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BRICS’ expansion to 55% of the world’s population leaves the U.S. powerless.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVkPNpKfi2o)

BRICS continues to expand rapidly, with Nigeria officially becoming a partner on January 17, 2025! This marks a major milestone as the group now represents over 40% of the global economy and more than half of the world’s population. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is poised to play a key role in reshaping global governance and financial systems, challenging Western dominance.

In this video, we explore:

Nigeria’s entry into BRICS and its implications for the bloc’s influence.

The growing economic and political power of BRICS countries.

How BRICS aims to reform global institutions like the UN and challenge the US dollar’s global dominance. Key shifts in global demographics, with BRICS representing more than 54% of the world’s population. Economic powerhouses like China, India, and Nigeria, and their role in global trade and energy markets.

The rise of Africa and the increasing importance of countries like Nigeria,

Ethiopia, and Egypt in the global economy.

With Nigeria joining, BRICS is now a dominant force, representing the Global South and pushing for a new world order. Don’t miss out on this critical update on global geopolitics!

Transkripzioa:

0:00

bricks continues to expand at an

0:01

incredible Pace every few weeks there

0:04

seems to be a new country joining this

0:05

influential organization originally

0:08

formed as a block of emerging economies

0:09

from the global South Bricks now

0:11

represents more than 40% of the global

0:13

economy and over half the world’s

0:15

population just recently on January 17th

0:19

Nigeria officially became a partner

0:20

country in bricks which brings it one

0:22

step closer to full membership this is

0:24

huge because Nigeria with the largest

0:27

population in Africa is the sixth most

0:29

popular country in the world it’s a

0:31

significant addition to the group the

0:33

announcement came from the Brazilian

0:35

government as Brazil currently holds the

0:37

bricks chair for 2025 brics operates on

0:40

a rotating chairmanship system with

0:42

South Africa leading in 2023 Russia in

0:44

2024 and now Brazil in 2025 the

0:47

Brazilian government has made it clear

0:49

that brics’s key objectives are twofold

0:52

strengthening South South cooperation

0:54

and reforming Global governance when

0:56

critics from Western countries argue

0:58

that brics is fractured or lack a clear

1:00

Direction they often miss the larger

1:02

picture Brazil has consistently outlined

1:04

Brick’s mission to promote deeper

1:06

political and economic integration among

1:08

the countries of the global South those

1:11

once colonized by Western powers and to

1:13

challenge the dominance of western-led

1:15

global institutions especially in the

1:17

context of the United Nations and the

1:18

financial systems one major point of

1:21

contention is the current structure of

1:22

the UN Security Council which is heavily

1:25

influenced by the West brics aims to

1:27

bring reform to this and other

1:28

International organizations that

1:30

continue to serve the interests of

1:31

former Colonial Powers brics is not just

1:34

about cooperation among its member

1:35

nations it’s also about reshaping the

1:37

global order to reflect the interests of

1:39

the global South in 2024 while Russia

1:43

held the bricks chair a comprehensive

1:45

report was released outlining the

1:46

organization’s Ambitions to overhaul the

1:48

international monetary system

1:51

essentially brics is working to

1:52

challenge the dominance of the US dollar

1:54

in global trade and it’s proposing a

1:56

multicurrency system as an alternative

1:58

through initiatives like the bricks

2:00

crossborder payment system these

2:02

countries are already engaging in trade

2:04

using their National currencies reducing

2:06

their Reliance on the US dollar the idea

2:08

is to move away from the Dollar’s grip

2:10

on global transactions and create new

2:12

Financial systems that are less

2:14

vulnerable to manipulation or seizure by

2:16

Western Powers as we’ve seen with Russia

2:18

Venezuela Iran and Afghanistan the brics

2:21

block is also exploring ways to settle

2:23

trade imbalances by using Commodities

2:25

like gold wheat or minerals bypassing

2:27

traditional Financial systems dominated

2:29

by the West many nations from the global

2:32

South are eager to join bricks as they

2:34

see it as a means to build a new

2:35

Financial order that is not controlled

2:37

by Colonial legacies with Nigeria’s

2:40

recent admission Bricks now consists of

