Open Thread 2021-79
News & views ...
Posted by b on October 13, 2021 at 16:00 UTC | Permalink
next page »Piketty vs Hudson if you haven't read or seen it already....
george cables - shared secrets album .. something different... i love bernie maupins bass clarinet on the first track..
Posted by: james | Oct 13 2021 16:03 utc | 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyN0JH8Q9CE&ab_channel=LaynePeck
Good Luck with your recovery. Hopefully this will help pass the time ;-)
Posted by: Kaiama | Oct 13 2021 16:41 utc | 9
Posted by: b | Oct 13 2021 16:02 utc | 1
So, you had an 'event' and the swabs, samples and biopsies showed no major problems?
Phew!
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Oct 13 2021 17:09 utc | 10
It is a mark of civilization that arts are cherished even at the time of crisis.
Nero played fiddle when Rome was burning, Boris paints in Spain, nothing really urgent in England, military just tackled the fuel crisis, Londoners at petrol stations are jubilant ... I did not follow the news after the announcement of calling reservists to drive fuel trucks, but I trust the results were good.
What makes me worry is that Boris seems pasty looking, melanin deficient, and rather than visiting, say, Orkneys, he keeps visiting hot sunny places.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Oct 13 2021 17:09 utc | 11
Lots of reading material online to keep you amused while resting in bed, b!
Fyodor Lukyanov, the editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs, chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and research director of the Valdai International Discussion Club, writes about the Nuland visit:
"Apparently, President Biden and his administration are seeking to secure the Russia–Ukraine status quo, avoiding escalation, especially when it comes to Donbass. I would even go as far as to say the White House is ready to exercise its leverage with Kiev, particularly since President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent change of political character has come as a surprise even to the US, which had high hopes for him as a liberal reformer.
"In the meantime, political developments in Kiev are picking up pace. Zelensky is fixated with consolidating his personal power and cracking down on numerous centres of influence, which until recently has been a notorious and persistent trend in Ukrainian politics.
"However, without a strong footing, he has embarked on building a complex system based on bluff. He is appealing to the West, exploiting it as a bogeyman for domestic tycoons, on a promise to fight corruption with Washington’s assistance. He is also teasing Russia, because the “Russian threat” can force the West to back Kiev despite any tangible progress in the fight against corruption, at least in the form that would make Washington happy.
"It is a shaky and risky venture. It is risky because this rationale might prompt you to escalate the Donbass crisis purely for domestic considerations. Russia does not have too much thick skin, either. Judging by the publications of Russian leaders, Putin’s op-ed on shared historical routes over the summer and former president Dmitry Medvedev’s recent criticism of rising nationalism, the Kremlin has got only so much patience."
As he admits later, it's difficult to judge the talks because of "confidentiality", which is to admit he really doesn't know what's happening thus his rambling op/ed.
The Outlaw US Empire's military is faced with a huge dilemma given vaccine mandates that demand you get jabbed or lose your job--situations that have recently involved very highly paid athletes who sacrificed their values for money. The big problem: The military will lose a great number of its personnel if it fires them for not getting vaccinated. And a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/537308-pentagon-archbishop-vaccine-mandate/">the military's clergy has said soldiers do have the right to refuse and cannot be discharged for having that position. Wow! What a huge difference from Civilian Life where you no longer have any such right. Again, we see the total lack of logic where masking, distancing and hygiene are far more important than the vaccine when it comes to prevention and spread-stopping. Not getting jabbed is now the equivalent of being a Jew in 1930s Germany with a big yellow star you must display at all times:
"Mike Berry, legal representative for the First Liberty Institute, a religious freedom organization that initially passed the documents to Fox, dubbed the Coast Guard guidance among 'the worst constitutional violations I’ve ever seen.'
"'This is nothing less than a modern-day Inquisition. It demonstrates that the [Coast Guard’s] real motivation is religious hostility.'" [My Emphasis]
Meanwhile in the corporate world, Southwest Airlines is taking a beating for its jab mandate:
"Whatever the individual reasons, a mandate mutiny began brewing. It’s manifested now, asserting itself over these last few days in a way that can't be ignored. Pilots save up paid sick days, often accumulating months' worth, even years. As their concerns have gone unheard by executives and, faced with the ignominy of sacrificing bodily autonomy for corporate compliance, or being fired and losing their careers – including all those saved hours they've earned – pilots are simply calling in sick and cashing in their paid leave."
And it's not just pilots as the writer gets to the meat:
"Perhaps the most baffling aspect of the entire scenario is the fact that there isn't even a rule with which Southwest Airlines is complying. When President Biden delivered his ultimatum in September, lawmakers and legal scholars were dubious. Many wondered how Biden intended to give teeth to his speech, as he's not a part of any legislative body. His answer: use the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to define vaccination as a workplace safety concern and issue a rule accordingly.
