Interesting read by Engdahl

In recent months a crisis situation in the USA food supply has been growing and is about to assume alarming dimensions that could become catastrophic. Atop the existing corona pandemic lockdowns and unemployment, a looming agriculture crisis as well could tip inflation measures to cause a financial crisis as interest rates rise.

The ingredients are many, but central is asevere drought in key growing states of the Dakotas and Southwest, including agriculture-intensive California. So far Washington has done disturbingly little to address the crisis and California Water Board officials have been making the crisis far worse by draining the state water reservoirs…into the ocean.

A Sinister Agenda Behind California Water Crisis?

Posted by: Down South | Jun 13 2021 13:03 utc | 1

If you want to know what's really going on, a good approach is to read the mainstream media and ask yourself, "Why do they want us to believe this?"

Doing this, I believe that the plan is to start a global economic crusade against China by (falsely) claiming that it leaked Covid from a laboratory. If they can get an "independent" international organization like the OPCW or the WHO to make the accusation, so much the better. The WHO already gave its verdict, but that's no problem--it will change its tune after some well-placed bribes and threats to key members.

Starting an economic war with China would be harmful for the West as much as China, but that's not a problem because only the little people will suffer--the important elites will be fine. The little people will probably put up with it if they can be convinced that they are making a noble sacrifice for the good of mankind. The narrative will be something like "The great Eastasian enemy unleashed a killer virus, so the world must unite against it, just like in WWII."

Posted by: Donbass Lives Matter | Jun 13 2021 13:07 utc | 2

Always funny when Bezos' tabloid WaPo and other "mainstream" tabloids call GT a tabloid.

Posted by: aquadraht | Jun 13 2021 14:16 utc | 3

Posted by: Down South | Jun 13 2021 13:03 utc | 1

Down South, appreciate and respect your points of view and opinions. However... the link about the water crisis in California doesn't track right to me. Engdahl covers a lot of ground. His concern about protecting the massive agribusiness elites in California loses me. I'm against getting food from "those people".
I'm not sucking on their tit. My personal solution to California's water problem is for me to be my own man and get my food more locally which takes more effort but over time makes me stronger, more interdependent with neighbors and less worried about California from a selfish perspective.
The even bigger topic he addresses is the drought which is a big problem for all of us humans and, again, will challenge each of us to take more action regarding our food supply. My advice: go local, grow stuff, no poisons, eat some wild daily(it's much easier and more plentiful than you think), barter and trade with neighbors, respect and nurture and work with your soil, trees, bushes, worms and microbes.

Posted by: migueljose | Jun 13 2021 14:59 utc | 4

A follow-up to the Alex de Waal piece on Ethiopia's new (brutal and grotesque) famine:

An exclusive interview by Reuters released June 12th
UN official accuses Eritrea of deliberately starving Tigray
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/exclusive-un-official-accuses-eritrean-forces-deliberately-starving-tigray-2021-06-11/

Is it coincidence that this Reuters coverage is published during the G7? I don't know the politics of that region, but is this conflict a US vs. UK proxy war of some kind?

Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Jun 13 2021 15:02 utc | 5

Again, Down South, I invite your response or deeper thoughts to the topic of drought along with the allegations of sinister manipulations. I'm not disagreeing with the article's argument that the politicians and their elites are corrupt.

Posted by: migueljose | Jun 13 2021 15:06 utc | 6

In a strange coincidence, I received an email letter recently from CBAN, the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network. In Ethiopia, there are accusations that the start of the conflict coincided (deliberately?) with harvest season. In Canada, there are accusations of similar coincidences in timing (in a far less brutal and grotesque way):

'Soon, CBAN will put out information about the new public consultation from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Yes, another one! This second consultation is part of what Health Canada started with their proposals to exempt gene-edited GMOs from regulation. (Visit CBAN’s webpage anytime for info and updates www.cban.ca/NoExemptions)'

'You may have noticed that the CFIA’s consultation is four months long (May 19 - Sept 16), while Health Canada’s consultation was just two months (it ended on May 24). The National Farmers Union and CBAN both asked the CFIA to wait until after the farming season was over before starting their consultation, so that farmers could participate meaningfully. Instead, the CFIA extended the consultation throughout the entire farming season! I have months of busy days ahead of me harvesting on the farm and running our local food shop but I will make time to participate. I hope you will join me.'

Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Jun 13 2021 15:13 utc | 7

Bruised Northerner | Jun 13 2021 15:02 utc | 5

Not sure this Reuters article is correct; The people of Tigray (Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF)? ARE fighting the Ethiopians. The Eritreans ARE there and are involved as well. As the report mentions both forces in a doubtful "arrest" of 500 Tigray people in a refugee camp. But most of the article is from Ethiopian sources, who seem to be exaggerating the Eritreans' part. I would not put it beyond either of them to profit from the fighting, to "join up temporarily" to eliminate the "Tigrians" from good arable land.

Note that starvation has been used here before with disastrous results. (Mengistu). Most of the "aid" seems to go to Ethiopian Government held areas.

Posted by: Stonebird | Jun 13 2021 15:31 utc | 8

OK, so I clicked a bunch of times and I think the GM food competition could be (perhaps) Gates vs. Sainsbury... vs whoever owns Monsanto now? I lost track. Back to Sainsbury:

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/05/uk-set-loosen-rules-gene-edited-crops-and-animals

“Much as I have to swallow hard and say it through gritted teeth, Brexit has at least one dividend,” says Jonathan Jones, a plant biologist at the Sainsbury Laboratory, a nonprofit center investigating plant disease resistance. Tina Barsby, CEO of the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, says the shift may be “the most significant policy breakthrough in plant breeding for more than 2 decades.”

What is this Sainsbury Laboratory anyway?
http://www.tsl.ac.uk/about-tsl/
'The Sainsbury Laboratory is generously supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and by the University of East Anglia. Funding is also awarded to the laboratory by BBSRC, ERC and other research grant funding bodies through competitively won research grants and, for some research programmes, by commercial companies.'

Who might the Gatsby Charitable Foundation be?
https://www.gatsby.org.uk/
'Gatsby is a foundation set up be David Sainsbury to realise his charitable objectives' which involve Plant Science and Africa among other charitable objectives.

Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Jun 13 2021 15:39 utc | 9

Migueljose @ 4
Hydroponic greenhouses are the best approach to mass food supply. I live in an area that is relatively unaffected by climate issues so far (Pacific NW), but I work with an organic greenhouse operation that is moving toward a greenhouse system heated and electrified via a woody-biomass gasification system that will also run our 3 Organic Rankine Cycle generators. The system is self-contained, efficient, and sourced from a renewable resource.
Your approach is laudable, but can only support a very limited portion of a cooperating social group.

Posted by: PAUL SPENCER | Jun 13 2021 15:46 utc | 10

RT is sometimes funny.

In his article Paul Robinson details how since the 16th century Russian imperialism had been rooted in a specific Russian form of Christian messianism ("Third Rome") which in turn has lead to imperial over-extension and internal break-down. But no more! Russia has learned it`s lesson and is now a pragmatic country without exceptionalism and imperial ambitions.

In the lower half of the article RT links to another article with the headline: "Love thy neighbor? Putin says religious values of ‘mercy’ & support for vulnerable underpin Russian civilization through history "

Posted by: m | Jun 13 2021 15:49 utc | 11

@ 10

I know you are addressing migueljose, and I don't want to interject, but the Organic Consumers Association does not agree with you on hydroponics.

https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/why-you-cant-have-organic-food-without-soil

https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/hydroponic-threat-organic-food

Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Jun 13 2021 16:05 utc | 12

Major news fantasy, sometime next month

"Breaking News tonight!!! It appears the entire crew of the New Shepards experimental craft has been lost in a horrible horrible (but predictable) accident. Jeff, his brother Mark, the Koch brothers, recently divorced Bill G, several other wonderful plutocrats.. ..And a still unidentified, elderly, frail, befuddled, national "leader", Joe B?.. Whose trip was paid for by his very good friend, Donald Trump…."

Posted by: Major Tom | Jun 13 2021 16:05 utc | 13

The "CARBIS BAY G7 SUMMIT COMMUNIQUÉ" has been published. It's thousands of words of trash-talk with Russia being a primary target. The Group of Seven are perfect, of course. All that damage they're causing around the world is perfectly okay. It's other nations that need corrective action. . ."We will harness the power of democracy, freedom, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights to answer the biggest questions and overcome the greatest challenges."

Posted by: Don Bacon | Jun 13 2021 16:08 utc | 14

In 2018, China and Russia conducted 88% of their bilateral trade in the US$. In 2020, that number dropped to only 11%.

Similarly, majority of Russia’s trade with the EU and Japan has moved to respective national currencies.

“Russia won’t tolerate the post-Cold War global system dominated by a single leader. That type of world order has never been acceptable for Russia. Maybe someone likes it and wants to live under a pseudo-occupation, but we won’t put up with it.”
- Vladimir Putin

Russia wants: A new world order!

Posted by: Max | Jun 13 2021 16:21 utc | 15

Aaron Maté's take on the case of the TYT kinda confirms my suspicions about this new American Leftist journalism.

