Giuseppe Sandro Mela.
2022-02-28.
Il Ministero della Difesa Inglese ha pubblicato cinque mappe che dovrebbero descrive l’attuale situazione in Ukraina.
Ci sembrerebbero essere le più realistiche tra tutte quelle rinvenibili in rete.
Mese: febbraio 2022
Cina. Pianifica un grande taglio delle tasse per stimolare l’economia.
Giuseppe Sandro Mela.
2022-02-28.
«China will unveil bigger tax and fee cuts this year and step up payments to local governments to offset their hit to revenues, Finance Minister Liu Kun said on Tuesday, amid efforts to support a slowing economy»
«Tax fee cuts will be larger in 2022 than last year’s 1.1 trillion yuan ($173.56 billion) in reductions, Liu told a news conference without specifying the size of the planned cuts»
«This year, the central government will significantly increase the size of transfer payments, especially general transfer payments, continue to favour regions with difficulties and underdeveloped areas»
«Planned transfer payments to local governments will help largely offset the impact from tax and feed cuts on local governments’ revenues, he said, adding that such transfer payments topped 8 trillion yuan in 2021»
«Local governments have issued 484.4 billion yuan in special bonds under the 2022 advance quota of 1.46 trillion yuan»
«The size of the tax and fee cuts and special bond issuance for 2022 will be unveiled at the annual meeting of the National People’s Congress, or the parliament, which commences on March 5»
* * * * * * *
Il grande Deng Xiaoping diceva che non interessa il colore del gatto, purché catturi i topi.
A scorno di quanti, e sono tanti, si ostinano a credere che la Cina sia comunista nei fatti, la riduzione delle tasse è un rimedio essenziale nel sistema economico classico.
È il ripudio del concetto di incremento del debito, elemento caratterizzante l’ideologia liberal occidentale.
* * * * * * *
China plans bigger tax cuts in 2022 to prop up slowing growth
Beijing, Feb 22 (Reuters) – China will unveil bigger tax and fee cuts this year and step up payments to local governments to offset their hit to revenues, Finance Minister Liu Kun said on Tuesday, amid efforts to support a slowing economy.
Tax fee cuts will be larger in 2022 than last year’s 1.1 trillion yuan ($173.56 billion) in reductions, Liu told a news conference without specifying the size of the planned cuts.
“This year, the central government will significantly increase the size of transfer payments, especially general transfer payments, continue to favour regions with difficulties and underdeveloped areas,” Liu said.
Planned transfer payments to local governments will help largely offset the impact from tax and feed cuts on local governments’ revenues, he said, adding that such transfer payments topped 8 trillion yuan in 2021.
China’s strong economic recovery from its sharp pandemic-induced slump started losing momentum in the middle of last year, weighed by debt problems in the property market and strict anti-virus measures that hit consumer confidence and spending.
Liu acknowledged the difficulty of increasing spending to spur the economy amid declining growth in fiscal revenues.
“We want to properly resolve these issues and hopefully that could be achieved this year,” Liu added.
He said the transfer payments from the central to local governments will continue to favour areas facing difficulties and less developed regions.
Local governments have issued 484.4 billion yuan in special bonds under the 2022 advance quota of 1.46 trillion yuan, vice finance minister Xu Hongcai told the same news conference.
“At present, China’s economy is facing new downward pressure, which requires the strength of fiscal policy to be appropriately front loaded,” Xu said.
At a planning meeting in December, top leaders called for infrastructure investment to be frontloaded to help cushion the slowdown, which looks set to worsen in the first half of this year.
The size of the tax and fee cuts and special bond issuance for 2022 will be unveiled at the annual meeting of the National People’s Congress, or the parliament, which commences on March 5.
Unione Europea. Ecco il resoconto del summit tenuto a porte chiuse.
Giuseppe Sandro Mela.
2022-02-28.
I leader della Unione Europea hanno tenuto un summit a porte chiuse, attorno al quale sono subito fioriti numerosi pettegolezzi, spesso contrastanti. Tenere un segreto non è il lato forte della Unione.
