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‘Everything’s up for grabs’: Soros sees big opportunities after Covid-19 ‘endangers our civilization’

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Liberal philanthropist George Soros has pledged a billion dollars to set up a university network to fight nationalism. The enemies who hope his causes will die with him are sure to be disappointed.

‘Most important project of my life’

Whatever medical care George Soros enjoys that the rest of us mere mortals can only picture, he will probably die before the nation state dissolves into his preferred borderless melange.

The 89-year-old billionaire was likely aware of this possibility when he announced on Thursday that he will donate $1 billion to establish a global university network to promote liberal globalism, calling it “the most important project of my life.”

Speaking to the world’s elite at Davos (naturally), the Hungarian-born financier said that the Open Society University Network (OSUN) will bring together “academically excellent but politically endangered scholars” to campaign for liberalism, whatever that means.

One of the world’s most successful hedge fund managers, Soros is among the wealthiest men on Earth, with an estimated net worth of $8 billion. That’s on top of the $32 billion he’s donated to a web of NGOs, charities and political campaigns through his Open Society Foundations, basically a global influence machine, sometimes working in the open, often under a bewildering range of names.

Just because he can, does it mean he should?

Soros has a right to donate to whatever causes he likes, providing they’re legal. But what kind of world will be shaped by the cadre of liberal elites trained at OSUN institutions?

The “dictators” Soros claimed the OSUN will fight are not tin-pot warlords running failed states in Africa. They’re populists like Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose nationalism simply clashes with Soros’ world view.

In fact, he told the New York Times as much last year, saying “It’s a perfect way to tell a dictator or a would-be dictator, if he identifies me as an enemy.”

Expect to see these future liberal functionaries fighting made-up dictators at home, not real ones abroad.

Also on rt.com Soros-linked political pressure group Avaaz joins forces with MSM to purge climate skeptics from YouTube

These Soros-educated graduates will emerge as torch-bearers of their benefactor’s worldview, which far from being “endangered” — a truly bizarre assertion considering the political leanings of most university campuses — already has the backing of everyone from the New York Times, to Silicon Valley, to Hollywood.

It’s George’s world, and we are just living in it

Among Soros’ aims are liberalization of the justice system, the federalization of Europe, opposition to nationalism, and the erosion of national borders, to name but a few.

Soros will not live to see these aims fully realized, but we will. His sponsorship of progressive judges and district attorneys in the US will directly impact American lives, when citizens in their districts discover whether their ‘soft on crime’ policies bring peace, or a crime wave. Europeans will know the impact of Soros’ advocacy when they, for better or worse, see the demographics of their neighborhoods change as a consequence of mass immigration.

The most notable aspect of Soros’ late-life power games is the easy ride he gets from the establishment, despite the extent of his political meddling, which often unashamedly crosses political borders.

At a time where people are labeled treasonous for literally talking to a Russian official.

To see the extent of this hypocrisy, compare him to another politically motivated billionaire philanthropist — David Koch, who recently passed away. Koch’s death saw op-eds that described his legacy as “monstrous,” “terrifying,” and “disgraceful.” His gifts to the planet, one Guardian columnist wrote, were “death and destruction.”

Together with his brother Charles, Koch used the profits from his family’s business to fund Republican lawmakers and right-wing think tanks, promulgating his message of limited government, freedom from social responsibility, and of course, tax breaks for fat cats like himself.

Soros funded Black Lives Matter; Koch funded the Tea Party. Soros funds the liberal Center for American Progress; Koch funded the conservative Cato Institute. Soros pumped $15.9 million into lobbying Congress in just the third quarter of 2019; Koch spent $2 million in the same period. You get the picture.

When Charles Koch sponsored a scholarship program in Utah, the Guardian worried that the university was becoming a “hardline” “right-wing mouthpiece.” Soros’ own educational endeavors have been spared such criticism. His Central European University, located in his native Hungary, has been described instead as a “bastion of academic freedom and a symbol of open society.”

Koch’s network of think tanks and NGOs has been referred to as ‘the Kochtopus.’ Imagine for a moment that the mainstream media used similar imagery to refer to Soros’ influence machine. The cries of anti-Semitism would be deafening.

A call to the media

This is not a defense of the Koch brothers.

To see figures as powerful so thoroughly excoriated by the media is refreshing, and a reminder that the fourth estate is still capable of holding the elite accountable from time to time.

If anything this is a call for the media — and not just the partisan outlets — to thoroughly look at Soros in the same spirit, and ask: “Should the ideological whims of one billionaire determine the political future of entire nations?”

Because if they don’t, get ready to live out his vision, and be sure that his billions won’t just outlive him, they will outlive you as well.

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Erdogan election defeat would be ‘revenge’ – Syrian Kurds

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The YPG claims the Turkish president failing to win another term would be payback for Ankara’s counter-terrorism operations in Syria

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s defeat in this month’s presidential election would serve as “revenge” for Türkiye’s military operations in Syria, a top official of the People’s Defense Units (YPG) has said.

Salih Muslim, one of the leaders of the YPG — a Syrian militant group affiliated with the Turkish Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and designated by Ankara as a terrorist organization — said in an interview with Medya Haber Kurdish TV channel that his organization has grown frustrated with Türkiye’s counterterrorism operations ongoing in the northern part of Syria since 2016, Daily Sabah reported.

