USA
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Meta is aggressively censoring criticism of US-Israeli warmongering
I am at risk of getting banned from both Instagram and Facebook as both Meta-owned platforms keep censoring my criticisms of Israel’s US-backed atrocities in Gaza and Lebanon, placing strikes on my accounts in the process. Continue reading »
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Australia poised to enter another US-led Middle East war
With less than two months to go, voters may go to the American polls while their nation is at war. If they do, there is a significant chance that Australia will be dragged in, and in accordance with imperial tradition be sent to fight in the Middle East. Continue reading »
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As US ally blows up the Mideast, China preserves Asia’s prosperity
Launching Cold War 2.0 against a reluctant Beijing while enabling Israel to set fire to an entire region is now official American foreign policy. Continue reading »
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The impact of China’s rising soft power
A recent article in the US journal Foreign Affairs, written by Daniel Mattingly of Yale University argues persuasively that: “China’s Soft Sell of Autocracy is Working”. One reason is that China’s soft power today relies on an unmatched performance scorecard. Continue reading »
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How civilisation could end – an all-too-possible nuclear scenario
On 12 September, Vladimir Putin threatened retaliation, not excluding nuclear, against NATO countries if Washington allows Ukraine to attack targets inside Russia with US missiles. President Joe Biden backed off – for the moment. But the doomsday clock of the Atomic Scientists now stands at 90 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been Continue reading »
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Why Donald Trump could win the US election
How do we understand the appeal of Donald Trump to more than 45% of American voters? Here are some reasons why he could win the 2024 presidential election. Continue reading »
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Australia-America odd couple relationship needs repair
The largely unrecognised risk to Australia that our powerful ally will strategically collapse through internal political stresses is greater than the much discussed threat of war with China. Allan Behm, Director, International & Security Affairs Program, The Australia Institute, in conversation with Michael Lester about his new book The Odd Couple: The Australia-America relationship (Upswell Continue reading »
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Does Trump want both mass deportation and remigration?
Donald Trump’s desire for a mass deportation program for about 11 million undocumented migrants in the US (he says the number is much bigger) is well known. According to some polling, around 54% of US citizens support such a program even if they have no idea how it would be implemented, how it may affect Continue reading »
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On war crimes and Western hypocrisy
The death toll has risen to 12 from Israel’s terror attack in Lebanon on Tuesday which detonated explosive materials hidden in thousands of pagers. Another 20 people were then killed in another attack on Wednesday with a second wave of explosions, this time using walkie talkies and home solar energy systems. Continue reading »
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The Forever War: America’s unending conflict with itself. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
In the aftermath of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, our need to understand the US feels more immediate than ever. Continue reading »
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What would a second Trump presidency mean for the global economy?
Donald Trump inherited a strong economy from President Barack Obama and managed it poorly. Continue reading »
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Dependency or protectorate?
It is understandable that people around the world obsess about US elections given the cultural and political impact the country has on the rest of us. Continue reading »
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Would Trump or Harris keep the US out of new wars?
Donald Trump wants to end the conflict in Ukraine, but would have fewer guardrails in office. However, Kamala Harris might take a harder line on China than we think. Continue reading »
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Kamala still facing electoral college hurdles
Kamala Harris was, to my mind, a clear winner of the first debate between herself and Donald Trump. As things stand, however, I reckon that Trump must be still regarded as the favourite to win a majority of the state electoral college votes, and thus become the next president. I hope I am wrong, but Continue reading »
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If Gaza carnage continues, then nobody is safe
If the genocide in Gaza is not stopped we all face a very dark future Continue reading »
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For a pacific Pacific: thoughts about how to promote peace
Naval and air standoffs, sabre-rattling and accusations of underhand dealings are heightening tensions in the Asia-Pacific region and causing a security dilemma. It does not have to be like this. Diplomacy and referral to international dispute resolution mechanisms can make a difference. Continue reading »
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Conditioning Americans for war with Russia
With new US action against Moscow, Russiagate remains like a vampire, with noone able to drive a wooden stake into its heart and keep it there. Continue reading »
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Are America’s right and left converging on foreign policy?
The interview of Jeffrey Sachs, a Social Progressive, by Tucker Carlson, a Social Conservative, makes riveting viewing since its an insight to where the polar enemies of American politics may be converging on their big picture view of US foreign policy. Continue reading »
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Avoiding an ‘exclusion’ disaster in the Pacific – a different lesson from Ukraine
The most senior US officials, including President Joe Biden himself, refer to US alliances with individual or groups of countries in the Indo-Pacific as benign and defensive in nature. These references contrast with warnings about the possible “knock-on” effect of a Russian victory in Ukraine which, it is said, could encourage China to seek to Continue reading »
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Rainbow flag genocide vs MAGA hat genocide
Kamala Harris has enthusiastically accepted the endorsement of Dick Cheney. Continue reading »
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The loss of global influence by the United States is China’s gain
The world doesn’t see an “indispensable nation” in America, only one that is ‘dysfunctional at home and pursuing naked self-interest abroad’ Continue reading »
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Nelson Mandela warned us that ‘the US has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world’
That warning was 20 years ago, but in the years since, the US has continued in its violent and aggressive ways, cloaking its violence and aggression with bromides about a rules-based international order and defence of democratic values. If only that was true. Continue reading »
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The shadow of empire: how the dream of global dominance undermines American democracy
The notion of American exceptionalism — that the United States is uniquely destined to lead the world due to its superior values and capabilities — has been deeply embedded in the national consciousness for generations. This belief, cultivated by political, business, and intellectual elites, frames the US as a force for good, a beacon of Continue reading »
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Next year’s US Taiwan policy: Trump versus Harris
Very much on the minds of the government as well as residents in Taiwan is the November election in the United States. The question is which candidate, Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, will oversee a more friendly policy toward Taiwan? Continue reading »
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A ‘liberal Hawk’ is a Hawk nonetheless. Time to focus less on the ‘liberal’, more on the ‘Hawk’
“Since it was impossible to change the politics of the system, it became necessary to change the type – or stereotype – of the person in charge of carrying out the policy.” Fidel Castro, in Obama and the Empire, 2012. Continue reading »
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The US made the Dutch an offer they couldn’t refuse
Hold on to your mobile phones, civilians, this is gonna get rough. If you thought the Sopranos and Corleones were intimidating, check this out. Continue reading »
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Is a new American civil war possible? Probably not, but…
It is sometimes difficult to believe the US is not headed towards a new civil war Continue reading »
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The United States and its allies need to avoid caricaturing China in their foreign policies
Nicholas Ross Smith, from the University of Canterbury, argues that the temptation to essentialise China as simply being a Xi-led CCP monolith that will stop at nothing to re-integrate Taiwan and seek global domination overlooks the complexity of domestic politics in China. Basing policy on a simple caricature of China is a recipe for disaster. Continue reading »
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Burning the EV bridges with China is risky
While Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump are engaged in a tight presidential race by highlighting their differences, they share similar perspectives about China. They both hold the common belief that the imposition of higher tariffs will stimulate economic growth. However, the intricate network of tariffs implemented by both the Trump and Biden administrations Continue reading »
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The main suspect in the Sde Teiman gang rape case is now a media star in Israel
Soldier Meir Ben-Shitrit has revealed himself as the main suspect in the infamous gang rape of Palestinians at the Sde Teiman detention facility. Rather than making him an outcast, his story has turned him into Israel’s latest media darling. Continue reading »
