Concerning Geneva, what I see is that there was a decision to put some breaks on the increase of tensions and deterioration of diplomatic relations, and more importantly, negotiate limits on nuclear arms.
This is a very minimal program, but unless the aim is to “duke it out”, an important program.
Concerning pushing or not pushing Russia together, one should observe that Russia shares borders and interests. For example, Russia is increasing the capacity for delivering natural gas to China and to extract more natural gas in the regions that are closer to China then to Central Europe. If powers to be in Europe decide to switch from Russian natural gas delivered by pipelines to liquified natural gas — from USA, Qatar and, yes, Russia, this is something that Russia can adapt to with a rather modest economic cost when you look at the full picture of hydrocarbon export. The cost to EU countries is also in the range that they can adapt to, but WHY SHOULD THEY PAY THAT COST? For that matter, it probably dawned on some Europeans, especially German speakers, that American are very nice when they want Europeans to bear the costs of Imperial postures, but they are very stingy themselves, with the exception of spending on their own military.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Jun 17 2021 13:15 utc | 4

José Carlos Llerena and Vijay Prashad detail the ongoing coup attempt in Peru, naming names and giving important history. One key factoid that got my attention: new U.S. ambassador to Peru is Lisa Kenna; she was an advisor to… Mike Pompeo. What? Wait!
“The United States appointed a new ambassador to Peru. Her name is Lisa Kenna, a former advisor to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a nine-year veteran at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and a US Secretary of State official in Iraq. Just before the election, Ambassador Kenna released a video, in which she spoke of the close ties between the US and Peru and of the need for a peaceful transition from one president to another. The “presidential transition sets an example for the whole region,” she said, as if anticipating a serious challenge.”
Bottom line, the people will fight. I’m not sure the Peruvian upper class is as tough as the Bolivian Nazis. Biden’s support might not be enough. Castillo and his people won’t back down.
https://orinocotribune.com/the-coup-that-is-taking-place-in-peru/

Posted by: migueljose | Jun 17 2021 13:35 utc | 6

One more for the “five stages of grief” series:
Ruling party chief proposes small modular reactors as energy aid to North Korea

“Under the precondition of resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, SMRs could be a useful way to supply energy to North Korea that has many mountainous regions and a shortage of power transmission and distribution networks,” Rep. Song Young-gil, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), said in his speech to a parliamentary plenary session.

Let me guess: those SMRs will all be produced and supplied by a South Korean chaebol.
Translating the politician’s words: “we didn’t win the war against North Korea and North Korea won’t fall. Let’s just act as if it did”.
Pathetic and desperate wishful thinking: the only reason he’s bargaining is North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
–//–
It’s Not Just Joe Manchin
This “Joe Manchin is cockblocking all of us” thesis is one of the most stupid, most asinine narratives the American Left has ever come up with.
1) Joe Biden is, himself, a “moderate Democrat”;
2) a single person never stopped the great designs of the USA. We’re talking about the nation that murdered JFK by blowing up his head. Getting Joe fucking Manchin, from West fucking Virginia, out of the way would be cakewalk for the USG.
So no, Joe Manchin isn’t the reason why filibuster still exists. This is all kabuki.
The American Left should stop deceiving its followers.
–//–
Desperation is already starting to kick in:
Here we go again: China’s wrong turn in population policy, by Michael Sutton, The Japan Times

The same governments lamenting the aging society always have enough to spend on the war economy and new military technology. Like America and Russia, Chinese leaders are happy to put people on Mars and build bigger bombs, but they ignore the plight of the vulnerable, older adults and the poor.
While nations cannot agree on climate change, they can agree on profligate military spending. This is the truth behind nations plagued with the so-called aged society. Some of those billions earmarked for war, could be used to help the old and poor in China, America and even Japan. If military spending continues to be a blank check with governments salivating over the prospects for war and mass slaughter, what mother will feel safe with her children growing up in that kind of world? Good luck with the new birthrate policy Beijing. Make sure you remember the children.

So, he’s implying the Three Children Policy will work, right? That’s funny, because, some weeks ago, the Western MSM was all over China, rubbing on its face the policy would be ineffective.
Here’s the Chinese government’s official statement on the Three Children Policy:
Third-child policy to promote long-term balanced development of Chinese population: statistics spokesman
–//–
Superpower by 2020!
The Ganges Is Returning the Dead. It Does Not Lie.
Covidiots will tell you the Ganges is lying up to its teeth.
–//–
Dana Milbank, from The Washington Post, has lost his composure:
The absurdity of Putin’s lies should be obvious. Thanks to Trump, they aren’t.
–//–
Related to the talk about medicine in the previous post:
Ageing process is unstoppable, finds unprecedented study

“Our findings confirm that, in historical populations, life expectancy was low because many people died young,” said Aburto. “But as medical, social, and environmental improvements continued, life expectancy increased.
“More and more people get to live much longer now. However, the trajectory towards death in old age has not changed,” he added. “This study suggests evolutionary biology trumps everything and, so far, medical advances have been unable to beat these biological constraints.”

–//–
The “model nation” shows its true face once more:
Post-AZ injection deaths in Taiwan shed light on true face of DPP: experts
–//–
US should ask scientists to investigate itself if it truly cares about origins: epidemiologist
I agree. If the US scientists are so worried about the possibility the SARS-CoV-2 leaked from a laboratory, why don’t they also ask their government to investigate their own labs?
Charlatans are a plague in modern science.
–//–
Looks like China isn’t the only one desperate to solve the low birth rates issue:
WHO proposes to ban women from drinking alcohol

The World Health Organization has proposed a ban on drinking for women of childbearing age, according to the draft Global Action Plan against Alcohol for 2022-2030.

