Selected articles (June 8, 2023)
1)
The Twilight of Freedom
By Craig Murray
June 1, 2023
Active enforcement against non-approved speech is underway in the U.K., as shown by the detentions of journalists at immigration checkpoints and, most strongly of all, by Julian Assange’s continued and appalling incarceration.
https://consortiumnews.com/2023/06/01/craig-murray-the-twilight-of-freedom/
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2)
CEPR Sanctions Watch May 2023
By Michael Galant
May 31, 2023
https://cepr.net/cepr-sanctions-watch-may-2023/
Local civil society leaders call for the release of central bank assets to Afghanistan;
Members of Congress urge Biden to address migration by easing sanctions on Cuba and Venezuela;
Five years since Trump’s withdrawal from nuclear deal, scholars say “maximum pressure” on Iran has failed;
US and South Korea hold largest ever live-fire exercises and announce new sanctions for cyber operations in North Korea;
G7 announces expansion of sanctions against Russia; Proposed sanctions bill would increase hurdles to humanitarian aid for Syria;
In move denounced as “theft,” US allows the sale of Venezuelan state assets;
New report finds that economic sanctions contribute to increased mortality, poverty and inequality in sanctions-targeted countries, and more.
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3)
The Vassalage at Heart of the G7
By Vijay Prashad
June 2, 2023
https://consortiumnews.com/2023/06/02/the-vassalage-at-heart-of-the-g7/
Following the end of the Second World War, the United States built an international system that was premised on the subordination and integration of Japan and Europe, writes Vijay Prashad.
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4)
America’s Addiction to War Comes with a 15 Trillion Dollar Price Tag
To surmount the debt crisis, America needs to stop feeding the Military-Industrial Complex
By Jeffrey D. Sachs
June 1, 2023
https://www.informationclearinghouse.info/57596.htm
In the year 2000, the U.S. government debt was $3.5 trillion, equal to 35% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By 2022, the debt was $24 trillion, equal to 95% of GDP. The U.S. debt is soaring, hence America’s current debt crisis. Yet both Republicans and Democrats are missing the solution: stopping America’s wars of choice and slashing military outlays.
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5a)
Russia, China take holistic view of the Pamirs and Hindu Kush
By M. K. Bhadrakumar
June 4, 2023
https://www.indianpunchline.com/russia-china-take-holistic-view-of-the-pamirs-and-hindu-kush/
The Xi’an Declaration, issued after the First China-Central Asia Summit at Xi’an on May 18-19, takes a direct hit at the West’s interference in the region, scattering the notion in Washington and Brussels that Russia and China’s dominance on the Central Asian steppe is not sustainable as Russia is “overstretched” in the Ukraine conflict.
5b)
BRICS New Development Bank de-dollarizing, adding Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe as members
The BRICS bloc’s New Development Bank, an alternative to the US-dominated World Bank, is de-dollarizing its loans, promoting local currencies, and adding new members: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, and Zimbabwe.
By Ben Norton
June 6, 2023
BRICS New Development Bank de-dollarizing, adding Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe as members
5c)
An “Axis of Seven” to supplement SCO
By M. K. Bhadrakumar
June 2, 2023
https://www.indianpunchline.com/an-axis-of-seven-to-supplement-sco/
Opening of Year of Culture and Art of the Peoples of China and Central Asia at the China-Central Asia Summit, Xi’an, May 18, 2023
The Russian daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta carried a report on the eve of the China-Central Asia summit at Xi’an titled “China is changing the format of cooperation with Central Asia.” It anticipated that the six heads of state gathering in Xi’an on May 18-19 would be discussing the “creation of a new mechanism for cooperation in various fields and sign important political documents.”
5d)
Iran to become ‘full-fledged’ SCO member in July
The Iranian foreign minister made the announcement from South Africa, where he took part in a ministerial meeting of the BRICS economic bloc
By News Desk, The Cradle
June 2, 2023
https://thecradle.co/article-view/25525/iran-to-become-full-fledged-sco-member-in-july
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6a)
Kakhovka dam breach is a perfect crime
By M. K. Bhadrakumar
June 8, 2023
https://www.indianpunchline.com/kakhovka-dam-breach-is-a-perfect-crime/
The breach in the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper River in war-ravaged Ukraine on Tuesday is no doubt a catastrophe of colossal proportions, a veritable ecological and human disaster that may outlive the war itself. However, the striking thing about the White House reaction to the event from John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council, is that he tactfully avoided endorsing Ukraine President Vladimir Zelensky’s finger-pointing at the Russians.
6b)
Postmortem Analysis on Kakhovka Dam Breach
By Simplicius The Thinker
June 7, 2023
Now that almost a day has passed and the event has settled in, we can draw some conclusions or at least ask some informed questions about the whos and whys, the cui bonos. The biggest question on everyone’s mind is who was responsible for the Kakhovka dam, and as a corollary, who does it benefit more?
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7a)
The US plan to counter China and Iran in West Asia
The US recognizes China’s influence and Iran’s dominance in West Asia, but its sluggish and ineffective responses not only hamper Washington’s ability to counterbalance the eastward shift but also inflicts damage on its dwindling reputation as a trusted partner.
By Mohamad Hasan Sweidan
June 8, 2023
https://thecradle.co/article-view/25773/the-us-plan-to-counter-china-and-iran-in-west-asia
7b)
More news and analysis about Iran
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Amir Mortasawi (alias Afsane Bahar) (امیر مرتضوی (افسانه بهار 