Nobody is in charge – World Sofa Report – Episode 23

Audio version: http://s.go.ro/jvs8vkes

The last weeks of 2021 turned out to be much more interesting than expected. Usually, around this time, most journalists are on vacation and the newsfeed is quite boring. Well, not this time.

Bloomberg published a very long analysis about the elaborate fraud scheme that is the “sustainable” indexes. They focus on Morgan Stanley Capital International, but this is a widespread phenomenon in which the market is being manipulated to redirect investment from normal business to businesses that are part of the cartel that pays the protection fee through the “sustainable” label.

In the background, “web3” emerges as a new buzzword in tech. Euronews claims to know more – and they end up writing the most falsehood-filled take on the topic.

In Chile, a leftist millennial won the presidency. He may end up not being a president for too long, but that’s the part that the press is less keen on covering. In Brazil, in the meantime, local politicians settle disputes like men: organized fights with a paying audience.

In Europe, Belgium keeps on the march to augmenting its energy crisis, Switzerland will allow anyone to change their legal “gender” through a simple statement (and every sane person should troll this into oblivion) and the Polish elites finally utter the plain truth: that the European Union is the German Fourth Reich.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to shill for the so called “5+2 talks” on the Transnistria issue, Bosnian Muslims complain that Orbán Viktor raised a legitimate concern with respect to Bosnia’s EU bid and the new Bulgarian government is now giving cash to people in order to convince them to take the clot shot.

Speaking of the shot, somewhat unexpectedly, Israel suddenly halts its so called “4th dose drive” citing security concerns. For the first time ever, a top-tier health institution in the country wants to investigate the safety of the process. The length of the study has not been announced.

Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan enters into a calmer period as the political crisis that started in the autumn of 2020 finally ends; UAE moves to a European week-end becoming the first Arab state to do so, Christmas has been permitted for the first time in Saudi Arabia and quasi-permitted in Qatar too – albeit with some crackdowns from the Ministry of Commerce.

Remember the Myanmar military dictatorship? Yeah… that was possible entirely thanks to entrenched Western corruption. France sold the technology, Britain laundered the money and the Netherlands sold the aircraft. That’s how Mywanmar’s military became efficient.

In the meantime, in New Zealand money is being raised for larger and more modern mental health facilities as the number of new patients increased 140%+ over the last year. One has to wonder what caused that 🤔

In Australia, some treehuggers are trying to block Scott Morrison’s plan to expand Australia’s energy independence. It’s not quite sure yet, but it really looks like the treehuggers are writing in idiograms.

These, and other news, are discussed thoroughly on the first episode of the World Sofa Report in 2022.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Links:

News #1 – https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-seven-day-average-covid-19-cases-up-25-cdc-director-2021-12-22/

News #2 – https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2021-what-is-esg-investing-msci-ratings-focus-on-corporate-bottom-line/

News #3 – https://apnews.com/article/elections-caribbean-donald-trump-chile-santiago-5fc78a1fe1cb26a06839e8a7b59c8730

News #4 – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/13/brazilian-politicians-in-three-round-punch-up-after-waterpark-feud

News #5 – https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/12/24/what-is-web3-is-it-the-new-phase-of-the-internet-and-why-are-elon-musk-and-jack-dorsey-aga

Music break #1 – https://www.discogs.com/release/3051200-George-Highfill-Waitin-Up

News #6 – https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/news/belgium-will-close-all-nuclear-reactors-by-2025/

News #7 – https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/swiss-allow-simple-legal-gender-transition-jan-1-2021-12-26/

News #8 – https://rmx.news/politics/there-is-no-left-and-right-only-globalists-and-patriots/

News #9 – https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/23/hungarys-pm-denounced-in-bosnia-for-anti-muslim-rhetoric

News #10 – https://www.euractiv.com/section/elections/news/poland-says-germany-wants-to-turn-eu-into-fourth-reich/

News #11 – https://www.euractiv.com/section/health-consumers/news/bulgaria-offers-cash-reward-to-boost-vaccination-rates-among-pensioners/

News #12 – https://tass.com/politics/1380919

Music break #2 – https://www.discogs.com/release/5996117-Formatia-Alpha-Fata-Din-Samos-%CE%A3%CE%B1%CE%BC%CE%B9%CF%8E%CF%84%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%83%CE%B1

News #13 – https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/somalias-president-says-pm-suspended-elections-spat-deepens

News #14 – https://www.theepochtimes.com/israel-halts-rollout-of-4th-covid-shot-opts-for-hospital-trial-to-check-efficacy-and-safety_4178494.html

News #15 – https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/12/07/uae-cuts-working-week-to-4-5-days-to-improve-work-life-balance-and-competitiveness

News #16 – https://www.khaleejtimes.com/gulf/qatar-seizes-childrens-toys-bearing-un-islamic-slogans

News #17 – https://thediplomat.com/2021/12/as-the-dust-settles-from-kyrgyzstans-election-what-next/

News #18 – https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/12/25/asia-pacific/myanmar-familiy-military-ties/

News #19 – https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3161163/japan-simulated-foreign-invasion-diaoyu-islands-east-china-sea

News #20 – https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/sustainability/scomos-21m-plan-smashed-by-federal-court-but-still-likely-to-proceed/news-story/ad02485d382ebba1ff64ac5f1b9835da

News #21 – https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/458686/christchurch-charity-raising-funds-for-new-youth-mental-health-outpatient-facility

News #22 – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/18/a-wave-of-joy-babies-born-from-worlds-first-hiv-positive-sperm-bank

The Sofa
The Sofa is the virtual representation of the editorial board of the Network