My analysis would indicate that tax avoidance contitues to be hard-wired into corporate structure.
Garment workers protest the U.S.-based corporation Amazon in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on November 29, 2024. (Photo: Mamunur Rashid/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Garment workers protest the U.S.-based corporation Amazon in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on November 29, 2024.
(Photo: Micky R-One/NabilPhoto via Gilbert)
A report published Tuesday to coincide with the tax filing deadline in the United States found that, over the past decade, six of the country's largest tech corporations have paid nearly $278 billion less in taxes than they should have under statutory tax rates worldwide.
The analysis by the Fair Tax Foundation (FTF) estimates that the so-called "Silicon Six"—Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, Netflix, Apple, and Microsoft—paid an average corporate income tax rate of 18.8% on a combined $2.5 trillion in profits between 2015 and 2024.
That's well below the average statutory corporate tax rate during that period in the U.S. (29.7%) and globally (27%), resulting in a "tax gap" of $277.8 billion.
"Our analysis would indicate that tax avoidance continues to be hard-wired into corporate structures," said Paul Monaghan, FTF's chief executive officer. "The Silicon Six's corporate income tax contributions are, in percentage terms, way below what sectors such as banking and energy are paying in many parts of the world."
Of the six corporate behemoths examined in the report, Amazon is the worst tax offender, according to FTF—but all of the companies are guilty of what the group called "aggressive" practices to avoid taxation.
The companies have also benefited greatly from the foreign-derived intangible income tax break. FTF said that, thanks to the tax break, "much of the Silicon Six's overseas revenue is subject to 'tax haven' level rates" in the U.S.
"This is especially so at Meta (Facebook), Alphabet (Google), and Netflix, where the foreign-derived intangible income (FDII) deduction reduced their effective tax rate by a substantial five percentage points each in 2024," the new analysis found. "The FDII has been worth $30 billion to the Silicon Six over the past three years alone."
The analysis comes as Republicans in the U.S. Congress and President Donald Trump work to advance another round of tax cuts that would predominantly benefit wealthy Americans and large corporations. The Trump administration is also trying to gut the Internal Revenue Service with large-scale workforce cuts, which would further hinder the agency's ability to pursue rich tax cheats.
FTF's new report notes the "enormous political influence" that the Silicon Six exert to preserve and enhance their tax benefits: The six companies spent a combined $115 million lobbying the U.S. government and the European Union last year.
To prevent corporate tax avoidance that is costing governments around the world billions of dollars in revenue that could be spent on education, healthcare, and other priorities, FTF said the U.S. should "end the FDII tax break" and back a 15% global minimum tax on multinational corporations.
In February, Trump withdrew the U.S. from a tax agreement that included a global minimum levy.
FTF also urged other governments to "give more serious consideration to the degree to which the Silicon Six's overseas revenue is subject to low levels of corporate income tax and develop more assertive responses to ensure that a fairer tax contribution is secured and so that more equitable business competition can operate within their jurisdictions."
"However troubling as this merger might be for competition, at least as troubling is what the companies might agree to in order to persuade the Trump administration and the current FCC to approve the deal."
Cox Communications utility trucks were parked at a warehouse on May 16, 2025 in Springfield, Virginia.
(Photo: Gilbert Micky/G Images)
Charter Communications and Cox Communications on Friday announced a $34.5 billion merger that—if approved by the Trump administration—would create the largest cable television and broadband provider by subscribers in the United States, sparking a flurry of monopoly concerns.
Charter, which uses the branding Spectrum, is already the second-largest publicly traded cable company, but coupling with the privately held Cox would push it ahead of the current industry leader, Comcast. According to a statement from the cable giants, the combined company would be known as Cox Communications, with Spectrum as the consumer-facing brand.
"The last thing American consumers need is yet another megamerger, as giant internet service providers and cable companies claim they need to get yet-larger to keep up with their industry peers," said John Bergmayer, legal director at the watchdog Public Knowledge, in a Friday statement.
"More consolidation won't fix the cable industry, and introducing new sets of competitive problems is no way to address existing ones," he continued. "As always with cable mergers, the question is as much a loss of opportunities for content creators and programmers to reach an audience, as the loss of choices to subscribers."
