TYB
US AND NATO ESCALATE TENSIONS WITH ASIA-PACIFIC WAR GAMES
Civil society opposition to U.S. militarization of the Pacific is growing.
By Ann Wright | June 29, 2022
While the worldâs attention is focused on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, halfway around the world in the Pacific Ocean, U.S. and NATO confrontation with China and North Korea is increasing dramatically.
Ever since the Obama administrationâs âPivot to Asia,â which was created in part to take the spotlight off the decision to surge troops in Afghanistan and Iraq in the failed U.S. war policies in the Middle East, U.S. military naval and air presence in the Western Pacific has been steadily increasing. During the Obama administration, Washington used âfreedom of navigationââan integral part of the Law of the Seas treaty that the United States has failed to ratifyâto send large numbers of U.S. naval ships into contested areas in and around the South China Sea. Under the Trump administration, freedom-of-navigation armadas sailed in an even more confrontational manner.
Now, during the Biden administration, NATO countries have joined in the armadas as British, French, and German navies have sent ships to join with U.S. aircraft carrier groups of more than 20 ships. For the first time, the UKâs only aircraft carrier, the Queen Elizabeth, sailed into the Pacific to participate in war maneuvers off the coast of China.
The Trump administration ramped up confrontation with China by sending the highest-ranking U.S. diplomat to visit Taiwan in the history of the 40-year-old U.S. policy of âOne China,â according to which Washington does not recognize Taiwan diplomatically. Trumpâs actions deeply angered Beijing.
The Biden administration has dramatically increased the number of high-level diplomats visiting Taiwan. Its encouragement of congressional delegations to visit has infuriated the Chinese even more. The Chinese response to U.S. actions has been to send over 50 military aircraft across the narrow Taiwan Strait to the edge of Taiwanâs air defense zone in a show of potential military action.
The confrontation over Taiwan expanded in mid-June 2022. After China claimed that the Strait does not qualify as international waters, that Beijing has sovereignty over the zones extending from both Taiwanâs and Chinaâs shores to the middle of the Strait, the United States said it would not stop conducting military operations there.
Although the United States does not have a defense agreement with it, Taiwan has always purchased U.S. weapons and U.S. military trainers regularly visit Taiwan. President Biden has responded to media questions about the prospect of an invasion by China with statements such as âWe will defend Taiwan,â statements that his advisors have had to walk back. Since 2010, the United States has announced more than $23 billion in arms sales to Taiwan. In 2022, U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan so far total $1 billion and are for Patriot missiles and howitzers.
https://fpif.org/us-and-nato-escalate-tensions-with-asia-pacific-war-games/
China Sends 3 H-6 Bombers With Supersonic Missiles To Fly Near Japan's Coast
By Meera Suresh
06/29/22 AT 6:14 AM
KEY POINTS
The bombers passed over the Miyako Strait into the Pacific Ocean
Two H-6J bombers were spotted carrying eight YJ-12 anti-ship missiles
An H-6J jet with electronic pods for jamming enemy radar was also seen
Three Chinese H-6 bombers carrying powerful supersonic cruise missiles reportedly flew over the Miyako Strait in southern Japan last week. Tokyo claimed the flights were intended to show off the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) air and naval force coordination.
According to a statement by the Japanese Defence Ministry, the bombers passed over the Miyako Strait from the East China Sea into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, then flew back via the same route. This comes days after Japan noticed an uptick in Russian and Chinese warship movements near its coast, which Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi described as a "show of force."
The ministry also released photographs showing two H-6J bombers carrying eight YJ-12 anti-ship cruise missiles and an H-6J PLA Air Force jet with electronic countermeasure pods for jamming enemy radar, reported South China Morning Post.
The fact that both PLA Navy and Air Force sent H-6 bombers simultaneously through the strait suggests that the sortie was aimed at enhancing coordination during combat, Beijing-based analyst Fu Qianshao told the news outlet.