“Now, we have an opportunity in our hands,” Muslim said, stressing that the YPG is eager to see Erdogan unseated. “It’s the first time we have such a thing happening in elections.” He added that “If we can win at the ballot box, we will take all the revenge from [the defeat of] one person.”

Muslim’s statement comes as several members of the YPG and the PKK have openly expressed support for Erdogan’s main challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, as the two head into a runoff election on May 28. In the previous round, held on May 14, both candidates failed to secure an outright majority with Erdogan gaining just over 49.4% of the vote while Kilicdaroglu received 44.96%.

Kilicdaroglu has vowed to mend Ankara’s relations with NATO and revive Türkiye’s EU membership talks, which have been effectively stalled since 2016. He has also accused Russia of spreading “conspiracies” and “deep fakes” apparently referring to footage circulating online purportedly linking him to the PKK, and told Moscow to get its “hands off the Turkish state.” Russia has rejected the accusations.

Somalis cheer on Türkiye’s Erdogan to win re-election

Erdogan has repeatedly accused his rival of “colluding with terrorists” and threatening to undo Türkiye’s achievements in its war on terror. He has also blasted Kilicdaroglu for trying to “detach” the country from Russia.

Türkiye has been waging low-intensity warfare against Kurdish militias along its Syrian and Iraqi borders for four decades, in a back-and-forth campaign that has claimed the lives of over 40,000 people.

The PKK and its affiliates have been waging an insurgency since 1984 demanding political and cultural autonomy with the final goal of establishing an independent Kurdish State, laying claim to territories in southeast Türkiye and northern parts of Iraq and Syria.

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Chinese special envoy meets with Zelensky

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Li Hui visited Kiev to share Beijing’s views on a political settlement to the Ukraine crisis

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has met with China’s newly appointed special envoy for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, who traveled to Kiev to convey Beijing’s views on a diplomatic resolution to Ukraine’s conflict with Russia.

According to a statement published on Thursday by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Li held talks with Zelensky as well as the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, Andrey Yermak, Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba, and representatives from several other ministries.

Beijing said both sides had agreed that the recent phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Zelensky had outlined the direction for future relations between their two nations, which it stated should be built on mutual respect and sincerity.

During his trip, Li reiterated that Beijing is willing to serve as a peace broker to help reach a political resolution to the conflict with Russia, based on the principles outlined in a 12-point roadmap published by China in late February.

“There is no panacea in resolving the crisis. All parties need to start from themselves, accumulate mutual trust, and create conditions for ending the war and engaging in peace talks,” Li said, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s statement.

The special envoy’s two-day trip to Ukraine is the first leg of a wider European tour, during which he is expected to visit Poland, France, Germany, and Russia. Beijing has explained that the trip aims to promote communication toward “a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.”

Hungary backs Chinese plan for Ukraine

China’s peace efforts have been welcomed by Russia as well as some European nations such as Hungary, and have been praised for acknowledging the national interests of both parties.

The roadmap, however, has been criticized by some in the West. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg claimed that China lacked “credibility” as it has refused to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell insisted that “the only thing that can be called a peace plan is Zelensky’s proposal.”

The Ukrainian president has demanded that Russia must withdraw from territories that Kiev claims as its own, as well as pay war reparations and face an international tribunal. The Kremlin has dismissed the initiative, claiming it does not take into consideration “the realities on the ground,” including the new status of four former Ukrainian regions as part of Russia.

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Pakistan’s top court orders release of former PM Imran Khan

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Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ordered the release of former prime minister Imran Khan, whose arrest earlier this week triggered deadly protests across the country, Geo TV news channel has reported.

The court considered an appeal by Khan’s legal team on Thursday, ruling that the arrest of the opposition figure was illegal, according to the broadcaster.

The leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party was detained on an order from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday as soon as he arrived at a lower court in connection with a graft case against him. He has been held at a police compound in the capital, Islamabad, since then.

Khan’s spokesperson told Al Jazeera that the 70-year-old was apprehended in court before he could even appear before the judges, which was “in violation of all laws.” The PTI party claimed that it was not an arrest, but “an abduction,” and called on its supporters to take the streets.

Pakistan deploys army after Imran Khan’s arrest

Pakistan has been gripped by violent protests for the last three days, with demonstrators clashing with security forces and setting government buildings on fire in major cities across the country. The government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has deployed the military in an attempt to curb the unrest.

Some 2,500 of Khan’s supporters, including some top figures in his party, have been arrested so far. Local media have reported at least 11 protesters killed and hundreds of police officers wounded.

Numerous criminal cases have been launched against Khan since his removal from office after a no-confidence vote in April 2022. The PTI leader, who remains highly popular in the country, denies all accusations against him.

The politician claimed a year ago that he had been deposed as a result of a US-led “international conspiracy” and accused his opponents of receiving money from foreign forces.

Khan has been making active attempts to return to power since then, staging massive rallies across the country. The former premier survived an assassination attempt last November, escaping with a non-life-threatening leg wound after several bullets were fired at him.

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