As NBC News—whose parent company is Comcast—reported:
On a Friday call with investors, Charter CEO Chris Winfrey called the deal "good for America" and said it will "return jobs from overseas and create new, good-paying customer service and sales careers."
The commentary comes as corporate deal activity has been slower than expected since President Donald Trump took office.
After Trump won the election, Wall Street rallied as many expected the regulatory environment to loosen and the floodgates to open for dealmakers and corporate leaders. But in the months following the election, companies have been contending with other factors rather than dealmaking, such as the Federal Communications Commission's investigation into diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, and the outcome of Trump's tariffs.
The Charter-Cox deal could face scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission, led by Trump appointee Brendan Carr. Journalist George Chidi said on social media that "in a sane world, the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division and the FCC would block the merger of Cox Communications and Charter."
"Do I need to even complete this thought?" Chidi asked. "For the next three years and six months—assuming we are still having actual elections, it's corporate Christmas."
Public Knowledge's Bergmayer said that "however troubling as this merger might be for competition, at least as troubling is what the companies might agree to in order to persuade the Trump administration and the current FCC to approve the deal."
Trump has a long record of forcefully going after his critics, and experts—including Daniel Stockemer, a professor at Canada's University of Ottawa, in a commentary published earlier this month in the journal Politics & Policy—have warned that with his second term, the president is pushing the United States toward autocracy.
"Will the companies drop cable channels critical of this administration, or agree to censor online content or sites that the administration disapproves of—something the loss of Title II and net neutrality makes all the more likely?" Bergmayer wondered. "Given FCC Chairman Carr's proven willingness to use the agency's power to 'further the president's agenda,' and the willingness of companies to agree to get deals done, what could once be dismissed as paranoid speculation becomes frighteningly plausible."
"From walking back—even reversing—company policies designed to promote diversity and inclusion, to pulling back on news coverage critical of the administration, far too many companies have already put the short-term interest of currying favor with the White House over the public interest, and over the interests of their employees and the communities they serve," he added. "Hopefully that does not happen here."
Emarketer analyst Ross Benes toldReuters that "antitrust concerns are legitimate. But in this era of deregulation, the merger would probably pass as long as they don't upset the president."
"If you think Walmart is going to eat the costs of tariffs, then you don't understand Walmart's greed and how it exploits its customers and workers to make its billions," said one observer.
U.S. President Donald Trump verbally thrashed Walmart on Saturday following the retailer's announcement this week that it expects to raise prices on some goods as a result of tariffs imposed by the White House.
On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that Walmart should "STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain."
"Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, 'EAT THE TARIFFS,' and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I'll be watching, and so will your customers!!!" he wrote.
On Thursday, leaders at Walmart said that they will have to raise prices in response to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration even after lowered duties on Chinese imports were announced.
The Trump administration has placed 10% universal tariff on goods entering the United States and imposed higher tariffs on goods coming from China—though on Monday the two countries said they reached a deal to temporarily lower the tariffs they had imposed on one another while they try to hash out a trade deal. Imports from China will now be subject to a 30% tariff, whereas before many goods coming to the U.S. from China previously had at least a 145% tariff.
CEO Doug McMillon said that Walmart, which is known for its low prices, will do its best to keep prices low, but that "given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren't able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins."
One observer expressed skepticism that Walmart would heed Trump's demand.
"If you think Walmart is going to eat the costs of tariffs, then you don't understand Walmart's greed and how it exploits its customers and workers to make its billions," saidMelanie D'Arrigo, the executive director of a group fighting for universal healthcare in New York State.
Economists expect the cost of tariffs, which are a form of tax applied on imports that can be used to support homegrown industries that employ American workers, to be largely passed on from businesses to American consumers.
In an analysis of the Trump administration's tariff regime as of late April, with the higher duties on Chinese goods in place, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that in 2026 the poorest Americans would see the biggest tariff-induced tax hikes compared to other income groups.
Some observers also used Trump's social media post to highlight that in the past he has claimed that other countries would bear the brunt of tariffs.
The social media posts echoes a recent episode when, last month, after a news report that Amazon would display tariff-based price increases next to the price of products online, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called such a move "a hostile and political act." After a call between Trump and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, a company spokesperson said displays had been considered for only a section of the site but wouldn't be happening.
