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“They make a desert and call it peace.”

-- Gaius Cornelius Tacitus

News and Opinion

NATO Expanding its Theater With China in its Sights

During the March 23-24 meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) council, Anthony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, encouraged NATO members to join the U.S. in viewing China as an economic and security threat to the U.S. as well as to NATO countries, thereby expanding NATO’s areas of focus to include the Pacific. This is a dangerous move that must be challenged.

To gain insight into what transpired at the March NATO meeting, we can look to a roadmap for NATO’s future, which was released last fall. The report, entitled “NATO 2030: United for a New Era,” is intended to be a guide for the military alliance in meeting the challenges it will face in the next decade. In the report, released in November, the “independent group” of five advisers from 10 NATO countries identified 13 challenges and threats to NATO in the next decade.

This new proposed roadmap for NATO reflects an alarming expansion: It is as much about China and the Asia/Pacific region as it is about NATO’s traditional traditional area of operations and concern, Europe and Russia.

Although the group identified the No. 1 threat to NATO as Russia, China was named as threat number 2.

The document brings the North Atlantic Treaty Organization into the Pacific and attempts to provide a justification to expand and strengthen “partnerships” in the Asia/Pacific region. NATO already has four “partners” in the Pacific through bilateral agreements with Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. ...

In his March 24 press conference after the meetings of the North Atlantic Council and after U.S. Secretary of State Blinken’s statement, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg focused on primarily on Russia but echoed Blinken’s oppositional rhetoric regarding China.

Army focuses on long-range missiles to guard against China

In a discussion Tuesday on the future of the Army in the Indo-Pacific, two top service leaders reiterated that the ground force isn't stepping on the toes of the Marine Corps or Air Force budgetwise or operationally in developing long-range missiles.

Big land invasions are out and maritime missile forces are in—requiring the Army to adjust its fire accordingly.

Far-reaching "precision fires" are the Army's No. 1 modernization priority under its biggest change in 40 years and as it seeks new capability by fiscal 2023, including its first hypersonic weapon and a missile that can hit targets up to 930 miles away.

The perception of interservice conflict comes with both the Army and Marine Corps developing fast-moving island-hopping forces that can sink ships around islands in the Western Pacific if deterrence with China fails.

Rouhani: ‘No serious efforts’ from US to revive nuclear deal

President Hassan Rouhani has said Iran has seen “no serious efforts” from the United States after reports that the Biden administration proposed a new offer to resolve a deadlock over the landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

In a televised cabinet speech on Wednesday, Rouhani pointed out that US President Joe Biden has emphasised diplomacy and admitted to the failure of his predecessor Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy.

However, the Iranian president said the Biden administration’s words have not translated into action, referring to the continued harsh US sanctions that Trump had imposed in 2018 when his administration walked out of the 2015 deal.

Brazil in Crisis: COVID Deaths Soar & Hospitals Overflow Amid Unprecedented Political Upheaval

Brazil: calls grow for removal of 'coup-mongering' Bolsonaro as crisis builds

Prominent leaders of Brazil’s opposition have called for president Jair Bolsonaro to be immediately removed from office to prevent his “coup-mongering, authoritarian delusions” becoming a reality. “We cannot be bystanders to this barbarism,” congressman Marcelo Freixo said on Wednesday as parliamentarians demanded Bolsonaro’s impeachment for what they called his illegal attempt to co-opt the armed forces.

Bolsonaro’s decision to sack Brazil’s defence minister Gen Fernando Azevedo e Silva – and the subsequent departures of the heads of all three branches of the military – has sent political shockwaves through the world’s fourth-largest democracy.

“There is an attempt here by the president to arrange a coup – it is under way already – and that is why we are reacting,” claimed Alessandro Molon, the leader of the opposition in the lower house, as the impeachment request was presented to congress. ...

The sudden and dramatic fissure between Brazil’s far-right president and the military men who helped bring him to power in 2018 has yet to be fully explained. Some observers suspect senior members of the armed forces had decided to ditch Bolsonaro’s crisis-stricken administration – partly out of frustration at his calamitous handling of an uncontrolled coronavirus outbreak that has killed nearly 320,000 Brazilians. Others believe military chiefs may genuinely have been trying to protect Brazilian democracy after Bolsonaro, a former army captain known for his admiration of dictators, attempted some kind of authoritarian move such as a self-coup, by which a democratically elected leader takes on dictatorial powers.

Keiser Report | The Singularity or the Panopticon?

