2020-08-14: News Headlines

Michael K. Smith (2020-08-14). The "Lesser-Evil" Syndrome: Noam Chomsky's Fall Into Self-Contradiction. dissidentvoice.org In a recent interview Noam Chomsky declared that there "was a big difference" between Hubert Humphrey and Richard Nixon in the 1968 presidential elections, a difference "you could count in several million corpses in Indochina." But, Chomsky added, "a lot of the young people on the left said, "I'm not going to vote for Humphrey. …

Prabir Purkayastha (2020-08-14). Why 5G is the First Stage of a Tech War Between the U.S. and China. counterpunch.org The U.S. tech war on China continues, banning Chinese equipment from its network, and asking its Five Eyes partners and NATO allies to follow suit. It is a market and a technology denial regime that seeks to win back manufacturing that the U.S. and European countries have lost to China. International trade assumed that goods

Eva Lee (2020-08-14). Saturday 8/15: SF Chinatown Walkway Weekends. indybay.org Chinatown, Grant Avenue from California to Washington Streets…

sputniknews (2020-08-13). US 'Satisfied' With China's Progress on Trade Deal, White House Adviser Says. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States is satisfied with the progress made by China on the trade deal between the two countries, although Beijing's political actions were still a sore point for President Donald Trump, White House Adviser Larry Kudlow said.

yenisafak (2020-08-13). China says US' Pompeo spreading 'political viruses'. yenisafak.com China on Thursday slammed top US diplomat Mike Pompeo for spreading "political viruses and disinformation" as tensions between the two economic powers show no signs of abating.At a news conference in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the US secretary of state's persistent criticism of China and the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) stemmed from "a Cold War mentality and selfishness.""Wherever Pompeo goes, he brings political viruses and disinformation," he was quoted as saying by the daily Global Times.The reaction was in response to Pompeo's remarks on‚ÄØWednesday that…

Jaime Chu (2020-08-13). Who Gets to Tell the Story of Wuhan's Lockdown? thenation.com Who Gets to Tell the Story of Wuhan's Lockdown?

Andre Vltchek (2020-08-13). Hong Kong Elections Postponed: And where aren't they? dissidentvoice.org Today, the Western press went absolutely mental again, radically schizophrenic. Hong Kong leader, Carrie Lam, declared that the September 6 elections in SAR would be postponed by one year. Right away, she offered a rational explanation: "We have 3 million voters going out in one day across Hong Kong, such flow of people would cause …

Margaret Kimberley (2020-08-13). Freedom Rider: TikTok and the War on China. mronline.org Every charge that Trump and his minions make against Chinese companies is true for US corporations, which have been spying on Americans and the rest of the world for decades.

_____ (2020-08-13). Xinjiang And Uyghurs — What You're Not Being Told. popularresistance.org Like a few other provinces, Xinjiang is an "autonomous" region, which means it is run by Uyghurs for the most part. For example, the current "governor" is Shohrat Zakir, an Uyghur man who's been in charge since 2014. | Also to remember are two nuggets of information: Xinjiang is a really vast region — it's four times as large as California(!); and Uyghurs make up only about 40% of Xinjiang's population. Overall, Uyghurs account for only 0.7% of China's population. That's about the same percentage as the Native American population in the U.S. now.

John Ranson (2020-08-13). Until you've drifted a mile in their tiny dinghy, don't even think about criticising the Channel crossers. thecanary.co I can still remember the first bit of political graffiti I ever saw. It was in the 70s. I can't have been more than about four or five. Daubed scruffily on a bridge in Norwich were the words: "NO MORE BOAT PEOPLE". | Boat People: | Having no idea what on earth this meant, I asked my mum, who explained that it referred to people from countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia who were escaping war and trying to get into the UK. Well fair play to them I thought, dimly aware that those countries were somewhere near China and therefore a hell of a long way away. If they can make it all the way in a little boat (I…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-08-12). Selective Maritime Rules: The United States, Diego Garcia and International Law. counterpunch.org There are few more righteous sights than the paunchy US Secretary of State savaging the People's Republic of China with his next volley on Chinese territorial aspirations. In July, Mike Pompeo released a statement putting any uncertain minds at ease on where Washington stood on the matter. "We are making clear: Beijing's claims to offshore

yenisafak (2020-08-12). Beijing shuts tourist sites as precaution against heavy downpours. yenisafak.com A heavy rainstorm forecast in China's capital Beijing has forced authorities to shut parks and tourist sites, state-run media reported.The Beijing Gardening and Greening Bureau said the capital is expecting to receive "heaviest rainstorm" this summer, said Xinhua News Agency.Hence, authorities have closed parks, including the Summer Palace, Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park, and Beijing Zoo. The expected tourists who booked tickets are being given refunds.The bureau added that operations of almost all landscaping projects have been suspended, and workers shifted to safer places before the rainstorm hits the capital…

