Puppet MastersS


Target

"Decoupling": Washington's plan to kneecap China's economy

Mike Whitney
The Unz Review
Wed, 26 Jul 2023 00:00 UTC
Biden and Xi
The United States has settled on a multi-pronged strategy to thwart China's development and preserve America's premier position in the global order. The economic part of the plan is called "decoupling", which refers to the selective blocking of China's access to critical technology (particularly advanced semiconductors). The strategy has garnered nearly-universal support among America's foreign policy elites who believe that steps must be taken immediately to curtail China's explosive technological development. There are, however, considerable downside risks to implementing a plan that essentially erects a "Digital Iron Curtain" between China and the rest of the world. Should China respond tit-for-tat to Washington's aggression, then supply-lines would be severely disrupted increasing the probability of another global recession.

It's worth noting, that the term "decoupling" obscures how the policy is designed to work. The word itself — according to the Cambridge Dictionary means — "a situation in which two or more activities are separated..." Regrettably, Washington's decoupling strategy is not an attempt to achieve a benign 'parting of the ways', but to identify China's main technological vulnerabilities in order to inflict maximum damage on the Chinese economy. In other words, decoupling — as it is presented in the media and in think-tank analysis — is largely a public relations fabrication that is intended to conceal Washington's economic war on China. Here's a bit of background on decoupling from an article by Michael Spence at the Council on Foreign Relations:
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Brick Wall

Scott Ritter: Ukrainian counteroffensive keeps repeating same 'insane' mistakes

Scott Ritter
Sputnik International
Fri, 28 Jul 2023 00:00 UTC
war machine
© Twitter/@clashreport
There are contradictory reports emerging from the Zaporozhye battlefield, with Ukrainian forces attempting to make a breakthrough near the village of Rabotino.

While the fog of war prevents a definitive account at this juncture of what is transpiring in and around Rabotino, one thing is for certain — this isn't Ukraine's first attempt to breach the Russian defenses there and, if they have indeed failed, this will not be there last.

The Battle for Rabotino may very well go down in the history of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict as a modern-day version of the Battle for Prokhorovka, fought on July 12, 1943, between the German and Soviet armies. In Prokhorovka, the Soviet defenses broke the back of the German armor attack. A similar situation appears to be unfolding today around the village of Rabotino, where Russian defenders are engaging Ukrainian attackers mounted on US- and German-made armor.
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Light Saber

Experts say expecting Kiev to win is definition of 'insanity' - USA Today


RT
Thu, 27 Jul 2023 18:18 UTC
soldiers
© Efrem Lukatsky/AP1Ukrainian soldiers near Artyomovsk (Bakhmut) Ukraine
Advisers have reportedly argued that Ukraine is trapped in a stalemate and that Russia never intended to conquer the country...

Continuing to arm Ukraine and expecting it to defeat Russia is "strategic insanity" for Washington and other NATO members because Kiev is locked in an unwinnable stalemate with a foe that never aimed to conquer the former Soviet republic, USA Today has reported, citing multiple US foreign-policy experts.

The report, published on Thursday, hints at a shifting narrative for Western media outlets, which had been touting Ukraine's alleged battlefield successes, as well as vows by the Biden administration that Kiev must be supported with massive military and economic aid for "as long as it takes" to win the conflict with Russia.

Georgetown University professor Sean McFate, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, told the newspaper that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has begun to lose credibility - Kiev's "main asset" - with Western benefactors. He claimed that Zelensky has locked himself into a position in which he "can't win, but can't afford to lose, either."

"NATO is experiencing donor fatigue and disappointment with Zelensky's bluster," said McFate, a US Army veteran who also has consulted for the Pentagon and the CIA. He added that continuing to send billions of dollars' worth of weaponry to Ukraine on expectations that Zelensky's regime can win the conflict is "the definition of strategic insanity."

Comment: When hubris and deceit run high, lessons are painfully long.

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Red Flag

Zelensky uses martial law to avoid election


RT
Wed, 26 Jul 2023 21:49 UTC
Zelensky
© Clodagh Kilcoyne/Pool/APUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky • July 19, 2023
The October vote will not happen if Ukraine's parliament renews emergency measures...

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on Wednesday proposed to extend the state of emergency, thereby effectively canceling parliamentary elections scheduled for October.

Zelensky declared martial law on February 24, 2022, and has been extending it ever since. The most recent 90-day extension was announced on May 20, and is due to expire on August 18. If the Verkhovna Rada approves Zelensky's latest request, this will see the emergency extended through November 15.

Ukrainian law calls for parliamentary elections no later than October 29, with a 60-day campaign season starting on August 28. However, it also forbids campaigning and voting during martial law. Another extension would cut into the campaign season for the presidential elections, currently scheduled for March 2024.

"If we have martial law, we cannot have elections. The constitution prohibits any elections during martial law," Zelensky announced in May. The following month, he told the BBC that "elections need to happen in a time of peace, when there is no fighting."

Comment: Zelensky's self-absorbed reluctance to follow Ukraine's democratic process hands Western wolves the opportunity they hoped to gain.

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Bizarro Earth

Niger finance minister shown crying on TV after being given 48 hours by coup leaders to account for all stolen money or face death by firing squad


Harare Live
Sat, 29 Jul 2023 17:53 UTC
Ahmat Jidoud, Minister of Finance, Niger
Ahmat Jidoud, Minister of Finance, Niger
A Minister of Finance in Niger Republic cried after being given 48 hours by the Coup leaders to account for all the monies stolen from the people or face death by firing squad.