2:42

19 countries 10 full members and nine

2:44

partner Nations this marks a milestone

2:47

in bricks Evolution the updated map of

2:49

brics members shows the latest additions

2:51

just 2 weeks before Nigeria’s inclusion

2:54

Indonesia also became part of bricks

2:56

Indonesia with the world’s fourth

2:58

largest population and seventh largest

3:00

economy holds significant geopolitical

3:02

weight the inclusion of Indonesia is a

3:04

powerful statement especially

3:06

considering Indonesia’s historical role

3:07

in the non-aligned movement and its

3:09

hosting of the 1955 Bandung conference

3:12

this event brought together Asian and

3:14

African countries striving for

3:15

independence from Western colonialism in

3:18

a sense brics is modernizing the vision

3:20

of the bandong conference and the

3:21

non-aligned movement just as these

3:23

groups sought an alternative path in the

3:25

20th century brics is attempting to

3:27

establish a 21st century alternative to

3:29

the Western dominated World Order

3:31

particularly in financial matters now

3:33

the full bricks members include Brazil

3:36

Russia India China and South Africa the

3:39

original founding members over time the

3:41

group has expanded to include Egypt

3:43

Ethiopia Indonesia Iran and the UAE in

3:46

2024 as of 2025 there are now nine

3:49

partner countries barus Bolivia Cuba

3:53

Kazakhstan Malaysia Nigeria Thailand

3:57

Uganda and usbekistan if you take a look

4:00

at the top 20 most populous countries on

4:02

Earth today you’ll notice something

4:04

significant half of them are now part of

4:06

the bricks block this includes Nigeria

4:09

which holds the sixth spot in terms of

4:10

population size with over 230 million

4:13

people as of 2024 Nigeria is the most

4:16

populous nation in Africa and this is a

4:18

major milestone for Bricks now when you

4:21

add up the populations of all 19 bricks

4:23

members and their Partners you’re

4:25

looking at more than 4.3 billion people

4:27

which makes up a staggering 54 .6% of

4:30

the global population this data comes

4:32

from the international monetary fund

4:35

which I rely on for these insights

4:36

because of its regular updates and

4:38

accessible figures while other sources

4:40

might vary slightly the imf’s data is

4:42

considered one of the most reliable in

4:45

2024 the world population is estimated

4:47

at 7.92 billion and brics Nations now

4:50

account for more than half of that total

4:52

as brics continues to expand this share

4:54

will only grow Nigeria’s inclusion is

4:56

especially crucial not just for its

4:58

population but because Nigeria has one

5:00

of the world’s fastest growing

5:02

populations India another bricks member

5:05

is currently the most populous country

5:06

globally and also has the fastest

5:08

growing population from 2024 to 2037

5:11

India is expected to add 147 million

5:14

people but Nigeria is right behind

5:16

projected to see 65 million births in

5:18

the next decade and a half if we look at

5:20

the fastest growing countries by sheer

5:22

numbers not percentage half of the top

5:24

10 are bricks members India Nigeria

5:27

Ethiopia Indonesia and Egypt

5:30

the rise of bricks cannot be overlooked

5:32

it now represents the majority of the

5:34

global population and Nigeria in

5:36

particular is symbolic of the broader

5:38

shift happening in the world Lagos

5:40

Nigeria’s largest city is expected to

5:43

become the world’s largest Mega City by

5:44

the end of the century speaking of

5:46

demographic Trends by 2100 Africa will

5:49

make up 38% of the global population up

5:51

from just 18% today meanwhile Asia’s

5:54

share will decline from 60% to around

5:57

45% this means that by the end of this

5:59

Century over 80% of the global

6:01

population will live in Asia or Africa

6:04

and Bricks which already represents the

6:05

global majority will only grow stronger

6:07

in this regard it’s a shame that despite

6:10

these changes many Western political

6:12

leaders media figures and academics

6:15

still seem to view the world through a

6:16

western Centric lens the reality is that

6:19

the West represents only about 13 to 14%

6:22

of the global population and this Gap is

6:24

growing it’s not just the population

6:26

that matters it’s also the economy many

6:29

bricks countries have some of the

6:30

world’s fastest growing economies China

6:32

for instance is the largest economy

6:34

globally when measured by GDP at

6:36

purchasing power par and it’s also an

6:38

industrial Powerhouse together the 19

6:40

bricks members and their Partners

6:42

account for 42.2% of the global economy

6:45