"Regardless of the small agency's legal standing to accomplish such a legislative workaround, or its ability to subsequently enforce it, a more foundational problem remains for Southwest and other employers: OSHA has not yet made such a rule, much less navigated the legal challenges already being made." [My Emphasis]
And this is the basis for what's at stake:
"Perhaps even more so than the nurses and doctors once held up as heroes and now fired for refusing the jab, these pilots and crew members are showing concerned Americans, Europeans, Australians, and all free citizens, a potential way forward through this miserable morass of mandates. In Western democracies, government is designed to represent the people, not rule them. At some point, our elected officials decided that they would prefer to be masters rather than servants, entangling themselves with corporate leadership in a moldering rat king of stifling bureaucratic fiat and decree.
"Just tell them no.
"American corporations exist at the whim of their customers and through the willingness of their employees.
"The United States government serves only with the consent of the governed.
"Neither is the king of anybody. It's high time they stop behaving as if they are." [My Emphasis]
The author comes close to saying the mandate's being made as a sop for Big Pharma, which it appears more and more people are becoming hip about thanks to news reports like this:
"The US government gave Merck some $29 million towards the development of molnupiravir, a drug that the company says 'reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%' in clinical trials on Covid-19 patients. Despite this generous funding, Merck will still charge the federal government an estimated $712 for a five-day course of pills that costs $17.74 to produce, meaning the US taxpayer will pay for this fortyfold mark-up." [My Emphasis]
And I'll wager that Merck pays zero corporate taxes.
@ Posted by: Piotr Berman | Oct 13 2021 17:09 utc | 11
Just a curiosity: Nero couldn't possibly have played the fiddle because it is a modern invention. He used to play the harp. Even then, if memory doesn't fail me, Nero didn't play the harp while Rome was burning, on the contrary: he did what he could do and later blamed the Christians (at the time, a fringe apocalyptic cult that was blamed for everything bad that happened to Rome).
More grave breaches of numerous articles of the 4th Geneva Convention and the Hague Convention eg, pillage, prohibited destruction, collective punishment and particularly Article 130, paragraph 1, respect for graves.
These are the actual 'rules based international law' provisions Anglo/Zionist politicians from the Captive Nations like to endlessly talk about but offer the bandit state impunity from.
Posted by: Paul | Oct 13 2021 17:21 utc | 16
Russia has long had hypersonic missiles and is the undisputed leader in this technology. China already has developed hypersonic missiles. USA has been struggling for decades, all total failure so far.
Meanwhile North Korea has successfully tested a hypersonic missile.
Iran, your turn ...
Posted by: BM | Oct 13 2021 17:28 utc | 19
it is indeed interesting tbst US soldiers have the right to refuse vaccination. anti vaxxers are over represented in that demographic, so the Pentagon mist need that. they are also probably thinking of recruitment numbers too.
unlike the civilian service sector, military employees are not easy to replace, and the training invested in them is significant. also the troops that have been deployed together can be a tight group, so discharging just one among them would affect morale. as well as make more frequent the mission rotations for remaining service members.
aside from this, I wonder if the Pentagon is using a different set of data in evaluating the actual effectiveness of tb jab, as well as the risks of mRNA vaccines. might thet know something different from what the general masses are fed?
Posted by: mastameta | Oct 13 2021 17:42 utc | 21
Hope it is all well.
Explains the relative quiet output.
But ...not that I am paranoid (much)...without getting into personal details , talk generally about symptoms and chronology?
Bloggers are being legally silenced and jailed evermore everywhere. Including the latest ratchet in Singapore.
Posted by: D.G. | Oct 13 2021 17:42 utc | 22
At the age of twelve I had the first course of "universal" history as it was called then and was truly impressed with the story of Nero burning the city and playing his Lyre, or Caligula naming his horse a senator. But those days, mine I mean, are long gone and how to compare Nero's concert with let's say CNN broadcasting live Bagdad burning, or Dubbya as president of the super power, the idea that progress is linear just went down the toilet.
@Karlof
check Putin's dialog with another vain and deaf US female journalist, it really gives them away the fact that they do not listen to the answers they request, they simply read a set of question-traps to see if the guy falls into the shackle. On top of it the wokesters will have a field day if they find out -it was not translated- that Putin trolled the "community" by referring to the Blue Stream pipeline and saying blue in the proper sense, not in the queer sense since blue in Russian means gay. So much is lost on those translations. The US journo has a script ready made for headlines, what the interviewee has to say has no relevance except if it can be edited to inculpate him/her.