Adesso la Bbc ha pubblicato un dignitoso resoconto, credibile, espresso con termini cauti.
Da quando gli stanno cascando i missili russi sulla testa Zelensky ha cambiato immediatamente registro.
«”Chi è pronto a combattere con noi? Io non vedo nessuno”, ha detto il presidente ucraino in un video diffuso questa notte. “Chi è pronto a dare all’Ucraina la garanzia di un’adesione alla Nato? Tutti hanno paura”»
Nei fatti, leggendo tra le righe scritte in modo diplomatico, i leader della Unione Europea si sono litigati e sono quindi usciti divisi tra di loro. Le emozioni hanno sopraffatto il raziocinio.
Ma tutti hanno sviluppato un sano terrore di Mr Putin, che può fare politica estera perché ha delle forze armate allo stato dell’arte. Temono, a ragione, che Mr Putin abbia ben più ampie ambizioni per rendere sicura la propria patria.
* * * * * * *
«Ukraine crisis: Tough and emotional summit as EU leaders seek unity»
«Just before the emergency EU leaders’ meeting on Ukraine started, a Brussels official told us he thought this would be one of the toughest and most emotional EU summits ever. From what I heard went on behind closed doors, he wasn’t wrong»
«Russia’s actions in Ukraine impact many EU members directly. It feels personal to them»
«Their belief: that Vladimir Putin has his eye on much more than Ukraine – that he wants to redesign the security architecture of Europe in his favour»
«Countries in central and eastern Europe which used to be behind the Iron Curtain – now EU and Nato members – feel very exposed»
«Particularly the Baltic States, which border Russia. They fear the Kremlin intends to destabilise them with cyber attacks and more disinformation campaigns, aimed at their ethnic Russian communities»
«On his way into Thursday night’s summit, the Polish prime minister voiced deep frustration that tougher sanctions hadn’t been imposed earlier on Moscow»
«Enough of this cheap talking …. Europe continues buying so much Russian oil and gas, he said. And he [Vladimir Putin] is turning it into aggression, invasion. He’s destabilising all of Europe»
«But other EU leaders pulled in a different direction. True, all 27 of them unanimously agreed to an unprecedented sanctions package, described by the European Council president as “massive and painful” against Russia»
«But the sanctions, and counter-sanctions threatened by Russia, will hit European economies too»
«Germany and Italy – so reliant on Russian gas supplies and business ties – urged the EU to hold back on the toughest sanctions of all for now, like limiting oil and gas imports and ejecting Russia from the Swift international payment system»
«Hungary, Romania and Poland, meanwhile, voiced other concerns at the summit. Direct neighbours of Ukraine, they worry they’ll find themselves on the front line of a new migration crisis»
* * * * * * *
Ukraine crisis: Tough and emotional summit as EU leaders seek unity
Just before the emergency EU leaders’ meeting on Ukraine started, a Brussels official told us he thought this would be one of the toughest and most emotional EU summits ever.
From what I heard went on behind closed doors, he wasn’t wrong.
Russia’s actions in Ukraine impact many EU members directly. It feels personal to them.
Their belief: that Vladimir Putin has his eye on much more than Ukraine – that he wants to redesign the security architecture of Europe in his favour.
Countries in central and eastern Europe which used to be behind the Iron Curtain – now EU and Nato members – feel very exposed.
Particularly the Baltic States, which border Russia. They fear the Kremlin intends to destabilise them with cyber attacks and more disinformation campaigns, aimed at their ethnic Russian communities.
On his way into Thursday night’s summit, the Polish prime minister voiced deep frustration that tougher sanctions hadn’t been imposed earlier on Moscow.
“Enough of this cheap talking,” snapped Mateusz Morawiecki. Europe continues buying so much Russian oil and gas, he said. “And he [Vladimir Putin] is turning it into aggression, invasion. He’s destabilising all of Europe.”
But other EU leaders pulled in a different direction.
True, all 27 of them unanimously agreed to an unprecedented sanctions package, described by the European Council president as “massive and painful” against Russia.
The package targets more sectors of the Russian economy, including the transport and energy sectors (with a ban on exports from Europe that Russia depends on to refine its oil for sale), as well as the financial sector, and more individuals close to the Kremlin.