with Nigeria joining brics is edging

6:47

closer to controlling half of the

6:48

world’s GDP Nigeria itself is a major

6:51

economic player it has the second

6:53

largest economy in Africa following

6:55

Egypt and Egypt along with Nigeria South

6:58

Africa Algeria and Ethiopia forms the

7:01

core of Africa’s growing economic

7:03

strength as of now all five of Africa’s

7:05

largest economies are either already

7:07

part of bricks or likely to join soon

7:10

Egypt is a full member Nigeria is a

7:12

partner and South Africa as a founding

7:14

member is the third largest economy in

7:16

Africa Algeria invited to become a

7:18

bricks partner in 2024 is the fourth

7:21

largest and Ethiopia now a full member

7:24

rounds out the top five despite the

7:26

challenges that many African nations

7:28

face incl including poverty and

7:30

underdevelopment partly due to the

7:32

legacy of Western colonialism their

7:34

sheer population size and growing

7:36

economies make them significant Global

7:37

players for example Egypt’s economy is

7:40

now larger than Australia’s and

7:42

Nigeria’s economy surpasses that of the

7:44

Netherlands this is all based on GDP

7:46

measured at purchasing power parity PPP

7:49

which provides a clearer picture of

7:50

economic strength than nominal GDP based

7:53

on exchange rates when you account for

7:55

PPP you see that countries like Egypt

7:57

and Nigeria have far more economic power

7:59

than nominal GDP figures would suggest

8:02

another key factor is that Nigeria is

8:04

Africa’s largest oil producer and it

8:06

ranks 15th globally brics countries

8:08

already represent more than one-third of

8:10

global oil production and this share

8:12

continues to rise the overlap between

8:15

brics and OPEC organization of petroleum

8:17

exporting countries is growing meaning

8:20

these countries now hold significant

8:22

leverage in the global oil Market if

8:24

they collaborate on production decisions

8:26

they can influence prices and Global

8:27

energy Trends though the US us has

8:29

emerged as the world’s top oil producer

8:32

due to the Shale boom creating

8:33

complexities in the global energy Market

8:36

brics’s growing influence in both the

8:37

oil market and the global economy is

8:39

undeniable brics Nations also have

8:41

shared political and economic goals such

8:43

as enhancing South South cooperation and

8:46

reforming Global governance systems

8:48

especially the International Financial

8:50

system as Brazil has pointed out one of

8:52

brics’s central objectives is to reduce

8:54

the West’s dominance in Global Financial

8:57

matters including challenging the US

8:59

dollar Central role in the global

9:00

economy as more countries join bricks it

9:03

strengthens the Block’s Collective push

9:05

to create alternatives to the US

9:07

dominated Financial system or at the

9:09

very least to significantly reform it

9:12

some even believe the existing

9:13

institutions are Beyond reform and new

9:15

systems are needed with Africa

9:18

especially Nations like Nigeria and

9:19

Ethiopia playing an increasingly

9:21

important role this is a shift worth

9:23

paying attention to so in conclusion

9:26

brics is no longer a small Niche group

9:28

of Nations it’s a global force with a

9:30

growing influence in both demographics

9:32

and economic power if you’re interested

9:34

in these massive changes unfolding in

9:36

the world make sure to follow along

9:38

don’t forget to like And subscribe this

9:40

is ancient craft and I’ll see you next

9:43

time

ooo

Why China and the US are so obsessed with Taiwan | Mapped Out

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMhle4o0uk0)

The US-China superpower rivalry is on full display in Taiwan. Beijing wants control of the island and is willing to use force to get it. Washington has been ambiguous about how it would respond but is expanding its military presence in the region. Taiwan is at the center of the US first island chain strategy to contain China. A standoff seems almost unavoidable. But what factors give the tiny island such an outsize importance for both superpowers? And why is neither side backing down? We speak to foreign policy experts Victor Gao (Center for China and Globalization) and David Sacks (Council on Foreign Relations) and find out what people in Taiwan think of the tensions.

Chapters

00:00   All eyes on Taiwan

01:12   Taiwan’s strategic location

04:13   US “first island chain” strategy

07:24   Taiwan’s TSMC: An economic powerhouse

09:34   A history of old loyalties

12:19   Taiwan’s complicated status quo

14:14   Big ideas for a small island

Transkripzioa:

All eyes on Taiwan

0:02

Chinese soldiers preparing for battle.

