Thread image created by yours truly, depicting Iran and Pakistan very impolitely not asking whether America, on the other side of the planet, is okay with them transporting gas around.
The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline has long been obstructed by American involvement in the region. Iran completed its section of the pipeline quite quickly, but Pakistan has been unable to finish its construction for a decade due to the fear of falling afoul of American sanctions on Iran. The United States has repeatedly tried to pressure Pakistan to give up the project and obtain gas from other countries instead. Recent articles on the state of the pipeline are contradictory, with some stating that Iran or Pakistan have given up on the pipeline while American sanctions persist. Pakistani officials reject this framing, saying that they are still working with Iran to try and get the project completed somehow. Nonetheless, Iran is becoming increasingly frustrated and is threatening a legal battle and a demand for reparations.
Meanwhile, back in Niger, the $13 billion under-construction pipeline connecting Nigeria and other West African countries to Spain and Italy will likely face delays due to the sanctions applied by the West and ECOWAS on Niger. Those following the European gas fiasco will be aware that while Spain and Italy have been impacted by the energy crisis, they have been very busy making deals with African countries to replace their Russian gas, and thus stand a better chance than Germany of making it through the crisis with their industries somewhat intact. The coup has thrown a wrench into their plans, though they can still obtain some gas from northern African countries.
And, last but not least, America tried for years to stop the construction of the Nord Stream pipelines between Germany and Russia, which culminated in them deciding to blow them up late last year.
All in all - the United States really does not like it when countries build up energy infrastructure and gain some independence from them.
Here is the map of the Ukraine conflict, courtesy of Wikipedia.
This week’s first update is here in the comments.
This week’s second update is here in the comments.
This week’s third update is here in the comments.
Links and Stuff
The bulletins site is down.
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Add to the above list if you can.
Resources For Understanding The War
Defense Politics Asia’s youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don’t want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it’s just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists’ side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Telegram Channels
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
Pro-Russian
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR’s former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR’s forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster’s telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a ‘propaganda tax’, if you don’t believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
Last week’s discussion post.
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Blinken has voiced support for ECOWAS’s efforts against Niger, though says that military force should only be used as a last resort.AN Nigerians don’t seem terribly enthusiastic about war with Niger based on this small sample.AN France fully supports the decision by ECOWAS to deploy a standby military force on the borders of Niger.Euractiv Niger has thanked Guinea for their support.AN The construction of the $800 million Kandadji hydroelectric dam, which would have boosted electricity generation in Niger by 50%, has been halted by their Chinese contractor as the funds have been frozen by sanctions.
The Sahel Tug-of-War: U.S. And Russia Face Off For Influence In NigerNC
RADIO FREE EUROPE ALERT! RADIO FREE EUROPE ALERT! Nonetheless, as Yves says, seeing what the propagandists are saying can be revealing about what the empire itself might be thinking.
Kenya’s government has launched talks with the opposition following violent protests over the cost of living and electoral reforms.AN Kenyan lion populations are dwindling, with a 90% decrease over the last century.AN
Zambia’s plan to dig its way out of debt with a copper revivalFT
It’s never good when Bezo and Gates are involved in things like this.
North America
A Google subcontrator fired two thirds of its employees for trying to unionize.PW
A US workers’ union has begun to fight back on a plan by TSMC to bring 800 foreign workers to work on their Phoenix plant.SCMP
Grindr issues mandatory return to office policy 2 weeks after union driveRNN
The FBI has investigated which dastardly Americans were using illegal Israeli software and found that the FBI was using it.AW
Deaths of despair and suicides in the US at historic levels, with 49,000 suicide deaths in 2022 and over 500,000 since 2011.WSWS
Why is Canada giving two automakers $30 billion dollars in subsidies for EV battery production?WSWS
To make cars, presumably.
Latin America
An Iranian fuel company is helping Venezuela by selling it a home-made catalyst for the fuel production process.AM
Indigenous groups say that Lasso is responsible for the spiral of violence in Ecuador, of whom the latest victim is Villavicencio.TS State of emergency declared in Ecuador after killing of presidential candidateWSWS
They speculate that Lasso might have a hand in the killings, or at a minimum is benefiting from it, to boost his chances of winning or to overturn the results if he loses.
