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President Biden’s Call with President Xi Jinping of China

Sam Bernardo
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SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thank you.  Thanks, everyone, for joining.  I just — at the top, I want to say, you know, incredibly sorry for the delay today.  We really try for this not to ever happen.  And just some scheduling and logistical challenges today put us a little bit back.  So, again, true apologies, and we know how important your time is.

So, that being said, you know, welcome to the call.  This call is on the background.  It is attributable to a “senior administration official.”  And this call is embargoed until the end of the call.

For your awareness and not for reporting, the speaker on this call is [senior administration official].  And with that, I’ll turn it over to you to give some remarks, and then we’ll take some questions.  Thanks, again, everyone.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks, [senior administration official].  And I’ll just reiterate: Everybody, thanks for your patience today.  And I’ll, with that, just get right to it.

You all have hopefully now seen the readout that has gone out.  So, just building on that with a little bit more detail for all of you, you know, the call between President Biden and President Xi this morning lasted approximately two hours.  Of course, it was conducted by a secure video link. 

I would say the conversation was direct.  It was substantive and it was detailed.  The two leaders spent the preponderance of their time discussing Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, as well as the implications of the crisis for U.S.-China relations and the international order.

President Biden shared with President Xi a detailed review of how things have developed to this point, his assessment of the situation today, and President Biden underscored his support for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis. 

     The President described our assessment of Putin’s actions and his miscalculations.  He also described the unity of the United States and its Allies and partners, the unprecedented coordination with our European, NATO, and Indo-Pacific partners, and the overwhelming global unity and condemnation of Russia — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as the support for Ukraine.

President Biden made clear the implication and consequences of China providing material support — if China were to provide material support — to Russia as it prosecutes its brutal war in Ukraine, not just for China’s relationship with the United States but for the wider world.  

And he stressed concerns, as you’ve heard us speak about more broadly, that Russia is spreading disinformation about biological weapons in Ukraine as a pretext for a false-flag operation and underscored concerns about echoing such disinformation. 

President Xi raised Taiwan.  President Biden reiterated that the United States remains committed to our one-China policy and is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiqués, and the Six Assurances.  And he underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. 

The two leaders also discussed the importance of managing competition between the two countries — between the United States and China — of addressing areas of strategic risk and maintaining open lines of communication.  And to that end, they tasked their teams to follow up on the leaders’ discussion in the days and weeks ahead.

Of course, today’s conversation followed up on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s meeting with his counterpart in Rome earlier this week in which the two agreed that the two presidents would speak — again, as both sides believe that there is no substitute for leader-to-leader engagement. 

And, as you all know, this call comes amid the intensive engagement we’ve had with allies and partners in Europe and the Indo-Pacific in recent weeks. 

And with that, I will be happy to take your questions. 

Q    Hi, [senior administration official].  Thanks for doing this.  First, I wanted to ask if President Biden warned Xi Jinping specifically about sanctions, or did he refer to more vague consequences should China provide any support for Russia in the war?  And regardless, what was Xi’s response to that?

Yeah, I appreciate that. 

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Of course.  Well, thanks, Michael.  So, you know, as I mentioned, the President described the implications, you know, if China provides material support to Russia as it prosecutes this brutal war, but I’m not going to talk — I’m not going to, sort of, publicly lay out our options from here. 

We’re going to continue to talk directly with China, as well as to our Allies and partners, about the broader situation.  And I will let the PRC characterize what Xi Jinping’s comments were.

Q    Thank you.  Do you have an assessment of whether or not China has made a decision to go down this road with Russia?

And then, second: More broadly, was there any talk of, sort of, the commercial ramifications that have happened for Russia as a result of this war, with big Western companies leaving and the prospect that that could happen to China if they were to get involved in assisting?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks, Aamer.  On your first question, I’m not going to comment on specifics at this time.

On the question about the actions — the economic responses to Russia and the private sector: Yeah, I would say, you know, the President, you know, really laid out in a lot of detail the unified response from not only, you know, governments around the world but also the private sector, to Russia’s brutal aggression in Ukraine.

And, you know, the President made clear that, you know, there would be — that there would likely be consequences for those who are — who would — who would step in to support Russia at this time.

