by William Van Wagenen | Aug 3, 2022
In the mainstream view, the armed groups fighting the Syrian government since 2011, collectively known as the Free Syrian Army (FSA), were part of a Syrian revolution that represented the Syrian people. At the same time, the Syrian government, or Assad regime, allegedly represented only a small number of loyalists, in particular from President Assad’s minority Alawite community. Such a view undergirded demands by Western and Gulf-funded think tank scholars, who claimed that the Syrian people wished for FSA groups to be armed, and even for Western military intervention on behalf of the FSA, whose fighters they sympathetically described as rebels.
Did the Syrian Revolution Have Popular Support?
Tag: Freedom
The Infantilization of Africa: US House Bill Claims to “Protect” Continent
Aug 15, 2022 – Didier Gondola, Professor of African History at Johns Hopkins University and Professor Teylama Miabey, President of the National Congress For Democracy join me to discuss HR7311
Video via HermelaTV
Previously:
South African Minister Tells West To Stop “Patronising Bullying” On Ukraine
Many Africans Reject Washington’s Position on Ukraine Crisis
A debate on March 2* over a resolution to essentially condemn and apportion exclusive blame on Moscow for the current military situation, was voted on by 141 UN representatives out of 191. 35 countries abstained from the vote including 17 member-states of the African Union (AU). Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, Togo, Eswatini and Morocco were absent. Algeria, Uganda, Burundi, Central African Republic, Mali, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea, Congo Brazzaville, Sudan, South Sudan, Madagascar, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa abstained on the resolution.
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!
China Is Better Than The USA: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix
China Is Better Than The USA: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix
I always mentally translate “the CCP” to “you can stop reading here, I’m just blindly regurgitating empire propaganda.”*
The party of the Chinese government is called the Communist Party of China, the correct abbreviation for which is CPC. But there’s no need to use that when “the Chinese government”, “Beijing”, or “China” would do just as well. The only reason to say “CCP” or “Chinese Communist Party” instead of the normal words people use for other governments would be if you wanted to de-legitimize the government of China.
DeSantis and Future Foreign Policy Disasters
With his refusal to go along with lockdowns and mask mandates during the pandemic, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis emerged as a hero to many in libertarian circles. But as his name is now consistently put forward as a prospective or even likely 2024 Republican Presidential candidate, those who view him favorably should take a sober second look. On foreign policy in particular, DeSantis promises to continue the disastrous policies of his predecessors, which have made us uniformly less free, less safe, and much poorer.
DeSantis and Future Foreign Policy Disasters
Biden and the U.S.-Israel-GCC axis: It’s not the oil, it’s the money
Joe Biden didn’t go to Arabia in July to beg for oil. That’s not the nature of the U.S.-Saudi relationship.
He didn’t go to Palestine to promote peace. The U.S.-Israeli relationship is based on endless war. And war is what Biden’s trip was about.
Biden and the U.S.-Israel-GCC axis: It’s not the oil, it’s the money
Westerners Think They Are Free-Thinking Individualists And It’s Effing Adorable
Westerners Think They Are Free-Thinking Individualists And It’s Effing Adorable
Reminder, China…bad and Western countries never censor their citizens (why would they, when they have ‘private’ companies to do that for them?!?)! [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]/sarcasm
The End of War Crimes and Law in the UK (Magna Carta)
NATO, the Left, and the Path to Peace
Posted on the United National Antiwar Coalition July 13, 2022 by Alan Freeman, published on The Valdai Discussion Club, July 4, 2022
If anyone tries to justify a monstrous and unnecessary human sacrifice on the grounds that it’s for the best, then they are measuring ‘good’ in dollars instead of bodies, and they’re not part of the left, because the left stands for humans, not property, Valdai Club expert Alan Freeman writes.
NATO, the Left, and the Path to Peace
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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