Cervantes

Hoy es el día más hermoso de nuestra vida, querido Sancho; los obstáculos más grandes, nuestras propias indecisiones; nuestro enemigo más fuerte, el miedo al poderoso y a nosotros mismos; la cosa más fácil, equivocarnos; la más destructiva, la mentira y el egoísmo; la peor derrota, el desaliento; los defectos más peligrosos, la soberbia y el rencor; las sensaciones más gratas, la buena conciencia, el esfuerzo para ser mejores sin ser perfectos, y sobretodo, la disposición para hacer el bien y combatir la injusticia dondequiera que esté.

MIGUEL DE CERVANTES
Don Quijote de la Mancha.

28 de octubre de 2024

Is BRICS Summit the Beginning of a New World Order?

 By Marc Vandepitte

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Thirty-six countries, representing over half of the global population, gathered in Russia to discuss a new financial and economic infrastructure for the world. The potential impact could be immense in the long run.

From 22 to 24 October, 36 countries, mainly from the Global South, attended the 16th summit of the BRICS countries. UN Secretary-General António Guterres also joined this meeting. As Chinese President Xi stated, the summit aimed “to create new opportunities for the Global South.”

Changed Balance of Power

Since World War II, former colonized nations have made various attempts to establish a more equitable world order. In the 1970s, there was an attempt to create a New International Economic Order. However, these and other efforts failed due to internal divisions and, more importantly, because the geopolitical balance of power was very unfavourable. The North held various economic and diplomatic levers to keep nations in check, and when those were insufficient, the US relied on military force.

This situation has changed significantly. Over the last few decades, the economic power of the West has substantially declined. In 1990, the US and its allies accounted for 62.4% of global output. That share has currently fallen to 39.6 per cent, and this decline continues. Meanwhile, countries like China and India, and other emerging economies, are on the rise.  

Militarily, too, the West’s influence has waned. In the past 25 years, all US and allied military interventions have failed. They were forced to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan, could neither subdue Syria nor Yemen, and Libya has ended in complete chaos and failure.

At the onset of the war in Ukraine, they hoped that by providing massive military support to Kyiv and imposing severe economic sanctions on Russia, they could bring Moscow to its knees. But this also failed. CIA Director William J. Burns acknowledged,

“The United States no longer possesses undisputed supremacy”.

Much has changed. In March of this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed it this way during a visit with Vladimir Putin:

“Right now there are changes, the likes of which we haven’t seen for 100 years, and we should drive those changes together.” This was the context for the summit in Kazan.

Not a Small Club

BRICS was founded in 2006 with four original members: Brazil, Russia, India, and China. South Africa joined in 2010. The BRICS aims “to reshape the global political, economic, and financial architecture in a fair, just, and representative manner based on multilateralism and international law.” In other words, these five countries seek to establish a global governance system that is inclusive and egalitarian.

On 1 January 2024, four new states joined as full members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). At the past summit in Kazan, 13 ‘partner countries’ joined BRICS+. With at least 20 other countries expressing interest in joining, the BRICS+ group is no longer a small club. 

Currently, it represents 46 per cent of the global population and 37% of global output.[1] BRICS+ also accounts for a quarter of all goods exports and 40% of oil production. The BRICS+ GDP now surpasses that of the G7, and its industrial production is even double that of the G7.

A Multipolar World

BRICS was founded to create more cooperation between emerging economies and to counterbalance the US and its allies. The BRICS countries want to break away from the West’s dominant practices, and are striving for a multipolar world— one with a more even balance of power and greater opportunities for countries in the South.

The 2007–2011 financial crisis exposed the fragility and unreliability of the Western economic system. Vaccine nationalism during the pandemic showed the Northern countries’ unreliability in times of crisis. The same applies to the refusal of wealthy countries to take historical responsibility for climate change.

This division widened recently with the war in Ukraine. Most Southern countries have remained largely neutral, refusing to join economic sanctions against Russia. 

In addition, many countries frowned on the Russian Central Bank’s monetary reserves in the West being frozen and they were displeased when Russian banks were excluded from international payment transactions (SWIFT). If that is possible with Russia today, it may be done to any other country tomorrow. The financial trust in Western systems took a heavy hit.

The divide widened further with the West’s unconditional support of the genocide in Gaza. Western countries immediately imposed heavy sanctions on Russia following the Ukraine invasion but allowed Israel to act freely, even supplying arms or allowing their ports to ship them. For Southern countries, this application of a double standard is incomprehensible and unacceptable.

Financial Independence

One key aspect of BRICS is the pursuit of greater financial independence from Western financial systems and the dominance of the dollar.

“Every night, I ask myself why all countries must base their trade on the dollar,” said Lula in a speech for the New Development Bank, formerly the BRICS Bank.

Founded in 2015, the bank aims to promote financial independence within the BRICS countries. 

To reduce dependence on the dollar, the BRICS countries are exploring creating a reserve currency, backed for 40 per cent by gold and other natural resources and 60 per cent by a basket of member currencies. 

They are also promoting a payment and settlement platform that would link the financial markets of BRICS countries, independent of the Switzerland-based Bank for International Settlements (BIS).