Q    Thank you.  Can you tell me if the President expressly asked Xi — Xi Jinping — to intercede with Moscow, with Putin, to stop the war and specifically to withdraw from (inaudible)?

And did Xi offer in any way to use his influence with Putin to end the aggression?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks, Ellen.  Yeah, look, you know, the call wasn’t really — and I mean, the President really wasn’t making specific requests of China.  He was laying out his assessment of the situation, what he thinks makes sense, and the implications of certain actions.

You know, I think our view is that China will make its own decisions, and so I’d describe that as sort of the nature of the call.  And again, on any response from President Xi, you know, you’d have to talk to Beijing.

Q    Hi, everyone.  Thank you so much for doing the call.  Can you tell us if President Xi made any guarantees to President Biden that he would not help Russia?

And did the President come away from the call with a sense that President Xi is ready to condemn the invasion?  Because China’s still hasn’t done that publicly.  Did President Xi condemn the invasion in this call, or did President Biden come away with this with a sense that he will do so?  Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Yeah, look, on your first question, you know, China will make its own decisions.  And I think you probably have seen the readout that they have put out; I would refer you to that as their characterization of President Xi’s words.

You know, as I said, I think the President was — President Biden was candid and direct in discussing his assessment of the situation and, you know, what he believes would be necessary, in order to find a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.

But, you know, I think, in terms of what President Xi said, again, I’m going to leave it to the Chinese side to characterize their words.

MODERATOR:  Can we do our next question, please?

Q    Thanks so much.  And thanks for doing this.  Two questions for you.  Did President Biden get the sense that President Xi was caught off guard by the nature of the Russian invasion and how it’s gone?  And during this two-hour call, did Xi ever refer to it as an invasion?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Sorry, I was taking down notes to make sure I remember your questions.

     You know, look, on the first question: You know, I think, you know, the National Security Advisor has — has spoken publicly about our assessment of Beijing’s reaction to the invasion.  And so, I will just point you to his comments.  I don’t have them exactly in front of me, but I think he’s been on the record about this.

     You know, and in terms of how Xi referred to — you know, referred to the situation, again, I would just point you to their own words as they have characterized them.

Q    Hi, [senior administration official].  Thanks for doing the call.  Can you just share a little bit of color on whether the President felt more or less optimistic about where China st- — where President Xi stands on the issue of Ukraine after this call?

     And just a follow-up: The Chinese readout suggests that President Xi complained to President Biden about people in the U.S. sending wrong signals to Taiwan’s independence forces.  Can you detail President Biden’s response to this?  Thanks.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks so much, Patsy.  Look, I — you know, I think, as we felt with the conversation in Rome with Director Yang earlier this week and the conversation with, you know, President Xi here today, this was really about President Biden being able to lay out very clearly in substantial detail, with a lot of facts, and a lot of just — you know, really walking President Xi through the situation, making very, very clear our views, the views of others, what we have laid out in the previous months and the actions we’re taking now.

     And I think it was the — I think, from our perspective, we will — we will see what decisions China makes in the days and weeks ahead.

     And so, I think it was sort of less about coming away with a particular view out of the conversation today and more about making sure, again, that they were able to really have that direct, candid and detailed and very substantive conversation at the leader level.  And we know there really is no replacement for that. 

     So, that’s how I would think about the conversation today.

     In terms of the question about Taiwan, President Biden was very clear that our policy has not changed, that — you know, he reiterated our one-China policy based on the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Communiqués, the Six Assurances. 

     And he underscored, as well, concerns about Beijing’s coercive and provocative actions across the Taiwan Strait.  President Biden made clear that we remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. 

     And, you know, I would just remind, obviously, that President Biden himself voted for the Taiwan Relations Act, and he’s firmly committed to the principles in it, and that the Biden administration has consistently demonstrated rock-solid support for Taiwan and will continue to do so.

     But, again, you know, President Biden’s response was really about just reaffirming our continued, consistent policy — very longstanding policy — while underscoring concerns about Beijing’s coercive and provocative actions across the Strait.

MODERATOR:  Great.  Thanks, [senior administration official].  And thanks, everyone, for joining. 

     You know, again, very sorry for the delay.  You know, I know we’ll have a press briefing shortly, so hopefully, more questions can be taken there.  And then if there’s still more that you all need, we’re here to provide any sort of help that you might — you might need.

