(2020-07-23). 'Pivot to Peace with China and the World' says San Francisco labor. workers.org 
San Francisco The following is based on a webinar presentation given on the July 18 Workers World Party webinar: "Why We Defend China." It can be viewed on Facebook at tinyurl.com/y2fevsmx. Military veterans tend to have a deeper understanding of the human costs of war. So it was not surprising . . . |
(2020-07-23). Quick facts on China and COVID. workers.org 
This slightly edited talk was given at the July 16 Workers World Party webinar: "Why We Defend China." The webinar can be viewed at tinyurl.com/yxbbpwwy/. The U.S. ruling class has increasingly turned to misinformation and propaganda campaigns to maintain control of the country during the COVID-19 epidemic and to concoct . . . |
(2020-07-23). The Militarization of Strategic Waterways: US- India War Games Contemplated. Aggressive "Signal to China" globalresearch.ca "Whoever attains maritime supremacy in the Indian Ocean would be a prominent player on the international scene." (US Navy Geostrategist Rear Admiral Alfred Thayus Mahan (1840-1914)) | Among Washington's strategic objectives is the militarization of major sea ways, extending from the …
(2020-07-23). Closure of Houston Consulate Marks Shift of US' China Policy Towards Confrontation, Scholars Warn. sputniknews.com On Tuesday evening, the US government ordered Chinese diplomats to close the country's consulate in Houston, Texas, in 72 hours. International observers have discussed China's potential retaliatory measures in the wake of Washington's decision and the future of the countries' bilateral relations.
(2020-07-23). Chinese Sex Toy Makers See Global 'Surging Demand' Amid COVID-19 Pandemic. sputniknews.com Sex toy manufacturers in China have seen notable increases in the number of orders they receive since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially from other countries.
(2020-07-23). The Heat: U.S.-China relations. america.cgtn.com 
Tensions rise as the United States orders the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas.
(2020-07-23). Okinawa: Will the Pandemic Transform U.S. Military Bases? counterpunch.org Okinawans opposed to the expansion of U.S. military bases on their island have been upset by the environmental damage, the accidents, and the crimes associated with the presence of 25,000 American troops. Now the anti-base movement has one more powerful argument to use in its case to shrink the U.S. footprint in this southernmost Japanese
(2020-07-23). Paramilitary-Style Tactics in Portland Mirror Decades of U.S. Violence on the Border & Abroad. democracynow.org 
The harrowing scenes of paramilitary-style units in the streets of American cities like Portland has shocked mainstream America, but award-winning independent journalist Todd Miller, who has reported on border security and immigration for over a decade, says it's a reflection of how the U.S. has operated around the world. We also speak with Cecilia Menjívar, UCLA sociology professor, who says the image of unmarked vans snatching people from the streets "brings back memories to Latin Americans who lived through disappearances of families and friends and co-workers."
(2020-07-23). Cities challenge Trump's dispatch of federal law enforcement officers. peoplesworld.org 
OAKLAND, Calif. — Outrage is growing throughout the country over Donald Trump's use of federal law enforcement against protesters in Portland, Oregon, and his threats to dispatch federal officers to other U.S. cities. On July 20, Trump told reporters he might send federal "law enforcement" to cities he claimed were experiencing heightened violence, naming cities …
(2020-07-23). As Trump threatens secret police deployment nationwide, Democrats debate expanding surveillance powers and new money for DHS. mronline.org 
The rogue deployment of secret federal police forces in Portland, Oregon, has added a new complication to negotiations over reauthorizing the Trump administration's vast surveillance powers and appropriating new money for the Department of Homeland Security.
(2020-07-23). Defend Portland! Defend People's Resistance! No Police State! workers.org 
Despite the brutal attempt of the White House to crush the heroic Black Lives Matter movement by sending camouflaged federal agents ‚àí secret police ‚àí to Portland, Chicago and other U.S. cities, the movement and all who support it have been fighting back. The initial response to the threat of . . . |
(2020-07-23). Portland mayor cheers protesters & joins them to face tear gas, gets calls to resign anyway (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler failed to win over a crowd of angry anti-police protesters despite rooting for their cause. But rather than seeing him as an ally against federal agents, some said he's part of the problem and has to go.
(2020-07-23). Trump Administration Deploys Federal Forces into Major U.S. Cities. globalresearch.ca The repressive U.S. state's chickens have come home to roost with President Donald Trump announcing federal troops will be deployed to several U.S. cities. This comes after federal agents reportedly disappeared protesters last week off the streets of Portland, Oregon….
