https://www.democracynow.org/2026/5/20/cuba_raul_castro_peter_kornbluh
https://thegrayzone.substack.com/p/the-us-indicted-raul-castro-for-deterring
The recent indictment by the Trump Justice Department of Raul Castro relies on a false narrative. Basically they're asserting that these innocent humanitarian planes were shot down over international waters and as such Castro is guilty of conspiracy and murder. If it only it were that simple.
And why is this indictment being handed down now?
The Transportation Security Administration or TSA was founded in the aftermath of 9/11 and though it would seem people have forgotten, it was quite controversial. It began a period of dehumanised public interaction with the state, and the degradation and humiliation of travellers. It was connected to the Patriot Act and the decimation of basic Constitutional rights. In other words if I was a patriot (which I am not) I would view TSA workers as traitors, enemies of the republic established by the US Constitution. I'm glad they're not being paid. They should go get real jobs and actually earn some honest money.
https://www.politico.eu/article/france-germany-next-generation-fighter-jet-project-collapse/
In the grand scheme of things this is a minor story but it points to some of the internal struggles within Europe, which in turn plays out within the larger political spectrum. With the departure of Angela Merkel and in light of Franco-German relations (such as the 2019 Aachen Treaty), Macron stood at the pinnacle of European politics. France was set to re-assert the leadership it believes itself entitled to.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/6/26/president_donald_trump_nato_iran
I was pleased to find this story touching on some larger questions that the mainstream media tends to downplay or ignore. The question of increased military budgets and militarism go hand in hand with the cutting of social services and tax cuts - some of the key economic planks of Trumpism.
Boeing is too big to fail. As a member of the S&P100, the company constitutes a large and essential component within the stock market as well as the US security apparatus. Boeing builds commercial jets and does billions of dollars in military contracts. In fact it's the second biggest military contractor in the United States (and third in the world).
It's clear that Kyiv is basically unable to mount the much vaunted spring offensive – at least not anything of significance within the spectrum of conventional artillery-infantry oriented combat expected by its Western sponsors. Spring is more or less over at this point and for months the NATO Establishment has debated its next set of moves. It was determined some time ago that a general escalation was in order. The question was not if but when and how. There will an offensive but it is likely to change the very character and scope of the war.
It seems that about every other military and weapons story is
related to drone development. As many things in the world are changing, so is
the way of waging war.
https://thediplomat.com/2021/06/dont-expect-pakistan-to-host-us-military-bases/
In some respects this is a small story and received little
attention but it deserves a second look. The Taliban has protested regarding US
drone strikes in Afghanistan and particularly the targeted killing of al Qaeda
leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. They are of course upset with Washington but the real
target of their accusations and perhaps their ire is Pakistan. The Taliban
accuses Islamabad of hosting US drones or at the very least allowing them to
strike from its airspace.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61488976
This story sure caught my eye. I don't believe such a
narrative would fly in Western coverage. Whether the story is true or not, the
propaganda campaign against China has reached a point that any and every story
that can be used or spun is posted – anything to cast a shadow over the
character of the Chinese people and state.
Putin fell for a geopolitical trap in the invasion of Ukraine, and US president Joe Biden has fallen for a series of traps set by his domestic political opposition.
The US wanted to send fighter aircraft to Ukraine but finally someone realised that Ukrainian pilots are trained on Soviet and Russian models – Sukhoi's and MiG's. And so sending them F-16's and the like will do little good. I'm sure they could fly them but they won't be proficient without training.
As the military campaign rages, the lies continue to multiply on all sides as do the dangers. It is evident that Ukraine presented no security threat to Moscow in itself. That's not why Russia invaded. This conflict is over Ukraine's use as a staging point and its symbolism in the larger NATO-Moscow struggle. For the unfortunate people of Ukraine, their land is once again a battlefield – it's been a recurring motif for the peoples of Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, and Western and Southern Russia throughout their histories – a region Timothy Snyder referred to as the Bloodlands.
https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/12/23/indonesia-sukhoi-us-french-planes/
These types of stories appear on a regular basis. One can't
read too much into them or overplay their meaning but they reveal something of
the behind the scenes struggle between the powers.
So said the US government in regard to the RyanAir flight diverted by Belarus to Minsk. Ostensibly threatened by a bomb, all admit the move was made by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko in order to seize an opposition journalist with Western ties.