EU leaders also agreed to slap sanctions on Belarus, a key Putin ally.
But the sanctions, and counter-sanctions threatened by Russia, will hit European economies too.
Some more than others, making them wary.
Germany and Italy – so reliant on Russian gas supplies and business ties – urged the EU to hold back on the toughest sanctions of all for now, like limiting oil and gas imports and ejecting Russia from the Swift international payment system.
Berlin and Rome argue it’s wiser to keep those “nuclear” measures, as they’re known, up the EU’s sleeve, in case the situation worsens in Ukraine.
Their critics accuse them of self-interest, in a time of international crisis.
‘Emotional but dignified’
Hungary, Romania and Poland, meanwhile, voiced other concerns at the summit.
Direct neighbours of Ukraine, they worry they’ll find themselves on the front line of a new migration crisis, should Ukrainians try to flee the hostilities in large numbers.
Brussels says it’s working both on contingency plans to help refugees and to compensate EU countries worst hit by sanctions and resulting, further spiralling energy prices.
The message the EU hoped to transmit on Thursday was one of unity: externally, with warnings to Russia and assurances of solidarity to Ukraine.
EU leaders heard what’s described as an “emotional but dignified” address by Ukraine’s president via video conference.
But also internally – to show all member states that they’re in this crisis together. For the long haul.
Cina. Detassa e toglie le restrizioni all’import di grano russo. Ira degli australiani.
Giuseppe Sandro Mela.
2022-02-27.
«China has relaxed restrictions on imports of Russian wheat, a move that could address food security concerns in the world’s second largest economy and ease the impact of Western sanctions on Russia»
«The decision to allow imports of wheat from all regions of Russia was made during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing earlier this month»
«Russia is the world’s top producer of wheat. Previously, China had restricted wheat imports from Russia due to concerns about the presence of dwarf bunt fungus»
«China has refused to condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine …. accusing the United States of “fueling fire” in the region»
«The agreement is the latest in a series of deals between Russia and China, and according to experts, it helps both nations»
«It helps Beijing secure food supplies at a time when global food prices are already near 10-year highs»
«Food security is a key priority for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has called for increasing agricultural production and diversifying imports»
«The agreement also provides Russia with a secure buyer at a time when exports to other countries might be complicated by financial sanctions or other disruption»
«The analysts expect Russian commodities and raw materials to be “redirected to China”»
«China’s decision has not gone down well with other countries»
«On Friday, Australian Prime Minister Morrison slammed China over its “lack of a strong response.”»
«At a time when the world was seeking to put additional sanctions on Russia, they have eased restrictions on the trade of Russian wheat into China…and that is simply unacceptable»
* * * * * * *
I rapporti politici ed economici tra Cina e Russia, già molto intensi, si sono ulteriormente migliorati.
La Cina ha allentato le restrizioni sulle importazioni di grano russo, una mossa che potrebbe affrontare le preoccupazioni di sicurezza alimentare nella seconda economia più grande del mondo e ridurre l’impatto delle sanzioni occidentali sulla Russia.
La Russia è il primo produttore mondiale di grano, ma la Cina è in grado di assorbire anche la totalità del surplus produttivo russo: è un accordo che fa guadagnare ambo le parti.
La sicurezza alimentare è infatti una priorità chiave per il presidente cinese Xi Jinping.
La decisione della Cina non è andata giù ad altri paesi.
Il primo ministro australiano Morrison ha detto che “in un momento in cui il mondo stava cercando di mettere ulteriori sanzioni sulla Russia, hanno allentato le restrizioni sul commercio di grano russo in Cina… e questo è semplicemente inaccettabile”.
Ovviamente, Morrison per “mondo” intende il solo enclave politico liberal occidentale. Il resto del mondo se ne guarda bene, come peraltro dimostrano le borse valori.
* * * * * * *
China lifts restrictions on Russian wheat imports
China has relaxed restrictions on imports of Russian wheat, a move that could address food security concerns in the world’s second largest economy and ease the impact of Western sanctions on Russia.