Paraguay is in a bit of trouble as they have a strong connection to Taiwan but the bourgeoisie want economic ties with China now.SCMP
Venezuela Expels Over 8,400 Illegal Miners From the AmazonTS
The War Against The West
Zelensky has fired all heads of military enlistment in Ukraine due to corruption.AM
Germany has sent Ukraine two more Patriots for Kinzhals to destroy.AM They’re also looking at sending Taurus missiles now according to some rumors. Usually I wouldn’t report rumors like that but every single time the German government has said that they aren’t going to send a weapons system to Ukraine, it ends up in Ukraine like six weeks later, so I assume this will be no exception.DW
EU delivers Ukraine 224,000 shells under ammo planEuractiv
Over 6 months? That’s less than 1500 per day.
Ukraine Starts Mandatory Evacuation From Kupyansk CityTS
The Polish President Said Kiev Isn’t Doing The West Any Favors & Its Counteroffensive FailedNC
I hate it when two such lovely countries fight like this.
Egypt has given the US the middle finger when asked to supply weapons to Ukraine.MEE
An absolute broadside of articles from Responsible Statecraft lately:
A security pact with Saudi Arabia would be a disaster for US interestsRS
How US media builds public support for confrontation with ChinaRS
UAE-Iran islands dispute complicates regional diplomacy (But Abu Dhabi’ss claims to Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa in the Strait of Hormuz aren’t likely to lead to direct confrontation.)RS
The myth of a strong postwar UkraineRS
No matter how the war ends, Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has created the very outcome he most wanted to prevent: a thriving anti-Russian, pro-Western democracy, armed to the teeth with American weaponry, destined at a minimum to become a de facto ally of Washington, if not an official member of the NATO alliance.
Or so it is thought in Washington and other Western capitals. But, with the sole exception of Ukraine’s deepening and quite understandable revulsion toward Russia, it is much closer to wishful thinking than to reality.
They had me in the first half, not gonna lie.
Retrospectives, Analysis, History, Theory, and Technology
WeWork’s Stock Imploded to 13 Cents Yesterday; Its Cult-Master, Adam Neumann, Cashed Out Years Ago and Is a BillionaireWSoP
Honey, wake up, read up on your BidenomicsPW theory! PW
Eritrea celebrates freedomMR
Dipshittery and Cope
FDA Tries to Pretend It Didn’t Oppose Ivermectin Use for CovidNC
Oh god, they’ve turned into horse paste people. Okay, actually engaging with the material here - until there’s actual good RCT studies about ivermectin being good at treating coronavirus, I will not be smearing it up my ass. Actually, even if there are, I won’t be taking it, because there’s a bunch of other things I could be doing to not catch it in the first place.
LGBTQIA+
The World Bank has cut off new funding to Uganda due to their new draconian anti-LGBTQIA+ laws.Advocate
Ethiopia’s LGBTQIA+ community has blamed much of the verbal and physical harrassment they get on TikTok, which has posts calling for violence against them.AN
Christian and Muslim parents in Maryland have asked the state’s largest school system to block a requirement for their students to learn about LGBTQIA+ people.Advocate
An Idaho anti-trans bathroom law has been blocked by a temporary injunction by a judge.Advocate
Malaysia has banned the possession of pride-themed Swatch watches.Advocate
Climate and the Environment
Amazon nations decry EU deforestation rules in thinly-veiled joint condemnationCCN
US takes $1.2 billion gamble on carbon-sucking vacuums, DW or, Energy Dept. Announces $1.2 Billion to Advance Controversial Climate TechnologyDeSmog
“If we continue this pace of exponential growth every year, I think a billion tons a year is definitely, definitely achievable.”
A solid 3% of current yearly emissions by some unspecified date! Holy moly!
Researchers who have analyzed the technical requirements of direct energy capture, such as energy load, warn that it is little more than a boondoggle. A 2020 analysis published in Nature Communications found that “the energy and materials requirements for [DAC] are unrealistic even when the most promising technologies are employed.”
In a 2019 study that examined the impacts of direct air capture, Mark Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, found that it would increase CO2 emissions, air pollution, fossil mining and fossil infrastructure, largely because of the enormous amount of energy required to extract, compress, and separate the CO2.
The absolute most you could say about it is that’s pointless but it could lead to new and better technologies. More realistically, it’s the fossil fuel industry squirting out squid ink.
