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	<title>New Eastern Outlook &#187; Peter Koenig</title>
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		<title>André Vltchek – A Year since You are Gone</title>
		<link>https://journal-neo.org/2021/10/04/andre-vltchek-a-year-since-you-are-gone/</link>
		<comments>https://journal-neo.org/2021/10/04/andre-vltchek-a-year-since-you-are-gone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Oct 2021 20:55:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Питер Кёниг]]></dc:creator>
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		<category><![CDATA[Society]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USA in the World]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://journal-neo.org/?p=167371</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On 22 September 2020, André Vltchek, quietly passed away – on a night-ride from the Black Sea in Turkey to Istanbul, accompanied by his wife, Rossie. He just fell asleep in the back seat of a chauffeur-driven car and didn’t wake up. His legacy is diverse, heavy in substance and revealing – revealing about the [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://journal-neo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/AND4221.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-167425" src="https://journal-neo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/AND4221.jpg" alt="AND4221" width="740" height="396" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">On 22 September 2020, André Vltchek, quietly passed away – on a night-ride from the Black Sea in Turkey to Istanbul, accompanied by his wife, Rossie. He just fell asleep in the back seat of a chauffeur-driven car and didn’t wake up. His legacy is diverse, heavy in substance and revealing – revealing about the world, about the dark forces that command the world. He never really referred to them as “dark forces” because for him the wars he investigated, photographed, the conflicts he witnessed, the misery he experienced and filmed – was real. The “Dark Forces” came to the surface – no shade, no cover – but NO LIGHT.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">André was always there where it was burning – or where there was great danger that soon it might burn – and the population blown apart.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">We had some remarkable experiences together on the Greek island of Kos, following the refugee tracks. Refugees from Turkey – to Greece – to the European Union. Their sad fate in refugee camps with the most horrifying sanitary conditions – their patience – their HOPE – hope is what makes these refugees tick and breath. Not just those that come from the Middle East and Africa, to seek a better future mostly for their children in lush and wealthy Europe. Refugees all over the world live from hope. If we lose hope, life ends…</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Similarly, we visited Puno in Peru, and from there to Rinconada – the world’s highest gold mine, a series of many small and large independent gold mines – controlled by a deadly mafia – some 5,100 – 5,400 m above sea level – indescribable conditions, of cold and misery – some 70,000 people are living there – in extreme destitution, but all on a voluntary basis, all in the hope to finally “hit the riches” – GOLD. They work for 29 days a month for free – and what they find on the 30th or 31st day – they may keep. That’s an old mining law that is still the rule for many of the Andean mines.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">No heat, no running water – girls of all ages make a living as prostitutes to uncountable miners, who leave their families behind – well, in the HOPE to get rich. Huge fields of garbage – endless plastic waste – and ever-so-often in the midst of such mountains of waste – a cross protrudes – a grave.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">These are some of the experiences André and I lived together. They created a bond – and throughout the years we knew each other from writing from exchanging ideas &#8211; &#8211; friendship in the virtual world, practiced in the real world – philosophizing during half a night in a cheap café in Athens &#8211; are unforgotten; their richness cannot be taken away – André, you are dearly missed.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">May your soul rest in Peace.<br />
And remember: VENCEREMOS !</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Peter Koenig is a geopolitical analyst and a former Senior Economist at the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO), where he has worked for over 30 years on water and environment around the world. He writes regularly for online journals and is the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Implosion-Economic-Environmental-Destruction-Corporate/dp/059545349X">Implosion </a>– An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed; and co-author of Cynthia McKinney’s book “When China Sneezes: From the Coronavirus Lockdown to the Global Politico-Economic Crisis”. Exclusively for the online magazine “<a href="https://journal-neo.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">New Eastern Outlook.</a>”</strong></em></p>
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		<title>Carbon Neutral Green Finance &#8211; China May Take the Lead into a Post-Pandemic World</title>
		<link>https://journal-neo.org/2021/07/19/carbon-neutral-green-finance-china-may-take-the-lead-into-a-post-pandemic-world/</link>
		<comments>https://journal-neo.org/2021/07/19/carbon-neutral-green-finance-china-may-take-the-lead-into-a-post-pandemic-world/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Jul 2021 20:59:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Питер Кёниг]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Eastern Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Locations]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://journal-neo.org/?p=160172</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How the pandemic will be reshaping the world, especially in terms of economic recovery and especially the western world, remains to be seen. So far, western economic, social and health restructuring policies are chaotic, disorganized and totally uncoordinated. Western countries are skipping from lockdowns to “opening up” back to lockdown, from the first covid-wave, to [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://journal-neo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GRW3441.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-160213" src="https://journal-neo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GRW3441.jpg" alt="GRW3441" width="740" height="555" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">How the pandemic will be reshaping the world, especially in terms of economic recovery and especially the western world, remains to be seen. So far, western economic, social and health restructuring policies are chaotic, disorganized and totally uncoordinated. Western countries are skipping from lockdowns to “opening up” back to lockdown, from the first covid-wave, to the second and the third and now approaching the fourth. Looks like there is no end in sight.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">One could almost think they do it on purpose, to keep people confused and easily manipulated.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">What happens in China is a different story. China is the only significant world economy – the second largest for now in absolute terms, and the largest in PPP (purchasing power parity terms) – that has put her economic and financial mechanism fully back onstream. Consequently, the Chinese supply chain – on which the rest of the world largely depends – i.e., on pharmaceuticals to 90% &#8211; works again in full force. It is rather western ports that are still – or again? – partially closed to receive cargo container ships, especially from China, causing dangerous supply shortages at home.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">China is moving forward, always creating and leading initiatives, despite all odds, harassments, outright interferences and lie-based “sanctions” from the west. In this context and already looking into the future, into a post-covid future, China is displaying her Green Agenda, towards a carbon neutral – not only China – but world.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Following the idea of President Xi Jinping’s, of promoting a New Era of Eco-civilization, the Eco Forum Global Guiyan, for short EFG, has been held successfully for 10 sessions since its inception in 2009.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">As a side line – Guiyang, according to the Nature Index, is one of the top 500 science cities in the world by scientific research outputs.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">EFG is the only international high-profile forum in China themed on Eco-civilization at the state-level.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Let me venture saying, the Eco Forum Global Guiyang is, so far, the only international forum of such tenor and action that may and hopefully will expand into a global movement aiming at drastically reducing the world’s carbon footprint – in short, accelerating the objective of making our civilization, our life on earth, carbon neutral – and, thereby, healthier.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">To be clear, “Green Finance” is often confused, especially in the west. For example, investing in electric cars, when most of the electricity is made from not only unrenewable but also highly toxic CO2-producing hydrocarbon – is not a Green Investment. This is still predominantly the case in Europe and North America.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This does not even take into account the environment-unfriendly mining and often unhealthy work-conditions of exploiting and manufacturing lithium into car batteries.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The world’s chief energy source, hydrocarbons, has hardly changed in importance in the last 30 years or so. It still amounts to about 85% of all energy used in the world. This just indicates that so-called “green investments”, especially in the west, are mostly “fake” green investments, a new mode of sheer profit-driven capitalism.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">These “green” investments have not even come close to a zero-carbon balance. To the contrary. The production of “green investments” used generally hydrocarbon, which lowers the energy efficiency drastically. This is clearly demonstrated in the low energy efficiency of electric cars, on average 35% to 40%, versus cars using straight petrol or gas-based energy.</p>
<p class="yiv6950895830MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This is, of course, not to advocate the continuous use of hydrocarbons. Quite the opposite. But strongly suggests investing in research to come up with real novel carbon neutral, or even carbon negative sources of renewable energy. Such investments most likely do not yield “instant profit”, as is the key incentive and neoliberal investment motive, but such research investments are directed towards long-term societal benefits for all humanity.</p>
<p class="yiv6950895830MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Real Green Investments are for example, exploiting renewable and carbon-free sources of power, such as hydropower – wind, solar and tidal energy, with the latter taking advantage of the natural and eternal movements of the sea.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">China will also continue being a world example of building “Green Cities”; investing in parks and “green housing” – housing units with plant façades – that absorb urban CO2 emissions from industry and transport.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">These are Green Investments, as long as their dependence on hydrocarbon energy is way below the CO2 output of the Green Investment itself.</p>
<p class="yiv6950895830MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The traditional, huge, costly, and maintenance-heavy hydropower dams ought to make way for a new generation of hydropower production: namely, small, localized, low-maintenance and even mobile hydropower plants. The latter for use in desertic and monsoon-type flash-flood prone areas. A prime example is Yemen, one of the world’s most arid countries, where floods come when it rains, but where perennial water flows are rare.</p>
<p class="yiv6950895830MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Finally, the real challenge is investing and researching in a new generation of exploiting solar energy…. <strong>the most efficient way of using solar energy</strong> – is by photo synthesis. This is what plants do to convert the energy of the sun. An estimated 95% energy efficiency might potentially be achieved, as compared to the current use of solar panels with a best-case of energy efficiency of 30% or less.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Imagine the energy freedom humanity would gain by exploiting solar energy by photo-synthesis! Almost unthinkable. But not impossible by any means. When sincere minds come together, impossible dreams become reality.</p>
<p class="yiv6950895830MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In addition, the production of solar panels which have a limited life, requires enormous quantities of energy – energy which is currently mostly produced by hydrocarbons. Plus, solar panels have an average life span of 25 – 30 years, after which they need to be destroyed – or recycled, both are energy-dependent and environmentally challenging.</p>