(2020-07-23). Stand with the resistance in Portland! fightbacknews.org Protesters grabbed off the streets by federal agents who refuse to identify themselves, placed unmarked vehicles, and taken to undisclosed locations. These same agents nearly killed a young man holding part of a sound system at a demonstration. This is the outrageous reality in Portland today, were Trump has deployed a paramilitary police force to carry out a wave of repression. The good news is that the resistance in Portland has been nothing short of heroic, as thousands have taken to the streets in a powerful display of opposition. | The Trump administration has repeatedly stated that it is deploying federal a…
(2020-07-23). Guns? Yes. Masks? No. And Gestapo in Portland. zcomm.org The toxic mix of valuing gun ownership over protecting public health, conspiracism, and reactionary movements glued together by white supremacy and national chauvinism are too deeply rooted to be ended any time soon…
(2020-07-23). Defund the Police State, Before It's Too Late. globalresearch.ca The American police state is currently making its boldest test run to date in Portland, Oregon, escalating violence and lawlessness against the peaceful population of an American city. The people of Portland have responded with increased resistance, but support from …
(2020-07-23). What Are Trump And His Goons Up To? popularresistance.org First and foremost, it is a political stunt to capture the law and order crowd and press on divides between the coastal cities and inland voters. But it's also more sinister than that. The use of federal forces is designed to weaken local accountability by freezing out local government that constituents can reach. Portland's mayor might not even have opposed some "help" from the feds, but he wasn't asked. In other words, this wasn't mutual aid. This was indeed an invasion. An alphabet soup of federal agencies have been employed to crack down on police brutality protests, including the National Guard, the US Marsh…
(2020-07-23). Federal Agents Retreat To Portland Base As Protesters Control Streets. popularresistance.org The DHS officers dispatched by the president to put down the demonstrations have instead become prisoners of the building they are ostensibly there to defend. | "The feds don't have control of the streets," said a woman holding a sign "100% not a terrorist", who gave her name only as Shannon. "I think they're more scared than us. They're hiding in there. They don't know what they're doing." If the intent was to intimidate the protesters into abandoning the few square blocks of downtown Portland under their control, it backfired spectacularly. | Residents of a city with a long history of radical street protest wer…
(2020-07-23). Portland's Mayor Tear-Gassed By Militarized US Police. popularresistance.org The mayor of Portland, Oregon was tear-gassed by U.S. government agents as he stood outside a federal courthouse during another night of protests against the presence of federal police sent by President Donald Trump to quell the city's ongoing unrest. | Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, appeared slightly dazed and coughed and said Wednesday night it was the first time he'd been tear-gassed. | He put on a pair of goggles someone handed him and drank water but did not leave his spot at the front of the protest and continued to take tear gas as the demonstration raged — with protesters lighting a large fire betwe…
(2020-07-23). New Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Against Federal Law Enforcement. popularresistance.org The Western States Center, the First Unitarian Church of Portland, two state representatives and an ACLU legal observer are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which alleges the federal government has violated protesters' 10th Amendment rights. It was filed Tuesday in federal court. | The 10th Amendment delineates the separation of powers between federal and state governments. | "The power to engage in ordinary law enforcement is one of the long-recognized powers that belong to the states and to their municipalities," said Cliff Davidson, an attorney with Snell & Wilmer, the firm filing the lawsuit. | The W…
(2020-07-23). In another night of unrest in Portland, tear gas hits mayor. yenisafak.com The mayor of the U.S. city of Portland, Ted Wheeler, was stung by tear gas early on Thursday morning after he joined demonstrators protesting against racial injustice and police brutality.Protests have rocked Portland every night for weeks, with security forces often tear-gassing and clubbing demonstrators.Visiting the protest site, Wheeler was jeered at by some demonstrators who called on him to resign and chanted "Shame on You". They said he should have done more to protect Portland's citizens.However, as he stood amongst the crowd outside Portland's Justice Center, Wheeler, who was wearing a face mask, was him…
(2020-07-23). Secret police in Portland violated human rights of peaceful protesters. indybay.org Videos showing U.S. Federal secret police(with no badges and riding in unmarked vehicles)inflicting massive violence on mostly peaceful protesters are running viral across the Globe. Yet the Federal governing regime brazenly avows that this will be the "new normal" in major cities from now on…
(2020-07-22). China Condemns US Request To Close Its Consulate In Houston. telesurenglish.net The Chinese embassy in the United States said on Wednesday the U.S. government's abrupt request to close the Chinese Consulate General in Houston as of July 24 is "a political provocation," and "an outrageous and unjustified move which sabotages China-U.S. relations. | RELATED: | "It is a political provocation unilaterally launched by the U.S. side, which seriously violates international law, basic norms governing internation…
(2020-07-22). China, QAnon Censorship, And Other Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com QAnon is one of the most annoying things on Twitter and its followers are morons. And, also, it is dangerous and unacceptable that monopolistic Silicon Valley tech plutocrats are exerting more and more control over human communication. | I criticize QAnon constantly and find its acolytes intensely irritating. And, also, I don't want monopolistic tech billionaires paternalistically protecting my fragile little mind from them. | Twitter shouldn't be In a corporatist system of government, w…
(2020-07-22). Letter from a student in China on the COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org "People are worried that on top of the hardship they have already gone through, they would face more unknown, long-term, and negative consequences from the pandemic."
