International News
Liberation News
Niger
This past week, Niger, a country in West Africa, took a major step in the global movement to dismantle the United States' military power and presence in the continent and also the world. Niger has suspended its military agreement with the US effective immediately. The former deal allowed for military personnel and defense civilians to work in the country. Niger played a central role in the United States operation in the Sahel region. The announcement came at the heels of US officials visiting the country earlier in the week. As Niger ends its military agreements, hopefully, more countries will follow suit and cut their ties with the imperialist nation. The United States is the largest threat to global peace and security. It is essential for us, in the belly of the beast, to recognize the self-determination of people abroad, especially as countries divest from US power.
Elections
2024 is set to be a major election year for the United States and the world. Nearly 4 billion people in over 60 countries will head to the polls this year. The result of this year's elections will have monumental impacts on the world's future, as 2024 is the biggest election year in history. Most of the world's population will head to the polls this year. The results of this election year will have a momentous impact on the global political order between the US and China and the Indo-Pacific (Indian-Pacific) area as more regional powers continue to develop and emerge. This section will be included in the weekly report as the global election year continues.
Ukraine Mar. 31*
Elections for Ukraine are scheduled for Mar. 31. However, with the ongoing war with Russia and the country being under martial law, the chances of an election dwindle. Under Ukraine's constitution, the government cannot hold an election until the martial law is lifted. Martial law has been in effect since February 2022 and must be lifted for at least six months after elections. Far-right politicians in the United States have been pushing for Ukraine to hold elections this year. Although he has changed his tune, in August, Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) encouraged Zelensky to conduct elections in 2024 as an "act of defiance" against Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky's term will end in May, but he will likely remain in office indefinitely due to the war. In November, President Zelensky said it was "not the right time" for elections. According to polls in the country, most Ukrainians do not support holding elections right now.
Republic of Korea (South Korea) Apr. 10
South Korea is a vital ally of the United State's military apparatus. The country provides the US with air and sea access to the East China Sea. South Korea bolsters its influence in the Asian Pacific region, specifically the ability to agitate North Korea and China. The US and South Korean military often engage in defense exercises and drills where they are essentially training to kill North Koreans. After the Korean War, the country was divided into two states: North Korea and South Korea. Since the 1950s, the United States has maintained control of the wartime military operations in South Korea, meaning the country cannot operate its military operations without the permission of the United States.
Although there were talks in 2018 about South Korea regaining control of its military operations, it has not come to a complete reality. As the New Cold War with China continues, the United States is looking to South Korea and Japan as a way to bolster military influence in efforts to flex their muscles to North Korea and China, a kill-two-birds-with-one-stone type of deal. Last August, during a trilateral meeting at Camp David, President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio pledged to share intel about North Korea and respond to what they believe are threats to the region and conduct new yearly military drills together. If the United States wants to contain China, it needs the cooperation of the two East Asian countries, specifically South Korea.
With all that said, as South Koreans head to the polls next month, what will be overshadowing the election is the assassination attempt of Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader Lee Jae-myung. The DPK is a centrist-liberal party in South Korea and is one of the two major parties in the country. The other party in the country is the People Power Party (PPP), a conservative and right-leaning political organization. South Korea is under a PPP administration, as it is the party of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
While President Yoon has remained pro-US, he has been cracking down and engaging in a war against labor rights. Dozens of labor advocates are targets, and the president uses government law enforcement to raid, arrest, and charge activists. In January 2023, President Yoon used the National Intelligence Agency, South Korea's combined version of the FBI and CIA, to raid the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. Despite the attacks from the right-wing government, the labor movement in the country pushed on and scheduled numerous strikes throughout the year.
Although the country is led by two major political parties, like the US, desires for a third option are growing. Two former leaders of the two largest parties in the country are banding together to establish a third option ahead of the election. Although this is a new party, the effort does not present any ideological difference to the current system. It is likely to be another close election this year. Under Yoon's leadership, the war against labor is expected to continue, and with the budding relationship with the US to help warm up this new Cold War, we must follow the outcome of this election.
India Apr 19-Jun 4
India has a developing relationship with the United States. As the country continues to emerge as a global power, not only in the Indo-Pacific region but also globally, its influence will grow. A stronger relationship with the United States will lead to a larger American military presence in the region. Next month, the largest country by population will be casting their votes beginning Apr. 19 until early June, with the result being shared. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be seeking a third term. Modi and his far-right party, Bharatiya Janata Party, believe that India should be a Hindu nation. The Bharatiya Janata Party has ties with the Rashtriya SwayamSevak Sangh (RSS), a paramilitary organization whose member Nathuram Godse assassinated Mahatma Gandhi.