<p class="yiv6950895830MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p class="yiv6950895830MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">President Xi Jinping in his address for the 100-year Anniversary said –<em> “We must unite and lead the Chinese people in working ceaselessly for a better life.” And, further “We must uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics.”</em><b><br />
</b></p>
<p class="yiv6950895830MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">These words signal, creating a new model for human advancement that is leading the way into a Green China – a China where socioeconomic development meets the concept of carbon neutrality. This sounds like a challenging but terrific initiative – one of many – for China leading the way into a post-covid era.</p>
<blockquote><p>President Xi further stated &#8211; <em>“We must ensure and enhance public wellbeing in the course of development, promote harmony between humanity and nature, and take well-coordinated steps toward making our people prosperous, our nation strong, and our country beautiful.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p style="text-align: justify;">China may want to take this a step further. Using the Belt and Road Initiative through joint efforts, and joint ventures in Green Investments, inside, as well as outside Chinese borders, thereby providing the world with new opportunities towards improved and carbon-free standards of living. The focus always being on mutual benefits.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">True to President Xi’s words: <em>“We must continue working to promote the building of a human community with a shared future.”</em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. After working for over 30 years with the World Bank, he penned <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Implosion-Economic-Environmental-Destruction-Corporate/dp/059545349X" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Implosion</a>, an economic thriller, based on his first-hand experience. Exclusively for the online magazine “<a href="https://journal-neo.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">New Eastern Outlook.</a>”</strong></em></p>
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		<title>“The One Who Accuses is the One Who Is” – President Putin’s Response to Biden</title>
		<link>https://journal-neo.org/2021/03/24/the-one-who-accuses-is-the-one-who-is-president-putin-s-response-to-biden/</link>
		<comments>https://journal-neo.org/2021/03/24/the-one-who-accuses-is-the-one-who-is-president-putin-s-response-to-biden/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Mar 2021 20:59:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Питер Кёниг]]></dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://journal-neo.org/?p=153292</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On March 16, 2021, ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos held an exclusive interview with President Joe Biden. In the context of the United States’ chief intelligence office releasing an unclassified report on foreign meddling in the 2020 US election, concluding that Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw sweeping efforts aimed at &#8220;denigrating&#8221; President Joe Biden’s candidacy, Biden told [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://journal-neo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/PTN843511.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-153327" src="https://journal-neo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/PTN843511.jpg" alt="PTN843511" width="740" height="540" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">On March 16, 2021, ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos held an exclusive interview with President Joe Biden. In the context of the United States’ chief intelligence office releasing an unclassified report on foreign meddling in the 2020 US election, concluding that Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw sweeping efforts aimed at &#8220;denigrating&#8221; President Joe Biden’s candidacy, Biden told Stephanopoulos that he had warned Putin about a potential response during a call in late January.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This is verbatim the ABC News Report of March 17, 2021:</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em>&#8220;He will pay a price,&#8221; Biden said. &#8220;We had a long talk, he and I, when we &#8212; I know him relatively well. And the conversation started off, I said, “I know you and you know me. If I establish this occurred, then be prepared.&#8221;</em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em>Stephanopoulos then asked: &#8220;So you know Vladimir Putin. You think he&#8217;s a killer?&#8221;</em><br />
<em> &#8220;Mmm hmm, I do,&#8221; Biden replied.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em>Stephanopoulos: “So, what price is he going to pay?”</em><br />
<em> Biden: “The price he is going to pay, well, you’ll see shortly.”</em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em>Stephanopoulos also asked Biden, when you met him (Putin, in the past), you told him that he didn’t have a soul… and Biden retorted: yes, I told him. And Putin responded, “we understand each other.”</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: justify;">When President Putin spoke later to the media in Moscow, answering a question about his reaction to Biden’s accusing him to be a “killer”, Putin just said, “I wish him good health, and I mean it without irony.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Speaking on television, reflecting philosophically, Putin said, “I remember when we were young, playing in the playground and accusing each other of little things, we always see ourself in the mirror and project our own image of ourselves on to the other, like &#8220;the one who accuses is the one who did it&#8221;.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">President Putin last Thursday (18 March) challenged Biden to talk, I invite President Biden to talk on Friday or on Monday publicly online live… to which Biden did not respond. Presumably Given Biden’s often confused mind, to put it benignly, he was advised to abstain from such a conversation with President Putin.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The tension between the US and Russia has hardly been stronger and the diplomatic relation between the two countries is at its lowest in the past decades. President Putin recalled immediately the Russian Ambassador from Washington for “consultation” – a euphemism for declaring a serious rupture in the relationship of the two countries.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Later in a small media gathering in Moscow, Mr. Putin said he would deal with America on his terms. He also philosophized about Biden’s thoughtless slandering, when he talked to ABC’s anchor Stephanopoulos. He referred to children accusing one another, the going saying is, &#8220;the one who accuses is the one who is”. This is equally valid for adults.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">When later asked at a Press Conference whether Biden regretted having suggested Putin was a “killer”, the White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, replied, “No. The President gave a straight answer to a straight question.” – That reflects all too well the intellectual and diplomatic level of US Presidents and their entourage. Though Biden may be a special case of being a blind-folded bully, previous US Presidents’ track record is not much better.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">President Putin is one of the world’s most brilliant Statesman. The other one is China’s President Xi Jinping. Together, their alliance, their vision and diplomacy, their conflict avoidance – and constant search for peaceful solutions to world disorders – have kept our planet out of a nuclear Armageddon for the last couple of decades. That’s quite an achievement, given the warmongers in Washington and by extension in Europe – and given the over two-dozen NATO bases in Europe, inching ever closer to the gates of Moscow and surrounding China – all the way through the South China Sea.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Obama once promised he would station more than half of the US Navy fleet in the South China Sea, making sure China was surrounded from everywhere. He made true on his promise. Its Obama’s infamous “Pivot to Asia”. And so, he did with Russia. That included and still includes deadly economic sanctions on countries that once-upon-a-time counted with Washington – and Europe – as partners.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">How many people were killed by these sanctions in North Korea, Russia, China? How many were – and still are – being killed by the totally illegal sanctions – illegal by any standards of international law – in Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Libya, Iran, Pakistan, DPRK (North Korea) – and by extension through Israel in Palestine &#8211; and many more nations of our planet? – Let alone the “eternal war on terror” – an invention to keep killing people for the good of the United States, for their control over humanity – and not least for the enormous profit bonanza of the US military industrial complex.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Shall we mention the mass killing caused by President Clinton’s initiated NATO intervention in former Yugoslavia; or the six still ongoing wars, initiated by President father Bush with the first Gulf war in 1991, then officially expanded by son Bush in 2001 and 2003 with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, then further expanded by four more wars in the Middle East – Libya, Syria, Sudan and Yemen – under the Obama Administration. And how about the explicitly Obama-approved massive extra-judiciary drone killings around the world, with focus on the Middle East?</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Aren’t we talking about tens and tens of thousands of deaths, assassinated people, a genocide by US presidents with the complicity of so-called European leaders (sic)?</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Did President Putin and President Xi ever call them “killers” or murderers? – They could have, but they didn’t. However, that is what President Putin meant when he referred to Biden’s call him a “killer” – “I&#8217;m rubber and you&#8217;re glue. Whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you.”, or rather &#8220;the one who accuses is the one who is”. The emperor and the emperor’s servants are a cabal of “killers” – a better fitting term is mass murderers.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Now President Biden, then VP to Obama was an intimate part of it, of clamping down on Russia and China. Biden was also part of the intensification of the Iraq war, as well as of the destruction of Libya and the brutal murder of President Qadhafi. Though Hillary’s initiative (then Obama’s Secretary of State), Biden fully supported her.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">So, President Putin’s wise response was remarkable. See <a href=" https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-usa-reaction-idUSKBN2BA0S1?fbclid=IwAR2RWXH1UPWt3KhWjffR_TPbwugWlklMjf3k6UYhxdDX37NMS4b2FjS51NY">here</a>. &#8220;The one who accuses is the one who is” – he said, referring to a psychic wisdom that one looks in the mirror when accusing others of a crime or a sin. In other words, Biden projects his own character onto Putin. Mr. Putin, politely and diplomatically said, they were different, had different cultures and different values. He also wished President Biden good health – genuinely good health, no irony, he stressed.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Before closing on such a conciliatory note, Putin referred to some American atrocities, dating back to the very beginning of American history which started with the indiscriminate slaughter of tens of thousands of indigenous Americans, for which American Presidents were responsible.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Also mentioned should be the brutal killings in Iraq, with special focus on the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, as well as Afghanistan’s Bagram Airbase detention center and lately the infamous Pul-e-Charkhi Prison, also known as the Afghan National Detention facility, outside of Kabul – and renovated by the US Corps of Engineers to accommodate war prisoners taken by US / NATO forces. And not least, nor last, the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp in Cuba.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">These are just a few of the hundreds of detention camps around the world, where thousands of prisoners were tortured and executed under orders and supervision of the US / NATO. Since WWII an estimated 20 to 30 million people were killed due to direct or indirect US intervention around the world. War crimes abound.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Yet, Mr. Putin didn’t call any of the US Presidents a “killer”. But it is crystal clear what he meant, when he said, “The one who accuses is the one who is”.<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" name="_Hlk19202052"></a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. After working for over 30 years with the World Bank, he penned <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Implosion-Economic-Environmental-Destruction-Corporate/dp/059545349X" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Implosion</a>, an economic thriller, based on his first-hand experience. Exclusively for the online magazine “<a href="https://journal-neo.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">New Eastern Outlook.</a>”</strong></em></p>
