A popularity rate of 28 percent, a mission to Paris that has practically gone unnoticed by the national and international press. Vice President Kamala Harris appears increasingly in trouble, also according to CNN’s detailed revelations about the former Democratic senator’s team’s frustration with her role in the White House.
So much so that President Joe Biden, who also has to deal with an all-time low popularity, just 41%, ran for cover with a statement of support for the deputy published by spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Twitter. “The vice president is not only a vital partner for Potus but also a courageous leader who has taken the lead on important challenges that our country faces: from the right to vote to the causes of migration and the strengthening of broadband”, reads the message addressed “to all those who need to listen”.
Psaki’s tweet, released last night, was relaunched today by other senior White House officials, including chief of staff, Ron Klain, to gauge how alarmed the revelations, also published the night, caused in the West Wing. last on CNN’s website, regarding complaints from Harris loyalists, who claim Biden’s deputy would not be put in a position to be successful.
Accusations to which the West Wing, the wing of the White House that houses the president’s staff offices, is answered by pointing the finger at the “dysfunctions” of the vice president’s office, which has already lost several collaborators within a few months . “Kamala Harris spent nearly a year taking on all the problems the West Wing didn’t want to take on,” is the accusation of one of the former aides of the first female vice president, and not white, with a particular reference to the fact that Harris runs the thorny dossier of migrants.
Destroying the energy and the means by which the masses and populations can assert their rights and freedoms is the most dictatorial act that can be created, especially if the population is unconscious and dozed off in a state of addiction. Quite singular is the coincidence of the illustration by the Polish artist depicting the charging socket for smartphones, which coincidentally is not standard for all mobile phones, and which despite the fact that there is now talk of creating a standard socket for all smartphones, still not an agreement is found.
Born in Harlem, he was the first African American secretary of state in the history of the United States. The family: “We have lost a husband, a father and a great American.”
Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell died today at the age of 84. According to what the family communicated on his Facebook page, the cause of death would be attributed to “complications related to Covid-19”. It is not known at the moment what kind of illness was fatal to him.
While the reactions of the White House are awaited, former Republican President George W. Bush commented on the news through an official statement, declaring himself “deeply sorry” for the loss of a figure who marked American foreign policy during the years of the presidency of he. Colin Powell was “a great public servant from the time he served as a soldier in Vietnam,” adds the Republican. “He is highly respected at home and abroad. And more importantly, Colin was a family man and friend. Laura and I send our sincere condolences to Alma and their children, ”adds the note. Bush’s words were joined by the first reactions from the world of politics and the military: «The world has lost one of the greatest leaders. He has been my mentor for years, with him I also lose an extraordinary friend, “commented Pentagon number one, Lloyd J. Austin. Among the first to express condolences was General Martin Dempsey, former US Chief of Staff, followed by Republican Senator Mitt Romney, who defined Powell as «a man of indomitable courage devoted to the cause of freedom.
He remained in office from January 2001 to January 2005, and is best remembered for his speech at the United Nations Council on February 5, 2003 in which he supported the existence of evidence – by exhibiting a vial that contained a white powder – on the possession of weapons of mass destruction by Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi regime to justify military intervention.
Speaking of the biological weapons in Iraq’s possession, Powell showed representatives of other countries, with a very theatrical gesture, a vial that contained a white powder. Powell added that Iraq could have produced about 25,000 liters of anthrax, according to UN inspectors. The speech was so dramatic and effective that even many American liberal commentators, tending to be unfavorable to the policies of the Bush administration, were influenced by it in saying that they were convinced of the reality of the danger represented by Iraq.
Anthrax had been a very real danger for a few months in previous years: after the 9/11 attacks five people died and another 17 were infected by a series of letters containing small amounts of anthrax. In the months following the February 5 speech, it was discovered that much of the information and reconstructions presented by Colin Powell to members of the Security Council were false.