The West can do social engineering too. And much better than the CPC.

Posted by: vk | Jun 17 2021 14:22 utc | 8

Posted by: migueljose | Jun 17 2021 13:35 utc | 5
Thanks for the link! In “western information space” it is hard to find news and intelligent comments about countries that “nobody cares about”, in part, because the events there do not fit well into the “western narrative” of freedom, prosperity and human rights gently fostered by benign institutions of the rule based world order.
Latin America and Caribbean are very uninteresting as the region, while the Empire scores one success after another, these stories are patchy, successes are reverted from time to time. What is being even more boring, reigns of presidents loyal to the rule based world order lack the shine of prosperity and human rights. As I followed the link given by Miguel Jose, I found more examples of an interesting phenomenon: disposable political parties, single use vehicles to get to power and execute according to rule based benign advise. Volodymyr Zelykovsky’s “Servants of the People” navigates in this direction, like his predecessor Poroshenko, in Americas Lenin Moreno in Ecuador was replaced by Lasso, most probably another single use, and Peruvian Nationalist Party is an example that I learned today.
As the populations in Ukraine, Peru etc. are often reluctant to accept the “benign advise”, the trick is to launch a party that promises everything to everybody, win, rule with the benign advise and a good dose of the traditional corruption and become universally hated. In Peru, a former “leftists” Olanto Humala, creepy looking but with a very photogenic wife (if Wikipedia pic is still valid), won presidency in 2011 and now the wifey keeps running the party, winning 1.6% of the vote this year.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Jun 17 2021 14:41 utc | 10

Can’t teach a pig how to fly:
Trial of Germany’s CureVac vaccine shows only 47% effect against Covid-19, falling short of great expectations
The West should stop with this charade and open up its markets to the Sputnik V, which is the real deal.
Competition is over, we already have a clear winner. Now is time to mass product and distribute it.

Posted by: vk | Jun 17 2021 15:37 utc | 12

“The Ganges Is Returning the Dead. It Does Not Lie.
Covidiots will tell you the Ganges is lying up to its teeth.”
The Jew York Times can say anything they want when only the entritled can get to read it!

Posted by: Mann Friedman | Jun 17 2021 16:06 utc | 14

Suzerainties vs Sovereignties
Sovereign nations (China, Russia, Iran, Syria, Belarus,… Germany?, EU? Japan?) need to clearly define their core common interests and communicate them with clarity and coherently. If not, they will be at a significant disadvantage to the Financial Empire and its suzerainties. The Empire likes to capture through divide and rule. Sovereigns are in an information war with the Empire to win the hearts and minds of the world.
Some of the ideas for sovereigns key themes are: MULTILATERALISM, respect for sovereignty, strategic stability, lead by examples, fair competition, peace, trade in respective national currencies,… These themes need to be repeated multiple times at events, articles, news media,…
Each INITIATIVE goes through multiple phases: Setup -> Summit -> Spectacle -> Spin -> Success/setback
It is essential to LEAD & win each of these phases by being proactive. In addition, to great strategy and vision, one needs to have a great PR & communication plan to lead and win the spectacle (press conferences), spin (sound bites) and success stories (de-dollarization progress, vaccine diplomacy, sovereignty, future projects…). The Empire is good at choreographing its events, ambiance, sound bites, spinning, deceptions, negative framing, promoting its key messages…
A good article from China’s Global Times on the summit, spectacle and spin.
“Now that Biden has finally met almost all the leaders of major world powers, except for Chinese President Xi Jinping, and now he can probably prepare for the last and the most significant one as Biden is learning what the positions of all his major counterparts are on China,”
How does one outperform & outsmart the Financial Empire?

Posted by: Max | Jun 17 2021 16:27 utc | 16

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/korea-watch/shampoo-now-200-north-korea-bad-news-187870
I’m telling you, the picture the hyper cute NK lady ( Yeonmi Park) paints of North Korea looks accurate. They are in big trouble.

Posted by: Eighthman | Jun 17 2021 16:39 utc | 18

William Haught @18–
Islamic Terrorism was finally and rightfully replaced by Zionist Terrorism.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 17 2021 16:43 utc | 20

Mr. Eighthman | Jun 17 2021 16:39 utc | 17
Chinese leaders will not let North Korea sink.

Posted by: fyi | Jun 17 2021 16:49 utc | 22

Here’s Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg’s very impassioned and articulate discourse on the covid phenomenon. Not too much new, but a prescient corroboration of what a few of us around here have been discussing. Which reminds me…thanks to juliania for the contributions and solidarity.
Sid Victor Cattoni @ 14
The efficacy of the vaccine is not the primary concern, it is to test DNA and RNA technology on human subjects. With this technology, vaccines for the next virus can be produced, stockpiled or even administered to the population before the bioweapon leaves the lab, thus limiting the blowback for the next attack
Yeah, here in Italy, in some regions, they’re even planning to substitute the second dose for AZ recipients with the Pfizer brew…something about supply chain problems, hehe, and stupid me didn’t even know that these concoctions are apparently interchangeable.

