The Atlas Network and the Building of Argentina’s Donald Trump

Yves here. We’re featuring a post from openDemocracy on Argentina’s primary results that had far-right candidate Javier Milei beating the candidates of the two parties that have been in power for two decades. The post is telling, and not in a good way. Milei does advocate extreme views (not that he can go as far as he likes since even if he won a plurality again, he would still be leading a coalition government). And too many commentators forget that voters regularly move to the right in bad economic times, which Argentina is certainly suffering. It’s that the piece depicts him as a Trumpian outsider/madman, when Nick Corbishley’s post right after the primary results were in describes Milei’s considerable, if sometimes seamy, establishment connections…including to the Kochs:

How Javier Milei Upset Argentina’s Political Status Quo

Previously:

Is Argentina’s presidential frontrunner Javier Milei US’ “boy?” Rejects China+Mercosur, embraces $$

Orinoco Tribune Editor: There Was a Coup Against Pedro Castillo in Peru + Some Notes

[2017] Libertarian Atlas Network Pushes Latin America Right

Why might Africa want France gone? + ECOWAS Activates Standby Force for Potential Niger Intervention

Let’s continue to follow the post-coup situation in Niger. We had Victoria Nuland travel to Niger, presumably to help organize the overthrow of the government since 1- that’s usually what a visit from Nuland portends and 2 – a “rebel movement” called the Council of Resistance for the Republic under the leadership of someone named Rhissa Ag Boula started just after her visit. If there is going to be a Western war over this coup, it is likely that Nigeria – the giant country in West Africa with 224M people, much bigger than all other countries in the region combined – will be a part of the intervention, as would France and presumably the US. Other countries of the region are lining up on one or the other side, with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Algeria all lining up with the post-coup Niger government, so we are in a scary situation.

Why might Africa want France gone?

Related:

ECOWAS Activates Standby Force for Potential Niger Intervention

10 worst mass killers, regimes and dictators

Naturally this list is subjective to an extent, and probably contains some mistakes and things that I missed. However, I think the top 3 are somewhat obvious and its no great surprise why I chose the regimes and dictators that I did. My criteria was their death toll, their reactionary power and influence, and also their plans and the resulting death toll, even if some of those plans were not fulfilled.

10 worst mass killers, regimes and dictators

Video: 10 worst mass killers, regimes and dictators

“Terrorism from the Sky”: Myanmar Junta Bombs Civilians, Killing 100, Escalating Attack on Resistance

Al Jazeera says at least 40 people were killed, whereas Western media is claiming 100+. Zarni is asking for Biden to release Myanmar’s frozen assets so that Myanmar’s “democratic resistancecan purchase more weapons.

“Terrorism from the Sky”: Burmese Junta Bombs Civilians, Killing 100, Escalating Attack on Resistance

And the second is China’s recent resumption of its backing of the military. China decided that they are going to back the military, because the democratic resistance is at least notionally backed by the United States and the European Union.

Related:

Myanmar military confirms air raid that killed dozens in Sagaing:

“During that opening ceremony, we conducted the attack. PDF members were killed,” Zaw Min Tun told the military broadcaster Myawaddy, referring to the civilian militias known as People’s Defence Forces.

Some media reports put the toll at more than 100 but Al Jazeera was unable to verify the figure. If confirmed, the attack on Pa Zi Gyi would be the deadliest in the country since the military toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in a coup in February 2021.

“According to our ground information we hit the place of their weapons’ storage and that exploded and people died due to that,” he added.

Myanmar Strikes Concert (at Rebel Army Base): How & Why the West Lies

US-backed Proxy War Against China Rages in Myanmar

U.S., allies may be planning Ukraine proxy war model for Myanmar

Notes on Zarni:

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West tells Global South ‘you can’t be neutral’ in Ukraine war: You are either with us, or against us

The foreign ministers of the US, Germany, and Ukraine told the world at the Munich Security Conference, “Neutrality is not an option” in the West’s proxy war against Russia, implicitly criticizing the vast majority of Global South countries, which are independent.

West tells Global South ‘you can’t be neutral’ in Ukraine war: You are either with us, or against us