Bye Bye Biden

The Traumatic Trump Era begins!

Jan 21, 2025

Published: 2025-01-21

Symposium on Biden's foreign policy: The good, bad & ugly; Responsible Statecraft; 2025-01-20

The "symposium" starts with a slimy intro, but contains a useful selection of commentary on Genocide Joe's foreign policy. It benefited from attempting to ban comments on Ukraine and Palestine, forcing commentators to examine all of the other disasters of the Blinken/Sullivan/Biden (BSB) era. It was a target rich environment.

Apart from some of the authors being unable to skip condemning BSB for their support for the two hot wars, some of the other topics mentioned were:

Withdrew (chaotically) from Kabul (Afghanistan) [Good]
Summit for Democracy (in line with the 'democracy vs autocracy' narrative) was "counterproductive", "hypocritical", and "a meaningless act of diplomatic showmanship"
While touting a "foreign policy for the middle class" BSB commissioned a “National Defense Industrial Strategy” to enrich the Military Industrial Complex and then in his farewell address 'cautioned against the “dangerous consequences” of an oligarchy “taking shape in America.”'
War over Taiwan based on claims of a Chinese military threat was used by BSB to justify the largest every peacetime spending on the US military.
BSB shredded the US "One China" policy "by declaring four times that he would send troops to defend the island if China were to attack". BSB increased the risk of war with China
BSB failed on "Rebuilding the nation’s political center", meaning economic competitiveness. Thus, Trump.

An opinion on the Blinken/Sullivan/Biden era and its ridiculousness:

Patrick Lawrence: Exeunt, the Man from Scranton; Patrick Lawrence; Scheerpost; 2025-01-20

A global survey of who is afraid of Trump and who is not:

European jitters about Trump 2.0 not shared by much of world, poll finds; The Guardian; Natylie's Place: Understanding Russia; 2025-01-20

Get over it. Trump was elected and is President now.

Thank the stars that we have finally passed through all of the opinion pieces speculating on how terrible Trump is going to be. Bring on the reporting on reality.

Trump Says He Will Designate Mexican Cartels as 'Terrorist Organizations,' Vows To 'Take Back' Panama Canal; Dave DeCamp; Antiwar; 2025-01-20

As for the drug cartels, good idea. The CIA might have to divest some of their funding sources.

The next question to ask is what have the DEA been doing all of these decades? Perhaps hand them to the D.O.G.E?

Trump Off to a Fast Start, But Stumbles on Russia; Larry C. Johnson; SONAR21; 2025-01-20

Trump ... reportedly sign[ed] 200 Executive Orders [on his first day as President]. He did some at the Capitol after the Congressional lunch, then traveled to the US Air Arena, where he signed some more to the cheers of onlookers and then headed to the White House. The signing ceremony inside the Oval Office was pure theater. Trump provided play-by-play commentary on each of the orders and fielded questions from a gaggle of reporters. The contrast with Joe Biden was part of Trump’s effort to show that there is a new sheriff in town.
During the impromptu press conference, Trump’s remarks about negotiating with Russia showed that he is still in the dark about the reality of the war in Ukraine. He mistakenly believes that Russia has suffered more than a million casualties. That is total bullshit. Either the CIA is lying to him or his staff. Perhaps both. This means that Trump is in for a rude awakening when he has his first conversation with Vladimir Putin.

Corbyn is being smeared again – this time to stop protests against genocide; Johnathan Cook; Jonathan Cook; 2025-01-20

Cook reports on the London "Met" smearing UK politicians who attended a public rally against the ongoing genocide in Palestine and the UK's complicity in it. The media issued claims are bogus, and Cook knows because he was there. There is also video evidence. The service of the Met to the Zionist project shows how important it is to the British establishment.

Cook well understands the strategy at play and the risks inherent in it:

The police have a clear game plan. Letting those who support a genocide decide whether those who oppose it are allowed to express their opposition is a surefire recipe for stirring up tensions, frustrations and anger.
The goal is both to overturn long-cherished rights fundamental to the idea of British democracy and to pitch the protesters into a direct confrontation with the police, and thereby craft a bogus narrative that the demonstrations are violent and criminal, as well as “antisemitic”.
We will see the clamour for banning the marches grow volubly. And no one will be more delighted than Starmer. The last thing he needs is for these protests to be highlighting his utter complicity in the slaughter of children in Gaza.
There is an issue here bigger even than the Gaza genocide. Are we going to resign ourselves to living in an authoritarian state, one where the police serve their political masters in deciding which rights we are permitted, and whether we are allowed to engage in any kind of meaningful protest against our government?

Hamas Releases First Three Israeli Hostages as Gaza Ceasefire Takes Hold; Dave DeCamp; Antiwar; 2025-01-19

Israel releases 69 women and 9 children previously held as hostages in state confinement into what can only be described as a state of "refugee", which is entirely in line with their genocidal purposes.

Juan Cole: UK Parliamentary Committee to British Gov.—Recognize Palestinian State for Sustainable Peace; Juan Cole; Scheerpost; 2025-01-19

Juan Cole notes the UK Parliamentary Committee's recommendation for the UK government to actually do what a sequence of UK governments have stated as their position: i.e actually declare that they support Palestinian statehood.

He goes on to provide the obvious reasons why this should be done, from which one can learn why the apartheid state of Israel does everything it can to resist this.

