The Taliban in Belgium

https://www.euractiv.com/news/taliban-envoy-abdul-qahar-balkhi-to-lead-delegation-to-brussels/

The Taliban does not want to do business with the United States. Given the bad blood connected to the horrific war of the 1980's, it's surprising that Kabul would want anything to do with Moscow either, but indeed it would seem the two nations are proceeding on the basis of common interests. China looms over all and while the Taliban looks to Beijing as its primary foreign investor, the Afghan leadership knows that it's in their interest to diversify - lest they become wholly dependent on Beijing.

Chang on the Xi-Trump Summit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXQQKcHRgnA

There have been numerous commentaries regarding the recent Trump-Xi meetings in Beijing. Some insist that Trump arrived in a position of strength and came away scoring significant victories in terms of geo-strategic commitments and trade deals. Unsurprisingly, such interpretations are found among Trump supporters.

Macron's Latest Defeat

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.

The Latest Vatican Betrayal of Chinese Catholics

https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Henan-gets-a-new-bishop-while-churches-remain-off-limits-to-under-18-64424.html

Leo XIV has now followed Francis in his betrayal of Chinese Catholics. The underground bishop Zhang Weizhu was effectively thrown under the bus in favour of the Beijing approved prelate Li Jainlin, now bishop of Xinxiang. Further, the ruling CCP intends to enforce it's ban on under 18-year olds - an affront that the Vatican seems willing to kow-tow to.

Why would the CCP ban under 18's apart from a hope to indoctrinate them - in the hope that they will abandon Catholicism?

Why would the Pope agree to this?

Western Media's Latest Episodes of Anti-Putin Spin

Putin is a thug and murderer and thus he's cut from the same cloth as many US leaders and their proxies. I'm not a fan of him or his policies and yet it's striking to me just how frequently Western media spins coverage of him, his statements, and his actions.

Smoke and Mirrors: Trump's Trade Deal with China

https://apnews.com/article/trump-china-trade-tariffs-rare-earth-minerals-cbd2482bd2b3a7ce8d47030c4ff1c3d4

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/trump-china-2672360236/

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/27/trump-says-us-has-signed-trade-deal-with-china

Trump will tout everything he does as supreme, the greatest ever. Every move is a triumph, a victory - but he's saying very little about the trade deal with China. For all the noise he made about China, his tariff plan, and all the rest, one would think he would want to trumpet this 'success'. And yet like his plan to annex Greenland - he's moved on it would seem.

A Neanderthal Commenting on Cavemen

It's been more than a month since the Signal Group Chat scandal broke. This Politico piece from the end of March is dated but still relevant. Waltz has now been shifted over to UN Ambassador and Hegseth has invited further scandal. Some believe his days are numbered.

Indonesia, BRICS, and the Demand for Nickel

https://consortiumnews.com/2025/04/21/vijay-prashad-brics-industrial-development/

I found Prashad's comments which suggested a comparison between BRICS and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to be timely and worth serious consideration. Western opponents of the NAM always considered it to be unofficially more friendly toward the Eastern Bloc - itself something of a fiction. In this case, the foes of Western Atlanticism are in BRICS and so one could say everyone's cards are on the table. However, it's important to understand why the USSR and China were happy to deal with NAM nations and the West was not. Unlike the United States they did not assume that everyone who wasn't fully on board with them was an enemy. The US has a tendency to cast geopolitics in such terms - stated so bluntly by GW Bush. "You're either with us or against us." - a stance which may or may not drive nations away in the immediate but in the long term it's a position that destroys trust and respect.

The Ghosts of Tinian and the Growing Cold War in the Asia-Pacific

https://archive.is/EQ0TJ

I heard one Chinese analyst speak truthfully - the end-game of these tariffs is war. Hopefully a 'deal' can be reached long before then but Trump's moves are a form of warfare - even if the bullets aren't flying yet.

American Militarism, the Philippines, and the Media

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/in-manila-u-s-defense-secretary-commits-to-protecting-philippines

Marcos has committed his country to the path of war, and yet is this really what the people of the Philippines want? Do they understand what it will mean when the US has bases there - when it stages missiles batteries there?

