The comments made in Berlin yesterday by Tony Blinken on the continuing war tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine show a dangerous detachment from reality. In stating before his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov today, “I don’t expect a breakthrough,” he is demonstrating the delusional attitude of much of the Trans-Atlantic leadership, which is willing to risk a nuclear war, rather than take President Putin’s demand for national security guarantees seriously. Lavrov will likely call his bluff — then how will Mr. Blinken respond?
Jan. 18, 2022 (EIRNS)—Participating in a panel discussion on the Views on News program of Pakistan’s public broadcasting channel, PTV World, today, Schiller Institute founder and chairwoman Helga Zepp-LaRouche delivered a concise, hard-hitting, 10-minute briefing on how to win the global fight to defeat the military-industrial-Wall Street/City of London-complex’s unipolar war drive, using the urgency of saving Afghans from death as a fulcrum to build cooperation between the strategic powers, including the United States.
The subjects of the program were Vladimir Putin’s phone call yesterday with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, during which they discussed areas for cooperation, and how PM Khan had thanked Putin for his Dec. 23 remarks rejecting the Islamophobia so prevalent in the Western world today, and Putin’s specifically attacking the cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad. Self-satisfied Americans would do well to take note of the deep anger expressed by the moderator Faisal Rehman, and two other Pakistani participants against U.S. “brow-beating” of countries around the world, with sanctions, bans, military invasions, which led one even to argue that Russia, China, and Central Asian and many other nations of the world should have nothing to do with the United States, if they want to survive.
Zepp-LaRouche’s proposal of “Operation Ibn Sina”—to make the name of Ibn Sina (Avicenna, in the West), the great Islamic philosopher and physician, who discovered how quarantines can end epidemics, synonymous with the actions required to save Afghanistan—sparked real excitement in this emotional environment. Former Pakistani Defense Minister, retired Lt. Gen. Naeem Khalid Lodhi, who was another of the speakers on the panel, responded with enthusiasm as she outlined the idea, and then thanked her for refreshing their memories about this great person, and for the proposal to give the name of Ibn Sina to saving the Afghan people. The entire Views on News program can be found here.
Jan. 18 (EIRNS)—The Jan. 17 Schiller Institute international seminar, “Injustice Anywhere Is A Threat To Justice Everywhere: Stop The Murder of Afghanistan,” advanced Helga Zepp-LaRouche’s “Operation Ibn Sina” beyond its initially targeted and already-partly-successful role in “pricking the conscience” of the trans-Atlantic world. In that world of “narratives” and “spin,” governments are presently willfully engaged in the potential “revenge starvation” of millions. But now, with the attempt by that “Adolph Eichmann of medicine,” Ezekiel Emmanuel, to decree that mass death by COVID infection, including through variants yet to be detected, is already “endemic” to the United States, there is already outraged reaction from medical personnel and their unions.
“Operation Ibn Sina” is not, and never was only applicable to Afghanistan. It is itself a form of medicine, intended to cure the epidemic of trans-Atlantic “depraved indifference” that, fortunately, has not yet spread to the whole world. “Operation Ibn Sina,” however, may be the only efficient way to prevent mass death from being prescribed for America’s and Europe’s poor, elderly, and immunocompromised, as a “regrettably necessary cost-cutting measure.” If we don’t move to save Afghanistan, and don’t join forces with Russia, China, India, and other nations to establish a World Health Platform over the course of this year, set up any accountant’s lie you like, but “send not to know for whom the bell tolls—it tolls for Thee.”
The same day as the Schiller Institute seminar, President Xi Jinping of China addressed the Davos World Economic Forum on the topic, “Forge Ahead with Confidence and Fortitude to Jointly Create a Better Post-COVID World.” Here is an excerpt from his remarks:
“We must do everything necessary to clear the shadow of the pandemic and boost economic and social recovery and development, so that the sunshine of hope may light up the future of humanity.
“The world today is undergoing major changes unseen in a century. These changes, not limited to a particular moment, event, country or region, represent the profound and sweeping changes of our times. As changes of the times combine with the once-in-a-century pandemic, the world finds itself in a new period of turbulence and transformation. How to beat the pandemic and how to build the post-COVID world? These are major issues of common concern to people around the world. They are also major, urgent questions we must give answers to.