Posted by: john | Jun 17 2021 17:11 utc | 24

fyi@20 stated;
“In effect, those that have joined the Liberal US Empire, have forfeited their sovereign rights on foreign and domestic policies to those of the United State. You can see it all over Europe but also among Muslim countries as well as in East Asia.”
In fact, there is NOTHING “liberal” about the U$ empire, and it’s conduct with the rest of the world.
https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=liberal+definition&fr=yfp-t-s&fp=1&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8

Posted by: vetinLA | Jun 17 2021 17:52 utc | 26

@23 john
Thanks for that link. I’ve only dipped into it so far, but already heard things that I hadn’t quite realized. Dr. Wodarg has the right to talk on these things, because if I recall correctly he was one of the very first to be vilified.
We are now in the time when we can have these longer discussions that reprise the last year or so and set the actual, true history into the medical record. This one helps that process.
And also, the corruption of the medical profession, to which he is now speaking (it’s running as I write this). The interviewer is using the words “medical mafia”, citing the later manifestations we’ve seen this year. But this interview seems that it will do much to illustrate the long process of corruption that has happened over the years and decades, and this is very valuable to learn.
Worth spelling the link out, if I may:
Swine Flu And Covid: Pandemic Deja Vu? / With Dr Wolfgang Wodarg 9th June
Many thanks for this.

Posted by: Grieved | Jun 17 2021 17:55 utc | 28

Sid Victor Cattoni@14 writes “DNA and RNA vaccines are not more effective, easier, faster, or cheaper to produce and store, but it does not require a working virus, and this aspect is what makes it invaluable to biological warfare. Current proven vaccine technologies require a working virus: by weakening, killing it or by ripping off and collecting the viral proteins.” This is illogical. mRNA vaccines requires a sequenced genome. Sequencing is done on live viruses, which makes the first sentence incorrect. Further, yes, biological warfare does require a vaccine for self-protection, like giving your soldiers gas masks before you launch chemical warfare bombs or shells. But, biological warfare also requires live virus to test its efficacy. (As a bioweapon, covid is a remarkably ineffective one, nowhere near plague or smallpox or even anthrax or cholera in lethality.) And weaponizing a virus most certainly requires making sure it can survive and spread from the delivery system. That requires live virus too.
Just because sentences follow the rules of grammar doesn’t mean they actually make sense.
China is part of the besieging powers, moderating its joint economic warfare with the US against the north largely, so far as I can tell, to prevent a sudden collapse. There is not one legitimate reason for China to restrict trade with the north. No, avoiding US sanctions is not a legitimate reason. No, getting rid of nuclear weapons while leaving the US at war with Korea isn’t either. No, limiting foreign trade by driving the hardest bargain possible isn’t either. No, letting private corporations decide all issues of foreign trade isn’t either, and worse, undermines the national government. The industrial northeast is possibly starting to fall behind, possibly even being sacrificed by restorationist forces determined to destroy Korean socialism. China as of now most certainly opposes Korean socialism, and wants the north to fall, except not into US hands. This is a fools’ dream, I think. Capitalist reunification, how ever catastrophic for the people of the north would be, will be in alliance with the US. Despite their fondest dreams and repeated threats (as they see it, promises,) China is not a bourgeois state. A re-united Korea will never ally with them.

Posted by: steven t johnson | Jun 17 2021 18:16 utc | 30

Mr. Coronavictus | Jun 17 2021 18:22 utc | 31
Those numbers are almost certainly false.
Multiply everything by a factor of 2 since reporting from rural India is non-existent.

Posted by: fyi | Jun 17 2021 18:31 utc | 32

@ fyi (#30),
Majority (97%) of money in the UK is created by private banks. Who OWNS British?
If nations don’t build an alternative to US Treasury Bonds and the dollar capital markets, then they can continue to be VASSALS of the Dollar Empire. They need to stop complaining and create something. Enslaved are treated poorly.
Nations’ elites want to park their money in the dollar market, then beg for FDI &/or loans. They’re lost. One can never make any more progress than what they can IMAGINE…
“What is bad is not that man lives and dies, but what dies within man while he lives. Perhaps the most important thing that dies within man while he lives is his imagination.”
– Albert Schweitzer

Posted by: Max | Jun 17 2021 18:52 utc | 34

Johnathan Cook nails the inherently dishonest two state mantra:
“It seems that every liberal newspaper needs a Thomas Friedman – the UK’s Guardian has Jonathan Freedland – whose role is to keep readers from considering realistic strategies for Israel-Palestine, however often and catastrophically the established ones have failed.”
https://newleftreview.org/sidecar/posts/99
Great clip of an indignant Biden attempting to justify the Bandit State abomination as a vital US interest:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYLNCcLfIkM
I suspect a majority of Americans would be delighted if all ‘aid’ to this parasite was cancelled forthwith.

Posted by: Paul | Jun 17 2021 19:29 utc | 36

Grieved @ 28
The interviewer is using the words “medical mafia”, citing the later manifestations we’ve seen this year
Yes, the circuitous depravity they’ve engaged, the ‘offer you can’t refuse’ has worked wonders, as the interviewer attests his young peers who’ve taken the jab only to regain their ‘freedom’, like my youngest daughter, 30, against my spoken preference, and my silent prayers.

