Reader’s Links for June 22nd, 2022

Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.

This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.

So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.

This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

57 Replies to “Reader’s Links for June 22nd, 2022”

    • There are several hints that this is the case, the question is how many nations are working on the war and what is their goal.

    • And to what extent have the planning orgs been infiltrated by their designated enemy? Do they suppose they have a monopoly on sabotage?

    • It says that a lot of people think that their chances of keeping their money are better is the west then is Russia or China

      • True, except here is one of the smartest money guys I know explaining how the debt crisis this time is western based, which makes me think that the end result of this sovereign debt crisis is not known for sure by anyone.

        • You pay your money and you take your chances.

          They know how bad their economies are and think the West has a better chance to survive

  1. 10:40 long. PM expert says Fed pivots on average 7 months after beginning rate raises. Depends either on rate of inflation or the rate of political pain experienced by the Biden admin. at the hands of a suffering American people.

  2. JUNE 22 2022 – ARMENIA – YEREVAN – Protest against American biolaboratories in Armenia

  3. Germany’s Scholz: G7 to discuss ‘Marshall plan’ for Ukraine

    BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that he wants to discuss the outlines of a “Marshall plan for Ukraine” with the leaders of the Group of Seven countries at their upcoming summit in Germany.

    Scholz hopes for a united front on long-term support for Ukraine when he hosts the annual G-7 summit in Bavaria next week. The group of the world’s leading economic powers is made up of the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, the U.K., Canada and Japan.

    The chancellor told Germany’s parliament that “rebuilding Ukraine will be a task for generations.” Recalling his visit last week to Irpin, a Kyiv suburb that saw intense fighting, he said that “some things there remind not just me of the pictures of German cities after World War II.”

    Like Europe then, “Ukraine today needs a Marshall plan for its rebuilding,” Scholz said — referring to the U.S.-sponsored plan that helped revive European economies after WWII.

    Billions of dollars will be needed to finance rebuilding over years, and that can only work if European nations, other major donor countries and international organizations work together, Scholz said. He has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the matter with the G-7 leaders by video link on Monday.

    Aside from funding, “one thing is really decisive — we must agree … what such a ‘Marshall plan for Ukraine’ can look like,” he added. “How we coordinate it internationally; how we decide together in the future what investments advance Ukraine fastest on its European path.”

    Scholz said that, together with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, he will call for a high-ranking expert conference on Ukraine to be convened under the umbrella of Germany’s G-7 presidency.

    European Union leaders are expect at a summit Thursday and Friday to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate for membership, kicking off a progress that will likely take years and whose success isn’t guaranteed.

    https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/germanys-scholz-g7-to-discuss-marshall-plan-for-ukraine

  4. I have been told by several trained seals that shingles, Bells Palsy and Sudden Adult Death Syndrome are “going around.”

    The Vancouver Sun
    The Freedom of Information Request shows officials knew of vaccine deaths and injuries in B.C. Covid vaccine adverse reactions, including deaths, disability, blood clots and stroke risks were known as early as Dec. 2020.

    In May of 2022, a woman from Vancouver Island developed blood clots in her lungs after her Pfizer Covid vaccine. She emailed Bonnie Henry, hoping to have her wait expedited as she suffered from continuing clotting in her lungs.

    The vaccine-injured victim also hoped Henry would investigate further as to “why my first vaccine resulted in blood clots in my lungs and to add these findings to ongoing research”.

    Even though she fell ill with adverse reactions one week after her first Pfizer shot, the B.C. Center of Disease Control did NOt update their vaccine page to include Pfizer as a vaccine with clotting risks.
    The AstraZenca and Johnson and Johnson vaccines are listed however.

    Despite the fact that B.C. “health officials” knew the jab was causing deaths and injury, one B.C. doctor who spoke out about the risks was suspended from his ER duties. Dr. Charles Hoffe warned in April, 2021 about the harm from the Moderna shots, the B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons warned Hoffe in February of 2022 for speaking out about the harm from the shots, yet all Hoffe’s concerns seem to b consistent with information reported in FOI just 5 months later.

    Before the madmen start injecting anymore babies all vaccines should be halted and an inquiry ordered.

  5. Germany must become ‘leading power’ on world stage after ‘80 years of restraint’, says Scholz ally

    Berlin is pouring billions of euros into rearmament in response to Ukraine war

    Germany must cast aside “80 years of restraint” to become a true “leading power” on the global stage, the co-leader of the Social Democratic (SPD) party has said.

    Lars Klingbeil, who is a close ally of the German president Olaf Scholz, said on Tuesday that Berlin must “normalise” its relationship with its military forces to achieve this aim.

    The German army, the Bundeswehr, should be viewed as a “legitimate political tool”, he added.

    “Germany needs to hold itself to the standard of a leading power,” he told the Friedrich Ebert foundation, a think tank linked to the SPD.

    “After almost 80 years of restraint, Germany has a new role in the international system. Over the last decades, Germany has earned itself a great amount of trust. With this trust come expectations,” Mr Klingbeil said.

    His comments on Tuesday come almost four months after Mr Scholz announced a “Zeitenwende”, a dramatic U-turn in German foreign policy, which will see the Bundeswehr receive billions of euros to pay for rearmament.

    The policy shift was announced in response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and came as a surprise to some of Mr Scholz’s allies.

    Berlin had for decades been reluctant to devote more resources to its armed forces, following the horrors committed by the Nazi regime during the Second World War.

    The Russian invasion of Ukraine showed that Germany’s approach had become outdated, Mr Klingbeil said.

    “A war between states in Europe seemed unimaginable…We should have viewed the signals coming out of Russia differently, at the latest when it illegally annexed Crimea,” he said.

    Although the new German administration has been praised for its change in strategy, it has been criticised both for its delay in sending heavy weapons to Ukraine and for its over-reliance on the Kremlin’s gas, which makes a full EU embargo on Russian energy unlikely.

    As part of its ongoing support for Ukraine, a shipment of German self-propelled howitzers recently reached Ukraine, the Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Tuesday.

    The Panzerhaubitze 2000, which is one of the Bundeswehr’s most powerful artillery weapons, can hit targets up to 25 miles away.

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/germany-foreign-policy-bundeswehr-ukraine-b2106676.html

    ====================================

    German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sent 50 German troops to Lithuania instead of the promised thousands, columnist Matthew Karnichnig wrote in an article for the Politico newspaper on Monday, June 20.

