Lula’s Condemnation of Russia in His Joint Statement with Biden Disqualifies Him as a Mediator

Lula’s self-interested publicity stunt in insincerely presenting himself as a neutral mediator in the Ukrainian Conflict should be acknowledged for what it is, which is a means for boosting his clout in parallel with improving ties with the US. Despite being at Russia’s rhetorical expense, the substance of their strategic ties remains solid and is poised to further strengthen, which should be the focus of observers going forward unless he refuses to stop condemning Moscow.

Lula’s Condemnation of Russia in His Joint Statement with Biden Disqualifies Him as a Mediator

The tedious China scare in Latin America

In a January article for Foreign Affairs, former Peruvian presidential candidate Julio Armando Guzmán depicts increased Chinese investment in Latin America as an existential threat to the region’s democracies.

The tedious China scare in Latin America

Related:

NED: FALL 2022 REAGAN-FASCELL DEMOCRACY FELLOWS

NED/CIA’s candidate lost the 2021 Peruvian general election and is calling for regime change in Peru, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and El Salvador!? 🧐💭

The specter of socialism haunts US Congress

*Trigger Warning*: this talks about socialism, which seems to trigger some of those who follow my blog. If you don’t like something, that I post, either scroll on by or unfollow me!

A specter is haunting Congress: the specter of socialism.

Last week, as the US Congress discussed approving billions more dollars in weapons for the war against Russia and began negotiating cuts to social programs in advance of the debt ceiling expiration, the House spent three days discussing and adopting a resolution denouncing socialism and pledging to reverse all the social gains made by the working class on a global scale in the century since the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Before the resolution was brought to a vote Thursday, the Republican-controlled House Rules Committee rejected a proposed amendment introduced by Democrats that would have clarified “that opposition to the implementation of socialist policies in the US does not include federal programs like Medicare and Social Security,” according to the Hill.

The specter of socialism haunts US Congress

Mexico Pressured to Filter Immigrants to US: The Situation South of the Border

Miguel speaks about Mexico’s growing role as a filter of South American immigration for the United States, and how unfair it is for Mexico’s limited resources to be pressured into that role, especially since they also suffer from the neoliberal policies that cause immigration in the first place.

“Mexico has been told to use its military against the Latin American siblings that have also endured the imperialist and neoliberal impositions which have produced the economic and political crisis that most of the South is currently suffering- undoubtedly the primary reason that these waves of migrants are traveling north.” – Miguel Robles-Durán

This is a clip from S03 E02 of Cities After… Neo-Imperialism & Neo-Fascism at the Border via Democracy At Work

Mexico Pressured to Filter Immigrants to US: The Situation South of the Border

Why Not Defund the Military?

Amidst all the talk about defunding the police, notice something important: No one talks about defunding the military. That’s because the military establishment is too powerful and has come to be accepted as a permanent feature in American life. Except for libertarians, everyone treats the military as their god.

Why Not Defund the Military?

Not sure if he’s correct about military capabilities but I can get behind defunding the military!

More Mass Surveillance: FOIA Docs Reveal Illegal Snooping On US Residents’ Financial Transactions

If it can conceivably be considered a “third party record,” the government is going to seek warrantless access to it. The Third Party Doctrine — ushered into existence by the Supreme Court in 1979 — says there’s no expectation of privacy in information shared with third parties. That case dealt with phone records. People may prefer the government stay out of their personal conversations, but the Smith v. Maryland ruling said that if people shared this info with phone companies (an involuntary “sharing” since this information was needed to connect calls and bill phone users), the government could obtain this information without a warrant.

More Mass Surveillance: FOIA Docs Reveal Illegal Snooping On US Residents’ Financial Transactions