"Donald Trump has begun his 'liberation day' event announcing sweeping tariffs, saying he will sign an executive order announcing 'reciprocal tariffs on countries throughout the world'."
“''April 2, 2025 will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn,' Trump began. 'For decades our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far,' by both allies and enemies, he added."
"Real leaders aren't afraid of sharing truth bombs" - Futurist Jim Carroll
The world is in the midst of a massive shift in geopolitical alignments and global alliances.
While we all watch - often helplessly - as the future unravels at a furious pace, we see not just the big trends, but the minor acts in a play that should never be underway. Like it or not, amid the big trends, various groups and individuals suddenly often find themselves having to take a stand, plant a flag in the ground, and state their views. Which brings us to the world of sports.
Like it or not, various sports figures and leaders are suddenly in the new and challenging position of having to take a stance. This is leading to new and challenging situations - sports has found itself caught up not only in the culture wars but playing a role in global politics. This reality needs to be carefully managed - because anyone can now find themselves in a moment in which their reality unravels in an instant. That being the case, a very good friend of mine sees this disruptive reality as an opportunity, now getting more involved in the world of sports crisis communication management. I see a wonderfully bright future for him - he works in the field of PR - because there is going to be an acceleration of communication issues to deal with involving rapidly emerging sports crises!
This brings me to Jesse Marsch, an American professional soccer coach, who is now the Head Coach of the Canada men's national soccer team - and now Canada's newest national hero.
Contrast his new realituy to that of Wayne Gretzky, once Canada's favorite hockey player and a nation icon, deeply respected and admired. For. years, you could not mention his name without a touch of reverence - he seemed to be next only to Terry Fox as a leading Canadian icon.
Until he wasn't.
Those who are willing to take a stand on the right side of history are those who will go into superhero status in but an instant.
The elite powers-that-be secretly orchestrating the world towards a #OneWorldGovernment#NewWorldOrder are probably scratching their heads as the world spirals back to #Nationalism and #Independence to the point that geographical & nautical features are being renamed on various #maps. 🤣
Mehdi Hasan talks with Peter Beinart, author of the just-published Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning.
"In the book, Beinart calls on the Jewish community to abandon a long-held narrative of persecution and victimhood in the wake of Oct. 7 and Israel’s war on Gaza. He urges Jews to tell a new story, one that recognizes victims can also be victimizers."
"Beinart hopes that the Jewish community can 'challenge the moral catastrophe that has happened' while also acknowledging how 'Judaism was swallowed by ethno-nationalism.'
'If you worship states, terrible things happen,' Beinart said."
Trump’s order to halt most #ForeignAid has intensified #humanitarian crises & raised questions about the #UnitedStates’ reliability as a global leader.
In #famine-stricken #Sudan, soup kitchens that feed hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in a #WarZone have shut down.
In #Thailand, #war#refugees w/life-threatening #diseases have been turned away by hospitals & carted off on makeshift stretchers.
The directive is part of a broader freeze on #ForeignAid initiated last week. It includes the President’s Emergency Plan for #AIDS Relief, the global #health program started by George W. Bush that is credited w/saving >25M lives worldwide.
The #Trump admin had already moved to stop #PEPFAR funding from moving to #clinics, #hospitals & other organizations in low-income countries.
#Trump Halts #HIV Drug Distribution in Poor Countries
#PEPFAR’s computer systems also are being taken offline, a sign that the program may not return, as #Republican critics had hoped.
The Trump admin has instructed organizations in other countries to stop disbursing HIV #medications purchased w/ US aid, even if the drugs have already been obtained & are sitting in local clinics.
Appointments are being canceled, & patients are being turned away from clinics, acc/to people w/knowledge of the situation who feared #retribution if they spoke publicly. Many people w/ #HIV are facing abrupt interruptions to their treatment.
But most federal ofcls are also under strict orders not to communicate w/external partners, leading to confusion & anxiety, acc/to several people with knowledge of the situation.
#US ofcls have also been told to stop providing technical assistance to national ministries of #health.
“The partners we collaborate with are in shock, & they do not know what to do because their lifesaving mission & commitment has been breached,” said Asia Russell, executive director of the advocacy group Health Gap.
Interrupted #HIV treatment may also lead to the emergence of resistant strains that can spread across the world.
One study estimated that if #PEPFAR were to end, as many as 600,000 lives would be lost over the next decade in #SouthAfrica alone. And that nation relies on PEPFAR for only 20% of its HIV budget. Some poorer countries are almost entirely dependent on the program.