Henry Kissinger Protested At Senate Armed Services Committee (2015)

 

Henry Kissinger served as national security advisor and secretary of state. Under both the Nixon and Ford administrations he was connected with war crimes. Kissinger's role in the atrocities in the Vietnam War involved promoting long term bombings. This effected both Laos and Cambodia. He was also instrumental in the coup in Chile and Indonesia's invasion of East Timor. What historians also forget to mention is Kissinger's determination to halt Angola's liberation war against white minority colonial rule. When Kissinger  was coming to provide testimony at the Armed Services Committee, he was protested by CODEPINK. The anti-war demonstrators proceeded to to remind the public of his human rights violations. When this happened in 2015 the US was at war with Afghanistan, arming terrorist organizations in Syria, and getting confrontational with China. The fact that Henry Kissinger was still deemed a respectful figure in American society demonstrates the amount of corruption in the American political system.  

Javier Milei's Economic Plans For Argentina

 

Javier Milei has been elected president of Argentina. What distinguishes him from other politicians is his right-libertarianism. The ideology does share ideas with other conservative political movements. The emphasis on free markets and capitalism are positions of common thought. Limited regulation and the emphasis on laissez-faire are what both ideologies desire. Milei's agenda is to end Argentina's central bank and put the country through a process of dollarization. Central banking as been a concern, but if a leader is serious about challenging that system it would invest in cryptocurrency. The dollar is losing its power as countries in BRICS want to move away from it. A rational policy would be to trade natural resources in Argentine pesos. Supply side economics will not generate prosperity in Argentina. The Austrian school of economics has a limited scope in a rapidly changing world. Javier Milei also expressed that he does not want Argentina to have economic relations with communist or socialist countries. North Korea, China, Venezuela, and Cuba were the countries he mentioned. Although Javier Milei is an economist, none of the anarcho-capitalist concepts can work. The nature of employment, trade, and  global economic centers are undergoing a revolution. Neoliberal capitalism might implode implode upon itself if government did not intervene. At some point no amount of reforms and regulations can fix a system that is corrupt by its function. Argentina will become a testing ground for the limits of right-libertarianism and the neoliberal capitalist system. 

John F. Kennedy Discusses A Change In Vietnam Policy (1963)

 

President John F. Kennedy gave his final press conference on  November 14th , 1963. What was different about this discussion with the press was a change in Vietnam policy. After the coup that saw the death of Ngo Diem it was clear that the policy with South Vietnam had to be adjusted. The Honolulu conference was proposed by Kennedy's administration to address the issues surrounding the instability and war in Vietnam. President Kennedy expressed he wanted Americans out, but did not want to abandon the conflict. This seems like a contradiction, because a military industrial complex would not allow such a policy. President Kennedy articulated that he wanted the South Vietnamese military powerful enough to fight the Viet Cong by itself. The desire to make South Vietnam democratic was not possible. To a degree it was more of a puppet state with military rulers. Some have theorized that the reason Kennedy was assassinated was because he wanted withdraw from Vietnam and an eventual peace with the Soviet Union. When American and South Vietnam officials met in Honolulu in 1966, policy had been dramatically altered. From that point onward, the war would be escalated. If President John F. Kennedy had lived, the US Military might not gotten trapped in a violent conflict. 

Ibrahim Traore Explains The Importance of The Youth

 

President Ibrahim Traore recognizes the importance of Burkina Faso's youth. Having them employed and developing future leaders will ensure the country's survival. The youth of Africa might be disillusioned with unresponsive governments and unstable societies. The threats posed by neo-colonial imperialism and terrorist organizations are obstacles. Burkina Faso is a major exporter of gold. This should make  the country prosperous, but years after the death of Thomas Sankara left its economy in disarray. President Ibrahim Traore wants to reverse this and  the youth have to be the driving force. What this means is challenging France's exploitation of  Burkina Faso's resources. This is not a change for one African country. President Ibrahim Traore wants to see African economies become more powerful. Burkina Faso might be seeing a revolutionary  change in political thought. The youth should not seek to go to Europe. Developing Burkina Faso to what it should be is what President Traore desires the most. Modernization and more technology will make Burkina Faso economically secure and preserve its independence. 

The Pyramid of Karazhartas Discovery

 

Central Asia has an ancient history. Only now is it being uncovered with an exciting new discovery. Archeologists uncovered what is known as the pyramid of Karazhartas. The location of the structure was along the Taldy River in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan. The age of the building is thought to be 3000 years old. The culture that built it was Begazy-Dandibai  culture. The Late Bronze Age had a thriving Central Asian civilization. The Kazakh National Museum was involved in the excavation. What was extrapolated was the structure served as a mausoleum for a member of the aristocratic class. The pyramid of  Karazhartas does have a burial chamber. that is 65 feet by and 98 feet across. The Taldy River Valley contains many of monumental stone mausoleums . Kings and queens are buried there. Archeological excavation of the Taldy River Valley has been conducted since 1933. Now historians and archeologists can figure out what life was like in Central Asia in 15th to 14 centuries B.C.E. Central Asia can now take a place in ancient history like Rome, Greece,  or Egypt. Kazakhstan will have to do revision to their history. New information means changes must be made to history curriculums for students. Artifacts and buildings are helping scholars reconstruct the ancient past. Begazy-Dandibai culture was not just present in Kazakhstan. It was present in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan  had this culture. The pyramid of Karazhartas will reveal more information about the history of Central Asia.    