Epstein and Tensions within the Israeli-American Alliance

https://consortiumnews.com/2024/11/05/israel-blackmail-the-presidents/

Not a few historians, analysts, and commentators wonder just who is in charge? Who is calling the shots in terms of the US-Israel relationship? At times it almost seems like Israel has the upper hand and steers the American ship - at least with regard to Middle Eastern policy.

The Destructive Mafia-inspired Style of Trump Diplomacy

Right-wing and Evangelical media are already lavishing praise on Trump for the supposed stability that he's bringing to the world order. In the latest episode of delusion, these factions believe that Trump stands for stability and calm and that the US is respected while he stands at the helm.

The Realities of the War on Terror in 2025

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/3/french-german-foreign-ministers-visit-damascus-to-meet-syrias-new-rulers

It was something to see, a historic moment I thought. To see German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock (along with French counterpart Barrot) walking about Damascus with HTS leader al-Julani should have generated a media buzz - but it didn't. The media is to be blamed for this lack of response - they have lulled the Western public to sleep.

Shigeru Ishiba and Japan's Evolving Role in the American Empire

https://reihotakeuchi.substack.com/p/the-new-japanese-prime-ministers

Ishiba who assumed the office of prime minister in October is important because he represents new thinking in terms of Japan's role in the Asia-Pacific and its relationship with the United States. A member of the Far-Right Nippon Kaigi faction (which has a significant presence in the ruling LDP), he seems to represent two tendencies - one, to strengthen Japan's relationship with Washington and build a NATO-type alliance in the Pacific, and two, resentment of US domination and a wish for Japan to re-establish its autonomy and take its place among the great powers.

The Untold Story of the Prisoner Exchange: Chechen Militants and Western Intelligence

https://thegrayzone.com/2024/08/05/us-russia-prisoner-swap-cia-chechen-jihad/

This GrayZone article also caught my eye. I was glad to see that in all the hysteria regarding Russia, there's a story about Chechnya that's been largely forgotten.

Armenia's Shift to the West

https://eurasianet.org/russia-rages-over-us-military-exercise-in-armenia

These military exercises signal Yerevan's shift to the West and yet another Western incursion on the borders of Russia, another invasion into its historical sphere.

The Wooing of Armenia

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-launch-new-e270-million-plan-bring-armenia-fold-russia/

Since the article's publication in April, there have been numerous reports regarding Armenia. The situation remains dynamic with Yerevan reaching out to Ukraine and thus angering Russia in the process. There are real fears in Moscow of Armenia rescinding its membership with the Russian-led CSTO security agreement and flipping over to the NATO column - not in full membership but as one of its allies. This also generates concerns over the brewing instability of its neighbour Georgia. For Putin, the invasion of Ukraine was meant to arrest Atlanticist expansion, but with the accession of Sweden and Finland into NATO, and now the growing risk of all of Transcaucasia falling under the aegis of the American-led bloc, there's no small degree of consternation. And the EU is also looking to expand.

Paris,Yerevan, and Baku

https://eurasianet.org/armenia-azerbaijan-macron-stirring-things-up-in-the-caucasus

Baku is in a fairly cozy relationship with Washington and thus if the Americans don't want to see Macron make this move, you can be sure the Azeri government will speak out and condemn French overtures.

South Africa and the American Empire

https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/us-politicians-call-for-review-of-relations-with-sa-for-supposedly-undermining-national-security-20240210

South Africa is the weakest of the BRICS nations and has over the past several years angered Washington. Not only has it joined BRICS, it has tacitly supported Russia, and now has generated a great deal of anger by leading the charge against Israel in the ICJ. It was only a matter of time before the US acted – the goal is to punish South Africa and generate upheaval within its society and political system. The campaign is under way.

The 2023 Gaza War – Some Initial Thoughts and Observations

In reference to the recent attacks based out of Gaza, I found it very interesting that a Hamas spokesman mentioned a movement to re-establish the Solomonic Temple as one motivation among others. That's not something you're going to typically hear in the mainstream media.