Zhanwei Du, Emily Javan, Ciara Nugent, Benjamin J. Cowling, Lauren Ancel Meyers (2020-08-12). Using the COVID-19 to influenza ratio to estimate early pandemic spread in Wuhan, China and Seattle, US. thelancet.com The spread of COVID-19 in Wuhan and Seattle was far more extensive than initially reported. The virus likely spread for months in Wuhan before the lockdown. Given that COVID-19 appears to be overwhelmingly mild in children, our high estimate for symptomatic pediatric cases in Seattle suggests that there may have been thousands more mild cases at the time.

Pepe Escobar (2020-08-12). Lebanon should look East and abandon the West. thealtworld.com Post-blast Lebanon has everything to gain from rejecting the West's neoliberal demands and embracing China's Belt and Road | As much as Covid-19 has been instrumentalized by the 0.001% to social-engineer a Facing oh-so-timely color-revolution-style "protests," the current Lebanese government led by Prime Minister Hassan Diab has already resigned. | Even before the onshore portion of the port blew up, Beirut had requested a US$10 billion…

yenisafak (2020-08-12). Coronavirus deaths rise to almost 19,000 in Iran. yenisafak.com As many as 188 new coronavirus-related fatalities have raised the death toll in Iran to 18,988, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.A total of 2,510 people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, pushing the tally to 333,699, according to ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari.She said more than 290,244 patients have recovered so far, while 3,940 are hospitalized in critical condition.Since appearing in China last December, the virus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center.More than 20.3 mil…

Eds. (2020-08-12). Leaked documents reveal what TikTok shares with authorities — In the U.S. mronline.org A glimpse at what the social media platform does in the U.S. underscores that data privacy issues extend beyond China.

Justin Podur (2020-08-12). AEP 59: The American Trap sprung on Tiktok and Huawei, with Carl Zha. mronline.org Back with Carl Zha of Silk & Steel podcast, who we last saw in our episode on the India-China border conflict.

_____ (2020-08-12). New Report Reveals U.S. Special Forces Active in 22 African Countries. strategic-culture.org While there is much talk, (or more accurately, condemnation) in Western media of China's imperialist motives in Africa, there is less discussion of the U.S.' continuing role. While China operates one base in the Horn of Africa and has greatly increased its economic role on the continent, the thousands of American troops operating in dozens of countries are overlooked.

Tony Cartalucci (2020-08-12). Exposing US Color Revolution in Thailand Aimed at China. globalresearch.ca Western media — after claiming recent protests in Thailand were "leaderless" and comprised of "students," decries arrest of US-funded lawyer leading them — never mentions US funding. | *** | The Western media was quick to decry the arrest of 34 year-old …

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-08-12). MSM Smear Merchants Target Critics Of Establishment China Narratives. thealtworld.com slow-motion third world war against unabsorbed governments continues to accelerate, narrative management campaigns are getting more and more frenzied. We see this exemplified in two recent smear pieces published by imperial spinmeisters about critics of the establishment-authorized narratives about what's happening in China. | The oligarch-funded Axios has published a new article titled " The American blo…

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). Iran to set up pavilion at Chinese high-tech. fair. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — Iranian knowledge-based companies are planning to set up a pavilion at 22nd edition of China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF), which is going to be held on November 11 to 15 at Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center, Shenzhen, China.

sputniknews (2020-08-12). Arkansas Man Planted 'Mysterious China Seeds', Drawing Concerns From USDA. sputniknews.com The United States Department of Agriculture has issued a warning against "questionable" foreign seeds, advising Americans not to plant them. The warning came after multiple reports emerged of US citizens receiving unsolicited packages from China and other Asian countries containing the seeds.

WSWS (2020-08-11). Biden's blueprint for a right-wing presidency: Part two. wsws.org On China, the Democratic platform attacks Trump from the right, claiming that his trade war policies have not restored jobs in the United States and pledging to "stand up" to Beijing.

_____ (2020-08-11). China To Sanction US Senators, NED And NGO Chiefs Over Hong Kong. popularresistance.org China on Monday announced sanctions on a group of 11 Americans, including lawmakers and top executives of American NGOs, in retaliation for US sanctions on a group of Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials. | Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular press conference that Beijing would impose sanctions on Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, and Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey, all of whom are Republicans.

