White House Says Georgia’s ‘Foreign Agents’ Bill Threatens Relations
The US and other Western nations have compared the bill to a similar law enacted by Russia in 2012. The Russian law was part of Moscow’s response to the US government funding NGOs and opposition parties.
Previously:
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. Helps Pro-Ukraine Media Run a Fog Machine of War
As Congress debates major new funding to support the Ukrainian war effort, U.S. taxpayer dollars are already flowing to outlets such as the New Voice of Ukraine, VoxUkraine, Detector Media, the Institute of Mass Information, the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine and many others. Some of this money has come from the $44.1 billion in civilian-needs foreign aid committed to Ukraine. While the funding is officially billed as an ambitious program to develop high-quality independent news programs; counter malign Russian influence; and modernize Ukraine’s archaic media laws, the new sites in many cases have promoted aggressive messages that stray from traditional journalistic practices to promote the Ukrainian government’s official positions and delegitimize its critics.
Related (front organizations):
Read More »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
The following is a letter by an anonymous viewer of the neutrality studies youtube channel, published here for the purpose of an open discussion. To send your own letter, please contact the editor.
Dear Pascal,
I thought I would write and to share some thoughts regarding the program you presented, with the two academics from Europe on the critical topic of “nuclear war risk assessment” at the present state of international geopolitical events. The link referencing your program is the following, that I am referring to:
Assessment of Nuclear Conflict Risks at the Present Geopolitical Climate
I slept through those videos. 🤷🏼♀️
Why’s The New York Times Fearmongering About Indonesia’s Presidential Frontrunner? By Andrew Korybko
It’s an information warfare provocation intended to manipulate voters’ perceptions of the frontrunner to the point that a run-off election is scheduled this summer, which could then give the US’ preferred candidate the chance that he needs to come to power and align Indonesia with America against China in the New Cold War.
Why’s The New York Times Fearmongering About Indonesia’s Presidential Frontrunner?
Anies Baswedan was a Fulbright Scholar. The Fulbright Program is funded by the USG.
As a Fulbright Scholar, he went to receive his M.P.M. in international security and economic policy from the University of Maryland School of Public Policy (where he was a William P. Cole III Fellow), and Ph.D. in political science from Northern Illinois University, where he was a Gerald S. Maryanov Fellow.
Wikipedia
Niger shifts from Western allies to Russia, seeking independent defense capabilities and economic growth after France’s withdrawal, cautiously balancing new international partnerships.
Charting a New Course: Niger Builds Ties With Russia to Escape France’s Dark Shadow
The induction of immigrants into the US military and other short-term solutions may temporarily delay America’s multiplying problems, but it will not make the pursuit of empire any more sustainable in the long run.
Until Washington understands that what it is trying to do cannot (and should not) be done, it can start to solve its many problems sooner.
The Growing US Military Recruitment Crisis: There is no Solution & the Crisis Will Only Grow…
Related:
America’s military recruitment crisis – symptoms of an overreaching empire
Israel’s vengeance campaign could easily become a permanent condition of life in the Middle East.
Israel’s War of Decision
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
You must be logged in to post a comment.