EDITORIAL
The Time Has Come To Eliminate Poverty, and Provide a Future for Our Children
Feb. 28 (EIRNS)—The New York Times today leads the pack of hyenas in the Western press corps decrying the Chinese decision to do away with term limits for their Presidents and Vice Presidents. “Xi Sets China on a Collision Course with History,” screams the Times’ headline, quoting none other than loser Hillary Clinton, who declared that China was on a “fool’s errand, trying to uphold a system of government that cannot survive in the modern world.”
Kesha Rogers, the Independent candidate for Congress in Texas (9th CD) backed by the LaRouche Political Action Committee, responded to this hysteria against China by reminding our citizens of the words of Martin Luther King, (who, unlike Hillary, was qualifiedto be President), who said: “The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty.” Of course, that is precisely what China is achieving, both for their own citizens (by 2020) and for the world, through their historic Belt and Road Initiative. What nation exemplifies the “civilized world” today?
Global Times, the paper of the Chinese Communist Party, writes today that “the Western media began bad-mouthing China in their usual and various ways” after the announcement that China was ending term limits. “The biggest reason for all this,” the editorial continues, “is that the rise of China has reached a critical point where some Westerners cannot psychologically bear it any longer. They wish to see misfortune befall the country. Even if it might hurt their own interests, they are willing to see China crumble first.” Further, they write: “Over the years, the authority of the CPC Central Committee and the prosperity of our Chinese society have both risen. The authority of the Central Committee is the most outstanding part of China’s competitiveness. It is the source of the country’s efficiency and ability to mobilize people and make adjustments. It is the thing the outside world most envies about China and the target of Western anti-China rhetoric.”
Many in the West respond that, despite the great progress in China, the Chinese people are not free, do not have basic human rights, as if the right to a decent livelihood, free of poverty, free to contribute to the future of the nation and the future of mankind, is not the most fundamental of human rights.
But we must also ask, what is the state of human rights in the United States? What is being done to our children, millions of whom have been denied any hope of a productive future, who are offered instead the “freedom” to take drugs, to be “entertained” by movies and video games and popular music that teach them to de-humanize their fellow men and women through violence and pornography, who are denied any education regarding the beauty of Classical Western culture, let alone the beauty of Classical Chinese culture, or any other of the great cultures in human history? There should be no question about why hundreds of our children are being turned into killers. Nor should there be any question that the entire economy and the entire culture must be transformed for the horror to end, and for the world to enter a new paradigm based on human progress and dignity.
President Trump awakened hope in the American people, promising to rebuild the industrial base and the collapsing infrastructure, ending the scourge of drugs, reminding people of the “American System” of Alexander Hamilton, promising to end the useless and dangerous confrontation with Russia and China. These are the issues which Lyndon LaRouche has championed for half a century, while the political leadership was transforming the nation into a post-industrial scrap heap and a permanent war machine on behalf of the British Empire.
The hope for restoring America’s greatness must be consummated now in the only way possible—not piece by piece, not small steps, but by the full restoration of the American System through LaRouche’s program, and fully embracing the New Silk Road spirit unleashed by China’s Belt and Road. A civilized society can do no less.
U.S. POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC
China Sends Top-Level Officials to Washington To ‘Correct and Stabilize’ Relations
Feb. 28 (EIRNS)—An editorial comment Feb. 27 in China’s Global Times (“Senior Officials’ U.S. Visit Aims To Avoid Further Trade Conflicts”), points out that the recent visits to Washington of two of China’s most senior-level and trusted officials—State Councillor Yang Jiechi (China’s highest foreign policy official) two weeks ago, and this week senior economic advisor to President Xi Jinping, Liu He—is very unusual.
They reflect, however, the fact that bilateral relations with the U.S. are at a crucial point, and that China “hopes to correct and stabilize the direction of Sino-U.S. relations as soon as possible,” according to Diao Daming, an associate professor at Renmin University of China. Yang Jiechi dealt with key international and regional issues, such as Korea, while, according to the Foreign Ministry, Liu will deal more with bilateral relations, particularly trade and economy.