    He said that during his visit to Vilnius in early June, Scholz tried to demonstrate to the Lithuanian leadership “his commitment to ensuring the security of the Baltics”, but this behavior caused nothing but bewilderment.

    As Karnichnig noted, the German chancellor’s statement to journalists spoke of Germany’s plans to move “along the way of transferring a ‘reliable combat brigade’ to Lithuania, which involves the deployment of several thousand soldiers.

    The observer also emphasized that Scholz’s assistants later refuted his statement. They explained that the FRG had transferred to Lithuania only the headquarters of the unit, which included about 50 people.

    A day earlier, Scholz responded to criticism for the slow delivery of weapons to the Ukrainian side. He said that Kyiv underestimates the “complexity of the issue”, adding that when sending modern weapons systems to Ukraine, such as howitzers or anti-aircraft systems, it is necessary to invest in high-quality training of fighters, otherwise the weapons will be useless. Ammunition is also needed for such systems.

    Earlier, the Ukrainian news agency UNIAN joked about the German chancellor who arrived in Kyiv on June 16. The journalists suggested making him wait for a taxi “until the end of the month or until the fall.” So they hinted at the promises of the German politician regarding the supply of weapons to Kyiv

    https://thenewsglory.com/politico-scholz-sent-50-german-soldiers-to-lithuania-instead-of-the-promised-thousands-and-was-embarrassed/

    • DEUTSCHE PRAVDA – First heavy weapons from Germany reach Ukraine, but Kiev says it’s not enough

      Self-propelled howitzers, the Panzerhaubitze 2000, are the first heavy weapons sent by Germany to arrive in Ukraine.

      Ukraine confirmed the howitzers and other heavy weapons were received, but says they are just a drop in the ocean of what is needed to fend off the Russian assault.

      Russia continues to make advances in the Donbas.

      Ukrainian officials say its forces have captured several more settlements and now control almost all of the Luhansk region.

      Meanwhile, a diplomatic dispute between Russia and Lithuania is escalating after the Baltic state blocked the rail transit of sanctioned goods through its territory to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

      Lithuania says it’s just following EU guidelines — now Moscow’s threatening ‘serious consequences.’

    • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

      Russia’s Disinformation Cannot Hide its Responsibility for the Global Food Crisis

      JUNE 22, 2022

      “As with its decision to start this unjustified war, responsibility for the disruption of these supplies and the suffering that it’s causing around the world lies squarely and solely with the Russian Government.”

      SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN MAY 18, 2022

      Lying to the World About Global Food Security

      Russian President Putin’s illegal and unprovoked war against Ukraine has had catastrophic effects on Ukraine, its neighbors, and people across the globe. The Kremlin’s war in Ukraine has wreaked death and destruction, killing thousands of civilians , displacing millions , making refugees of millions more, and massively damaging civilian infrastructure . The devastating effects of Russia’s aggression have disrupted Ukraine’s economy , which in turn has exacerbated global food insecurity. Ukraine has long been the “breadbasket of Europe, ” feeding millions of people across the globe. It is a top grain supplier to dozens of African and Middle Eastern countries. Now, after Russia’s February 24 all out invasion, Ukraine has turned “from a breadbasket to a breadline, ” while the Russian government uses disinformation to mislead the world about the cause of this crisis.

      Food insecurity has risen because of Putin’s war of choice. It was not caused, as the Kremlin claims, by sanctions that the United States and many other countries have imposed in response to Russia’s horrific aggression against Ukraine. Food insecurity was rising before the invasion, and Putin’s war exacerbated that trend. Russia mined Ukrainian grain fields, attacked merchant shipping on the Black Sea, and blocked Ukrainians from exporting their own grain. Russia is also plundering Ukrainian grain for its own profit, pilfering grain from Ukrainian warehouses according to credible reports. All these actions have worsened food insecurity around the world.

      Conversely, the United States and its partners have taken great care to avoid exacerbating food insecurity. U.S. sanctions, for example, are specifically written to prevent food insecurity: they include carveouts for agricultural commodities and permit transactions for the export and re-export of food to and from Russia, even with a sanctioned individual or entity. Moreover, the United States has pledged $2.6 billion this year in humanitarian food assistance to help alleviate world hunger, with an added $5 billion to be added over the next five years.

      The Kremlin’s Blame Game and What it Hopes to Accomplish

      Russia’s government officials, Russian state-funded media, and Kremlin-aligned proxy disinformation actors are attempting to deflect attention from Russia’s responsibility for worsening global food insecurity by blaming sanctions, “the West,” and Ukraine. In fact, the Kremlin and its proxies’ massive disinformation campaignis heavily targeting the crisis’s most heavily impacted regions – the Middle East and Africa. These false narratives are amplified by Kremlin-controlled state outlets such as RT Arabic and RT en Francais , as well as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) state media .

      As it has with past false narratives about bioweapons in Ukraine , the Russian government’s top diplomats and its embassies spread disinformation, often concentrating on African and Middle Eastern audiences. Some recent false claims include:

      Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian grain “Western and Ukrainian disinformation .”

      In his May 19 United Nations Security Council speech on conflict and food security, Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasiliy Nebenzya accused Europe of “hoarding” Ukrainian grain and engaging in “grain for weapons ” exchanges with Kyiv.

      Russia’s embassy in Egypt blamed “illegal unilateral sanctions ,” while Russia’s embassy in Zimbabwe claimed “Western interference ” in the Global South.

      In his May 25 Africa Day speech, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attempted to de-legitimize Ukraine and urged African ambassadors in Moscow to demand the removal of “illegal, anti-Russian” sanctions in order to strengthen food security.

      OneWorld , a website with ties to Russia’s military intelligence, according to U.S. officials, echoed Lavrov’s claims, accusing President Zelenskyy of supporting a U.S.-led “global food cartel ” that will wield control over global food supply as a “new hybrid weapon ” against the Global South.

      In his May 26 interview with RT Arabic, Foreign Minister Lavrov accused the West of neo-colonialism and of blackmailing African and Arab countries to join “anti-Russia” sanctions, in a bid to build solidarity against what Russia’s propaganda calls the “imperial West .”

      This disinformation is intended to both hide Russia’s culpability and persuade leaders of at-risk countries to support an end to sanctions designed to stop Russia’s unjust and brutal war in Ukraine.

