"Contradictions"

Translated "Avante!"article by Jorge Cadima, Member of the International Department

News is pouring in on capitalism crisis’ deepening. Protectionist trade war up to recently, currently covered under sanctions, fines and sanitary issues, is more and more open. Trump announced tariffs on all steel imports (25%) and aluminium (10%), calling upon “national security” (Washington Post, 2018.03.01). Last year, USA’s trade deficit in commodities and services was 566 thousand million dollars, “the highest since 2008”, with a record deficit concerning commodities with China of 375 thousand million (in New York Times, 2018.03.02). But China does not even figure among the ten greatest steel exporters to the USA, the list being headed by four USA allies: Canada ( 16% imports from the USA), Brazil (13%), South Korea (10%) and Mexico (9%). The announcement raised retaliation threats from Juncker, the European Commition president, among others. An escalade is predictable. Cooperation is more and more replaced by confrontation among powers that seek shuffle off over others, the crisis effects.

Italy’s elections outcome is a symptom and a factor of the crisis deepening of / within the EU. Even being contradictory, it proves a deep discontent before “austerity” policies and the Euro devastating effects.

Between 2007 and 2016 the country lost disturbing 22% of its industrial production (in Repubblica, 2016.09.23). The PD, the government party,suffered an important defeat. The Economist, the traditional City of London magazine, long before a Rothschilds property and to the Agnelli family, since 2015, (the great FIAT magnates), on the elections eve, called upon the PD vote, a government that” installed reforms within a system that currently over protects those with permanent jobs, encouraging companies to employ young people with short-term contracts” (2018.03.01). Therefore, it is not surprising that a great deal of popular votes abandoned the PD and opted for who presented radical criticism. Long ago, Italy, one of the most “Euro-enthusiasts” countries, is currently one of the most “Euro-sceptic”, half of the electorate having voted in who criticized the Euro. As elsewhere, the system parties electoralist defiances, that consider themselves as “anti-system” have very little in common with their real intentions. But the EU crisis ought to become more complex.

The Russian president Union State speech is to be highlighted, mainly for its political statements, that were not object of the media attention. Putin states that “there exists great concern on some of the passages of the [ the new USA document on nuclear strategy, announced by Trump, in February], […]. We have read what is written. And what is written is that this strategy [nuclear] ought to be performed [ just ]as an answer to an attack of conventional weapons, or even a ciber-threat”. After reaffirming that the Russian military doctrine only but previews the use of nuclear weapons in answer to a nuclear attack, Putin adds the following sentence: “ I consider my duty to announce the following. Any use of nuclear weapons against Russia or its allies, being of short, medium or any reach, ought to be considered as a nuclear attack against this country. Retaliation ought to be immediate, with all its consequences”. Whoever is distracted, or convinced that the situation of a near open conflict among the main nuclear powers is of minor importance, ought to definitely wake up.

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