The YJ-12 anti-ship cruise missiles also called the Eagle Strike missiles, are another version of the ground-based DF-21D. They are considered a major threat due to their ability to outgun traditional naval defensive systems.
Dubbed "carrier killers," the YJ-21 has a range of over 400km, with a warhead that can reach a target within 30 seconds. However, the service status of these air-launched ballistic missiles is not clear yet though it is believed to be still going through pre-service trials.
Japan has recently been witnessing an increased presence of enemy vessels around the Japanese home islands. According to Nobuo Kishi, both China and Russia had sent two separate surface action groups to the region since mid-June. "The fact that about 10 Russian and Chinese ships sail around Japan on the same route in a short period of time is a display of the military presence of both countries around Japan," Kishi told reporters recently.
That being the situation, Japan had recently announced plans to step up its military capability and boost its defense spending. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday at the G-7 that Tokyo plans to bolster its defense in five years with a substantial increase in military spending.
Immediately after, the Chinese state-backed Global Times had reacted to Kishida's statement, saying it demonstrated "Japan's ambition of gaining international support for its military expansion" ahead of Kishida's attendance at the NATO summit being held in Spain on Tuesday.
Japan's attempt risks breaking the power balance in Asia-Pacific, and its domestic militarism resurgence poses a great threat to regional stability, said the article.
https://www.ibtimes.com/china-sends-3-h-6-bombers-supersonic-missiles-fly-near-japans-coast-3556008
White House Is Quietly Modeling For $200 Oil "Shock"
BY TYLER DURDEN
WEDNESDAY, JUN 29, 2022 - 05:05 PM
While the Biden administration is hoping and praying that someone - anyone - will watch the comical "Jan 6" kangaroo hearsay court taking place in Congress and meant to somehow block Trump from running for president in 2024 while also making hundreds of millions of Americans forget that the current administration could very well be the worst in US history, it is quietly preparing for the worst.
As none other than pro-Biden propaganda spinmaster CNN reports, when it comes to what really matters (at least according to Gallup), namely the economy, and specifically galloping gasoline prices, the White House is in a historic shambles.
For an administration that ended last year forecasting a leveling off of 40-year high inflation and eager to tout a historically rapid recovery from the pandemic-driven economic crisis, there is a level of frustration that comes with an acutely perilous moment. Asked by CNN about progress on a seemingly intractable challenge, another senior White House official responded flatly: "Which one?"
The suspects behind the historic implosion are well known: "soaring prices, teetering poll numbers and congressional majorities that appear to be on the brink have created no shortage of reasons for unease. Gas prices are hovering at or around $5 per gallon, plastered on signs and billboards across the country as a symbolic daily reminder of the reality one in which White House officials are extremely aware that the country's view of the economy is growing darker and taking Biden's political future with it."
"You don't have to be a very sophisticated person to know how lines of presidential approval and gas prices go historically in the United States," a senior White House official told CNN.
A CNN Poll of Polls average of ratings for Biden's handling of the presidency finds that 39% of Americans approve of the job he's doing. His numbers on the economy, gas prices and inflation specifically are even worse in recent polls. What CNN won't tell you is that Biden is now polling well below Trump at this time in his tenure.
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/white-house-quietly-modeling-shock-200-oil
"Bullsh*t": Claim Trump "Lunged" For Steering Wheel On Jan 6 Discredited By Secret Service
Tyler Durden's Photo
BY TYLER DURDEN
WEDNESDAY, JUN 29, 2022 - 10:11 PM
Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via Summit News,
The January 6 Committeeâs credibility has plummeted after claims by former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson that President Trump âlungedâ for the steering wheel of his vehicle and demanded to be taken to the site of the riots were contradicted by the lead Secret Service agent.
Hutchinson testified that Tony Ornato, the then-White House deputy chief of staff, told her that Trump said something like, âIâm the f-ing president, take me up to the Capitol now,â and had âreached up towards the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheelâ before then using âhis free hand to lunge towards Bobby Engel,â the the presidential driver.