Posted by: john | Jun 17 2021 20:20 utc | 38

@17 karlof1
Thanks for that link to the Global Times editorial. Here’s a part that really caught my eye:

Sooner or later, international public opinion will reach a critical point of subversive perception as China’s modern and peaceful elements continue to accumulate. It will understand why the US’ blockade against China is ineffective and what is supporting China’s development. It will know why the “bellicose” China has not been in a war for 30 years, while the “peacekeeping” US has been in wars for decades.

So there it is, the Chinese perspective on the folly of those who don’t understand the passage of time, and those who don’t care to invest into a sustainable future.
Within the diplomatic sphere, China will be as wolfish as she chooses, but within the so-called “information war”, she has already decided that living well is the best revenge, and that there is no point in hurling empty words at a straw opponent for trivial satisfactions.
Because, reality itself will induce that “critical point of subversive perception” in global opinion, and all China has to do is work on that reality.
And THAT is what I call a viable strategy.

Posted by: Grieved | Jun 17 2021 21:17 utc | 40

Grieved @40–
Thanks for your reply! I wanted to read this entire interview before I linked and commented. The title as you’ll agree is most intriguing:
“China is a democracy by Lincoln’s definition: former Singaporean FM”
And I agree 100%. But does the Outlaw US Empire also fit the definition today?
George Yeo is a very wise man and former Singaporean Foreign Minister, who makes numerous sage observations:
“The criticisms from the West are mounting, it’s a part of a larger strategy to put China on the defensive, to win over more allies against China, and to reduce China’s threat to Western dominance of the world.
“China is not a threat to America, but China is certainly a threat to American dominance in the world, just by growing and becoming more influential. There is a concerted effort to put China down.”
Yeo and I share the same worry for the same reason:
“What worries me, in particular, is the way the Taiwan card is being played by the US. Henry Kissinger has reminded the Americans that US acceptance of Taiwan as part of China is the basis of US-China relations. This is not a card. This is the bedrock. If you start playing with the bedrock, you can bring down the whole structure of relations between two very big and important countries.” [My Emphasis]
The hotheaded Congress is a big worry:
“China can keep the temperature under control. But, in the US, it may quickly go out of control. The problem will suddenly become much bigger. It is a possibility which China must carefully factor into its calculation.”
This important point IMO many fail to include in their analyses:
“If China were like India, divided by language, religion, caste, I don’t think the US will be worried at all [about China].”
Does China want to become a Super Power?
“China is too old and wise to ever want such a thing. China will never want to be super power, because it knows such an ambition depletes you and would bring troubles upon yourself. Let’s be good neighbors, good friends, try and help each other. That is Chinese approach….
“China will become a great power and be very influential. This will be a threat to the Western liberal system. There are many countries in the third world who are not Western and are also finding their way to the future. Western countries tell them that there’s only one way to the future, that the Western way is the only way. Now they see China has a different way.”
Why is China vilified while Singapore isn’t?
“Singapore has a very different history. It was established as a trading post of the British East India company. Our legal systems, administrative systems, political systems, are all derived from the British model. But 3/4 of the people of Singapore are Chinese, they share common cultural characteristics with the Chinese people in China. I compare Singapore and China in this way – China is a big tree. Singapore is a tiny bonsai. They have similar genetics with common cultural genes. At one level, the political systems are very different. But at another level, they look strangely similar.
“One obvious comparison is the Communist Party of China and the People’s Action Party (PAP) in Singapore, which has been governing Singapore since 1959. People are surprised that the PAP has been able to govern Singapore through election after election, staying in power and looking after the welfare of Singaporeans. It is not a communist party, it’s a democratic party, but its organizational structure has Leninist roots.”
Yeo’s discussion of democracy is quite nuanced and begins thusly:
“My view of democracy goes back to the essence of democracy, to the Greek origin of what democracy is – which is the people as master. Abraham Lincoln talked about government of the people, by the people, for the people. By this definition, China is a democracy….
“The best democracy is the one which is for the people, of the people and by the people, according to its history and culture. Even in Western democracy, there are wide variations….
“What is democracy? In the end, we go back to its essence – governance of the people, by the people for the people. We go back beneath the structures and the systems. You can have the best structure and systems.”
But here’s what I consider a big stumbling block:
“You can still have a democracy controlled by a small group of people who are very wealthy.”
Yeo provides no caveat for that assertion, with which I disagree, as IMO the model of Plato’s Republic has failed everywhere it’s been attempted due to corruption. But Yeo does go on to say:
“It is impossible for a US-style democratic system to work for East and Southeast Asian countries.”
On China’s current government:
“China is an old civilization with 5,000 years of history. But China as a republic is very young. China only became a republic in 1911. How does China find consensus? In the old days you had the Chaoting (imperial government). But once you become a republic, how do you choose successors？
“We have the Communist Party who represents the entire population. But even within the Communist Party there are millions of members, there are many layers. At the bottom you have elections at the village level. But beyond that, constant discussion and debate about who are better able to lead.
“The problem in Chinese society has always been corruption. If corruption exists, whatever system you have, you no longer govern in the interest of common people. President Xi, by reversing the trend of corruption in China, has done Chinese society a very great favor.
“This is to me is his single greatest achievement. If China can continue to control corruption, its future will be very bright. ” [My Emphasis]
And the next to last question is one rabid Westerners are clamoring to have asked and answered:
“GT: Generally speaking, which do you think is more efficient in good governance, open one- party system or multi-party system?
“Yeo: There is no simple answer to this question. I would say the most important factor is not the structure or the system. It is the moral quality of the people and their leaders.” [My Emphasis]
The emphasized is what sets apart the NATO-Bloc from almost all other nations and is why that Bloc is going down and other nations are rising.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 17 2021 22:15 utc | 42