Modi has been Prime Minister since 2014, but while Chief Minister of Gujarat, his administration was complicit in the massacre of hundreds of Muslims in the 2002 Gujarat riots. During the riots, Modi was accused of condoning the violence, where officials allegedly instigated anti-Muslim attacks by not only giving a list of Muslim-owned residents and properties but also providing weapons to rioters. Modi's nationalist government has been working to suppress dissent from journalists, academics, and opposition leaders with raids and arrests.
In India's only Muslim-majority state, Jammu and Kashmir, Modi has been using the military to crack down by stripping its autonomous statehood and its constitutional status. Unelected officials run the region, and it has lost its flag, criminal code, and constitution. Chief Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud has ordered India's elections commission to hold polls this year on Sept. 30. Pakistan, the neighboring country that claims parts of this region, calls this move illegal. The conflict regarding the borders of Jammu and Kashmir was born from European colonialism. The borders that British colonizers established are still causing harm decades after the colonial reign.
Now earlier this month, India implemented a new citizenship law that excludes immigrants who are Muslim. The Citizenship Amendment Act effectively establishes a religious test where migrants of other faiths practiced in South Asia countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are allowed, but Muslims are not. Government officials deny the law is discriminatory and said it would not be used against Muslims who are already Indian citizens. The law was passed in 2019 but was not implemented until 2024, partly because an uprising ensued as a result of the passage in which 23 people were killed, according to police. India was once known as a secular nation, but the title may not remain. As the world's largest election takes place next month, the leader of a far-right Hindu nationalist party is likely to win a third term. We must keep our eyes on these elections and support the resistance on the ground working to stop fascists from remaining in power.
News from the Belly of the Beast
COVID-19 Updates
Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has devastated its legitimacy by denying science to loosen health precautions, the organization is still reporting COVID-19 is the third leading cause of death in the country. Around the country, more and more people have reported having long covid. Long COVID is a term used to describe the symptoms and changes people experience after surviving the virus. There is no cure for Long COVID, and it is showing to be a serious health condition that will have a damaging impact on the overall health of people and the larger society as a whole. The virus that has taken the world by storm is damaging the brain organs, including the one that keeps you alive, the heart. Even a mild case of covid is shown to damage your brain. A recent study showed that COVID-19 patients had a brain deficiency of 20 years. The damage from the virus is aging people's brains by about 20 years.
Some symptoms of Long Covid include:
Neurological or mental health conditions: headaches, brain fog, dizziness, difficulty thinking or concentrating, sleep challenges, loss of smell or taste,
Physiological: joint or muscle challenges
Heart symptoms or conditions: changes to heartbeat or chest pains
Digestive symptoms: diarrhea and stomach issues
2024 Elections
As the primary elections continue, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are the expected frontrunners for their parties. Unless something changes, the 2024 election will be a repeated matchup to the 2020 elections: Biden vs Trump. Unlike in typical elections, where voters will weigh the odds of an incumbent, a new candidate, or two new candidates. This election is slightly different because it will be against two people with presidential experience, essentially two incumbents. Voters know from experience about what a Biden and Trump presidency looks like.
In addition to the presidential seat, a seat on the Supreme Court may also be up for election. Although justices are appointed to their seat, they are appointed by whoever is in office, whoever wins the presidency. One justice, Clarence Thomas, has been serving for over 30 years. The average term for a Supreme Court justice is 16 years. Justice Thomas may step down to allow another conservative to be seated and serve a lifetime appointment, depending on how the election goes. In addition to the president, voters will be deciding who will be on the ballot in the general election for state and congressional seats and their local offices.
State Primaries
Since Jan. 15, states have been conducting their primary elections ahead of the general election in November. The primaries are how voters decide who will be on their ballot come the fall, with the last primary election happening on Sept. 10. Similar to the Electoral College, voters during the primary process are not voting directly for a presidential candidate but are voting for delegates who will vote for the candidate at national conventions. A potential Democratic candidate will need a majority or 1,968 delegates to secure a party nomination. On the Republican side, a possible candidate will need a majority of 1,215 delegates to secure a nominee. Although both Biden and Trump have secured the number of delegates necessary via the primary election, nothing is official until the convention, where delegates will cast their ballots. The Democratic National Convention will be held from Aug. 19-22 in Chicago, IL. The Republican National Convention will be held on Jul. 15-18 in Milwaukee, WI.
Before you head to the polls, you must know who you vote for and where they align. You should not compromise on your principles. Check out who is running in your district if you plan to vote in your state's primaries and general election.
America's Far-Right
Constitutional Convention Movement
In February, Arizona became the first state to sign onto Utah's legal attempt to force Congress to call a convention through the courts. Back in October, at the American Legislative Exchange Council's summit, conservatives convened in a session strategizing for an Article V convention to rewrite the Constitution. At the summit, David Walker, the former comptroller for the United States, discussed using the courts to push the issue through a Declaratory Judgement. States have discussed filing a collective case against Congress to bring it to the Supreme Court. Utah's state Representative, Ken Ivory, also pushed using the Supreme Court. Only time will tell if their efforts are successful.
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