Biden unveils 'once-in-a generation' $2tn infrastructure investment plan

Joe Biden on Wednesday unveiled what he called a “once-in-a-generation” investment in American infrastructure, promising a nation still struggling to overcome the coronavirus pandemic that his $2tn plan would create the “strongest, most resilient, innovative economy in the world”. ... The expansive proposal, called the American Jobs Plan, would rebuild 20,000 miles of roads and highways and repair the 10 most economically significant bridges in the country among a sprawling list of other projects that Biden said would confront the climate crisis, curb wealth inequality and strengthen US competitiveness. ...

The measure includes hundreds of billions of dollars to expand access to high-speed broadband; replace lead water pipes, ensuring access to clean drinking water; and upgrade the electric grid, making it more reliable while shifting to new, cleaner energy sources. It also seeks to improve community care facilities for seniors and people with disabilities, modernize schools and retrofit homes and office buildings while dedicating funding to training millions of workers and supporting initiatives that strengthen labor unions.

The spending over eight years would generate millions of new jobs, Biden said. To pay for the package, he proposed a substantial increase on corporate taxes that would offset the spending over the course of 15 years. Among the changes, Biden called for a rise in the corporate tax rate to 28% from 21% and measures to force multinational corporations to pay more taxes in the US on profits earned abroad.

Krystal Ball: Biden's Infrastructure Package Is A JOKE. Here's The Proof

Biden plans to spend $100bn to bring affordable internet to all Americans

Joe Biden’s massive infrastructure bill will prioritize broadband expansion as a top goal, earmarking $100bn to bring affordable internet to “all Americans” by 2029.

The plan, details of which the White House released in a fact sheet on Wednesday afternoon, seeks to reach “100% high-speed broadband coverage” across the US. It will do so while prioritizing broadband networks “owned, operated by, or affiliated with local governments, non-profits, and cooperatives” in a clear rejection of partnerships with big tech firms.

After Covid-19 forced many Americans to work and attend school from home, the disparities between Americans with and without reliable access to internet have become more visible, the Biden administration said, citing “a stark digital divide”.

“The last year made painfully clear the cost of these disparities, particularly for students who struggled to connect while learning remotely, compounding learning loss and social isolation for those students,” the administration wrote. ...

The administration seeks to bring broadband to the 35% of rural Americans who lack access to internet at minimally acceptable speeds, calling it the “electricity of the 21st century” and comparing it to the 1936 Rural Electrification Act, which sought to bring electricity to every home in the US.

Bernie's Defense Of Biden's Stimulus Shocks Progressives

Nearly 46m Americans would be unable to afford quality healthcare in an emergency

An estimated 46 million Americans said they would be unable to afford quality healthcare if they needed it today, a new West Health-Gallup survey has found. The survey also found wide racial and economic disparities in who believes they can afford healthcare.

Nearly twice as many Black Americans as white Americans said they would not be able to pay for healthcare, at 29% versus 16% respectively. More than one in three low-income Americans, or 35%, said they were unable to pay for needed healthcare in the last 12 months during the Covid-19 pandemic.

One in eight Americans (12%) said they reduced food spending to pay for healthcare. Among people who earn less than $24,000 each year, one-quarter cut back on food to afford healthcare. Also among low-income households, 21% had to reduce spending on utilities to afford care.

“Unfortunately, it’s not surprising that millions of Americans can’t afford healthcare,” said Dr Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, a thinktank whose advocacy work has examined how high prices on insulin have led to rationing and even death among diabetics. “It is, however, shocking and kind of outrageous, but not surprising.”

“Our system has been structured for many years on the basis of private health plans and very deep dysfunction politically and within the medical industry,” said Saini.

Intercept Pushes Laughable Democrat Propaganda via Ryan Grim

New Zealand raises minimum wage and increases taxes on the rich

New Zealand is raising its minimum wage to $20 an hour and increasing the top tax rate for the country’s highest earners to 39%. The changes will be rolled out on Thursday, alongside small increases to unemployment and sickness benefits. The government estimates the minimum wage increase – a rise of $1.14 per hour – will affect up to 175,500 workers, and increase wages across the economy by $216m.

The new top tax rate will apply to anyone earning more than $180,000 a year, about 2% of New Zealanders. The government estimates it will bring in an additional $550m in revenue this year.

OECD data shows that New Zealand’s previous minimum wage, as of 2019, was already among the top five highest in the world. Over the course of the Covid pandemic, many of the country’s essential workers have been minimum wage earners – including those who work at the airport and in border jobs, and are considered the frontline defence against the virus.