Grieved @41–
I was fortunate to have my Post-grad China seminars taught by a China specialist who also happened to be Asian. We used JK Fairbank’s textbook and specialist readings about what by the year 2000 had become four distinct periods in China’s modern history: Postwar to Great Leap Forward; GLF to Cultural Revolution; CR to Deng’s Reforms and initial opening period; then the era of escalating Foreign Direct Investment and industrial takeoff. My thesis was aimed at the fourth period to determine the main sources of FDI which I suspected differed from the conventional wisdom at the time–Big Western Corporations. China has experienced many ebbs and floods during its very long history; and IMO, today’s China is now in a different period than the fourth, which IMO ended when Hu Jintao was replaced by Xi Jinping and his two main thrusts to improve China’s future: the Belt and Road Initiative and the Anti-Corruption Campaign. We might also include China’s 2030 UN Development Goals since they dovetail with the last several 5-year plans. My point is that we can probably expect a new period with every change of CPC leader, which since Jiang Zemin has become consistent ten year intervals.
The person climbing onto Xi’s shoulders also stands on those of all who came before, which is of course not at all like Western democracy. But when the outcome is measured, IMO China’s system’s superior. And for the West it’s a great mistake to try and compete with China on the international stage as that’s not what China’s about whatsoever; China’s about lifting up all its people so they all have an opportunity to excel and have a high moral purpose. And China’s not going to deviate from that path, while the West will find it very difficult to emulate China. As Yeo said, it’s the differing cultures that cause the divergent paths.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 17 2021 22:54 utc | 44

Was the “Capitol Riot” an Inside Job? IMO, good reasons to think so are surfacing. Putin’s upped the game by saying they could easily be considered political prisoners whose constitutional and human rights are being violated. And given the FBI has orchestrated numerous terrorist attacks in order to frame innocents provides some credibility to that possibility.
And the beat goes on……..

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 17 2021 23:24 utc | 46

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 17 2021 23:24 utc | 46
Have had the same thoughts. And maybe it’s tough to have to take it from Tucker Carlson, but as you point out the FBI, especially since 911, has a long history of setting up sting operation terrorism, and busting their own operation, arresting the terrorists to much ballyhoo etc. etc. And now the ‘war on terror’ has come home to a war on ‘domestic terror’, it shouldn’t be surprising that Proud and Boogaloo Boys etc are fully infiltrated by, and perhaps led (in order to bring to ground said ‘domestic’ terrorists) by government agents.
So the idea that FBI or DHS other agencies are involved makes perfect sense.
(always enjoy your posts)

Posted by: gottlieb | Jun 17 2021 23:44 utc | 48

gottlieb @48–
Thanks for your reply! This op/ed voices just a few of the many justifiable concerns this next phase of the Terror War will take. What many proposed as the genuine meaning of 911 may will be proved correct–to criminalize the entire nation.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 17 2021 23:55 utc | 50

US embassy in London disrupted by pro Palestine activist. Bonus, truth telling film clip.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9696013/Pro-Palestine-protester-69-scales-650ft-crane-near-Embassy-unfurls-Palestinian-flag.html
US pro Palestine activists stop Israeli container ship from docking:
https://popularresistance.org/protesters-prevent-israeli-container-ship-from-docking/
Momentum is building worldwide, hasbara flops.

Posted by: Paul | Jun 18 2021 1:00 utc | 52

Hot salts render good clean heat and even batteries, Just think about it, the Germans get hot just using it.

The energy storage sector is becoming a pretty crowded and competitive field as more and more companies come up with solutions that will be absolutely crucial to dealing with the intermittency of renewable technologies. Now there’s one more technology to add to the list that looks set for a bright future, not just as a supplier of grid balancing power but also because of its ability to feed direct heat energy into industrial processes and municipal heating systems.

And the waste product after a few thousand cycles? – lime for brick making.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jun 18 2021 2:22 utc | 54

An excellent montage of the many Biden wandering speeches is to be found and experienced here with Krystal and Saagar venting spleen on the wastrel.
SAD

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jun 18 2021 2:46 utc | 56

FYI@57
“I think Chinese Licenced a lot of space-related technology from Russia.” If so that demonstrates they’re not stupid. Keep focused on the goal. One small comment the engineer on the panel said that surprised me was the SpaceX engine is a space shuttle engine remodelled. (i.e. Neo-liberalised govt asset -> billionaire’s bank a/c?)
“I was struck by a few recent Australian police dramas that I watched; is every one is Australia just angry?” Australian police drama, sorry you were exposed, they’re best avoided.

Posted by: Dim sim | Jun 18 2021 3:37 utc | 58

New Eastern Outlook is running a ‘story’ by Phil Butler – The Biden-Putin Summit: Don’t Let Hope Be Crushed This Time where the good Mr Butler runs this paragraph:

And here’s a key takeaway no other media I have scanned beyond Politico is emphasizing. Where the highly publicized cyberattacks are concerned, Biden said he’d given Putin a list of 16 off-limits entities from everything from the energy sector to water systems. But here’s the key thing. President Biden stressed that Putin needs to take action against cybercriminals on his soil who carry out such attacks, including the use of ransomware. The implication here is, the Kremlin had nothing to do with these attacks, but the American president is asking Putin to fix the problem. Biden even went so far as to suggest the two countries could come to some sort of cybersecurity arrangement. And this, my friends, it real progress.