0:05

This is what Beijing wants to show the world.

0:08

With each military drill, China is drawing ever-closer circles

0:12

around Taiwan.

0:14

China has a clear goal: to gain control over the island.

0:20

China will surely be reunified.

0:23

Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan

0:27

if it comes to that?

0:28

Yes.

0:29

That’s the commitment we made.

0:31

The United States is building up its military presence in the region.

0:35

And is practicing how to sink Chinese ships.

0:42

We’re not going to come to an agreement over Taiwan.

0:45

Wait for the unification to be achieved.

0:48

Peacefully, I hope.

0:49

Not peacefully, I dread.

0:52

But why are these two superpowers so fixated on Taiwan?

0:57

What’s in it for China and the U.S.?

1:00

And how do people in Taiwan feel about it?

1:18

It’s Taiwan’s location that makes it a geopolitical flashpoint.

1:23

Taiwan has 23 million inhabitants –

1:26

and its main island lies only 130 km away from China’s mainland.

1:34

These tiny islands right off the coast are also

1:37

under Taiwanese control.

1:38

And Chinese military drills around the whole of Taiwan

1:42

are getting bigger and more frequent.

1:49

In recent videos released by China’s People’s Liberation Army,

1:53

Beijing has threatened to encircle the island.

1:58

It sees Taiwan as part of its territory and says it’s ready

2:02

to use force, if necessary, to get it back.

2:06

We’ll talk more about the history and Taiwan’s status later.

2:11

For now, you need to know that in the late 1940s,

2:14

there was a civil war in China between Communists and Nationalists.

2:18

The Communists won and took control of mainland China.

2:24

And the Nationalists fled to Taiwan.

2:26

That laid the groundwork for today’s tensions.

2:32

The U.S. has an ambiguous policy towards Taiwan.

2:35

Since the late 1970s, it has recognized Communist Beijing

2:39

as the only legitimate government of China.

2:42

But it has informal ties with Taiwan and is seen

2:45

as the island’s protector.

2:48

Okay.

2:50

Let’s go back to the map to understand why the U.S.

2:52

and China can’t quit Taiwan.

2:55

In some ways, Taiwan’s strategic importance is about three chokepoints

2:59

around the island.

3:01

To the west, there’s the Taiwan Strait.

3:04

It’s a key trade route for both Beijing and Taiwan –

3:07

and also for everybody else.

3:09

Almost all the world’s biggest container ships pass through here.

3:14

To the north, the Miyako Strait.

3:16

It runs between Taiwan and these Japanese islands.

3:22

And in the south, the Bashi Strait.

3:24

It runs between Taiwan and the Philippines.

3:28

For China, these two straits on either side of Taiwan

3:30

are key strategic gateways to the Pacific Ocean.

3:36

Taiwan is in the middle of the Chinese coastline,

3:38

which is very important.

3:41

This is Victor Gao.

3:42

He is a former Chinese diplomat and vice-president of

3:46

the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing think-tank some say

3:50

is close to the Chinese Communist Party.

3:54

Taiwan Island faces the Pacific directly, and if Taiwan is occupied

4:01

by a foreign country, for example, it interrupts the continuity

4:05

of the Chinese coastline and also prevents the Chinese access

4:10

directly to the Pacific Ocean.

4:14

The U.S. says it has no troops permanently stationed in Taiwan

4:18

but the island plays an important role in U.S. strategy.

4:22

To understand why, let’s look at the military bases in the region.

4:27

Here are some of China’s main naval bases close to its coast.

4:31

And the U.S. has some of its key bases in South Korea,

4:34

Japan, and the Philippines.

4:37

If you connect the dots, you’ll see the U.S. bases form a chain.

4:42

Taiwan sits at the heart of what we call in the United States

4:45

the ‘first island chain’.

4:47

David Sacks is an expert at the Council on Foreign Relations,

4:50

a think-tank in New York City.

4:52

In the past, he worked at the American Institute in Taiwan,

4:55

which serves as the de facto U.S. embassy on the island.