Other projects include creating an independent insurance system, a rating agency separate from Western powers, and an independent interbank transaction system to compete with the US-controlled SWIFT. 

Although the dollar has not yet been dethroned and may remain the world’s reserve currency for some time, a ‘multipolar’ currency world might emerge in the coming years. This shift would reduce the South’s dependence on the dollar and limit the US’s ability to use economic sanctions as a weapon.

The measures taken at this meeting may appear small at first glance, but in the long term, they could mark the beginning of a new economic infrastructure where the West no longer holds sole dominance, allowing Southern countries to play a fully integrated role. 

In any case, the balance of power having changed, the chances that this may happen are  much more favourable now than they were fifty years ago. History will reveal whether this summit will prove to be historic.

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Birds Not Bombs: Let’s Fight for a World of Peace, Not War   

Marc Vandepitte is a member of the Network of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Humanity and was an observer during the presidential elections in Venezuela. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.

Sources

16th BRICS summit opens in Kazan, Russia

Expanding list shows BRICS’ unique appeal in ‘openness, inclusiveness, fairness and justice’

Internacional. Los BRICS, en Kazan, marcan el futuro del mundo

Elite US economist warns: dollar system is weakening as gold BRICS rise

BRICS grows, adding 13 new ‘partner countries’ at historic summit in Russia

Note

[1] World product expressed in dollar PPP (purchasing power parity). That figure takes into account price differences between countries for the same goods or services and expresses real purchasing power.

Featured image: A projection mapping show at the Kazan Kremlin. (By Ramil Sitdikov / Source: Photohost agency brics-russia2024.ru)


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Deep Atomic launches SMR for data centres

Friday, 25 October 2024

The MK60 small modular reactor design, developed specifically to provide power and cooling to data centres, has been unveiled by Deep Atomic.
Deep Atomic launches SMR for data centres
(Image: Deep Atomic)

The MK60 is a light water small modular reactor (SMR) incorporating multiple passive safety systems. Deep Atomic says it is "compact, scalable, and built on a foundation of proven technology". Each unit generates up to 60 MWe and provides an additional 60 MW of cooling capacity through its "integrated data centre-centric design approach".

The company - headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland - says the reactor is well-suited to various types of data centres, including those supporting traditional cloud services, cryptocurrency operations, and AI applications.

"Data centres are the backbone of digital innovation, but their massive energy needs have become the critical bottleneck blocking growth," said Deep Atomic founder and CEO William Theron.

The MK60 is said to offer data centre operators a scalable power solution that can be deployed in various locations, including areas with limited grid access, and can be sited closer to urban areas due to its advanced safety features.

"It's designed to be installed on-site at data centres, delivering reliable zero-carbon electricity and energy-efficient cooling, thereby significantly reducing carbon footprints, and helping data centres meet their increasingly stringent sustainability goals," Theron said.

Deep Atomic's Head of Engineering Freddy Mondale noted that many regions were struggling to provide the amounts of power that new data centres require. "Our on-site reactors bypass these grid limitations, allowing DCs (data centres) to be built in optimal locations without straining existing infrastructure."

Mondale says that a 60 MWe reactor with additional 60 MW of cooling capacity "hits a sweet spot for data centres. It's large enough to power significant compute infrastructure, yet small enough to allow for modular deployment and scaling".

He added: "The MK60 can be deployed in multiples, allowing scalability from 60 MW up to over 1 GW to meet growing energy demands."

Deep Atomic says it has already begun to engage with regulators and potential customers as it moves forward with development. The company is seeking partnerships with data centre operators and other investors "looking towards the future of sustainable digital infrastructure".

Deep Atomic's announcement of the MK60 comes on the heels of several announcements by global tech giants related to nuclear energy.

Microsoft announced in September it had signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Constellation that will see Three Mile Island unit 1 restarted. Google announced last week it had agreed to purchase energy from Kairos Power under a deal that would support the first commercial deployment of its fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature advanced small modular reactors by 2030 and aim for a fleet totalling 500 MW of capacity by 2035. The following day, Amazon announced a series of agreements that will see it taking a stake in advanced nuclear reactor developer X-energy and rolling out its Xe-100 advanced SMR initially at a project in Washington State.

Meanwhile, the head of Japanese cloud-based gaming services provider Ubitus KK has said it is planning to construct a new data centre and is specifically looking at areas with nearby nuclear power plants to provide the required power.

Fort Drum eyed as site for nuke plant

 

Sign outside Fort Drum

Sign outside Fort Drum(WWNY TV)
Published: Oct. 25, 2024 at 8:26 PM GMT-4

FORT DRUM, New York (WWNY) - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has determined a small nuclear reactor would be “the optimal option” to supply Fort Drum’s energy needs.

Governor Hochul and state officials met with Fort Drum officials and discussed the possibility of locating a “small modular reactor” on Drum when the governor visited Drum in August, 7 News learned.

If a “small modular reactor” (SMR) is successful on Drum, additional reactors might be deployed throughout the state to help New York meet its renewable energy goals.

