The Role of International Organizations in Diplomacy

Weaving a collective fabric via dialogue

[Image: Infrastructure, Organization and Projects.]

Published 2023-04-20

Updated 2023-04-23: Added an interview with Prof. Marandi for background on what is happening the middle east/west Asia.

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Introduction

In yesterday's article your author wrote:

the international communities which they have been building (BRICS+ and SCO) rival anything "the west" can haphazardly glue together

This was described as one element of a couple of points which were universally agreed amongst the troubadours and this analyst. The continually expanding nature of the international dialogue and policy discussion fora which have been constructed by China and Russia (predominantly) over the last 20 years has been a common topic of this newsletter which shall be extended in this article.

The Saudi and Iranian Rapprochement

During both of the two video pieces with Mr Escobar included in the sources for yesterday's article he mentioned the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between these regional powers. Attempts (or threats) to dissuade Saudi Arabia from this course of action were delivered by Mr Burns, the current head of the CIA, in person to Mohammed bin Salman, the operational head of Saudi Arabia. This gives us a sense of how mightily annoyed the USA is by this peace making, and no doubt especially so because it was finalized in Beijing.

Pepe is at pains to inform the audience of the history of this eventuality. It begins with diplomatic efforts by the Russian Federation's Foreign Ministry. The process seems to have been that both sides were met separately to sound out areas of annoyance and avenues of compromise. Iraq played a very useful role in providing a neutral space when that was required.

Assassinating a Warrior turned Diplomat

Please excuse me while I delve into a little topic which gets nowhere near the attention I believe it deserves.

Recall that General Qassem Sulemeini and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (Jamal Ja'far Muhammad Ali Al Ibrahim) were murdered by the USA on January 3rd 2020 outside the Baghdad International Airport. Sulemeini was on a diplomatic mission which was no doubt a part of this gradual diplomatic effort being quietly coordinated by Russia (and perhaps others too). Both had played key roles, with Iranian backing, in directing the Popular Mobilization Forces which defended Baghdad against an advancing ISIS following the call to arms (fatwa) by Iraqi Shia Cleric Ayatollah Ali Sistani in 2014. Five and a half years later after defending the holy city of Baghdad they were assassinated by USA military under the command of President Trump. The call for careful revenge issued by Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, echoing the English phrase that revenge is a dish best served cold, was heard loudly across the Shia and Arab world.

I can assure you they have not forgotten. The problem is that the USA does not have anyone even close to the equivalent of late Qassem in their eyes.

Diplomacy will not be Denied

Efforts for a diplomatic peace between Saudi and Iran continued despite the set back from the USA. When Russia's diplomats, no doubt with various local support, including from Iraq, had the foundation of the rapprochement they passed it to China, says Mr Escobar. China "sealed the deal".

So significant was this change that it was reported globally, not just in geopolitical journals but on the front pages of just about every significant international media publication. In the western sphere a three letter acronym was conspicuous by its absence.

During the SCO Heads of Government Meeting in Samarkand during the northern summer of the year preceding (2022), the event which this little newsletter named as the most significant event of the year, Iran was given the blessing to become a full members of the SCO. Since then Saudi Arabia has expressed serious interest in having their membership fast tracked.

Membership of the SCO proceeds from being admitted as a Dialogue Partner through Observer status to finally Full member, with each stage requiring legal action by the applicant to meet the obligations of the role. I have no idea what these are, but they would minimally involve the establishment of some type of secretariat, probably as a branch of the national foreign ministry. Saudi Arabia, just a few weeks ago, approved the required adjustments to fulfill their Dialogue Partner role.

This is a background to the rapprochement which nobody mentions. Both Russia and China have achieved significant diplomatic results in recent years. The international organisations which they have created have a played role in them.

There are others clamoring at the doors of the SCO, not least Turkey, Egypt, Morocco and Syria. Recall that its membership already includes all but one of the 'stans and India, Pakistan and Kazakhstan. Other members at varying levles include Mongolia and Belarus. The observant will note this list includes every nation with a large area in Asia, with the possible exception of Thailand.

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)

Before we dive into the EAEU, a Russian initiative, we should remind ourselves of the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation). The CSTO is what it says on the tin, a security organisation. It is the key mechanism for Russia to bind her "near abroad" to her in exchange for her military prowess and their protection. Its members are Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Belarus.