Posted by: Paco | Oct 13 2021 17:46 utc | 23
Yes, lots of news as I said @14. This ought to surprise a few people, "China-US trade surges 35.4% to reach $543 billion in first nine months", thus making Gordon Chang of The Coming Collapse of China fame even more infamous as he continues to peddle his crap.
"Experts expected this year’s bilateral trade will surpass the level before the China-US trade war in 2018 to reach $700 billion as trade relations between the two countries are getting back to normal.
"The growth showed the intertwining character of the world's two largest economies. [My Emphasis]
As Qui-Gon Jinn explained in The Phantom Menace: They form a symbiont system geoeconomically, but with the Outlaw US Empire being far more dependent on China than the reverse. Trump tried to tie a ball and chain around China's leg only to discover it was first attached to Uncle Sam, which is why all attempts at decoupling will fail, thus begging the question: Which is more important for the USA: China or Taiwan? The answer ought to be obvious, but isn't apparently thanks to the perceived threat of Socialism. Soon, the day will come when China tells Uncle Sam he must use Yuan to buy its products as the dollar is no longer wanted.
At Kunming, site of the Biodiversity Summit, a joint declaration was issued, Towards an Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth:
"The Kunming Declaration embodies the consensus of all parties, shows the political determination of all parties to take action to address the challenges of biodiversity and jointly build a community of life on earth, Zhao Yingmin, vice minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said at Wednesday's press conference.
"In the Kunming Declaration, Parties vowed to accelerate formulating or revising biodiversity action plans in each country, set up or optimize a reserve system, actively improve the global environmental legal system and increase funding and technical support for developing countries to achieve the post-2020 global biodiversity framework to push protection and restoration of land, freshwater and marine biodiversity.
"The Kunming Declaration is the main achievement of this conference. The declaration commits to ensuring the formulation, adoption and implementation of an effective post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework to reverse the current loss of biodiversity and ensure that biodiversity is on the path to recovery by 2030 at the latest to fully meet the 2050 vision of living in harmony with nature." [My Emphasis]
IMO, that's a very impressive goal, one no western nation would ever attempt to articulate. The following tells us why:
"Qin, who is also chief expert with the Academy of International Law and Global Governance at Wuhan University, said the protection of biodiversity is more complex than tackling climate change, where countries negotiate on a simpler goal of carbon reduction. Biodiversity, the protection, use and share of relevant resources, plus the situations in different countries, make the issue complex, he said."
So, what's the Outlaw US Empire stance?
"One major power has long been absent in global biodiversity protection efforts - the US. It hasn't approved the Convention on Biological Diversity 30 years after signing it.
"US utilitarianism has prompted it not to join many global biodiversity protection conventions, and US biofirms are part of the reason, experts said.
"Qin said joining those conventions would increase US firms' costs to access bio resources in many developing countries, and add pressure on them to provide funding and transfer technologies on biodiversity protection.
"Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Wednesday that the US' absence has damaged global biodiversity protection efforts, and urged it to cast aside utilitarianism and assume its responsibilities." [My Emphasis]
As usual, business/profit takes precedence over everything, even life itself. How much longer will that "value" be allowed to exist, for it's 100% artificial? Fortunately, the nations attending the Summit arrived at an extremely important consensus that will make further political decisions easier, although that massive impediment, the Outlaw US Empire and its diehard vassals, still remains.
Take care of yourself b and us barflies will carry on without your regular output of good geo-political journalism.
My only invasive event yesterday was thankfully not personal but was getting a new waterline bored from the street into my house to end the past week of having to go turn my water on at the street every time I wanted to flush the toilet, etc......I "used" over 20K gallons of water last month....sigh....a 50 year old copper water supply line that got tired of water hammer from all the refurbishment and extensions and the roots of the 50' maple tree clump next to it didn't help either.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 13 2021 18:06 utc | 25
"This is how irrational most liberals and even many so-called progressive leftists have become. They want a dictatorship in the name of liberalism and progressivism. They have gone nuts for tyranny. Or maybe they always were nuts, maybe they just covered it up really well, maybe now they feel they no longer have to hide their love of tyranny over the common rabble." Tulsi Gabbard Has Not Changed — Her Critics Have
Posted by: Kal | Oct 13 2021 18:22 utc | 26
vaccine mandates: The Canadian province of Quebec was two days away from suspending without pay and revoking licenses of many thousands of health care workers, a decision which has now been postponed a further month. The postponement, a big step back from a series of uncompromising statements from Quebec's health minister, results from the real possibility that the province would have plunged into a very serious staffing crisis.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/dube-update-health-services-plan-1.6208975
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-nurses-unvaccinated-reasons-1.6208174
These mandates are exposing big societal fault lines, due in part to inept messaging which has relied more on coercion and threat than rational argument. The modelling which suggested that 80% vaccination rates would lead to effective "herd immunity" has not held up, which eliminates the main rationale. Yet, on a sort of auto-pilot, the insistence on this strategy continues.