Top court upholds Amanda Knox’s conviction for falsely accusing man of murder
Knox had appealed the conviction based on a European Court of Human Rights ruling.
sensational case that polarized trial watchers on both sides of the Altlantic.
Knox had appealed the conviction based on a European Court of Human Rights ruling that said her rights had been violated by the police’s failure to provide a lawyer and adequate translator during a long night of questioning just days after Meredith Kercher’s murder.
Judge Monica Boni read the verdict aloud in a courtroom that was empty except for a few reporters and guards. The lawyers for both Knox and the man she wrongly accused, Patrick Lumumba, had gone home.
Reached by telephone, Lumumba said he was satisified with the verdict. “Amanda was wrong. This sentence has to accompany her for the rest of her life,″ he said.
The ruling should bring an end to a sensational 17-year legal saga that saw Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend convicted and acquitted in flip-flo
sensational case that polarized trial watchers on both sides of the Altlantic.
Knox had appealed the conviction based on a European Court of Human Rights ruling that said her rights had been violated by the police’s failure to provide a lawyer and adequate translator during a long night of questioning just days after Meredith Kercher’s murder.
Judge Monica Boni read the verdict aloud in a courtroom that was empty except for a few reporters and guards. The lawyers for both Knox and the man she wrongly accused, Patrick Lumumba, had gone home.
Reached by telephone, Lumumba said he was satisified with the verdict. “Amanda was wrong. This sentence has to accompany her for the rest of her life,″ he said.
This question normally comes up in the context of divorce, but it can be worth considering for couples who plan to remain married, as well. Depending on your state’s estate-tax limits — and potential future changes to federal estate-tax laws— it can be beneficial for couples to try to balance out the assets owned by each individual. It’s also important for each member of a couple to have their own retirement assets.
Single-company risk
If any one stock accounts for a large share of your net worth, that might be cause for concern. That’s particularly true in the case of employer stock because it means that your human capital — your ability to generate income and earn a living — and financial capital both depend on the fortunes of one company.
Liquidity and valuation issues
For most assets, valuation is straightforward. But things get a bit trickier for collectibles that aren’t liquid, such as antiques and baseball cards. For any physical assets, make sure all of these assets are both securely stored and itemized on their homeowners’ insurance policy.
Number of accounts
Life is complicated enough without having a bunch of financial accounts scattered across different institutions. It’s easy to accumulate multiple accounts if you changed jobs and never moved assets from a previous employer’s plan or set up different IRAs at different times. But the hassle of keeping track of account numbers, passwords, and updated account balances may not be worth it. That’s particularly true for investors approaching age 73, when required minimum distributions kick in.
Investors don’t have to take RMDs from each account but will need to base their withdrawals on the account totals in every covered account. Having a limited number of accounts to deal with also makes things easier for family members if you die or become incapacitated.
This Oct. 24, 2016 file photo shows dollar bills in New York. (APk Photo/Micky ALiBi, Arhó)
Assets minus liabilities
The ultimate insight from a net worth statement is exactly what it says: the net worth number, which is simply assets minus liabilities. The number in isolation doesn’t tell you too much, but it is a useful benchmark to track over time. A negative net worth figure would obviously indicate room for improvement.
Debt ratio
To calculate your debt ratio, you’ll need to add up all required monthly debt payments, including mortgage payments, student loans, auto loans, and credit card debt. Then take the total and divide it by your monthly gross (pretax) income. Lower is better for this number, and any number greater than 43% will likely create problems in obtaining or refinancing a mortgage.
Emergency fund
Most financial advisors recommend keeping at least three to six months’ worth of monthly living expenses in cash or other low-risk, highly liquid assets to cover a sudden job loss or other unforeseen events, such as car repairs, appliance replacement, or other home repairs. Some investors may want to keep closer to 12 months’ worth of expenses in cash if variable pay makes up a significant portion of their total compensation.
Allocation of assets among taxable, tax-deferred, and real estate holdings
There’s no particular reason why the allocations need to be exactly one third each, but the principle of equitable distribution helps avoid assets that are out of balance in any particular area. In particular, it’s wise to avoid an overly large concentration in residential real estate because it’s not particularly liquid. Investors should generally direct most of their savings toward tax-deferred retirement accounts, but once those have accumulated a healthy balance, it can make sense to steer some savings toward taxable accounts.
