World Progressives: NATO watch, Palestine, Chinese economy, Gazprom, more

I've decided to, on my own, do a "world" version of Texas Progressives on occasion. Kuff rarely reaches beyond Texas and never goes beyond US borders for stories he adds, and sometimes, I find enough good stuff to add that it overweights it.

So, let's dig in and star here:

James Dorsey reminds us that Sweden and Finland joining NATO is still not a done deal. Turkey still threatens to veto it, and part of its ask is Swedish and Finnish expulsion of followers of Fethullah Gulen. That's part of a bigger piece on talks picking up on a possible renewal of the Obama-era Iran nuclear control deal. It's worth a read on those grounds as well, on how relations between Turkey and Israel, Turkish support for Palestinians, relations between Saudis and other Gulf states with Iran and more all are interplaying. 

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Gazprom "somehow" is still still having technical difficulties with its Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Go suck it, warmongeGazprom ring Germans, including German Greens who didn't do more to get Germany using less fossil fuels. (Again, why is there so much AC use in Hamburg?)

Related to this? Every month or so, now, in Western mainstream media, you'll see the latest piece about "the Russian economy is about to collapse." The latest pieces usually say something like, "yeah, you heard this two months ago, but the Russian government and central bank have used the final arrows in their quiver so this time we mean it." Stop believing them. First, they're trading on triumphalism. Second, even if they don't say so, they're usually trading on Western governmental sources who figure that if they peddle the idea of triumphalism enough, it will come true.

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The Chinese economy is officially headed into the crapper. If China-stanner Adam Tooze (see here) is admitting that, even if only hesitantly, partially and obliquely, you KNOW it's bad. Someone break the news to Rainier Shea in the People's Republic of Humboldt County.

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Former Israeli negotiator Daniel Levy told the UN Security Council last week that the two-state solution for Israel-Palestine is dead. As Mondoweiss notes, the NYT gave space to Peter Beinart on this issue; he became a disbeliever a couple of years ago, but he went beyond just that. Without using the word, Mondoweiss said he pretty much embraced the idea that Israel has become an apartheid state. As I noted on Twitter, somebody alert the Josh Marshalls of this world, who are either still in the AIPAC camp (pretty sure Josh is still) or else still too afraid of AIPAC to speak out. I've done searches on Talking Points Memo, so it's not just his Twitter feed. Marshall, as self-touted publisher, refuses to talk about Israel-Palestine issues.

But, it's not just AIPAC. As Mondoweiss ALSO notes, J Street, which has long portrayed itself as a real alternative to AIPAC, is also, like Marshall and others, radio silent.

Thirdly, Mondoweiss notes Beinart calling out Deborah Lipstadt for meeting with Saudi officials. Has J Street done that? I presume not. I'm sure AIPAC hasn't. And, AFAIK, the Josh Marshalls of the not-so-totally-liberal Zionists haven't.

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But, apartheid South Africa isn't the same as apartheid Israel-Palestine. Another Mondoweiss piece notes a tougher slog for Palestinians, having far less leverage than Black South Africans.

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AI to find hidden swimming pools? US municipalities probably aren't rich enough to do what France is doing. Great way to find property tax cheating if appraisers don't get on site.