Given recent U.S. “offensives” against China on trade issues, Liu’s mission “could be tough,” according to An Gang of the Pangoal Institution in Beijing. It will be his job to let Washington know that Beijing can act proactively and “counter U.S. actions in trade conflicts.” But, he can also brief the U.S. on China’s “new general plan on economic reform” laid out after the 19th CPC Congress. When Liu spoke at the World Economic Forum at Davos this year, he indicated that China plans a series of new measures on reform and opening up, Global Times recalls, noting that Donald Trump, too, is pushing economic reform. Thus, it concludes, the key to Sino-U.S. coordination “is to realize mutual promotion while both sides push for reforms.” In other words, An stresses, “they need to find a new foundation for win-win cooperation.”
Importantly, he adds that rebalancing Sino-U.S. economic ties “cannot simply rely on increasing imports from the U.S. and reducing exports to the U.S., and both sides should seek a solution from their structural reforms.”
Democratic National Committee: It Is Our First Amendment Right To Steal the Election
Feb. 28 (EIRNS)—In a case brought against the U.S. Democratic National Committee (DNC) and former DNC chair and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz for stealing the primary elections from Bernie Sanders in favor of Hillary Clinton (as admitted by Donna Brazile, who took over as DNC Chair from Wasserman Schultz when she was forced to resign), the DNC lawyers argued that it was fully within their Constitutional rights to fix the election! This should sound familiar to those who have followed the LaRouche movement, since the DNC successfully argued in court that the Democratic Party was a “private club,” that excluding LaRouche delegates from the 2000 Democrat Convention, even though had gathered the required number of endorsements from Democrats, was within their rights.
Disobedient Media Editor in Chief Elizabeth Vos reported Feb. 24 that lawyers for the DNC and Wasserman Schultz filed papers in the court arguing that: “There is no legitimate basis for this litigation, which is, at its most basic, an improper attempt to forge the federal courts into a political weapon to be used by individuals who are unhappy with how a political party selected its candidate in a presidential campaign. To recognize any of the causes of action that Plaintiffs allege based on their animating theory would run directly contrary to long-standing Supreme Court precedent recognizing the central and critical First Amendment rights enjoyed by political parties, especially when it comes to selecting the party’s nominee for public office.”
Vos astutely notes: “It appears that the defendants in the DNC Fraud Lawsuit are attempting to argue that cheating a candidate in the primary process is protected under the First Amendment…. It seems here that the DNC is arguing for its right to appoint candidates at its own discretion while simultaneously denying any fiduciary duty to represent the voters who donated to the Democratic Party under the belief that the DNC would act impartially towards the candidates involved.”
She also reports that the U.K. Supreme Court recently ruled that WikiLeaks cables were admissible as evidence in legal proceedings. Vos continues her report: “If publication of DNC emails are found to be similarly admissible in a United States court of law, then the contents of the leaked emails could be used to argue that, contrary to the defendants’ latest brief, the DNC did favor the campaign of Hillary Clinton over Senator Sanders and that they acted to sabotage Sanders’ campaign.”
STRATEGIC WAR DANGER
Lavrov Slams Regime Change Strategy
Feb. 28 (EIRNS)—Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during an address to the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council and the Conference on Disarmament, condemned the tactics and strategy behind the West’s policies in Syria as nothing but highly destructive for the population of the countries where these policies are practiced. He first slammed the external manipulation of armed groups, as is being done in Syria, for geopolitical purposes. “We consider it inadmissible to divide terrorists into ‘good’ and ‘bad,’ especially when this is done depending on the goals or the sources of financing declared by the extremists,” Lavrov said. “Russia will continue to persistently fight the nefarious practice of such double standards, even by rendering assistance to the Syrian army in finally rooting out the terror threat,” according to TASS.
Lavrov described as extremely dangerous attempts to use human rights violations to justify military adventures aimed at regime change, and recalled the remarks of Pope Francis, who said that it is impossible to fight evil with another evil. “Whatever attitude to Saddam Hussein and Muammar Qaddafi may be, let those who toppled them answer a simple question, namely, did the illegal intervention alleviate people’s suffering, did it protect the most important of human rights—the right to life? The answer is obvious,” Lavrov pointed out.
“Never in the history of humanity did the deliberate destruction of states benefit ordinary people,” he stressed. “On the contrary, it always brought humanitarian disasters to civilians. That was also the cause for unprecedented waves of illegal migration that swept Europe, an unprecedented upsurge of terrorism, persecution of Christians and members of other religions.”