Despite the legacy media breathlessly reporting Hutchinsonâs claims without much skepticism, the term âAmber Heard 2.0â subsequently trended on Twitter as Hutchinsonâs assertions were demolished.
Within hours, Peter Alexander of NBC News revealed that Engel was prepared to testify âunder oath that neither man was assaulted and that Mr. Trump never lunged for the steering wheel.â
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/bullsht-claim-trump-lunged-steering-wheel-jan-6-discredited-secret-service
DECLARE YOUR INDEPENDENCE FROM TYRANNY, AMERICA
Published: June 29, 2022
SOURCE: JOHN & NISHA WHITEHEAD - RUTHERFORD INSTITUTE
Imagine living in a country where armed soldiers crash through doors to arrest and imprison citizens merely for criticizing government officials.
Imagine that in this very same country, youâre watched all the time, and if you look even a little bit suspicious, the police stop and frisk you or pull you over to search you on the off chance youâre doing something illegal.
Keep in mind that if you have a firearm of any kind (or anything that resembled a firearm) while in this country, it may get you arrested and, in some circumstances, shot by police.
If youâre thinking this sounds like America today, you wouldnât be far wrong.
However, the scenario described above took place more than 200 years ago, when American colonists suffered under Great Britainâs version of an early police state. It was only when the colonists finally got fed up with being silenced, censored, searched, frisked, threatened, and arrested that they finally revolted against the tyrantâs fetters.
No document better states their grievances than the Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
A document seething with outrage over a government which had betrayed its citizens, the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, by 56 men who laid everything on the line, pledged it allââour Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honorââbecause they believed in a radical idea: that all people are created to be free.
Labeled traitors, these men were charged with treason, a crime punishable by death. For some, their acts of rebellion would cost them their homes and their fortunes. For others, it would be the ultimate priceâtheir lives.
Yet even knowing the heavy price they might have to pay, these men dared to speak up when silence could not be tolerated. Even after they had won their independence from Great Britain, these new Americans worked to ensure that the rights they had risked their lives to secure would remain secure for future generations.
The result: our Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
Imagine the shock and outrage these 56 men would feel were they to discover that 246 years later, the government they had risked their lives to create has been transformed into a militaristic police state in which exercising oneâs freedomsâat a minimum, merely questioning a government agentâis often viewed as a flagrant act of defiance.
In fact, had the Declaration of Independence been written today, it would have rendered its signers extremists or terrorists, resulting in them being placed on a government watch list, targeted for surveillance of their activities and correspondence, and potentially arrested, held indefinitely, stripped of their rights and labeled enemy combatants.
Read the Declaration of Independence again, and ask yourself if the list of complaints tallied by Jefferson donât bear a startling resemblance to the abuses âwe the peopleâ are suffering at the hands of the American police state.
Hereâs what the Declaration of Independence might look and sound like if it were written in the modern vernacular:
https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/82838/declare-your-independence-from-tyranny.html
cont:
There comes a time when a populace must stand united and say âenough is enoughâ to the governmentâs abuses, even if it means getting rid of the political parties in power.
Believing that âwe the peopleâ have a natural and divine right to direct our own lives, here are truths about the power of the people and how we arrived at the decision to sever our ties to the government:
All people are created equal.
All people possess certain innate rights that no government or agency or individual can take away from them. Among these are the right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
The governmentâs job is to protect the peopleâs innate rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. The governmentâs power comes from the will of the people.
Whenever any government abuses its power, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish that government and replace it with a new government that will respect and protect the rights of the people.
It is not wise to get rid of a government for minor transgressions. In fact, as history has shown, people resist change and are inclined to suffer all manner of abuses to which they have become accustomed.
However, when the people have been subjected to repeated abuses and power grabs, carried out with the purpose of establishing a tyrannical government, people have a right and duty to do away with that tyrannical government and to replace it with a new government that will protect and preserve their innate rights for their future wellbeing.