     So, just as a reminder, this call was on background, attributable to a “senior administration official.”  And the embargo on the contents of the call have now lifted. 

     So, thanks again, everyone.  Have a good day.

Source: White House

After the floods comes underinsurance: we need a better plan

Sam Bernardo
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The floods affecting Australia’s eastern seaboard are a “1 in 1,000-year event”, according to New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet. But that’s not what science, or the insurance industry, suggests.

Throughout Australia in areas prone to fires, cyclones and floods, home owners and businesses are facing escalating insurance costs as the frequency and severity of extreme weather events increase with the warming climate.

Premiums have risen sharply over the past decade as insurers count the cost of insurance claims and factor in future risks. The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, published this week, predicts global warming of 1.5℃ will lead to a fourfold increase in natural disasters.

Rising insurance premiums are creating a crisis of underinsurance in Australia.

In 2017 the federal government tasked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to investigate insurance affordability in northern Australia, where destructive storms and floods are most common. The commission delivered its final report in 2020. It found the average cost of home and contents insurance in northern Australia was almost double the rest of Australia – $2,500 compared with $1,400. The rate of non-insurance was almost double – 20% compared with 11%.

Average premiums for combined home and contents insurance, 2018–19

Average premiums for combined home and contents insurance in Australia, 2018–19

ACCC analysis of data obtained from insurers., CC BY

While the areas now experiencing their worst flooding in recorded history aren’t part of the riskiest areas identified by the insurance inquiry, the dynamics are the same.

Those not insured or underinsured will be financially devastated. Insurance premiums will rise. As a result, more people will underinsure or drop their insurance completely, compounding the social disaster that will come with the next natural disaster.

So, what do about it?

Tackling insurance affordability

There are two main ways to reduce insurance premiums.

One is to reduce global warming. Obviously this is not something Australia can achieve on its own, but it can be part of the solution.

The other is to reduce the damage caused by extreme events, by constructing more disaster-resistant buildings, or not rebuilding in high-risk areas.

The federal government, however, has put most of its eggs in a different basket, with a plan to subsidise to insurance premiums in northern Australia.

This won’t do much for those affected by the current floods. It won’t even do much to solve the insurance crisis in northern Australia.

The reinsurance pool, a blunt tool

In the 2021 budget the federal government committed A$10 billion to a cyclone and flood damage reinsurance pool, “to ensure Australians in cyclone-prone areas have access to affordable insurance”. The legislation to establish this pool is now before parliament.

The ostensible rationale is that the government can drive down insurance costs for consumers by stepping in and acting as wholesaler in the reinsurance market, in which insurers insure themselves against the risk of crippling insurance payouts.

The idea is that discounted reinsurance will lead insurers to lower their premiums.

There is no guarantee, however, that insurers will pass on their cheaper costs to customers. This means the benefits of the pool are unclear.

So are its costs. Effectively, the government is shifting risk from insurers to itself, subsidising insurance premiums for those in some parts the country from the public purse.

The ACCC inquiry gave considerable attention to the idea of a reinsurance pool. While acknowledging there could be some benefits, it concluded the risks outweigh the rewards:

We do not consider that a reinsurance pool is necessary to address availability issues in northern Australia.

Targeting and mitigating

Above and beyond the aforementioned problems, there are two telling failures of the reinsurance pool plan.

First, subsidising insurance companies doesn’t target help to those who need it most: low-income households.

There is a growing body of research showing that natural disasters, and the ways governments respond to them, is contributing to greater inequality.

As the South Australian Council of Social Service makes clear in a report published this week, improving insurance access for people on low incomes at risk from natural disaster requires targeted support, such as promoting non-profit “mutual” insurance schemes.

Second, only mitigation can bring the overall cost of natural disasters down. Ways to do this include public works (building levees, upgrading stormwater systems, conducting planned burns) and improving buildings (reinforcing garage doors, shuttering windows, managing vegetation around homes, and so on).

The ACCC’s insurance report identifies a range of ways mitigation strategies can be tied into insurance pricing. Yet none of these has been incorporated into the Morrison government’s response to the insurance crisis.

There is little support for the reinsurance pool outside of the federal government. Neither the ACCC, the insurance industry nor community sector advocacy organisations support reinsurance as a meaningful solution.