Posted by: jayc | Oct 13 2021 18:25 utc | 27
Paco @23--
Hola!! I read your comment on the previous thread and looked at the Kremlin's site to see how much transcript was there--not much--then I went news hunting and have found much bet almost no mention of Putin's Energy Summit interactions; but I'm still hunting.
Escobar linked to this Cradle article written by its mysterious Lebanon Correspondent:
"Hezbollah is prepared to expel America from Lebanon: As US interference in Lebanon's collapse continues, Hezbollah threatens retaliatory steps to eject American influence across all Lebanese institutions."
Yes, it's juicy:
"In a bold announcement that made no foreign headlines, the head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council Hashem Safieddine has declared that the Lebanese resistance group will seek to expel US meddling and influence from Lebanese state institutions.
"'The US is an enemy no less hostile than Israel, and sometimes more hostile than Israel,' insisted Safieddine, an extremely close confidante of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, during a 4 October internal party meeting. 'We cannot deny America’s security, financial, and economic power and influence; it has a strong presence in the Lebanese state.'
"According to Hezbollah sources, the Lebanese Army establishment, led by General Joseph Aoun, tops the list of institutions under strong US influence, followed by the Central Bank of Lebanon and other Lebanese security departments, state administrations, and development ministries, all deeply infiltrated by America’s yes-men."
And also Saudi's yes-men. The entire article must be read for those wanting to stay abreast of West Asian developments. I can see why Pepe linked to it.
And another article coming from Kunming's Biodiversity Summit explains China's "ecological Red Lines" and that the method will be exported initially to BRI nations:
"Initiated in 2011, China's ecological conservation 'red line' program identifies the country's crucial ecological zones and enforces strict protection in those areas."
As far as I'm aware, this marks the first time China seeks to export any portion of its system:
"Alice Hughes, from the Center for Integrative Conservation of the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told the Global Times that China's ecological red line program is pushing the frontiers on how we can manage the ecological environment, and it's the first systematic way of managing land use across China.
"'We hope such methods can help other countries realize their post-2020 targets based on the red line program,' she said, noting that a research paper on how the red line system could be applied across Southeast Asia was going to be published soon.
"'China's ecological red line may be applied together with Chinese overseas investments, and that would be a very bold move in terms of how we're going to develop. But we're going to help you develop,' she said."
I'm awaiting that paper's publication as it ought to complement the biodivedrsity White Paper issued prior to the Summit.
I see Sputnik has several articles about Putin and the Energy Summit that I'll now investigate!
jayc @27--
Meanwhile Putin and his team say no to coercion and yes to gentle reasoning about vaccines. Of course, Russia's Sputnik-V is probably one of the world's top-3 vaccines, which is why it's being politically blacklisted. Here's Putin talking to the newly elected Duma yesterday:
"We all know well that vaccination can save us from the virus and from a severe course of the disease. It is necessary to step up the vaccination pace. I would like to ask you to be most active in this work, to educate people and speak in the media. People trust and listen to your advice and recommendations. It is very important to do this without a tone of administrative reprimand. We should persistently and patiently work with the people and explain to them the benefits of preventing this dangerous disease. [My Emphasis]
Also it was recently announced that Russia will not issue any sort of vaccine mandate.
Cuba
Here's a gem, Telesur has a 25 minute interview of one of the Cuban 5, Gerardo Hernandez, talks about why he and the other Cuban intelligence people were sent to Miami, recounts some of his 16 year imprisonment, back home in Cuba now, worth your time to watch. The video is linked at the bottom of an article about the firing of the new Miami police chief, pointing to the Cuban cesspool which he called a mafia... I wouldn't give them that much credit: they're not organized enough to be called that.
Posted by: migueljose | Oct 13 2021 18:51 utc | 30
I congratulate China's virus elimination policy, the numbers speak for themselves by comparison with hyper individualistic and self centred western nations totally incapable of self discipline.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30800-8/fulltext
As I understand China's policy in practice; once virus is discovered in a particular local area the inhabitants are required to stay home for 21 days, no exceptions, no coming or going, no visitors.
After 12 to 14 days those with symptoms become evident and are further isolated as are close contacts case by case.
Once isolated the virus has nowhere to go it can't replicate and that is the end of the virus.
How hard is that?