This is exactly the state of affairs we are under suffering under right now, which is why it is necessary that we change this imperial system of government.
The history of the present Imperial Government is a history of repeated abuses and power grabs, carried out with the intention of establishing absolute tyranny over the country.
To prove this, consider the following:
The government has, through its own negligence and arrogance, refused to adopt urgent and necessary laws for the good of the people.
The government has threatened to hold up critical laws unless the people agree to relinquish their right to be fully represented in the Legislature.
In order to expand its power and bring about compliance with its dictates, the government has made it nearly impossible for the people to make their views and needs heard by their representatives.
https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/82838/declare-your-independence-from-tyranny.html
The government has repeatedly suppressed protests arising in response to its actions.
The government has obstructed justice by refusing to appoint judges who respect the Constitution and has instead made the courts march in lockstep with the governmentâs dictates.
The government has allowed its agents to harass the people, steal from them, jail them and even execute them.
The government has directed militarized government agentsâa.k.a., a standing armyâto police domestic affairs in peacetime.
The government has turned the country into a militarized police state.
The government has conspired to undermine the rule of law and the constitution in order to expand its own powers.
The government has allowed its militarized police to invade our homes and inflict violence on homeowners.
The government has failed to hold its agents accountable for wrongdoing and murder under the guise of âqualified immunity.â
The government has jeopardized our international trade agreements.
The government has overtaxed us without our permission.
The government has denied us due process and the right to a fair trial.
The government has engaged in extraordinary rendition.
The government has continued to expand its military empire in collusion with its corporate partners-in-crime and occupy foreign nations.
The government has eroded fundamental legal protections and destabilized the structure of government.
The government has not only declared its federal powers superior to those of the states but has also asserted its sovereign power over the rights of âwe the people.â
The government has ceased to protect the people and instead waged domestic war against the people.
The government has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, and destroyed the lives of the people.
The government has employed private contractors and mercenaries to carry out acts of death, desolation and tyranny, totally unworthy of a civilized nation.
The government through its political propaganda has pitted its citizens against each other.
The government has stirred up civil unrest and laid the groundwork for martial law.
Repeatedly, we have asked the government to cease its abuses. Each time, the government has responded with more abuse.
An Imperial Ruler who acts like a tyrant is not fit to govern a free people.
We have repeatedly sounded the alarm to our fellow citizens about the governmentâs abuses. We have warned them about the governmentâs power grabs. We have appealed to their sense of justice. We have reminded them of our common bonds.
They have rejected our plea for justice and brotherhood. They are equally at fault for the injustices being carried out by the government.
Thus, for the reasons mentioned above, we the people of the united States of America declare ourselves free from the chains of an abusive government. Relying on Godâs protection, we pledge to stand by this Declaration of Independence with our lives, our fortunes and our honor.
https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/82838/declare-your-independence-from-tyranny.html
In the 246 years since early Americans first declared and eventually won their independence from Great Britain, âwe the peopleâ have managed to work ourselves right back under the tyrantâs thumb.
Only this time, the tyrant is one of our own making: the American Police State.
The abuses meted out by an imperial government and endured by the American people have not ended. They have merely evolved.
âWe the peopleâ are still being robbed blind by a government of thieves.
We are still being taken advantage of by a government of scoundrels, idiots and monsters.
We are still being locked up by a government of greedy jailers.
We are still being spied on by a government of Peeping Toms.
We are still being ravaged by a government of ruffians, rapists and killers.
We are still being forced to surrender our freedomsâand those of our childrenâto a government of extortionists, money launderers and corporate pirates.
And we are still being held at gunpoint by a government of soldiers: a standing army in the form of a militarized police.
Given the fact that we are a relatively young nation, it hasnât taken very long for an authoritarian regime to creep into power.
Unfortunately, the bipartisan coup that laid siege to our nation did not happen overnight.