A reinsurance pool for the whole of Australia?

For the areas of NSW and Queensland now flooded, as well as the rest of the country outside the ambit of the reinsurance pool, the relentless rise in insurance costs will continue, tipping ever more homes out of the insurance safety net.

We must find better solutions to the insurance crisis than what is being offered to northern Australia. A reinsurance pool cannot be a national solution because it isn’t the solution for northern Australia.

There are no cheap and easy solutions, but the terrain is clearly mapped out across an array of inquiries and reports into insurance and climate vulnerability. More than a blanket subsidy for the insurance industry, the time has come for climate vulnerability to be taken seriously by the federal government.

Antonia Settle, Academic (McKenzie Postdoctoral Research Fellow), The University of Melbourne

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Queensland First Nations artists and organisations will share in almost $400,000 of funding

Sam Bernardo
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Indigenous arts 
Image by Tim Lin from Pixabay 


Seven First Nations artists and organisations will share in almost $400,000 of funding in the latest round of the Palaszczuk Government’s First Nations Commissioning Fund.

Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said the First Nations Commissioning Fund has supported the development of exciting new works that celebrate the stories of two of the longest continuous living cultures in the world, through authentic Indigenous arts and cultural experiences.

“This fund further develops connections for future generations, creates employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and arts workers, and enables Queenslanders to experience and engage in diverse works by First Nations artists,” Minister Enoch said. 

“The funding is investing in new works and experiences across theatre, dance, fashion, visual arts, community cultural arts, and also an innovative app by Gabba Musik who will partner with Indigilab to play local contemporary First Nations lullabies on Country.

“A multi-media dance project Milbi Ngutha-nguthangan, a new work by recipient Tamara Pearson, will bring together professional dancers and First Nations community members, story tellers, puppetry, stilt walking, and animation to interpret traditional stories of the Guugu Yimithirr people.

“Lugger Bort is an archival collection about the Lugger vessels, crewed by Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islander peoples since the mid-1860’s and will create a community-led exhibition in venues around Cairns as part of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair in 2023.”

“Importantly this investment in the commissioning of new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works  is growing a strong pipeline of work that will bring communities and visitors together in shared and enriching cultural experiences.”

Minister Enoch said the First Nations Commissioning Fund is a further demonstration of the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to Elevate First Nations arts and share and celebrate Queensland’s stories and storytellers, as key priorities of our 10-year plan, Creative Together 2020-2030, to renew and transform Queensland through creativity”.

“This latest round demonstrates the power of First Nations-led outcomes to grow economic capacity and contribute to thriving arts and cultural sector in Queensland.

“The arts are key to delivering our Government’s plan for economic recovery from COVID-19, each year contributing $8.5 billion into the state’s economy and supporting more than 92,000 jobs for Queenslanders,” Ms Enoch said.

Lucas Proudfoot, creator & performer of Proudfoot & Friends, a live stage show, animated series and innovative digital children’s project said, creating song and story for our young ones is so important.

“I cannot wait to launch Proudfoot & Friends on stages across Queensland in the very near future,” Lucas said.

“The funding will allow me to do research and development with Queensland based technology companies and attract key creative and industry personal from the arts and digital economy to the project. 

“Music-Story-Culture, it’s about Sharing & Connecting,” he said. 

For more information and Source, go to: https://www.arts.qld.gov.au/aq-funding/first-nations-commissioning-fund

Australia Unemployment rate falls to 4.0%

Sam Bernardo
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Office Workers
Image by sigre from Pixabay 


The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 4.0 per cent in February 2022, the lowest unemployment rate since August 2008, according to data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). 

Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at the ABS, said: “With employment increasing by 77,000 people and unemployment falling by 19,000, the unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage points, to 4.0 per cent.

“This is the lowest unemployment rate since August 2008 and only the third time in the history of the monthly survey when unemployment was as low as 4.0 per cent (February 2008, August 2008, February 2022).  Lower unemployment rates occurred in the series before November 1974, when the survey was quarterly.

“The 3.8 per cent unemployment rate for women was the lowest since May 1974. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for men fell to 4.2 per cent, its second-lowest level since November 2008 and just above the rate from December 2021 of 4.1 per cent.”