The EAEU could be analogized to the European Common Market. It attempts to promote regional trade by standardizing terms of quality, measures of quantity, and eliminating tariffs (a free-trade zone) amongst other things. It also has a commission.

Pepe informs us that this is where a few very well respected Russian economists are working on a new international trade currency which is likely to be based on gold, or gold and a collection of commodities. Work on this has been ongoing for several years. With the model slowly moving closer to a point at which some major nations could begin to trial it. Indeed, these senior Russian economists are in China at the moment discussing and refining the proposal with their Chinese counterparts.

There is a "plan B", and that is to take whatever mature version they have of the trade currency and not trial it between nations, but between large manufacturers or trade conglomerates across a small number of nations. This, obviously requires legal authorization, but does not bind a nation into a commitment towards the currency. Most importantly it lets the currency get some use so that economists can observe and refine it.

Continuing with the analogy, the new currency is meant only for international trade. It is not an "Asian Euro". National currencies will remain and float against the trade currency.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

Whereas the Russia effort with the EAEU is focused on trade liberalization and a potential currency, China's efforts are primarily focused on trade infrastructure. The cynical could assume this means raw materials coming in and finished products going out. This is not a bad approximation. However, one should look at the lifetime of the infrastructure. We're looking at multiple centuries. During that period, various economies will transition up the production technology scale. So, see a change in the types of goods moving across different sections of the trade infrastructure over time.

Long term readers of this newsletter will recall mention of Mackinder, an Englishman who could be labeled as the father of geopolitics. He compared the maritime powers of the very early 20th century (British, French, Spanish and nascent USA) with the land empire of Russia.

One of his contributions is the concept of the "world island" which is the combination of the Eurasian and African continents. (As an aside I do not consider Europe a continent. It just bloody well isn't. Its the western peninsula of Eurasia). This "world island" is the largest connected landmass on our beautiful planet. Obviously, a fair way behind but next is the combination or north and south America, with Antarctica and Australia bring up the rear.

Mackinder sees that with the advent of railways, this vast one world island could be joined into the dominant trading power (and thus military and potentially political power) on the planet. That was in 1905 or thereabouts. During the last century our technology has skyrocketed, literally and figuratively. The BRI is an attempt by China to create the infrastructure to make this possible. It involves not only railway lines, but also roads and shipping ports, and why not an airport or three? Added to this are communications infrastructure.

The SCO is the Chinese and Russian international political organization to facilitate the BRI. The EAEU is a free trade zone overlay that is working on a currency. China and Russia and their regional partners are creating a fabric of political, economic, social, communications, cultural, military and trade interconnections via these organisations and projects.

The war in Ukraine between the Russian Federation and NATO has accelerated the binding and spreading of this fabric. When asked by Danny Haiphong what has caused this acceleration, Pepe takes no time to respond: the impounding of 300 Billion US dollars of the foreign reserves of a nuclear power, namely Russia, by the USA/NATO/EU. Its very simple, explains Mr. Escobar, if they can do that to Russia, they can do that to any nation.

It is during this acceleration that Saudi Arabia has taken Dialogue Partner SCO status and begun to sell its oil to China in Yuan thus diminishing the Petro-Dollar and even worse threatening the creation of the Petro-Yuan. Many pairs of nations are already trading in national currencies to skirt the US dollar dominated western financial systems. On that note, Russia was also disconnected from SWIFT against the pleading advice of the US Federal Reserve and major European Banks: Don't Do It!

Why? Because that undermines confidence in the system itself, and the stock markets trade in stock values based on fiat currencies is really a confidence trick. So, it is vulnerable to a lack of confidence.

Many other little known financial instruments have and are being created. The Russian Mir Credit Card has replaced western MasterCard and Visa in Russia. Turkey and Venezuela accept it, as will more nations. Russia and China have both built their own replacements for the western inter-bank messaging system SWIFT, and have integrated them. China's central bank is essentially offering a currency exchange market for Renmimbi.

BRICS+

Apart from the CSTO, SCO, EAEU and the BRI project, the other major international organisation which stands against the "international rules based order" where the USA makes the rules and everyone else follows the orders is BRICS.