(2020-07-22). Despite withdrawal of ICE ruling, international students in the US remain at risk. wsws.org Amid an intensifying anti-immigrant and anti-China campaign, Trump's tactical retreat from the July 6 ruling putting international students at risk of deportation is not any cause for celebration.
(2020-07-22). Washington's Anti-Chinese "Pan-Asian Alliance" thealtworld.com 
US-backed protesters complain about economy, then seek to ruin regional relations with Southeast Asia's most important economic partner, investor, and source of tourism. | One of Washington's reoccuring dreams is creating a "pan-Asian alliance" to encircle and contain China's economic and political rise. Unable to do this through regime change, economic incentives, military alliances, or even coercion and terrorism, it has drawn deeper and deeper from its "soft power" toolkit. | The US is also increasingly lumping its various regional assets together to fight in its growing rift with China. | In this way, it alr…
(2020-07-22). In provocative move, Trump orders shutdown of Chinese consulate in Houston. peoplesworld.org 
HOUSTON — The Trump administration has ordered the shutdown of China's consulate in Houston. Consulate staff have been given a few days to close the facility and vacate all workers. The deadline for closing the consulate is Friday, July 24. The closure of China's consulate marks a sharp escalation of the Trump administration's attacks on …
(2020-07-22). Trump Orders Closure of the Chinese Consulate in Houston. telesurenglish.net The U.S. State Department Wednesday confirmed that it has ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, Texas. This decision has been harshly criticized by Beijing. | RELATED: | The order issued by Washington comes amid political tensions that have confronted the world's two largest economies for months. | According to State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus, the closure of the Chinese Consulate occurred to…
(2020-07-22). Weaponizing Intellectual Property: the Scientist and the Spy. counterpunch.org 
China is the latest in the long list of post-World War II villains who threaten the American way of life, or America's deserved spot at the head of the table, or the peace and prosperity of America's allies, or the values of the West. China's particular threat is its ambition to replace the US at
(2020-07-22). China may shut US Wuhan consulate after U.S. orders its Houston mission closed. yenisafak.com China is considering ordering the closure of the U.S. consulate in the central city of Wuhan, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday, after Washington told China to shut its consulate in the city of Houston.China's foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment, but at a media briefing earlier on Wednesday warned of possible retaliation over the U.S. decision.The U.S. embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(2020-07-22). Pompeo: China's behaviour was unacceptable in border clash with India. yenisafak.com India's recent border clash with China was the latest example of the Chinese Communist Party's "unacceptable behaviour," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday.He made the comment at the U.S.-India Business Council's India Ideas Summit, being conducted on line, adding: "I am confident that with our concerted efforts, we can protect our interest."India's relations with China have been strained after last month's deadly clash in the Himalayas, prompting calls in India for closer security ties with the United States and its allies including Japan.
(2020-07-22). Magnitude 6.2 Earthquake Hits China's Tibet Region. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A 6.2-magnitude earthquake has hit the Tibet Autonomous Region in China's west, according to data released by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre on Wednesday.
(2020-07-22). Indian Def Minister Asks Air Force to Stand Ready, Despite De-escalation Efforts Along China Border. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): A month after violent skirmishes involving the armies of India and China in eastern Ladakh, the commanders of the Indian Air Force (IAF) met in New Delhi to "review the operational scenario and deployments" and to discuss "building the IAF capabilities in the next decade to tackle all emerging threats."
(2020-07-22). As World Split Over Huawei, Narendra Modi Invites American Businessmen to Invest in 5G Technology. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Earlier in the day, Mike Pompeo urged New Delhi to remain cautious when dealing with China in technology, claiming that doing so involves security risks to Indians. US President Donald Trump had previously offered joint collaboration in 5G technology during his two day visit to India in February.
(2020-07-22). France Tells Telecom Operators Licences for Huawei 5G Gear Will Not Be Renewed, Reports Say. sputniknews.com European nations, France included, have been pressed by the United States to ban Huawei from building their 5G networks. Washington has claimed Beijing uses the firm's equipment for spying. China has repeatedly denied the accusations.
(2020-07-22). US-EU Dialogue on China to Be 'Action Oriented' for More Policy Outcomes, State Dept Official Says. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said he expects the US-EU dialogue on China to be action-oriented, according to Biegun's written testimony published on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's website.