The decision to allow imports of wheat from all regions of Russia was made during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing earlier this month, but the details were only announced by China’s customs administration this week.
Russia is the world’s top producer of wheat. Previously, China had restricted wheat imports from Russia due to concerns about the presence of dwarf bunt fungus — a disease that can cause severe loss of yield for wheat and other crops — in some parts of the country.
China has refused to condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine, instead repeating calls for parties to “exercise restraint” and accusing the United States of “fueling fire” in the region
The agreement is the latest in a series of deals between Russia and China, and according to experts, it helps both nations.
It helps Beijing secure food supplies at a time when global food prices are already near 10-year highs. Wheat futures jumped by about 5% on the Chicago Board of Trade on Thursday after Russia attacked Ukraine, as the two countries account for about a third of global supply. Futures pulled back a little on Friday, but are still up 12% this week.
Food security is a key priority for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has called for increasing agricultural production and diversifying imports.
The agreement also provides Russia with a secure buyer at a time when exports to other countries might be complicated by financial sanctions or other disruption.
“Uncertainty around potential sanctions is beginning to create a potential supply shock,” analysts from Goldman Sachs wrote Thursday in a research report.
“In our view, until the uncertainty around the rapidly escalating situation is resolved, commodity price risk remains skewed to the upside, with further escalation likely to send European natural gas, wheat, corn and oil prices higher from already-elevated levels,” they said.
China will likely be “the benefactor” of Russian commodities as other countries pare back on Russian imports, they added.
The analysts expect Russian commodities and raw materials to be “redirected to China” if the demand from the rest of the world drops significantly on further escalation of geopolitical tensions.
China’s decision has not gone down well with other countries.
On Friday, Australian Prime Minister Morrison slammed China over its “lack of a strong response.”
“At a time when the world was seeking to put additional sanctions on Russia, they have eased restrictions on the trade of Russian wheat into China…and that is simply unacceptable,” he said at a press conference.
Germania. Jan22. Costi all’importazione +26.9% su Jan21. Natural gas +302.7% su Jan21.
Giuseppe Sandro Mela.
2022-02-27.
In sintesi.
– Import prices +26.9% on the same month a year earlier.
– In January 2022 energy imports were 144.4% more expensive than in January 2021.
– energy price increase had natural gas with a plus of 302.7%
– crude oil with a plus of 66.8%
* * * * * * *
Destatis non commenta il report.
Germania. Jan22. Producer prices of industrial products +25.0% on Jan21.
Germania. Feb22. Produzione di carne in calo del 2,4% su Feb21.
Germania – IPP (Indice dei Prezzi di Produzione) (Annuale) +24.2%
Germania – Vendite al dettaglio (Annuale) -2.9%
Germania – Immatricolazioni auto tedesche annue -26.9%
Germania. Jan22. Consumer Price Index, CPI, +5.1% su Jan21.
* * * * * * *
I prezzi del natural gas sono incompatibili con ogni qualsiasi attività produttiva.
Orbene. Che l’Indice dei Prezzi al Consumo valga +5.1% non ce lo si venga a raccontare.
Non siamo dei minus habens.
* * * * * * *
Destatis. Import prices in January 2022: +26.9% on January 2021
Import prices, January 2022
+4.3% on the previous month
+26.9% on the same month a year earlier
Export prices, January 2022
+1.8% on the previous month
+11.9% on the same month a year earlier
* * * * * * *
Wiesbaden – As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the index of import prices increased by 26.9% in January 2022 compared with the corresponding month of the preceding year. This has been the highest year-on-year change since October 1974 (+28.8%, on October 1973). In December 2021 and in November 2021 the annual rates of change were +24.0% and +24.7%, respectively. From December 2021 to January 2022 the index rose by 4.3%.
High price increase mainly caused by energy price development
In January 2022 energy imports were 144.4% more expensive than in January 2021. The largest influence on the year-on-year rate of energy price increase had natural gas with a plus of 302.7%, followed by crude oil with a plus of 66.8%.
The index of import prices, excluding crude oil and mineral oil products, increased by 24.1% in January 2022 compared with January 2021 and in comparison with December 2021 it rose by 3.7%.