There were no mobile laboratories or huge arsenals of weapons of mass destruction. Much later, in the summer of 2008, the investigation into the anthrax attacks also ended: the FBI said it had gathered enough evidence to say that the culprit was Bruce E. Ivins, a microbiologist who worked for the government. that he was not tried because he had killed himself a few weeks before the announcement. In February 2005, Powell called his speech to the United Nations Security Council – and the exposition of the arguments produced by the American and British secret services – a “stain” on his career.
Almost all wars are waged for interests, particularly political, social and geographical ones. But often there are also economic interests. The United States has always been criticated of waging war for economic gains. There is no doubt that almost all American wars have been waged to export democracy or even to suppress dictatorships. But behind these valid reasons there were also other interests, often not directly … but there were. After all, successful wars, in most cases, bring money.
The new Italian prime minister (premier) Mario Draghi
Probably most of the readers will not know Italian politics, both because it is slightly of interest at an international level and because the newspapers speak little about it. What has happened in recent weeks is quite serious: the previous government was brought down by opening a crisis in the forces of the majority of the parliament.
The causes of the fall of the government are many but the main one is that Matteo Renzi who formed his party in 2019 with many parliamentarians (but who currently has only 2% of votes in the polls) managed not to get the absolute majority to the government With you. In fact, in the first days of February, by voting for confidence in the Senate, Giuseppe Conte managed to snatch a narrow relative majority. And this could also allow to govern by avoiding resigning but it would probably have led to a stagnation in the country.
The president of the republic, who in these cases (when the minister of the council is vacant) has the maximum power and has decided to appoint Draghi, a prominent figure with a unique curriculum in the world. He was president of the bank of Italy and also president of the European central bank, directing precisely in the most crucial years, that is, after the world crisis of 2008-2009. Obviously it was not only the curriculum that motivated the choice, but also the fact that coming from a purely pro-European environment he would have reconciled agreements with the parties that had opened the crisis, despite the fact that there are many parties that do not accept this policy such as the ‘Five-Star movement’. , ‘The League’ and ‘Brothers of Italy’.
The one who is losing the most is the five-star movement, which obviously was the majority party and after having built the government twice, first with Salvini’s right and then with Zingaretti’s left, we see not only losing ministries but also to lose the consensus because many would have liked the movement to have abstained in the vote of confidence in Draghi. Consultations with the new premier were made by all parties but obviously since the primary requirement was to form the government the demands from the leaders were minimal. Beppe Grillo, leader of the 5 stars is to form a ministry for ecological transition but judging by the elected minister, few seem satisfied. In fact, one of the reasons that forced the five stars to support the new government was the risk of losing what has been done up to now. There is no doubt that the movement has done many things in these two and a half years of its term. The citizenship income, the one hundred share for the pension, the law sweeps corrupt, the abolition of the statute of limitations in the judicial reform, and also the competitions in public school.
However, what surprised everyone was the presence in the new government of the ministers of ‘Forza Italia’ (Berlusconi). Some already envisaged this because it was Berlusconi himself who included Mario Draghi at the helm of the European Central Bank. But it is obviously a return to the past, above all because the ministers inserted in the government have been part of the previous legislatures, with not exciting results. If the government lasts until the end of the mandate (i.e. 2023) it will still be a great result for Draghi’s team because almost everyone speculates that the current government will also hold up to be able to elect the president of the republic in the white semester (period in which it is not possible to dissolve your houses of parliament). I doubt that this government will revolutionize the decisions regarding the covid, but it will “limit itself” to better manage the money of the recovery plan, which certainly is coveted by many political parties. It is obvious that a worsening of infections or a delay in vaccination will not help the new government, which will be forced to make decisions based on the evolution of the epidemic. Although it is noted that this government is currently less criticized than the previous one, which in my view has worked miracles, above all by being the first country in the world to have to apply a tough lockdown. Whatever happens these last two years of legislature, I hope that the movement does not dissolve, because new dissidents are starting to emerge within the movement: not everyone agrees to support this government, which is more and more like caste and strong powers. ..
In recent days the Italian foreign minister, Luigi Di Maio, is being borbarded by criticism from all over the country. The question is very simple: the moment of conflict in the Middle Eastern countries.