In 2020, unions called for an increase to the living wage, $22.10, for those on the front lines. “It’s a big deal to these workers. Part of it’s the money, part of it’s the dignity of feeling rewarded by the community for the sacrifices they’re making,” United Union national secretary John Crocker told TVNZ at the time.

Ro Khanna's Endless Posturing On $15 Minimum Wage Called Out

Centrist Democrats Panned for Demanding Revival of Major Tax Break for the Rich

A small but potentially influential group of House Democrats on Tuesday threatened to oppose an emerging climate and infrastructure package if it does not restore a tax deduction that overwhelmingly benefited the richest households in the country.

The state and local tax (SALT) deduction was capped at $10,000 as part of the 2017 Republican tax-cut legislation, a change that prompted outcry from centrist blue-state House Democrats who represent the higher-income, higher-tax areas that were disproportionately impacted by the limit. The House voted to suspend the cap in 2019—a move opposed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and other prominent progressives—but the effort died in the then-Republican Senate.

Now, with Democrats in control of the upper chamber, several lawmakers are using their leverage in the narrowly Democratic House to try to force a full repeal of the SALT cap into upcoming legislation. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) estimates that 62% of the benefits of repeal would go to the richest 1%.

In a joint statement late Tuesday afternoon, Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.) declared that they "will not accept any changes to the tax code that do not restore the SALT deduction and put fairness back into the system."

"We say, 'No SALT, no deal,'" the lawmakers said. "The GOP passed an unfair cap of $10,000 on state and local tax (SALT) deductions to pay for their 2017 tax giveaway. Due to the GOP cap, our home states of New York and New Jersey have been crushed and residents have been leaving for other states."

The trio of House Democrats issued their demand just 24 hours ahead of President Joe Biden's expected release of a $2.25 trillion infrastructure and climate package that the president is aiming to finance by hiking taxes on the wealthy and corporations. While Biden is pushing to partially reverse some elements of the 2017 GOP tax law—including its cut to the corporate tax rate—the initial package is not expected to call for repeal of the SALT cap.

Axios reported earlier this week that Gottheimer and other centrist Democrats are pushing back against some of the proposed tax increases while simultaneously demanding repeal of the SALT cap as a necessary component of the forthcoming package. ...

Politico reported Tuesday that in addition to Gottheimer, Suozzi, and Pascrell, "several more lawmakers are in conversations about the [SALT cap repeal] effort and plan to formally join in the coming days."

"Right now, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team can only afford to lose three Democratic votes," Politico noted. "The push to revisit SALT—which comes as Biden unveils his multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure proposal on Wednesday—comes with a hefty price tag: $88.7 billion for 2021 alone, and far more for a permanent repeal of the cap."

Corporate Dems Show Progressives How To Play Hardball

Earlier this month, progressive lawmakers refused to withhold their votes on must-pass COVID-19 stimulus legislation until the bill included a $15 minimum wage. A few weeks later, conservative Democratic lawmakers are now threatening to withhold their votes on must-pass infrastructure legislation until the bill includes large tax cuts for the wealthy. The contrast in tactics spotlights a decisive asymmetry in congressional politics right now: The right wing of the Democratic Party is willing to play hardball on behalf of the affluent, to the point of threatening to take down one of President Joe Biden’s signature legislative initiatives, an infrastructure and climate plan he will detail on Wednesday.

By contrast, the left wing of the party has not yet been willing to play the same kind of hardball on behalf of the working class — and that refusal ultimately helped kill a promised wage hike in the recent pandemic aid bill and could similarly imperil other progressive priorities.

The tax issue revolves around federal write-offs for state and local taxes — colloquially called SALT deductions. Donald Trump’s 2017 tax bill limited such deductions to $10,000. The move was perceived as a mean-spirited shot at blue states, which often have higher state and local levies to fund more robust public services. But on the merits, the policy serves to limit tax deductions primarily for higher-income households. ...

Last week, progressive lawmakers got a special, feel-good meeting with White House chief of staff Ron Klain to talk about the $15 minimum wage. While he reportedly reiterated Biden’s commitment to a wage hike, there has been no indication out of Washington yet that Democrats have a real plan to pass such a measure. ...

This isn’t rocket science. This is negotiation 101. Whether a labor-management tussle, a business pact or a legislative debate, if you aren’t willing to condition support for a final deal on a set of clear demands, then your demands will likely be ignored. Conservative Democrats fighting for tax cuts for their wealthy donors seem to understand this. ... But until progressives are willing to play the same kind of hardball as their conservative Democratic opponents, they should expect to continue being on the menu, not at the table — and the $15 minimum wage will probably remain in limbo.