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		<title>China – Leading to World Recovery – and Beyond</title>
		<link>https://journal-neo.org/2021/03/11/china-leading-to-world-recovery-and-beyond/</link>
		<comments>https://journal-neo.org/2021/03/11/china-leading-to-world-recovery-and-beyond/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2021 20:33:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Питер Кёниг]]></dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://journal-neo.org/?p=152499</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[China’s currently ongoing (4-11 March 2021) annual parliamentary meeting, known as the “Two Sessions”, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the National People’s Congress (NPC), may be the most important of such meetings in recent years. The event is also celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The conference will define China’s internal [&#8230;]]]></description>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">China’s currently ongoing (4-11 March 2021) annual parliamentary meeting, known as the “Two Sessions”, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the National People’s Congress (NPC), may be the most important of such meetings in recent years. The event is also celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC).</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The conference will define China’s internal and external development strategies, as well as her future role on the world stage. China is the only major economy that has mastered the covid-induced economic crisis, ending 2020 with a 2.3% growth. Compare this with economic declines way into the red for the US and Europe, of 25% to 35%, and 10% to 15%, respectively.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">These figures may only be indicative. The bulk of the economic fallout from western governments’ mishandling of the covid crisis, i. e. bankruptcies, trade disruption, unemployment and housing foreclosures – a massive slide into poverty – may only be registered in 2021 and beyond.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The greed-driven capitalist system has already plunged tens of millions of westerners – and perhaps hundreds of millions in the Global South – into destitution.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">What China decides, at the “Two Sessions” Conference will undoubtedly have an impact on the entire world – in the medium-term (2025) as well as long-term (2035) – and beyond. China’s socialism “with Chinese characteristics” will be an influence for peace, justice and equality, as well as for a multi-polar world.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">China’s thousands of years of cultural history and the ensuing Tao-philosophy of non-aggression and conflict avoidance, of a societal spirit of endless creation, as well as long-term thinking, contrasts radically with western conflict and instant-profit seeking.</p>
<p class="yiv8854173218MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The summit is addressing ambitious but attainable 2035 targets, including a 6%-plus growth in the foreseeable future; reduction of unemployment with urban focus; continued food self-sufficiency and environmental improvement targets, a gigantic 18% CO2 reduction, largely through a significant drop in energy consumption (13.5%) per unit of GDP – and this with a projected higher than 6% annual economic output. Environmental improvement and protection targets are way above any environmental objectives of western countries.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The conference may also define China’s guiding role in a worldwide recovery from a covid-related devastated economy. China’s economy has suffered, mainly during the first half of 2020, but her decisive actions have successfully overcome the pandemic’s path of destruction. By the end of 2020, China’s production and services were back to 100%. Thanks to this stellar efficiency, the west and Global South may continue relying on China’s supply of such vital goods as medical equipment, medicines, electronics and more.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">What China’s 2025 Plan and 2035 / 2050 visions may include, is a strong emphasis on economic autonomy and defense.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Economy</strong> – Western China bashing with related sanctions, trade and currency wars, may continue also under the Biden Administration – because US / European policies on dealing with China – and Russia for that matter – are made well above the White House and Brussels.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Rapid dedollarization may be an effective way to stem against the western “sanctions culture”. China may soon roll out her new digital Renminbi (RMB) or yuan, internationally, as legal tender for inter-country payments and transfers, and as an international reserve currency.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Reduce demand for US-dollars may incite worldwide investments in the new digital RMB.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Detaching from western dependence, China is focusing trade development and cooperation on her ASEAN partners. In November 2020 China signed a free trade agreement with the ten ASEAN nations, plus Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, altogether 15 countries, including China.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, covers some 2.2 billion people, commanding some 30% of the world’s GDP. This agreement is a first in size, value and tenor &#8211; worldwide.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">China, Russia, as well as the Central Asia Economic Union (CAEU) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), are likewise integrated into the eastern trade block.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">RCEP’s trade deals will be carried out in local currencies and in yuan – no US dollars. The RCEP is, therefore, also an instrument for dedollarizing, primarily in the Asia-Pacific Region, and gradually moving across the globe.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Defense</strong> &#8211; China provides the west’s main supply chain, from medical goods to electronic equipment to almost every sector important to humanity. Yet, western political interference in China’s internal affairs, like in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Tibet, are endless. Overcoming these aggressions and threats of armed conflicts, is part of China’s forward-looking plan and defense strategy.</p>
<p class="yiv8854173218msonormal" style="text-align: justify;">Mr. Wang Yi, China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, recently warned the White House to stop meddling in China’s internal affairs; that reunification with Taiwan is a historic tendency and was the collective wish of the Chinese people. He added, this trend cannot be reversed.</p>
<p class="yiv8854173218msonormal" style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">As a forerunner to China’s CPPCC Summit, in his address to the virtual World Economic Forum (WEF) on 25 January 2021, President Xi Jinping stated that China’s agenda was to move forward in the World of Great Change, with her renewed policy of multilateralism, aiming for a multi-polar world, where nations would be treated as equals.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">China will continue to vouch for strong macroeconomic growth with focus on internal development which, in turn, will stimulate and contribute to international trade and investments. – China pledges assistance for those that are suffering the most during this pandemic-induced crisis.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">President Xi emphasized, there was no place in this world for large countries dominating smaller ones, or for economic threats and sanctions, nor for economic isolation. China is pursuing a global free trade economy. BUT – and this is important – when talking of “globalism” – respect for political and fiscal sovereignty of nations, is a MUST.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">On a global scale, President Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) embraces currently more than 130 countries and over 30 international organizations, including 18 countries of the European Union. BRI offers the world participation – no coercion. The attraction and philosophy behind BRI, is shared benefits – the concept of win-win. BRI may be the road to socioeconomic recovery from covid-devastation and cross-border cooperation for participating countries.</p>
<p class="yiv8854173218MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">China’s achievements in her 71 years of revolution are unmatched by any nation in recent history. From a country largely ruined by western colonization and conflicts, China rose from the ashes, by not only lifting 800 million people out of poverty, becoming food, health and education self-sufficient, but to become the world’s second largest economy today; or, if measured by purchasing power parity (PPP), since 2017 the world’s largest econmy. China is poised to surpass the US by 2025 in absolute terms.</p>
<p class="yiv8854173218MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">On 4 March, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Children’s Health Defense), asked the pertinent question, “Can We Forge a New Era of Humanity Before It’s Too Late?” – His answer is simple but lucid: “Unless we move from a civilization based on wealth accumulation to a life-affirming, ecological civilization, we will continue accelerating towards global catastrophe.”</p>
<p class="yiv8854173218MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This understanding is also at the forefront of China’s vision for the next 5 and 15 years – and beyond. A China-internal objective is an equitable development to well-being for all; and on a world-scale, a community with shared benefits for all.</p>
<p class="yiv8854173218MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. After working for over 30 years with the World Bank, he penned </em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Implosion-Economic-Environmental-Destruction-Corporate/dp/059545349X" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"><i>Implosion</i></a><em>, an economic thriller, based on his first-hand experience. Exclusively for the online magazine “</em><a href="https://journal-neo.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"><i>New Eastern Outlook.</i></a><em>”</em></strong></p>
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		<title>Our Children are Crying</title>
		<link>https://journal-neo.org/2021/03/03/our-children-are-crying/</link>
		<comments>https://journal-neo.org/2021/03/03/our-children-are-crying/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2021 19:50:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Питер Кёниг]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Columns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Locations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Society]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://journal-neo.org/?p=152061</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“Children are the world’s most valuable resource, and its best hope for the future.” ― John F. Kennedy What President Kennedy said over half a century ago, is more valid today than ever. This world needs a generation that can lead us out of the mess of dystopian values that was created predominantly by a western [&#8230;]]]></description>