      Conclusion: Where the Blame Really Lies

      The Russian government’s attempts to deflect responsibility for its actions by blaming others for the worsening crisis in the global food system are reprehensible. This crisis is keenly felt in many Middle Eastern and African countries that import at least half of their wheat from Ukraine. According to World Food Program, millions of people are at risk of famine and malnutrition in these regions, as Putin’s reckless war increases the price of bread, taking money from the pockets of the most vulnerable families. “Russia is solely responsible for this food crisis … despite the Kremlin’s campaign of lies and disinformation,” said European Council president Charles Michel as Russia’s UN Ambassador Nebenzya stormed out of a June 6, 2022, UN Security Council meeting.

      The Russian government continues spreading disinformation about its unjustified war’s disastrous consequences, including global food insecurity. The Russian government should stop weaponizing food and allow Ukraine to safely ship out its grain so that millions of hungry people in the Middle East and Africa can be fed.

      https://www.state.gov/disarming-disinformation/russias-disinformation-cannot-hide-its-responsibility-for-the-global-food-crisis/

    • TASS- US denies permission for special flight to carry Russian diplomats home — MFA

      Such defiant behavior of the US authorities would not “go unanswered,” Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed

      MOSCOW, June 22. /TASS/. Washington has not granted permission for a special flight of Russia’s state aircraft to the United States, which was supposed to take home employees of Russian diplomatic missions, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Wednesday.

      “The US is continuing to systematically damage bilateral relations, which are already at their lowest ebb. Washington has distinguished itself in taking yet another hostile move against our country, by not granting permission for a special flight of Russian state aircraft to the United States, which was supposed to carry home employees of Russian foreign institutions and their families,” the statement says.

      “The Joe Biden administration has preferred to totally ignore the fact that it is actually a humanitarian action as our plane was supposed to fly in to take those of our colleagues whom the Department of State had earlier issued an ultimatum, ordering them to leave the United States by the end of this month,” Zakharova added.

      The Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman pointed out that such defiant behavior of the US authorities would not “go unanswered.”

      “As we have warned before, once a Russian special flight is denied entry, countermeasures, including asymmetrical ones, will inevitably follow, of which we will notify through diplomatic channels in accordance with the established procedure,” the statement says.

      https://tass.com/world/1469963

    • reuters –Russian momentum in Ukraine could slow for lack of resources – British PM

      BERLIN, June 22 (Reuters) – Britain’s defence intelligence service believes that Russia’s momentum in the war in Ukraine will slow in the next few months as its army exhausts its resources, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a group of European newspapers.

      In comments released on Wednesday by Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Johnson said President Vladimir Putin’s forces were pushing forward in the eastern Donbas region, wreaking destruction but at a heavy cost in soldiers and weapons.

      “Our defence intelligence service believes, however, that in the next few months, Russia could come to a point at which there is no longer any forward momentum because it has exhausted its resources,” Johnson was quoted as saying in the interview.

      “Then we must help the Ukrainians to reverse the dynamic. I will argue for this at the Group of Seven summit (in Germany at the weekend),” he said.

      “In as much as the Ukrainians are in a position to start a counter-offensive, it should be supported. With equipment that they demand from us,” he said.

      Asked what a victory for Ukraine, or failure for Putin, would look like, Johnson said:

      “That we at least regain the status quo that was there before Feb. 24 and that its (Russia’s) troops are repulsed from the areas they invaded”.

      https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-britain-johnson/russian-momentum-in-ukraine-could-slow-for-lack-of-resources-british-pm-idINL1N2Y928T

    • Zelensky addresses University of Toronto students

      ( 1 min 05 )

      Zelensky spoke to a group of UofT students alongside Hrystia Freeland.

      Zelensky talked about how students can help in the fight disinformation and how he’s confident Ukraine will defeat Russia.

  6. reuters – Finland is ready to fight Russia if attacked – defence chief

    HELSINKI, June 22 (Reuters) – Finland has prepared for decades for a Russian attack and would put up stiff resistance should one occur, its armed forces chief said.

    The Nordic country has built up a substantial arsenal. But aside from the military hardware, General Timo Kivinen said, a crucial factor is that Finns would be motivated to fight.

    “The most important line of defence is between one’s ears, as the war in Ukraine proves at the moment,” Kivinen said in an interview.

    Finland fought two wars in the 1940s against its eastern neighbour, with which it shares a 1,300-km (810-mile) border.

    Once a non-aligned country, it is now applying to join the NATO military alliance over concerns that Russia could invade like it did Ukraine on Feb. 24.

    Since World War Two, Helsinki has kept up a high level of military preparedness.

    “We have systematically developed our military defence precisely for this type of warfare that is being waged there (in Ukraine), with a massive use of firepower, armoured forces and also airforces,” Kivinen said.

    “Ukraine has been a tough bite to chew (for Russia) and so would be Finland.”

    Some 100,000 Finns were killed during the two wars Finland fought against the Soviet Union and it lost a tenth of its territory.

    The nation of 5.5 million has a wartime troop strength of some 280,000 with 870,000 trained as reservists. It did not abolish military conscription for males as many other western nations did after the end of the Cold War.

    It has also built one of Europe’s strongest artilleries and has stocked up on cruise missiles with a range of up to 370 km (230 miles). It spends 2% of its GDP on defence, a level higher than many NATO countries.

    It is ordering four new warships, as well as 64 F-35 fighter jets from U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin (LMT.N).

    It plans to order up to 2,000 drones, its own high altitude anti-aircraft equipment and is building barriers on its border with Russia. read more

    Some 82% of respondents in a May 18 poll by the defence ministry said they would be willing to participate in national defence if Finland was attacked.

    Still, Kivinen welcomed Finland’s decision to apply to join NATO. Finland and fellow Nordic country Sweden are in talks with Turkey to discuss the latter’s opposition to their applications.

    Ankara has been angered by what it says is Helsinki and Stockholm’s support for Kurdish militants and arms embargoes on Turkey. read more

    NATO membership would allow Finland to boost its early warning capacity by being part of the alliance’s joint airspace control, Kivinen said.

    Finland would also benefit from the deterrence of being part of an alliance in which an attack on one member is an attack on all its members, he said.

    Nevertheless, he said, “the main responsibility for Finland’s defence will still be borne by Finland”.

    https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/finland-is-ready-fight-russia-if-attacked-defence-chief-2022-06-22/

  7. CBC – MPs now carry panic buttons as threats increase

    Electronic panic buttons have been made available to MPs, and some are already carrying them, as serious threats against politicians have increased.

    • Ah the victim game.

      Someone should make a Hitler bunker parody where he talks about how his generals tried to kill him on that train, if I recall correctly. And how rough it is to be a politician in Nazi Germany.