RT (2020-08-11). China extends Hong Kong legislature for a year. rt.com The top legislature in Beijing has extended the mandate for the current group of Hong Kong lawmakers for a year from its expiry date of September 30, after a scheduled election was delayed. | The decision by China's legislature means Hong Kong's 70-member Legislative Council, or LegCo, will continue to perform its duties for "no less than a year" and until the next LegCo starts its four-year term, the Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday. | Critics say the decision to postpone the election was political and came after China adopted new national security laws in late June that affect the city, Reuters said.

sputniknews (2020-08-11). Made in China: US Reclassifies Hong Kong Exports Amid Push to Alter Beijing's WTO Status. sputniknews.com Due to US President Donald Trump's recent executive order revoking Hong Kong's special status, exports from the special administrative region may be "marked to indicate 'China'" as their place of origin, according to a new memo issued by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

sputniknews (2020-08-11). POTUS Claims G. Washington 'Would Have Had a Hard Time' to Beat Him in Election, Ignites Twitter. sputniknews.com US President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which started in China in late-December 2019, for his declining poll statistics, as his administration faces heavy criticism over its handling of a crisis where over 5 million Americans have been infected with the disease and at least 164,603 have died.

F. William Engdahl (2020-08-11). Towards a US-China War? The Creation of a Global Totalitarian System, A "One World Government"? globalresearch.ca If we step back from the details of daily headlines around the world and try to make sense of larger patterns, the dominant dynamic defining world geopolitics in the past three years or more is the appearance of a genuine …

Andrew Levine (2020-08-11). Trump and Biden, Two Ignoble Minds Here O'erthrown. counterpunch.org At the presidential level and perhaps down-ticket too, this year's electoral circus will be a spectacle well calculated to cause disgust and despair — thanks mainly to Donald Trump's unprecedented machinations, but also because, at least in the presidential contest, the main contenders, both of them, are embarrassingly unfit to serve. For kindness sake, one

Patrick Cockburn (2020-08-11). The Rise of Nationalism Has Led to the Increased Repression of Minorities. counterpunch.org We live in an era of resurgent nationalism. From Scotland to Sri Lanka, from China to Brazil, governments rely on nationalism as a source of communal identity and a vehicle for common action. In countries where religious identity appears to dominate, as with Islam in Turkey and Hinduism in India, religion has bonded with nationalism.

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-08-11). U.S. and China Will Not Go to War Before the Presidential Elections as Some Speculate. globalresearch.ca Wang Yunfei, a recently retired Chinese naval officer announced online that U.S. President Donald Trump could launch a "controlled" military conflict with China in the South China Sea to increase his chances in the upcoming presidential election. Some analysts …

Sholto Byrnes (2020-08-11). The Flaw in the US Plan to Rally Democracies Against China. globalresearch.ca US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called last week for "a new alliance of democracies" to fight what he called "the tentacles of the Chinese Communist Party". In a speech delivered at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in California, Mr …

WSWS (2020-08-11). Top US health official makes provocative trip to Taiwan. wsws.org With the visit by US Secretary of Health Alex Azar to Taiwan, the Trump administration is taking another step towards overturning the "One China" policy and breaking US diplomatic relations with China.

WSWS (2020-08-11). Philippines not to join wargames in the South China Sea. wsws.org Duterte's announcement that the Philippines will not participate in US naval exercises in the disputed waters comes amid a dramatic escalation of Washington's preparations for war with China.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). Trump, Kushner promised money by MBS: Prof. Askari. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 10 (MNA) — Professor Hossein Askari, an expert on Saudi Arabia, believes that the US will be reducing its footprint in the Middle East and China will be poised to fill the vacuum.

_____ (2020-08-11). If Trump Wins, Russia Did It, If Biden Wins, It Was China And Iran. popularresistance.org Mass media throughout the western world are uncritically passing along a press release from the US intelligence community because that's what passes for journalism in a world where God is dead and everything is stupid. | The press release, from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and authored by National Counterintelligence and Security Center Director William Evanina, claims that Russia wants Donald Trump to win re-election in November and is pushing to advance than goal, while China and Iran are doing the same with Joe Biden. What this completely unsubstantiated narrative means, of course, is th…

Katrina vanden Heuvel (2020-08-11). The Debate That's Needed on How to Engage With China—Before It's Too Late. thenation.com The Debate That's Needed on How to Engage With China—Before It's Too Late…