Author: M Barbu

The IMF’s Bottomless Bottom-Line Cruelty

How the IMF & the World Bank—in the name of progress—succeed in keeping poor countries poor.

Everyone knows there are many extremely poor countries in the world, but people rarely talk about why. These nations are sometimes collectively called the Third World (being neither the Western First World or the Soviet-aligned Second World); the more recent euphemism is usually the “developing world.” Whatever the name, these states are imagined by most Westerners to be scary, struggling places, and they tend to take the blame for global woes like terrorism and unsanctioned migration. Some of our greatest billionaires polish their public personas by donating to charities that supposedly aid the people trapped in grinding poverty across parts of Africa, southern Asia, and Latin America.

C’est officiel : l’ONU accuse (enfin) Israël de génocide à Gaza

Un rapport historique de l’ONU qui accuse Israël de génocide à Gaza, citant la violence sexuelle systématique et la destruction ciblée des infrastructures de santé reproductive comme des outils délibérés d’extermination.

Le 22 mars, Al-Mayadeen English a détaillé les conclusions d’une commission d’enquête internationale indépendante de l’ONU sur «le recours systématique par Israël de la violence sexuelle, reproductive et d’autres formes de violence sexiste depuis le 7 octobre 2023».

Tôt ou tard, le capitalisme a besoin de la guerre

Pour survivre, le capitalisme a besoin d’une croissance continue. Quand la croissance s’arrête, le système entre en crise et les solutions traditionnelles ne sont plus suffisantes.

Le professeur de philosophie morale de l’université de Milan entre dans le débat sur la guerre et le réarmement avec une lecture très critique du capitalisme. Selon l’analyse d’Andrea Zhok, le libre marché, pour survivre, a besoin d’une croissance continue. Quand la croissance s’arrête, le système entre en crise et les solutions traditionnelles – innovation technologique, exploitation de la force de travail, expansion des marchés – ne sont plus suffisantes. Dans cette perspective, la guerre devient le dernier recours en offrant au système économique un mécanisme de destruction, de reconstruction et de contrôle social.

Federalism and the Fractured State: Can a Divided Structure Rescue Lebanon and Syria? – The Syrian Observer

As Lebanon and Syria grapple with profound political transformations and the long shadows of conflict, the notion of federalism—a once-taboo idea—is steadily reentering public discourse. But in a region where divisions often take the form of sectarian identity, the question remains: could federalism, or a deepening of cantonal structures, offer a sustainable solution for fragile, post-conflict states like Syria and Lebanon? Or might it simply institutionalize fragmentation and pave the way for a future of inter-cantonal strife?

On the Meaning of the “Third Republic”: Are There Still Secular Democrats in Syria? – The Syrian Observer

The French, deeply attached to republicanism, have divided their modern history into five distinct republics, each marked by a significant historical turning point. In our view, this tradition reflects their desire to compensate for their brief and unsuccessful attempt to restore the monarchy between 1870 and 1883—an era commonly associated with the so-called French Third Republic.

The Kremlin Sentenced a Popular Russian General to Lead a Penal Assault Detachment in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned former 58th Combined Arms Army [CAA] Commander Major General Ivan Popov to command a penal assault detachment in Ukraine — a demotion and effectively a death sentence — after Popov publicly appealed to Putin for his reinstatement to active military duty. Popov’s lawyer, Sergey Buynovsky, announced on April 9 that Popov, who has been under arrest since May 2024, signed a military service contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and will return to military service in Ukraine in exchange for the suspension of his impending criminal trial.[1] A Russian security official later revealed to Russian state business outlet Kommersant on April 9 that Popov will assume command of an unspecified “Storm Z” penal detachment operating in Ukraine.[2] Such an assignment is effectively a death sentence because the Russian military command primarily uses “Storm Z” penal detachments in suicidal frontal assaults. Popov’s assignment to command such a unit after having commanded a field army is a punishment and a severe demotion rather than a return to his military career.[3] The Kremlin ”reinstated” Popov after he published an open letter to Putin on March 20, 2025, accusing the Russian military court of subjecting him to “unfounded prosecution” and unwarranted dismissal from the Russian Armed Forces.[4] Popov appealed to Putin as his “most important commander” to “sort out the situation” and reinstate him in active military service, claiming that he is a “faithful soldier” for whom “the army is the whole meaning of life.” Popov also pledged loyalty to the Russian military and claimed that Putin is his “moral guide and role model.” Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on March 21, 2025, that Putin had been notified of the letter at the time, and Russian state media outlets later framed Popov’s reported return to the frontlines as Putin’s response to the appeal.[5] Peskov refused to comment on Popov’s intent to return to the battlefield as of April 10.[6]

Syria’s Uncertain New Order

Can Shara’s Government Unite a Country Ready to Explode?

In late March, Ahmad al-Shara, Syria’s new leader, introduced a caretaker government that would supervise the country’s transition from five decades of dictatorial rule. He gave some cabinet positions to figures outside his Islamist milieu, including naming a Christian woman minister of social affairs, a Kurdish official minister of education, a Druze minister for agriculture, and an Alawite minister for transport. Those appointments reflect the pressure Shara is under to demonstrate to Arab and Western governments—and to the Syrian people—that he can build an inclusive government that represents the country’s religious and ethnic minorities. It is a challenge made all the harder by an eruption of bloodshed in March in which fighters affiliated with Shara’s government (but not under its direction) targeted minority Alawites in the west of the country, killing hundreds.

Exclusive—Syria’s New ‘Resistance’ Takes on Israel and a US ‘Axis of Evil’

The overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may have marked a major blow to the Iran-aligned Axis of Resistance coalition, but a new group styling itself in a similar manner has emerged to challenge the interests of the United States and its feuding top Middle Eastern allies.

With post-Assad Syria now at the center of a regional struggle for influence between neighboring Israel and Turkey, the militia known as Uli al-Baas, or “the Possessors of Might,” argues it is “positioned with the Axis of Resistance against the Axis of Global Evil,” of which Washington is said to be a part due to President Donald Trump’s support for both foreign powers.

Another Country.

And other peoples’ heroes.

The scene is a middle-class dining-room in a western country in the late 1960s. A fresh-faced Child, flushed with excitement, just home from university, recounts their participation in a march against the Vietnam War.

“So what you mean” says Parent, “is that you want the Communist system set up here. You won’t be so happy when they take you away to a labour camp like they do in Vietnam.” the discussion rapidly degenerates into an exchange of insults and Child rushes out of the room.