07-03-23
Today's commentary on various articles and events
Orientation for new readers regarding the underlying research and data for this blog
The distance from China to Taiwan at the narrowest point of the Strait is 81 miles.Time is running out for Taiwan
As we noted the other day, following Blinken’s trip to China, it appears that high-end semiconductor manufacturing in Taiwan will be moved in the next year or two, and that Blinken’s comments in favor of a one-China policy means that the road will be cleared for the end of the cartel client state on the island.
Pressure on the Biden administration was likely from big retailers in the US–Walmart, Target, CVS, and the rest–who could foresee their shelves going bare in the event of a serious altercation between the US and China. Many US companies are still licking their wounds from having to pull out of Russia due to sanctions. The Western automobile companies lost their factories and sales in Russia, and these factories have been repurposed to build Chinese and Iranian vehicles. The same thing could happen to Western automobile companies in China. Other US companies are also warning about trade restrictions with China. As noted in this blog, Raytheon, a major US weapons manufacturer, points out that the company depends on several thousand suppliers in China as well as on several critical inputs for its weapons, including rare earth metals. Nvidia warns that chip restrictions will hurt the company, as it depends on sales to China and that China will just go ahead and develop its own advanced chips.
Blinken’s announcement followed weeks of visits to China by a number of US CEOs of huge international companies. Presumably, the companies were not happy with the buildup of anti-Chinese actions by the US, as these measures would hamper getting goods produced by their factories in China and reduce sales of their products in China. While the multinational companies are trying to relocate production to other Asian countries, this takes time, effort and money.
From an ideological point of view, the forgoing is an excellent example of the political economy meme concerning “the internal contradictions of capitalism,” where the short-term corporate (economic) strategy is at odds with the long-term political strategy.
FSB spooked the CIA on Prigozhin coup
We are updating our analysis of Prigozhin’s protest as more data comes in. It appears that the Kremlin was aware of his plans in advance, which had a modicum of backing from the US. Perhaps the perpetrators believed their own hype regarding the strength of 5th and 6th columns in Russia, and that dissidents would rally behind this treason. Such thinking turned out to be delusional.
Revisiting Russia’s 5th and, especially, 6th columns
It’s also worth noting that our previous comments regarding the change in Russia’s objectives was reinforced by Putin, who said last week that the war will be over when no Ukrainian army will be left on the battlefield, or NATO weapons.
Putin orders reality check – No Ukrainians left on the Battlefield, no sovereignty in Kiev
It’s also worth noting that Russia’s position is that Ukraine as a state no longer exists following the cancellation of the treaty between the Ukraine and Russia in 2019; in other words, there is no Ukrainian state left to sign an end-of-war agreement.
On Launching the New International War Crimes Tribunal
Given the long list of war crimes committed by the US, UK, EU, and the Ukrainian neo-Nazi regime, there is no resolution without seeing the perpetrators on the docket at a war crimes tribunal.
China, Russia vow $1.4 bn for lithium plants in Bolivia
Bolivia To Process Lithium With Russian and Chinese Companies
Remember when Elon Musk was gloating over the cheap lithium that Tesla was going to get from Bolivia after the US-backed coup d’etat? Nice that Bolivia’s indigenous peoples were able to oust the fascists and regain control over their country, which can now benefit from the sale of one of their natural resources.
Houthi Rebels Threaten Renewed War Against Yemen Government
The above article makes it sound like the Houthi’s are the problem, trying to rid the country of a Saudi-led, US-backed puppet regime, installed via an electoral coup d’état much like the 2014 one in Ukraine.
Here’s an analysis from 2015 on the Yemen situation that provides a much different picture:
US supports Saudis and others in war of aggression on Yemen
Turkey Condemns Quran Burning in Sweden
Those who claim to be the foremost practitioners of a religion are no different than those who claim to be the greatest patriots. When push comes to shove, they do not believe in free speech, but rather blind adherence to beliefs that have no basis in facts.
Remember the ruckus that follows any protest that involves burning the flag of the US Corporation, as if it was some holy artifact that represents an actual democratic republic, rather than an economic and military tool of the amoral sociopathic financiers who run the Anglo-Euro-American banking cartel.
“The essence of all slavery consists in taking the product of another's labor by force. It is immaterial whether this force be founded upon ownership of the slave or ownership of the money that he must get to live.” --Leo Tolstoy, “What Shall We Do Then?,” 1885
“Patriotism in its simplest, clearest and most indubitable meaning is nothing but an instrument for the attainment of the government’s ambitious and mercenary aims, and a renunciation of human dignity, common sense, and conscience by the governed, and a slavish submission to those who hold power. That is what is really preached wherever patriotism is championed. Patriotism is slavery.” --Leo Tolstoy, “The kingdom of God: and peace essays,” 1894
As we outline in 7 Steps to Global Economic and Spiritual Transformation: Volume II: Application of Tools: Section IV: WWIII treaty stipulations, proselytizing religions should be prohibited.
Anglo-Euro-American colonialism and imperialism in Latin America:
Canada Is Trying to Stop AMLO From Putting Mexico in Control of Its Own Resources
AMLO has halted new mining permits, over sixty-five thousand of which had been granted between 1988 and 2018, mostly to Canadian and US companies. He has launched a series of major mining reforms aimed at strengthening environmental protections and increasing the participation of local communities in the extractive decision-making process.
Despite AMLO’s democratic mandate far surpassing that of either Joe Biden’s or Justin Trudeau’s, the US and Canadian governments are trying to stop the Mexican president from implementing his popular reform agenda. Complaining that his efforts to secure Mexico’s resource sovereignty are marginalizing the interests of US and Canadian companies, Biden and Trudeau have legally challenged AMLO under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and sent officials to Mexico City to apply diplomatic pressure on his government.
Canadian interference in Mexico warrants special attention, especially given the increasing global scrutiny faced by Canada’s ecologically and socially destructive mining industry, which accounts for 75 percent of all the world’s mining companies. Canadian companies are disproportionately represented in the Mexican mining industry, representing two-thirds of all foreign mining investment. This number exploded in the 1990s following the passing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and no previous Mexican president had ever fundamentally questioned the predominant role that Canadian companies play in the country’s mining sector.
WEF’s “Summer Davos” kills the “Good Guy China” meme
This entire article is based on a straw man argument that is presented in the next to the last paragraph.
Are you seeing it yet? Does it sound like China will sweep in and save us from awful Western tyranny?
In response to this sophistry we have a question: Who exactly says that China is going “to sweep in and save us from awful Western tyranny?” That is not China’s strategy, and neither is it China’s objective to be in alignment with the WEF and the western financiers, as the article implies.
The problem with off-Guardian’s theme regarding China’s “capitulation,” repeated ad infinitum, is the superficial manner in which its analysts deal with events, assuming that the politeness of diplomatic language is to be taken at face value. For example, the joint statement issued by Xi and Putin prior to the 2022 Winter Olympic begins with light praises of the UN (similar to what China does here with the WEF), but then goes on to enumerate all the issues that China and Russia have with the UN under its current structure. Nevertheless, various pundits, including off-Guardian, read no further than the opening remarks just as this article assumes that China’s concept of the future is the same as the WEF, because they raised no additional issues at Davos. Apparently, off-Guardian being based in the UK has blinded them to how diplomacy actually works outside of a fascist state. They need to go back and read the entire text of Xi’s and Putin’s remarks.