"...The fatal weakness of lenocracy is shown with remarkable clarity, in fact, by the results of the sanctions the United States and its allies aimed at Russia after the Russo-Ukrainian war began a little less than two years ago. Those sanctions, as I trust my readers remember, were expected by Western politicians and pundits to cripple the Russian economy so severely that the Russian people would rise up against Putin, and accept the dismemberment and despoliation of their country that Western elites have been so publicly daydreaming about for decades.
That wasn’t what happened, because the West didn’t provide any essential goods or services to the Russian economy. Nearly all of what it provided was various kinds of pimping..."
So, my hunt for an ethical (= no #MilitaryIndustrialComplex, #Tobacco, #FossilFuel, #BigTech) #KiwiSaver operator has stalled. I thought #Sharsies might be an option, but their funds only allow you a token 5% discretionary investment & only among NZX stocks. You can't remove their second major share holding, the Microsoft Corporation, which makes them a hard no for 'ethical investment'.
#Netherlands / Future of Dutch arms sales to Israel to be decided today
The Hague Court of Appeal will announce its verdict in the case brought by Oxfam Novib, PAX and The Rights Forum against the Dutch government regarding the delivery of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel.
Other EU countries like Wallonia and Spain have already decided to stop arms exports to Israel due to the risk of contributing to serious violations of international humanitarian law.
The NGOs are confident ahead of the verdict, but regret that legal action was necessary. They warn about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in #Gaza with disease and acute hunger outbreaks amidst ongoing bombings and fighting. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has vowed "total victory."
The NGOs criticize the contradiction of the Netherlands providing medical aid while also supplying F-35 parts used to bomb Gaza, saying this narrative cannot be justified.
#Netherlands / Future of Dutch arms sales to Israel to be decided today
The Hague Court of Appeal will announce its verdict in the case brought by Oxfam Novib, PAX and The Rights Forum against the Dutch government regarding the delivery of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel.
Other EU countries like Wallonia and Spain have already decided to stop arms exports to Israel due to the risk of contributing to serious violations of international humanitarian law.
The NGOs are confident ahead of the verdict, but regret that legal action was necessary. They warn about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in #Gaza with disease and acute hunger outbreaks amidst ongoing bombings and fighting. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has vowed "total victory."
The NGOs criticize the contradiction of the Netherlands providing medical aid while also supplying F-35 parts used to bomb Gaza, saying this narrative cannot be justified.
> A new type of mercenary spyware came on the radar called Predator. It’ll infect a mobile phone, and then suck up all the data from it. Contacts, text messages, location, and more. This malware is being sold to intelligence agencies around the world.
Listening to this episode opened my eyes about the crazy world of cyber mercenaries, a part of the #MilitaryIndustrialComplex profiting off of wars.
One of the rarer examples of great and thoughtful journalism from Kotaku. the video game industry is a willing part of the US' propaganda campaign against the Middle East. They are all too willing to depict the Middle East and all its people, cultures, and countries as evil terrorists with some good people sprinkled in there here and there.
America’s War Economy and the Urgent Call for Peace in the Middle East
Twenty-three years and more than two wars later, this statement reads as a tragic footnote to America’s Global War on Terror that left an entire region of the planet immiserated. It contributed to the direct and indirect deaths of close to 4.5 million people while costing Americans almost $9 trillion and counting.
I'm prepping a q&a session with the us ambassador. I need facts about the US/Israel connection. How much does US support Israel and IDF etc., and in what problematic areas?
So if you have any facts and subjects around that theme, please let me know.
tl.dr: what questions would you ask the us ambassador, related to the current #genocide in Gaza?