It snuck in under our radar, hiding behind the guise of national security, the war on drugs, the war on terror, the war on immigration, political correctness, hate crimes and a host of other official-sounding programs aimed at expanding the governmentâs power at the expense of individual freedoms.
The building blocks for the bleak future weâre just now getting a foretaste ofâpolice shootings of unarmed citizens, profit-driven prisons, weapons of compliance, a wall-to-wall surveillance state, pre-crime programs, a suspect society, school-to-prison pipelines, militarized police, overcriminalization, SWAT team raids, endless wars, etc.âwere put in place by government officials we trusted to look out for our best interests.
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, the problems we are facing will not be fixed overnight: that is the grim reality with which we must contend.
Yet that does not mean we should give up or give in or tune out. What we need to do is declare our independence from the tyranny of the American police state.
https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/82838/declare-your-independence-from-tyranny.html
Marcos Jr. sworn in as Philippine leader in resurgence of ex-dictatorâs family
By Regine Cabato
Updated June 30, 2022 at 3:24 a.m. EDT | Published June 29, 2022 at 11:40 p.m. EDT
MANILA â Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of the late dictator Ferdinand Emmanuel Marcos, was sworn in to office Thursday, sealing a family comeback that was decades in the making.
Marcos Jr., 64, won a landslide victory during the May elections. More than 30 million votes were cast for him, making Marcos the first presidential candidate to obtain a majority since the revolution that ousted his father 36 years ago. His election suggests a continued preference for populist leaders among Filipinos â who were governed for the past six years by the tough-talking Rodrigo Duterte, best known internationally for a war on drugs that has left thousands dead.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/06/29/philippines-ferdinand-bongbong-marcos-inauguration-president/
Pope Francis congratulates, offers prayers for Marcos
Published 23 hours ago on June 29, 2022By Ferdinand Patinio and 'Philippine News Agency
MANILA â Pope Francis has extended his congratulations to President-elect Ferdinand âBongbongâ Marcos Jr. ahead of his inauguration.
âI send my congratulations and cordial wishes to Your Excellency as you begin your mandate as the President of the Republic,â Papal Nuncio Archbishop Charles John Brown said, quoting an excerpt of the pontiffâs message, in an interview over Church-run Radio Veritas on Wednesday.
The Holy Father also said he will continue to pray for the new leader of the Philippines.
âIn assuring you of my prayers that you will be sustained in wisdom and strength, I invoke Almighty Godâs blessings of peace and prosperity upon the nation,â the Pope said.
On June 10, Brown met with Marcos Jr. where they discussed efforts to strengthen ties between the church and the government.
The Philippines is home to over 85 million Catholics, comprising more than 80 percent of the countryâs population.
Garnering over 31 million votes in the May 9 polls, Marcos will take his oath as the countryâs 17th Chief Executive at the National Museum of the Philippines in Manila on Thursday.
https://canadianinquirer.net/2022/06/29/pope-francis-congratulates-offers-prayers-for-marcos/
Wonkette
AZ QAnon A-Hole Kari Lake Will Sue ALL DRAG QUEENS Who Reveal How Full Of Sh*t She Is
VERY IMPORTANT FOLLOWUP STORY! Couple weeks ago, Wonkette had the story of how batshit QAnon scumbag Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari LakeâŚ
.5 hours ago
CNET
False QAnon Conspiracies in Politics: What to Watch Out for Ahead of the Midterms
Even with Donald Trump not in office, QAnon beliefs continue to infect politics. Why it matters. The debunked conspiracy will be in play during the upcomingâŚ
.11 hours ago
The Daily Dot
âRon Watkins locked real Q outâ: QAnon world is in disarray over whether leader has really returned
QAnon followers are divided about whethes Q has actually come back. Many are blaming Ron and Jim Watkins for it.
.15 hours ago
CTV News Kitchener
'QAnon Shaman' gets three years in prison
So-called 'QAnon Shaman' Jacob Chansley, has been sentenced to three years in prison for his part in the Jan. 6th riots on Capitol Hill.
