For those who wish to understand the evils of the left (#Communism) and right (#Fascism) here is a scholarly article on the topic from the Wilson Center.
"Understanding Radical Evil: Communism, Fascism and the Lessons of the 20th Century"
On May 16, Russia launched a spacecraft into #space in the orbit of U.S. satellites. U.S. intel believes the #satellite could attack and spy on other satellites.
It was also reported that the #us believes #Russia is developing a space weapon that is able to take out networks of satellites.
#Palestine / Norway, along with Ireland and Spain, to recognize Palestinian state (to be followed by Slovenia and Malta); Israel recalls ambassadors to Ireland, Norway
With over 140 UN member states now recognizing Palestine, the wave of European support signals growing impatience with the stalled peace process and a willingness to challenge U.S.-backed insistence on direct negotiations favoring Israel's position.
[...] "In the middle of a war, with tens of thousands of dead and injured, we must keep alive the only thing that can provide a safe home for both Israelis and Palestinians: two states that can live in peace with each other," --- Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere (#Norway)
Israel swiftly condemned the move, recalling its ambassadors from Norway and Ireland, and warning of "dire consequences" if Spain follows through. The Israeli Foreign Minister accused the countries of "undercutting Israel's sovereignty and endangering its security."
[cont’d] as it seems to be the norm now, Israel is dictating Biden and the Republicans what they’re expected to do next…
#Ynet is reporting that while the ministry of foreign affairs is considering punitive measures against countries that will recognize a Palestinian state, they are also expected to turn to the American administration with a request that it approach the relevant countries and clarify the US opposition to the move.
Alongside this, Israel will request an American appeal to friendly countries to encourage them also to oppose recognition of a Palestinian state. Israel will also request a public statement from the administration.
In parallel, an appeal will be made to key figures in Congress requesting that they speak out publicly on the issue and approach the relevant countries, clarifying their opposition to the move.
Additionally, an appeal will be made to Jewish organizations in the #US to speak out publicly against recognition, and also to approach the relevant countries and express to them their strong opposition to the move.
WTAF: #US Secretary of State #Blinken warned if United Nations recognizes #Palestine as an independent State, United States, allies and affiliated businessmen will cut funding for #UN, thus cutting United Nations ability to run huminitarian aid for Global South countries.
He is threatening the world on behalf of #Israel, while pretending that they support a 2 state solution.
This is the most outrageous comment I've ever read from Blinken. I'm not sure if it's accurate, because the only source is the post on ShiTwitter:https://x.com/halalflow/status/1792944530389393422
#Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, stated that Norway is now obligated to arrest #Netanyahu if he visits the country after the International Criminal Court issues a decision for his arrest for war crimes in Gaza.
This marks the first country to announce its intention to arrest Netanyahu amid global reluctance following #US threats.
Conditional Enfranchisement: How Partisanship Determines Support for Noncitizen Voting Rights
“Our findings suggest that U.S. voters are pragmatic about extending the local franchise to noncitizens. Although U.S. voters are, on average, indifferent toward local noncitizen suffrage, they oppose enfranchisement when noncitizens would vote for the opposing party.”
ALARIAN, H. and ZONSZEIN, S. (2024) ‘Conditional Enfranchisement: How Partisanship Determines Support for Noncitizen Voting Rights’, American Political Science Review, pp. 1–8. doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055424000522.
Conditional Enfranchisement: How Partisanship Determines Support for Noncitizen Voting Rights</stong>
“Our findings suggest that U.S. voters are pragmatic about extending the local franchise to noncitizens. Although U.S. voters are, on average, indifferent toward local noncitizen suffrage, they oppose enfranchisement when noncitizens would vote for the opposing party.”
ALARIAN, H. and ZONSZEIN, S. (2024) ‘Conditional Enfranchisement: How Partisanship Determines Support for Noncitizen Voting Rights’, American Political Science Review, pp. 1–8. doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055424000522.
"Brett McGurk, US President Joe Biden's senior Middle East adviser, held indirect negotiations earlier this month with Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s point man for negotiations with the West, according to three Iranian sources close to the talks"
"The talks focused on three subjects: a shared desire for a change in government in Israel; ending Israel’s war on Gaza; and preventing the conflict from spreading elsewhere in the region."
Yesterday, Costello behaved so atrociously on the witness stand that Juan Merchan cleared the courtroom to admonish him & the defense attorneys. Costello is due back on the stand
The White House says the US and Saudi Arabia were close to an agreement on the bilateral elements of a "security deal" that would be part of a broader settlement with #Israel.
Every ranking officer participating in these criminal actions should be the target of #ICC for crimes against humanity and #WarCrimes.
The outrageous atrocities of Israeli forces against the civilian population of Gaza is beyond anything we have seen in modern times and sadly these barbaric acts go unpunished while #US, #UK and #Germany keep sending weapons and money to help Israel with their crimes against palestinians in Gaza.
The #US House speaker, Mike Johnson, says that the House may vote on sanctions against the International Criminal Court for seeking an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin #Netanyahu.
"Congress is reviewing all options, including sanctions, to punish the #ICC and ensure its leadership faces consequences if they proceed," he said in a statement.
The High Court of Justice in London granted Wikileaks founder Julian Assange permission to bring a new appeal against extradition to the U.S. after his lawyers argued the case against him in America is politically motivated. The U.S. Justice Department argues that Assange, who has been resisting extradition in the U.K. for over a decade, endangered lives when he leaked confidential information about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011. BBC News has more.
#Israel / Israel Seeks US Bipartisan Backing to Block Palestinian State Recognition Amid Fears of International Pressure
Israel is concerned that if a Palestinian state is recognized internationally, it could lead to increased pressure on its own territorial claims (=illegal occupation) and potentially even the division of Jerusalem (=illegal annexation of East Jerusalem).
@plink@palestine@israel
It has been pretty clear for years that the #US has happily gone along with #Israel's refusal to allow the existence of a #Palestinian state. I doubt the US wants to be seen as openly supporting this, however,
"Why is it so hard for western politicians to grasp the broader, existential nature of the Russian threat? Recurring spying rows, sabotage, assassinations, arson and cyber-hacks show Moscow “is waging war on European countries”, Russia expert Edward Lucas warned. “How is it that Russia, a country with an Italy-sized economy, is able to attack the entire west with impunity? The answer is that Russia does not take us seriously.”
"Statisticians have debunked the data. Yet the narrative remains unchanged, even by President #Biden. Clearly, the sheer volume of the footage of suffering civilians– all projected by #Hamas, which censors pictures of dead or wounded combatants– has caused us to lose our minds. When we fought in #Afghanistan, #Syria & #Iraq, nobody debated civilian casualties. Yet when it comes to #Israel, it’s all anybody talks about"