Employment and hours worked

Employment increased for the fourth month in a row, by around 77,000 people (0.6 per cent) in February and was around 202,000 people (1.5 per cent) higher than the pre-Delta period high of June 2021.

Seasonally adjusted hours worked rebounded in February by 8.9 per cent, following the large fall of 8.6 per cent in January, when an unseasonally high number of people were sick or on leave.

“While hours worked rebounded in February, they were still around 0.5 per cent below December, and also still slightly below (0.2 per cent) the pre-Delta period high of May 2021, reflecting a second month of impacts associated with the Omicron variant,” Mr Jarvis said.

Participation

The participation rate rose by 0.2 percentage points to 66.4 per cent, an all-time high.

“Participation rose to a new record high in February and was around 0.6 percentage points higher than the start of the pandemic,” Mr Jarvis said.

“The increase in participation continues to be particularly pronounced for women, rising 0.2 percentage points to a further record high of 62.4 per cent in February, and now 1.2 percentage points above the start of the pandemic.”

Underemployment and underutilisation

The underemployment rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 6.6 per cent. This was 2.2 percentage points lower than March 2020 (8.8 per cent) and the lowest it had been since November 2008.

The underutilisation rate, which combines the unemployment and underemployment rates, dropped 0.3 percentage points to 10.6 per cent. This was 3.4 percentage points lower than its March 2020 level (14.1 per cent) and the lowest level since October 2008.

Today’s release includes additional analysis of hours worked, including people working zero hours, and an analysis of job attachment.

Further information, including regional labour market information, will be available in the upcoming February 2022 issue of Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, due for release on Thursday 24 March 2022.

The ABS would like to thank Australians for their continued support in responding to our surveys during such a difficult time.

The Commonwealth owns the copyright in all material produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence, 

Andrews Labor Government is backing newest producers of plant-based meat

Sam Bernardo
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The Andrews Labor Government is backing a processing facility in western Victoria to become one of Australia’s
newest producers of plant-based meat, while boosting local jobs.

Australian Eatwell has created 11 full-time jobs through the project, including roles in management, maintenance,
quality control production and logistics. The company has cemented its position as a major employer in Donald,
now employing 40 full-time staff.

The project includes the installation of new equipment, including a packaging system and chiller to store vegan
meat at the site. Australian Eatwell has also expanded its staff areas and increased the number of employees
since the project was completed.

With the new production plant up and running, the company is now selling plant-based mince and sausages to
supermarkets across the country directly from Donald along with its organic tofu, vegetable burgers and soy
cheese products.

Established in 1993, Australian Eatwell has built its presence in Donald as a local manufacturer since relocating to
the town in 2003. The company is a major supplier in Australia’s $200 million vegan food industry.

The business has continued to expand in recent years, acquiring leading health food brand Simply Better Foods in
2009, and launching the world’s first chickpea tofu in October 2016.

The Regional Jobs Fund is part of the Government’s flagship $156 million Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund,
which helps businesses create more jobs in regional Victoria, supports community projects and helps councils to
build the infrastructure locals need.

The Fund is key to the Government’s almost $30 billion investment across regional and rural Victoria since 2015.
More information about the Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund is available at rdv.vic.gov.au/rjif.

Quote attributable to Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Victoria Danielle Green

Quote attributable to Minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas

Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Victoria Danielle Green today visited the Australian Eatwell’s processing
facility in Donald to see their new plant-based meat production line that has been backed by funding from the

Labor Government’s Regional Jobs Fund.

“We’re investing in towns like Donald to create jobs, grow local industries and businesses – making our regions
great places to live, work, visit and invest in.”

“Our support for Australian Eatwell is a great regional success story as we have created more jobs and boosted the
economy through supporting this business to create more locally made products.” 

Source Victoria Government

Russia’s war on Ukraine is driving up wheat prices and threatens global supplies of bread, meat and egg

Sam Bernardo
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Women in the Grocery store
Image by Architect and artist from Pixabay 

 

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Russia and Ukraine between them account for almost a quarter of the world’s wheat exports.

Russia and Ukraine are also big exporters of maize (corn), barley, and other grains that much of the world relies on to make food.

Wheat alone accounts for an estimated 20% of human calorie consumption.

The Conversation

Since the start of February, as war became more likely, the grains and oilseed price index compiled by the International Grains Council has jumped 17%.