(2020-07-22). US 'late to the party' in the Arctic after 'aggressive' Russia & China, but will still 'succeed,' says Pompeo. rt.com 
Washington and its allies have been too slow to react to Russian and Chinese expansion in the Arctic, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said. Still, the US will "succeed" in entrenching there, he believes. | "I think we have all been a little bit naive to watch not only the Russians but the Chinese interest there continue to become more and more aggressive," Pompeo told Danish public broadcaster DR on Wednesday. | We are a little late. That's alright, I've been late to parties before and had a great time. We'll succeed. | Expanding into the Arctic has been on the US agenda for quite some time, with the goa…
(2020-07-22). Trump says 'always possible' he'll shut down more Chinese consulates after Beijing vows retaliation for Houston facility closure. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump said he could shutter additional Chinese consulates following the closure of a diplomatic facility in Texas, leaving the door open for further escalation as tensions soar between the two nations. | The comment came during a White House presser on Wednesday, following the State Department's decision to order a Chinese consulate in Houston to shut down within 72 hours "in order to protect American intellectual property and Americans," according to a department spokesperson. | "I guess they were burning documents and burning papers," Trump said, referring to the Chinese consulate staff.
(2020-07-22). UK Blinks in China Face-Off. strategic-culture.org The much-touted tough measures promised by the British government against China over alleged human rights violations turned out to be a damp squib. No doubt a sudden reality-check of the British economy's dependence on China had a sobering effect on Downing Street's reckless antagonism towards Beijing. | Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab made a much anticipated
(2020-07-22). COVID-19 cases surging again in Japan. wsws.org As during the earlier stages of the pandemic, the government is refusing to make the necessary resources available to properly protect people and their livelihoods.
(2020-07-22). The Statue of Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Milwaukee's Veteran's Park. dissidentvoice.org There is a statue of Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Milwaukee, in Veteran's Park next to the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center. It is a replica of the one at West Point. The general stands there arms akimbo, in that memorable pose he assumed next to the diminutive defeated emperor of Japan in the famous photo …
(2020-07-22). Portland: "Wall of Moms" mobilizes to protect protests from police violence. mronline.org 
Chanting, "Feds stay clear! Moms are here!," groups of women congregated at the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse and other locations in Central Portland. They were met with tear gas, flashbangs, and pepper round bullets, injuring many.
(2020-07-22). Trumpfen Sturmabteilung (Trump's Stormtroopers). counterpunch.org 
It is not hard to see the forces kidnapping individuals and teargassing Portland's streets as the Trump administration's private stormtroopers. Although they are operating under the aegis of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the truth is it is the Executive Branch that issued their orders.
(2020-07-22). Tear Gas, Beatings and Projectiles in Portland. counterpunch.org 
The last couple of nights I have been heavily involved in demonstrations in Portland, Oregon. ( July 18-19, 2020.) As most of you probably know these demonstrations have been going on in front of the Federal Justice Center for over 50 straight nights. Since Trump called in the Feds, the turmoil and violence has escalated. We
(2020-07-22). Another Long Day of GOP Disrespect for Women. thenation.com 
Attacks on AOC, Liz Cheney, and Portland's "Wall of Moms" make it seem like Republicans don't care about women. Except Ghislaine Maxwell.
(2020-07-22). Outrage over Trump attack: Portland movement fights back. workers.org 
Federal officers were deployed to "quell" Portland's protests beginning the weekend of July 10 and continuing the following week. Camouflaged unidentified agents arrested and detained demonstrators without even a pretext. The Trump administration has escalated the confrontation between the people and the state apparatus, bringing a whiff of fascism to . . . |
(2020-07-22). 'We won't retreat': DHS chief defends 'proactive arrests' amid Portland riots, stokes Minority Report dystopia outcry (VIDEOS). rt.com 
The head of the Department of Homeland Security set off alarms after saying that federal agents were making 'proactive' arrests in Portland amid heated protests, drawing comparisons to the dystopian "pre-crime" of Minority Report. | Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf appeared on a Fox News segment on Tuesday night, discussing the ongoing protests and rioting across Portland, which he says have continued for "52 nights in a row" as federal officers there are stretched to the limit. | "Because we don't have that local law enforcement support, we are having to go out and proactively arrest individuals, and we need…
(2020-07-22). The Wisconsin District of FRSO condemns the deployment of federal agents to Milwaukee. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – Last week, unmarked federal agents in military uniforms grabbed protesters off the streets of Portland, Oregon, and threw them into unmarked black vans. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed responsibility for the shadowy operation, citing "graffiti" as their justification for snatching activists off the street and interrogating them. | Now, Milwaukee has been named by the Trump administration as one of the cities that would likely be targeted for deployment of Homeland Security Investigation agents. Some Milwaukee activists have reported spotting unidentified agents in military gear n…
(2020-07-22). Why Portland Became the Test Case for Trump's Secret Police. thenation.com Why Portland Became the Test Case for Trump's Secret Police…