“Check His Pulse”: Outraged Bystanders Describe Witnessing George Floyd Death at Derek Chauvin Trial

More detail of testimony at the link:

Chauvin trial: cashier tells of guilt over role in events that led to George Floyd's death

The cashier who served George Floyd in a Minneapolis store immediately before his arrest and death last May told a court on Wednesday of the “disbelief and guilt” he felt for allowing Floyd to pay with a suspected fake $20 bill when he later saw the police kneeling on him. ... The cashier, Christopher Martin, 19, said Floyd appeared to be high on drugs but was not threatening and was “very approachable, talkative”. Martin said he noticed Floyd because “he was a big man” and that they had a long conversation about sport. He did tell the court in Minneapolis, however, that he noticed the 46-year-old Black man’s speech was laboured. “It would appear that he was high,” he said. ...

The trial was shown video of Floyd in the shop. He can be seen wandering around for several minutes, appearing to stagger at times, before making his way to the tobacco counter where Martin was serving. Floyd buys cigarettes and pays with a $20 bill.

Martin said that he was immediately suspicious of the note because it had an unusual pigment but accepted it anyway even though he knew it would be deducted from his pay. “I thought George didn’t really know it was a fake bill so I was doing him a favour,” he said. But Martin had a change of heart and showed the note to a manager who said to go after Floyd and bring him back in to the store. Throughout the video, Floyd does not appear threatening. Although there is no audio, at times he appears to be joking with other customers. “He seemed very friendly, approachable, talkative,” said Martin. “But he did seem high.”

The trial was then shown footage of Martin and a co-worker approaching Floyd as he sits in his vehicle and telling him he needed to come back to the store and speak to the manager about counterfeit money. When Floyd twice refuses, the police are called. Martin went back to work but returned outside after noticing a crowd gathering on the street.

Later in the footage, Martin is seen watching events with his hands on his head. The prosecutor asked what he was thinking. “Disbelief and guilt,” he said. “If I would have just not taken the [counterfeit] bill, this could have been avoided.” Martin said that not long afterwards he quit his job at Cup Foods because he “did not feel safe”.

“The System of Policing Is on Trial”: Derek Chauvin Murder Case Is About More Than Just George Floyd

Police officers sue Donald Trump for injuries resulting from Capitol riot

Two US Capitol Police officers have filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump, accusing him of inciting the deadly 6 January insurrection and saying he was responsible for physical and emotional injuries they suffered as a result.

James Blassingame, a 17-year veteran of the force, and Sidney Hemby, an 11-year veteran, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in US district court for the District of Columbia seeking damages of at least $75,000 each.

“This is a complaint for damages by US Capitol Police officers for physical and emotional injuries caused by the defendant Donald Trump’s wrongful conduct inciting a riot on January 6, 2021, by his followers trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,” the lawsuit said.

Elite minority of frequent flyers 'cause most of aviation's climate damage'

An “elite minority” of frequent flyers cause most of the climate damage resulting from aviation’s emissions, according to an environmental charity. The report, which collates data from the countries with the highest aviation emissions, shows a worldwide pattern of a small group taking a large proportion of flights, while many people do not fly at all.

In the US, 12% of people took 66% of all flights, while in France 2% of people took half of the flights, the report says. In China 5% of households took 40% of flights and in India just 1% of households took 45% of all the flights.

It was already known that 10% of people in England took more than half of all international flights in 2018. A global study reported by the Guardian in November found that frequent-flying “super emitters” who represent just 1% of the world’s population caused half of aviation’s carbon emissions in 2018. Almost 90% of the world’s population did not fly at all that year.

The coronavirus pandemic has slashed the number of flights taken but campaigners fear government bailouts of airlines will cause aviation to return to its pre-pandemic growth trend.

Data Shows Rainforest Destruction Accelerated in 2020

Intentional deforestation as well as drought-induced wildfires made more frequent and severe by the climate crisis drove a significant acceleration of global rainforest loss in 2020, with new figures released Wednesday showing that 12.2 million hectares of tree cover were destroyed in the tropics last year.

According to data from the University of Maryland and Global Forest Watch, 4.2 million hectares—an area the size of the Netherlands—of destruction occurred among humid tropical primary forests. Scientists say this level of loss is a major blow to the planet's biodiversity and a setback for the fight against the global climate crisis, given the crucial role rainforests play in absorbing atmospheric CO2.