As a Chinese saying goes, ‘The momentum of the world either flourishes or declines; the state of the world either progresses or regresses.’ The world is always developing through the movement of contradictions; without contradiction, nothing would exist. The history of humanity is a history of achieving growth by meeting various tests and of developing by overcoming various crises….
…Strong confidence and cooperation represent the only right way to defeat the pandemic. Holding each other back or shifting blame would only cause needless delay in response and distract us from the overall objective. Countries need to strengthen international cooperation against COVID-19, carry out active cooperation on research and development of medicines, jointly build multiple lines of defense against the coronavirus, and speed up efforts to build a global community of health for all. Of particular importance is to fully leverage vaccines as a powerful weapon, ensure their equitable distribution, quicken vaccination and close the global immunization gap, so as to truly safeguard people’s lives, health and livelihoods….”
Recall, also, the remarks of Anna Popova, Russian head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare—effectively Russia’s equivalent to the U.S. Surgeon General—to the December Conference of the nine Commonwealth of Independent States nations, regarding the war against the pandemic. “Considering the proximity of our states, the commonality of epidemic threats and the level of integration, one of our key tasks is to build a unified system for epidemic response and relief,” she said. At that same conference, President Vladimir Putin himself spoke about “joint scientific activities, the development of medications and preventive drugs, as well as exchanges of test kits and means of overcoming this disease.”
Dr. Joycelyn Elders proposed the issuance of a “Medical Manifesto” by the Committee for the Coincidence of Opposites at the conclusion of the Martin Luther King Day seminar, to which Helga enthusiastically agreed. The door is now open to the United States population to reclaim the General Welfare clause of the U.S. Constitution’s Preamble, and join with other nations to reverse the injustice now unfolding in Afghanistan. Lyndon LaRouche’s 2004 Martin Luther King Day remarks should be read by some, reviewed by others, and heeded by all, to discover the “open secret” as to how our lawful present descent into Hell can be reversed by a lawful re-commitment to the future of humanity, and its prosperity.
Jan. 18, 2022 (EIRNS)—Chinese President Xi Jinping’s address to the World Economic Forum on Jan. 17 challenged every tenet espoused by that Malthusian nest. His message was blunt: we are in the midst of a world crisis in which no nation can survive, nor can any individual part of the crisis be resolved, unless humanity moves forward as a whole. Xi, through multiple Chinese metaphors, argued that nations must act together to implement a “people-centered philosophy of economy,” which places “development and livelihoods front and center,” if the kind of “high-quality development” required to end the pandemic, poverty, and conflict is to be achieved.
Let Wall Street and the City of London scream “communist propaganda!” Americans who know their own history will take heart upon hearing that China’s President lectured the financier parasites on how humanity can emerge from today’s Dark Age by applying what are essentially the basic principles of Alexander Hamilton’s American System of Economics, which America’s fighting patriot, Lyndon LaRouche, advocated and advanced.
The President argued: “‘The wealth of a country is measured by the abundance of its people.’ Thanks to considerable economic growth, the Chinese people are living much better lives. Nonetheless, we are soberly aware that to meet people’s aspiration for an even better life, we still have much hard work to do in the long run. China has made it clear that we strive for more visible and substantive progress in the well-rounded development of individuals and the common prosperity of the entire population. We are working hard on all fronts to deliver this goal. The common prosperity we desire is not egalitarianism. To use an analogy, we will first make the pie bigger, and then divide it properly through reasonable institutional arrangements. As a rising tide lifts all boats, everyone will get a fair share from development, and development gains will benefit all our people in a more substantial and equitable way.”
Xi made four points. First, that cooperation is required to defeat the pandemic, which has proven protracted, with more variants and faster spreading than before, threatening people’s health and the global economy.
Second, that coordination is required “to turn the world economy from crisis to recovery…. Major economies should see the world as one community, think in a more systematic way, increase policy transparency and information sharing, and coordinate the objectives, intensity and pace of fiscal and monetary policies, so as to prevent the world economy from plummeting again.” Specifically, he warned, if the major economies “slam on the brakes” in monetary policy to fight inflation without developing “new drivers of economic growth,” global financial stability will be shaken, and “the developing countries will bear the brunt of it.”
