“You Have Been Warned”: Republican Senators Threaten the ICC Prosecutor over Possible Israel Arrest Warrants

Read the full letter, obtained by Zeteo, which threatens sanctions in defense of Netanyahu.

“You Have Been Warned”: Republican Senators Threaten the ICC Prosecutor over Possible Israel Arrest Warrants

Related:

ICC’s Putin arrest warrant based on State Dept-funded report that debunked itself

China vs. the US: shipbuilding, subsidies, and the Jones Act

Hypocrisy thrives where double standards prevail.

Earlier, I stupidly tweeted out an article about the Jones Act and shipbuilding and Colin Grabow, from the Cato Institute, liked it (he was quoted in the article). I looked him up and decided to listen to this video on the shipbuilding competition between China and the US, where he and a lawyer for United Steelworkers were on the panel. China is eating their lunch, and it’s the ruling elites’ own fault, yet they scapegoat China for it. The double standards over China’s “unfair economic practices” AKA the subsidizing of their shipbuilding industry irritates me (liars irritate me even more). States give subsidies, grants, and tax breaks to corporations, all the time. Fincantieri Marinette Marine is just one example, but Wisconsin had done the same for Foxconn. Foxconn received tax breaks and $3B in subsidies, which was “the largest ever subsidy provided by a state to a foreign company”, despite not living up to their promises.

Rumble

Colin Grabow wants to end the Jones Act. I’ve made at least three video clips regarding the Jones Act, two with Sal Mercogliano from What’s Going On With Shipping and one from the government-funded CSIS (I’ve posted them, below). Spoiler alert: Sal says that the problem isn’t the Jones Act. Meanwhile, both CSIS and the Cato Institute (part of the Atlas Network) blame the Jones Act. Deregulation is a wet dream of big corporations (which fund both the Cato Institute and CSIS).

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CRUSH THE PHILIPPINES

CRUSH THE PHILIPPINES

April 28, 2024 by Mauro Gia Samonte

BRIGHT as the sun shines, this is what will happen in our country when the war that the United States has planned to detonate in the Philippines since 2014 breaks out. In the said year, America planned the war in Ukraine. It came true. In the same year, America planned Israel’s war against Hamas. It came true. The parallel plan made in the Philippines by America is what is contained in the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) obtained by the United States (US) in the administration of Benigno Aquino III in 2014. Under the agreement, the US was granted five military base of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to deploy American troops and military equipment that is unlimited in number and cannot be inspected by the Philippine authorities. Entering 2023, the five EDCA bases were increased by Bongbong by four more, which really boiled the tension in the South China Sea. China could not hide its simmering anger.

“Don’t be an idol in America,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry warned the Philippines.

Although the agreement states that nuclear weapons cannot be deployed at EDCA bases, the Philippine authorities have no way to ensure that this will be followed because of the EDCA provision that such American deployments cannot be inspected by the Filipino authority. Based on the double (treasonous) American face in world politics, it can be expected that at the EDCA bases nuclear weapons are already present and deployed, ready to be launched at any time needed.

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Biden’s push for more Chinese steel tariffs is a political decision, not an economic one: Analyst

Biden’s push for more Chinese steel tariffs is a political decision, not an economic one: Analyst

Biden wants to hike tariffs on imports of Chinese steel and aluminum

Chinese steel imports account for less than 1% of U.S. demand, officials told reporters. But Chinese subsidies and programs mean its steel prices are 40% lower than U.S. prices, and the Biden administration is worried that there could be a surge of exports.

Related:

Trump’s tariffs are equivalent to one of the largest tax increases in decades

New Democrat Coalition Trade Task Force Statement on Section 301 Tariffs Announcement

Georgia’s Parliament Presses Forward With ‘Foreign Agent’ Bill + 2023-2024 Timeline of Foreign Interference

Source

Georgia’s Parliament Presses Forward With ‘Foreign Agent’ Bill Despite Protests

Outside parliament on Monday, protesters chanted slogans against what they called “the Russian law”, and shouted “Russians! Russians!” at police and ruling party MPs.