The index of export prices increased by 11.9% in January 2022 compared with the corresponding month of the preceding year. This has been the highest year-on-year-change since December 1974 (+15.2% on December 1973). In December 2021 and in November 2021 the annual rates of change were +10.9% and +9.9%, respectively. From December 2021 to January 2022 the index rose by 1.8%.
White House. Discorso di Joe Biden sulla Ukraina.
Giuseppe Sandro Mela.
2022-02-26.
La White House ha pubblicato i Remarks by President Biden on Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine.
Il testo è troppo lungo per poter essere incluso, ma la sua lettura accurata consentirebbe di capire meglio il pensiero di Biden.
Nazioni Unite. Cina, India ed Emirati Arabi Uniti si astengono e Russia pone il veto.
Giuseppe Sandro Mela.
2022-02-26.
Gli americani avevano chiesto al Consiglio di Sicurezza di votare una esortazione alla Russia per un cessate il fuoco.
Notevoli sono gli stati che si sono astenuti, ossia Cina, India ed Emirati Arabi Uniti.
In poche parole, i due grandi stati asiatici non si associano alla mozione di quelli occidentali od occidentalizzati.
* * * * * * *
La Cina si astiene sulla risoluzione dell’Onu per l’invasione russa in Ucraina.
La risoluzione che chiede a Mosca di fermare immediatamente le operazioni militari ha ottenuto undici voti a favore, tre Paesi si sono astenuti (Cina, India ed Emirati Arabi Uniti) e uno ha votato contro, la Russia.
* * *
Il Consiglio di Sicurezza dell’Onu ha votato una risoluzione che deplora l’invasione russa dell’Ucraina. La Russia ha posto il veto ma la Cina si è astenuta: è un colpo messo a segno dalla diplomazia occidentale che è riuscita a spingere Pechino a non allinearsi con la Russia.
La risoluzione che chiede a Mosca di fermare immediatamente le operazioni militari ha ottenuto undici voti a favore, tre Paesi si sono astenuti (Cina, India ed Emirati Arabi Uniti) e uno ha votato contro, la Russia. Poiché la Russia ha il potere di veto, la risoluzione non è passata.
La diplomazia statunitense è riuscita a convincere la Cina ammorbidendo il testo. La bozza circolata nelle ore precedenti il voto era infatti diverso da quello poi votato che è stato annacquata nei toni proprio per catalizzare il consenso.
La risoluzione riafferma la sovranità dell’Ucraina e chiede alla Russia di “cessare immediatamente l’uso della forza” contro il Paese.
Ma la parola ‘condanna’ è stata sostituita da ‘deplora’ ed è stato anche cancellato un riferimento al capitolo 7 della Carta delle Nazioni Unite, che consente ai membri di intraprendere un’azione militare per ristabilire la pace.
L’ambasciatore Usa alle Nazioni Unite, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, ha comunque definito l’azione russa “così audace è così sfacciata che minaccia il nostro sistema internazionale come lo conosciamo”.
E poi ha aggiunto: “Lasciatemi chiarire una cosa. La Russia può porre il veto a questa risoluzione, ma non può porre il veto alle nostre voci, non puo’ porre il veto alla verità, non può porre il veto ai nostri principi, non può porre il veto al popolo ucraino”.
La Russia, che attualmente detiene la presidenza di turno del Consiglio di Sicurezza, probabilmente dovrà sostenere un voto simile anche di fronte l’Assemblea generale dell’Onu, formata da tutti i 193 Paesi membri.
Poiché in quel caso non avrà il potere di veto, è probabile che dinanzi all’Assemblea la risoluzione passi con ampio margine.
Accadde anche nel 2014, in quel caso per il voto di condanna per l’annessione della Crimea, condanna che fu sostenuta dal voto di 100 Paesi.
California. L’Elettorato democratico sta sfaldandosi. Temono midterm.
Giuseppe Sandro Mela.
2022-02-26.