Third: that global development requires overcoming the “development divide.” The number of poor people in the world “has increased by over 100 million. Nearly 800 million people live in hunger. Difficulties are mounting in food security, education, employment, medicine, health and other areas important to people’s livelihoods.” Not only have some developing countries fallen back into poverty and instability due to the pandemic; many in developed countries are also living through a hard time.
Fourth: That no solution can be reached for any of these problems, without discarding the “Cold War mentality” of dividing the world into blocs which polarize the world. “History has proved time and again that confrontation does not solve problems; it only invites catastrophic consequences.”
Xi focused on the dynamics of the current crisis in his opening:
“The world today is undergoing major changes unseen in a century. These changes, not limited to a particular moment, event, country or region, represent the profound and sweeping changes of our times. As changes of the times combine with the once-in-a-century pandemic, the world finds itself in a new period of turbulence and transformation. How to beat the pandemic and how to build the post-COVID world? These are major issues of common concern to people around the world. They are also major, urgent questions we must give answers to.
“As a Chinese saying goes, ‘The momentum of the world either flourishes or declines; the state of the world either progresses or regresses.’ The world is always developing through the movement of contradictions; without contradiction, nothing would exist. The history of humanity is a history of achieving growth by meeting various tests and of developing by overcoming various crises. We need to move forward by following the logic of historical progress, and develop by riding the tide of development of our times.
“Notwithstanding all vicissitudes, humanity will move on. We need to learn from comparing long history cycles, and see the change in things through the subtle and minute. We need to foster new opportunities amidst crises, open up new horizons on a shifting landscape, and pool great strength to go through difficulties and challenges….”
The full text of Xi’s speech is posted to the Foreign Ministry’s website and is available here.
While it appears in the visible realm that no accord was reached in the Russian talks with the U.S. and NATO last week, there are developments which suggest that at least some in the West realize that President Putin is serious that his demands regarding Ukraine must be addressed. Blinken is in Kiev today, Berlin tomorrow, then will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Friday. Yesterday, German Foreign Minister Baerbock met with Lavrov, as the new Scholz government in Germany is putting itself forward as a mediator. The next days will go a long way toward determining whether there is a step back from a possible nuclear World War III.
The War Hawks behind the foolish endless wars, who continue their destruction with sanctions and freezing funds belonging to the people of Afghanistan — which threaten the lives of millions due to starvation — have been engaged in a dangerous escalation against Russia. While some pundits say that Putin has made his point, and “de-escalation” will occur, the cause of the problem remains: NATO, the tool used by the neocons against Russia. The best way to de-escalate, says Helga Zepp-Larouche, is to disband NATO, and cooperate in a global financial bankruptcy reorganization.
The Schiller Institute (SI) has taken the lead in mobilizing to save the people of Afghanistan. After finally ending four decades of war, which killed tens of thousands of civilians and left the nation in chaos, the war hawks of the Trans-Atlantic region took out their anger by adopting policies to “punish” the Taliban, which in reality are killing innocent civilians. There is now a growing recognition of the evil this represents; also the possibility that collaboration among Russia, China and the U.S. can not only end the suffering, but create a basis for further collaboration. Join the SI online seminar today, “To Stop the Killing of Afghanistan”: https://schillerinstitute.com/blog/2022/01/16/live-event-stop-the-murder-of-afghanistan/
Helga Zepp-LaRouche’s description that we are “sitting on a powder keg” regarding relations between the U.S. and Russia was confirmed following the conclusion of talks Wednesday. A Russian spokesman said there is no “unifying, positive agenda” between Russia and NATO, as the West is choosing a Cold War containment strategy. A sudden outbreak of war is increasingly possible, as long as relations are defined by the imperatives of imperial geopolitics, i.e., divide the world into competing blocs, with the unipolar power of the U.S./NATO dictating terms. One flank, where cooperation is possible, is collaboration to rebuild Afghanistan. Join us, Jan. 17, at 11 AM EST, for our online seminar “To Stop the Murder in Afghanistan” (register here: https://schillerinstitute.nationbuilder.com/20220117-conference).