The big drivers have been jumps of 28% in the price of wheat, 23% in the price of maize and 22% in the price of barley.

Russia and Ukraine account for one fifth of the world’s barley exports. Maize is a common substitute for wheat and barley.

Russia and Ukraine are also enormous producers of sunflower oil, between them accounting for around 70% of global exports.

Among the world’s biggest wheat importers are Egypt, along with its North African neighbours Algeria and Nigeria, one of the world’s poorest nations.

Indonesia, Turkey and the Philippines are also big importers.

Supplies from Russia might come through – and Russia is in desperate need of foreign exchange. But Ukraine’s ports are closed, transport infrastructure is disrupted and might not be working when harvest season begins in July, and barley planting would normally begin about now.

Rationing and riots have happened before

Sudden shortages and price hikes will hit poor countries and their poorest citizens hard. Low income households spend far more of their income on staples such as bread than high income households.

The effects will flow through to meat and egg prices, as cereal grains are used as feed of livestock and poultry production.

Throughout history, violence and unrest have flowed from hikes in commodity prices. Egypt was racked with bread riots and rationing in 2017. Kazakhstan suffered massive protests in January after a spike in liquefied gas prices.

Humanitarian organisations are set to face greater calls for food aid, which will be more expensive to provide.

Fortunately, the big southern hemisphere wheat producers, Australia and Argentina, have produced bumper crops.

The value of Australian wheat production is set to hit an all-time high.

But food supply chains and global stability are certain to be tested.

It will take a village to stop this war and mitigate its repercussions. The rich and powerful of the village should do all they can to hold it together.

David Ubilava, Senior Lecturer of Economics, University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

How do anti-tank missiles work – and how helpful might they be for Ukraine’s soldiers?

Sam Bernardo
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Anti-tank missile

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Ukraine’s allies have sent some 17,000 anti-tank weapons into the battlefield, in a bid to help fighters bog down the Russian offensive.

The stockpile includes at least 2,000 NLAW (Next Generation Light Antitank Weapon) missiles from the United Kingdom, 100 NLAWs from Luxembourg, and several hundred Javelin missiles from the United States and Estonia. The NLAW and Javelin are some of the most advanced man-portable anti-tank missiles available.


Both are relatively lightweight, shoulder-fired missiles which – although they won’t completely turn the tide of the war – have so far proven valuable in what is otherwise a highly asymmetrical conflict.

So how do the missiles work? And what makes them so helpful for Ukraine’s defence?

What are anti-tank missiles?

Portable anti-tank missiles are specifically designed to destroy main battle tanks, which are more heavily armoured than other types of armoured vehicles (such as armoured personnel carriers, for instance).

Main battle tanks, which Russia has deployed in large numbers, use modern and highly advanced armour technology, including “explosive reactive armour” (or ERA). In other words, the tank’s armour explodes outwards when impacted by a warhead. This is intended to divert the blast and minimise the damage caused.

However, explosive reactive armour actually isn’t much of an advantage against the modern anti-tank missiles being used by Ukrainian fighters. The NLAW and Javelin missiles are designed to hit a tank from above in a “top attack” – striking at the top of the tank’s turret where the armour is thinnest. This will either completely destroy the tank, or incapacitate the crew inside.

The missiles can also be used in “direct fire” mode against less well-armoured vehicles, such as armoured personnel carriers, buildings or even low-flying helicopters – with devastating results. This makes them a highly flexible and dangerous weapon for opposing forces.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of anti-tank missiles is their range and ease of use. They are relatively lightweight (between 10-25kg depending on the model), can be used by a single soldier and require (relatively) minimal training to handle. They are also extremely difficult to detect, due to their size and mobility.

Fire and forget

These modern missiles are fully guided “fire-and-forget” weapons, which means a soldier can immediately hide or relocate after firing. The projectile locks-on to the target and guides itself once fired.

In the case of a Javelin this is achieved using infrared technology, wherein the missile locks onto any heat signature present in the tanks.

NLAW missiles use “predictive line of sight” technology. The guidance package calculates both the distance to the target and the target’s speed (if its mobile), and guides itself to the predicted location. With this, a single soldier can snipe a tank at range.