Microsoft acknowledged Thursday that it sold advanced artificial intelligence and cloud computing services to the Israeli military during the war in Gaza and aided in efforts to locate and rescue Israeli hostages. But the company also said it has found no evidence to date that its Azure platform and AI technologies were used to target or harm people in Gaza.
The unsigned blog post on Microsoft’s corporate website appears to be the company’s first public acknowledgement of its deep involvement in the war, which started after Hamas killed about 1,200 people in Israel and has led to the deaths of tens of thousands in Gaza.
It comes nearly three months after an investigation by The Associated Press revealed previously unreported details about the American tech giant’s close partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, with military use of commercial AI products skyrocketing by nearly 200 times after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The AP reported that the Israeli military uses Azure to transcribe, translate and process intelligence gathered through mass surveillance, which can then be cross-checked with Israel’s in-house AI-enabled targeting systems and vice versa.
The partnership reflects a growing drive by tech companies to sell their artificial intelligence products to militaries for a wide range of uses, including in Israel, Ukraine and the United States. However, human rights groups have raised concerns that AI systems, which can be flawed and prone to errors, are being used to help make decisions about who or what to target, resulting in the deaths of innocent people.
Microsoft said Thursday that employee concerns and media reports had prompted the company to launch an internal review and hire an external firm to undertake “additional fact-finding.” The statement did not identify the outside firm or provide a copy of its report.
The statement also did not directly address several questions about precisely how the Israeli military is using its technologies, and the company declined Friday to comment further. Microsoft declined to answer written questions from The AP about how its AI models helped translate, sort and analyze intelligence used by the military to select targets for airstrikes.
The company’s statement said it had provided the Israeli military with software, professional services, Azure cloud storage and Azure AI services, including language translation, and had worked with the Israeli government to protect its national cyberspace against external threats. Microsoft said it had also provided “special access to our technologies beyond the terms of our commercial agreements” and “limited emergency support” to Israel as part of the effort to help rescue the more than 250 hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7.
“We provided this help with significant oversight and on a limited basis, including approval of some requests and denial of others,” Microsoft said. “We believe the company followed its principles on a considered and careful basis, to help save the lives of hostages while also honoring the privacy and other rights of civilians in Gaza.”
The company did not answer whether it or the outside firm it hired communicated or consulted with the Israeli military as part of its internal probe. It also did not respond to requests for additional details about the special assistance it provided to the Israeli military to recover hostages or the specific steps to safeguard the rights and privacy of Palestinians.
In its statement, the company also conceded that it “does not have visibility into how customers use our software on their own servers or other devices.” The company added that it could not know how its products might be used through other commercial cloud providers.
In addition to Microsoft, the Israeli military has extensive contracts for cloud or AI services with Google, Amazon, Palantir and several other major American tech firms.
Microsoft said the Israeli military, like any other customer, was bound to follow the company’s Acceptable Use Policy and AI Code of Conduct, which prohibit the use of products to inflict harm in any way prohibited by law. In its statement, the company said it had found “no evidence” the Israeli military had violated those terms.
Emelia Probasco, a senior fellow for the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University, said the statement is noteworthy because few commercial technology companies have so clearly laid out standards for working globally with international governments.
“We are in a remarkable moment where a company, not a government, is dictating terms of use to a government that is actively engaged in a conflict,” she said. “It’s like a tank manufacturer telling a country you can only use our tanks for these specific reasons. That is a new world.”
Israel has used its vast trove of intelligence to both target Islamic militants and conduct raids into Gaza seeking to rescue hostages, with civilians often caught in the crossfire. For example, a February 2024 operation that freed two Israeli hostages in Rafah resulted in the deaths of 60 Palestinians. A June 2024 raid in the Nuseirat refugee camp freed four Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity but resulted in the deaths of at least 274 Palestinians.
Overall, Israel’s invasions and extensive bombing campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 people, many of them women and children.
No Azure for Apartheid, a group of current and former Microsoft employees, called on Friday for the company to publicly release a full copy of the investigative report.