Posted by: Paul | Oct 13 2021 18:51 utc | 31
Paco @23 again--
I'm just now reading the translated Russian at the Kremlin's website as the entire English transcript isn't completed yet, and I must say that Putin sinks poor, miserable Hedley Gamble, who actually tied the anchor to herself before throwing herself into the ocean! After patiently explaining the dynamics of the current energy issue that began with the answer to this question about weaponizing gas:
"I want to ask you directly: Is Russia using energy as a weapon?"
Beware about drinking something while reading Putin's answer:
"Russia does not use any weapons at all, if you have noticed. As for the economy, where do we use guns? What conflicts are we involved in? As for the economy, this is generally excluded. Even during the most difficult periods of the Cold War, Russia regularly supplied gas to Europe on a permanent basis, fully fulfilling its contractual obligations. By the way, at that time, your compatriots, the United States, also fought against this project – 'pipes in exchange for gas'. The then leadership of the Federal Republic still insisted on its own, implemented this project. It is still active and actively participates in the energy balance in Europe.
"This is politically motivated chatter that has no basis in itself – as for the use of energy as a weapon."
Then the explanation about dynamics which elicited this question from Gamble:
"But this year the European gas limit has increased by 60 percent, it happened in a few weeks, and world prices soared.
"How can you make Europe believe that you are a reliable gas partner when you are not supplying this energy through gas pipelines?"
Putin: "Beautiful woman, pretty. I tell her one thing, she tells me something completely different. It was like I didn't hear what I said. I'll tell you again."
She says that she heard him, but Putin continues (Recall this is a machine translation):
" Look, you just said that you are not supplying gas to Europe via gas pipelines. You are being misled. And you, dear colleague, and all those who feed on information from such sources. We are increasing supplies to Europe, Gazprom by 10 percent, and Russia as a whole has increased supplies to Europe by 15 percent. And the gas pipelines increased by 10 percent, and LNG to 13 percent caught up. We increase, not reduce, but increase supplies. And other suppliers reduced by 14 billion cubic meters. Of these, half of the cuts are accounted for by suppliers from the United States.
"Did I say something incomprehensible? Did you hear me? Increase. And if we are asked to increase more, we are ready to increase more. We increase as much as our partners ask us. There is not a single refusal, not a single one, and we are increasing in the direction of Turkey, in the Blue Stream in the good sense of the word, in the Turkish Stream, we are increasing these supplies to the Balkans, now we are going through the Turkish Stream, increasing them along existing routes. We even increased supplies through the GTS of Ukraine. The increase this year through the GTS of Ukraine in excess of our contractual obligations for transit will be approximately 10 percent. You can't increase there anymore. Everyone hints to us: increase more supplies through Ukraine. It is dangerous to increase, the GTS has not been repaired there for decades, it is possible, if the pressure increases, it will burst altogether, Europe will completely lose this route. There is 80 percent of equipment wear, over 80 percent. No one wants to listen to or hear anything. Everyone is only determined to blame Russia for something." [My Emphasis]
Well, even the Russian transcript isn't complete as it ends with that exchange. The reason why Ukraine doesn't repair its pipelines ought to be obvious: If that was done, there'd be less money available for kleptocrats to steal. English language Russian media is sparing the woman further embarrassment by not publishing her exchange with Putin.
Have a goods night rest b. Works wonders. (unless you have cat that wants to walk lovingly all over you to keep you company......)
****
Oddity.
"Covid accelerated a decline in life expectancy in many areas of England. There is a 27-year gap in life expectancy between men living in Kensington and Chelsea (95.3) and Blackpool (68.3)."
This is from the Spectator (I do not have a sub so only get "teasers" rather than being able to access the whole article).
Life expectancy is a statistical estimate, but the sheer scale needs some explanation, doesn't it?
Possible causes.
One; Could be differences in Health service. (Including more private schemes in the London area). Some hospitals have been claimed to be empty - with "dancing" staff who have nothing else to do. Is there a geographical reason for this?
Or; Work related, as hands-on workers have "traditionally" lived harder lives, and so "use up" their physical resistance.
Or; Deliberate elimination of the "old". As has apparently been carried out in the UK, by mixing those carrying Covid with Old age pensioners?
Or; ........?
*
It would explain why some people are wary of returning to backbreaking work for little pay. There is at the moment a "bottleneck" about getting workers for the building trade - among others. Live longer - do nothing?
****
This should scare the shit out of many people.
https://rivercitymalone.com/health/pathologists-investigate-deaths-after-covid-vaccination/
He calls them "Fauci" bodies, taken from those who have died after vaccination. The original article is in German, (Burkhardt), but it is the slides that are important. Particularly the one with rows of little blue dots in a sample taken from a vaccine, or the strange shaped rectangular inclusions.