5:00

If you look at the first island chain,

5:01

these are all formal treaty allies of the United States, or

5:04

close partners, in the case of Taiwan.

5:06

And with that the way it is, the United States can project power close

5:10

to China’s shores, protect its allies and its interests.

5:14

Conversely, it’s very difficult for the Chinese military to project power

5:17

outside of the first island chain and threaten the United States

5:21

physically or our interests in the Indo-Pacific.

5:25

To strengthen this ‘island chain’, the U.S. is expanding

5:28

military cooperation with Japan and the Philippines,

5:32

which are also wary of what they see as China’s expansionist goals.

5:37

For example, just last year the U.S. gained access to military bases

5:41

in the north of the Philippines.

5:43

Right next to the Bashi Strait, one of those Chinese gateways

5:47

to the Pacific Ocean we mentioned.

5:52

Here you can see American and Philippine troops conducting

5:55

exercises in the waters nearby earlier this year.

6:01

They even sank an old Chinese-built ship that the Philippine navy

6:04

used in the past:

6:06

a clear message to Beijing.

6:08

And obviously, China is not happy about the U.S. ‘island chain’ strategy.

6:15

Come on!

6:16

We are not living in the 19th century.

6:18

We are not living in the imperialist century.

6:22

Using this outmoded way of thinking as if you can

6:27

set up a chain to block, for example, China from accessing

6:32

the Pacific Ocean, is ludicrous.

6:37

Beijing is rapidly modernizing its navy, in part to be able to

6:40

break through the chain of U.S. allies.

6:45

For example, with the ‘Fujian’ aircraft carrier.

6:48

Here it is on sea trials earlier this year.

6:51

It’s China’s third aircraft carrier and the biggest ship

6:54

in the Chinese navy.

6:57

The number one objective here is to keep the United States

7:01

out of the region during a conflict.

7:04

So, what we call ‘anti-access/area denial’: Prevent the United States

7:08

from being able to defend our treaty allies and partners.

7:13

So to sum up: Taiwan’s location makes it essential

7:17

to both sides as they try to gain the upper hand in the region.

7:29

But the rivalry is also about money.

7:32

Big money.

7:33

Economically, the small island also has an outsize importance

7:36

for both China and the U.S. – even though neither officially recognizes

7:41

Taiwan as a country.

7:45

Both China and the U.S. have significant trade links with Taiwan.

7:49

And much of that business comes from just one company:

7:55

TSMC –

7:56

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.

8:00

It produces microchips.

8:02

Taiwan makes 90 % of the most advanced ones in the world.

8:06

Both the U.S. and China are dependent on them.

8:09

And so is everybody else.

8:14

There’s a good chance TSMC’s semiconductors are in the device

8:17

that you’re using to watch this video right now.

8:21

They are in new cars,

8:23

fridges,

8:25

and fighter jets.

8:27

Everywhere.

8:28

They’re needed to develop new AI models.

8:31

And U.S. leaders worry that losing Taiwan to China could

8:35

permanently shift economic tides against them.

8:39

We don’t assume that a region under Chinese hegemony would be open

8:43

to U.S. trade and investment.

8:45

I think that China would reorder the region.

8:48

They want the United States to basically supply them

8:50

with raw materials that are turned into manufactured goods in China

8:55

and then sold all over the world.

8:57

And there isn’t really a role for the United States or

9:00

other industrialized countries in that.

9:02

The Chinese economy is already larger than that of the United States

9:05

if we use purchasing power parity.

9:07

China produced more than 30 million cars in 2023.

9:11

The Americans probably produced less than half of that.

9:15

So why should anyone believe, they can have some benefit

9:19

of picking a fight with China?

9:21

No, there is no benefit.

9:23

China does not look at Taiwan from an economic

9:27

or commercial perspective.

9:31

So why is Taiwan so important to Beijing then?

9:39

To understand, let’s dive back into history.

9:43

China lost control over Taiwan during what it calls

9:45

the ‘Century of Humiliation’ –

9:47

these caricatures of China being carved up

9:50

by various foreign powers might explain why.

9:54

From the mid-19th until the mid-20th century,

9:57

China was plagued by invasions and internal disputes.

10:00

This is important, because that notion

10:02

of humiliation still plays a big role in Chinese state ideology even today.