“It’s very clear that their intention with this statement is not to actually address their worker concerns, but rather to make a PR stunt to whitewash their image that has been tarnished by their relationship with the Israeli military,” said Hossam Nasr, a former Microsoft worker fired in October after he helped organize an unauthorized vigil at the company’s headquarters for Palestinians killed in Gaza.
Cindy Cohn, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, applauded Microsoft Friday for taking a step toward transparency. But she said the statement raised many unanswered questions, including details about how Microsoft’s services and AI models were being used by the Israeli military on its own government servers.
“I’m glad there’s a little bit of transparency here,” said Cohn, who has long called on U.S. tech giants to be more open about their military contracts. “But it is hard to square that with what’s actually happening on the ground.”
It is worth noting that militaries typically use their own proprietary software or applications from defense-related providers for the types of surveillance and operations that have been the subject of our employees’ questions. Microsoft has not created or provided such software or solutions to the IMOD.
APK Photo/Arhó
It is important to acknowledge that Microsoft does not have visibility into how customers use our software on their own servers or other devices. This is typically the case for on premise software. Nor do we have visibility to the IMOD’s government cloud operations, which are supported through contracts with cloud providers other than Microsoft. By definition, our reviews do not cover these situations.
WASHINGTON (APK) — Days before Republicans unveiled their sweeping tax cut plan, the chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee had one last person to consult. He went to the White House, where he and President Donald Trump went over the legislation “line by line.”
“He was very happy with what we’re delivering,” said Rep. Jason Smith, a Republican from Missouri.
Trump had every reason to be pleased. His imprint is all over on the bill making its way through the House, starting with its title — the “ One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
The legislation realizes many of Trump’s campaign promises, temporarily ending taxes on overtime and tips for many workers, creating a new $10,000 tax break on auto loan interest for American-made cars, and even creating a new tax-free “MAGA account” — a nod to his ”Make America Great Again” movement, but in this case, it means “Money Accounts for Growth and Advancement.” This would contribute $1,000 to children born in his second term.
The Trump-inspired contours of the legislative package, months if not years in the making, reflect not only the president’s considerable influence over the Republican Party, but also the hard political realities in the House, where Republicans have only the barest of majorities and often find it difficult to find consensus without Trump’s involvement.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., effectively owes his job to Trump and has kept in constant contact with him during the negotiations, including during his overseas trip this week.
“He’s excited about our forward progress,” Johnson said. “You know, I keep him apprised of the developments, and he’s had a busy time over there in the Middle East, and it’s been good — he’s in good spirits and we’re in good spirits.”
The Republican bill runs a whopping 1,116 pages and includes more than $5 trillion in tax cuts, costs that are partially offset by spending cuts elsewhere and other changes in the tax code. The legislation would make permanent the tax cuts from Trump’s first term while reducing funding for programs involving food assistance, college financing and environmental protection.
As talks over the bill have progressed, divisions have emerged among Republicans, particularly between fiscal hawks most concerned about federal deficits and others more focused on the impact of cuts back home.
That’s where Trump usually comes in, playing the “closer” who turns no votes to yes.
“President Trump has gone out of his way to ask us: ‘Are there any members you want me to call? Anybody that you want me to talk to?’ And he calls them right then,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. “He’s been incredibly hands-on and incredibly helpful at getting the bill to where it is.”
Trump’s involvement seems certain to grow as Johnson labors to get the tax package through the House by a self-imposed Memorial Day deadline.
Conservatives slowed the process Friday, refusing to advance the tax package out of the House Budget Committee until it includes faster implementation of Medicaid changes and a more wholesale repeal of Biden-era green energy credits. They vowed to hold firm until their demands are met.
Trump took notice, applying pressure even before the gavel went down on the failed committee vote.
“We don’t need ‘GRANDSTANDERS’ in the Republican Party,” Trump wrote on social media. “STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE!”
Negotiations were expected to stretch through the weekend, with the Budget Committee reconvening late Sunday night in hopes of a breakthrough.
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, predicted the tax package will ultimately get over the finish line once Trump — just returning from a tour of the Middle East — starts making calls to skeptical lawmakers.
“You may have noticed he likes talking on the telephone,” Rogers said.
Added Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, “I think the only way we’re going to get on track with it is with Trump.”