Look at them all.
I cannot verify this article as absolutely true - I don't have the ability, but it is definitely worth knowing about.
Posted by: Stonebird | Oct 13 2021 19:39 utc | 33
karlof1 | Oct 13 2021 19:28 utc | 32
Lovely, but I think Putin's patience is wearing very thin. I suppose talking to idiots has a limit somewhere.
According to Zelensky, he "needs" the £3 billion to pay the army. The klepocracy only come second best, to siphon off the "aid" from the US and EU. Many of them live abroad anyway. (Kolomoiski was in Switzerland not so long ago, much easier to walk round the corner to the Bank. Do Oligarchs still walk?)
Posted by: Stonebird | Oct 13 2021 19:50 utc | 34
A few days ago, Paco linked to Medvedev's article about Russian-Ukrainian relations in Kommersant in Russian which the Saker has now posted in English. Medvedev paints a very dreary picture of Ukraine's "leaders" who he characterizes as the "Overlord's" "vassals":
"At the head of Ukraine are weak people who strive only to fill their pockets."
That "ignorant and unnecessary people are at the head of this country."
"Ukrainian leaders, especially top officials, are people who do not have any stable self-identification."
"This means that negotiations with them are absolutely meaningless."
Oh, and he says a lot more in between the cited words above. IMO, Medvedev was a good choice to start a Flame War with Ukraine's kleptocrats.
IMO, a rather dramatic difference in reporting on the Biodiversity Summit between this article and those I posted earlier in this thread, although it did at least admit the Outlaw US Empire isn't a party to the Treaty.
Again, we see the total lack of logic where masking, distancing and hygiene are far more important than the vaccine when it comes to prevention and spread-stopping. Not getting jabbed is now the equivalent of being a Jew in 1930s Germany with a big yellow star you must display at all times:
karlof1 | Oct 13 2021 17:20 utc | 14
The modelling which suggested that 80% vaccination rates would lead to effective "herd immunity" has not held up, which eliminates the main rationale. Yet, on a sort of auto-pilot, the insistence on this strategy continues.
Posted by: jayc | Oct 13 2021 18:25 utc | 27
------
i have never been in the USM, thank Christ, but I know enough vets to know that stories of military resistance to vaccines are total rubbish. "you are a guinea pig" is the most common phrase said to a recruit in bootcamp. grunts are injected w/all kinds of experimental shit, w/o complaint or the tiniest rumble or grumble of resistance.
i'm all for the US military totally collapsing and if anti-vaxxing bullshit does it, more power to it. don't tell the deep brains here at MoA, much less where it matters at the DOD, that China, Russia (yes, that Russia), etc., don't give soldiers these kinds of choices. is Israel giving its troopers an "opt out"? is Mexico? Turkey?
comparing anti-vaxxers to Jews under Hitler..."inside every American, there is a wounded chest thumping Proud frat boy just waiting to get out and avenge being stabbed in the back." half the US isn't vaccinated.
Posted by: rjb1.5 | Oct 13 2021 20:19 utc | 38
There's op-ed in todays WaPo by David Ignatius entitled "Another incredible shrinking president" about Mr. Biden's problems and difficulties, primarily domestic. There've been a spate of articles in the Post recently on the same tack, about his difficulties with his own party, and his declining popularity. A close friend from CIA, a middle manger now deceased, told me Mr. Ignatius was so precisely accurate about the Agency (never called the Company) in his spy novels that he was considered there an in-house propagandist of sorts, receiving inside knowledge of Agency operations, in return for espousing the Agency line in his columns. The owner of of the WaPo, moreover, has a $6 Billion cloud computing contract with the Agency, a $12 Billion one with NSA, and has just gotten the $10 Billion one with DoD re-opened on appeal. He knows which side his bread is buttered on.
Taken together, IMHO, it's likely the handwriting is on the wall. The MCI has decided Mr. Biden must go, after exiting Afghanistan, making nice to the Russians, and being reasonable to the Chinese, in spite of the best efforts of his subordinates. It's reminiscent of early Watergate after Nixon made peace in Vietnam, plus a rapprochement with China; and also of mid-1963 before Dallas with JFK, after the Cuban Missile settlement, the test-ban treaty, and JFK's announced plans to leave Viet Nam. If Mr. Biden's party turns against him, there'll be enough votes in both houses to invoke the 25th Amendment. There may be a Kamala Harris in our future.
Posted by: Seward | Oct 13 2021 20:24 utc | 39
A couple of months ago I posted a comment on MoA (Posted by: dh-mtl | Aug 22 2021 14:28 utc | )speculating that there has been a split in the ranks of the American section of the 'Global Elites' between those who are true internationalists (Atlanticists) and those who are US-centric.