Inside the chamber, opposition MP Aleko Elisashvili was shown on television punching Mamuka Mdinaradze, faction leader of Georgian Dream, as he spoke from the despatch box.

Protesters against the bill told Reuters that they saw Georgia’s future membership of the EU, which is overwhelmingly popular in the country of 3.7 million, as being on the line.

“I don’t like that the government is trying to suppress NGOs and put some labels on them as if they are foreign agents,” said Luka Tsulaia, a 32-year-old computer programmer.

“It’s about maintaining independence and also maintaining the laws so that we can integrate with the European Union better.”

Aleko Elisashvili and NED:

Democracy Needs Democrats: Strengthening Political Parties and Movements (archived)

The Eastern European Centre for Multiparty Democracy (EECMD), with the financial support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), carries out a new project, “Democracy Needs Democrats: Strengthening Political Parties and Movements”. 

The EECMD will work with four political parties/movements – “Aleko Elisashvili – Citizens,” “For Justice,” “Lelo for Georgia,” and “Shame Movement” – to advance the results of the previous project and implement the sections of the action plans developed through the strategic planning process.

Interview with Levan Ioseliani (archived)

Levan Ioseliani represents the Civil Movement, an NGO established by himself and Alexander (Aleko) Elisashvili.

After Aleko’s results, we held meetings in Brussels, where EED [European Endowment For Democracy] took an interest in financing a movement that would advocate civil ideas and would help new people get involved in the politics. Our second donor is NED [National Endowment for Democracy]. We established the Civil Movement with Alexander Elisashvili.

This won’t be the end of it. Elections are coming up in October.

2023 Timeline:

[12-01-2023] NED: Georgia, still in their crosshairs

[10-07-2023] A Maidan 2.0 Color Revolution Looms in Georgia

[04-10-2023] Regime Change Continues: Thousands Rally in Georgia’s Tbilisi Against Government

[03-12-2023] The Color of Foreign Influence

[03-09-2023] Georgia Protests: US Seeks to Open 2nd Front Against Russia

[03-08-2023] Daily pictures: Maidan 2.0 in Georgia?

[01-27-2023] “Orange” president says Georgia owes Ukraine one war for another. Calls for new “Rose” coup.

U.S. Wars and Hostile Actions (WW2 – 2014)

Is the Philippines becoming a US ‘proxy’ against Beijing in the South China Sea?

Is the Philippines becoming a US ‘proxy’ against Beijing in the South China Sea?

‘The ants that get trampled on’

Not everyone agrees with drawing closer to the US, however, and they warn about the Philippines turning into a “proxy” for American interests. The president’s own sister Imee, a senator, told ANC Digital earlier this month that “China will always be our neighbour, we have no fight with them, let’s not get dragged into a fight that’s not our own.”

Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy, director of the pro-China Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, wrote in the Manila Times on February 10 that “agreements such as the EDCA, the VFA and the Mutual Defence Treaty have not only cemented the US military presence and influence in the Philippines but also, most importantly, exemplified the Philippines’ dependence on the US in the military and defence sector.”

Teresita Ang See, former president of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies and currently part of its advisory council, told This Week in Asia: “Filipinos in general condemn China’s action. But many also understand that China’s assertiveness is in response to US, Japanese and Australian provocations and increasing military presence in the Philippines.”

She warned that “we are fighting a proxy war between the US and China and in the end we will be the ants that get trampled upon”.

H/T: Johnsonwkchoi

Related:

Responding to the Catholic Bishops

Philippines counts the cost of tough South China Sea stance against Beijing

US congress receives bill to review SA relations following ‘politically motivated’ ICJ case

A bill has been submitted to the United States congress calling for a full review of the country’s bilateral relationship with South Africa following the International Court of Justice ruling that found it plausible that Israel has committed acts of genocide against Gaza.

US congress receives bill to review SA relations following ‘politically motivated’ ICJ case