I'm late to the party (I've been just following this imbroglio since last year), but, to me, it looks like something special happened during the Invasion of Libya of 2011. Almost all of these new American Lefist journalists were born out of nowhere during that event.

To me, it looks like this phenomenon of the "New American Leftist Journalism" is the result of a mix of:

1) excess and blind (borderline personality cult) support for Obama ("Hope and Change", "Yes, you can"), which, after his degeneration, pulled them to the "party discipline" trap of having to support him all-in in the invasion of Libya and, later, of Syria;

2) the very nature of the American economy and society, where everything is "pay to play", which eventually led to the cooptation of these journalists (where they weren't complete artificial creations) by the Democratic Party "establishment" (both the party machine itself and the billionaires who support it). That is, you can play the rebel and idealist journalist when you're young in the USA, but, eventually, when you reach the age of 30, 35, 40, 45, you have to start to earn money with the least physical effort;

3) a byproduct of #2, the fact that the USA is the land of astroturfism. Everything in the USA, grassroots or not, take a lot of money to be done. That makes the lure of astroturfism both inevitable and irresistible. They're both the contraries of a dialectical unity: grassroots attracts astroturf, which generates more grassroots and "pure" astroturfs (i.e. movements that are astroturf from day one). Also, because sponsorship is the only way of longevity in the USA, many grassroots movements eventually have to become at least a little bit astroturfist. The synthesis of this process is that the dominant form of movements in the USA is a hybrid of grassroots and astroturf - a process where only the USG and the capitalist elites win;

4) as a result of #2 and #3, but also as a result of the hegemony of the two-party system, this "new leftist journalists" have been all reinforcing the message the Democratic Party is the only viable path for an ultimate victory of socialism in the USA. That is, the GOP cannot be saved and any attempt at a third party is treated as a joke. The solution is to fall in line with the Democratic Party, whatever the cost (i.e. the Democratic Party is elevated to the status of the CPSU). This ends up reinforcing #1; it also explains the virulence and aggressiveness of these "new leftist" journalists towards the American Green Party and any proposal of the Left of founding a new party (e.g. a Democratic Socialist Party);*

5) even taking all of these previous factor into account, the timing of the rise of all these "new leftist journalists" was too well synchronized for the whole thing to have been entirely organic. They all can be traced back to the Invasion of Libya of 2011 (when the honeymoon with Obama was still on, it's true) and they all can be suspected to have been somewhat sponsored by some organization or institution connected with NATO and the USG. My bet is the CIA did what it knows to do best - create a center-left movement, narrative and consensus - in order to gather support for the annihilation of Libya among the Obama supporters and sympathizers. That may or may not have directly involved some NATO organization.

I also suspect that, if #5 was indeed the case, then I don't think there was a greater scheme by the CIA: it only wanted an immediate popular support for the destruction of Libya. It was probably an ad hoc operation that gained a life of its own. But then the American economy continued to deteriorate after a short-lived recovery from the 2008 meltdown, and Obama suddenly found himself in the need to destroy Syria. There go the "new leftist" journalists to do what they were created to do. The operation should be routine, except for two unexpected outcomes: a) the USA lost the war against Syria, and b) Obama (Hillary R. Clinton) lost the 2016 elections to Donald Trump.

That put the "new leftist journalists" - who were up to then still basking on the glories of the obliteration of Libya - in a very uncomfortable situation: the American people, after all, doesn't like losers. much less double-losers. In such dire situation (in a situation where they would lose at least four years of extra cash from hidden government sponsorship), doubling-down on Russiagate and the "Assad is a brutal dictator" was the logical outcome of the "new leftist journalism", who survive essentially through viewership, subscriptions and donations (without them, there's no USG hidden cash: propaganda has to reach the masses to be profitable).

Some intelligent American Ph.D. candidate must dedicate his/her next 10 years of life investigating and studying this hypothesis of mine. This is a very fascinating subject of scientific investigation - specially for American Contemporary History. I would read such thesis in a heartbeat if it ever came to fruition, as it touches how the American Empire operates at the micro level, i.e. how the average Joe in the Late Period of the American Empire thinks and lives. In History, the lives of the average people are the most valuable, as they are, statistically, the closest to the truth.

But there's more from which we can extract from this hypothesis of mine. We can put this hypothesis to the scientific test right now.

If my hypothesis is true, then we should expect a sudden surge of Sinophobia from these "new American leftist journalists", because the Democratic Party has returned to power (and, with it, more cash) and the line of "democratic centralism" will come back with a vengeance. We're already seeing some timid attempts of this: the sudden support of the Wuhan Lab leak theory and the sudden support of what they call "industrial nationalism" (which they condemned when Trump did it). Not to talk about the immediate hyping up of the "Uighur genocide" conspiracy theory.

--//--

@ Posted by: Down South | Jun 13 2021 13:03 utc | 1

Nah. I don't think there any "sinister plan".

It's simple, really: California is mainly a huge desert which was initially colonized because it was awash with gold (and, later, oil). It was never intended to be heavily populated. It just happened that it then became the most prosperous State of the most prosperous Empire in History.

It was just a matter of time before a natural catastrophe a la the extinction of the Aral Sea happened in California. You cannot fit an economy bigger than Brazil's in a relatively tiny desert.

Posted by: vk | Jun 13 2021 16:24 utc | 16

@ vk | Jun 13 2021 16:24 utc | 16...

People who think of themselves as "liberals or progressives" keep blaming the Republicans, while people who think of themselves as "conservatives" keep blaming the Democrats. Meanwhile none of them ever bother to look UP at the criminal financial SYNDICATE which just happens to own both parties, the media, the banks, the defense contractors, the oil companies, etc. Is it really so hard to see what's going on?

Let’s get real, there is only one "Party" in the U$A, the big Global Money Party. The U$A (Usury, Slavery, Armaments) is a RIGGED plantation.

“They've got a set of Republican waiters on one side and a set of Democratic waiters on the other side, but no matter which set of waiters brings you the dish, the legislative grub is all prepared in the same Wall Street kitchen."
– Huey Long

Who are the players and owners in the liberal sphere?

Posted by: Max | Jun 13 2021 16:42 utc | 17

So Japan is dumping Fukushima 'heavy water' into the ocean, while California dumps clean fresh water into the ocean to save some fish species, and change the agricultural landscape of the grasslands that feed the cattle that feed fast food franchises. So now the common people and agricultural interests and First Nations fight over well water and dammed water rights, as down-river salmon economies are decimated, and agricultural irrigation ditches are not allotted their annual allowance of river water.

But don't worry climate change isn't real. God is just holding back His tears before the flood.

Posted by: gottlieb | Jun 13 2021 16:52 utc | 18

@11 m,

Russia's peak was after the defeat of Napoleon's Grand Army at the start of the 1800s. Britain and France then focused on it as the main European enemy (with Napoleon finally defeated at Waterloo and Germany not yet unified) and destroyed its military during the Crimean War (1853-1856). The Japanese administered the coup de grace with the Russo-Japanese war (1904-1905) during which they destroyed the Russian fleet. The taking of Eastern Europe after WW2 was a defensive maneuver by Stalin, as any detailed reading of the correspondence and actions of the day would attest - for example, Stalin handed back Austria and allowed the US/UK a free hand in Greece, Italy and Western Europe when many were ripe for socialist/communist victories.

Russia is a weak shadow of the USSR and the Russian Empire, it has to accept the reality of its situation. Unfortunately it will take much longer for the US to do so.

Posted by: Roger | Jun 13 2021 17:15 utc | 19

"Obama (Hillary R. Clinton) lost the 2016 elections to Donald Trump." There is an old claim that hindsight is 20/20, but nonsense like this proves that wrong. Clinton won the vote, for a start. Given the thrust of the comment here presumes that it's the unpopularity of "Obama" that required new leftist journalism, the fact that she, not Trump, makes one wonder what the commenter could possibly be thinking. Trump won the rich people, who shoveled billions of free PR into his campaign in addition to the millions flooding his campaign (especially in the last days before the election.) Even worse of course, is misreading Clinton as Obama's preferred candidate. Biden was the Obama candidate, then too. Clinton was always an Obama rival, even when she was Secretary of State.

I propose that part of the confusion is the reactionary determination to dub anything that isn't militantly reactionary as left. I say that not one anti-Communist is left. And not one journalist who is convinced that Marxism is crank economics made up in a library by a self-interested vainglorious blowhard is left either, especially given they refuse to acknowledge how rotten libertarians (who really are crank economists who made up crap in a library so they could get jobs orating!) are. McCarthyism (a catch-all term, as it includes the Democratic Party purges conducted by Truman, of Wallace, a good example of a non-Communist who wasn't anti-Communist, by the way,) purged the left decades ago. All subsequent definitions of leftism in practice tend to be fake, trying to pretend there is an opposition based on fundamental principles. The belief that the market is everything is liberalism, and liberalism hasn't been left since it decided Robespierre was a monster.

Posted by: steven t johnson | Jun 13 2021 17:27 utc | 20

Posted by: Ike | Jun 13 2021 17:39 utc | 21

@1 Down South,

Some corrections for the Engdahl piece.
- Californian agriculture is not "traditional agriculture" it is modern mechanized agriculture, i.e. non-sustainable. Especially growing water thirsty crops in such an environment. Actual traditional agriculture can be sustainable over the long term.
- "Crazy COVID lockdowns" - but thats exactly how China beat COVID (they did a proper short and sharp lockdown).
- Climate change is real so get over it. The line about NOAA is an absolute and conscious lie.