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<p style="text-align: justify;"><em>“Children are the world’s most valuable resource, and its best hope for the future.” ― John F. Kennedy</em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">What President Kennedy said over half a century ago, is more valid today than ever. This world needs a generation that can lead us out of the mess of dystopian values that was created predominantly by a western civilization of greed. The COVID crisis, man-made, served the destruction of the world economy, as well as the ensuing World Economic Forum (WEF) designed “Great Reset”. If not stopped by our youth and coming generation, COVID cum Great Reset is about to give civilization the final blow.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">However, the dark forces of the Global Cabal, the Deep State, has plunged humanity – all 193 UN member states at once, into a global catastrophe of epic proportions. To break that globalist spell and to get out of the disaster still unfolding, the world needs thinking people, courageous people, informed and awakened people; people who are not afraid to swim against the stream, to stem the ever-increasing flow of misinformation and government and media lies. It takes educated people. It takes people who dare to resist.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">We are experiencing today just the contrary. The minute global elite that has taken a COVID-stranglehold on the world’s 7.8 billion people, is doing everything to keep our children, the generations that are supposed to lead the world and humanity into a bright future, uneducated, scared, socially unfit to communicate, to take initiatives, to lead. Today’s youth is depressed by this constant fear propaganda, by the authorities (sic) rules of confinement, not being able to see their friends, to play with them, communicate with them, to do the healthiest social activities there are – exchanging ideas with peers, acquaintances and friends.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">One might think, there is a purpose behind it all. Could it be, that this minute diabolical Globalist Cabal, those who are <a href="https://www.weforum.org/great-reset/">behind</a> “The Great Reset” &#8211;  co-authored by the WEF’s founder and CEO since the NGO’s creation in 1971, Klaus Schwab – could it be that these people have a plan, namely to leave the world to a generation of uneducated, fear-indoctrinated people, who are used to and have been trained to follow orders, obey authorities and believe their very leaders’ (sic) lies and fall for their manipulations?</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">It doesn’t take rocket science to believe that this could, indeed, be part of the Cabal’s demonic plan: breaking our society apart. Leaving behind no natural and new leaders to shape the world according to the real needs of the people, of our children – not the imposed “needs” of an egocentric dictatorial cabal.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In a new book (in German), “Generation Mask – Corona: Fear and Challenge” (Generation Maske – Corona: Angst und Herausforderung), the immunologist and toxicologist Professor Stefan W. Hockertz illustrates the plight of our children in this artificially induced age of corona. He asks in particular the question, what does this pandemic – better called plandemic – do with our children and adolescents?</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">They are being flooded by autocratic measures they do not understand, like being forced to cover their faces by wearing masks in school, it’s like a forced-hiding of their identity from their friends and peers; being obliged to follow strict rules of social distancing – don’t get close to your friend, for the protection of your health, you need a distance to your friend, you can no longer freely communicate, and even if you could, due to the covered face, you could not read your friends facial expressions – which is key to any useful conversation, between kids as well as adults.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Our kids in the west are being fear-induced and permanently indoctrinated, by radio, TV-broadcasts, by permanently having to listen to “case” figures, infections, hospitalizations and death rates. Never mind, that most of these figures are false or distorted, made even more meaningless by absurdly obsessive testing-testing-testing.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">To crown it all off – newspapers and magazines depict pictures of coffins, not one or two, but hundreds, mass graves – they are utterly disturbing for adults, let alone for children – fear is being weaponized and replaced by more fear – followed by depression, the perspective of no future &#8212; and often and ever more frequently ending in suicide, children’s, adolescents’ suicides are skyrocketing.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Children who are the least vulnerable to the COVID disease, are forced into mass-testing, entire communities, by order of the mayor or the governor – all the way to kindergarten. Testing with hurtful nasal swaps, as often as once or twice a month, and if positive – high percentages of these PCR tests – so far, the only COVID test method available in the west – are false positives.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test is a technique used to &#8220;amplify&#8221; small segments of DNA. If over-amplified, the test results become positive, false positives. Maybe there is a purpose for over-amplifying – increasing the “case figures”, justifying more repression. If one kid tests positive in one of the periodic school tests – the entire class is ordered into quarantine, schooling from home, via computer, Skype, Zoom.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">That’s in the wealthy west. What about in the Global South, where not everybody can afford the necessary electronic equipment for “home-schooling”? – There will simply be no schooling, no learning – no interchange with classmates. No education.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Testing is traumatic, especially for young children. It is hurtful and scares a kid on several levels, physically – a swap-stick deep into the upper nose, into the sinus cavities, is hurtful and can be even traumatic for children; &#8211; and psychologically, what if I’m positive? “All my school mates and teachers have to stay home because of me”; or “I could infect my parents and frail grand-parents”. Guilt is everywhere. Guilt is like fear. It makes people pliable, manipulable – takes all initiative and enthusiasm for life away.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">For many kids – this continuous repression makes them aggressive, frustrated and eventually so depressed, that many see no way out – as they see no future in their lives. They are crying from despair, crying from fear, crying from isolation – crying for not being able to congregate with their friends, classmates and peers – and crying for seeing no way out.<br />
What is being done to our children is inhuman. The unilateral, viciously applied repressive measures of confinement, not being able to physically go to school and mix and exchange with friends is destructive. It may leave a deep dent in the social and psychological fabric and subsequent behavior of this future post-COVID generation.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">No doubt, with a few exceptions, most of the 193 UN member countries applying the same oppressive rules, are aware of what they are doing. They know what and why they are doing what they are doing. They are complicity and in one way or another corrupted and perhaps coerced to adhere to the dictate from “above” – or else, if they don’t follow the ruling narrative. Yet, with a minimum of integrity of our leaders, this would not be happening.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">First, they destroy the world’s economy in proportions never seen in recent history, then they destroy our future generations – so there are no flag-bearers of a new generation into a bright future, once we, our children’s parents, have disappeared out. Our children are being primed as slaves for a minute diabolical elite, to become transhumans for the Great Reset.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In his book, Dr. Stefan Hockhertz articulates these concerns and worries of the children, for parents, teachers and authorities to understand them. With the objective of stemming against this catastrophically oppressive trend, Dr. Hockhertz also uses the book to uncover lies and manipulations of governments and the media. He corrects false information and outright lies, but also invites to a dialogue for bringing about more objectivity and less dictatorial rules. After all, this is not a deadly pandemic, but has developed into a plandemic – where clearly a set of different, societally harmful objectives is being played out – and relentlessly pursued.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">As an immunologist and toxicologist, Dr. Hockhertz also corrects the highly propagated alleged over-fatality and informs about the dangers of the “vaccines”, especially the RNA-based inoculations. He warns against these vaccines – which, in fact, are no vaccines, but rather gene-therapy injections. They have not been sufficiently researched and tested to be considered safe. To the contrary, primary inoculation results are disastrous in terms of serious side effects and death rates. And this only after less than six months into a worldwide vaccination campaign.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">See <a href="https://scivisionpub.com/pdfs/covid19-rna-based-vaccines-and-the-risk-of-prion-disease-1503.pdf">also</a> Dr. J. Bart Classen’s January 18, 2021 peer-reviewed Research Paper “COVID-19 RNA Based Vaccines and the Risk of Prion Disease”, written for the SCIVISION Publication “Microbiology &amp; Infectious Diseases (ISSN 2639-9458).</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The paper points to the potential medium- to long-term disabling neurological effects, especially degenerative diseases, that may be linked o RNA-based inoculations. This would be disastrous for children. Entire generations could be wiped out, so to speak.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">We must not allow this to happen. We must listen to our children’s grief. We must clear the path for a bright future for our children, for our successor generation and for the future of humanity.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" name="_Hlk19202052"></a><em><strong>Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. After working for over 30 years with the World Bank, he penned <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Implosion-Economic-Environmental-Destruction-Corporate/dp/059545349X" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Implosion</a>, an economic thriller, based on his first-hand experience. Exclusively for the online magazine “<a href="https://journal-neo.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">New Eastern Outlook</a>”.</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong> </strong></em></p>
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		<title>China – Peacefully Forward into the Great Change</title>
		<link>https://journal-neo.org/2021/01/29/china-peacefully-forward-into-the-great-change/</link>
		<comments>https://journal-neo.org/2021/01/29/china-peacefully-forward-into-the-great-change/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2021 20:16:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Питер Кёниг]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Columns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eastern Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Locations]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://journal-neo.org/?p=150285</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On 25th January, during the first session of the virtual World Economic Forum (WEF), President Xi Jinping, in his address stated clearly that China’s agenda was to move forward in the World of Great Change, with their renewed policy of multilateralism, aiming for a multi-polar world, where nations would be treated as equals. China will continue to vouch [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://journal-neo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/XI3411.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-150321" src="https://journal-neo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/XI3411.jpg" alt="XI3411" width="740" height="531" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">On 25th January, during the first session of the virtual World Economic Forum (WEF), President Xi Jinping, in his address stated clearly that China’s agenda was to move forward in the <em>World of Great Change</em>, with their renewed policy of multilateralism, aiming for a multi-polar world, where nations would be treated as equals.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">China will continue to vouch for strong macroeconomic growth – and pledge assistance for those that are suffering the most during this pandemic-induced crisis – in view of a balanced development of all countries.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">There is no place in this world for large countries dominating smaller ones, or for economic threatening and sanctions, nor for economic isolation. China is pursuing a global free trade economy. BUT – and this is important – when one talks of “globalism” – respect for political and fiscal sovereignty of nations, must be maintained.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">At the same time, promoting cultural and research exchange, joint industrial and transport ventures between countries will bring people together, fostering cooperation and collaboration among nations.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This is the chief purposes of President Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), or One Belt One Road (OBOR) – and also called the New Silk Road. Currently more than 130 countries and more than 30 international organizations are part of BRI, including 34 countries in Europe and Central Asia, of which 18 countries of the European Union (EU). OBOR offers the world participation – no coercion. The attraction is the philosophy behind the New Silk Road – which is shared benefits – the concept of win-win.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The same win-win concept is part of the recently signed (11 November 2020 in Vietnam) free trade agreement with 14 countries – the ten ASEAN, plus Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, altogether 15 countries, including China. The so-called Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, was in negotiations during eight years – and achieved to pull together some 2.2 billion people, commanding some 30% of the world’s GDP. This is a never before reached agreement in size, value and tenor.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In addition, China and Russia have a longstanding strategic partnership, containing bilateral agreements that also enter into this new trade fold – plus the countries of the Central Asia Economic Union (CAEU), consisting mostly of former Soviet Republics, are also integrated into the eastern trade block.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The conglomerate of agreements and sub-agreements between Asian-Pacific countries that will cooperate with RCEP, is bound together by, for the west a little-understood Asian Pact, called the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The SCO’s purpose is to ensure security and maintain stability across the vast Eurasian region, join forces to counteract emerging challenges and threats, and enhance trade, as well as cultural and humanitarian cooperation.</p>
