Dear All, With the US/Israeli aggression against Iran anything but over, the political and military situation in West Asia is changing from day to day. Now Trump announced that the blockade against Iran would be implemented worldwide. While certainly an escalation, this was quite expectable—as I talked about in an interview with Stas Krapivnik, below. Extended blockades are, of course, illegal under the Law of War, and the Law of the Sea. Even in wartimes, only blockades of ports or coastlines are accepted as part of International Law. The reason for this is quite simple: any state that takes the right to restrict trade of third-states (neutrals) with its enemies is, in essence, claiming that the high seas is its sovereign territory to which its domestic laws apply and that third states must honor such domestic requirements and comply with them. That has never worked in the past. Others have tried this, including Britain in the 17th century (there was even a huge debate about it with Hugo Grotius defending the “Mare Liberum” doctrine) and during WWI and WWII when the UK (illegally) started demanding that all vessels of neutral states apply for so called navicerts—UK issued travel and trade permissions—to transport anyone or anything on the high sea. We are not far away from this scenario when it comes to the USA. Even the Brits had to backtrack from their demands in the past. While the navicert system was in place for a few years, and previous periods have seen such regimes running for a couple of years, too, all such attempts eventually came to an end because the opposition of all other countries is just too great. Most famously, Catherine the Great even organized a so called “League of Armed Neutrality” to band together nations whose ships would be sailing under military escort to defend their rights to trade with anyone they please, since the Russians were not part of Britain’s or France’s wars of the late 18th Century. As with the Brits, the US can coerce (neutral) third-states only for so long into doing this kinda nonsense. My guess is that in this case, it will be even shorter and with even more international uproar than during previous periods. However, this shows again that we are getting closer and closer to a world-war-like state of affairs in contemporary international relations. We poor fools. Best, Pascal Slavery Vote EXPOSES West’s True Intentions | Evarist Bartolo11 Apr, 2026 Former Maltese FM Evarist Bartolo criticizes Western abstentions on a UN slavery reparations resolution, exposing ongoing colonial attitudes, economic exploitation, historical compensation to slave owners, and reluctance to return looted artifacts. He urges reparations, equitable Africa‑Europe relations, debt relief, and growing global resistance via new alliances (China, Russia). Bye-Bye US Empire: Australia and Pacific Nations Are Leaving | Vern Hughes13 Apr, 2026 Vern Hughes discusses revival of Australian armed neutrality: geographic advantages, demographic shifts, bipartisan convergence against risky US alignment, need for self-reliant defense and industrial policy, neutrality’s role in social cohesion, and regional cooperation across Asia‑Pacific as a pragmatic alternative to alliance dependence. Iran Anti-Blockade Strategy & Military Reality Defeats US Empire | Prof. S. M. Marandi14 Apr, 2026 Prof. S. M. Marandi reports Islamabad talks collapsed amid assassination threats and U.S. demands (nuclear concessions, co‑management of Hormuz). He denies Iranian mining, accuses U.S.–Israeli pressure and media lies, praises Iran’s measured reciprocity, and warns Trump’s Hormuz blockade is unworkable with worsening global economic fallout. Public Debt is a GOOD Thing. Here is why. | Carlos G. Hernández15 Apr, 2026 Carlos G. Hernández argues MMT reframes public debt and fiat money as tools: taxes give currency value, deficits enable private savings, and domestic‑currency debt is repayable. He advocates a job guarantee for full employment without inflation and proposes “fiat socialism” to secure basic needs and democratic economic planning. Israel Shocks Everyone, Destroys Jewish Scripture, Synagogue | Prof. Yakov Rabkin17 Apr, 2026 Prof. Yakov Rabkin argues Israel’s strike on a Tehran synagogue exemplifies how Zionism—rooted in European ethnic nationalism and settler‑colonialism—endangers Jews and non‑Jews, citing historical coercion of Middle Eastern Jews, normalized violence, and urging separation of Israeli statehood from Jewish identity and equal rights. Iran: From Blockade to Ground Invasion & Russia’s New War Strategy | Stas Krapivnik18 Apr, 2026 Stas Krapivnik warns the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz risks escalation into a ground invasion fueled by Israeli influence; U.S. military and missile production are overstretched. He outlines Russia/China backing for Iran, drone-driven battlefield dynamics, Europe’s vulnerability, and the danger of wider, potentially catastrophic escalation. Disclaimer: The above are AI-generated summaries. Don’t want weekly recaps? 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