"The resulting carbon emissions from this primary forest loss (2.64 Gt CO2) are equivalent to the annual emissions of 570 million cars, more than double the number of cars on the road in the United States," noted Mikaela Weisse and Liz Goldman of Global Forest Watch, an initiative of the World Resources Institute (WRI).

"As in past years, commodity-driven deforestation was the leading cause of tree cover loss (both in primary and secondary forests) in Latin America and Southeast Asia, while shifting agriculture dominates in tropical Africa," the pair observed. "In addition, fires and other climate-related impacts continued to play a big role, both in the tropics and beyond."

Last year was third-worst year for forest destruction since 2002, with the loss of primary forest—defined as areas undisturbed by human activity—up 12% compared to 2019.

Solar Swells as Coal Collapses: Analysis Shows Rapid Shift to Renewables Underway

The nation's transition from dirty to renewable energy is "nearing exponential growth"—a shift set to usher in "transformative" impacts within a handful of years.

So declares the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) in its "U.S. Power Sector Outlook 2021" report released Wednesday.

Among the key findings (pdf) are that wind and solar are the least costly power generation option in much of nation.

The analysis also points to President Joe Biden's announcement this week regarding efforts to boost offshore wind as set to "have a major impact on the speed of existing development efforts along the East Coast."

Expected new offshore wind capacity "will certainly undercut any need for new fossil fuel generation in the region, as well as vying for market share with existing fossil fuel generators," the publication finds.

The fast decline of coal is projected to go into high gear, according to the report. Coal made up less than 20% of the U.S. electricity market in 2020, and coal generation capacity is in free-fall, dropping 32% from its peak 10 years ago. And while higher gas prices could tick coal generation upward this year, the analysis forecasts it would be "a short-lived reprieve" lasting a year at best.

What's more, a number of coal plants are already set for retirement, and that number "in the coming decade is going to climb sharply," the analysis forecasts.

Gas, meanwhile, has plateaued. The narrative of it serving as a so-called bridge, according to the report, "has now been closed"

Additionally noted in the analysis are the major strides wind and solar are making. Thanks to a surge in capacity, "utility-scale wind and solar accounted for more than 10% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2020 for the first time."

Industry predictions are for 54 gigawatts of new utility-scale solar for commercial operation by the end of 2023—which would mark a doubling of capacity.

Further aiding the U.S. move away from fossil fuel energy is that the Trump administration has ended. It's clear, the authors write, that "the new Biden administration is going to take a much more aggressive policy approach over the next four years to quickly push the U.S. electricity sector to be less carbon-intensive."

Tipping the scales more towards renewables is the strong growth in battery storage installations. No longer a "a niche product with limited applications," there are now "markets for storage across the board."

The bottom line, according to the analysis, is clear: "Cleaner and lower-cost wind and solar, coupled with battery storage, will drive fossil fuels out of the market."

As report co-author David Schlissel, sees it, the writing on the wall for fossil fuels is clear.

"This is just the start of a transition that is rapidly accelerating, driven by sharp declines in cost, stricter environmental regulations for coal generation, and mounting public concern about climate change," he said in a statement.

Also of Interest

Here are some articles of interest, some which defied fair-use abstraction.

Was Albert Einstein an Anti-Semite?

False Assertions, Misleading Quotes, Fake Sources - How The NYT Writes Anti-China Screeds

Opposing All Governments Equally Is Supporting The Most Powerful Government

“Wipe out China!” US-funded Uyghur activists train as gun-toting foot soldiers for empire

Film-makers condemn PBS over lack of diversity and dependence on Ken Burns

Sarah Palin says she has Covid and urges people to wear masks

Trump’s EPA Helped Erase Records of Almost 270,000 Pounds of Carcinogenic Pollution

We sampled tap water across the US – and found arsenic, lead and toxic chemicals

Critics Warn Biden Infrastructure Plan 'Falls Woefully Short' on Climate Crisis

John Kerry Urged to Help End Flow of Finance From Wall Street to Industries Fueling Climate Crisis

David Dayen: How We Can DISMANTLE The Surveillance Economy

Krystal and Saagar: LEAKED Docs Reveal Amazon's Secret Twitter Shill Program

Krystal and Saagar: Key Biden Cabinet Secretary FLOATS Getting Back Into TPP

Krystal and Saagar: Docs REVEAL INSANE Extortion Plot Alleging Gaetz Pictured In 'Underage Sex Orgy'

Matt Taibbi PREVIEWS New Novel On Secrets Of Drug Dealing

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Rufus Thomas - I think I made a boo boo

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