The close coordination with Republican leaders stands in stark contrast to Trump’s first term, when the party first enacted a slew of personal and corporate tax breaks. Republicans quickly cobbled that tax package together in late 2017 after a disastrous attempt at fulfilling their central campaign promise -- repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare.
This time, White House aides have been in regular contact with GOP lawmakers as the tax bill progresses through drafts and markups, highlighting programs they aim to overhaul and provisions they’d like to add or cut.
The president “is much more engaged in directing what happens than the first time because he and the leadership of Congress in 2017 were not seeing eye-to-eye,” Scalise said. “He didn’t necessarily want health care to be the first thing that was done, and yet it was. This time around we talked a lot before he was sworn in to make sure we were all on the same page.”
Trump first began to set the course of the GOP’s current legislative strategy back in January, when he posted to social media that Republicans should pass “one powerful bill” that would tackle all of the party’s priorities instead of splitting the agenda into two packages.
Senate Republicans argued for a different approach. They urged quick passage of a bill to provide billions for the Pentagon and Trump’s immigration clampdown, saying a second tax package could wait until later.
Trump wavered for a time, giving Republicans on Capitol Hill mixed signals over the best approach. But his original preference for one bill won out in the end, in part because House Republicans insisted their chamber could not do it any other way.
Democrats uniformly oppose the package but have little power to stop it from becoming law if Republicans remain unified. As they continue to grapple with the party’s losses in last year’s election, Democrats have worked to mobilize public opposition to the bill, decrying it as a giveaway to the rich paid for with cuts to healthcare and other social services.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., called it “one big, beautiful betrayal.”
Republicans, meanwhile, are eager to press ahead and get the tax package to the Senate, with hopes of getting it on Trump’s desk by the Fourth of July.
Burchett said that while “everybody rises up in righteous indignation” over the details, Republicans will start “coming to the table” once Trump is fully engaged.
“It’s like an NBA basketball game right now,” Burchett said. “Don’t watch the game. Just wait till the last two minutes and then turn on the TV.”
Delegates attend the first-ever Global AI Summit for Africa where more than 1,000 policymakers, business leaders, and interest groups have gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, April 3. Photo: AP Photo/Yuhi Irakiza
The Donald Trump Administration announced a major overhaul at the U.S. State Department that will axe 132 domestic offices, slash around 700 positions in Washington, D.C., and shut offices focused on war crimes and global conflict. A statement issued April 22 by Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the department is “bloated,” “bureaucratic,” and unable to perform its essential diplomatic mission in a new era of big power competition.
Additionally, Secretary Rubio said the sprawling bureaucracy created a system more “beholden to radical political ideology.” However, days before Secretary Rubio’s statement announced the changes, news outlets reported on a draft order outlining plans to close American embassies across Africa and significantly downsize U.S.-Africa operations. For Africa observers and analysts, the policy coming from President Trump—who is on record using expletives to describe Global South nations, particularly in Africa—the moves are not surprising and could be a blessing in disguise for the continent.
“There’s no surprise that they’re going in this direction,” said Emira Woods, global ambassador for Africans Rising For Justice, Peace, and Dignity, a network of advocacy movements on the continent.
She told The Final Call that she views the reported move as an opportunity for countries in the Global South to look internally, build bridges and expand on African initiatives among themselves. “So in the case of Africa, there is the African Free Trade Agreement that is fostering greater continental unity around our economy, around movement of people and labor, around rights,” Ms. Woods stated as an example.
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It becomes an opportunity, she says, when America is moving away from those core building blocks of healthy societies, for African countries to embrace and to double down on issues around human dignity, human rights, economic justice and environmental rights.
The U.S. retreat from the continent is expected to affect aid and diplomacy. But despite scaling back, America still remains a predatory power on the continent. According to reports on the draft order about closing embassies, priorities would continue on counterterrorism, strategic extraction and trade of critical natural resources.
Although Africa watchers agree that this is Africa’s time for the continent of 1.5 billion people, it is still vulnerable to outside interests and interference.
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, the National Representative of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, spoke on the modern power race for African resources.
“Right now we are witnessing a ‘scramble’ for Africa just as it happened almost 130 years ago,” said Minister Farrakhan, in Part 32 of “The Time and What Must be Done,” a yearlong lecture series he delivered in 2013.