<p class="yiv7052191920MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In the hard times emerging from the covid crisis, many countries may need grant assistance to be able to recover as quickly as possible their huge socioeconomic losses. In this sense, it is likely that the new Silk Road / OBOR may forge a special “Health Road” across the Asian Continent. President Xi says China is committed to assisting in lifting the world out of this gigantic macroeconomic crisis.</p>
<p class="yiv7052191920MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p class="yiv7052191920MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The RCEP may, over time, open a window of opportunity for integrating the huge Continent of Eurasia that spans all the way from western Europe to Asia and covering the Middle East as well as North Africa, of about 5.4 billion people, stretching across some 55 million square kilometers.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The RCEP agreement’s trade deals will be carried out in local currencies and in yuan – no US dollars. The RCEP is, therefore, also a convenient instrument for dedollarizing, primarily in the Asia-Pacific Region, and gradually moving across the globe.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">China’s new digital Renminbi (RMB) or yuan may soon be rolled out internationally as legal tender for international payments and transfers. This will further drastically reduce the use of the dollar. The new digital RMB will become attractive for many countries which are fed up with being subjected to US sanctions, because using the US-dollar, they automatically become vulnerable to being punished with dollar blockages, confiscations of resources, whenever their international “behavior” doesn’t conform with the mandates of Washington’s.</p>
<p class="yiv7052191920MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The yuan is already increasingly used as a reserve currency and may within the next three to five years dethrone the dollar as chief reserve currency. The RMB / yuan is based on a solid economy, whereas the US-dollar and its European offspring, the euro, are fiat moneys, backed by nothing.</p>
<p class="yiv7052191920MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p class="yiv7052191920MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Entering this new “Time of Great Change”, China may envision leading a reform of the west-biased WTO – to give the Global South, alias developing countries, a greater say in international trade policies, to bring the world onto a more balanced development for all countries.</p>
<p class="yiv7052191920MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">China may also strive at shifting the IMF’s fiscal policies, to better allow emerging countries to develop their own capacities and use their natural resources independently, according to their needs, and if necessary, with international technical assistance that does not enslave them – which under current IMF / World Bank rules and conditions is not the case.</p>
<p class="yiv7052191920MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In this sense, China may take a leading role in helping better coordinating countries’ macro-economic policies, through the G20 mechanism.</p>
<p class="yiv7052191920MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Thanks to China’s endless creation and peaceful advancements, she has gained experience in resistance and resilience against adversities. Therefore, when in early 2020 the Chinese economy was in covid-shock, the Chinese Government applied drastic and disciplined social measures. The country recovered in the same year.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">China, like no other major economy in the world, grew in 2020 by about 2.3% &#8211; maybe more when the final figures are in. China has mastered the covid crisis within six to eight months, and has revamped an industrial and construction apparatus that was basically locked down by 80% during the 4 or 5 covid-peak months. By the end of 2020 it was 100% back in operation.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Compare this to western economies which are way down – Europe, according to official figures, by 12% to 15%. In the US, the FED predicted already last November that the country may lose up to a third of its economic output / GDP in 2020 / 2021.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The situation in the Global South is much worse. Catastrophic labor losses due to uncountable bankruptcies, are the result of generalized lockdowns in all 193 UN member countries simultaneously.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The International Labor Office (ILO) has predicted that global unemployment in 2021 may reach up to 50% of the world’s labor force of 3.5 billion (WB, June 21, 2020); meaning, about 1.7 billion people may be jobless. Most of them in the Global South, where about 70% of labor is informal, no contracts, no social safety nets, no social health care, no income, no shelter, no food &#8212; leading to total despair. According to both the British Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) – suicide rates are rampant.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Over the past 40 years, China has made historic gains in ending extreme poverty, bringing over 800 million people out of poverty, representing over 70 percent of global poverty reduction. In 2020 – despite covid – China has achieved zero poverty.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The most effective condition to achieve prosperity is societal harmony and PEACE. President Xi, in his address to the WEF last Monday, also called on the world to avoid confrontation. Instead, the world should stick to cooperation based on mutual benefits and resolve disagreements through consultation and dialogue.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em>To conclude, China has committed herself to help alleviate this ongoing epic crisis, striving for balanced development for all countries, with the objective of an enhanced and continued cooperation for a world community with a shared future and common prosperity for mankind.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. After working for over 30 years with the World Bank, he penned <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Implosion-Economic-Environmental-Destruction-Corporate/dp/059545349X" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Implosion</a>, an economic thriller, based on his first-hand experience. Exclusively for the online magazine “<a href="https://journal-neo.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">New Eastern Outlook.</a>”</strong></em></p>
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		<title>China’s Economy of Peace</title>
		<link>https://journal-neo.org/2020/12/15/china-s-economy-of-peace/</link>
		<comments>https://journal-neo.org/2020/12/15/china-s-economy-of-peace/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2020 20:59:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Питер Кёниг]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Columns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eastern Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Locations]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://journal-neo.org/?p=147875</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[China, about a decade ago, has deliberately embarked on an Economy of Peace. A strategy that China pursues, unimpressed by constant aggressions from the west, which are mostly led by the United States. Is it perhaps this Chinese steadfast, non-aggressive way of constant forward-creation and embracing more and more allies on her way – that [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://journal-neo.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/CHN34211.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-147915" src="https://journal-neo.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/CHN34211.jpg" alt="CHN34211" width="740" height="431" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">China, about a decade ago, has deliberately embarked on an Economy of Peace. A strategy that China pursues, unimpressed by constant aggressions from the west, which are mostly led by the United States. Is it perhaps this Chinese steadfast, non-aggressive way of constant forward-creation and embracing more and more allies on her way – that has made China such a success story? Overcoming violence by non-violence is engrained in 5000 years of Chinese history.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Despite relentlessly repeated assertions by the west, China’s objective is <strong><em>not </em></strong>to conquer the world or to “replace” the United States as the new empire. Quite to the contrary. The alliance China-Russia and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is seeking a multipolar world, with more justice for all – i. e. fairer trade in the sense of “win-win”, where all parties are benefitting equally. This is also a policy pursued by the recently signed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, the 15-country trade agreement signed at the 37th ASEAN Summit – 11 November 2020, in Vietnam, as well as by President Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched in 2013 by the President himself.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">China does not coerce cooperation – but offers peaceful cooperation. In 2014, Mr. Xi traveled to Germany to offer Madame Merkel for Germany to become – at that time – the western most link to the BRI, or the New Silk Road. This would have been an opening for all of Europe. However, Madame Merkel, having to follow Washington’s mandates – did not respond positively. President Jinping returned to Beijing, no hard feelings. And China continued her persistent course of connecting the countries of our Mother Earth with transport infrastructure, inter-country industrial ventures, education and research projects, as well as cultural exchanges to enrich the world – all the while respecting individual countries’ monetary and political sovereignty.</p>
<p class="yiv8274387324ydp4fa7a896yiv0504814527msonormal" style="text-align: justify;">Many country leaders from Africa and the Global South in general express openly their contentment and satisfaction to have China as a partner and for dealing with China on the basis of equals. With the west, especially the US, there is bullying and coercion, unequal contracts, and often total disrespect for legally signed contracts.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, the west lives in a permanent state of hypocrisy. It bashes China – actually without any reason, other than that the dying Anglo-Saxon-American empire mandates it to its partners, especially the European NATO allies – under threats of sanctions. Unfortunately, spineless Europe mostly complies.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Yet, having outsourced – for economic and profit reasons – most production processes to reliable, efficient and cheaper-labor China, the west depends very much on China for its supply chains. The covid-crisis, first wave, has clearly shown how dependent the west is on goods produced in China from sophisticated electronic equipment to pharmaceuticals.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">As an example: About 90% or more of antibiotics or ingredients for antibiotics are Made in China. Similar percentages apply to other vital western imports. – But China does not “punish” or sanction. China creates and moves forward offering her alliance to the rest of the world.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">China has also developed a new digital international Renminbi (RMB) or Yuan that may soon be rolled out for use of monetary transactions – of all kinds, including transfers, trade and even as a reserve currency. The yuan is already an ever-stronger reserve currency. This trend will be further enhanced through the RCEP and BRI.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Of course, the US is afraid that their dollar-hegemony they have built up since WWII with Fiat money backed by nothing, may suffer as international trading currency which the Anglo-American banking cartel practically imposed on the world, will come to an end; and the US-dollar’s standing as a reserve currency may rapidly decline.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">And yes, the yuan will gradually replace the US dollar as reserve currency – and this – because countries’ treasurers realize that the yuan is a stable, gold-backed currency, also supported by a solid economy – the only economy of any importance in the world that will grow in the covid-year 2020, by perhaps as much as 3.5%, while western economies will falter badly. Predictions are dire for the US and Europe, between 12% (EU predictions) and up to 30% / 35% (US FED prediction).</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The US dollar and its dominion over the international transfer system through SWIFT – has been used massively for sanctioning non-compliant countries, including totally illegal confiscation of assets – even countries reserve assets – case in point is Venezuela.</p>