    • Globe reporter said the Canadian flag is a trigger, politicians have panic buttons, what happened to all the truckers and supports of freedom when the government lied about the use of the emergency act, and thugs were sent in to beat people, knock some down with horses, throw others in jail for asking the politicians to help defend their rights? Take away their source of living, fire those who said my body, my choice and refused the jab, FREEZE BANK ACCOUNTS. Jagmeet Singh says all Canadians MUST be vaccinated with the poison. Unvaccinated people should not be tolerated.

      I have had people yell and swear at me simply because I refuse to take the jab. One man told me he always thought I was a smart woman but not anymore, another said unvaccinated people should be put in training camps. Another suggested the unvaccinated should damn we’ll be run over. I did not “panic”, I simply realized a long time ago their are a lot of politicians who lie and are More qualified to work in a sewer.

    • Let’s talk about threats and stirring up trouble:

      Globe and Mail reporter Gary Mason, “with hospitals in crisis, it’s time there were consequences for vaccine holdouts”.

      When speaking of anyone who will not comply:
      Ottawa police chief says “If you are involved in this protest, we will actively look to identify and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges, absolutely. They will be coming after protestors for months to come.”

      Disgraceful deputy PM, Chrystia Freeland, announced the seizing of Canadian citizen’s bank accounts and making it permanent.

      They thugs used tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and the RCMP thugs watched the video of the horses knocking people down and commented “ that is awesome, we should practice that manoeuvre” and laughed.

      Unvaccinated people have been called “small fringe minority who hold unacceptable views, vermin, plague rats, white trash, superspreaders

      “Sure we can continue to blame governments for their botched handling of various aspects of the pandemic and some of it is truly deserved. yet, we don’t seem to be as angry with those who refuse to get vaccinated who are contributing massively to the prolonged crisis. at what point do we say enough? if you chose to make a conscious decision not to get vaccinated, then you must be aware it comes with repercussions. And one of them could be around medical care. If you put yourself in harm’s way, then you will pay the price, which might be lack of space for you in your local hospital.

      CTV news Ottawa Liberal and NDP leaders have confirmed to parliament that ALL unvaccinated individuals will be on mandatory lockdown effective Dec. 15. Not adhering to lockdown results in a 2,500 dollar fine and arrests for multiple infractions. More to come.

      Heather Mallick Toronto Star More irresponsible reporting
      “The unvaccinated he Risch there freedom to harm others. How can we ever forgive them for having helped spread a disease that killed and disabled so many, devastating the economy, leaving many of us jobless and wretched.”

      They also printed on their front page a comment from a “healthcare worker” “ If an unvaccinated person catches It from someone who is vaccinated, boo hoo, I have no empathy left for the willfully unvaccinated. LET THEM DIE”.

      Justine Trudeau “Vaccine passports are “all about” rewarding certain freedoms to people who have “done the right thing”— and those who “still resist” simply won’t get to enjoy the same freedoms”.

      Silence them – call them conspiracy therorists for “the greater good”.

      July 13, 2021 Ottawa
      B’nai Brith Canada – is alarmed by the increasing frequency with which Jagmeet Singh’s Federal NDP party turns a blind eye towards violence against Jews, both in Canada and beyond. When the VP of the Federal NDP executive in Oakville, Shyam Abdelaal, was asked his view on guns, he replied “Good if they are going to be used against Zionists”.

      Justine Trudeau, and Jagmeet Singh get an A+++ for whipping up the people against Canadians citizens who stood their ground and would not comply.

      Abortion- they both believe it’s “my body, my choice. OK to Murder a baby.

      Vaccines – they both agree you must take the poison shot, no my body, my choice anymore. Control, control, control, threaten Canadian citizens, shame them and call them any name they want.

      The government should supply unvaccinated with panic buttons – – they are being hounded and harassed by their own government/dictator.

  8. CBC – What it’s like to recover from monkeypox

    A Toronto resident shares his experience recovering from monkeypox, while officials and advocates say more support is needed for patients during the long weeks of isolation.

  9. Russians With Attitude
    Jun 20 • 5 tweets • 1 min read

    this ukrainian amateur propaganda poster with a call for “derussification” by renaming leo tolstoy square in kiev into skoropadsky square is funny on several
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FVul4TRWAAEE9fH.png

    one of them being that skoropadsky was a reactionary monarchist who wanted more autonomy for the little russian landowning nobility & opposed separating ukraine from russia

    skoropadsky’s idea was basically a restoration of the russian empire but with the aristocracy in what is now central ukraine having more political power and autonomy within some kind of federalized system

    the whole “derussification” thing really would be funny if it weren’t so sad. the ukrainian ministry of education removing gogol from the curriculum the other day for being a moskal orc after three decades of claiming him as ukrainian.

    deputy education minister vitrenko: “all works about the mystical power of russian arms, all that mythical stuff, it must be discarded. everything that concerns, as they say, the suffering of the russian soul, these works are too heavy for ukrainians, we don’t need them at all”

    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1539006470607589376.html

  10. Washington – The Commision on Security and Coordination in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following online briefing:

    Decolonizing Russia: A Moral and Strategic Imperative

    Russia’s barbaric war on Ukraine—and before that on Syria, Libya, Georgia, and Chechnya—has exposed the Russian Federation’s viciously imperial character to the entire world. Its aggression also is catalyzing a long-overdue conversation about Russia’s interior empire, given Moscow’s dominion over many indigenous non-Russian nations, and the brutal extent to which the Kremlin has taken to suppress their national self-expression and self-determination.

    Serious and controversial discussions are now underway about reckoning with Russia’s fundamental imperialism and the need to “decolonize” Russia for it to become a viable stakeholder in European security and stability. As the successor to the Soviet Union, which cloaked its colonial agenda in anti-imperial and anti-capitalist nomenclature, Russia has yet to attract appropriate scrutiny for its consistent and oftentimes brutal imperial tendencies.

    https://www.csce.gov/international-impact/press-and-media/press-releases/decolonization-russia-be-discussed-upcoming

    Comment: “lmao. american government straight up holding conferences on how to dismantle russia.”

    • Delusion
      The US Government’s Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) holds a briefing on the “moral and strategic” necessity of partitioning Russia

      [see their map!]