There is a climate change exacerbated drought on top of normal variation (the twentieth century was the wettest period for California in many hundreds of years, so it many be simply returning to a more normal aridity exacerbated by climate change). Yes, we are saving water for some species to still exist rather than use that water to have some rich asshole grow almonds in a desert. Modern California (and much of the South West as a whole) is completely unsustainable, as is becoming incrementally apparent every year. Engdahl is just feeding the denial process. The US is the/one of the fattest nations in the world, with food prices half of what they were in the 1960s in real terms. Look at pictures of people in the 1960s, they were slim - even in "rat pack" looked damn good in their 40s and older. Food prices in Europe/UK are also pretty much double what they are in the US.

Posted by: Roger | Jun 13 2021 17:48 utc | 22

Who are the BACKERS and BANKERS of these nonsense concepts like liberalism, neoliberalism, socialism, capitalism, marxism... ? Before mentioning these concepts, please state their backers and bankers. Also, state who creates money in these concepts? All of them have a central bank?

Popper, Hayek, Friedman and Mises (founders of Mont Pèlerin Society & Neoliberalism) were all Statists, only their perfect state does not serve the collective, it only keeps the collective in check. Who are the backers & bankers of Mont Pèlerin Society & Neoliberalism? Who controls the money creation & supply in Neoliberalism?

It’s never too late to get real. The liability meter is on!

Posted by: Max | Jun 13 2021 17:53 utc | 23

migueljose @ 4

His concern about protecting the massive agribusiness elites in California loses me. I'm against getting food from "those people"

As someone who has been reading Engdahl for many years I can tell you the last person who will be defending “those people” is him.

He has documented extensively how the Rockefeller Family Foundation has been behind the push to consolidate agricultural production in the hands of a few Agri giants.

Engdahl wrote a book called Seeds of destruction:Hidden agenda of genetic manipulation which is reviewed by Stephen Lendman here:

Reviewing F. William Engdahl's "Seeds of Destruction" By Stephen Lendman

Another review of the book was done in the Tehran Times:

The hidden agenda of genetic manipulation

Engdahl is very much against “those people”

Posted by: Down South | Jun 13 2021 18:16 utc | 24

“California is mainly a huge desert.”

A commenter above said that with a straight face. The discussion is not helped by that sort of rubbish. Keep quiet when you are wholly ignorant.

Posted by: oldhippie | Jun 13 2021 18:21 utc | 25

Glenn Diesen op/ed provides further insight into the Biden/Putin Summit's dynamics with his title hinting at the content:

"By painting Russia as an enemy, Biden is now caught in a trap of his own making ahead of his crucial Geneva showdown with Putin."

The Chinese Embassy in London has slammed the G-7 through its spokesman:

"'We always believe that countries, big or small, strong or weak, poor or rich, are equals, and that world affairs should be handled through consultation by all countries. The days when global decisions were dictated by a small group of countries are long gone,' a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in London said on Saturday in response to the rhetoric coming from Cornwall.

"The embassy noted that the only legitimate global 'order' is based on UN-backed international law, and not the 'so-called system and order advocated by a handful of countries.' Beijing supports 'genuine multilateralism' based on the principles of equal treatment and cooperation, and rejects the 'pseudo-multilateralism' which only serves the interests of a 'small clique,' the spokesperson added."

I note a few questions posed to me on the previous thread, which I'll answer later today on that thread. I don't have the time at the moment. IMO, Diesen's essay provokes some additional thoughts about the Summit. It also seems that many writers are ignoring the fact that Biden will have a minder while Putin will perform solo, which I consider rather important.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 13 2021 18:22 utc | 26

@ Posted by: oldhippie | Jun 13 2021 18:21 utc | 25

Well, it is not a literal desert in the ecological meaning of the term, but, for economic analysis purposes (i.e. lack of water), it is.

There's a topographic map of California in Wikipedia page. Search it for yourself because I'm not your nanny.

By the way, it seems California is already dependent on water that should go to Nevada. In other words, thank God Nevada is an underdeveloped, underpopulated State, because, otherwise, there would be a serious water conflict between the two.

Posted by: vk | Jun 13 2021 18:32 utc | 27

The G-7 doc I linked to in #14 above had this against Russia (probably written in Washington -- in British English -- prior to the G-7).

51. We reiterate our interest in stable and predictable relations with Russia, and will continue to engage where there are areas of mutual interest. We reaffirm our call on Russia to stop its destabilising behaviour and malign activities, including its interference in other countries’ democratic systems, and to fulfil its international human rights obligations and commitments. In particular, we call on Russia to urgently investigate and credibly explain the use of a chemical weapon on its soil, to end its systematic crackdown on independent civil society and media, and to identify, disrupt, and hold to account those within its borders who conduct ransomware attacks, abuse virtual currency to launder ransoms, and other cybercrimes.

The Biden Geneva (June 16) plan is to slander Vladimir Putin with all those "facts" and let him know that Joe Biden has his number, by golly, and he (Putin) should change his ways or else. “The whole goal is to have [Putin] come away saying, ‘The Americans are onto us and have us encircled’” . . a senior Biden Administration official. . .TIME magazine, here

Posted by: Don Bacon | Jun 13 2021 19:00 utc | 28

Interesting speculation:

Jessica Ashooh: The Taming of Reddit and the National Security State Plant Tabbed to Do It

--//--

Why are Americans Forced to Believe in Extraterrestrial Civilizations?

Posted by: vk | Jun 13 2021 19:04 utc | 29

The usual definition of "desert" is less than ten inches annual precip.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Jun 13 2021 19:04 utc | 30

Mr. karlof1 | Jun 13 2021 18:22 utc | 26

UN is a remnant of an order that expired with USSR.

A new order among great powers has not yet been established.

I should think that there could be another conference in Tehran, called Tehran II, among China, Russia, and US to mark their respective redlines and spheres of influence.

Once an agreement has been achieved among those principals, secondary powers could be brought in: Iran, Pakistan, France, India, Brazil, Vietnam, Turkey, Indonesia.

The NUN (New United Nations) will be the successor to UN.

I think that is the only positive path forward for everyone on this planet: all these cyber wars, political wars, economic wars, propaganda wars have not altered the strategic situation for any of the above antagonists. Furthermore, the various types of wars initiated by the Western Alliance has actually diminished them strategically: lion killing an animal and the jackals eating it and getting stronger.

For much of the last 30 years, the Americans were not interested in a Tehran II type of forum. They were too full of Hubris to contemplate subjecting themselves into any kind of rule or regulation.

That might be changing as I recently saw an article by Mr. Richard Haas of CFR on this topic. Nevertheless I think Americans are at least a generation (20 years) away from seriously considering such a course of action.

Posted by: Fyi | Jun 13 2021 19:10 utc | 31

Mr. vk | Jun 13 2021 19:04 utc | 29

Stupid, I agree.

They want to destroy the Persianate Civilization - which is the only non-Western civilization extant that has its own separate distinct and living Philosophical Tradition, all the while pining to encounter a presumably extra-terrestrial civilization.

Posted by: Fyi | Jun 13 2021 19:18 utc | 32

the nihilism of the capitalist states is on full display. They have just given up on epidemiology. what's the point of even tracking the virus? Such information is only useful to the future, whose non-existence we have conceded, by not even trying to respond to the epidemic.

surprised?

I heard at church (on the radio, by accident) this morning, "...and you shall beat your swords into assault rifles!" All the people gulping down a mountain of dewy goodness waiting in their SUV's to get some mad cow at MickeyD's nodded and murmured in agreement as preacherman bible guy proceeded to praise the eternal glory of...the AK-47. "That's a great assault rifle..."

Marjorie Taylor Green's viperous brood didn't turn out quite as bright, blond and blue as she? so evolution is bullshit? "from my government job, I fully endorse economical survival of the fittest." i don't think she's even the tiniest atomic swerve the infinite void. I had a top US cytopathologist insist repeatedly to me personally that our problems are being caused by "demons." Listening, China?

is criticizing Netanyahu antisemitic? He is 100% certain that saying peep about him makes you Hitler. Is he wrong?

when the NYT calls for a nuke free Middle East, isn't that inherently anti-semitic? and doesn't a nuke free ME mean that the US would have to leave the Middle East? yeah, I don't think that's what the NYT editors mean.

btw, people that don't know "Everyone Poops" can't be trusted with a phosphorus match, much less nuclear energy in any form. "people" including every gov't in existence.

Posted by: rjb1.5 | Jun 13 2021 19:48 utc | 33

Everybody here must know by now, but, for purposes of documentation, I'll leave this here:

Naftali Bennett Becomes Israel's New Prime Minister, Ending Netanyahu's 12-Year Tenure

Nice war trophy for the Palestinian resistance. It's not every day that you achieve to get the scalp of an Israeli Prime Minister (even more a 12-year one).

Disastrous defeat by the IDF and the Mossad. I don't see Israel ever recovering from this. It will be only downhill from here for the Zionist State.