<p class="yiv8274387324ydp4fa7a896yiv0504814527msonormal" style="text-align: justify;">Escaping this coercive dollar dominion is the dream of many countries. Therefore, trading, investing and dealing with the Chinese currency, will be a welcome opportunity for many sovereign nations.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">China’s economic achievements and forward-looking perspectives may be summarized in two major events or global programs, the just signed free trade agreement with 14 countries – the 10 ASEAN countries, plus Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, altogether, including China 15 countries. The so-called Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, was in negotiations during eight years – and achieved to pull together a group of countries for free trade, of some 2.2 billion people, commanding about 30% of the world’s GDP. This is a never before reached agreement in size, value and tenor.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In addition to the largest such trade agreement in human history, it also links to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), or One Belt, One Road (OBOR), which in itself comprises already more than 130 countries and more than 30 international organizations. Also, China and Russia have a longstanding strategic partnership, containing bilateral agreements that too enter into this new trade fold – plus the countries of the Central Asia Economic Union (CAEU), consisting mostly of former Soviet Republics, are also integrated into this eastern trade block.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The myriad of agreements and sub-agreements between Asian-Pacific countries that will cooperate with RCEP, is bound together by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), founded on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai as an intergovernmental organization, composed of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The SCO is little known and little talked-about in the west.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The purpose of the SCO is to ensure security and maintain stability across the vast Eurasian region, join forces to counteract emerging challenges and threats, and enhance trade, as well as cultural and humanitarian cooperation.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Much of the funding for RCEP and BRI projects may come in the form of low-interest loans from China’s Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB) and other Chinese and participating countries’ national funding sources. In the hard times emerging from the covid crisis, many countries may need grant assistance to be able to recover as quickly as possible from their huge socioeconomic losses, created by the pandemic. In this sense, it is likely that the new Silk Road may support a special “Health Road” across the Asian Continent.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The RCEP may, as “byproduct”, integrate the huge Continent of Eurasia that spans all the way from western Europe to what is called Asia and covering the Middle East as well as North Africa, of some 55 million square kilometers (km2), and a population of about 5.4 billion people, close to 70% of the world population – See map (Wikipedia).</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The crux of the RCEP agreement’s trade deals is that they will be carried out in local currencies and in yuan – no US-dollars. The RCEP is a massive instrument for dedollarizing, primarily the Asia-Pacific Region, and gradually the rest of the world.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Much of the BRI infrastructure investments, or New Silk Road, may be funded by other currencies than the US-dollar. China’s new digital Renminbi (RMB) or yuan may soon become legal tender for international payments and transfers, and will drastically reduce the use of the US-dollar.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The US-dollar is already in massive decline. When some 20-25 years ago about 90% of all worldwide held reserve-assets were denominated in US-dollars, this proportion has shrunk by today to below 60% – and keeps declining. The emerging international RMB / yuan, together with a RCEP- and BRI-strengthened Chinese economy, may further contribute to a dedollarization, as well as dehegemonization of the United States in the world. And as said before, the international digital RMB / yuan may progressively also be replacing the US-dollar, as well as euro reserves in countries’ coffers around the globe. The US-dollar may eventually return to be just a local US-currency, as it should be.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Under China’s philosophy, the unilateral world may transform into a multi-polar world. The RCEP and New Silk Road combination are rapidly pursuing this noble objective, a goal that will bring much more equilibrium into the world.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Maybe for a few years more to come, the west, led by the US – and always backed by the Pentagon and NATO, may not shy away from threatening countries participating in China’s projects, but to no avail. Under Tao philosophy, China will move forward with her partners, like steadily flowing water, constantly creating, avoiding obstacles, in pursuit of her honorable goal – a world in Peace with a bright common future.</p>
<div class="entry-content">
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. After working for over 30 years with the World Bank, he penned <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Implosion-Economic-Environmental-Destruction-Corporate/dp/059545349X" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Implosion</a>, an economic thriller, based on his first-hand experience. Exclusively for the online magazine “<a href="https://journal-neo.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">New Eastern Outlook.</a>”</strong></em></p>
</div>
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		<title>The China Moment</title>
		<link>https://journal-neo.org/2020/11/20/the-china-moment/</link>
		<comments>https://journal-neo.org/2020/11/20/the-china-moment/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2020 20:20:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Питер Кёниг]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Columns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eastern Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Locations]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://journal-neo.org/?p=146429</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[China has achieved the almost impossible – a free trade agreement with 14 countries – the ten ASEAN, plus Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, altogether 15 countries, including China. The so-called Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, was in negotiations during eight years – and achieved to pull together a group of countries [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://journal-neo.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/CHI34232.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-146474" src="https://journal-neo.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/CHI34232.jpg" alt="CHI34232" width="740" height="416" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">China has achieved the almost impossible – a free trade agreement with 14 countries – the ten ASEAN, plus Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, altogether 15 countries, including China. The so-called Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, was in negotiations during eight years – and achieved to pull together a group of countries for free trade, i.e. some 2.2 billion people, commanding some 30% of the world’s GDP. This is a never before reached agreement in size, value and tenor. The RCEP was signed during the 37th ASEAN Summit on 11 November in Vietnam.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">On top of being the largest such trade agreement in human history, it also associates with and binds to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), or One Belt, One Road (OBOR), or also called the New Silk Road, which in itself comprises already more than 130 countries and more than 30 international organizations. In addition, China and Russia have a longstanding strategic partnership, containing bilateral agreements that also enter into this new trade fold – plus the countries of the Central Asia Economic Union (CAEU), consisting mostly of former Soviet Republics, are also integrated into this eastern trade block.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The conglomerate of agreements and sub-agreements between Asian-Pacific countries that will cooperate with RCEP, is bound together by for the west a little-understood Asian Pact, called the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), founded on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai as an intergovernmental organization composed of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The SCO’s purpose is to ensure security and maintain stability across the vast Eurasian region, join forces to counteract emerging challenges and threats, and enhance trade, as well as cultural and humanitarian cooperation.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Much of the funding for RCEP and BRI projects will be in the form of low-cost loans from China’s Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB) and other Chinese and participating countries’ national funding sources. In the hard times emerging from the covid crisis, many countries may need grant assistance to be able to recover as quickly as possible their huge socioeconomic losses created by the pandemic. In this sense, it is likely that the new Silk Road may enhance a special “Health Road” across the Asian Continent.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The real beauty of this RCEP agreement is that it pursues a steady course forward, despite all the adversities imposed by the west, foremost the US of A. In fact, the RCEP may, as “byproduct”, integrate the huge Continent of Eurasia that spans all the way from western Europe to what is called Asia and covering the Middle East as well as North Africa, of some 55 million square kilometers (km2).</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The crux of the RCEP agreement’s trade deals is that they will be carried out in local currencies and in yuan – no US dollars. The RCEP is a massive instrument for dedollarizing, primarily the Asia-Pacific Region, and gradually the rest of the world.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Much of the BRI infrastructure investments, or New Silk Road, may be funded by other currencies than the US dollar. China’s new digital Renminbi (RMB) or yuan soon being rolled out internationally as legal tender for international payments and transfers, will drastically reduce the use of the dollar. The new digital RMB will become attractive for many countries which are fed up with being subjected to US sanctions, because using the US-dollar, they automatically become vulnerable to being punished with dollar blockages, confiscations of resources, whenever their international “behavior” doesn’t conform with the mandates of Washington’s.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Even country reserves can be stolen, a crime perpetrated by Washington with impunity and with the help of the UK, in full sight of the world, stealing 1.2 billion dollars’ worth of Venezuelan gold deposited with the Bank of England. Only a cumbersome lengthy legal process in UK courts initiated by Venezuela could eventually free the funds to be returned to the jurisdiction of Caracas. This is a warning for many countries, who want to jump the fiat-dollar-ship and join an honest trading and reserve currency, offered by China’s solid and stable economy-backed RMB / yuan.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The dollar is already today in decline. When some 20-25 years ago about 90% of all worldwide held reserve-assets were denominated in US dollars, this proportion has shrunk by today to below 60% &#8211; and keeps declining. The emerging international RMB / yuan, together with a RCEP- and BRI-strengthened Chinese economy, may further contribute to a dedollarization, as well as dehegemonization of the United States in the world. Simultaneously and progressively the international digital RMB / yuan may also be replacing the US-dollar / euro reserves in countries’ coffers around the globe.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The US-dollar may eventually return to be just a local US-currency, as it should be. Under China’s philosophy, the unilateral word will transform into a multi-polar world. The RCEP and New Silk Road combination are rapidly pursuing this noble objective, a goal that will bring much more equilibrium into the world.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">For the west adapting to this new reality may not be easy. Cooperation instead of competition has never been a western concept or philosophy. For hundreds if not thousands of years the western dominance has left a sad legacy of exploitation of the poor by the rich colonial masters and of bloody wars.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Cooperation instead of competition and warrying for power, is a concept not easily adhered to by the west. It is clearly visible by US-instigated trade wars, and possibly a currency war between the US and China may already be in the making. The FED has vaguely expressed its plans to also launch a digital, possibly cryptic, blockchain-based currency to counter the new RMB / yuan – not yet even launched internationally. Details of the FED’s plans are at the time of this writing not clear.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Having to adapt to the new RCEP, conforming to an agreement among equals, will not come easy for the west. The west will not let go and may use to the utmost possible, its creation and western biased World Trade Organization (WTO), to sabotage as much as possible the RCEP’s trade deals and BRI-infrastructure, as well as cross-border industrial development advances.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The west, led by the US – and always backed by the Pentagon and NATO, may not shy from threatening countries participating in China’s projects, but to no avail. Under Tao philosophy, China will move forward with her partners, like steadily flowing water, constantly creating, avoiding obstacles, in pursuit of her noble goal – a world in Peace with a bright common future.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In conclusion, the RCEP is a Chinese Masterpiece with Chinese characteristics and is paving the way for further progressing towards a world community with a shared future for mankind. The underlying principle is a community of sovereign nations, living, working, building, inventing, creating and culturally enriching each other in peace.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. After working for over 30 years with the World Bank, he penned <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Implosion-Economic-Environmental-Destruction-Corporate/dp/059545349X" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Implosion</a>, an economic thriller, based on his first-hand experience. Exclusively for the online magazine “<a href="https://journal-neo.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">New Eastern Outlook.</a>”</strong></em></p>
