Battle of the Titans: Round One to Asia
A small bit of news last week was a hallmark of the new world order. On May 19, the Biden regime informed the public that the United States would no longer object to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. Much of the US media ignored the announcement, as it did the landing, on May 15, of a Chinese craft on Mars.
Right wingers, including Donald Trump, have been screaming for quite some time that the pipeline would bind Germany to the (still) evil empire of Russia. An additional factor was that US oil firms would have liked to bring liquified natural gas to Germany in tankers, for a bigger price tag.
Germany was having none of it. The savvy politicians of the Christian Democratic party do not want their voters to freeze their buns off this winter. The Germans know a good deal when they see it, and lots of cheap natural gas delivered in a pipeline is a good economic deal. Never mind that natural gas is a euphemism for methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas. No one has wanted to touch that hot potato, no matter where they live.
The pipeline means lots of business for resource-rich Russia, and is a way to avoid the now hostile Ukraine. Also avoided are the often hostile to Russia states of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.
There have been many critics in this country, and a few in Germany, since the project was first broached in 2017. They were wary of enemy #1 (Russia) and continental European ally #1 (Germany) getting too cozy. But when construction approached the German coastline, ex-President Trump jumped into action to oppose it. He threatened sanctions on the major construction firms in Germany if they even thought about getting involved in the final leg of the job.
But on May 19, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, notified Congress that the US was “waiving the application of sanctions on Nord Stream 2.” Blinken couldn’t resist adding that “Our opposition to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is unwavering.” Sounds like a sore loser.
President Biden commented, in effect, that it was too late to stop the pipeline (which the US has been opposing since it began).
Why this is a victory for Asia, not just Russia?
Seventy-six years ago the Soviet Union’s Red Army smashed the German Wehrmacht army, which had been believed to be the most powerful military force in the world.
But that was then, this is now. Would Russia or the US prevail in a limited, or all-out war in 2021? Let’s hope we never find out. Besides, the days of countries fighting countries are drawing to a close. Nowdays, it’s blocs of countries, and even continents that are the real powerhouses.
The largest and most populous continent is Asia. It extends from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. Europe is actually a peninsula, not a continent. Geographically, it is firmly attached to Asia.
Because of the awakening of China, Asia is well on its way to becoming one political entity. Because of China’s Belt and Road Initiative it is now possible to conduct commerce by train from China to Spain. Soon, it will be possible to ship in the same Big-Rig truck from end to end of the continent. Of course, ships will still ply the waters from port to port. Regardless of the politics, this interconnectedness will economically benefit every country on the super-continent.
Just to recap: Russia and China are growing more cozy by the day, as are the other countries of the former Soviet Union. Other friends of China include Pakistan, Indochina, Burma, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and sometimes Turkey. In spite of having a Hindu nationalist president, India already belongs to BRICS alliance (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan).
But what about Europe? China is now the biggest trading partner of the European Union. China recently passed the United States as Europe’s number one trading relationship, something Biden knew when he backed off on trying to block the Nord Stream 2.
Africa is its own continent, but only the Suez Canal separates it from Asia. Today, Africa is full of Chinese construction projects and other economic aid. Alternatively, the US offers only military aid, which further inflames the continent. The Belt and Road Initiative may soon extend all the way to Cape Town, South Africa.
At the time of his death Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader was trying to break free of western financial control of Africa, and establish a continent-wide bank and currency. He was authorizing aid and loans throughout Africa, in opposition to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Had he not been attacked by western countries, and ultimately murdered, Africa would likely had cast its fate with the neighboring continent of Asia. In the spirit of Gaddafi, that may still happen.
Will the US be left out in the cold?
Which path will the United States take in relation to the unified position of most of the world? Will it remain hostile to China, Russia, Iran, and other countries who don’t bow down before a fast-fading empire?
Or will it join with most countries and peoples of the world in working toward progress for all, for an end to scarcity, and end to poverty, and friendship and understanding for the overwhelming numbers of people of color who live on this planet. This is a decision for every person now living, especially Americans.
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The World Wave (for George Floyd)
There’s a Tsunami comin’
to shake up the whole wide world.
You can’t escape this big old wave
hittin’ every city where there’s a slave.
You’re gonna feel this human tidal wave.
Listen, rich man
Your pockets got half of everything
If you billionaires won’t share the wealth,
and the things we need
just know that we’re done with your greed.
You made us the wretched of the earth
’cause you won’t give us dignity and jobs
So we’ll do anything to feed our kids.
And if you don’t want to play fair
we’ll be comin’ to you for our share.
Rich man, you got your armies
goin’ around the world
terrorizin’ folk. That’s gonna end.
Hey, we got our army, too.
100 million jobless comin’ unglued.
So call out your cops
and terrorize us with fear,
tear gas and water cannons by the ton
Lots of us want justice even more than livin’
Dyin’ might be our pride and our fate
But all you got is your hate.
You can knock us down once, twice
maybe more, but we’ll keep comin’
got no where to go but the streets.
we’re waitin’ ’til your soldiers join us in our fun
whatcha gonna do when they cut and run?
-James Smith