Tag: national interests

How Russia and the U.S. See Africa’s Place in the World

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Ivan Loshkaryov

Since the early days of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, the diplomacy of the Сollective West has been striving to isolate Moscow, punishing it for resolving the conflict in Donbass. However, one cannot talk about isolation without accounting for the position of developing countries: Alongside the golden billion, there are another 7 billion people living in the world. It is then only natural that the eyes of Western strategists and diplomats have turned to states and regional organizations reluctant to join the anti-Russian rhetoric, seeing no point in imposing economic and political restrictions against Moscow.

How Russia and the U.S. See Africa’s Place in the World

China Defies US Sanctions with Computer Chip Breakthrough

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

China Defies US Sanctions with Computer Chip Breakthrough

China’s rise as the largest, most powerful nation on earth is inevitable. The resources, energy, and time the United States is wasting in attempting to contain China’s rise and assert itself above all other nations could be used instead to find a constructive role to play among all other nations as a still powerful, influential nation with much to offer humanity, just not the most powerful or influential. The United States, like many empires before it in history, unfortunately, appears determined to squander this opportunity to peacefully transition to one powerful nation among many, and instead faces the prospects of holding neither primacy over the planet, nor significant prominence among the nations on it.

Venezuela Stops Oil Shipments To Europe As Alternatives To Russian Energy Dry Up

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The writing is on the wall for Europe in terms of this coming winter – It’s going to get ugly. With natural gas imports from Russia cut by 80% through Nord Stream 1 along with the majority of oil shipments, the EU is going to be scrambling for whatever fuel sources they can find to supply electricity and heating through the coming winter. Two sources that were originally suggested as alternatives were Iran and Venezuela.

Venezuela Stops Oil Shipments To Europe As Alternatives To Russian Energy Dry Up

Related:

Venezuela: Oil Production Declines as Shipments to Europe Suspended

Caracas’ oil operations were affected by mechanical disruptions caused by alleged attacks against oil facilities. On July 16 a natural gas pipeline explosion and a power outage interrupted PDVSA’s supply to its main crude production and export hub, the José Antonio Anzoátegui industrial complex in eastern Venezuela.

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With the operational disruption depleting Venezuela’s lightest oil grade stocks, Iran recently began to increase its supply of 29.5°API blend, a lighter alternative to Venezuela’s 16°API Merey, in order to boost fuel production and free domestic upgraded blends for exports.

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However, anonymous sources revealed that Caracas might suspend crude cargoes to Europe while the industry recovers from recent setbacks. PDVSA is reportedly negotiating the terms of the oil-for-debt agreements with Eni and Repsol to receive fuel while still settling long-standing debts owed to the two companies.

Neither Venezuela’s Oil Ministry nor PDVSA has issued statements confirming the alleged halted shipments to Europe or the renegotiation of the swap deals.

Manufacturing Consent: How the United States Has Penetrated South African Media

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)1 Comment

The CIA has played a role in controlling South African media from the days of apartheid to the present.

In recent weeks, South African public discourse has been focused on concerns about alleged Chinese influence in the country’s media landscape. However, these conversations have tended to overlook the already existing spheres of influence within South African media. Politically motivated sponsorship of prominent South African media outlets by the United States dates back decades to the apartheid era. According to internal U.S. government documents, the aim of these operations was “to counter the strong Marxist campaigns” in the country. This funding was circulated by the National Endowment for Democracy, an organization created by the Reagan administration in order to re-brand U.S. covert operations that were previously carried out by the Central Intelligence Agency. Today, as Washington becomes fixated on combating Beijing’s influence around the world, the National Endowment for Democracy and its private sector partners continue to penetrate large swathes of the South African media ecosystem. This web of influence has caught major publications, including Mail & Guardian newspaper and amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism.

Manufacturing Consent: How the United States Has Penetrated South African Media

Oliver Boyd: From Our Taxes, Windfall Profits for “Defense” Industry. What Ukraine is mainly about

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

By Prof. Oliver Boyd-Barrett, Substack, 8/14/22

Yes, it would be simpler and less messy all around if we just transferred the money directly from our bank accounts to Raytheon, Lockheed and the rest of them.

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Should Ukraine simply sign over sovereignty to Russia? Well, Ukraine already signed over sovereignty, but to the USA, in 2014. The current war serves Washington interests, not Ukrainian.

Oliver Boyd: From Our Taxes, Windfall Profits for “Defense” Industry. What Ukraine is mainly about

Previously:

Russian Ops in Ukraine – Russian Advances, Ukraine Shelling Nuclear Power Plant