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		<title>The Secret Agenda of the World Bank and IMF</title>
		<link>https://journal-neo.org/2020/11/18/the-secret-agenda-of-the-world-bank-and-imf/</link>
		<comments>https://journal-neo.org/2020/11/18/the-secret-agenda-of-the-world-bank-and-imf/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2020 18:38:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Питер Кёниг]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Columns]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[USA in the World]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://journal-neo.org/?p=146291</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) work hand in glove – smoothly. Not only are they regularly lending huge sums of money to horror regimes around the world, but they blackmail poor nations into accepting draconian conditions imposed by the west. In other words, the WB and the IMF are guilty of [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://journal-neo.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/INT3422.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-167134" src="https://journal-neo.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/INT3422.jpg" alt="INT3422" width="740" height="417" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) work hand in glove – smoothly. Not only are they regularly lending huge sums of money to horror regimes around the world, but they blackmail poor nations into accepting draconian conditions imposed by the west. In other words, the WB and the IMF are guilty of the most atrocious human rights abuses.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">You couldn’t tell, when you read above the entrance of the World Bank the noble phrase, “Our Dream is World Free of Poverty”. To this hypocrisy I can only add, ”…And we make sure it will just remain a dream.” This says both, the lie and the criminal nature of the two International Financial Institutions, created under the Charter of the United Nations, but instigated by the United States.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The front of these institutions is brilliant. What meets the eye, are investments in social infrastructure, in schools, health systems, basic needs like drinking water, sanitation – even environmental protection – over all “Poverty Alleviation”, i.e. A World Free of Poverty. But how fake this is today and was already in the 1970’s and 1980’s is astounding. Gradually people are opening their eyes to an abject reality, of exploitation and coercion and outright blackmail. And that, under the auspices of the United Nations. What does it tell you about the UN system? In what hands are the UN? – The world organization was created in San Francisco, California, on 24 October 1945, just after WWII, by 51 nations, committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The UN replaced the League of Nations which was part of the Peace Agreement after WWI, the Treaty of Versailles. It became effective on 10 January 1920, was headquartered in Geneva Switzerland, with the purpose of disarmament, preventing war through collective security, settling disputes between countries, through negotiation diplomacy and improving global welfare. In hindsight it is easy to see that the entire UN system was set up as a hypocritical farce, making people believe that their mighty leaders only wanted peace. These might leaders were all westerners; the same that less than 20 years after the creation of the noble League of Nations, started World War II.</p>
<p class="yiv7878903568MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p class="yiv7878903568MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This little introduction provides the context for what was eventually to become the UN-backed outgrowth for global theft, for impoverishing nations, around the world, for exploitation of people, for human rights abuses and for shoveling huge amounts of assets from the bottom, from the people, to the oligarchy, the ever-smaller corporate elite – the so-called Bretton Woods Institutions.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In July 1944 more than 700 delegates of 44 Allied Nations (allied with the winners of WWII) met at the Mount Washington Hotel, situated in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States, to regulate the international monetary and financial order after WWII. Let’s be sure, this conference was carried out under the auspices of the United States, the self-declared winner of WWII, and from now on forward the master over the financial order of the world – which was not immediately visible, an agenda hidden in plain sight.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The IMF was officially created to ‘regulate’ the wester, so-called convertible currencies, those that subscribed to apply the rules of the new gold standard, i.e. US$ 35 / Troy Ounce (about 31.1 grams). Note that the gold standard, although applicable equally to 44 allied nations was linked to the price of gold nominated in US dollars, not based on a basket of the value of the 44 national currencies. This already was enough reason to question the future system. And how it will play out. But nobody questioned the arrangement. Hard to believe though that of all these national economists, none dared question the treacherous nature of the gold-standard set-up.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The World Bank, or the Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), was officially set up to administer the Marshall Plan for the Reconstruction of war-destroyed Europe. The Marshall Plan was a donation by the United Stated and was named for U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall, who proposed it in 1947. The plan gave $13.2 billion in foreign aid to European countries that had been devastated physically and economically by World War II. It was to be implemented from 1948 to 1952 which of course was much too short a time, and stretched into the early 1960s. In today’s terms the Marshall plan would be worth about 10 time more, or some US$ 135 billion.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The Marshall Plan was and still is a Revolving Fund, paid back by the countries in question, so that it could be relent. The Marshall Plan money was lent out multiple times and was therefore very effective. The European counterpart to the World Bank-administered Marshall Fund was a newly to be created bank set up under the German Ministry of Finance, The German Bank for Reconstruction and Development (KfW – German acronym for Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau”).</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">KfW, as the World Bank’s European counterpart still exists and dedicates itself mostly to development projects in the Global South, often in cooperation with the World Bank. Today there is still a special Department within KfW that deals exclusively with Marshall Plan Fund money. These funds are used for lending to poor southern regions in Europe, and also to prop up Eastern European economies, and they were used especially to integrate former East-Germany into today’s “Grand Germany”.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Two elements of the Marshall Plan are particularly striking and noteworthy. First, the reconstruction plan created a bind, a dependence between the US and Europe, the very Europe that was largely destroyed by the western allied forces, while basically WWII was largely won by the Soviet Union, the huge sacrifices of the USSR – with an estimated 25 to 30 million deaths. So, the Marshall Plan was also designed as a shield against communist Russia, i.e. the USSR.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">While officially the Soviet Union was an ally of the western powers, US, UK, and France, in reality the communist USSR was an arch-enemy of the west, especially the United States. With the Marshall Plan money, the US bought Europe’s alliance, a dependence that has not ended to this day. The ensuing Cold War against the Soviet Union – also all based on flagrant lies, was direct testimony for another western propaganda farce – which to this day, most Europeans haven’t grasped yet.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Second, The US imposition of a US-dollar based reconstruction fund, was not only creating a European dollar dependence, but was also laying the ground work for a singular currency, eventually to invade Europe – what we know today, has become the Euro. The Euro is nothing but the foster child of the dollar, as it was created under the same image as the US-dollar – it is a fiat currency, backed by nothing. The United Europe, or now called the European Union – was never really a union. It was never a European idea, but put forward by US Secret Services in disguise of a few treacherous European honchos. And every attempt to create a United Europe, a European Federation, with a European Constitution, similar to the United States, was bitterly sabotaged by the US, mostly through the US mole in the EU, namely the UK.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The US didn’t want a strong Europe, both economically and possibly over time also militarily (pop. EU 450 million, vs US pop. 330 million; 2019 EU GDP US$ 20.3 trillion equivalent, vs US GDP US$ 21.4 trillion. Most economists would agree that a common currency for a loose group of countries has no future, is not sustainable. In comes the European Central Bank (ECB), also a creation inspired by the FED. The ECB has really no Central Bank function. It is rater a watch dog. Because each EU member country has still her own Central Bank, though with a drastically reduced sovereignty.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Out of the currently 27 EU members only 19 are part of the Euro-zone. Those countries not part of the Eurozone, i.e. Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Sweden – and more, have preserved their sovereign financial policy and do not depend on the ECB. This means, had Greece opted out of the Eurozone when they were hit with the 2008 / 2009 manufactured “crisis”, Greece would now be well on her way to full recovery. They would not have been subject to the whims and dictate of the IMF, the infamous troika, European Commission (EC), ECB and IMF, but could have chosen to arrange their debt internally, as most debt was internal debt, no need to borrow from abroad.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In a 2015 bailout referendum, the Greek population voted overwhelmingly against the bailout, meaning against the new gigantic debt. However, the then Greek President Tsipras, went ahead as if the referendum had never taken place and approved the huge bailout despite almost 70% of the popular vote against it.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This is a clear indication of fraud, that no fair play was going on. Tsipras and / or his families may have been coerced to accept the bailout – or else. We may never know, the true reason why Tsipras sold his people, the wellbeing of the Greek people to the oligarchs behind the IMF and World Bank – and put them into abject misery, with the highest unemployment in Europe, rampant poverty and skyrocketing suicide rates.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Greece may serve as an example on how other EU countries may fare if they don’t “behave” – meaning adhere to the unwritten golden rules of obedience to the international money masters.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This is scary.</p>