NLAWs have a range of up to 1km, while the Javelin has a maximum effective range of up to 4.5km. Javelins are therefore much more expensive than NLAWs, with a single missile costing about US$80,000 (or A$110,000).

In the case of both the NLAW and Javelin, the warhead detonates upon impact with a hard object. A direct hit can be enough to wipe out a single tank if it impacts an area with thinner armour, such as the tank’s turret – but it generally won’t have much impact on tanks nearby.

Even a glancing blow from one of these weapons may well be enough to incapacitate a tank, if not fully destroy it. Thus, anti-tank missiles pose a significant and, crucially, difficult-to-detect threat to Russian armoured columns.

A seemingly effective strategy

Russia does not appear to be relying on man-portable anti-tank weaponry to the same extent as Ukraine.

At this stage it’s drawing on a vast arsenal of tanks and aviation assets, such as attack helicopters, for its anti-tank capability. This may be due to Ukraine carefully husbanding and protecting its limited tank arsenal.

This could change at short notice, however, as Russia does possess its own anti-tank missiles.

Reports indicate Russians have suffered heavy losses against anti-tank weaponry, to the point where we’ve seen images and videos online showing Russian soldiers putting up makeshift mesh screens and cages over their tanks, in a (futile) effort to protect themselves.

These are colloquially termed “cope cages” by various communities on the internet. Of course, they will do little to minimise the impact from a missile, but they do demonstrate that Russian soldiers are fearful of the threat the missiles present.

Unverified reports indicate there have potentially been 280 armoured vehicles destroyed by Javelin’s in Ukraine, out of 300 fired. If the reports are true, this is a remarkable strike rate.

It appears these weapons have, in part, allowed the Ukraine army to bog down and stall the Russian advance, at a significant cost to Russia.The Conversation

James Dwyer, Associate Lecturer and PhD Candidate, School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Fauci’s Criminal Covid Bombshell

Sam Bernardo
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Dictator Fauci where are you


All of a sudden, the fame-addicted Vaccine Dictator has disappeared.

Could it have something to do with the 55,000-page set of documents recently released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) revealing to the public the data Pfizer submitted to the FDA from its clinical trials in support of a COVID-19 vaccine license?.embed-container

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Where has Dr. Fauci gone? All of a sudden the fame addicted Vaccine Dictator has disappeared. Could it have something to do with the 55,000-page set of documents recently released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) revealing to the public the data Pfizer submitted to the FDA from its clinical trials in support of a COVID-19 vaccine license. A big blow to the NWO plandemic after U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman’s denied the request from the FDA to suppress the data for the next 75 years which the agency claimed was necessary, in part, because of its “limited resources.”

A 38-page report included in the documents features an Appendix titled “LIST OF ADVERSE EVENTS OF SPECIAL INTEREST,” listing 1,291 different adverse events following vaccination.

The list includes acute kidney injury, acute flaccid myelitis, anti-sperm antibody positive, brain stem embolism, brain stem thrombosis, cardiac arrest, cardiac failure, cardiac ventricular thrombosis, cardiogenic shock, central nervous system vasculitis, death neonatal, deep vein thrombosis, encephalitis brain stem,frontal lobe epilepsy, foaming at mouth, epileptic psychosis, facial paralysis, fetal distress syndrome, gastrointestinal amyloidosis, generalized tonic-clonic seizure, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, liver injury, low birth weight, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, myocarditis, pneumonia, stillbirth, tachycardia, temporal lobe epilepsy, testicular autoimmunity, and vertebral artery thrombosis among 1,246 other medical conditions following vaccination.

Maybe Dr. Fauci can crawl out of his hole and explain when he knew about the massive list of injuries that he had hoped would only be released long after he was gone.

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Queensland schools receive Dignity Vending Machine’s

Sam Bernardo
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Pads and Tampon Vending Machine
Pads and Tampon Vending Machine
Photo Queensland Government


Education Minister Grace Grace today announced Queensland schools receive a Dignity Vending Machine to provide students access to free sanitary products at school, delivering on another Palaszczuk Government election commitment. 

Minister Grace said the Palaszczuk Government was investing up to $2.5 million in a partnership with the Share the Dignity charity to provide 120 state and non-state schools across Queensland with a Dignity Vending Machine.

“It’s great to be able to share this news with schools during Queensland Women’s Week,” Ms Grace said. 