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” –Mark 8:36
The head of the United Nations World Food Program, American David Beasley, has fought to bring to the world’s attention the now-unfolding catastrophe in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a nation which has known nothing but war and internal conflict for more than 40 years. The rapidly worsening multiple crises in that nation–lack of food, lack of health care, lack of a sovereign national credit system, lack of production–demand immediate solutions in the next weeks, if the world wishes to avoid the unnecessary, unwarranted deaths of millions– many of them children, who have clearly offended no one. Over 20 million people are presently at risk. Geopolitical rationalizations for continuing inaction, from “taking cautious steps to not allow the Afghanistan government to exploit our good will” to “demanding that other countries step up,” will do almost as much to take the lives of the innocent, through depraved indifference, as the coming famine
Several of us have been outraged by the callous indifference expressed in the worldwide, persistent inequality of efficient distribution of medical care, not merely in the selective availability and affordability of life-saving medicines, but in the widening disparity in available basic facilities and capabilities. Whole continents, such as Africa, are stigmatized as “disease farms” because of deplorable economic conditions that are conveniently perpetuated but then never actually improved. That happened in the 1980s with HIV/AIDS, and is happening today with COVID-19. The clearly man-made Afghanistan disaster is an opportunity to reverse that syndrome. . A crucial first step would be the release of the $9.5 billion of assets of Afghanistan’s central bank, which are currently being held in the United States.
Why? That nation, familiar to the United States, Russia, China and several NATO countries, as well as the five other states that border it, has a clearly urgent, largely war-induced set of problems that could be quickly resolved, and offers a test case for how to actually uproot war, through multinational cooperation involving even real and/or imagined enemies working together for a common good. This Afghanistan initiative has been called “Operation Ibn Sina” after the great Islamic physician known for centuries as “the father of modern medicine” and who comes from that general vicinity. In contrast, it is perhaps the lack of exactly such initiatives that begin with compassion for, and cooperation with others, that has allowed COVID-19 to grow from being a relatively controllable epidemic to a pandemic, and is causing that pandemic to worsen by the hour. That would not be the first time that the vice of selfishness had doomed mankind. Historian Barbara Tuchman, in “The March of Folly,” warns us: “A phenomenon noticeable throughout history, regardless of place or period, is the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests.”
We who have devoted our lives to acting upon the conviction, so eloquently enunciated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” say that there is no injustice like famine, no crime worse than slowly snuffing out the life of a child through neglect, through depraved indifference. Though the need is equally important everywhere, the time to change “the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests,” and those of humanity, is now. The world can–must– choose one place, this Christmas season, to begin a march in the opposite direction, and prevent the slaughter of the innocent upon the altar of a geopolitical folly that would sacrifice both conscience and true self-interest for the aura of power.
Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former United States Surgeon General – On behalf on the Committee for the Coincidence of Opposites
December 23, 2021
Dr. Walter Faggett, pediatrician, Col. U.S. Army (ret.), former Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health of Washington D.C., professor of medicine Howard University
Dr. Bennett Greenspan, Founder Family Tree DNA
Ernest Johnson, President of the Louisiana NAACP, civil rights attorney
Barbara Kamara, former Associate Commissioner, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, responsible for the National Head Start Program (Carter Administration); former Director of Early Childhood Education, Washington DC, for 22 years
Dr. Khadijah Lang, pediatrician, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the National Medical Association, President of the Golden State Medical Association, the California branch of the NMA
Now is the perfect time for the people living in the Trans-Atlantic nations to come to their senses, and throw out the ideological insanity embodied in neoliberal, and neo-conservative policies. The security dialogues with Russia this week provide an opportunity to move away from geopolitical confrontation with Russia; hyperinflation, supply-chain breakdowns, and unsustainable debt expose the fallacy of radical free market/free trade policies; and winter has shown why the Green New Deal must be dumped. So let’s get to work, and organize a new paradigm, based on the body of work done by statesman and economist Lyndon LaRouche.