Although Di Maio has been foreign minister for just 5 months, he is trying to assert his decisions but is criticized every day because the strategic importance of Libya is fundamental for Italy. Although many people speak of economic interests, especially those of Gas, it is also of fundamental importance for the balance of migration, which constantly spills illegal immigrants on the Italian coasts.
It is a painful moment for the government and for Di Maio who have to face various still unresolved issues. In fact, some measures taken are still at the starting point, such as the cut of parliamentarians, who despite the decree having been voted on in the Senate, the request for annulment has been made and in the coming months we will vote in the referendum.
Other important issues are the electoral law, which has been under discussion for a long time and on which no solution has yet been found.
In addition, the electoral law is continuously changed between proportional and majority.
The final issue on the discussion table is that of the withdrawal of motorway concessions for the Benetton family company.
The intention of the revocation began with the tragedy in Genoa with the collapse of the Morandi bridge, in which the Atlantia company had the demerit of not having carried out the right maintenance checks.
The ‘il fatto quotidiano’ (newspaper very close to the “Movimento Cinque stelle”) even criticized Di Maio insinuating that he could step down from both the role of minister and that of leader of the Movement. Although there are storms of criticism, the government does not seem to risk falling.
The government could risk falling if Salvini manages to win the regional elections in Emilia Romagna.
After the government crisis in which Italian Prime Minister Conte resigned, a new government was formed. The M5S, that in the elections of March 4 2019 was the most voted party (35%) but did not reach an absolute majority in order to govern alone, made an alliance with the Democratic party.
For many it was a political betrayal because until a few days before the M5S ruled with the right (Lega). Also for years the M5S and the PD have been insulted, especially after the Bibbiano scandals, which revealed the Democratic Party politicians in criminal cases concerning children.
The truth is that both the M5S and the PD wanted to avoid the elections because the polls gave both parties a sharp decline in favor of the Lega that have double the consensus: from 18% to 36%.
It is difficult to think that this government can last for all legislation because the parties that have joined together have very few things in common. Among the political issues of confrontation, there will almost certainly be immigration, which has been gripping the whole country for decades.
Matteo Salvini, leader of the League, was one of the few in fact to fight against illegal immigration that happens with the boats that land in the ports of the Italian coasts. This policy has led Salvini to have more enemies than friends in Italy and in Europe, where strangely a solidarity policy applies. Italy is objectively the country most penalized in illegal immigration and every year it suffers tens of thousands of landings of irregular migrants.
Despite the fact that Germany is the most hospitable to migrants, Italy is the country that hosts the most irregular immigrants.
In Germany there are precise rules and crossing German borders without documents there are very severe penalties.
Giuseppe Conte was again chosen for the new government, despite the disagreement of some members of the Left (Democratic Party). In fact, Giuseppe Conte held a diplomatic relationship with the rest of Europe during the first year of government (with the League), earning the respect of the EU and also of US President Donald Trump,who recently has expressed sympathy for him in a tweet, wishing him to lead the country.
The Italian markets and exchanges reacted quite well, except for a few days when it was thought that the agreement between the PD and M5S was not successful. Particularly when in a day of consultations among the various parties, Luigi Di Maio, leader of the M5S, raised the tone dictating the conditions of the agreement and making to fear a lacked agreement.
Regarding the government agreement, all members of the five-star movement through the Rousseau platform also expressed their opinion. Voting was definitely in favor of the agreement with 79%. The vote was however criticized by the right-wing parties, including the Lega, because they believe it is unfair that 70000 members of the M5S can decide for millions of Italians.
Although the agreement made with the PD remained the M5S as a traitor to the values of coherence and position, uniting both with the right and then with the left in the same legislature reinforces that it was a workhorse of the movement: not to be right and left but go only against the system. Many dislike the agreement because the movement was born as a party for the protest vote against the corruption of caste and politics.
Early voting was very difficult to do because a government’s 1-year duration is very short, and indeed even the President of the Republic wanted the agreement between the left and the M5S, provided, however, that the parties presented political guidelines to be implemented together.
° BLOG ° Gabriele Romano 