<p class="yiv7878903568MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p class="yiv7878903568MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And now, in these times of covid, it is relatively easy. Poor countries, particularly in the Global South, already indebted by the plandemic, are increasing their foreign debt in order to provide their populations with basic needs. Or so they make you believe. Much of the debt accumulated by developing countries is domestic or internal debt, like the debt of the Global North. It doesn’t really need foreign lending institutions to wipe out local debt. Or have you seen one of the rich Global North countries borrowing from the IMF or the World Bank to master their debt? – Hardly.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">So why would the Global South fall for it? Part corruption, part coercion, and partly direct blackmail. – Yes, blackmail, one of the international biggest crimes imaginable, being committed by the foremost international UN-chartered financial institutions, the WB and the IMF.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">For example, the whole world is wondering how come that an invisible enemy, a corona virus hit all 193 UN member countries at once, so that Dr. Tedros, Director General of WHO, declares on 11 March a pandemic  &#8211; no reason whatsoever since there were only 4,617 cases globally – but the planned result was a total worldwide lockdown on 16 March 2020. No exceptions. There were some countries who didn’t take it so seriously, like Brazil, Sweden, Belarus, some African countries, like Madagascar and Tanzania – developed their own rules and realized that wearing masks did more harm than good, and social distancing would destroy the social fabric of their cultures and future generations.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">But the satanic deep dark state didn’t want anything to do with “independent” countries. They all had to follow the dictate from way above, from the Gates, Rockefellers, Soroses, et al elite, soon to be reinforced by Klaus Schwab, serving as the chief henchman of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Suddenly, you see in Brazil, a drastic surge in new “cases”, no questions asked, massive testing, no matter that the infamous PCR tests are worthless according to most serious scientists (only sold and corrupted scientists, those paid by the national authorities, would still insist on the RT-PCR tests). Bolsonaro gets sick with the virus and the death count increases exponentially – as the Brazilian economy falls apart.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Coincidence?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In comes the World Bank and / or the IMF, offering massive help mostly debt relief, either as grant or as low interest loans. But with massive strings attached: you must follow the rules laid out by WHO, you must follow the rules on testing on vaccination, mandatary vaccination – if you conform to these and other country-specific rules, like letting western corporations tap your natural resources – you may receive, WB and IMF assistance.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Already in May 2020 the World Bank Group announced its emergency operations to fight COVID-19 had already reached 100 developing countries – home to 70% of the world’s population with lending of US$ 160 billion-plus. This means, by today, 6 months later and in the midst of the “Second Wave” the number of countries and the number of loans or “relief’ grants must have increased exponentially, having reached close to the 193 UN member countries. Which explains how all, literally all countries, even the most objecting African countries, like Madagascar and Tanzania, among the poorest of the poor, have succumbed to the coercion or blackmail of the infamous Bretton Woods Institutions.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">These institutions have no quarrels in generating dollars, as the dollar is fiat money, not backed by any economy – but can be produced literally from hot air and lent to poor countries, either as debt or as grant. These countries, henceforth and for pressure of the international financial institutions will forever become dependent on the western masters of salvation.  Covid-19 is the perfect tool for the financial markets to shovel assets from the bottom to the top.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In order to maximize the concentration of the riches on top, maybe one or two or even three new covid waves may be necessary. That’s all planned, The WEF has already foreseen the coming scenarios, by its tyrannical book “Covid-19 – The Great Reset”. It’s all laid out. And our western intellectuals read it, analyze it, criticize it, but we do not shred it apart – we let it stand, and watch how the word moves in the Reset direction. And the plan is dutifully executed by the World Bank and the IMF – all under the guise of doing good for the world.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">What’s different from the World Bank and IMF’s role before the covid plandemic? – Nothing. Just the cause for exploitation, indebtment, enslavement. When covid came along it became easy. Before then and up to the end of 2019, developing countries, mostly rich in natural resources of the kind the west covets, oil, gold, copper and other minerals, such as rare earths, would be approached by the WB, the IMF or both.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">They could receive debt relief, so-called structural adjustment loans, no matter whether or not they really needed such debt. Today these loans come in all forms, shapes and colors, literally like color-revolutions, for instance, often as budget support operations – I simply call then blank checks – nobody controls what’s happening with the money. However, the countries have to restructure their economies, rationalizing their public services, privatizing water, education, health services, electricity, highways, railroads – and granting foreign concessions for the exploitation of natural resources.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Most of this fraud – fraud on “robbing” national resources, passes unseen by the public at large, but countries become increasingly dependent on the western paymasters – peoples’ and institutional sovereignty is gone. There is always a corrupter and a corruptee. Unfortunately, they are still omni-present in the Global South. Often, for a chunk of money, the countries are forced to vote with the US for or against certain UN resolutions which are of interest to the US. Here we go – the corrupt system of the UN.</p>
<p class="yiv7878903568MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And of course, when the two Bretton Woods organizations were created in 1944, the voting system decided is not one country, one vote as in theory it is in the UN, but the US has an absolute veto right in both organizations. Their voting rights are calculated in function of their capital contribution which derives from a complex formula, based on GDP and other economic indicators. In both institutions the US voting right and also veto right is about 17%. Both institutions have 189 member countries.</p>
<p class="yiv7878903568MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Covid has laid bare, if it wasn’t already before, how these “official” international, UN-chartered Bretton Woods financial institutions are fully integrated in the UN system – in which most of the countries still trust, maybe for lack of anything better.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Question, however: What is better, a hypocritical corrupt system that provides the “appearance”, or the abolition of a dystopian system and the courage to create a new one, under new democratic circumstances and with sovereign rights by each participating country?</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. After working for over 30 years with the World Bank, he penned <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Implosion-Economic-Environmental-Destruction-Corporate/dp/059545349X" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Implosion</a>, an economic thriller, based on his first-hand experience. Exclusively for the online magazine “<a href="https://journal-neo.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">New Eastern Outlook.</a>”</strong></em></p>
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		<title>Palestine – Anniversary of the Death of a Child</title>
		<link>https://journal-neo.org/2020/10/09/palestine-anniversary-of-the-death-of-a-child/</link>
		<comments>https://journal-neo.org/2020/10/09/palestine-anniversary-of-the-death-of-a-child/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2020 18:00:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Питер Кёниг]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Columns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Locations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle East]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Palestine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Society]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://journal-neo.org/?p=144051</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Palestine under siege for 72 years. A UK-prompted UN decision in 1947 allowed David Ben-Gurion, then the head of the Jewish Agency, to proclaim on May 14, 1948, the establishment of the State of Israel. The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, a UN proposal, recommended a partition of “Mandatory Palestine” at the end of the British Mandate. “Mandatory Palestine” was [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-160476" src="https://journal-neo.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/PLS634322.jpg" alt="PLS634322" width="740" height="409" /></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Palestine under siege for 72 years. A UK-prompted UN decision in 1947 allowed David Ben-Gurion, then the head of the Jewish Agency, to proclaim on May 14, 1948, the establishment of the State of Israel.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, a UN proposal, recommended a partition of “Mandatory Palestine” at the end of the British Mandate. “Mandatory Palestine” was a geopolitical entity established between 1920–1948 in the region of Palestine, under the terms of the League of Nations Mandate for Palestine. On 29 November 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted the Plan as Resolution 181 (II).</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This fastidious date and controversial decision in 1948 brought about misery for generations of people – Palestinians – on their own land, inflicted by a tiny country implanted on Palestine – but supported by a super-power to the point that this tiny country, called Israel, has itslef become a super-power – on the verge of expanding herself not only over Palestinian terrirtory, but over the entire Middle-East.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">It shall not happen.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This tiny country, ruled by a minority of power-greedy Zionists, linked to a worldwide Zionist-dominated network over the western financial system, and hellbent to rule the world – as the Chosen People, has violated countless UN Resolutions calling for a halt of her deadly aggressions on the Palestinian people. And not only on Palestine, but to stop her interference all over the Middle-East, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Iran – to mention just a few. To no avail.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The tragic and murderous photo at the top, depicts the 20th  Anniversary of just one undescribable crime. But it is also symbolic for Israeli-perpetrated atrocities that have been slaughtering Palestinians for the last 72 years – indiscriminately, children, women, men – and no end is in sight, because the west looks on and tolerates. It tolerates one outrageous brutality after another.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Tolerance with financial gain. Weapons sales to Irael flurish – and trade with Israel is unaffected – as the Jewish people, victims of the Holocaust – that, indeed, shall never be forgotten! – are being used by their Zionist masters to continue instilling guilt on Europe, the world. It’s a strategy that works wonders. The guilt has become an alabi for today’s Israel getting literally away not just with murder, but with an ongoing genocide.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">As things stand today, Irael is about to take over and absorb the Palestinian West Bank without serious opposition from its wester NATO allies, the very hypocrytical west that is officially propagating peace talsk after peace talks – no end. Indeed, no end. Because Peace is not wanted. Thed United States of America wants full domination of the Middle-East. Its one of the planet’s most energy rich areas, but also one of the most strategic gateways between Eurasia and Africa. So, the symbiotic relationship of the tail wagging the dog, between Israel and the US of A will go on.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Should that take-over by Israel of the Westbank happen, then the entire once “Mandatory Palestine” would become Israel. This may be the “geopolitical” strategy, but are the people at large – all over the globe – aware of this diabolical plan?</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">When the <a href=" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wRYjtvIYK0&amp;feature=emb_rel_pause">legendary</a> “Crack” – “There is a Crack in Everything, that’s how the Light Gets In” (“Anthem”, Leonard Cohen, London 2008 -) – will open our minds to the reality of what we humans are doing to ourselves, to humanity – to our fellow sentient beings – we may finally act and choose Justice over Greed, Love over Hate and Peace over War.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. After working for over 30 years with the World Bank, he penned <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Implosion-Economic-Environmental-Destruction-Corporate/dp/059545349X" target="_blank">Implosion</a>, an economic thriller, based on his first-hand experience. Exclusively for the online magazine “<a href="https://journal-neo.org/" target="_blank">New Eastern Outlook.</a>”</strong></em></p>
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