Posted by: vk | Jun 13 2021 19:55 utc | 34

'Follow the Science'?

"Although a great majority of ivermectin-based studies have indicated real promise, one particular study conducted by a small trial site in Colombia received unprecedented media attention when the study results indicated negligible impact. What hasn’t been disclosed by media is the seriously questionable pharmaceutical industry support of this one trial site. During the study, a handful of some of the largest drug companies in the world gave this site money ...

Merck expressed their intent on competing against the ivermectin generic approach. Why would this company be funding this small trial site operation in Colombia? ... How could JAMA even think about publishing an article sponsored by 5 drug companies centering on a study targeting a generic competitor? Any layperson seeing this could think that this was highly suspect ..."

Is there a Problem with the Lopez-Medina, Colombia-based Study Implicating Ivermectin? Major Pharma Companies Including Merck Funding the Trial Site during the Study Trial Site News

'Follow the Money'?

"Another brilliant corporate showcasing enterprising business prowess or yet another example of crony capitalism on display for the world to see? That’s the question many are asking as Merck continues to progress its agenda to finally monetize the pandemic with an experimental drug that’s been around for many years. The company just announced it secured a $1.2 billion public commitment for up to $1.7 million courses of its still experimental antiviral drug Molnupiravir to the United States government ... Merck, along with Roche, Pfizer, and a few others, continue their quest to capture what is a highly lucrative COVID-19 early-onset, mild-to-moderate symptom antiviral treatment market ..."

After $356M in Federal Funds in Dec, Merck Secures $1.2B Federal Commitment to Buy its Experimental Drug Upon Key Milestones Trial Site News

A new expensive antiviral, soon to get Emergency Use Approval (with only one out of Ivermectin's suspected five mechanisms of action) ....... like Remdesivir, value for money and soon to be standard of care for early treatment?

The Virus and the Parasite

Posted by: Hemiola | Jun 13 2021 19:58 utc | 35

"The Magnificent Seven"

@ karlof1 | Jun 13 2021 18:22 utc | 26
@ Don Bacon | Jun 13 2021 16:08 utc | 14

At the end of the movie [French titled "les 7 mercenaires"], Chris admits, "The Old Man was right. Only the farmers won. We lost. We'll always lose."

Ours [7] are far from magnificent, even beautiful, but there are many similarities.
They lie about everything and to everyone and first of all to themselves. They claim to defend the village but are guided only by their sole interest, to live as parasites of those who produce.
I don’t have the courage to read their entire statement, the summary on PressTv is enough for me. https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/06/13/658929/G7-leaders-China-BRI-project-infrastructure-

Our "Seven" are all fake! They don't fight to protect the village from supposed Villains, they are the parasites. They themselves do not believe in their propaganda, forced to go to 9 to represent 7 countries! To look richer and stronger, you have to count Europe several times! Ridiculous.

"This is not just about confronting or taking on China,” a senior official in the Biden administration said. “But until now we haven’t offered a positive alternative that reflects our values, our standards and our way of doing business.”

Perhaps this alternative is not a good one, a positive one? And your way of doing business just as Pompeo Finally Told The Truth: ‘We Lie, We Cheat, We Steal’....

Tectonic plates have been shifting for years. China, world champion, produces on its own as much as the next 4 together!

China’s manufacturing value-added output has been growing at a 12.8% average annual clip, according to Oxford Economics, compared with 1.9% growth in Japan, 1.8% in Germany, 1.4% in the US, and virtually no growth in the UK. China now accounts for 27% of global manufacturing value added—1.7 times more than the US, 2.8 times more than Japan, and 4.4 times more than Germany. (See Exhibit 1.)

https://www.bcg.com/publications/2018/china-next-leap-in-manufacturing

The small crunches emitted by countries like France, Italy or England are no longer significant. Even the US whose industrial statistics are spiked by useless, highly overvalued weapons production is dependent on China [and even Russia]
9

French quote: "le ridicule ne tue pas, pas encore " ... (Ridiculous doesn’t kill, not yet)

To compete with the belt and the road, the G7 estimates the world’s infrastructure needs at 40 trillion... And all seven together, they pledge to mobilize hundreds of billions. 1%!

... concrete actions to help meet the tremendous infrastructure need in low- and middle-income countries.”

The White House added that the G7 initiative would be similarly global in scope, estimating that more than $40 trillion was needed for building infrastructure in developing nations in a “values-driven, high-standard and transparent” partnership.

“B3W will collectively catalyze hundreds of billions of dollars of infrastructure investment for low- and middle-income countries in the coming years,”

"Magnificent two"

The three surviving gunmen ride out of town. As they stop atop a hill overlooking the village, Chico parts company with them, realizing he wants to stay with Petra. Chris and Vin bid farewell to the village elder, who tells them that only the villagers have really won, whereas the gunslingers are "like the wind, blowing over the land and passing on."

Posted by: Rêver | Jun 13 2021 20:31 utc | 36

@ Hemiola | Jun 13 2021 19:58 utc | 35 with more on the Covid scandal....thanks

This short of shit is why I think empire knows its back is to the wall and they have to destroy something/people to attempt to recapture their failing narrative.

I smell desperation in the EM bands and shudder to think what perversion awaits us from your Parasites

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jun 13 2021 20:37 utc | 37

"Magnificent two"

US and UK?
Japan will choose to stay with Petra [China]
European mercenaries are to be killed in the gunfight. [unfortunately they just came to the gunfight with some old fashioned Chivalry and confidence in the maritime allies

Posted by: Rêver | Jun 13 2021 20:39 utc | 38

@oldhippie.......

I agree with VK. I was born near the Central Valley in 1956 and have largely lived my life in the state. The person you are urging to stfu, calling them ignorant, and generally shaming them for breathing your rarified air, is quite right if the years of schooling I endured here are/were anything meaningful. Not that anything we're taught is true or reliable but some of this I tend to believe. So 86 me from the bar too, if you will.

One of the biggest wastages of water in the state are the old hippies illegally growing their dope. They and the cartels that have taken over the state parks.

Posted by: Paul Simon LeGree | Jun 13 2021 21:08 utc | 39

Mr. Paul Simon LeGree | Jun 13 2021 21:08 utc | 39

Same in Oregon except that they are growing their dope in US National Forests.

Liberals, what can I say.

Posted by: Fyi | Jun 13 2021 21:17 utc | 40

The West is exporting "water."
...from Hay & Forage Grower, a year ago....

Last week’s reported sales of 47,650 tons of alfalfa hay in Idaho included 46,000 tons that were contracts made by export buyers for 2019 crop alfalfa hay. Prices paid were about $15 per ton higher than early contacts last year. Two weeks ago, there were new crop contracts for the season reported in Nevada with the most sales on “clean and green” Fair to Good export alfalfa hay at $170 FOB (freight on board) stack. In Arizona and the California’s Imperial Valley, export buyers outbid many dairy hay buyers for current production of alfalfa hay. Supreme export alfalfa hay big bales traded steady to $5 higher in the Imperial Valley and prices were out of reach for most dairy hay buyers.
The majority of Supreme alfalfa hay big bales for export were destined for Saudi Arabia and China. In order to compete for current alfalfa hay in Imperial Valley (CA), dairy hay buyers from Central California were having to buy Premium quality or below, hay with faults, or small bales.

The growers have learned how to compress the bales, and the freight cost in otherwise empty containers going back to China is almost nothing. The Imperial Valley crop production (which includes some people food too) is entirely dependent upon Colorado River water. The average annual flow of the Colorado River has decreased 19 percent compared to its 20th century average. Models predict that by 2100, the river flow could fall as much as 55 percent.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Jun 13 2021 21:30 utc | 41

@ 39

Yes, Central Valley is dry and is wholly dependent on irrigation. You and vk may look at any rainfall map of California and see who is right. Enter ‘California rainfall map’ in the search bar and see what comes up.

But you won’t. Neither will vk as he has infinite levels of analysis to prove that he is infallible.

Posted by: oldhippie | Jun 13 2021 21:37 utc | 42

Looking back at my comments (14 & 28) on the upcoming Biden/Putin show, Putin has the advantage. He knows what Biden's attack will be, and he has various options dealing with it.
>Vlad could take the high road: "Oh come on, Joe, you know that's all fabricated poppycock. Let's get serious and talk nuclear weapons . . ."
>Or, throw some dirt back, there's plenty of it on Biden going back years.
>Also Putin could mix it up and try to confuse Biden, not difficult to do. Throw him three complex questions, e.g.
>Body language is important. Putin is shorter but he knows moves.
Yes, politics can be entertaining.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Jun 13 2021 21:41 utc | 43

The southern half of California is entirely desert and semi-arid. The northern half has temperate rain forests along the coast, but is dryer towards the interior. With climate change, the desert and semi-arid has been pushing north fairly rapidly, and that is what is causing the water issues in the Klamath Basin.

California has way to many people and water intensive agriculture for the amount of rain it gets. On top of that, the citizens of California tend to be very wasteful with water. Millions of swimming pools, golf courses and green lawns in the middle of a desert! It is a disaster waiting to happen. I've lived in the region since 1994, and the change in weather patterns has been very noticeable.

I do grow my own pot, just a few plants, along with a full vegetable garden and fruit trees. All of that can be done with frugal water use, but that takes some effort and education.