I find it more than irksome when a reporter cites the numbers out of Biden’s mouth and generalises about Putin’s position. Any reporter with a fair minded approach would have quoted what Putin said at his press meeting following the ‘summit’. Perhaps Mr Butler missed it and its online access. I recall Putin being very clear when he spoke of ONE specific accusation by the USA where the Russians considered and investigated and responded and then went on to mention the 45 occasions when Russia accused and asked the USA to address USA based cyber attacks on Russia to get NO RESPONSE AT ALL.
This is mealy mouthed and evasive reporting giving Biden the advantage of specific numbers and then glossing over the Russian position. It is not exactly Biden propaganda but it sure is a pile of tosh. Integrity Initiative will be pleased. Come on NEO you can do better than this.
The good Mr Butler is right about it all being real progress for the two to have even met. The calm tolerance of Russia confronted by an aggressor that has taken every dirty step to plunder the nation, threaten it militarily, invade and murder people in the lands of its allies, blockade it economically and intimidate its trading partners, steal its properties and embassies, is extraordinary and, yes, this is real progress.
But it is not Biden progress – he cannot achieve that low hurdle. It is Russian progress in the interests of a peaceful world.
Perhaps now the USA might now respond to the 45 cyber attacks on Russia that came from Bidenland.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jun 18 2021 5:00 utc | 60

Norwegian diet?
https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/resources/2020-2025-dietary-guidelines-online-materials/food-sources-select-nutrients/food-sources

Posted by: Coronavictus | Jun 18 2021 6:44 utc | 62

In response to uncle tungsten@60,
While I agree with your general sentiment, I do believe Butler is correct, going by your quote of him, of what the key take-away is. The impression one gets from the quote is of Biden as the driving force when it comes to initiating negotiations on cyber-security, which was also picked up on by the Politrussia group. Your paraphrasing of Putin helps to illustrate the main roadblock to cooperation in the field, namely US unwillingness, which is well known. As such, it’s fair of Butler to interpret this development as a major policy shift — first, in floating the idea of cooperation, and second, in essentially exonerating the Russian government of direct involvement. After 7 years of wall-to-wall coverage where all cyber-crimes, misdemeanors and nothing-burgers on “the Internet” were claimed to have been conducted by specially trained Russian cyber-guerillas at the behest of Vladimir Putin, one might be tempted to call it a schism or expression of heretical thought in the context of American politics.
Mentioning Putin’s counterpoint detracts from that context and might give the reader the wrong impression of who the interested party is, since the Russian stance on cooperation in this field clearly hasn’t changed. I’m also rather apprehensive about this topic getting too much mainstream attention, even though it would be interesting to gauge the reaction of Russiagaters, since there are doubtless many interested parties who could use this information to manipulate public opinion for personal reasons. That it isn’t already being done is either a sign that a deal in this field is being treated as vital to national security, or it’s just under the radar for the time being.

Posted by: Skiffer | Jun 18 2021 10:37 utc | 64

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 17 2021 16:43 utc | 20
Zionist terrorism begat Islamic terrorism, the destructive mission is the law of the Judahites themselves, see Deuteronomy, ‘ The Lord thy God will set thee on high above all other nations of the earth… the Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself … and all the people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they will be afraid of thee…thou shall lend unto many nations and thou shalt not borrow. And thou shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath.’
‘He shall deliver their kings into thine hand and thou shalt DESTROY their name from them.’
Unfortunately, this Jewish supremacism goes on throught all Deuteronomy and the Torah. The Talmud is worse.
What came first?

Posted by: Paul | Jun 18 2021 11:40 utc | 66

Mr. Peter AU1 | Jun 18 2021 11:40 utc | 66
There is nothing in Afghanistan worth anything to China or the Chinese.
Afghanistan runs on US funds, I doubt US will provision funds to Afghanistan after their eventual takeover.

Posted by: fyi | Jun 18 2021 12:54 utc | 68

EOL
1. Reaffirming focus on nuclear weapons as the main public geopolitical weapons, disarmament, and power balance topic. Promising each other to continue and/or reestablish and strengthen this narrative. All the rest is mostly fluff, at least right now.
2. Reaffirming some hidden rules and truths. Likely based on confirming that the US (or at least this particular US administration) is (still) aware of the prime cause for the UK-US special relationship which I’m guessing might consist of still classified UK/MI6 “hidden history” signals intelligence gathered from the USSR and which Russia and possibly also China has direct knowledge of. The current noise out of Clinton and Trump indicates the US is not or that most POTUSes aren’t (which makes sense since they shouldn’t normally have any need).
I think Putin might have been making direct references to the second point when saying something to the effect of “clearing the air”. I do not know any details and could be entirely wrong about the UK-US thing but I’m starting to suspect whatever it is anyone in the US who is told the details automatically becomes a security risk, and certainly any politicians. This would make things very difficult on their part.
I’ve cut this comment down so much lol, hopefully it’s not my own personal “EOL”: I’m speculating! 🙂

