President Biden published a statement Monday night calling on Congress to intervene to block a national rail strike and impose a contract which tens of thousands of railroad workers voted down. A few hours later, outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the House of Representatives would take up such a bill this week and send it to the Senate with the “hope that this necessary, strike-averting legislation will earn a strongly bipartisan vote…”
Biden calls on Congress to impose rail contract in a major assault on workers’ democratic rights
Tag: Big Business
Colombia’s First Leftist President Charts a New Path on Venezuela + Government of Venezuela and Opposition Resume Mexico Talks
Colombia’s First Leftist President Charts a New Path on Venezuela
While critics derided the meeting as just another propaganda spectacle for Maduro, Petro has sent a signal to opposition parties in Colombia and the international community, particularly the United States, to rethink its approach if they hope to improve relations and achieve a successful political transition in Venezuela.
Related:
Guaidó’s possible change of status occurs just as the opposition coalition establishes the rules to select the unitary candidate who will compete in the next presidential elections in 2024.
So Biden can support a new interim president for Venezuela.
Government of Venezuela and Opposition Resume Mexico Talks: What Is on the Table? (+Alex Saab)
Still skeptical of Gustavo Petro.
Anti-China Protests in Thailand: Who is Behind them & Why? Searching for Asia’s “Zelensky”
Nov 22, 2022 – As the US proxy war against Russia in Ukraine destroys a nation and destabilizes a region, similar meddling that preceded the 2014 coup in Kiev is unfolding across Southeast Asia and in particular, in Thailand.
Who is the “Zelensky” of Thailand? Documented evidence exposes the Thai opposition as a product of years of US interference all in a bid to pivot Thailand aways from its largest economic and trade partner – China – and transform it into a belligerent proxy against Beijing on Washington’s behalf.
References:
Anti-China Protests in Thailand: Who is Behind them & Why? Searching for Asia’s “Zelensky” (Odysee) via The New Atlas
Previously:
Thailand: US-backed Opposition’s Violence Intimidates Critics, Paves Way for Regime Change
Manchin Wants Deal on Debt, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid
West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin [Democrat] said Thursday that Congress needs to deal with the nation’s “crippling debt” by making changes to shore up Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other programs he said are “going bankrupt.”
Manchin Wants Deal on Debt, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid
Joe Manchin, speaking at a conference for CEOs, blames the stimulus checks us plebs received for causing inflation! It couldn’t have been the PPP loans, that were forgiven, or the handouts for the Military Industrial Complex every year! 🙄
FYI, Biden didn’t say anything about protecting Social Security from his own party:
“I will not cut Social Security,” the president said. “I will not cut Medicare, no matter how hard they work at it.”
‘I Will Not Yield’: Biden Vows to Fight Any GOP Attack on Social Security, Medicare
Britons Face More Austerity, Weaker Rights Under Sunak
Rishi Sunak’s policy history and cabinet appointments have raised fears of even more benefits cuts and a drastic curtailing of basic rights, says Tanupriya Singh.
Britons Face More Austerity, Weaker Rights Under Sunak
Video via Double Down News
What the 2022 Midterm Election Charade Offers Us
That neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are offering anything to alleviate the problems working people face is illustrated by their campaign fear-mongering – the former over “fascism” and the latter over “socialists” and “radicals.” No matter which party dominates the midterm elections, do not expect either will herald in fascism or socialism.
What the 2022 Midterm Election Charade Offers Us
New US strategy in Africa: serious program or another bluff?
On October 12, just a couple of months before the loudly announced US-Africa summit, the White House released a rather lengthy document, “The US Strategy toward Sub-Saharan Africa”. It defines Washington’s main objectives on the African continent, and details the goals it intends to pursue and the mechanisms of cooperation.
New US strategy in Africa: serious program or another bluff?
Thailand: US-backed Opposition’s Violence Intimidates Critics, Paves Way for Regime Change
Oct 19, 2022 – The US-backed opposition in Thailand replicates in many ways the violence and intimidation the US sponsored in Ukraine from 2014 onward – just as Ukraine is meant as a proxy against Russia – a US client regime in Thailand would transform the country into a proxy against China.
An alarming incident of violence where a Thai opposition leader publicly assaulted his critic is dangerously being portrayed as “heroic” by Western-sponsored opposition media to encourage further violence and intimidation – creating the same division and destruction throughout Thai society that is currently consuming Ukraine.
Thailand: US-backed Opposition’s Violence Intimidates Critics, Paves Way for Regime Change (Odysee)- The New Atlas
Resources:
The Complete Guide: US Government Role in Thailand’s “Student Protests”
The New Atlas – Why is Washington Backing Violent Mobs in Thailand?
Payback For OPEC+ Cuts? Biden May Press U.S. Companies To Limit Saudi Business, Report Says
Payback For OPEC+ Cuts? Biden May Press U.S. Companies To Limit Saudi Business, Report Says (archived)
The Biden administration wants to leverage U.S. companies with ties to Saudi Arabia but without sacrificing regional security efforts, according to the report.
…
The Biden administration will immediately begin scaling back its diplomatic and military activities in Saudi Arabia, at least until OPEC+’s next meeting on December 4, NBC reports, citing an unnamed senior administration official who said the meeting will “be a key test” of how OPEC+ will respond to European Union sanctions that ban Russian oil imports, effective December 5.
…
The OPEC+ conglomerate–a Saudi-led alliance of oil-producing countries, including Russia–plans to curb oil production by 2 million barrels a day beginning in November. The move, characterized by the Saudi government as an effort to stabilize energy markets, is expected to increase global oil prices and raise gas prices. The Biden administration has vowed “consequences” for Saudi Arabia over the announcement, and Democratic lawmakers have urged the president to halt arms sales to the kingdom, but the White House has yet to announce how, exactly, it will retaliate and is not expected to do so until Congress returns from recess after the November midterms.
Strikes & protests in France (and demonstrations in the US)
Strikes grow as Macron postpones threat to crush French refinery strike
Related:
French left-wing parties gather protesters to march in Paris, as refinery strikes persist
MSM was all over the cost of living protests but nothing about the Anti-NATO protests. Videos have emerged of police repression in Paris (at which protest, I’m unsure). Meanwhile, in the US, the Poor People’s Campaign, and allies, held multiple demonstrations to get out the vote (which were mainly covered by local news).
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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