Alasdair Crooke, in this article (https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/europa-scorned-and-forsaken), permits to offer more definition around this split. From reading the article it seems that the US-centric elites would be aligned with Stratfor, a U.S. geo-political think-tank based in Austin, Tx. As I discussed in the comment cited above, it seems that these US-centric elites now control much of the U.S. military industrial complex as well as the Federal Reserve Bank. The political connections of these elites would be primarily with the Republican Party.
The opposing Atlanticist Global Elites are those who would be aligned with the likes of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Alantic Council etc. and effectively control the CIA, State Department, Justice Department, FBI and most domestic government agencies. They also effectively control the DNC, most of the Democratic Party, and are supported by some Republicans (for example Liz Cheney).
As I speculated in the comment two months ago, the open split between these two groups, the Atlanticist Elites and the US-centric Elites, would have happened in the March-April time frame when the U.S. military walked away from the confrontation with Russia that the British and Nato were ginning up around Ukraine and Belarus. The U.S. pull-out from Afganistan would be the second phase of what Alasdair Crooke calls 'America’s abandonment of the Great Game ploy'. Crooke goes on to state that 'George Friedman (of Stratfor fame)' 'implied (to the Europeans) that NATO and Europe are not particularly relevant to the US in the new context of ‘China competition’.
It seems that the split between these two groups has been in the making for some time. Indeed during Obama's last term it often appeared that John Kerry, as State Secretary, would go to the Middle-East to announce a US policy initiative only to have some faction in the military pull the rug out from under his feet. From reading Alasdair Crooke's article it appears that this US-centric group used the Trump years to consolidate their position in the Military-Industrial Complex, and that the Atlanticists were not able to replace them when the Biden administration took power, with the exception of a few figure heads such as the Secretary of Defense, General Lloyd Austin.
The confrontation between these two groups for control of the U.S. could well be the defining conflict in geopolitics for the next 5 to 10 years. For each group the other represents an existential threat.
For the Atlanticists, a U.S. foreign policy as outlined by George Friedman, and described in Crooke's article, would mean the end of the their project to create a Globalist Empire (i.e. global governance by global institutions largely based in Europe). It would, in all likelihood lead to the demise of both NATO and the EU. For the Atlanticists, Russia is the key adversary, for if they can control Russia, then they can control China. China is not a threat, but rather, if under their control, China would be the production center for the Globalist Empire.
For the US-centric elites, whose objective is to reestablish the U.S. as an industrial and economic super-power, the Atlanticist policies of open borders, Green New Deal and racial reparations represent the destruction of the U.S. as a modern industrial economy. Under the Atlanticist Global Empire the U.S. would be assigned the role of world policeman, and would cease to be an economic and geo-political super-power.
China is also an existential threat for the US-centric elites. The rebuilding of the U.S. as an industrial power is based on the development of advanced military, transportation, energy and industrial technologies. The backbone of these technologies is advanced chip manufacturing which is currently located in Taiwan. Building an equivalent U.S. based advanced chip manufacturing capability is a project measured in decades. If China should take take control of Taiwan, as they are currently threatening to do, it would instantly inherit this advanced chip capability and eliminate any possibility of the U.S. regaining its position as a leading industrial power.
Looking at the political situation in the U.S. as a confrontation between these two groups of elites, (one, an Atlanticist group aligned with a Globalist project that sees a limited and subordinate role for the U.S. in a Globalist world run by global institutions, and the second a US-centric group looking to rebuild the U.S. as an economic and industrial super-power, where each group views the policies of the other as an existential threat,) enables to better understand the depth and virulence of the political war that is taking place in Washington. Could the forced resignations of the Fed governors over ethics issues one the one hand, and the Durham investigation leading to the Clintons, on the other hand, also be part of this war?
Posted by: dh-mtl | Oct 13 2021 21:02 utc | 40
Seward @Oct13 20:24 #39:
IMO your comment has many flaws:
- David Ignatius' role as CIA spokesperson is already acknowledged by moa commenters (has been for years).
- Biden is a Deep-Stater and team player. Believing that he is responsible for his (apparently) failed policies is naive.
- Biden's failures set the stage for a resurgent Republican Party.
Naturally, Republicans don't want to acknowledge Biden/Sanders as controlled opposition any more than they would acknowledge Trump as a Deep-Stater. Republicans, especially of the "populist" sort, prefer to think that they are heroically battling "the Left" and/or a Deep-State that is aligned with the Left.
!!
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 13 2021 21:07 utc | 41
Take it easy, b - rest and recuperate! Best wishes for your good health.