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Jun 18 2021 13:55 utc | 70

Nothing? It doesn’t matter what you think or for the purpose of replying to your shit, what China thinks. It is what the US thinks that counts here as to ensuring Taliban takes control or not just as they are leaving.
https://hir.harvard.edu/wakhancorridor/
“Afghanistan is the very definition of a geopolitical pivot. Long called the “Graveyard of Empires,” the country still lures larger powers keen on exerting influence in Central Asia, and the Wakhan Corridor, a narrow strip of land protruding out of Afghanistan like the handle of a cooking pot, exemplifies this strategic geopolitical position. Three separate geopolitical conflicts intersect in the Wakhan Corridor: the so-called “New Great Game” between Russia and China over Central Asia, the rising geopolitical contest between China and the West over the new Belt and Road initiative, and the ever-inflamed (but now ratcheted) tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. However, China’s recent moves to build a road through the corridor will upset this delicate geopolitical balance in its own favor.”

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 18 2021 14:01 utc | 72

@Peter AU1
NATO training mission for Afghan security forces to move forward after US withdrawal:

NATO leaders on Monday committed to moving forward with training for Afghan security forces after the U.S. military withdraws all its troops from Afghanistan, which President Biden says will be completed before Sept. 11.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, in remarks following a meeting of the alliance in Brussels, said the coalition’s leaders “reaffirmed their commitment to continue to stand with Afghanistan with training and financial support for Afghan forces and institutions.”

NATO is also increasing troops in Iraq (as USA reduces troops). This was announced in February 2021:

After a recent meeting of defense ministers in Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the Alliance would expand the size of its security training mission in Iraq, increasing troop levels from 500 to 4,000.

!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jun 18 2021 14:39 utc | 74

@b
Billmon’s Whiskey Bar is accessible through the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine project, e.g., the last posts, made in December 2006. However, it is very inconvenient to use, as links to previous posts and post categories don’t work automatically; they must be manually copied and pasted into Wayback Machine’s search bar, followed by manually choosing the last capture made before December 28, 2006. Also, pictures don’t work.
In 2009 you have offered a CD with a complete archive of Whiskey Bar and Moon of Alabama, but I don’t know if it’s still available. If it is, well, it is still very inconvenient (and even worse than using Wayback Machine), as it’s hard to find a computer with a CD drive nowadays, and, more importantly, the posts can’t be discovered through search engines, and one can’t post a link to them.
It would be great if you added a subsite, say, at billmon.moonofalabama.org with a full copy of Whiskey Bar and added automatic redirection of billmon.org/archives/* links to billmon.moonofalabama.org/*, so that links in old posts like “WB: Rates of Return” would work.

Posted by: S | Jun 18 2021 15:58 utc | 76

Biden Admin Asks Americans to Report ‘Radicalized’ Friends And Family
https://planetfreewill.news/biden-admin-asks-americans-to-report-radicalized-friends-and-family/
My neighbors had their window open during my morning constitutional. Lots of suspicious noises coming from
them thar hills.
I might feel guilty if I don’t report them, no telling what they are capable of, especially after their dog went in my garden.
ps.
Thanksgiving Day dinner all over America should generate a lot of calls this year.
Be sure to grease the conversations.
The more calls the merrier.

Posted by: librul | Jun 18 2021 16:16 utc | 78

Linda Jean Doucett @79
So your plan then is to start decomposing in this thread?

Posted by: William Gruff | Jun 18 2021 17:08 utc | 80

Peter AU 1 @72–
Good to read your comments again! As you’ve probably assumed, fyi is a disrupter troll. Afghanistan’s been an observer member of the SCO for almost a decade now, and IMO that organization believes it can do business with the Taliban primarily because the Taliban have also evolved. IMO, the primary goal for SCO and Iran is to get all NATO-Bloc forces out of the region, which will allow for a new political arrangement in Kabul and an opportunity to begin BRI development projects that will work to further stabilize Afghanistan. Most important will be the elimination of the gross corruption and poppy industry that must be done. I’m sure the Taliban will insist on a “clean” government; and development projects will give the people something to do besides tend poppies. Of course, we shall see what reality brings. The primary corruption sources have always been the Western War Lords, and with their poison removed, Afghans will finally have an opportunity to develop their nation.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 18 2021 17:42 utc | 82

Bitcoin miners exit China, beat a path to the U.S. as crypto climate shifts

Cryptocurrency industry are moving to mainland imperialist native countries. The above link is to an interesting article in Washingtonpost today. From this article you can see some dimension of the industry.

Jiang had about 300,000 computers humming around-the-clock in 20 specially ventilated warehouses across remote northern China, guzzling enough electricity to power a small city. The sophisticated machines cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The digital currency they minted was worth even more.

One Chinese miner, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he feared political repercussions in China, said he predicted 60 to 70 percent of his peers would migrate their operations to the United States or Europe. He said he is building about 50 shipping containers to house his computers to plop onto an oil field in West Texas, and is breaking ground on a 33-megawatt site in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

what is problem in China?

That sudden chill, Chinese bitcoin miners and executives predict, will only deepen. The Chinese government has appeared uneasy not only about the industry’s carbon footprint but also the intrinsically uncontrollable, decentralized nature of cryptocurrency.

There are probelms in Russia and Iran too:

Even so, Jiang said he was considering two sites in Texas and Tennessee. It seemed less risky than other places, including the Middle East, where he had operations shut down by authorities, or Russia, where his colleagues’ expensive computers have been seized by corrupt police.

How much energy is consumed?