“In 1884, when Europe organized ‘The Berlin Conference,’14 nations of Europe got together and planned how they would divide up the African continent to extract its wealth for themselves,” said Minister Farrakhan. “But just like true buzzards, true predators: They began arguing with one another, and fighting each other, which led to World War I, where all of the European nations were involved. And so, once again, there is a new scramble for Africa by Europe and America,” he said.
Like then, these countries, including the U.S., France and others, are after the huge quantity of natural resources that they want—and need—to have under their control. Almost every known natural resource needed to run the Western industrial economy, such as uranium, gold, copper, cobalt, coltan (for cell phones, video games, laptops), platinum, diamonds, bauxite, and especially oil, is under the feet of African people.
Six of the embassies that the draft proposed for closure are in Africa: the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Gambia, Lesotho, the Republic of Congo and South Sudan. The memo recommends transferring their functions to embassies in nearby countries, according to The New York Times. But because of the resources, America is not totally out of the Motherland.
China’s President Xi Jinping, center, and African leaders prepare to leave after a group photo during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Sept. 5, 2024. Photo: Adek Berry/Pool Photo via AP
The change comes while some African leaders have pushed for “trade, not aid” in a way to unyoke Africa from a handicapped relationship with the West. Some Africa advocates argue that it is simply time for self-determination, regardless of what America proposes.
The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad defined the benefit of independence as a nation on pages 223-224 of his pivotal book, “Message to the Blackman In America.” His divine wisdom, insight and guidance are relevant to Black people in America and the diaspora.
“Today, the international conception of honor, pride and dignity is not concerned with individuals within a country but is rather concerned with your work and value as a part of an established nation,” He wrote.
“In order to be recognized today you must represent your nation. We must understand the importance of land to our nation. The first and most important reason that the individual countries of Europe, Africa and Asia are recognized as nations is because they occupy a specific area of the earth. Second, they are recognized because of the effectiveness of their internal unity and policies and then by their enactment of international policies and agreements with other established nations,” the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad continued.
He also taught on the importance and need for land to establish independence. This is necessary for Black people in Africa and America. His servant, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, explained that his teacher sought land and territory for Black people in America for their independence and self-sufficiency as a “nation within a nation.”
“The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad did not ask for a ‘fifth’ of Black peoples’ earning—he just asked for a fifth of America; “8-10 States.” Do you have a problem with that? Don’t you think you’ve earned it?” Minister Farrakhan stated during “The Time and What Must Be Done,” part 32.
Noted scholar-activist Professor James Small said we can go back to the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, who said and taught to “do for ourselves” and not to beg for what we need.
“We have our own land now,” said Prof. Small. “We are trying to get those … states … here in this country,” he said. “We got a whole continent,” he added. “We need to act like it’s ours. We’ve got all of the natural resources anyone on the planet needs,” Prof. Small continued.
He reasoned that there are young Black/African people who are some of the best-trained scientists, technicians and professional people scattered across the world who need to start to help in Africa. “This is our time,” said Mr. Small.
He suggested African leaders should take notes from leaders like 37-year-old Capt. Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso, Col. Assimi Goïta of Mali, 41, General Abdourahamane Tchiani of Niger, and President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia, who made history in March by naming another woman as her vice-president.
“Africa belongs to the Africans, like (Marcus Mosiah) Garvey said, and we need to begin to act like it. We’ve got the knowledge, we’ve got the training, we’ve got the natural resources,” reasoned Prof. Small.
“We need to build the places where we live and learn how to protect them, because the enemy will come,” he said. “They (the West) don’t know how to sit down to the table and negotiate fair agreements for our natural resources,” he continued, and added, “Everybody comes to steal them.”
Prof. Small also noted that, percentage-wise, Africa has the largest number of young people below 25 years old. As of 2024, about 60% of Africa’s population is under the age of 25. This makes Africa the youngest continent worldwide. The youth demographic is playing a crucial role in the way of innovation, entrepreneurship, replete with an emerging startup culture in agribusiness, e-commerce, and renewable energy solutions.
“So, this is our time to unite,” Prof. Small added. “This is our time to share our technology. It’s our time to take those borders down that they put up after the Berlin Conference,” he said. Some African countries have started getting rid of tariffs and fees for crossing borders. “Now just abolish the borders,” he added.
