Draw your own conclusions. 📍In messages circulated on Friday, US State Department staff wrote that high-level officials do not want press materials to include three specific phrases: “de-escalation/ceasefire,” “end to violence/bloodshed” and “restoring calm.” @LauraRuHK

L'Huffington Post riporta che venerdì il Dipartimento di Stato americano ha informato il personale diplomatico che nei loro comunicati stampa devono evitare tre frasi specifiche: "de-escalation/tregua", "fine della violenza o dello spargimento di sangue" e "ripristino della calma". @LauraRuHK

Amid widespread censorship of Israeli crimes YouTube closed Eva Bartlett's account. Over the years the Canadian journalist had uploaded dozens of videos she took in Gaza, Syria, Donbass...https://t.me/Reality_Theories/14567

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the EU kept trying to project soft power and bring its values, especially the rule of law, to bear on world crises. But in the last decade, by playing the handmaiden of the US, it squandered whatever (little) political capital it was allowed to accumulate.
If you want an example of the bloc's political harakiri, look no further than Ursula Von der Leyen and Roberta Metsola's trip to Israel. VdL declared that the European Union stands with Israel “today and in the days to come” and “in the next weeks”, an apparent signal not just of the bloc’s sympathy over the attacks but also its sanction for Israel’s criminal retaliation, which is in breach of international law and negates the same values that the EU claims to represent. VdL and Metsola have no power to set foreign policy, no mandate from the EU member states, which are divided on the Israel-Palestine conflict, and yet they went to Israel to express the EU's full support to Netanyahu and his genocidal government. What moral authority can the EU claim when its leaders act inconsistently about international law depending on who breaches it? The EU could have acted as a mediator in the crisis, after all it poured millions of euros into Gaza and the West Bank, but after this trip, the EU lost all credibility in the Middle East and accelerated its descent into irrelevance. @LauraRuHK

In the 1930s Nazi Germany burned books written by Jews and other "degenerates"...In the last two years US slave Germany cancelled Russian culture to signal virtue. What do you expect? https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/13/books/frankfurt-book-fair-cancels-award-adania-shibli.html?fbclid=IwAR0N6w8afJefZn-qL31EjhfX_KWlDBdbt7a9hjuXpVbMFGxqU4EbE1TS7NM

Dopo il crollo dell'Unione Sovietica, l'UE ha continuato a esercitare il suo soft power, presentandosi come autorita' morale e facendo leva su valori quali la democrazia, il rispetto della legge e dei diritti umani. E' in questa veste che ha cercato di intervenire in varie situazioni di crisi (con risultati modesti nel migliore dei casi, nefasti nel peggiore). Ma nell'ultimo decennio, ricoprendo il ruolo di ancella degli Stati Uniti, ha sprecato il (poco) capitale politico che le era stato permesso di accumulare.
Se volete un esempio dell'harakiri politico commesso dalla UE in Medio Oriente, area di interesse strategico per l'Europa, basta guardare al viaggio di Ursula Von der Leyen e Roberta Metsola in Israele. La VdL ha dichiarato che l'Unione Europea è al fianco di Israele "oggi e nei prossimi giorni" e "nelle prossime settimane". L'UE poteva offrire solidarietà al paese dopo gli attacchi di Hamas, chiedere il rispetto del diritto internazionale, proporsi in un ruolo di mediazione per negoziare il rilascio degli ostaggi, alcuni dei quali di nazionalita' europea oltre che israeliana. Invece il duo VdL e Metsola ha preferito precipitarsi a Tel Aviv per offrire sostegno incondizionato a Israele impegnato in una rappresaglia genocida che viola il diritto internazionale e nega alla radice gli stessi valori che l'UE sostiene di rappresentare. Appare chiaro che a Bruxelles regna il caos, VdL e Metsola non hanno il potere di definire la politica estera dell'Unione, né il mandato degli Stati membri dell'UE, che sono divisi sul conflitto israelo-palestinese. Eppure si sono mosse per fare danni su suggerimento di qualcuno. Ora, quale autorità morale può rivendicare l'UE quando i suoi leader agiscono in modo incoerente rispetto al diritto internazionale a seconda di chi lo viola? Invece di dare l'ennesima prova dei suoi doppi standard, l'UE avrebbe potuto ritagliarsi un ruolo importante di mediatore in questa crisi - dopotutto negli anni ha diretto verso Gaza e la Cisgiordania milioni di euro di aiuti. Un investimento bruciato visto che ora la UE ha perso qualsiasi credibilità poteva avere in Medio Oriente accelerando cosi' la sua totale irrilevanza sullo scacchiere geopolitico. @LauraRuHK

Chinese FM says Israel’s actions go beyond self-defense, calls to avoid collective punishment of Gaza people

China's top diplomat Wang Yi said Israel's actions have gone beyond the scope of self-defense, expressing concerns about the escalating Israel-Palestine conflict as Israel ordered one million people from the northern part of Gaza to evacuate within 24 hours as it prepared for a ground assault.