BRICS was created not long after the USA and NATO started their War of Terror. If you look at western sources they'll speak of some Goldman Sachs pleb noticing in 2001 that Brazil, Russia, India and China were fast growing economies and (fill in some blanks) you get BRICS when South Africa joins. Phooey.

I am fairly certain and BRICS starts as RIC, which was more of an idea than a thing, with Brazil being courted and joining in 2006. One then has BRIC and in 2008 a Joint Communique is issued on development goals. This occurs during the "Pink Tide" in Latin America and Lula's second term as President of Brazil. South Africa joins in 2010 to give us BRICS.

Recall that the origin of BRICS is in development. Moving from a primary economy to an economy with a mixture of primary, secondary and even tertiary production requires huge investment. Under the USA + IMF neocolonial system this was never possible. The idea, as well described by John "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" Perkins, was to indebt developing nations to prevent them climbing any further up the development ladder. BRICS was an attempt to create an independent development bank which could assist developing nations where achievable projects were possible. China and partners have essentially now developed two of these banks. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which runs the loans for the BRI project, and the New Development Bank to which Lula's successor in Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, has just been appointed president.

The thing with BRICS is that their combined economic output measured in GDP or PPP exceeds the all white G7. They are the counter to the USA/NATO/EU colonial club. BRICS has a long list of membership applications too. It looks very likely that the next member will be Argentina.

Pepe mentions that within BRICS there is a million percent support for Mexico to join under AMLO's leadership, but there is an elephant in the room, Mexico's northern neighbour.

So, there you have it, the fabric of international organisations which form the counter to the white neo-colonialists.

Oh! If forgot one. OPEC became OPEC+ when Russia joined, and now with Saudi Arabia joining the SCO, OPEC+ becomes another international group which will be woven into the fabric.

Which Way Forward for the West?

Obviuosly the elephant in the room wants to stomp all over these collectivist upstarts. The USA's recent effort was to follow the Zbigniew Brzezinski plan of stealing Ukraine and creating the war which Russia warned them 15 years ago would result if they did so.

Recently French President "Rockerfeller" Macron made a few statements that suggested another path. Whether he meant them or not I dont think he even knows. Nonetheless, there is another path, of joining rather than smashing.

The USA's problem is that if half of Europe chooses 'join', they are then even more isolated.

This is the danger of the interesting times in which we live.

You see, the ruling class globalists want to inhabit and control the center of power. What do they do if there are multiple? What if the Chinese lead group becomes the most powerful? The trouble with China is that it is itself. Its traditions and culture are so old, so infused, that they are difficult to penetrate and control. Where do the white globalists who lust after power go when the USA wanes, Europe is divided and BRICS+ is ascendent?

Sources

Iran’s Qassem Soleimani killed in US air raid at Baghdad airport, Aljazeera, 2020-01-03

Hezbollah Chief’s ultimatum: U.S. soldiers will return home in body bags, ParsToday, 2020-01-05

Why Ayatollah Al-Sistani's Iraq Fatwa Is So Important, Matt Schiavenza, International Business Times, 2014-06-14

Riyadh joins Shanghai Cooperation Organization as ties with Beijing grow, Reuters, 2023-03-29

Организация Договора о коллективной безопасности (Collective Security Treaty organization), the English page, the official website, publication date unknown

Information portal of the Eurasian Economic Union, official website

EAEU Commission, official website

Europe admits 'world becoming more multipolar', Western imperialism declining, Ben Norton interviews geopolitical economist Professor Radhika Desai, Geopolitical Economy, 2023-04-19

China’s Saudi-Iran Peace Deal Is a Major Setback for US Empire, w/ Prof. Mohammad Marandi, Rania Khalek interviews Professor Marandi, Breakthrough News, 2023-04-18

MICHAEL HUDSON ON BRICS DE-DOLLARIZATION, THE BANKING CRISIS, AND MULTIPOLARITY, Danny Haiphong interviews economist Professor Michael Hudson, The Left Lens, 2023-03-30

Culture

Santana - Smooth (Stereo) ft. Rob Thomas, Santana and Rob Thomas (from Matchbox Twenty) from the album Supernatural (1999), Santana, uploaded 2013-10-04

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