Small modular reactors are, as their name suggests, much smaller than traditional nuclear reactors, like the ones near Oswego.

They also incorporate newer generations of nuclear technology. Proponents argue they are safer and far less costly than traditional nuclear plants.

Drum needs about 60 megawatts of power. Since a biomass plant on post which burned wood closed in 2023, Drum has been forced to draw its energy off the regular power grid, the one used by businesses and homes.

The military wants Drum to be energy independent

In a joint letter released Friday evening, congresswomen Claudia Tenney and Elise Stefanik, who both represent Drum, wrote to Secretary of The Army Christine Wormuth that “As the Army is examining installations to host SMRs, we believe that Fort Drum in Upstate New York should be the Army’s first choice.

“Placing an SMR at Fort Drum will provide secure, resilient, and independent power for the Northeast’s power projection platform and help to ensure the United States leads the global competition over nuclear energy technology,” Tenney and Stefanik wrote.

The congresswomen argue that Russia and China are working together to advance their nuclear power technology.

“The United States cannot allow the PRC and Russia to control the global supply chains for critical sources of energy and we must lead in developing and deploying advanced nuclear technology. The Army’s plan to work with industry to rapidly access and ramp up nuclear microreactor technology will put the United States on a path to win the advanced nuclear technology competition,” Tenney and Stefanik wrote.

Their letter indicates the Army is planning a “pilot program” of using small reactors and notes that “Fort Drum and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted a study which identified a small modular reactor as the optimal option to fortify Fort Drum’s secure access to energy.”

“Fort Drum also stands out as an ideal location for an SMR due to the Army’s unique ownership of the utilities and infrastructure on the installation. This ownership would simplify the deployment of an SMR, making it far easier compared to other locations where the Army does not control the utilities.

“Additionally, Fort Drum has a skilled workforce with significant experience in on-site energy generation, thanks to years of operating its biomass facility. The installation’s power demands, and the extreme temperatures of the North Country would also offer valuable data for the SMR pilot program,” Tenney and Stefanik wrote.

It wasn’t clear Friday night how soon Drum could get a nuclear plant, if it is chosen by the Army as a site.

Pensamiento Crítico. Red Continental de Solidaridad con Cuba difunde carta abierta al presidente Lula

By Resumen Latinoamericano on 26 octubre, 2024


TeleSUR, Resumen Latinoamericano, 26 de octubre de 2024.
 
En la misiva, la organización recuerda al mandatario brasileño que en noviembre de 2019, en el Encuentro Mundial Antiimperialista y de Solidaridad con Cuba y las Causas Justas realizado en La Habana, los presidentes Miguel Díaz-Canel y Nicolás Maduro impulsaron una fuerte campaña bajo la consigna «Lula Livre».
Este sábado se dio a conocer una carta de la Red Continental Latinoamericana y Caribeña de
Solidaridad con Cuba y las Causas Justas dirigida al presidente de Brasil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, que expresa su preocupación ante el veto de Brasil para impedir que la República Bolivariana de Venezuela se incorpore como socia del grupo BRICS.
La misiva lleva la firma de Norberto “Champa” Galiotti, Coordinador General de la Red.
El firmante cuestiona los argumentos ofrecidos por el presidente para vetar el ingreso de Venezuela, los cuales se basaron en el cuestionamiento de las elecciones presidenciales en la tierra de Simón Bolivar, mientras no se cuestiona la admisión de monarquías que no han efectuado elecciones presidenciales.
  
 
 
  
La organización condena la ausencia de respuesta de su gobierno ante los bloqueos de los EE.UU. hacia la nación venezolana, y los inventos de un presidente autoproclamado y otros mecanismos de claro injerencismo, con intereses rapaces y desfavorecedores para los venezolanos.
Señala que el mandatario brasileño no ha alzado su voz contra las acciones terroristas, golpistas y desestabilizadoras manifiestas en intentos de invasiones, actos políticos culturales en la frontera con Colombia con fines desestabilizadores, el robo de las reservas de oro en bancos del Reino Unido y el robo de un avión de cargas venezolano por parte de los presidentes americano y argentino.
Galiotti recomienda al mandatario no ser «continuador de la política de Michel Temer, quien junto a Mauricio Macri y Horacio Cartés impidieron que Venezuela asumiera la presidencia pro témpore del Mercosur» y dañaron gravemente esta instancia multilateral. «Todo esto a pedido del Departamento de Estado de los EE.UU.», afirma el firmante de la carta.
También increpa y alude a actos protagonizados por Lula: «¿Dónde quedó el NO AL ALCA que junto a Hugo Chavez, Néstor Kirchner y Tabaré Vázquez protagonizaron en la ciudad de Mar del Plata, Argentina, aquel 5 de noviembre de 2005?».
Para casi finalizar, la misiva cita a Florindo Moretti, viejo dirigente del Partido Comunista de Argentina: “… Si Ud. no sabe de qué lado de la lucha debe pararse, mire donde está parado su enemigo, el imperialismo. Entonces Ud. se para en la vereda de enfrente, ese es el lugar correcto”.

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