«San Francisco shows democrats have a seismic challenge ahead»
«The political earthquake that just occurred in San Francisco should be a dire warning to the national Democratic Party, because the same fault line stretches across the country and the tremors are only increasing»
«But I am deeply concerned that, absent an immediate course correction, the party is headed for a wipeout in November, up and down the ballot»
«Three months after Republicans scored major election upsets in Virginia and New Jersey, largely because of the frustration parents felt with Democratic officials who catered to teachers’ unions and culture warriors at the expense of children, voters in San Francisco recalled three school board members by margins of nearly three to one»
«First, the school board members failed to show any urgency in reopening schools even when it was clear that doing so was safe — and that remote classes were leaving students further and further behind»
«As private schools opened, public schools remained closed»
«Nothing has widened social achievement gaps more than poorly conceived remote instruction»
«Parents know this, and Democratic elected officials need to show them that they know it, too»
«Second, the school board members seemed more concerned with political correctness than educating children»
«Instead of reopening schools, they spent their time renaming them, stripping off the names of historic figures like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln before a public outcry forced them to reverse course»
«Third, the school board members voted to eliminate merit-based admissions at one of the nation’s top-performing schools»
«Students had long been admitted based on their grades and tests, until the board moved to a lottery system»
«Lowering standards in the name of fairness only exacerbates injustice and inequality»
«Closing achievement gaps must be done by creating more high-quality schools, not undermining existing ones»
«Voters understand this, and they will keep casting their ballots for candidates who do, too»
«Swing voters will decide the 2022 midterm elections, and right now, polls show they are swinging away from Democrats»
«The earthquake that shook San Francisco needs to shake up our party, before voters do it themselves in November»
* * * * * * *
La classe dirigente democratica liberal californiana è tutta tesa a realizzare la propria visione ideologica.
Questa visione tetragona cozza però vistosamente con l’Elettorato, che se ne distanzia sempre più.
I temi sulla scuola sono poi tra i più sentiti da parte degli Elettori che abbiano figli, ed in questo campo il dissenso è molto maggiore che su altri argomenti.
Abolire le ammissioni meritocratiche è stata poi la goccia che ha fatto traboccare il vaso.
* * * * * * *
San Francisco Shows Democrats Have a Seismic Challenge Ahead
The political earthquake that just occurred in San Francisco should be a dire warning to the national Democratic Party, because the same fault line stretches across the country and the tremors are only increasing.
In 2018 and 2020, I strongly supported efforts to win back control of Congress and the White House, because never in my lifetime have protection of the Constitution and the preservation of democracy been so threatened by domestic politics. I continue to believe that a healthy and vibrant Democratic Party remains essential to beating back the Republican Party’s dangerous turn toward authoritarianism and its tolerance for election subversion. But I am deeply concerned that, absent an immediate course correction, the party is headed for a wipeout in November, up and down the ballot.
Three months after Republicans scored major election upsets in Virginia and New Jersey, largely because of the frustration parents felt with Democratic officials who catered to teachers’ unions and culture warriors at the expense of children, voters in San Francisco recalled three school board members by margins of nearly three to one. Coming from America’s most liberal city, those results should translate into a 7 to 8 on the Richter scale, because the three main factors that drove the recall are not unique to the Bay Area.
First, the school board members failed to show any urgency in reopening schools even when it was clear that doing so was safe — and that remote classes were leaving students further and further behind. As private schools opened, public schools remained closed. Tragically, that failure will do lasting damage to many students and their career prospects, especially those from low-income communities. Data show that these students have fallen much further behind their peers — often losing a half year’s worth of schooling. Nothing has widened social achievement gaps more than poorly conceived remote instruction. Parents know this, and Democratic elected officials need to show them that they know it, too.
Second, the school board members seemed more concerned with political correctness than educating children. Instead of reopening schools, they spent their time renaming them, stripping off the names of historic figures like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln before a public outcry forced them to reverse course. Meanwhile, parents struggled to keep their heads above water as they tried to manage having their children at home. The city’s Democratic mayor, London Breed, rightly criticized the board for having its priorities backward.