Posted by: Jason | Jun 13 2021 21:51 utc | 44

Max @ 17 posted;

"Let’s get real, there is only one "Party" in the U$A, the big Global Money Party. The U$A (Usury, Slavery, Armaments) is a RIGGED plantation.

“They've got a set of Republican waiters on one side and a set of Democratic waiters on the other side, but no matter which set of waiters brings you the dish, the legislative grub is all prepared in the same Wall Street kitchen."
– Huey Long

Correct Max, and until those truths are mitigated, NOTHING changes.

Posted by: vetinLA | Jun 13 2021 21:53 utc | 45

Roger #22

Thank you for your clarity. I read that spite from Engdahl as his dummy spit against environmental advocates and those that care for life. He totally ignores the mechanised, extractive agriculture that arose from putting a dam on every wild river. A good read is Cadillac Desert -the American West and its disappearing water, by Marc Reisner (1986).

Engdahl totally ignores the cyclic incidence of atmospheric rivers and their considerable impact on the rain cycles in California as it doesn't fit his green bashing agenda. Farming in California is almost an oxymoron were it not for the dams and irrigation systems and yet they are entirely captive to the 200+ year cycles of the atmospheric rivers. Barflies can goto your favorite utoobe or rumble etc and search "atmospheric rivers" and will find short and long discussions. Engdahl obviously could not be bothered to know.

Engdahl is a bigot.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jun 13 2021 22:07 utc | 46

Agree, Cadillac Desert is a must read.

Posted by: Duncan Idaho | Jun 13 2021 22:23 utc | 47

@ vetinLA 45
Yes, Ralph Nader called the two parties Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Nader had some different positions from both that actually made sense.
Which brings up my (sorry) repeated opinion that "democracy" doesn't exist, though the US talking heads keep repeating that it somehow applies to the US. It doesn't. (Probably many of them intentionally confuse elections with democracy.)

Posted by: Don Bacon | Jun 13 2021 22:38 utc | 48

Another supposed suicide of a person who published rich dirt about the Clintons.

////

I doubt if many barflies are aware that prior to invasion by the Spanish, what's now California had a massive wetlands that the Spanish named Tulare and that some of it still remains today. Oh, and it's legal to grow pot here in Oregon, so the troll hasn't a clue about any of that, same with the one saying he lived in California, as the growers in the Northern part of the state utilized the dry farming method and have zip, zero, nada to do with the drought and the massive water problems its causing. Another excellent book on California's water issues besides Cadillac Desert is Norris Hundley's 1992 The Great Thirst: Californians and Water: A History, (I own the 2001 revised edition). There's a huge crisis as Lake Mead is at its lowest point since it was filled in the 1930s. Check out the current US Drought Monitor and run it back over several years to see the current drought is indeed of an outstanding duration and severity for the modern period. And it's not that nobody made loud warnings not to develop the arid Southwest--its premier explorer John Wesley Powell said precisely that to Congress on many occasions but just as today the money talked louder. I've suggested reading Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West on several previous occasions as it reveals a history seldom mentioned in today's textbooks. And as a note of personal expertise, one of my university thesis projects was centered on the Central Arizona Project; one of my sources was quite aptly titled How to Create a Water Crisis--grow cotton and alfalfa in a desert when you have no need to do so.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 13 2021 22:54 utc | 49

https://www.rt.com/usa/526480-biden-dementia-syria-libya/

I have lost faith in much conspiracy theories about how the US is governed. If there was any competent conspiracy in charge, they never would have risked embarrassment by electing Biden.

There are plenty of amoral politicians who have no souls - that they could have promoted. Hillary, Kamala, various Senators. Instead the string pullers elected a doddering old man as Leader Of The "Free" World.

Posted by: Eighthman | Jun 13 2021 23:00 utc | 50

Barflies might help. I am tired of the narrow minded approach to China bashing over the Wuhan Institute and we need a solid refutation or at least comparison.

I have been uselessly trying to find reports on exactly which USA universities received funding from the Fauci gangsters to do gain of function research. I guess the University of Minnesota (2010 paper) and University of North Carolina (2015 paper) would be on that list. But there must be many more. I know there is one in Italy in proximity to that Covid outbreak.

Equally a table of every university, pharma and military BSL 3 and 4 lab in the USA would be very helpful. I guess there are at least a hundred.

My point is that many in the USA were into this line of 'research' and grant hustling and once we can know the number then we can consider the mathematical probability of accidental release of pathogens. That is what epidemiologists do all the time and I suspect there will be a paper or two on that subject as well.

It is a worthy topic and thanks in advance.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jun 13 2021 23:01 utc | 51

Don Bacon @ 48
George Wallace beat Ralph to that - apt - comparison by many years. Not trying to claim that George was righteous, just right in that case.

Posted by: PAUL SPENCER | Jun 13 2021 23:05 utc | 52

karlof1 #49

Thanks for those references. I loved your closing comment "one of my sources was quite aptly titled How to Create a Water Crisis--grow cotton and alfalfa in a desert when you have no need to do so". Exactly that.

The USA exports oranges and grapes across the planet. In Australia they were (pre covid) available at lower price than local oranges. Likely they were flown in as low cost air freight pre covid. That is the supreme folly of subsidised trade that results in precious California water being exported around the world disguised as fruit. Capitalism at this level is gross in its squander.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jun 13 2021 23:10 utc | 53

uncle tungsten @46--

We enjoyed about 2 inches of needed rain over the past 36 hours thanks to a rare June atmospheric river that flowed up from about Cape Mendocino north to the Olympics in Washington. I grew up in Davis, CA watching the California Aqueduct project get constructed and farmed with my dad--a Green Revolution agronomist at UC Davis--from Redding to the Imperial Valley--all of it irrigated. My grandparents on both sides of the family were citrus ranchers in what's now called the Inland Empire in Southern California's San Bernardino County. Many dams were multipurpose--flood control, drinking water reservoir, recreation, irrigation. When we recently traveled through California on our vacation, we passed Mt. Shasta and the state's largest reservoir Lake Shasta, and it was at the lowest level I've ever seen it in my life--barely 50% full.

Some people somehow got the notion that rain is a bad thing--the days must be sunny constantly, but then turn around and buy bottled water because they don't trust what runs from their tap--although in too many places here within the Outlaw US Empire that's a valid fear; and this nation's supposedly technically advanced and highly developed. Bah!!

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 13 2021 23:13 utc | 54

Bruised Northerner @ 12
Organic Consumers Association is generally correct in their analysis, but they don't know how to focus on the major and more salient points. The CAFOs and the commodity producers who rely on glyphosate and petroleum products, who foul the water that they steal from their neighbors, that shoot hormones and antibiotics into the livestock are their and our enemies.
A hydroponics greenhouse that relies on organic-agriculture procedures and systems is highly productive and produces healthy and healthful produce without wasting energy or resources. Not saying that such a greenhouse provides all of the flavor and all of the nutrients that my organic garden does, but it turns over massively more product with much less water loss in a closed system.

Posted by: PAUL SPENCER | Jun 13 2021 23:22 utc | 55

Thanks to Karlofi for poking a hole in the beliefs arrogantly entitled Americans who insist that they have an absolute right to put 10s of millions of people into a desert and have the government supply them with enough water to grow lawns, fill their swimming pools and grow alfalfa and rice in the desert.
The hell with the fish, the treaty with Mexico and the spawning grounds of whales in the gulf.
Americans are entitled to having the government supply unlimited water no matter if there is a drought! What is these limits you speak of? Everyone knows that if you dream it, you can be it, and that works for water also. There is no such thing as reality.

Posted by: wagelaborer | Jun 13 2021 23:39 utc | 56

@ karlof1
Arizona was not named thus for no reason. The Anasazi figured that out some centuries ago. Cotton is there, because it's leached most of the soil nutrients from its former major ranges - Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, then east Texas, then west Texas. AZ will be 'washed up' soon.
And I remember northern CA in 1963 - Shasta Lake (reservoir if you must) was full, the Sierras were green all of the way to the Siskyous, and the Pacific coast was lush almost to Santa Barbara. Yes, climate change is real, but human activity is significant in the feedback loop.
150 years ago there was the Empire of the Summer Moon from the southern half of Alberta to the eastern edge of New Mexico, from the Rockies almost to the Mississippi River. Early farmer/ranchers could dig their well and hit water at 30'. Now water tables are 400' and lower. Texas in particular - due to its Permian Basin geology - had shallow oil/gas deposits and almost pure Sulfur concentrations. When the 'gusher' pressure was lost, the drillers pumped water up, heated it, and pumped it back down to lift the petroleum to the surface. Turned out that this system worked to float elemental S, too, as it melts near the boiling point of water under pressure.

Posted by: PAUL SPENCER | Jun 13 2021 23:46 utc | 57

Merle Haggard sang it.....
California cotton fields
Where labor camps were filled with weary men with broken dreams
California cotton fields
As close to wealth as daddy ever came

Posted by: Don Bacon | Jun 13 2021 23:47 utc | 58

Peru?