10:09

In 1895, Japan took Taiwan from China and made it a colony.

10:15

After World War II, the Allies forced Japan to give it back.

10:19

But at the time, China was in the middle

10:21

of a civil war:

10:24

The government of the Republic of China,

10:25

or ROC, was led by Nationalists under Chiang Kai-Shek.

10:34

Mao Zedong led Communist forces against them.

10:39

In 1949, the victorious Communists marched into Beijing and

10:43

established the People’s Republic of China on the mainland.

10:48

The defeated government of the Republic of China fled to Taiwan.

10:53

That’s why there are two governments that call themselves ‘China’:

10:56

one on the mainland, the People’s Republic of China, or PRC.

11:00

And on Taiwan, the Republic of China, or ROC.

11:06

The PRC government in Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province

11:10

and says there is only one China.

11:12

Even though they have never actually been in charge in Taiwan.

11:16

Most of the world accepts this One China policy, including the U.S.

11:20

They don’t recognize Taiwan as an independent country.

11:25

Wait.

11:26

So why is the U.S. supporting Taiwan then?

11:30

There is also a history to that.

11:33

After the Civil War, the U.S. initially saw

11:35

the Nationalist government in Taiwan as the only real China, rejecting

11:39

the Communist government on the mainland.

11:42

U.S. soldiers were even stationed in Taiwan under a common defense pact.

11:48

The change came in the 1970s.

11:51

The U.S. sought closer relations with Beijing.

11:55

That meant closing the U.S. embassy in Taiwan and pulling out U.S. troops.

12:00

Still, informal ties persisted, like that de facto embassy.

12:04

And the U.S. still guarantees to sell Taiwan weapons.

12:09

But they have a deliberately ambiguous policy

12:11

on whether they would defend Taiwan.

12:14

It’s meant to prevent China from invading and

12:16

Taiwan from declaring independence.

12:20

But that strange limbo has been the status quo in Taiwan for decades.

12:25

And it’s created realities on the ground.

12:28

Taiwan developed from a Nationalist authoritarian regime

12:31

into one of the strongest democracies in the region.

12:35

There are elections,

12:38

a free press,

12:39

and civil liberties.

12:42

Taiwan was first in Asia to legalize same-sex-marriage.

12:46

This year a progressive party was reelected for

12:49

a third term, vowing to maintain that tense status quo.

12:55

DW’s Taiwan correspondent Yuchen Li can give us a sense

12:58

of things on the ground.

13:00

Here in Taiwan, the atmosphere is very different

13:03

from what you might read in the headlines.

13:05

The tension has become part of daily life.

13:07

One key reason is that people in Taiwan have been living under

13:11

the threat of the Chinese Communist Party for many decades.

13:16

The majority of the Taiwanese prefer to maintain

13:18

the status quo with China, but how to do so is a rather polarized debate.

13:25

If China wants to bully us, at least we still have the U.S. and Japan.

13:28

They are our friends.

13:33

I’ve always been skeptical of America.

13:36

But we have no choice, if we can’t get stronger or have enough forces.

13:45

It’s tricky.

13:46

We should have a friendly relationship with both of them.

13:53

It’s always been like this.

13:54

Ever since the founding of the country, we’ve been caught up

13:56

in this drama.

13:57

But one thing is clear for many Taiwanese –

14:00

Taiwan’s voice is usually drowned out.

14:03

Amid the U.S.-China rivalry, many feel that Taiwan is only ‘a pawn’

14:07

in the game, and no matter what comes next,

14:09

the island should have the right and autonomy to decide its own fate.

14:15

But there is one more factor that stands in the way of that.

14:18

Taiwan represents something for both superpowers.

14:27

Taiwan has embraced the U.S. worldview, which promotes

14:30

democracy and capitalism.

14:33

China is a one-party system and a socialist market economy.

14:37

And a major Chinese Communist Party narrative centers on Taiwan.

14:41

Remember the Century of Humiliation we mentioned, when China lost Taiwan?

14:48

Well Chinese President Xi Jinping sees bringing Taiwan back into

14:52

the fold as an important step in overcoming that humiliation.

14:57

This is part of the so-called ‘national rejuvenation’,

15:00

a revival of the Chinese nation as a great power.

15:05

With Xi Jinping, I think, you did see some impatience.