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences this year predicted China’s bitcoin mining industry by 2024 could consume more energy than Italy. University of Cambridge researchers estimated that bitcoin miners globally accounted for more energy use than Argentina.

Some disadvantages in USA:

So the problem is not energy cost, neither IT staff. Electricity cost in China is 6 times lower than USA. How much is it? Can anyone tell the cost of electricity in Texas?

We can see in near future Bitcoin and other tax evading cryptocurrencies will reach its natural limits, then it will be a casino tool and a weapon in western civilization arsenal for plundering other nations wealth.

Posted by: arata | Jun 18 2021 18:35 utc | 84

karlof1 and jackrabbit
Thanks for the input there. I am not sure if Taliban is still listed as a terrorist organisation in Russia, but I had read something about Russia and Iran working with the Taliban to eliminate ISIS. Some time back I was seeing a lot of stuff that US politicians and others weren’t happy as US pulling out would leave Afghanistan to Russia and China. All went quiet on that front as US broke their agreement with the Taliban to kick off the conflict again but also continued with the pullout.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 18 2021 19:15 utc | 86

Peter AU 1 @ 86–
Unless the decision was made quietly and not publicized, which IMO is doubtful, the Taliban remains classed as a terrorist group by Russia, but its members have been to talks in Moscow, so there’s some leeway there. Yes, the Hawks don’t want to cede anything anywhere, but reality is making itself known domestically, and its been proven the Forever Wars are a political ball and chain for incumbents that refuse to leave them. Biden hasn’t announced this, but IMO he’s trying to improve the image of the Outlaw US Empire by making it more law abiding and “nicer/gentler” as GHW Bush vowed 30 years ago. Putin’s assessment of Biden’s mental acuity IMO is very important. IMO, more deeds will need to be done, but Putin likely thinks Biden is capable of workmanlike negotiations.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 18 2021 19:34 utc | 88

@ Peter AU1 (# 89),
The Soviet Union was brought down by manipulating the oil price. It is unfortunate that the Soviet Union priced its oil in the US$. Any nation that prices its resources and goods in the US$ &/or pegs their currency to it, is at a significant disadvantage and can be captured through financial warfare. It is mind boggling to see Russia let its currency float and made it convertible. According, to Empire’s analysis, Russia doesn’t grasp the financial arena well and this strategic weakness needs to be exploited.
The Financial Empire’s strength is in the financial sphere. It will pursue financial warfare as well as regime change to capture China and Russia. If it doesn’t succeed them it will pursue the military option. Japan was finally captured through the Plaza Accord. China has done well by controlling its currency and the financial system.

Posted by: Max | Jun 18 2021 20:24 utc | 90

@ Peter AU1 (#91),
I didn’t say, “selling oil in US dollars” was the cause of the Soviet Union fall. It was the OIL PRICE. The high price of oil led to bloated budgets in the Soviet Union. The oil price dropped in 1980s creating internal problems and weakening the system, which didn’t have internal cohesion. They thought the West will help instead of looting them.
A united nation with good values can withstand many shocks. A divided nation with hodgepodge values and priorities can’t withstand a major shock and falls.

Posted by: Max | Jun 18 2021 21:15 utc | 92

Max, looking the oil chart, the price of oil only dropped from Iranian revolution price to 1973 oil crisis price. it drifted back from the iran price and then suddenly dropped to the 73 level. what caused that drop? I haven’t looked into that. But soviet union would have collapsed anyway. Trapped in their ideology they could not provide green grass for their people. Putin has often said the leaders at that time and I think up to Yeltsin knew they had to change but none had any idea of how to go about it.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 18 2021 21:59 utc | 94

@ Peter AU1 (#94),
It is my understanding that Bush worked with his oil friends to bring the price down and they were compensated in alternate ways. This aggravated and accelerated Soviet Union’s problems. The stock market crashed in 1987 and enabled the Empire to start its next cycle. The Soviet Union was fooled to follow a certain path as guided by their traitors.
An interesting FRACTAL emerges from those financial events. If one to were forecast a similar scenario, what would the event sequence look like. Someone is waiting for the Empire at the end! “In God We Trust”
Even we Americans know we need to change our unsustainable socioeconomic system but aren’t in rush as the dollar liquidity provides a cushion, until it doesn’t…
Name a nation that is stable, strong and with a sustainable socioeconomic system. Change is the only constant

Posted by: Max | Jun 18 2021 22:31 utc | 96

Biden desperately wants JCPOA “revived” before the new Iranian administration is installed. But in that he faces a huge challenge for many of the illegal sanctions placed on Iran that must be removed before Iran will resume its role in the treaty were placed by Congress and thus must be repealed by that body. And given the very powerful and certainly irrational Hatred/Fear of Iran–which is probably more powerful today than Anti-Communist sentiment–that will be a very difficult political task to accomplish. And the Iranians know that fact. The Iranians understand that the entire culture-based negative outlook toward Iran based on decades of virulent propaganda must be changed within the Outlaw US Empire, which is what it’s going to take to get Congress to cancel its illegal sanctions.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 18 2021 23:37 utc | 98

Mr. by: Max | Jun 18 2021 22:31 utc | 96
There are many such nations: Bhutan, New Zealand, Holland, Switzerland, Norway, Costa Rica, Cuba, Finland …..

Posted by: Fyi | Jun 19 2021 0:06 utc | 100