According to information, the name of the Minister of Finance in Niger hasn't been ascertained.


Comment: According to the World Bank website, as well as other sources, Niger's minister of finance is Ahmat Jidoud, it also notes how he was an economist at the IMF:

Ahmat Jidoud

President Bazoum was the first elected leader to succeed in Niger since independence in 1960. Now his captors have suspended the country's constitution and installed Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani as head of state.

Niger is a key part of the African region known as the Sahel - a belt of land that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. The area is plagued by jihadists and beset by military regimes.


Comment: Jihadists that receive significant backing from the West.


Comment: Note that the IMF is infamous for its part in economic terrorism against the developing world, and particularly against those nations which the West wishes to have as a vassal: Behind the Headlines: Confessions of an Economic Hitman: Interview with John Perkins

See also: Niger soldiers declare coup on national TV, US Sec Blinken expresses support for captured President Bazoum

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Binoculars

Dems eyeing Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota as Biden alternative for 2024 as concerns over age, approval mount

Mary Lou Masters
Daily Caller
Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:07 UTC
Dean Phillips
© Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Democrats are seeking out moderate Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota to challenge President Joe Biden in a 2024 primary, Politico reported Friday.

As concerns over Biden's age and approval ratings and the effects of third-party candidates continue to mount, Democrats are looking for another contender to emerge, according to Politico. Phillips is meeting with Democratic donors in New York City next week to discuss a potential bid, which would only come if there's a serious decline in the president's health or standing among the electorate.

"Nobody wants to be the one to do something that would undermine the chances of a Democratic victory in 2024," Phillips previously told Politico. "Yet in quiet rooms the conversation is just the opposite — we could be at a higher risk if this path is cleared."

Comment: See also:

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Extinguisher

Trump calls on DeSantis to drop out of the race in order to bring the party back together

Libby Emmons
The Post Millennial
Fri, 28 Jul 2023 00:00 UTC
trump desantis white house
President Trump and top 2024 GOP presidential contender spoke to American Sunrise on Friday morning, and when asked about Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign, he said outright that the Florida governor should "get out for the good of the party."

DeSantis, who has launched another campaign reboot after firing a substantial portion of his staff and maxing out donor contributions, is campaiging in Iowa.


Comment: See also:

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Colosseum

US announces $345 million tranche of $1 billion weapons package for Taiwan

Lara Seligman
Politico
Fri, 28 Jul 2023 16:20 UTC
taiwan
© Chiang Ying-ying/AP PhotoWhile the United States does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Washington has long supported Taipei's self-defense capability with arms sales and a close military relationship.
The Biden administration announced a $345 million weapons package for Taiwan on Friday, the first tranche in a total of $1 billion the U.S. has allotted to be transferred directly from Pentagon stockpiles to the island this year.

The move is sure to anger China as Washington has been trying to rebuild relations with Beijing. Senior administration officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, recently visited China, but the outreach has done little to quell tensions over a range of issues, from U.S. support to Taiwan to Beijing's spy balloon program.

"We take our responsibilities to Taiwan and to improving their self-defense capabilities very, very seriously," John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, told reporters ahead of the announcement on Friday.

Comment: For further insight into the developments with regards to China, see the comments here: 'Most dangerous moment in world politics': US, China heading for conflict, and it's not clear whether it's avoidable - Orban

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Magnify

Legal group suing Biden Admin for allegedly concealing FBI background check into Mayorkas

Jennie Taer
the Daily Caller
Fri, 28 Jul 2023 20:18 UTC
Mayorkas
© Kevin Lamarque/ReutersDepartment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
America First Legal Foundation sued the Biden administration Wednesday for allegedly concealing information regarding an FBI investigation into Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, according to a copy of the complaint first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The lawsuit against both the FBI and the Department of Justice (DOJ) asks that the agencies release the documents related to the Mayorkas probe, according to the complaint. The conservative group was previously denied a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the records regarding the FBI's investigation into Mayorkas' background.

"The American people deserve to have access to the files we requested to understand the extent to which Secretary Mayorkas disclosed his foreign ties and contacts, among other things. Disclosing these records is consistent with what the FBI did during the Trump Administration when it released portions of the SF-86 for then Attorney General Jeff Sessions, so there is simply no reason why they should not provide the same information for Secretary Mayorkas," Gene Hamilton, America First Legal Vice President and General Counsel, said in a statement to the DCNF.

Comment:


It's almost as if Mayorkas was deliberately screwing up his duties:

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Brain

US media ignoring Biden's mental deterioration - Moscow


RT
Fri, 28 Jul 2023 12:45 UTC
JBand hand
© Andrew Hamik/APUS President Joe Biden
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has accused the US media of failing to acknowledge their president's mental decline...

The US media is ignoring the reality of President Joe Biden's deteriorating mental capacity, instead of being honest about it, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

In his public appearances, Biden "does not properly react to some questions, or does not react at all to what he is told or asked. He gets confused about the people in front of him. Apparently, his consciousness does not reflect reality," the diplomat told RT in an exclusive interview on Friday.

The issue was brought up by the interviewer, Rory Suchet, who suggested that Biden is "having some issues," possibly related to the president's advanced age, a notion that Zakharova dismissed.

"A man in his old age can be wise and a young physically fit man can be stupid," she argued.


Comment: Excellent summation by Zakharova.

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