In his phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Saturday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China opposes and condemns all acts that harm civilians, as they violate basic human conscience and the fundamental principles of international law.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202310/1299847.shtml

🗣 Beijing does not impose its will on anyone, which is a distinctive feature of the PRC under the leadership of Xi Jinping in building relations with other countries, distinguishing China from a number of states with a heavy colonial legacy, Vladimir Putin said in an interview with China Central Television

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When we talk about the US or the EU we often forget that we are not facing a rational actor with clear geopolitical goals but rather clusters of multinational corporations and financial elites with conflicting interests, lobbies and think tanks that control the knowledge and information that decision-makers act upon... and they are engaged in a global struggle for power, information and resources. Elites often have diverging interests and while pursuing their own agenda they are vying for influence both at home and abroad. The US is as politically divided as the EU, and though some players are pushing for an escalation in the Middle East, others are very much against it. ▪️It is cooperation that underlies the ability of human groups, whole societies and political organizations, such as states, to achieve their shared goals. But Western societies have fostered cut-throat competition rather than cooperation, which has bred mutual distrust and social disgregation. As Peter Turchin observed, beyond a certain point a formerly great empire becomes so dysfunctional that more cohesive neighbors begin tearing it apart. Eventually the capacity for cooperation declines to such a low level that "barbarians" can strike at the very heart of the empire without encountering significant resistance. But barbarians at the gate are not the real cause of imperial collapse. They are a consequence of the failure to sustain social cooperation. As the British historian Arnold Toynbee said, great civilizations are not murdered—they die by suicide. @LauraRuHK

Quando parliamo degli Stati Uniti o dell'Unione Europea spesso dimentichiamo che non siamo di fronte a un attore razionale con chiari obiettivi geopolitici, ma piuttosto ad aggregati di corporation multinazionali e di élite finanziarie con interessi contrastanti, con le loro lobby, testate giornalistiche, social media e think tank che controllano e orientano analisi e informazione, manipolando politici e opinione pubblica. Questi gruppi di potere agiscono dietro le quinte e sono impegnati in una lotta globale per mantenere e accrescere il proprio potere, per impossessarsi e controllare ogni tipo di risorsa, dai dati digitali alle risorse energetiche. Ma non sempre gli interessi delle élite coincidono quindi succede che nel perseguire gli obiettivi della propria agenda, si ritrovino a competere nell'esercizio della propria influenza politica, sia in patria che all'estero. Il risultato piu' evidente e' la crescente polarizzazione politica e dell'opinione pubblica sia negli Stati Uniti che nell'UE, polarizzazione che ha raggiunto livelli tossici per la tenuta del sistema di dominio dell'Occidente. ▪️La cooperazione sta alla base della capacità di intere società e di organizzazioni politiche, come gli Stati, di raggiungere obiettivi condivisi. Ma le società occidentali hanno favorito la competizione spietata piuttosto che la cooperazione, generando sfiducia reciproca e disgregazione sociale. Di obiettivi condivisi non ce ne sono piu'. Come ha osservato Peter Turchin, raggiunta una certa soglia, una potenza imperiale diventa così disfunzionale che altri paesi più coesi, socialmente e politicamente, iniziano a farla a pezzi. Alla fine la capacità di cooperazione si riduce a un livello così basso che i "barbari" possono colpire il cuore dell'impero senza incontrare una resistenza significativa. Ma i "barbari alle porte" non sono la vera causa del collasso imperiale. Sono una conseguenza dell'incapacità di alimentare e mantenere la cooperazione sociale. Come aveva sottolineato lo storico britannico Arnold Toynbee, le grandi civiltà non vengono spazzate via da nemici esterni, ma implodono, si suicidano, si autodistruggono. @LauraRuHK

Key takeaways from Putin’s interview with Chinese media
The Russian president contrasted Washington and Beijing’s approaches to deal-making

Russia no longer trusts the US on anything, while China has been reliably delivering on its promises, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

He contrasted the trustworthiness of the two nations in an interview with political correspondent Wang Guan, published in full on Monday. The journalist spoke to the Russian leader on behalf of the China Media Group.