“Access to sanitary products and misplaced stigma around periods should never be barriers to learning.

“We want all students to be confident to attend school every day. Giving students access to free sanitary products can make a real difference, especially for students whose families are doing it tough, have unstable accommodation or are fleeing domestic and family violence.

“This initiative supports Share the Dignity’s aim to distribute period products to women, girls, and anyone who menstruates who needs support.

“I am delighted we had so much interest from schools, with over 200 applying.

“From that we have selected 62: 53 state, 5 Catholic, and 4 Independent schools.

“For those schools that missed out this time around, or didn’t get an EOI in, there will be another opportunity to apply for the remaining machines later this year.”

Minister Grace said the partnership with Share the Dignity wasn’t just about access to free sanitary products.

“The partnership also means that all Queensland schools have access to the Period Talk education program, which is designed to educate students in Year 5 to Year 8 about menstruation and the impact of periods,” Ms Grace said.

Harristown State High School in Toowoomba will be one of the schools participating in the program.

Principal Ken Green said he believed students would be very appreciative that Harristown SHS was among the selected schools.

“Our school is pleased to be part of this initiative which will support our students, particularly those who may be vulnerable or experiencing hardship,” Mr Green said.

Acting Deputy Principal Ms Sall’ee Ryman welcomed the announcement.

“The initiative ensures all young women are guaranteed dignity and goes a long way to removing one of the barriers in accessing education that they experience,” Ms Ryman said.

“It is also a positive step in addressing the social taboos around women’s reproductive health we have long experienced.”

Founder of Share the Dignity, Rochelle Courtenay, welcomed the announcement of the successful schools.

“Imagine a world where menstruation is not a barrier to education. I am so proud to see the installation of Dignity Vending Machines in Queensland schools to ensure students can easily access period products when they need them.

“I am also excited to be able to educate boys and girls on menstruation with Period Talk, our menstruation education program, which will help us create long term change and guide us towards a future where period is not a taboo word.”

The first eight Darling Downs/South West Queensland school to receive a machine are: 

  • Dalby State High School
  • Faith Lutheran College Plainland
  • Harristown State High School
  • Kingaroy State High School
  • Lockyer District State High School
  • Murgon State High School
  • St George State High School
  • Wilsonton State High School

Successful schools are now being contacted by the Department of Education and Share the Dignity. More information is available here.


Source: Minister for Education, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Racing
The Honourable Grace Grace Queensland Government

MSNBC Ukrainians: People Only Care Because They’re White Christians

Sam Bernardo
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Fake Media Host Joy Reid

MSNBC Race Baiter’s Hot Take On Ukrainians: People Only Care Because They’re White Christians

Every issue covered by MSNBC’s Joy Reid is filtered through her race bait tinted spectacles, and the conflict over Ukraine is no different.

In a broadcast Monday, Reid stated that more people care about what is going on in Ukraine than they usually do about crises in other foreign nations because the people there are white and Christians.

Reid cited Yemen, where Saudi Arabia, with the backing of the U.S. is essentially waging a war against Iran, resulting in horrific humanitarian consequences for the local population.

Reid suggested that people don’t care as much about that though because those people are brown.

The host stated “We should also care this much for refugees and those facing occupation and war in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, too,” adding “The coverage of Ukraine has displayed a pretty radical disparity of how human Ukrainians look and feel to Western media compared to their browner and blacker counterparts.”

Reid then aired footage of Western news agencies suggesting that what has happened in Ukraine is shocking because it is a “civilized” and “European” country.

“Hm, ‘civilized.’ Let’s face it. The world is paying attention because this is happening in Europe,” Reid proclaimed, adding “if this was happening anywhere else, would we be seeing the same outpour of support and compassion?”

She continued, “We don’t need to ask ourselves if our response would be the same if Russia unleashed their horror on a country that wasn’t white and largely Christian.”

Riiiight, opposing this war is a bit racist because the victims are white.

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“This is a teachable moment for us in the media,” Reid further asserted, adding “There is a lot of soul searching that we need to do in Western media about why some wars and lives seem to matter more than others. And why some refugees get the welcome mat, while others get the wall.”

It seems that Reid will literally throw race at anything in a sad attempt to hold onto her tiny extremist audience.

Source: Info Wars

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