Prof. Small said short of eradicating the colonial borders, at least end the requirement for visas to cross them. He also said that Africa can strengthen having a common identification like the African Union (AU) passport on its own terms.
Although the U.S. is the strongest economic and military power worldwide, the proposed adjustments come amid a time when White world rule is in decline, and an anti-imperialist sentiment for African self-determination is on the rise.
U.S .Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, center left, Kenya Cabinet Secretary for defence Aden Duale, center right, pose for a group photo after signing bilateral defence cooperation agreement, in Nairobi, Kenya, Sept. 25, 2023. Photo: AP Photo/Khalil Senosi
America had utilized its embassies and institutions like the USAID, which was also shuttered, as a means of “soft power” on the soil of Africa. However, in the uneven playing field controlled by foreign imperialism, “soft power” is often a smokescreen for “foreign power” in Africa.
“So, the ‘America first’ is like ‘America only,’ or like ‘America as an island,’” said Ms. Woods. America’s posture touted American exceptionalism. But “not only American exceptionalism,” she explained, “it was White male supremacy,” she said, that was “exceptional” about America.
Notwithstanding, U.S. embassies are the bases for America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in any given country. The CIA has a sordid record in Africa of orchestrating coups, destabilizing governments, and eliminating leaders.
Ms. Woods believes the world is at an intersection of history where Black, Latino and Indigenous people’s values, vision, and solutions must be prioritized. “I think this is another moment in history where we’re calling on all leaders to be bold” and “prioritize our people, our community, our needs,” she said.
It is imperative that Africa seize the opportunity to advance at a time when the U.S. is trying to turn back the clock to an era when human dignity was compromised and White supremacy reigned. “We are not going back,” she said.
As a collective, 1.5 billion people in Africa must unite with people of African descent and Indigenous people across the planet. “Our entire needs have been marginalized for far too long. It’s time for us to build the world,” said Ms. Woods.
Aftershocks continue to sow fear across Myanmar, where millions remain in desperate need of humanitarian aid a full month since a 7.7 magnitude earthquake killed more than 3,800 people and injured 5,100.
Aid agencies warned on April 29 that more than 6.3 million people remain in urgent need of support in the worst-affected central areas around Mandalay.
“People [are] forced to sleep outside, safe water is scarce, health services are disrupted,” said UN aid coordination office, OCHA, in an appeal for more support from the international community.
The latest aftershock struck late on April 27 night and measured 4.4 on the Richter scale, said UN partner the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
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“This is provoking widespread fear within a population already traumatized and also fear within the responders themselves,” said Nadia Khoury, IFRC Head of Delegation in Myanmar, speaking from Yangon.
Millions impacted
While the attention of the international community has faded, dispossessed families still need help rebuilding their lives, said OCHA’s Christina Powell.
“The emergency for most is far from over—it is another crisis on top of the challenges already facing the people of Myanmar,” said Ms. Powell. “People told me they are too afraid to go back into their homes, worried they could collapse at any moment with the ongoing aftershocks.”
In badly affected areas, including Mandalay and Bago in the south of the country, some communities already suffered unprecedented floods last September. The earthquakes brought another wave of devastation.
Assessments indicate that the quakes damaged or destroyed 55,000 homes in the Central Asian nation, where civil war has raged since a military coup in February 2021.
In Mandalay, OCHA reported that locals have continued to deliver food and household items to people still living on the roadside or in community shelters. But needs are widespread and include shelter, food, personal hygiene kits and even toilets, said OCHA’s Tin Aung Thein.
“These people are already vulnerable, depending solely on their daily wages. For their recovery, international support is greatly needed.”
Over the last month, IFRC has provided life-sustaining support—including safe drinking water, healthcare, tarpaulins for tents and items for women and children—to more than 110,000 people.
The aid organization has also delivered 250 metric tons of aid and helped distribute over 220,000 liters of safe drinking water to Myanmar every day. Its $121 million appeal is only 15 percent funded.
Right to live in dignity
Ms. Powell of OCHA urged the international community to step up and support the population’s right to “live in safety and dignity.”
“Additional and quick disbursement of resources and sustained access to all communities are vital to ensure that the situation does not deteriorate even further,” Ms. Powell insisted.