Undersea Cable Damage in Baltic Sea the Result of Accidents, Not Russian Sabotage; Dave DeCamp; Antiwar; 2025-01-19

NATO continues to advance its successful mission of protecting members from non-existent threats. Operation Baltic Sentry will continue for political purposes, revealing NATO's true purpose.

The Pistachio Pact - Is The Russian-Iranian Strategic Agreement The Nut Or The Shell? ; John Helmer; Dances with Bears; 2025-01-19

Helmer goes Gödel, Escher, Bach on the Iranian/Russian Strategic Partnership treaty, seeing foreground and background through declarations and omissions both in public questioning and via comparison with the DPRK/Russia treaty. In his detailed analysis he also identifies a precedent, that the representatives of the two nations signed three original documents, one in each of Farsi, Russian and English, and stated that the English language document, the language or their common enemy, is to be used should disagreement on the treaty occur.

The agreement contains multiple clauses of "outer ambiguity and inner secrecy". These clauses involve military/intelligence activities and sharing [Articles 4 and 5]. On combating sanctions ("unilateral coercive measures") the treaty is more specific and "uses the emphatic form of the future tense 'shall'". Their responses to sanctions are specified as both responsive and preparatory: “shall counter the application of" and "“shall make practical efforts to reduce risks, ...".

One may recall that countering US "unilateral coercive measures" was a major focus of the BRICS declaration from Kazan, in late 2024. Resisting US economic warfare is the backbone of BRICS. That the issue is foundational to the Iran-Russia treaty is unsurprising.

Needless to say, Helmer's analysis is detailed and insightful.

Full text of Iran-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, Islamic Republic of Iran

Trump bends the arc of history in West Asia - Part I; M. K. Bhadrakumar; Indian Punchline; 2025-01-17

Trump bends the arc of history in West Asia - Part II; M. K. Bhadrakumar; Indian Punchline; 2025-01-19

MKB sets out recent history to frame the change in diplomacy and alliances in southwest Asia, particularly focusing on the rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran. He then outlines Trump's evasion of a potential trap by Netanyahu, with support issued by Haas, Head of the Council on Foreign Relations, in Foreign Policy. It issued a policy paper in which he "literally reproduced the Israeli narrative under his byline, a willful deception which gives no credit to his reputation." The article itself was "a rehash of the fantasies and falsehoods that went for Washington’s Iran policy during the past four decades".

MKB noted Trump's posting of the Sachs interview on Truth Social and the effectiveness of his envoy Witkoff who "literally shoved [the Gaza ceasefire deal] down Netanyahu’s throat". He provided a brief bio for Witkoff, a Jewish NY real estate developer, and son a maker of ladies coats, with no background in international negotiations. When Netanyahu tried to play the "Sabbath" card to stall a meeting, MKB reported that Witkoff "used an expletive and summoned Netanyahu". "Israeli cabinet’s formal approval for the Gaza deal was already available within 24 hrs thereafter."

MKB views this muscling as a requirement for Trump to settle issues in the region so that he can focus on "prioritise addressing domestic issues in the United States", as was reported on Israel's Channel 12.

Palestinians Begin Searching for the 10,000 Bodies Under the Gaza Rubble; Dave DeCamp; Antiwar; 2025-01-20

The Genocide: Day 471

The Trump demanded "ceasefire" came into effect. The Zionist state militia murdered 2 more Palestinians, and Palestinians began searching through the rubble of Gaza for thousands of their dead relatives.

A Ukrainian Victory Was Never Biden's Goal: Time Magazine; Dave DeCamp; Antiwar; 2025-01-20

Psychological preparation for entering the reality, which Crooke describes the narrative manufacturers as have determinedly tried to resist, has been taken up by Time Magazine.

Alastair Crooke: Is the US Trying to Escape Reality?; Napolitano interviews Crooke; Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom; 2025-01-20

Israel Expects Trump To Restart Supplying 2,000-Pound Bombs; Dave DeCamp; Antiwar; 2025-01-20

Israel can expect all it wants.

At Least 37 Fighters Killed in Turkish-Backed Push Against North Syria's Tishreen Dam; Jason Ditz; Antiwar; 2025-01-20

The warring over Syria's resources continue. The Tishreen dam on the Euphrates provides both drinking water and electricity of the local population. Turkey wants it for leverage over the Kurds.

Dmitri Rogozin On Fighting And Finishing The War Differently (Acceleration, Decapitation, Mobilization.); John Helmer; Dances with Bears; 2025-01-20

Helmer reports on Dmitri Rogozin's deep political pedigree and his stance on the war in Ukraine:

We need solidarity of the rear and the front. Moscow, St. Petersburg, other major Russian cities should stop living their carefree life, pretending that nothing is happening. We will never return to the state that was until 2022. Never. Everyone needs to understand that. Society must understand the depth of the problem and help the army with everything it can. Only victory will bring an end to the conflict. The war cannot be frozen. Or else the war will be inherited by our children and grandchildren.

[Rogozin]

With a family of Russian military leaders extending from the 13th and 17th centuries to his father, two doctorates, and state service as Putin’s ambassador to NATO, deputy prime minister for the military industrial complex, and head of the Russian space conglomerate Roskosmos, Rogozin is a unique figure in current politics. As the sitting senator for Zaporozhye region engaged in running an active military unit on the front, Rogozin is combining the military and civilian qualifications for the succession [i.e becoming the President of the Russian Federation in 2030].

[Helmer]

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Sources

In situ.

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