Rules-based order is nonsense
The US-promoted concept of a ‘rules-based order’ is colonialism in disguise, Putin argued, as Washington decides on what those rules are on a case-by-case basis.

“How can one talk about order based on rules that no one has ever seen? In terms of common sense, it’s nonsense. But it is beneficial to those who promote this approach.”
Colonial powers of the past claimed they were “bringing enlightenment” and “benefits of civilization” to the territories they held, the Russian president said. US exceptionalism implies that Americans perceive the rest of the world as “second-rate people”, just like the colonialists of history.

Moscow rejects this approach and strives for a fair multipolar world, where all nations are treated as equals, according to the president.

Multipolarity is inevitable
A new global arrangement is coming, one way or another, Putin predicted.

“We can speed up this process or someone can try to slow it down and maybe even achieve some kind of reduction in the pace of building a multipolar world. Anyway, its creation is inevitable.”

This year’s expansion of the BRICS group of leading non-Western economies was a major step in that direction, Putin believes. With the inclusion of six new members, it has surpassed the West’s G7 club in economic strength, he noted.

“No one wants to play second fiddle to some sovereign, everyone wants equal rights. And when they join BRICS, they see that we can achieve this goal.”

US cannot be trusted
Washington has a habit of discarding previous agreements depending on political whims, as seen with its exit from the multilateral agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, Putin said, adding that the Ukraine conflict is rooted in the same problem.

“We were told as far back as 1991 – by the then-US administration – that NATO would not expand further east. Since then, there have been five waves of NATO expansion.”

“How can we agree on anything if every new administration starts from scratch?”

Kiev’s battlefield losses
Putin outlined the history of Russia’s hostilities with its neighbor, from the 2008 NATO pledge to make Ukraine a member, to the Western-backed 2014 armed coup in Kiev and the conflict in Donbass, to the refusal of the Ukrainian government to implement a roadmap for reconciliation with rebels, and its decision last year to reject a draft truce in favor of a hoped-for military victory against Moscow.

“They launched [in June] an active military operation, the so-called counter-offensive,” the president said of the latest phase of the confrontation. “No results achieved so far, only massive losses. The losses are simply huge, at a ratio of one to eight.”

Russia wants the conflict to be resolved and believes that China’s proposal may serve as a basis, the president noted – but it is up to Ukraine to make talks possible, as it has passed a law banning negotiations with Putin.

Xi’s word is his bond
A large portion of the interview was dedicated to Russian-Chinese cooperation, and Putin’s friendship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which he believes has contributed to the rapid development of ties between the nations over the past 15 years.
The Russian leader called his Chinese counterpart “attentive to detail, cool-headed, business-minded and a reliable partner,” stressing that he especially values Xi’s trustworthiness. (Source: RT) @LauraRuHK

Leaders and representatives from more than 140 countries as well as 30 international organizations are heading to Beijing to participate in the upcoming Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation. The third BRF is the most important diplomatic event hosted by China this year, as it marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt & Road Initiative. Western media and politicians have always tried to downplay the importance of BRI, and when they cannot ignore its most successful infrastructural projects, they invariably ask a rhetorical question: "but at what cost?". So, let's say they discuss the railway line connecting Mombasa, the largest port in East Africa, to Kenya's capital Nairobi. Due to its popularity and success as a driver of economic development they can't say it's a white elephant, so they will just resort to the familiar "but at what cost?" to suggest that it's a debt trap, or to insinuate that there might be other hidden costs. If you pay attention, you will realize Western media use this rhetorical device every single time they cover a BRI project. @LauraRuHK

The UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution - proposed by Russia and co-sponsored by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar - that would have called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, release of all hostages, aid access, and safe evacuation of civilians. The draft resolution received five votes in favour (China, Gabon, Mozambique, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates) and four against (France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States), with six abstentions (Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana, Malta, and Switzerland). https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142427
@LauraRuHK

🟥 A Pechino si riunisce "il nuovo mondo" con la desolante assenza italiana

10 anni di BRI. Il primo reportage dalla Cina de l'AntiDiplomatico

https://www.lantidiplomatico.it/dettnews-10_anni_bri_a_pechino_si_riunisce_il_nuovo_mondo_con_la_desolante_assenza_dellitalia/5871_51267/