Third, the school board members voted to eliminate merit-based admissions at one of the nation’s top-performing schools. Students had long been admitted based on their grades and tests, until the board moved to a lottery system. Make no mistake: Lowering standards in the name of fairness only exacerbates injustice and inequality. Closing achievement gaps must be done by creating more high-quality schools, not undermining existing ones. Voters understand this, and they will keep casting their ballots for candidates who do, too.
A recent Democratic Party poll showed that voters perceive it as being too “focused on the culture wars” — from renaming schools to defunding the police. But the advice that party leaders are giving members of Congress — to “correct the record” when Republicans criticize them on schools and culture — isn’t going to cut it.
Voters need to hear from Democrats that schools remained closed for too long, and that improving schools means closing achievement gaps, not eliminating standards.
In New York City, one of the reasons I and so many Democrats and independents — and Republicans — supported Eric Adams for mayor is that he spoke to the fears and frustrations voters had around education and crime. His victory demonstrated that in deep blue cities, not to mention purple suburbs, Democrats want leaders who have the backbone to stand tall and take the political hits that come with being a practical problem-solver.
Swing voters will decide the 2022 midterm elections, and right now, polls show they are swinging away from Democrats. The earthquake that shook San Francisco needs to shake up our party, before voters do it themselves in November.
Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, and UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions.
Ukraina. Verosimile situazione attuale. – Mappe del Ministero della Difesa Inglese.
Giuseppe Sandro Mela.
2022-02-26.
Il Ministero della Difesa Inglese ha pubblicato cinque mappe che dovrebbero descrive l’attuale situazione in Ukraina.
Ci sembrerebbero essere le più realistiche tra tutte quelle rinvenibili in rete.
Biden deve affrontare la rivolta dei suoi servi europei. L’enclave liberal si è rotto.
Giuseppe Sandro Mela.
2022-02-25.
Sono diversi mesi che Joe Biden e l’intelligence americana ogni due o tre giorni proclamano che i russi sarebbe entrati in Ukraina, previsioni costantemente rivelatesi pura fantasia. Contemporaneamente Joe Biden minaccia terribili epocali rappresaglie.
Formalmente i liberal europei condividevano appieno gli enunciati di Biden.
Joe Biden avrebbe un disperato bisogno di un conflitto, per distrarre l’opinione pubblica americana dai problemi dell’inflazione galoppante. Ma Mr Putin gliela ha negata fino all’ultimo, e lo ha colto di sorpresa..
L’unica sanzione che colpirebbe la Russia sarebbe l’embargo alla commercializzazione dei suoi prodotti energetici, ma un simile provvedimento è semplicemente impossibile e, se anche lo fosse, annienterebbe l’Unione Europea che da questi dipende. Ma qualsiasi sanzione fosse imposta, ancorché sia legale e che Biden abbia la forze di imporla, farebbe salire i già alti costi energetici del blocco europeo. Poi, le borse occidentali crollerebbero, bruciando grandi quantità di capitali.
Ecco quindi i liberal europei prendere le distanze da Joe Biden.
* * * * * * *
La Bbc è il tempio dei liberal europei: tutti grembiulino, costumi trasgressivi e tetragona ideologia liberal.
Ma cosa sta succedendo?
Consideriamo con grande attenzione la prima riga dell’articolo della Bbc, riportato in calce.
«The US has hit Russia with wide-ranging sanctions over what President Joe Biden called “the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine”».
In primo luogo, il soggetto della frase sono gli Stati Uniti, senza menzione alcuna degli stati europei.
In secondo luogo, “the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine” è messo tra virgolette, a dubitarne l’esistenza.
In terzo luogo, ciò che prima si dava come incontrovertibile verità viene adesso riportato «what President Joe Biden called», ossia è pienamente attribuito a Joe Biden e non a alcun atro. Sarebbe una sua opinabilissima sensazione, non un dato di fatto.
* * *
Ma codesta modalità espressiva non è unica per la sola Bbc. Ecco i titoli delle principali testate liberal.
Biden imposes new Russia sanctions, decries ‘beginning invasion’
Biden says Russia is beginning an ‘invasion of Ukraine’ as he unveils sanctions on Moscow
Biden calls Putin’s actions the ‘beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.’
