The Guardian

Don’t say you weren’t warned: Trump’s new national security strategy seeks to destroy liberal democracy as we know it.

On the same day that Donald Trump received his made-to-order “peace prize” from his newest pal, Fifa president “Johnny” Infantino, his administration published an equally gaudy national security strategy. The relatively short document oozes Trump and Trumpism. (...)

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Gianni Infantino (right) presents Donald Trump with a medal and trophy at the 2026 World Cup draw ceremony in Washington, 5 December 2025. Photograph: Deccio Serrano/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

The whole section on Europe is steeped in decades of European far-right ideology and propaganda. The EU and migration policies are held responsible for “transforming the continent and creating strife, censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition, cratering birthrates, and loss of national identities and self-confidence”. (...)

These are arguments that have strong overtones of two theories regarded as foundational for contemporary far-right circles. The first is Oswald Spengler’s The Decline of the West, whose thesis on the cyclical decline of civilisations was used by the German far right to criticise the “perversion” and “weakness” of the democratic Weimar republic. The second is The Great Replacement, published in 2011, by the French novelist Renaud Camus, who translated long-existing “native” fears into a more explicit conspiracy theory, accusing European elites of using immigration to replace the rebellious “native” populations and import a more docile and dependent electorate. In the past decade, the “great replacement” conspiracy theory has become mainstream within US rightwing circles. (...)

None of this is necessarily new – think of JD Vance’s speech at the 2025 Munich Security Conference in which the vice-president launched an ideological attack on Europe’s democratic model. But perhaps now that it is published in an official document, European leaders will finally understand that “daddy” is serious. And, if the document is too long or vague for them, let me summarise it in terms that are clear and concise: the current US government believes that its national security is best served by the destruction of liberal democracy in Europe. In other words, the US is not (just) an unwilling ally, it is a willing adversary. Time to act accordingly.

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Tags: #europe #eu #european union #trump #us #united states #foreign policy #spengler #renaud camus #great replacement #far right #extreme right #russia #ukraine #putin

Villamedia

De recente aanval van Mona Keijzer op de NOS lijkt op het eerste gezicht een typisch Nederlands incident: een vicepremier die de publieke omroep beschuldigt van het doorgeven van propaganda. Wie iets verder kijkt dan Den Haag, ziet dat haar woorden geen op zichzelf staande uitglijder zijn, schrijft Peter Vandermeersch in deze opiniebijdrage. (...)

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Mona Keijzer

Het Reuters Institute verwoordt het zo: “Some of the worst threats facing journalism today come from politicians who abuse their power to intimidate, discredit or silence reporters.” Met andere woorden: de grootste bedreiging voor journalistiek komt niet langer van economische druk, sociale media of technologie, maar van politici die de macht hebben het publieke vertrouwen in journalistiek te breken. (...)

De aanval verschuift van de inhoud naar de persoon, van het artikel naar de journalist. (...)

Wanneer je deze voorbeelden naast elkaar legt, wordt de rode draad zichtbaar. Politici die zich bedreigd voelen door kritische journalistiek verschuiven hun aanval van de inhoud naar de integriteit van de journalistiek zelf. Niet: dit artikel bevat fouten, maar: deze journalist is niet te vertrouwen. Niet: deze omroep is kritisch, maar: deze omroep staat aan de verkeerde kant. De aanval gaat niet meer over feiten, maar over legitimiteit. Het gevolg is overal hetzelfde. De samenleving verliest een gedeeld fundament. Media worden niet langer gezien als bron van informatie, maar als politieke actor of zelfs als vijand.

Volgens het Reuters Institute ligt de enige echte verdediging tegen deze aanvallen niet in terughoudendheid, maar in het blijven dienen van het publiek: “The best defence against political attacks is not silence, but journalism that consistently serves the public – even when those in power try to punish it.” Dat is een opdracht, een waarschuwing en een bemoediging tegelijk.

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Tags: #nederlands #media #pers #nieuws #journalistiek #journalist #omroep #publieke omroep #politiek #bbb #mona keijzer #griekenland #slapp

Early Warning Project

(...) As outlined in the 2022 report, the risk of mass atrocities in Papua is based on structural factors—Indonesia’s history of mass violence, political exclusion, and militarization—and immediate drivers of violence, including protests, intra-Papuan divisions, and intensifying armed clashes.

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Photo of protest

Over the past three years, Papua has undergone significant changes. The Indonesian government has rapidly expanded the region’s administrative structure, increased the military presence, and revived controversial transmigration and food estate development programs. Targeted inclusion policies have accelerated the representation of Indigenous Papuans in the military and local government. Despite these developments, the broader Indigenous population remains deeply marginalized, which has fueled Papuan nationalism. Political expressions of and mobilization around pro-independence sentiment have increased—as evidenced by the steadily rising demonstrations. In response, the Indonesian government has intensified repression and expanded military deployments. Armed clashes between guerrilla fighters and Indonesian forces have continued, with separatist groups expanding their areas of operation. As a result, the number of internally displaced persons has risen sharply. (...)

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> Link to report (pdf)

Tags: #english #West Papua #West Papoea #New Guinea #indonesia #Nieuw Guinea #colonialism #papua #papoea #deforestation #indigenous people #human rights #transmigration