      The feel of omnipotence after a string of great successes can often lead one to think of themselves as permanent victors, incapable of defeat. This enters the realm of delusion when the facts on the ground run counter to the perception of victory. This is the real estate currently occupied by a large segment of the US foreign policy community…

      This panel is being led by four women and one man, all of whom have cycled through the NGO Regime Change Complex, whether it be the International Crisis Group, Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe, the German Marshall Fund, the Soros Octopus, and so on…

      These are your typical “swamp creatures” who profit off of the misery of those targeted by the USA for regime change. Their views always match up with the policies of the US State Department, regardless of how they couch their words. Pure coincidence, of course.

      [Shifting terminology: from exporting democracy, regime change, to “decolonizing Russia”.]

      I am certain that many of you will take the position that I formerly had; that the adoption of woke terminology in service of empire is a cynical ploy. I no longer believe that. I think that these are true believers. Chechens, Volga Tatars, the Komi, the Yakuts, all “indigenous” peoples suffering under Russian colonization, all yearning to be free, all seeking to release the American that is inside of them, screaming to get out.

      They are US Blacks who still suffer from the legacy of slavery and segregation, they are the Sioux on the reserve, they are the bullied Transgendered, they are the oppressed WaPo journalist from a rich family who went to Swiss boarding school…

      Europeans and North Americans need to sacrifice their standard of living so that the USA can triumph in Ukraine. Africans might need to starve as well. It’s for a good cause, the decolonization of Russia. How can you say no?

      https://niccolo.substack.com/p/delusion?r=e6xbi&s=r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

  11. Uke sources recast Russian military evacuation of more than 307,420 children from Ukr to Russia since Feb. as “admission of genocide”, maybe concentration camps.

    In fact, [RWA]: “The evacuations started on february 18th, by the way, a week before the war, when ukraine began systematically destroying civilian infrastructure with artillery.”

    https://twitter.com/RWApodcast/status/1539574837814988800

    Schools shut in Feb.: Choice targets and artillery launching sites.
    We’ve heard directly from families. Not all the refugees went to Poland and elsewhere to the west. Many in the big eastern cities who couldn’t or wouldn’t leave needed that help to get their kids out. They’re with relatives or friends-of-friends in Russia.

  12. Ecuador protests take increasingly violent turn in capital

    Defence minister warns Ecuador’s democracy is at risk

    Ecuador’s defence minister has warned the country’s democracy is at risk after Indigenous protesters attacked the prosecutor’s office and demonstrations against the government and rising fuel prices turned increasingly violent in Quito.

    The capital has been virtually paralyzed amid increasing signs of food and fuel shortages and reports of clashes between Indigenous protesters and police. On Tuesday morning, protesters punctured the wheels of buses, forcing passengers to walk.

    In a national broadcast, defence minister Luis Lara said the military was watching events with concern amid the “manipulation of social protests and the growth in violence by those who have rejected dialogue.”

    Mr Lara said that “these actions go beyond a citizen protest – this amounts to a deliberate effort to use violence to threaten democracy, endanger institutions.”

    The violence marked an escalation of protests that began eight days earlier, when the powerful Indigenous Nationalities Confederation called for an indefinite strike to press its demands that president Guillermo Lasso cut fuel prices, put price controls on agricultural products and increase the education budget, among other issues.

    In similar Indigenous protests in October 2019, a group entered the government comptroller’s office and set fire to the building and destroyed files.

    The strike has largely affected six provinces in Ecuador’s north, but demonstrators have also intermittently blocked roads, leading to fuel and food shortages in numerous areas of the country, including the capital.

    A group made up of Ecuador’s universities, the Catholic Church and delegations of the United Nations and the Organization of American States, among 300 other institutions, have called on the government and Indigenous groups to “reach agreements to deal with the serious economic, social and political crisis that Ecuador is going through.”

    The government accepted the call, but the demonstrators have yet to respond.

    The Energy Ministry has invoked contract clauses that prevent lawsuits from being filed by hydrocarbon operators over unfulfilled contracts as the protests affect output. Demonstrators have entered oil fields, forcing companies to shut down almost 609 wells in the Amazon, leading to a loss of around 30,000 barrels per day.

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/ecuador-protest-capital-guillermo-lasso-b2106558.html

  13. Sergiy Misyura from the Main Department for Development and Support of Logistics of the Armed Forces of Ukraine… explains to us how the rashists like symbolism:

    — “Russians love symbolism, especially in dates. Therefore, on June 22, at exactly 4 am – German SAU PzH 2000 worked on the positions of the rascists. The ward will be up all day.

    Glory to Ukraine!” —
    [Image]

    Ideological questions aside, Kiev was one of the first cities to be subjected to a horrifying bombing campaign by the Germans on June 22nd at 4am, several hundred civilians died just in the first hours

    But, of course, June 22nd is not just the anniversary of the beginning of Operation Barbarossa – it is also the anniversary of the beginning of Operation Bagration, three years later.

    […]
    Personally not a fan of that type of trolling, it’s kind of Baltics-tier.

    https://twitter.com/RWApodcast/status/1539615893663121408
    .
    .
    How could it be deliberate? Germans study more relevant subjects than their own history.
    Barbarossa? A shisha bar in Berlin?
    .
    .
    Cheap trolls run our DoS: U.S. Embassy Moscow changes its address officially to “Donetsk People’s Republic Square”.

  14. – REMEMBER the Nova Scotia mass killings? Well, it turns out RCMP Lucki under orders of Justin and Bill Blair tried to control the narrative in order to promote the gun ban. –

    “RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki tried to ‘jeopardize’ mass murder investigation to advance Trudeau’s gun control efforts”

    RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki “made a promise” to Public Safety Minister Bill Blair and the Prime Minister’s Office to leverage the mass murders of April 18/19, 2020 to get a gun control law passed.

    A week after the murders, Lucki pressured RCMP in Nova Scotia to release details of the weapons used by the killer. But RCMP commanders in Nova Scotia refused to release such details, saying doing so would threaten their investigation into the murders.

    The Trudeau government’s gun control objectives were spelled out in an order in council issued in May 2020, and were encapsulated in Bill C-21, which was tabled last month, but the concern in April 2020 was the extent to which politics threatened to interfere with a cross-border police investigation into how the killer managed to obtain and smuggle into Canada four illegal guns used to commit many of the 22 murders.

    More: https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featured/rcmp-commissioner-brenda-lucki-tried-to-jeopardize-mass-murder-investigation-to-advance-trudeaus-gun-control-efforts/

  15. aaaaand…
    …another one bites the dust ~

    Bulgarian government loses no-confidence vote, early elections loom

    SOFIA (Reuters) -A no-confidence vote on Wednesday toppled Bulgaria’s government and Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, who had pledged to tackle corruption and took an unusually strong stance against Russia.