Russia’s London Ambassador Warns U.K. To Fight, Not Protect, Terrorists in Eastern Ghouta
Feb. 28 (EIRNS)—As reported by TASS today, the British Foreign Office has “summoned” Russian Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko to have him explain Russia’s plans to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2401, on establishing a 30-day humanitarian ceasefire in Syria. The implication is that the British claim that Russia is failing to implement it. The ceasefire does not apply to military operations against ISIS and other terrorist groups.
Yakovenko had other ideas, TASS reported. According to sources at the London Embassy, he planned to tell the Foreign Office that London should use the power “which London does wield” against those armed groups acting in Eastern Ghouta and elsewhere, to demand full compliance with UNSC Resolution 2401, “in order to fully implement the UNSC’s targets.”
He argued that militants are continuing their provocations in Syria, “apparently not being interested in providing access for humanitarian aid and relieving sufferings of civilians in Eastern Ghouta. We expect foreign protectors of anti-government armed forces to fulfill their obligations and ensure ceasefire for the good of the humanitarian convoys to pass as soon as possible. It is also important to make sure that the truce envisioned by the resolution is not used to provide cover to the terrorists.”
The ambassador also stated that Russia rejected “the attempts of the British to place responsibility for the humanitarian situation in Syria on Russia, while covering the backs of terrorists who kill peaceful civilians and use them as human shields in Eastern Ghouta.”
Russian Ambassador Nebenzia Demands UN Action Plan To Bring Peace to Yemen
Feb. 28 (EIRNS)—Speaking yesterday at a meeting of the UN Security Council, Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia addressed the urgent need for putting forward a meaningful peace process for Yemen, given the “catastrophic” humanitarian crisis in that nation.
During yesterday’s session, the U.S. attacked Iran, blaming it for destabilizing the Yemeni situation as well as the entire region. Earlier, the U.S. and the United Kingdom failed to get through a UNSC resolution which blamed Iran for illegally supplying weapons to Yemeni rebels.
Nebenzia’s remarks focused on the “highly complicated and complex” Yemeni situation, which requires a peace process “without preconditions rather than looking for scapegoats, [or] trying to adjust the desired result to someone’s geopolitical plans.” He also underscored that humanitarian assistance alone “cannot help find long-term viable solution. The situation needs to be brought to a political track. Under the current critical circumstances, it is important for the United Nations to have a clear action plan.”
A new special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, has just been named, and Nebenzia emphasized that “we expect him to hold consultations with all the parties to the conflict and figure out his action plan that can be included in the next report to the UNSC.”
COLLAPSING WESTERN FINANCIAL SYSTEM
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Approves Loans to India and Bangladesh
Feb. 28 (EIRNS)—The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a multilateral development bank based in China, has approved a $1.5 billion loan to India, as well as a $285 million loan package to Bangladesh to help develop both nations’ infrastructure.
Although specifics as to which projects the loans will finance in India have not yet been announced, AIIB’s Chief Investment Officer D.J. Pandian indicated that they will be invested in energy, roads, and urban development projects. The AIIB will consider providing more funds for such projects next year, he said, according to India’s Financial Express.
What is known is that around $200 million of the loan money will be invested under India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) framework, with India deciding where to place the credit. Last year, Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said the country required an estimated $646 billion for investments in the infrastructure sector over the next five years. So, India is openly seeking funds for infrastructure from other sources, including NIIF. In January, NIIF announced its collaboration with the Dubai-based ports operator DP World to create a fund to invest up to $3 billion of equity in India’s transport and logistics sectors, Financial Express reported.
In Bangladesh, the approved loan is slated for three power- and energy-related projects, according to Laurel Ostfield, head of the AIIB’s Communications and Development division. There are five more Bangladesh government proposals that will require $885 million to implement, she said.
“Bangladesh’s acute power shortages are impacting its economic growth and its effort to reduce poverty,” said Pandian. “This investment will help Bangladesh increase its power supply to support industries that are vital to growth, and will help reduce the number of individuals who currently live without electricity,” according to AIIB’s news release.
THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMIC ORDER
Transaqua Panelists Address Lake Chad Conference in Nigeria, to Enthusiastic Reception
Feb. 28 (EIRNS)—The Feb. 26-28 International Conference on Lake Chad, in Abuja, Nigeria, included the much-expected panel on Transaqua yesterday, with Italian engineering firm Bonifica and PowerChina that will carry out the feasibility study. Transaqua, the plan to move water from the Congo River to replenish the depleted Lake Chad, was developed by Bonifica some 35 years ago and has recently receiving the backing of the huge PowerChina construction firm.
The conference is being sponsored by the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the Nigerian government, and UNESCO.
All four panelists were passionately in favor of Transaqua. The hall was standing-room only, and to say that the presentations were well received is an understatement. The subsequent open discussion with the audience could have gone on indefinitely, with many hands still raised when the chairman had to bring the panel to a close.
EIR correspondent Claudio Celani intervened twice, at the beginning and at the end. At the beginning, he announced the Italian government decision to donate half the funding for the feasibility study, generating enthusiastic applause, as EIR Daily Alert reported in its Feb. 27 issue. Celani then further developed the how Transaqua can be a model of cooperation for the New Paradigm among Africa, China, and Europe, adding that Africans bear this extra responsibility to make it successful.
At the end, Celani responded to a questioner who asked how to politically convince countries such as the Congo which are still reluctant to join, due to disinformation campaigns under the slogan that “they are stealing your water.” Celani explained the concept of the “advantage of the other,” that clinched the success of the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia. When the Chancellor of the meeting asked what summary of the panel should be written in the official resumé, the chairman strongly supported that Celani’s point on the New Paradigm model should be included.
Later, Celani participated with the Bonifica group in the Council of Ministers’ meeting, where Bonifica and PowerChina made a joint presentation.
Ghana’s President Calls on Germans To Invest in Africa
Feb. 28 (EIRNS)—Addressing 5th German-African Economic Forum in Dortmund yesterday, Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo said: “Africa needs to transform stagnant, jobless economies, built on the export of raw materials and unrefined goods, to value-added economies that provide jobs, to build strong middle-class societies and lift the masses of our people out of dire poverty. We can only do so if we participate in the global market place on the basis not of the exports of raw materials, but on the basis of things we make.”
The continent’s priority, he said, should be to increase trade and investment co-operation, and not aid, as it is one of the ways healthy economic relations can be developed between Africa and Germany, and, indeed, with the rest of the world.
“With Africa’s population set to reach some 2 billion people in 20 years’ time, there are immense opportunities to bring prosperity to Africa, and to Germany too, with hard work, enterprise and creativity. I urge German organizations and companies present to take advantage of this, and enhance their trade relations with Africa,” he said. “The time to deepen German-African trade and investment is now. We must generate investments in agro-industry, the energy and power sectors, and infrastructural development of Africa, capable of producing positive outcomes for the private sectors, especially small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), of Germany and Africa.”
SCIENCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE
China’s Astronauts Train for a ‘Spectacular Endeavor’—Its Space Station
Feb. 28 (EIRNS)—“Journey to the Stars,” is the front page feature headline in China Daily Feb. 15. The article is titled, “Astronauts Prepare for a New Era of Exploration,” as 16 space flyers train for China’s upcoming space station. The highly-anticipated space station, which will enable crews to spend months in Earth orbit, is described in the article as “one of the most spectacular endeavors of the coming decade.”
Fei Junlong, who was a crew member aboard Shenzhou VI in a 2005 mission, explains that “the station’s systems will be more advanced and sophisticated than those on the Shenzhou series of spacecraft and the Tiangong space laboratories, so the astronauts will require far greater knowledge, ability, and skill.” He was speaking recently to reporters at the Astronaut Center celebration of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army Astronaut Group.
According to the current schedule, the core module of the station will be launched in 2020, to be followed by at least four manned missions to assemble the station, attaching laboratory modules. The station is to be assembled by 2022, and other nations have been invited to send their astronauts, experiments, and even a laboratory, to the station. China Daily reports that if the International Space Station is retired in 2024, as has been proposed, the Chinese station “will become the only permanent space station.”
Describing the progress since the groundbreaking first manned mission in China’s space program in 2003, the article proudly states that “in the 14 years since [Yang Liwei’s] momentous journey, China has evolved from a second-tier player in the global space race into a great power.”
