On nationalism

Is the Nazi holocaust & colonization of Europe an expression of a reactionary political strategy?

Bougois nationalism often consolidates power within one nationality - Germany stripped the Jewish nation of their right to life, without contradicting class intrests

Nazis stoked the racist bougois nationalism in Germany. Nationalism has historically been used to suppress the class contradiction below one of national opression.

Ex: (Parenti) Nazi propaganda described themselves as a classless nation, and the opressed jews as the enemy.

Ex: (Nokhem Shtif - "the pogroms in Ukrain") in Ukraine, during the Civil War of 1918-1919, the white army propagated the Jeudo-Bolshevik conspiracy, and called for the Ukrainian nation to fight the red army and the Jewish people - leading to brutal pogroms & a swollen white army

Ex: (J. Sakai - Settlers) in America, a privelaged, white settler nationality was produced and cultivated as a loyal garrison army, which could dominate the indigenous and African nationalities, at the benefit of the European bourgeois state.

Ex: (Ibrahim Kaypakkaya - "on the national question") in the 1970s, (oppressed) Kurdish and (oppressor) Turkish nationalism entailed the proletariat of each nation fighting for the benefit of their national bourgeoisie, instead of their liberation.

Since we have so many misguided and unsolicited Twitter threads “advising” the young people protesting on what to do, I think it’s only fair that we create thread advising the actual government of the country on steps to take to #EndSARS

Step 1: CALM DOWN. The reason for the protests is police brutality. There is no political anything going on, so calm down. You have work to do and the work is plenty. So, step 1 is to calm down and get ready to work #EndSARS

Step 2: STOP LYING. Whether at State or Federal level, you have completely lost trust and credibility with the people. You need to stop telling lies. If you cannot do something say so, and if something bad happens, don’t deny it. Take responsibility! #EndSARS

Step 3: SCOPE OUT THE WORK. Now that you are calm and have started taking responsibility openly and often, you need a scope of work to be done. It must cover everything from short, medium and long term reforms to the Police and Justice Administration system #EndSARS

Step 4: COMMUNICATE. You need to communicate the full reform plan in person and via social media. Clearly and often. Communication is a two way street. So, you MUST expect feedback. Take the feedback with your chest. Refine the plan. Communicate again. #EndSARS

#Indonesia #Jakarta #NaturalDisaster #STATISTICS

In the first three weeks of 2021 alone, the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management Agency (@BNPB_Indonesia or just BNPB) said there had been a shocking 171 natural disasters in Indonesia.

"Most are in the form of floods, hurricanes and landslides," Professor Wiku Adisasmito from BNPB, who is also the national COVID-19 task force spokesperson, said in a press conference this week.

Indonesia reported 297 disasters in the month of January last year, including floods in the metropolitan area of Jakarta and landslides in West Java. But the disasters this year have been more deadly, with 160 individuals dying so far in January 2021,

compared to 91 individuals who lost their lives in natural disasters in January 2020. Environmental disasters are not uncommon for Indonesia, with a total of 2,291 disasters in 2020 reported by the government.

On the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates meet, the archipelago still lies, triggering regular volcanic activity as well as earthquakes. Ecologists, however, warn that the loss of forests and climate change are influencing the severity of disasters.

Pakistan Army is full of courageous stories of men in uniform where they have risked everything in their lives and decided to go about their duty.
@Jonthoughts01
#OneFlagOneNation_Pakistan

As the sun sets over the horizon of my country and these iridescent colours spread, it makes one think about those who respond to the call of duty.

@Jonthoughts01
#OneFlagOneNation_Pakistan

The men of the Pakistan Armed Forces, their sense of duty, dedication and sturdiness are awe-inspiring.
@Jonthoughts01

#OneFlagOneNation_Pakistan

These men are just like us yet it is their bravery that makes them extraordinary, putting them apart from the rest.
@Jonthoughts01

#OneFlagOneNation_Pakistan

These brave men know only to say ‘yes’ to every ‘move on’ order without giving a second thought to their lives.
@Jonthoughts01
#OneFlagOneNation_Pakistan

Pandemic Response Is Our Vietnam. https://t.co/xgLMwlRQNd from @aier

"Most scholars agree that America’s involvement in Vietnam was an unmitigated public policy disaster.

In 2020, a new standard for monumental government failure has been set:"

#coronamaatregelen #lockdown

"Our public policy response to the coronavirus, which has resulted in the establishment of a state-run religion of mandatory social distancing, a tyrannical public health police state to enforce it, and a never-ending “state of emergency.”

"Those who questioned the virtues of quarantines and lockdowns were vilified and censored from mainstream and social media as purveyors of misinformation or conspiracy theorists."

"Mission creep was also a major factor in America’s involvement in Vietnam, leading to the rapid expansion of troops on the ground and bombing on a massive scale."

"In the “war” against the coronavirus, “15 days to flatten the curve” is morphing into 15 months (at least) to fully eradicate the virus."

1] Hopefully, after this, I will be saying less and less stuff about @DMwonzora & the @MyMDC_T

In Africa, any serious politician has to be a charismatic orator.

Strategy & effective administration is actually anchored on that.

Sadly, Dougie ticks none of those boxes.

2] African politics is unique.

There are many brilliant politicians who failed to make a mark, simply because of their inability to command attention.

You need to be able to convince people to listen, if you have any chance at convincing them to believe in you & what you offer.

3] Of equal concern is the perceptions people have of a politician.

ZANUPF caused irreparable damage on Tsvangirai as a political brand, as State media "successfully" labelled him a stooge of Westen interests.

I've wondered if the MDC did enough, to shake this off early.

4] Another critical feature of African politics, is that parties are just as popular as their Leader(s), especially the inaugural one(s).

The party grows as the Leader becomes more popular.