.15 hours ago
YouTube
QAnon "Prophet" Johnny Enlow Claims He Was Mobbed By GOP Leaders
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/qanon-prophet-johnny-enlow-featured-at-ralph-reeds-road-to-majority-conference/Right Wing Watch reports on the extremeâŚ
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Right Wing Watch
QAnon 'Prophet' Johnny Enlow Featured at Ralph Reed's 'Road to Majority' Conference
Johnny Enlow is an unapologetic QAnon conspiracy theorist, a proponent of Seven Mountains Dominionism, and a self-proclaimed âprophetâ who has carved out aâŚ
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The Bharat Express News
Was the return of QAnonâs âQâ just a Republican primary play?
QAnon believers were thrilled with the return last week of Q, the anonymous internet poster who launched the far-right conspiracy theory.
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The Daily Beast
Was the Return of QAnon's 'Q' Just a Republican Primary Play?
QAnon believers have been thrilled by last week's return of Q, the anonymous internet poster who launched the far-right conspiracy theory.
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9News
'Shall we play a game once more?': QAnon's 'Q' returns after nearly two years of silence
After 563 days of quiet, seven words broke the silence. Q, the mysterious figure behind the QAnon conspiracâŚ
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VICE
Inside the QAnon Crypto Scam That Cost People Millions and One Man His Life
Tom's construction company, which built cell phone towers, was doing well before the pandemic hit. He was on course to break $1 million in revenue in 2021,âŚ
.1 day ago
>The Daily Dot
>âRon Watkins locked real Q outâ: QAnon world is in disarray over whether leader has really returned
>QAnon followers are divided about whethes Q has actually come back. Many are blaming Ron and Jim Watkins for it.
OSS is Mike Rothschild!?
Wouldn't that be tippy top?
Jon Stewart: This Is the Moment GOP Ditches Trump for DeSantis
âThe danger to Donald Trump is simply, theyâve got a better option now,â the former âDaily Showâ host said. âHeâs no longer the only game in town.â
Matt Wilstein Senior Writer
Updated Jun. 30, 2022 3:36AM ET / Published Jun. 29, 2022 11:38PM ET
On the same day that Joe Rogan endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for president in 2024, Jon Stewart convened a âspecial emergency sessionâ of the podcast that seems to have replaced his Apple TV+ show to explain why he believes this weekâs bombshell Jan. 6 Committee hearing will be the last straw for Donald Trump in the Republican Party.
âI think the larger development from yesterday,â Stewart said, referring to Cassidy Hutchinsonâs testimony, âis that more Republicans have decided Ron DeSantis is a better option. This is just too much.â
While there was ânothing surprisingâ about how we now know Trump behaved on the day of the insurrection, the host said the difference now is that Republicans have a clear alternative. âNow they know where theyâre going,â he said. âAnd they can steer away from Trump feeling confident. Heâs lost his utility. They never fucking liked him. But heâs starting to lose his utility.â
âTheyâre starting to realize theyâve got a guy who they think will do what Trump can do without the revolution part,â he said of DeSantis. âSo the game-changer part and the danger to Donald Trump is simply, theyâve got a better option now. Heâs no longer the only game in town. And heâs damaged enough that it just doesnât make fucking sense. It doesnât make political sense.â
After a brief detour about how Trump has âalways been a man-babyâ throwing condiments against a wall, Stewart explained that while everyone in his White House knew they were âmaking a deal with the devil,â now âthe biggest threat to Donald Trump is thereâs a new devil in townâ who doesnât have the same baggage.
âDeSantis has the same enemies that Trump has,â he added. âDeSantis has the same policies, he has the same combative style. The only thing he doesnât have is, DeSantis is educated, heâs been a governor and his toilets arenât made of gold.â
https://www.thedailybeast.com/jon-stewart-predicts-gop-will-dump-trump-for-desantis-after-jan-6-hearings
tree fiddy