15:08

Xi Jinping has clearly put himself forward as a leader of, you know,

15:13

world historic importance.

15:16

He views himself in a very similar way, I think,

15:19

to Vladimir Putin, that he’s just not a run-of-the-mill leader.

15:22

He’s transformative.

15:24

No one, no country, no single human being will be able to block

15:30

the peaceful reunification of China or the non-peaceful

15:33

reunification of China.

15:35

So, we should all call on the United States: “Don’t play with fire!”

15:41

But for the U.S., supporting Taiwan also means keeping up

15:44

key alliances in the region and promoting democracy.

15:50

If China were to invade and annex Taiwan, we would see

15:53

that democracy extinguished, and it could send chilling effects

15:57

to democracies around the world.

15:58

You would have deep questions being asked in South Korea,

16:01

Japan, and the Philippines on whether they can rely on

16:04

the United States for their security.

16:07

Because of where Taiwan is and what it represents, neither China

16:12

nor the U.S. isable back down.

16:15

And the rest of us are stuck watching the superpower rivalry play out.

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@tobararbulu # mmt@tobararbulu

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Norman Finkelstein on the “ceasefire agreement” between Israel and Gaza

Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/live/SvaSPPj3Vro

Transkripzioa:

0:00

negotiations that

0:02

climaxed in this ceasefire

0:05

agreement I’ve of course read the

0:09

agreement the

0:11

text and I’ve read some commentary but I

0:14

didn’t follow it very closely I was

0:16

working on a book on Gaza which was

0:19

preoccupying

0:20

me my basic feeling no I don’t want to

0:24

quote a

0:25

feeling my basic understanding is the

0:29

following

0:31

number

0:33

one uh there is a

0:36

interesting uh analogy to what just

0:41

happened with the

0:42

ceasefire I suspect nobody in the among

0:46

your viewers and listeners will know

0:51

that on January 17th that is today

0:56

January 17th 2009

1:01

operation

1:03

castled ended that was the Israeli

1:06

assault on Gaza at the time it seemed

1:11

like a very large

1:14

assault uh it lasted from August excuse

1:18

me from December

1:20

26th till January

1:23

17th when Amnesty International called

1:27

22 days of death and D

1:31

destruction and you know why it ended

1:35

it’s an

1:36

interesting story of great

1:41

relevance with the recent developments

1:43

in Gaza it ended because President

1:48

Obama was going to be

1:51

inaugurated

1:54

president and he didn’t

1:57

want this show in

2:02

Gaza to

2:04

distract

2:06

attention from his

2:08

coronation and so he told Israel end the

2:13

attack and it did very

2:17

obediently it did as the master ordered

2:23

them them being Israel to

2:27

do in the current

2:31

situation as you will recall about a

2:35

month

2:37

ago

2:39

um president Trump

2:42

announced that if the hostages were not

2:46

released at the time of his

2:50

inauguration there would be all hell to

2:54

pay

2:56

now Trump president Trump

3:01

he

3:02

didn’t

3:04

want to begin his

3:08

presidency by having to

3:11

unleash a Savage assault on

3:15

Gaza first of all because the people of

3:18

Gaza had already paid

3:21

hell in the past 15

3:24

months so there wasn’t much more that he

3:28

could do

3:31

and

3:32

secondly because he didn’t want to

3:36

begin his

3:38

presidency on such a

3:42

merciless heartless

3:46

note and so he read the riot act or

3:51

his

3:53

Emissary read the riot act to

3:57

Netanyahu as in sign the

4:01

agreement the agreement which apparently

4:03

doesn’t differ in any significant way

4:07

from the agreement that was agreed to in

4:09

May of this past

4:12

year and it ended the lesson to be

4:16

learned from there is when an American

4:20

president says

4:21

stop it

4:23

stops all this talk about Americans

4:28

having no power

4:30

that Netanyahu doesn’t listen that and

4:33

so on it’s just

4:36

nonsense

4:38

now having said

4:41

that as you know there are two

4:47

components to the

4:50

ceasefire one

4:52

is the mutual hostage

4:58

exchange the thousands of hostages that

5:02

are being held by

5:05

Israel versus the hundred or less

5:09

hostages currently being held by

5:13

Hamas there is the hostage

5:17

exchange but there is also a second

5:21