    Opposition lawmakers brought down the government – which took power six months ago – on a 123-116 vote after the ruling coalition lost its majority over disputes on budget spending and whether Bulgaria should unlock North Macedonia’s EU accession…

    Petkov, a 42-year-old HARVARD graduate who had pledged to combat corruption, has taken a strong pro-European and pro-NATO position since Russia invaded Ukraine, an unusual stance for a country traditionally friendly toward Moscow.

    https://news.yahoo.com/bulgarian-government-faces-no-confidence-074321065.html

  16. DAILY MAIL –Covid jab maker Moderna will build first mRNA factory in UK in £1billion deal to make vaccines for flu and other illnesses to ‘futureproof’ Britain against pandemics

    The US-based biotech firm became a household name during the pandemic
    Now struck deal with UK to launch a new vaccine innovation and tech centre
    Reports suggest factory could be built in Oxford, Cambridge or London

    […]The Massachusetts-based company, which is also setting up a factory in Canada, will use its UK site for making variant-proof Covid and flu jabs.

    Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the mRNA technology — which experts hope could also tackle dementia and cancer in the future — had been ‘transformational’ during the pandemic.

    He said the site would allow a rapid response to future pandemics.

    […]Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the plan would bring ‘supercharged home-grown vaccines right to our shores.’

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10941635/Government-s-Moderna-partnership-bring-1-billion-investment.html

  17. Caroline Glick: The U.S. and NATO are losing catastrophically in Ukraine

    In this week’s episode of “Middle East News Hour,” Caroline Glick is joined by David Goldman from Asia Times and the Claremont Institute to discuss why the United States and NATO are the real losers of the Ukraine war. They look at:

    – The situation on the ground
    – U.S. options for managing the war going forward
    – The global economic implications of the Western sanctions on Russia
    – What this all means for Israel

    • Caroline was just FIRED from Israel Today!

      The paper changed hands a year ago, and swung LEFT, joining the kool-kids’ clique of international journalism. Not articulating news of and for domestic Israelis, rather apologizing for them, determined to reform them, NATO them.

      English-language readers are getting familiar globalist drivel. The J’lem Post and The Times -sorta- of Israel. The media, including TV, have long been anti-Bibi jihadis. They monstered him, anticipating the defamation of Trump by decades. Ideological Obama-noids.

      Haaretz is a freak, an artifact of the old German Jew-ish elite that continues to cherish a Sieg Heil identity. Nobody reads it in Israel, but it’s the paper of record for the Washington, D.C. blob.

      Religious neuters, they extend themselves to antisemitic Moslems. Just because.

      They’re certainly not partial to the particularity of a homeland for a certain people.

  18. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

    G7 Media Ministers Meeting Communiqué

    MEDIA NOTE

    OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON

    JUNE 22, 2022

    The following statement was released by the G7 Media Ministers following their meeting in Bonn, Germany on June 19th, 2022:

    Begin text:

    We, the Media Ministers of the G7, met in Bonn on 19 June 2022 to work more closely together on issues regarding our media policies and their role in strengthening democracy – a task that requires a global response.

    We as the G7 stand up for open, free and democratic societies. We will promote them and protect them. We firmly believe that democracies are best placed to serve their people and to address global challenges such as climate change and threats to sustainable development, as well as to provide people with the greatest security and freedom.

    We condemn Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which is being waged against a free and democratic society in violation of international law. This has always been a war built on lies, with the Kremlin creating false pretexts for invasion, obscuring the truth, and hiding and denying war crimes. It has shown us once again just how horrifying the effects of systematic and coordinated manipulation of the information environment can be. As Russia sought to disseminate disinformation abroad, it sought to silence and censor independent media at home. Journalists and the free media as a whole have been among the first targets of this war.

    This is not the first time in history that information manipulation, disinformation and the restriction of media freedom have been explicitly designed to support and enable injustice and oppression. However, we also recognize the courage and professionalism of Ukrainian and international media covering this war.

    As the G7, we reaffirm our commitment to a free and open media environment; robust and independent journalism; an open, free, global, interoperable, reliable and secure internet; and resilient telecommunication services. As G7 leaders decided last year, we need to cooperate in opposing government-imposed internet shutdowns and restrictions, which, among other harms, prevent people from accessing independent media reporting. We have to ensure and encourage access to and dissemination of independent media and in particular shine a light on regions affected by war and crisis.

    A society in which individuals can freely exercise the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including seeking, receiving and imparting information and ideas of all kinds, is of foundational importance for democracy and liberty. Free and plural media are an indispensable component for this: by providing accurate information and diverse viewpoints, they enable the public to participate in societal debates, make informed choices, and hold their governments to account.

    Information manipulation, including disinformation, and hate speech can undermine and hinder open, democratic dialogue and debate, and can promote division and polarization. As a result of targeted harassment and abuse, some parts of society, especially groups subject to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination such as women and girls, LGBTQI+ individuals, and members of marginalized racial and ethnic communities, censor themselves, avoid specific topics, and even refrain from participating in public debates online. Online harassment and abuse not only impedes individual ability to exercise their right to freedom of expression, but the suppression of diverse voices results in an opportunity cost in terms of the free exchange of ideas and ultimately lost innovation. This can result in the dominance of one-sided, false or manipulative content in public discourse online.

    To counter these threats, we will work together to protect and advance freedom of opinion and expression as laid down in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and further enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The G7 will take measures to preserve and promote free, independent and pluralistic media landscapes and improve economic, social, legal and actual conditions for those who shape those media landscapes to serve our democracies.

    The Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals and their Significance for Democracy

    When democracies are under attack, all too often journalists and members of the media are the first to have their human rights curtailed and to face threats and repression. Women in journalism are disproportionately impacted by threats and attacks, which are more often gendered and sexualised than threats against their male counterparts and increasingly take place online. Around the world, journalists and media professionals are persecuted, threatened and even killed for their work. In many cases, these crimes go unpunished. In democracies too, there have been attacks on journalists by those seeking to suppress fact-based and accurate reporting. According to the Reporters Without Borders 2022 World Press Freedom Index, press freedom is threatened in 70 countries worldwide; in 28 of those countries, the situation is classified as “very bad”.

    Not only individual journalists, but also newspaper publishers and broadcasters are censored or blocked entirely from operating. Digital platforms that provide access to content also increasingly face attempts at censorship by autocratic states, impeding the free flow of information from traditional media outlets, as well as calls from society more broadly to restrict content.