Posted by: Lozion | Jun 13 2021 23:53 utc | 59

vk (post 16) responds to Aaron Mate's take and considers this New Left collaboration with imperialism going back to the attack on Libya. I'm not taking issue with the analysis of that subject that vk offers, but the lefty media's imperialism for me goes back to the mid-to-late nineties and its complicity and shrill support for the destruction of Yugoslavia.

I've seen many shocked by the Syria playboook this decade, as if it was something new, but for me it was a re-hash of the Yugoslavia model, albeit with different characteristics. Evil Dictator(TM). Human Rights. Killing Own People. Liberal Outrage. Must Do Something.

Fake left and gullible journalists who earnestly believe that the designated Evil Dictator Of The Day is Literally Hitler have been falling over themselves generating copy to promote the imperialist wars for 25 years now. Sadly their up-and-coming understudies have plenty of examples to understand the template of success.

Posted by: Ash Naz | Jun 13 2021 23:54 utc | 60

Actually make that nearly 30 years.

Posted by: Ash Naz | Jun 13 2021 23:57 utc | 61

Does anyone wonder why the US ruling class would throw demented Ol' Grope and Sniff Biden into a meeting with the sharpest world leader on the planet today?
Would a well-timed bomb that took both of them out, to be blamed on China or Iran, be the plan? That would elevate Harris in the US, ramp up the war propaganda, and leave Russia with ??? (I don't know who would be next, but I'm guessing they don't have someone on the level of Putin available).
Or do they have something else planned? I ran across a lecture by a researcher explaining to young military trainees about the US abilities to use drugs to alter the minds of their targets. (He also talks about implants, but that would be difficult to do to Putin, I'm thinking)
https://mwi.usma.edu/mwi-video-brain-battlefield-future-dr-james-giordano/?fbclid=IwAR3oG4gpSzFAh2VFDaXo2yN3pDI7eDt5NQDWmH2U6dp5B5QbgVzgV1Kjnzk

Posted by: wagelaborer | Jun 13 2021 23:59 utc | 62

Re: vk's posts. Just for the record one of the reasons I come to MoA, especially on the open threads, is for vk's posts and commentary. They are intelligent, erudite and historically precise. Marxist analysis is methodologically excellent regardless of one's politics. vk adheres to this, writes lucidly and keeps it short and to the point. It's a valuable perspective, so thanks to b and vk.

Posted by: Patroklos | Jun 14 2021 0:03 utc | 63

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzCW2bZlEFs

Tariq Ali has a good half hour monologue on RT about Europe, the mid East, Palestine, Russia, China. His comments on South America were most unique and surprised me. If you scroll to 25 min. He says that the imperial forces were happy with Bolsonaro but now the British and German ambassadors met with Lula and told him they would support him. However, he also asserts that Lula will strengthen ties with russia and China if elected and believes the "pink tide" will continue to strengthen in Latin America.

Posted by: migueljose | Jun 14 2021 0:25 utc | 64

- Bitcoin Fall Has Strategists Eyeing Possible Drop to $20,000 - Bloomberg
- What you need to know about El Salvador’s plan to use volcano-powered bitcoin as legal tender - WaPo / MSN

Ouch... reaching the bottom of the barrel

Posted by: Tobin Paz | Jun 14 2021 0:31 utc | 65

China is socialist. You like it or not:

China sticking to socialist market economy with strong governance capability: senior official

China has implemented and is consistent in sticking to developing the socialist market economy system despite that some countries do not recognize China’s market economy status, a senior Chinese official said Friday.

The market economy is mainly reflected in what role the market plays in the allocation of resources, and the economy is based on independent decision-making, investment and management decisions made by market entities although the government sector has a strong governance capacity, Ning Jizhe, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s top economic planner, said at a the “Ambassadors Face to Face with the NDRC” event on Friday in response to an ambassador’s question over the nature of China’s market economy.

[...]

Ning believed that more countries and regions will learn and understand the substantive characteristics of China’s market economy and cooperate with China to jointly promote the development of global economy.

--//--

@ Posted by: Ash Naz | Jun 13 2021 23:54 utc | 60

Yes. But I was talking exclusively on this new generation of American Leftist journalists (TYT, Nomiki Konst, Majority Report etc.), not its past iterations. This new generation is different from its predecessors for the fact that they're the first one that openly declares being socialist (even though they're mostly talking about Democratic Socialism, not the real deal, but they're using the word nonetheless).

It is self-evident this new generation was born out of the 2008 financial crisis. It's also self-evident that they were born from the enthusiasm of Obama's first election (which happened less than two months later, so everything is connected). Also self-evident that, after the honeymoon with Obama was over (at the very end of his second term), they found a continuation to their reason of being by jumping on the Bernie Sanders bandwagon. All of this is true and obvious.

My hypothesis is more specific than all of that. I suspect some NGOs/organizations linked to either the CIA, NATO or both or more than both did some kind of cooptation operation of at least some of them (with cash, career opportunities etc.) in order to build a pro-invasion of Libya narrative sometime around 2010-2011. This operation was a success, and gained a life and longevity of its own (which allowed them to survive the humiliating defeats in Syria and in the 2016 elections). It has built a new leftist journalism market, which must by now have reached its peak.

As a result, there must be some kind of cannibalization process going on in this heavily saturated market (remember: leftists have less cash to donate than rightists, who can simply hop on a team of millionaires and billionaires' gravy train). Aaron Maté mentions the audience of TYT is shrinking.

Also, there's at least a huge coincidence here: many of these popular leftist journalists are either from Brooklyn-NY or Los Angeles. Sure, it is expected that socialism to be stronger in the cities, but it also raises the question of competition for market share: there are only so many leftist audience with cash enough to spare for these journalists, and they're geographically isolated in a few points of prosperity (Brooklyn, Los Angeles). Competition for this small but valuable public (i.e. rich leftists) must be enormous. Having a monopoly over Brooklyn socialists' public opinion or Los Angeles' must not only ensure enormous power, but also generous material prosperity, which could be the only ticket out of the grip of the USG (Washington D.C.).

Note that I'm not accusing those new leftist journalists of being dishonest or necessarily having a hidden agenda (they may have, but that's immaterial to this hypothesis). It's just that that's the objective situation of the modern-day journalism graduate in the USA that wants to follow a leftist line of opinion and investigation: they have to earn money while doing God's work, otherwise they'll shrink and die without nobody ever knowing they ever existed. The USA, after all, is the ultimate pay-to-play nation: everything there costs money. The CIA-NATO simply gave them the taste of the thing - and the false hope they could do it.

Posted by: vk | Jun 14 2021 0:35 utc | 66

ut @ 51; You might want to research Dr. Francis Boyle...

Posted by: vetinLA | Jun 14 2021 0:38 utc | 67

Greetings.

What is the order of succession in the RF if the president is killed?

How did the RF steer around the fact Sputnik V vaccinations are not recognised by Switzerland? Therefore the Russian press vaccinated with Sputnik V would not be granted permission to enter Switzerland.

regards

Posted by: CarlD | Jun 13 2021 22:36 utc | 136

Posted by: CarlD | Jun 14 2021 1:06 utc | 68

ut @ 51; Here's another interesting read;

https://prospect.org/coronavirus/did-the-military-world-games-spread-covid-19/

Posted by: vetinLA | Jun 14 2021 1:10 utc | 69

The world is woke to Western posturing and global white privilege.
By South China Morning Post

Jun 14, 2021
"The West’s disingenuous position on Israel and its coordinated attacks on China have blown the cover of the liberal narratives it uses to hide a postcolonial, imperialist agenda."

https://johnmenadue.com/the-world-is-woke-to-western-posturing-and-global-white-privilege/

"A tipping point has been reached, even if it has hardly been discussed within societies and by political leaders. Across the non-Western world, there is growing awareness and rejection of the hypocrisy, insincerity and insecurity embedded in the Western world with regard to its relations with the global majority."

Posted by: Paul | Jun 14 2021 1:16 utc | 70

So Joe is earmarked for eventual disposal. Whatever they paint him with just before he shakes hands with Putin is designed to do them both in. Geiger counters and chemical sensors would be in my bag to Switzerland.

Posted by: Jezabeel | Jun 14 2021 1:21 utc | 71

@ 70; What the world isn't "woke" to, is the fact, that, it's the same old battle between the classes, working and owners, plus, pro and anti-democracy.

Posted by: vetinLA | Jun 14 2021 1:42 utc | 72

Mr. PAUL SPENCER | Jun 13 2021 23:46 utc | 57

The late Naser Khosrow of Ghobadian, related how out of the fear of monkeys stealing their gear, the travellers had to stay up all night. The location was

Posted by: Fyi | Jun 14 2021 1:45 utc | 73

Mr. PAUL SPENCER | Jun 13 2021 23:46 utc | 57

The late Naser Khosrow of Ghobadian, related how out of the fear of monkeys stealing their gear, the travellers had to stay up all night. The location was a day's march outside of Shiraz, the date, early 11-th century of the Christian era.

None of that exists now as trees were chopped down and the forest extinguished.

The observation regarding water wells equally applies to contemporary Iran. The population's greed and spineless government oversight has caused massive depletion of the water tables as well as sinking of the ground surface in many places.

Man's appetites can never be satiated until the substance of Man's own life is destroyed to be consumed. God created a beautiful planet, despair as to what Mankind, primitive, or civilized, or industrialized, has done to it.