aspect that is the promise of admitting

5:26

humanitarian

5:27

Aid on a high

5:31

level they say 600 trucks per day

5:35

allowing for the

5:38

Reconstruction of Gaza and all the

5:43

rest for those who don’t know the

5:46

history lifting the blockade of Gaza

5:50

allowing for the Reconstruction of Gaza

5:54

and all the

5:55

rest it was

5:57

promised after oper operation cast

6:01

LED it was

6:04

promised after Israel assaulted the

6:07

humanitarian

6:08

flotilla the Maui

6:11

mura it was

6:13

promised after

6:15

operation pillar of Defense in

6:20

2012 it was

6:23

promised after operation protective Edge

6:27

in 2014

6:30

and nothing came of

6:33

it uh

6:35

as at the time of operation pillar of

6:39

defense the defense minister was aood

6:46

Barak and he said they were signing an

6:51

agreement to end the

6:53

operation these Hightech killing

6:57

spres they were signing an

7:01

agreement and it included a

7:05

ceasefire

7:06

plus the lifting or the easing of the

7:11

blockade and at the

7:14

time um Barack

7:18

told the other Israeli officials who

7:22

were debating whether the designed the

7:24

ceasefire

7:26

plus the end of the blockade or the

7:29

easing of the

7:30

blockade he said

7:32

quote a day after the

7:36

ceasefire no one will remember what is

7:40

written in that agreement I think that’s

7:43

absolutely correct I think after the

7:47

ceasefire and the exchange the mutual

7:50

exchange of

7:51

hostages between Israel and

7:56

Hamas all the promises about

8:00

admitting

8:02

humanitarian Aid and allowing for the

8:08

Reconstruction

8:09

in

8:11

Gaza all of that will

8:14

vanish like

8:16

snow in the spring Sunshine it won’t

8:21

happen

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Satorrak Gazaren hondakinen artean (2)

Moles among the Gaza’s rubble (2)

Hamas claims to have avenged the killing of its former leader, Yahya Sinwar, by eliminating Israeli forces responsible for his assassination. The group released a video titled ‘Death Ambush Series’, showing a massive explosion near an IDF gathering. Press TV reported that Hamas killed two senior Israeli military officials, Major Dvir Zion Revah and his deputy Israel Shiknazi, whom it holds responsible for Sinwar’s death. Watch for more.

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@tobararbulu # mmt@tobararbulu

Al Jazeera aired unseen footage of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader killed in Gaza. The video shows Sinwar directing military operations in Rafah during the 2023 conflict. He signed the order for the deadly October 7 assault on Israel, which killed over 1,200 people. Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces on October 18, 2023, after being spotted in a Gaza tunnel, where he attempted to fight back.

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@tobararbulu # mmt@tobararbulu

Hamas has significantly boosted its ranks by recruiting 10,000 to 15,000 new members despite heavy casualties, with many recruits lacking experience and being used for basic tasks rather than military operations. The group’s swift replenishment of forces continues to be a concern for Israeli security, as former US officials warn of a protracted insurgency. Recent videos released by Hamas claim successful operations, including the assassination of senior Israeli commanders. Additionally, previously unseen footage has shown slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza prior to his death, while Israel has confirmed the release of four female soldiers as part of a larger prisoner exchange.

00:00 – INTRODUCTION

0:34 – HAMAS RECRUITMENT SURGE ADDS 1,5000 FIGHTERS DESPITE HEAVY LOSSES

04:10 – HAMAS VIDEO SHOWS “ASSASSINATION OF ISRAELI COMMANDERS”

05:38 – FOOTAGE SHOWS SLAIN HAMAS CHIEF IN GAZA BEFORE DEATH

07:30 – FOUR FEMALE SOLDIERS FREED IN HOSTAGE EXCHANGE

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We Basques do need a real Basque independent State in the Western Pyrenees, just a democratic lay or secular state, with all the formal characteristics of any independent State: Central Bank, Treasury, proper currency, out of the European Distopia and faraway from NAT0, maybe being a BRICS partner…

Ikus Euskal Herriaren independentzia eta Mikel Torka

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MMT: Modern Monetary Theory

Understanding how money works so that we can address climate change easily and prosperously plus

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