co-sponsor of the legislation Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) spoke of the need to “make every state choose between doing business with the free world or with a war criminal” – the latter a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin. – then they shouldn’t be doing business with any NATO country!
Russian Ops in Ukraine – Russian Advances, Ukraine Shelling Nuclear Power Plant
Aug 13, 2022 Update on Russian military operations in Ukraine for August 14, 2022:
– Russian forces continue to make incremental progress along the Siversk-Bakhmut defense line even according to pro-Ukrainian sources;
– There is no sign of any Ukrainian offensive around Kherson, even according to the Western media;
– Another US-supplied HIMARS has been destroyed according to the Russian MoD, that is now 8 out of 16 sent to Ukraine destroyed;
– The Pentagon is now struggling to explain why it is unable to supply Ukraine with sufficient weapons needed to execute the ever-pending “Kherson Offensive” yet to materialize;
– Claims made by the Pentagon regarding the effectiveness of various weapon systems sent have been contradicted by recently discovered documents from the US military itself;
– The US Army claims the effectiveness of common US anti-tank weapons like the Javelin and the AT-4 is around 19% among trained US soldiers. This would be much lower among Ukrainian troops;
– The Western media has decided to assign credit to Ukraine for a recent explosion in Crimea despite Kiev denying any involvement;
– Ukraine is shelling Zaporozhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in an attempt to force Russian troops to leave through international pressure;
Russian Ops in Ukraine (August 14, 2022) – Russian Advances, Ukraine Shelling Nuclear Power Plant (Odysee) via The New Atlas
References:
Read More »White House Rethinks China Tariffs Amid Taiwan Turmoil
White House Rethinks China Tariffs Amid Taiwan Turmoil
By Zerohedge.com
The Trump tariffs are the subject of a lawsuit filed by scores of U.S. companies who’ve asserted the levies are overly broad and were improperly implemented. If the Biden administration can’t defend the Trump tariff regime, it could be compelled to evaluate tens of thousands of public comments about it, or reimburse the plaintiffs for tariffs they’ve paid so far.
…
Biden’s interest in pandering to labor unions also figures in his slow-walking his tariff-relief decision. Milton Friedman had something to say about that
“The benefits of a tariff are visible. Union workers can see they are ‘protected.’ The harm which a tariff does is invisible. It’s spread widely.”
What labor unions?!
Union Representation Petitions Continue to Increase in FY 2022 Under Biden Administration
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2021 the percentage of U.S workers, including public- and private-sector workers, who were members of unions was 10.3 percent—a half point decline from the 10.8 percent unionization rate in 2020. Within the private sector, the unionization rate declined by 0.2 percent in 2021 to 6.1 percent. The degree to which union activity in 2022 with an aggressively labor-friendly NLRB general counsel and a majority Biden appointed Labor Board moves the needle for union membership is yet to be determined.
Moscow’s New Found Independence + More
Moscow’s New Found Independence
Hudson noted, however, that “the biggest beneficiary” of Russia having been laden with sanctions is Washington. This is because Europe, which is heavily reliant on Russian energy, is faced with simultaneous energy and food crises, thus leaving it with little ability to pay attention to other matters.
“Basically, Washington doesn’t care if Russia wins the war [in Ukraine], because the US has succeeded in eliminating its competition in Europe, especially Germany.”
Related:
The agency added that the European Union’s commitment to reduce member states’ gas consumption by 15 percent from August 2022 to March 2023 will continue to increase oil demand by about 300,000 barrels per day for the next six quarters.
The Aframax vessels are optimally-sized to dock at European docks, which often cannot fit supertankers, an analyst from E.A. Gibson Shipbrokers told Bloomberg, and the current sky-high rates should remain heightened in the months ahead so long as sanctions against Russia remain.
…
“The market consensus was too pessimistic about Russia’s capability to re-route volumes to other buyers,” IEA analysts said. “Russia’s exports adjusted towards other buyers without a serious disruption to its production.”
As president, Trump approved a law increasing penalties for mishandling classified info. It could come back to bite him.
Bradley P. Moss, a national-security attorney, told Insider that Trump could face five years in prison if he’s found guilty under a national security bill which he signed as president.
…
Moss noted that it was passed in the wake of Trump’s relentless attacks during the 2016 presidential campaign on Hillary Clinton for allegedly mishandling classified information.
Roger Waters Comments About The Minsk Agreements Were Removed From Main CNN Video That Went Viral + Another Interview
Ukraine claims 60 dead, 100 wounded, in blasts on Crimea as satellite images show destroyed Russian aircraft
by Clara Weiss, WSWS, Aug 13 2022
Anton Gerashenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian minister of internal affairs, claimed on Thursday that 60 pilots and technicians had been killed and 100 people wounded in a series of explosions at a Russian Saki air base on the Black Sea Crimean Peninsula on Tuesday. Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, the air base has housed the Russian 43rd Independent Naval Assault Air Squadron.
Ukraine claims 60 dead, 100 wounded, in blasts on Crimea as satellite images show destroyed Russian aircraft
Related:
Does Ukraine Have A Stash Of Domestically Developed Ballistic Missiles?
Video via Made in Ukraine
Pentagon acknowledges sending anti-radar missiles to Ukraine; they are already in use
Colin Kahl, the under secretary of defense for policy, said at a press briefing that the US had sent “a number” of the missiles without specifying how many the US has provided or when they were sent. Kahl did not explicitly say what type of anti-radiation missile was sent.
A defense official told CNN the type of missile sent was the AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM).
How Britain fueled Ukraine’s war machine and invited direct conflict with Russia
By TJ Coles, Aug 12 2022
Britain has played a key role in NATO forward troop deployments and training exercises on Russia’s borders. With war underway, the UK sends billions in arms, special forces, and volunteers to ensure escalation.
How Britain fueled Ukraine’s war machine and invited direct conflict with Russia
US nuclear blackmail in Ukraine
August 6, 2022, was the 77th anniversary of the first atomic attack. In 1945, between 100 and 200,000 people died instantly in Hiroshima. The second bomb was dropped three days later on Nagasaki, the perpetrators were also American. Nobody has used later a nuclear weapon. While the whole world is remembering, the US are exploiting the threat of a nuclear catastrophe for military and political purposes in Ukraine
US nuclear blackmail in Ukraine
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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