Lai Xiaomin and China’s Anti-Democracy Narrative to the United States
With the execution of Lai Xiaomin of China Huarong Asset Management Co., China executed a subtle sword block and strike in the art of information war against the United States. Beijing’s leadership-level propaganda piggy-backs on decades’ long Russian intelligence narratives and memes marinating military, law enforcement, far right, and angry young men in the notion that…
US-Self-Sabotage: Energy Policy and Nord Stream 2
Bloomberg reports that Nord Stream 2 is again underway at a clip, with Russia pushing forward and Germany trying to proof the project against the Trump-led U.S. sanctions against our German NATO ally, friend, and fellow democracy. In 2014, Representative John Boehner and others argued that fast-tracked, increased U.S. LNG exports abroad would free global supplies…
China Update: Seizing Advantage from Strategic Lame Duck
Bloomberg reported that Iraq is prepared to enter a multi-billion dollar energy deal with China similar to that China made with Russia several years ago that culminated in the Siberian pipeline to China. These prepaid oil for financing deals are tools China uses to decouple its energy needs from U.S. domestic sources while gaining influence…
On Xi’s Menu: Lame Duck Divisé
Seizing the Gray: China leverages Donald Trump’s predictably divisive lame duck period at home to project itself as the responsible global leader in the world. China acted similarly when Donald Trump was in his fire and fury phase toward North Korea, later praising Kim Jong Un with no firm denuclearization commitments. Space Race: On December 1,…
Argument: Dynasties in U.S. Politics Present Security Vulnerabilities
Power families using their resources, names, and influence to repeatedly win or determine political offices can become de-facto dynasts to the detriment of U.S. national security. Much like software, firmware, or operating systems, such families are like programs running public offices with informational and other flaws that become well known and more vulnerable over time.…
Covid19 Vaccine Influence in Latin America
Followup: This note adds context to discussions of ways to meet challenges to U.S. policies reversing autocratic digital influence in Latin America. Reports: Andres Oppenheimer wrote in the Miami Herald that the Trump Administration, as recently as late July, was not planning to supply Latin America with U.S.-developed vaccines while Russia and China have entered agreements to…
The Covid-Digital Storm: Authoritarian Influence on Latin America’s Digital Demographic
Purpose: To explore the digital demographic connection to reversing Russian and Chinese subversion of democracy and liberty in Latin America. Background Before Covid19 spawned a pandemic, Russia and China had been plying influence operations and digital authoritarianism to pressure Latin America’s governments, elections, nationalists, businesses, security biases, attitudes toward democracy, and relations with the United States.…
Working Brief: Non-Exhaustive List of Russia’s Active Measures Objectives
(1) Defeat the USA, supplant it worldwide in axial partnership with China, tolerating competition with China, divvying-up future-conquests and acquisitions of influence, real estate, and or natural resources; (2) Get close to selected elites and revolutionaries in all main western parties, charm them, compromise them, then later cut their political throats via various means, while…