Posted by: Fyi | Jun 14 2021 1:54 utc | 74

from TOLO News, Afghanistan, a look into the future..
MoI Arrests Mediators Helping Hand Over ANDSF Outposts to Taliban

Elders--or others--who act as mediators to negotiate between government forces and the Taliban-- causing security force members to abandon their posts--have been arrested, the Ministry of Interior Affairs (MoI) said on Sunday. The ministry reiterated that cooperation with “terrorists” is unacceptable.
Many districts have recently fallen to the Taliban or have been evacuated after being under siege. Sources confirmed the fall of at least 20 districts' centers to the Taliban in the last two months.
Over the last 24 hours, security forces evacuated Saghar district in Ghor, Arghandab district in Zabul and Posht Rod and Lash districts in Farah, bringing the total to 23.
Security agencies said that government forces have either shifted the centers of the districts or they have made tactical retreats. The Taliban has claimed to have captured these districts. . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | Jun 14 2021 2:26 utc | 75

A more than 1000000 motorcade supporting Presidente Bolsonaro in 3 big cities: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia. Where is Lula's motorcade? There is no one. Lula spent his life drinking.

Posted by: Roberto | Jun 14 2021 2:39 utc | 76

Why do both modern Russia and China treat the USSR as if it has fallen down by itself?

This has always confused me, because the USSR didn't simply fall because of internal issues, but due to the fact it is isolated worldwide.

Posted by: Smith | Jun 14 2021 3:04 utc | 77

@ vk

"Socialist market" economy. Comrade Stalin would be rolling in his grave.

I think this is right up there with the "billionaire Marxist".

Posted by: Smith | Jun 14 2021 3:13 utc | 78

vetinLA

Thank you. That will keep me out of the pub for a few hours ;)

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jun 14 2021 3:31 utc | 79

On the lighter side, der Failüre is told about China's Mars rover.

https://youtu.be/_HIJODQdlB4

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Jun 14 2021 4:09 utc | 80

julianias post that others would benefit from watching.. 3 hours.. i know.. it is long.. thanks again juliania..

How to save the world, in three easy steps.

Dr. Robert Malone is the inventor of mRNA Vaccine technology.
Mr. Steve Kirsch is a serial entrepreneur who has been researching adverse reactions to COVID vaccines.
Dr. Bret Weinstein is an evolutionary biologist.
Bret talks to Robert and Steve about the pandemic, treatment and the COVID vaccines.

Posted by: james | Jun 14 2021 4:11 utc | 81

Below is a Xinhuanet posting about the results of the G7 meeting and they are not kind

"
FALMOUTH, Britain, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The Group of Seven (G7) on Sunday wrapped up its first in-person summit in almost two years against the backdrop of protesters taking to the streets and beaches and accusing the world's richest countries of making "empty promises."

Critics said the three-day gathering, held in Britain's southwestern resort of Carbis Bay in Cornwall, is a "historic missed opportunity" as it only threw up more questions than answers to some of the world's thorniest issues.

With various agendas and interests, the sense of unity that the rich club is trying to hype up remains elusive.

HISTORIC MISSED OPPORTUNITY

In a joint communique issued after the summit, the G7 leaders belatedly pledged to provide 1 billion doses of coronavirus vaccine to the less developed countries over the next year.

While the gesture is seen as a step in the right direction, campaigners and critics feel it lacks ambition and is far too slow as it was not enough to cover the needs of these countries.

"We need more than that," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said of the G7 plan. "We need a global vaccination plan. We need to act with a logic, with a sense of urgency, and with the priorities of a war economy, and we are still far from getting that."

The World Health Organization estimates that at least 11 billion doses are needed to stand a chance of beating the COVID-19. Countries like Britain, Canada and the United States have ordered enough doses of vaccines to immunize their entire populations multiple times over.

Commenting on the shortfall in vaccines, former UK prime minister Gordon Brown said the summit would "go down as a missed opportunity", and "an unforgivable moral failure" when the world's richest countries didn't come up with a comprehensive plan to deliver vaccination by the middle of next year.

The leaders also agreed to take measures to speed up economic recovery after the pandemic by investing in infrastructure and driving innovation, and to secure future prosperity by championing freer and fairer trade.

On climate change, the G7 leaders agreed to adopt strict measures on coal-fired power stations and reaffirmed to raise 100 billion U.S. dollars a year to help the less developed countries cut emissions.

The plan, with an apparent lack of binding agreements and timetables, has drawn strong criticism.

According to Teresa Anderson from Action Aid, an international charity, the pledges by the G7 didn't come close to addressing the urgency and scale of the crisis.

"Rich countries have so far failed to deliver on climate finance pledges. The majority of what has been provided so far has been in the form of loans, which are pushing vulnerable countries further into debt and poverty," she said.

Kirsty McNeill from Crack the Crises, a coalition of charities and NGOs, believed that the G7 summit was a "historic missed opportunity" on COVID-19 and climate change.

Leaders arrived "with good intentions but without their cheque books," she noted.

IN THE NAME OF "RULES-BASED SYSTEM"

Unsurprisingly, on China, the G7 joint communique did not fail to mention issues such as Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan and East and South China Seas, in the name of "upholding the rules-based international system and international law," despite pledging to cooperate with China to tackle "shared global challenges" like climate change and biodiversity loss.

In an earlier statement, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Britain said: "The days when global decisions were dictated by a small group of countries are long gone. There is only one system and one order in the world, that is, the international system with the United Nations at the core and the international order based on international law, not the so-called system and order advocated by a handful of countries."

"There is only one kind of multilateralism, that is, the genuine multilateralism based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, and featuring equal treatment, cooperation and mutual benefits, not pseudo-multilateralism serving the interests of a small clique or political bloc," the spokesperson added.

During the summit, the G7 leaders also adopted the U.S.-backed Build Back Better World (B3W) plan to support lower- and middle-income countries in building better infrastructure, which is deemed by many as an attempt to rival the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

In an earlier report, the London-based Financial Times (FT) stated that on his first overseas visit, U.S. President Joe Biden may try to "coax a wary Europe to work more closely with Washington on China," among his priorities.

Martin Jacques, a senior fellow at Cambridge University, said it's not surprising that the "greatly diminished" G7 took a very negative view about China, "because it's only defensive and it's kind of embattled."

The G7 would be making a "mistake" if they seek to exclude or contain China in the face of global challenges, he told Xinhua. "I think it's a mistake for the G7 to do what they did. They should be seeking ways of developing cooperation with China, not thinking to contain or rebuff China."

INTERNAL DIVISIONS

Despite a seemingly unified image and claims that "America is back", issues such as NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) defense budget, Airbus-Boeing dispute, and more recently, Northern Ireland in the context of Brexit, have threatened to divide the Western allies.

Notably, doubts still remain among the Europeans as to how sincere the United States is to cooperate with Europe on international issues after four tumultuous years of the Donald Trump administration.

"Beneath the likely statements of unity, Biden will have to deal with an awkward reality... It (Europe) has different economic and strategic priorities from the U.S. and there is a constant risk of those divisions breaking into the open," the FT reported.

Some EU leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, are wary of Cold War-style rhetoric aimed at China and some do not like the term "adversary", which is often used by Washington when referring to Beijing, according to the FT.

"I think there's a certain amount of weariness (in Europe) after four years of Trump and four years of pushback against the Transatlantic Alliance, NATO and, and so forth," Rajneesh Narula, an expert of international relations at University of Reading, told Xinhua.

The British expert believes that Biden, who has not reverted everything Trump has done, is still advocating "America First", just without saying it aloud.

"Biden hasn't shown the intention of reverting everything Trump has done. He understands that there are enough people voting in America who care about the 'America First' agenda. So he is saying America first but without using those words," Narula said.

Julian Mueller-Kaler, a researcher at the Berlin-based thinktank German Council on Foreign Relations, also agreed that Europe would be "very cautious" when dealing with transatlantic relations.

"A lot of Europeans will be very cautious when it comes to this renewal of transatlantic relations," he said.

"So I think it will be a challenge for Biden and the European leaders to come up with concrete policy proposals instead of just good and empty words," he added.
"

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jun 14 2021 4:48 utc | 82

Dr Francis Boyle has this to say on submitting to or providing an experimental vaccine:-

“By authority of the Nuremberg Code on Medical Experimentation, I do hereby exercise my right to refuse to submit to or to administer the Covid-19 vaccine. The United States Government has prosecuted, convicted and executed Medical Doctors who have violated the Nuremberg Code on Medical Experimentation. Aiders and abettors of the Nuremberg Crimes are equally guilty and have also been prosecuted, convicted and executed.”

Plus he backs up his proposition with his lifetime experience. (30min vid)

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jun 14 2021 5:05 utc | 83

Mao Zedong visits Moscow (1957)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKRLscOzhsA

Posted by: Mao | Jun 14 2021 5:55 utc | 84

The municipal authorities in Poland’s second-largest city have called for an end to the sale of so-called “lucky Jew” figurines and paintings, which depict Orthodox Jews with stereotypically antisemitic facial features counting gold coins.