Anti-Serb Austro-Hungarian Empire Propaganda (1914)

 

The Balkans during the 1910s was a region of ethnic tension and racial hatred. The Austro-Hungarian Empire wanted to stop its diverse ethnic groups from breaking away into their own nations states. The tension been Slavs and Germanic peoples was evident with the imperial order. The  Austro-Hungarian Empire annex Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1908. The Serb population there went from being ruled by the Ottoman Empire to Austrian rule. Serbia was enraged by this action and it motivated Serbian nationalist to become more extreme. The Black Hand was responsible for the assassination of Archduke  Franz Ferdinand. The propaganda at the time depicted Serbs as ape like creatures. The image shows a fist crushing a Serb saying "Serbia must die." The drawing implies all Serbs are terrorists and that the country and people should be attacked. This was published after the murder of Franz Ferdinand. His death was used as a justification for war. Anti-Serb riots broke out in Sarajevo. The anti-Serb violence then spread throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The acts of violence were not random. They were encouraged by the government. The governor of  Bosnia-Herzegovina Oskar Potiorek organized violence against Serbs. The ethnic tension, rival alliance systems, and European colonial imperialism would spark World War I. 

Kenya Makes Changes To Visa Requirements

 

Kenya intends to end visa requirements for African countries. The policy is set to go into motion in 2024. Visa requirements and the cost of air travel make getting around the continent difficult. The motivation for the change in visa requirements are economic. Kenya wants to have a greater role in an African continental free trade area. Attracting workers and tourists could  stimulate East African economies. The African Union also has wanted to expand intercontinental African travel. The problem with the AU passport is that it applies mostly to diplomats and government officials. The AU passports are not in the ownership of  the average citizen. The benefit is that this could break barriers among peoples and nations. President William Ruto hopes that it helps retain Africans on the continent, rather than going to Europe. The youth are leaving, seeking opportunities abroad. If Africa is going to be competitive, it must have its youth invest in their countries. African nations are hesitant that reducing visa requirements could be a security risk. Certain nations would have to stabilize to reduce this concern. Countries such as the Democratic  Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Libya, Chad, and Somalia are facing armed conflict. Kenya's challenge is Somalia and another TPLF war in Ethiopia. Gambia, Benin, and Seychelles have unrestricted travel for Africans only. These countries have not had major security risks from that. As long a national sovereignty is respected, reduction of visa requirements should be promoted. The African demand for visa free travel  has increased. The opportunities for more trade and economic growth are possibilities with changes in visa policies. Commerce can benefit from the movement of goods and services. Kenya wants to be ahead in relation to economic development. The new visa free travel could be the first step in a new program. 

Kwame Nkrumah And Jawaharl Nehru Address International Concerns At the Non-Aligned Conference (1961)

 

Kwame Nkrumah and Jawaharl Nehru addressed the Non-Aligned Conference about growing concerns regrading the tension between the superpowers. The leaders of Ghana and India had much influence in the Third World and were hoping to be a mediating force between the US and U.S.S.R. Non-alignment was designed to be its own power block. It did not favor  either of the superpowers. During this period the possibility of a nuclear war was a growing concern. This is why Kwame Nkrumah  demanded that both superpowers disarm. A series of treaties were needed. Jawaharl Nehru expressed that the world should be preparing for peace, rather than war. Only then would global security to achieved . The Third World would find itself being a battleground for Cold War confrontation. Nkrumah's government would be deposed by a CIA backed coup. The Indo-Pakistani Wars would divide Asia. Wars and conflict have been a part of history. What was different about the 20th century was that nuclear war could result in humanity's eradication. Africa and Asia did not have nuclear arsenals like the superpowers. Leaders were conscious of the reality that such weapons could be used in a recolonization effort. 

Norman Finkelstein Debates Wolf Blitzer At The University of Pennsylvania (1989)

Wolf Blitzer a longtime journalist made the argument for Zionism and Israel. Blitzer asserts that Zionism is a national liberation movement. Jews did face persecution in Europe, but Zionism was not about getting equal rights for Jews. It was about an ideology of settler colonialism. If the argument is made that Jews need a homeland due to historical suffering, why are other groups ignored ? The Kurds and the Roma do not have a state and the United Nations did nothing for them. Norman Finkelstein counters Blitzer's claims. The political scientist and activist exposes the myth that Israel was fighting for its national security. The country occupied land from Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan. Israel was focused on expansion and hostility directed at its Arab neighbors. This is why a free  Palestinian state will not exist . Israel does not recognize Gaza or West Bank as an Arab state. As Dr. Finkelstein explains the occupation has nothing to do with security. The objective is about an imperial project which involves forced removal of the Arab population and the restriction of their rights.