    In Russia, independent journalists and media outlets have long faced oppression, and now those who have reported about the war in Ukraine have been censored, repressed, threatened and forced to close. We have seen multiple media reports of abductions of journalists, as well as local elected officials, civil-society leaders, and others. And we have seen reports of deliberate targeting of Ukraine’s independent media by Russian forces.

    But it is not only Russia that suppresses critical and contrary opinions and threatens journalists. Around the world, journalists face harassment and violence for their work, and press freedom is being restricted, both online and offline. According to Reporters Without Borders, last year more than 400 journalists, media professionals and bloggers were imprisoned, and more than 40 were killed for their work. At least 12 journalists have been killed in Ukraine since Russia’s full scale invasion began.

    These shocking examples show that protecting a free, independent and pluralistic media landscape means first and foremost protecting journalists, particularly women journalists and those from marginalised communities.

    This requires a comprehensive approach that is both self-critical and prepared to cooperate and assist abroad in partnership with countries around the globe. Prevention of crimes against journalists also relies on the broader conditions in which media outlets, social media, and technology platforms operate.

    Independence of the Media and Economic Conditions

    Media companies are enterprises that research, report and disseminate editorial content that inform the public and, in so doing, help people form their opinions. They are vital to democracy and its ability to function. These companies also should work to ensure that trustworthy information and diverse perspectives are available to the public. Therefore, we encourage independent and transparent standards developed by individual companies or within the sector itself (self-regulation) to ensure that media companies remain accountable to their audiences.

    Governments also play a role in maintaining conditions that allow independent media outlets to thrive. We seek to promote optimal environments for an economically sustainable and resilient media sector in order to preserve a pluralistic media landscape in the long term. However, any public funding, subsidies or state advertising should be distributed based on transparent criteria that do not lead to direct or indirect governmental interference and any other political influence on editorially independent media.

    Regarding the growing power of state-controlled media structures in multiple countries around the world, it is essential that we continue to fight against state-sponsored information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, while robustly defending media freedom and freedom of expression. Governmental non-interference in editorial work of independent media, including public service media, is a key principle in this regard and need to be ensured by legal and regulatory safeguards, including transparency requirements for foreign investments and ownership structures.

    Technological Conditions and Media Convergence

    Media convergence, new forms of communication and new ways of shaping opinion have fundamentally altered the conditions under which media operate. At the same time, people around the world continue to need trustworthy journalism, free and independent reporting, and unimpeded access to reliable and pluralistic sources of objective information.

    Globalization, unimpeded access to fact-based information both online and offline, and the digital transformation have created a media environment in which cross-border access to media content and services is possible. The availability of information and spaces of communication is no longer contingent on national borders. Today, we can communicate directly with people around the world and access an unprecedented abundance and range of unfiltered first-hand impressions and different perspectives. This enables people to hear a broader range of viewpoints and develop global understanding, as well as facilitating connections across the world.

    Competition for users’ attention and for shaping the dominant narrative about current events no longer takes place only locally and regionally, but rather globally. This speaks to the importance of tackling the digital ecosystem challenges in an integrated way, with collaboration across governments and with all interested stakeholders to work together towards a common vision.
    Digital platforms play an ever more important role in this digital ecosystem and in the opinion-forming process online. These private companies have a strong influence on access to and the visibility of media content, and they dominate the advertising market.

    The internet and digital technologies enable innovation, the free and open exchange of opinions and ideas, and unprecedented opportunities for participation in public and social discourse.
    However, to fully seize the opportunities digital transformation brings, we should also manage its potential risks. In particular, we reaffirm the need to respond to those actors who threaten freedom and democracy by limiting access to independent sources of information, who inhibit plurality, and who engage in information manipulation and disinformation to sow doubt, distrust and hatred. At the same time, social-media platforms and other digital technologies have given rise to new forms and manifestations of violence through their misuse, including amplification of pre-existing forms of gender-based violence through their scale, speed, and reach.

    We strongly encourage platforms to act responsibly, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, to prevent and address situations where their algorithms may elevate or amplify content that either incites imminent violence or otherwise violates the platforms’ own terms of service and policies.

    We will promote access to a variety of sources of information and a range of opinions to facilitate pluralistic, vibrant democratic discourse and participation in society, while also supporting a secure public space of communication and ensuring that individuals have ready access to independent, fact-based, trustworthy sources of information – offline as well as online.

    That is why we have extensively discussed media policy online and offline issues, especially access to and availability of trustworthy information, freedom from discrimination, equality of opportunity, transparency and user autonomy. We have also talked about how human rights such as freedom of expression must be respected online and offline and how the influence of opinion, which is based on market power, can be better tackled.

    In addition to traditional media, civil-society initiatives also play a key role in a vibrant democracy and make a vital contribution to enabling individuals to form opinions. They create new opportunities for participation, especially for marginalised groups, and empower public opinion-forming, as well as providing new media formats. They inform people, raise awareness, and can help improve media literacy and impart trust in democracy and the media.

    Conclusions for International Media Policy

    We have therefore committed to work together more closely in the coming years, especially in the following areas:

    A. Supporting Media Freedom

    We commit to:

    – further mutual exchanges about market-based policy approaches that could level the playing field between dominant digital platforms and news businesses, and that allow bargaining over the total value of the news content created by journalists,

    – establish the right conditions to safeguard the freedom, independence and pluralism of the media, making sure that media markets function well and allow for the sustainable economic development of the media,

    – help support the sustainability of the media sector and its innovation and digital transformation, and therefore welcome implementation of commitments made at the Summit for Democracy to strengthen the sustainability and resilience of independent media and encourage all actors – governments, philanthropies, the private sector – to do more,

    – reach common ground on how to effectively address information manipulation and interference, including tackling propaganda and countering disinformation, while also respecting human rights and taking steps to protect the ability of critical and dissenting voices can continue to be heard around the world and human rights are respected,

    – act against state-driven censorship, network connectivity disruptions, and media bans of the free press, while bolstering the important role of independent media,

    – discuss ways to improve access to, and availability of, diverse and reliable information sources, with freedom from discrimination, equality of opportunity, transparency and user autonomy as key principles (such as through the international multi-stakeholder forum on the diversity of content online launched by Canada),

    – work to support online platforms’ transparency and provision of services that are safe, and promote respect for freedom of expression and information, and encourage such platforms to ensure the digital environment is fair and respectful of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including in particular freedom of expression, and encourage such platforms to support media freedom and pluralism,