“These figurines are antisemitic, and it’s time for us to realize that,” Robert Piaskowski — the cultural representative of Krakow’s mayor, Jacek Majchrowski — declared on Thursday.

https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/06/10/polish-city-of-krakow-announces-crackdown-on-antisemitic-lucky-jew-figurines/

Posted by: Mao | Jun 14 2021 6:00 utc | 85

A Chinese cartoonist’s political satire, which mocked the Group of Seven (G7) members that attempt to suppress China, went viral on Chinese social media on Sunday, when the G7 summit was underway in Cornwall, the UK.

Titled The Last G7, the illustration, published by its author “Bantonglaoatang” on Sina Weibo on Saturday, was painted based on the renowned religious mural The Last Supper. This G7 summit is widely seen as an attempt by the US to rally allies against China.

Similar to the final meal Jesus shared with his apostles before his crucifixion that The Last Supper depicted, Bantonglaoatang painted a vivid picture of nine animals – respectively representing the US, the UK, Italy, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Australia and India – sitting around a table with a Chinese-map-shaped cake on it. On top of the painting is the words in quote: Through this we can still rule the world.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2021/2021-06-12/31b29f13-064a-4e4e-93e3-16ecbff66995.jpeg

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202106/1226050.shtml

Posted by: Mao | Jun 14 2021 6:11 utc | 86

Donbass Lives Matter | 2

"If you want to know what's really going on, a good approach is to read the mainstream media and ask yourself, "Why do they want us to believe this?""

Very sensible approach, yes. So why did western msm in a united front frantically wrote article after article, claiming the pandemic came upon us in the most natural way? Given that this is both impossible to know and pretty unlikely to occur? You've followed the undoing of the now infamous Lancet letter, right?

"The WHO already gave its verdict, but that's no problem--it will change its tune after some well-placed bribes and threats to key members."

The WHO gave exactly the verdict that Peter Daszak, crook of all crooks, and the interested parties he represents, wanted it to give. No bribes needed, as the WHO is already corrupted beyond recognition.

Posted by: Scotch Bingeington | Jun 14 2021 6:39 utc | 87

Mao #86

Where be Judas? The rooster perhaps?

Loved the Mao in Moscow. Thank you for your posts.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jun 14 2021 6:40 utc | 88

Fine words will accompany the G7 summit this week. Much will be promised. And little will be delivered. It has long been like this. The G7 is no longer fit for purpose. Comprising the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Japan, in the 1970s the G7 was the overlord of the global economy. Today, the G7 is but a pale shadow of what it once was, reduced to the role of a declining faction within the global economy. It still talks in grandiose terms about its intentions, but the world has learnt to discount them. It is entirely appropriate that this week's summit will be chaired by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a grandmaster of verbal exaggeration and empty gestures.

The role and importance of the G7 has been greatly diminished by the rise of the developing world. The latter now accounts for almost two-thirds of the global economy compared with one-third by the West: in the 1970s, it was exactly the opposite, the West enjoying a two-third share and the developing world just one-third. The most dramatic illustration of the G7's waning authority came in 2008 when, at the height of the financial crisis, it was effectively displaced by the more representative G20.

Ever since, the G7 has increasingly become an institution in search of a role.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202106/1225664.shtml

Posted by: Mao | Jun 14 2021 7:38 utc | 89

The gibbering globetrotting genocidal Gujarati gangster government of Narendrabhai Damodardasbhai Modi has quietly blocked Global Times. I have to use a VPN to access it.

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Jun 14 2021 7:49 utc | 90

Must watch
https://youtu.be/-_NNTVJzqtY
from 1h to 1h15
to get an idea why the rest should we watched
the guy on the right is a bit hyper but he cannot help it, obviously

Posted by: Mina | Jun 14 2021 7:53 utc | 91

And some confirmation of inefficacy
https://youtu.be/UUcY1qdywTc

While in Europe, it took only the reopening of bars and a g7 to see all the figures plunge and our hospitals back to normalcy (the latest part must be said with a grin, in fact they are asking staff not to take summer holidays)

Posted by: Mina | Jun 14 2021 7:55 utc | 92

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on June 9, 2021
...
CRI: Recently, British scholar Martin Jacques said that the Communist Party of China (CPC) over the past century "has arguably been the world's most successful political party ... the CPC's extraordinary success is because it found a way ... of combining a huge reforming capacity with a profound rootedness in Chinese society and culture", adding that "one thing is sure, based on its achievements, its capacity for governance and its ability to change, the CPC will still be China's leader, architect and mentor". Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: I noted relevant reports. I have also noticed that more and more people in the world are following with interest and studying the CPC. They take the study of the CPC as the key to understanding China in modern times.

The CPC has covered a century-long journey, and its history is the best textbook for understanding the CPC. Here, I would like to share with you some observations.

First, the CPC is a political party that breathes the same air and share the same future with the people[...]

Second, the CPC is a political party bold in reform and innovation[...]

Third, the CPC is a political party dedicated to the cause of human progress[...]

Martin Jacques says that there has been "an overwhelming failure to grasp the nature of the Chinese Communist Party in the West". In fact, it is not difficult to understand the CPC. As long as people don't wear tinted glasses of ideology and uphold the spirit of equality and mutual respect, they can get a fair understanding of the real CPC from history and get to know China as it is. We welcome friends from all walks of life to keep up the interest in the CPC and the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/t1882549.shtml

Posted by: Mao | Jun 14 2021 7:57 utc | 93

A wit, I read somewhere, in London policymaking circles once observed: “Capitalism saved China in 1989. China saved capitalism in 2009.”

Like most quips, there is an element of seriousness to it. As China prepares for the 100th anniversary of the ruling Communist Party next month, there will be triumphalism, self-congratulations and excessive praising of the leadership under Xi Jinping.

Outside China, though, there will equally be an outpouring of scorn, criticism and repudiation of everything the Chinese communist leadership has achieved.

Sadly, we are now in a world where you are either for or against China. But we may do well to remember what the London wit said. It may be more accurate to rephrase it: Capitalism saved the Chinese Communist Party after 1989; the party saved global capitalism after 2009. The world economy can’t live without America’s “free market” capitalism any more than it can without China’s “state” capitalism. That realisation may, in the end, save us all from mutually assured destruction.

China and the global system led by the United States have been entangled in a marriage of convenience. They can’t live without each other. A divorce is out of the question. At most, they may end up having separate beds or separate bedrooms.

But between scorn and adulation, there is a middle ground. We ought to realise that China’s rise is hardly unique, but actually follows a well-trodden path already made by many other nations that got rich or at least less poor, including Britain, Japan and the US. China’s recent success is well-deserved, but hardly exceptional, other than for its sheer size in population and geography. Its spectacular rise shouldn’t blind us to that.

https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3136373/how-china-got-richer-everyone-else

Posted by: Mao | Jun 14 2021 8:04 utc | 94

Martin Jacques @martjacques

The G7 - Divided and in Decline:

1. US has 16% of global GDP; EU 15%

2. G7 no longer global: a Western rump

3. US priority: prevent China usurping it. EU priority: cooperate with China for future growth

4. US sees G7 as anti-China coalition; EU needs partnership with China

https://twitter.com/martjacques/status/1403357297099743233

Martin Jacques @martjacques

G7: The US and the UK are the two most reactionary Western powers. The US is desperate to remain the global hegemon; the UK dreams it still is. They look to the past. Germany is the most progressive. Forced to reinvent itself, it lives in the present: sensible, pragmatic, modest.

https://twitter.com/martjacques/status/1403709520036208647

Martin Jacques @martjacques

The idea G7 could create a serious alternative to Belt and Road is pure fantasy:

1 The West is mired in debt

2 They haven't got a clue how to do it

3 They don't believe in offering this kind of help to developing countries

4 They have bad-mouthed Belt&Road ever since 2013

https://twitter.com/martjacques/status/1404100974243889158

Posted by: Mao | Jun 14 2021 8:18 utc | 95

Same topic
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-57431420
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/chile-shuts-capital-santiago-once-more-vaccines-fail-quell-rampant-cases-2021-06-10/
https://www.linkedin.com/video/live/urn:li:ugcPost:6809011558174203904/
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/557944-cdc-to-hold-emergency-meeting-on-heart-inflammation-after-covid-19-vaccines

Posted by: Mina | Jun 14 2021 8:32 utc | 96

The Last G7

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202106/1226050.shtml

Hilarious!

Posted by: Rêver | Jun 14 2021 8:59 utc | 97

The Last G7

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202106/1226050.shtml

Hilarious!

Posted by: Rêver | Jun 14 2021 9:01 utc | 98

@ mina & mao

They don't even try to be creative...

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2021/06/the-moa-week-in-review-ot-2021-045.html?cid=6a00d8341c640e53ef0282e1088e5d200b#comment-6a00d8341c640e53ef0282e1088e5d200b

The real world is moving, they are stuck in the mud.

Posted by: Rêver | Jun 14 2021 9:05 utc | 99

@ mina & mao

They don't even try to be creative nor credible.

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2021/06/the-moa-week-in-review-ot-2021-045.html?cid=6a00d8341c640e53ef0282e1088e5d200b#comment-6a00d8341c640e53ef0282e1088e5d200b

The real world is moving fast and faster. They still stand stuck in the mud.

Posted by: Rêver | Jun 14 2021 9:10 utc | 100