Most times, the Leader fortunately or unfortunately becomes more popular than the party.

5] ZanuPF was just as popular as Mugabe

MDC-T was just as popular as Tsvangirai

MDC ALLIANCE is just as popular as Chamisa.

Whoever takes over usually struggles.

Funny enough, Dougie is attempting to bank on the popularity of man who actually politically died with his MDC-T.

Pakistan on Wednesday emphasised peaceful co-existence in the region as it conducted another test of surface-to-surface ballistic missile Shaheen-III,
#PakArmyVirtueOfExcellence

which is also the longest-range missile to have been developed in the country.
#PakArmyVirtueOfExcellence

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Nadeem Raza, who witnessed the test, said: “Pakistan desires peaceful co-existence in the region and its strategic capability is to deter any aggression against the sovereignty of Pakistan.”
#PakArmyVirtueOfExcellence

Shaheen-III is a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 2,750 kilometres,
#PakArmyVirtueOfExcellence

which makes it capable of reaching the farthest point in India’s northeast and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
#PakArmyVirtueOfExcellence

What are the concerns of young Russians? And how will they shape the future of their country & its relationship with Europe? The Levada Centre has done a fascinating study. Buckle up for a long thread. But be aware, it might shatter your Illusions.

First, young Russians are proud of their country and support the forceful restoration of Moscow's role in the international system under Putin. Around 69% agree with the statement “I am proud to be a citizen of Russia”. 2/X

Half of the respondents are sure that Russia’s prestige and international clout will keep growing and many lament that Moscow’s interests are not sufficiently emphasized on the international stage. 3/X

Young Russians are less religious than the overall population and the church is highly polarizing. At the same time, a vast majority considers itself to be Orthodox Christian. No signs of a demographic “Islamisation” of Russia. 4/X

To put it mildly: young Russians are not woke. Many do not want to live in the same neighborhood with Roma (75%), homosexual (61%), refugees (49%), Jews (27%), or people from the Caucasus (34%). 5/X

The Israeli government is asking Facebook to add “Zionist” to its hate speech policy, i.e. to equate "Zionist" with "Jew/Jewish.”

@facebook, we need to talk — and you’re not letting us. So we’re launching a campaign to make sure you do.

Learn more: https://t.co/CZfKIynlxX

1/9

treating "Zionist" as a proxy for "Jew" would undermine efforts to dismantle real antisemitism, deprive Palestinians of a venue for expressing their viewpoints to the world, and help the Israeli government avoid accountability for violations of Palestinian rights.

2/9

we need to talk about the best ways to dismantle antisemitism.

We need to talk as Jews, discussing and debating our many relationships to Zionist political ideology.

3/9

we need to talk as Palestinians, with our friends and families and with rest of the world, sharing our experiences about daily life under military occupation and the violence of Zionist settlers.

4/9

we need to talk about holding the Israeli government accountable, like all governments must be held accountable, by bringing to light human rights violations on the world’s biggest social media platform.

5/9

Pakistan’s commitment with the UN for promoting international peace and prosperity stems from the vision of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
#PakArmyVirtueOfExcellence

Pakistan’s role in peacekeeping efforts began in 1960 when it deployed its first contingent in the UN operations in Congo.
#PakArmyVirtueOfExcellence

Over the past 55 years, the country has been the most significant and consistent contributor to the UN peacekeeping around the world.
#PakArmyVirtueOfExcellence

Pakistani peacekeepers have left no stone unturned in the noble cause of helping humanity,
#PakArmyVirtueOfExcellence

building peace and bringing stability across the regions under the banner of United Nations, said an Inter Services Public Relations
#PakArmyVirtueOfExcellence

THREAD on Ukraine's Constitutional Court ruling from 27 October, when it ruled that it was unconstitutional to hold public officials criminally liable for intentionally providing deliberately false information on asset declarations.

1/x

The Presidency is worried by reports of non-compliance with just signed Executive Order that makes mask wearing and observation of social distancing in the public mandatory, appealing to Nigerians to give their maximum cooperation for success of the policy.

President Muhammadu Buhari introduced the order with the best of intentions and not with any motive to punish citizens.

The Presidency appeals to State Governments, traditional rulers and religious leaders to play active roles in the sensitization and enforcement of the Executive Order.

To achieve this, COVID-19 task forces and committees should persuade members of the public to cooperate with the government in achieving compliance and avoid crude methods that may create resistance and resentment, thereby defeating the primary goal of the Executive Order.

The Buhari administration is most reluctant to lockdown the country and continues to emphasize the non-pharmaceutical measures and the only way to avert lockdowns is to observe these measures as put in place by the Presidential Task Force.

Why should SJP’s recent shift in fake news attacks / propaganda to attack large corporates in SL should worry us? I explain my thoughts below after observed fake news that originated from the SJP camp that targeted SL’s largest apparel exporter, State Banks and listed telco - SLT

SJP is the latest avatar of UNP that built his political legacy around free markets, property rights, and pro corporate / capital market policies since independence, often paying a huge political price for its unwavering commitment to them - in 1956, 1970, and even in 2005

These principals we staunchly demonstrated all the way till 2014, when the party suddenly developed a penchant for populist policies in their desperation to oust the Rajapaksa administration. Perhaps, it was also frustration towards the corporate sector’s support for pro inv

Policies of Rajapaksa administration seen during the massive post war infrastructure investment wave. The combination of populism and the misguided zeal to teach a lesson to corporates ended up in the disastrous retrospective super gain tax of 2015 targeting the largest corporate

Suspension of the Port City project, which at the time was the largest committed FDI source and also a massive spending spree on state employee salaries as a vote buying exercise- and predictably, investments crashed , stock marked tanked , bud deficit in 2015 rose &rupee crashed