Biden begins to sanction Moscow for ‘beginning of a Russian invasion’ of Ukraine
Biden Responds to Russia Beginning ‘Invasion’ With Limited Sanctions
* * *
Riassumendo.
Che la Russia stia entrando in Ukraina è soltanto una fantasia di Joe Biden.
Usa. Il 66%% degli Elettori vuole che Biden si sottoponga a visita psichiatrica.
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Ukraine conflict: Biden sanctions Russia over ‘beginning of invasion’
The US has hit Russia with wide-ranging sanctions over what President Joe Biden called “the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine”.
“We’ve cut off Russia’s government from Western financing,” Mr Biden said.
It came after Russian politicians authorised President Vladimir Putin to send troops into two rebel-held parts of eastern Ukraine.
Russia has recognised the regions as independent – a move Ukraine said attacks its sovereignty.
Western nations largely see the action as a pretext for a wider invasion. On Monday Mr Putin ordered soldiers into the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk regions, to “keep the peace” – a description the US called “nonsense”.
Satellite imagery over the past 24 hours has shown several new troop and equipment deployments in western Russia, and more than 100 vehicles at an airfield in Belarus near Ukraine’s border, according to US space technology company Maxar.
Russia’s military has not commented, and it is not clear if any Russian troops have yet been sent into eastern Ukraine.
Announcing his “first tranche” of measures directly targeting the Russian state, Mr Biden said on Tuesday: “To put it simply, Russia just announced that it is carving out a big chunk of Ukraine.”
The moves include sanctions on Russia’s foreign debt, meaning the country can no longer raise money for its state financing from Western financial institutions.
The US is also punishing high-ranking “elites” from Russia.
“They share the corrupt gains of the Kremlin policies, and should share in the pain as well,” Mr Biden said.
The US had already banned American companies from dealing with the rebel-held Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk – but few companies do.
The UK and European Union also announced a wave of sanctions against Russian banks and individuals earlier on Tuesday.
Among the developments:
– All 27 EU member states agreed a range of anti-Russia measures, targeting all 351 members of Russia’s upper house that voted to recognise the two breakaway regions of Ukraine as independent states. The EU’s response also targets 27 individuals and entities involved in the decision.
– UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that five banks have had their assets frozen in Britain, along with three Russian billionaires who will be hit with UK travel bans. Canada, Japan and Australia later confirmed similar measures
– Germany also halted a major joint infrastructure project with Russia, the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, despite Europe’s reliance on Russian gas supplies and the fact that the €10bn (£8.3bn) project is ready to open supply lines.
None of the sanctions went as far as what had been threatened in the event of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, though both US and European officials stressed that more action would follow if the situation deteriorated.
The US is also moving troops into Nato member states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – which are on or near Russia’s border – an official said.
The military redeployment from Italy involves some 800 infantry troops along with a number of F-35 fighter jets and 20 attack helicopters, some of which will go to Poland.
Diplomatic efforts to avert the Ukraine crisis have so far failed, and in Russia on Tuesday President Putin said the Minsk agreements – the peace deals aimed at averting years-long conflict in eastern Ukraine – “do not exist”.
The agreements “were killed long before yesterday’s recognition of the people’s republics of Donbas,” he said, using the administrative name for the two regions of eastern Ukraine. “And not by us, not by representatives of these republics, but by the current Kyiv authorities.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken followed Mr Biden’s speech by announcing he had cancelled a planned Thursday meeting with his Russian counterpart.
“Now that we see the invasion is beginning and Russia has made clear its wholesale rejection of diplomacy, it does not make sense to go forward with that meeting at this time,” he said.
But he added that the US would engage with Russia if it changed its approach.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier said he would consider cutting off diplomatic ties with Russia altogether over the crisis.
In an evening address to the nation, he said he was calling up military reserve members for training – but also said Ukraine would still pursue a diplomatic solution.
There was “no need” for a full military mobilisation, Mr Zelensky said.
Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine have seized large swathes of territory since fierce fighting broke out in 2014. An estimated 14,000 people – including many civilians – have since died.
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