    – advance existing initiatives to promote media freedom and plurality of media (such as the Media Freedom Coalition, the Diversity of Content Online initiative launched by Canada, UNESCO, the Media Pluralism Monitor, the Freedom Online Coalition, the Declaration for the Future of the Internet),

    advance existing initiatives that support civil society, fact-checkers and researchers engaged in detecting and exposing threats from and incidents of information manipulation including disinformation threats and incidents and analysing trends (such as the European Digital Media Observatory),

    – strengthen efforts to coordinate approaches to prevent and response to online harassment and abuse and technology-facilitated gender-based violence, recognizing that targeted harassment and abuse online, which disproportionately impacts especially women, girls, and LGBTQI+ persons, can be an impediment to individuals’ ability to exercise their right to freedom of expression, build consensus and foster joint efforts with international partners on the best data. Stakeholders need to understand the effect of platform policies and interventions to address mis- and disinformation, for example the UK’s Measuring Effective Interventions Framework initiative,

    – strengthen mutual exchange to identify and counter malign information manipulation influenced by foreign governments that threatens media independence and to promote transparency of media ownership structures.

    B. Protecting Journalists and Media Professionals

    The current political situation in many places shows the fragility of human rights, including freedom of expression, as well as of the rule of law and press freedoms. In multiple countries, independent media professionals who can no longer practice their profession have been forced to leave and continue their work in exile. We need to act in a strong alliance to defend press freedom worldwide and to work effectively to protect journalists and media professionals.

    We commit to:

    -keep developing and advancing programmes as well as work on accommodation options to support journalists and media professionals who are threatened in their home country or have fled from it, so that their voices are not silenced at home, and therefore welcome Germany’s initiative to actively support journalists as well as other individuals defending the freedom of expression,
    protect and support – in accordance with each country’s own approach – journalists and media professionals under threat, while respecting the empowering of organisations that systematically monitor press and media freedom,

    – deepen our collaboration through existing initiatives, such as the Media Freedom Coalition and the Global Media Defence Fund (GMDF), which help to protect media freedom and journalists and to take action against abusive litigation against journalists and human rights defenders (known as SLAPP suits) which is used to silence them.

    C. Cooperation and Inclusion of Civil Society

    Freedom, plurality and sustainability are the values that should guide our path forward into the future. We will connect with civil-society actors, advance concrete initiatives, and in doing so strengthen the multilateral order to create and preserve peace. Space for open, democratic debate online and offline has to be maintained, in which ideas, projects, and visions of democratic society can be shared and discussed.

    We support all those who stand up for democracy by:

    – noting the work of international initiatives and mechanisms such as the OECD’s work on Rebuilding Trust and Reinforcing Democracy and the Partnership on Information and Democracy,
    reaffirming our commitment to existing institutions such as the European Audiovisual Observatory, which are important sources of information for media policy,

    – cooperating in opposing politically motivated internet shutdowns and restrictions,
    welcoming initiatives that promote a safe and secure information environment, media and information literacy and trustworthy journalism, and therefore welcoming the Democracy Newsroom initiative,

    – encouraging initiatives that contribute to a viable, diverse and independent media industry, supporting innovation and digital transformation, including through additional collaborations to support and sustain independent public interest media,

    – welcoming media initiatives that enable independent journalism to remain a watchdog of democracy at local, national and international levels and contributes to the public debate,
    encouraging the initiative “Transparency and freedom of opinion – Crisis resilience of media”,

    welcoming the Canada-led international Guiding Principles on Diversity of Content Online, which were developed in collaboration with a multi-stakeholder working group that includes counterparts in other countries, and with civil-society and industry partners,

    – encouraging the establishment of media literacy courses for all generations to enable individuals to clearly differentiate between fact-based information and disinformation, to understand how manipulative tactics can be used online and offline and to understand journalism as an indispensable part of the checks and balances in democratic societies.

    D. Initiating Work Processes – The Way Forward

    We therefore intend to anchor media policy even more firmly at the global level as a field of work that is relevant to democracy. In coordination with existing initiatives and formats, in particular with the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), we want, for the first time, to create a forum for increased dialogue at the G7 concerning the global media online and offline, a dialogue which requires a global response, and developing solutions and cooperative approaches.

    In order to achieve these goals, we commit to:

    – continue to closely coordinate on questions concerning the spread of content and information from a security, human rights, technical and media policy perspective, and pursue a joint approach to support media freedom and pluralism,

    – create a follow-up process to achieve the aforementioned goals,

    – welcome the input of international experts on media freedom in state decision-making processes, in addition to forums such as the EU, the CoE, OSCE and the UN,

    – actively use opportunities for cooperation with international associations, civil-society organisations and initiatives on current media-related issues.

    End text.

    [1] As of 6 June 2022, according to the Council of Europe’s Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists.

    https://www.state.gov/g7-media-ministers-meeting-communique/

  19. Did Russian hackers blow up a Texas LNG pipeline on June 8?

    According to two sources, around the time of Russia’s late February invasion of Ukraine, a cyber unit of Russia’s GRU military intelligence service again conducted targeting-reconnaissance operations against a major U.S. liquefied natural gas exporter, Freeport LNG.

    U.S. LNG exports have long been a priority concern for Russia, viewed by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a means for the United States to undercut Russia’s domination of the European gas market.

    On June 8, Freeport LNG suffered an explosion at its liquefaction plant and export terminal on Texas’s Quintana Island. The damage suffered means the facility is not expected to resume major operations until late 2022.

    The June 8 disruption had an immediate impact in spiking already soaring European gas prices and has reinforced Russia’s ability to hold gas supplies to Europe at risk in retaliation for the European Union sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine. U.S. LNG futures have fallen significantly since the explosion…

    But what actually happened on June 8?
    …Preliminary observations suggest that the incident resulted from the overpressure and rupture of a segment of an LNG transfer line, leading to the rapid flashing of LNG and the release and ignition of the natural gas vapor cloud…

    [W]hat was not explained is how a critical overpressure event could have occurred without safety systems kicking into action….

    The experts suggested that piping from a storage tank to a terminal, as in this explosion, should have extensive safeguards to prevent overpressure events. One expert was highly confident that control of pipeline flows would be undertaken from a networked control facility.

    That brings us to the Russian cyber unit involved in the targeting reconnaissance against Freeport LNG.

    https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/did-russian-hackers-blow-up-a-texas-lng-pipeline

    • Wow, what a swamp critter story. And to be clear the largest banks and other TBTF, lobbyist-connected companies have become government-by-extension in a fascistic criminal enterprise.