Posted by: Hope | Oct 13 2021 21:20 utc | 43
dh-mtl @Oct13 21:02 #40
The 'Woke' Left is being set up for a fall. That elite globalists are conflated with the woke is silly. The elite globalists will still have influence long after the 'woke' hoards have been turned back.
The Empire is globalist. 'America First' jingoism doesn't change that. It is simply necessary to rally the troops/people around the flag as conflict looms.
'Woke' globalists are not an existential threat, they are foil for a move to the right that crushes dissent.
IMO hyper-partisanship is both a tool for shaping a political outcome and smokescreen.
!!
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 13 2021 21:22 utc | 44
I was just watching this Useful idiots part where they discuss Mate/Isikoff discussing Assange's notorious discussion of Seth Rich. Taibbi does note Assange is doing something inappropriate. I can give multiple scenarios but will just give the most fitting, that the (main) leaker is not Rich but is very worried by Rich's murder.
Add to that that Wikileaks has had independent contact with Rich and are very upset themselves.
Assange was trying to present a general theoretical argument inspired by a very real concern and under assault of an interviewer eager to distort the interpretation, made a bit of a mess of it, giving away more than intended. It is starting by thinking you can give the argument that leakers would be worried by the killing of Rich regardless of who he is, but then realizing you're giving away more than intended.
There was no attempt at trying to be too clever. That is the bit Taibbi didn't see.
Posted by: Tuyzentfloot | Oct 13 2021 21:25 utc | 45
Welcome to Canada. Half of us have had "colds" lately. It's the wee ones you see. They think they have to hug everything.
Because it's within my purview, I have been paying attention. There's nobody feaked out about what specifically it is. No uncomfortable silence greets my witty Covid jokes. No inquiries about tests.
All the immune compromised adults want the kids in school and hanging with their friends. We take vit C, D and zinc. Which we should regardless. Good enough.
It is what it is. Might my Covid death be imminent? Pfffft. Whatever. Life is for the young is it not? If we let them live it that is.
Our ICUs in western Canada are overloaded and I have no objection to flattening the curve. However that is more an issue of our gutted medical system than Covid.
It's the vulnerable that need to self isolate in the mid term though. Long term there's now a great deal of science focused on this; I am seeing results already.
Are we animals ruled by our fears? It's one of those self evident things we avoid thinking about. I do think this whole Covid drama has helped prove the case. I am certain of it.
Posted by: David G Horsman | Oct 13 2021 22:02 utc | 46
Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 13 2021 18:03 utc | 24
Interesting stuff. Given all the press given to the upcoming IPCC 2021 UN climate report: NOT!!! For a brief moment I thought we were magically out of the woods. Apparently we're not, and the preview is not very pretty. I appears that the IPCC has been understating the situation for quite some time by talking about average change in surface temperature and millimeters of ocean rise for the last 10 years. These measures the scientists contend are minimizing the risk that we face by using average measurements on a global scale. The consequences of even a very small change in average global temperature are enormous with regard to extreme events such as drought, flood, fire, and so on. One of the authors point out that passing 1.5 C marker doubles the number of extreme events and a 2.0 C marker quadruples them.
Some of the scientists are actually attempting get a handle on measurement of energy transmission into the atmosphere and ocean. The measured results are dramatic and not so pretty. The problem they contend is that a number of tipping points have been passed, such as the "loss of the Amazon" as a CO2 sink, as well as the thawing of Siberian permafrost. As a result methane is rapidly rising along with NO2, which is an even a more powerful gas.
Other statistical studies show that the probability of the simultaneous failure of the three major grain producing regions of the planet reach 50% at 2.0 degrees, and 90% at 3.0 degrees. We will not drown, but rather starve.
A link to the article is listed below along with a video discussion with people concerned about this situation.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2021/10/12/code-red-on-facingfuture-tv/
There is also a link on "The Analysis" where Paul Jay discusses Chapter 11 of the upcoming IPCC report with one of the the climate scientist who wrote this chapter. The video, while interesting is a bit long winded, but the accompanying text faster to digest.
My own unscientific conjectures regarding this topic are statements and actions by world leaders, such as Vladimir Putin in his annual address last spring on the state of the nation regarding climate change, where is states that action must be taken as 40% of structures in Siberia are at risk, as well as 60% of Russia. My question that seems unanswered to me, is what are his plans to reverse this process? Have the Russians already started stratospheric aerosol injection? Given the controversy about such action, it is very probable that it would never be announced. On a separate conjecture, Xi Jinping's move to stop buying Australian coal and shut down certain segments of manufacturing might also be related to this problem.
Posted by: Michael | Oct 13 2021 22:09 utc | 47
@44 "The 'Woke' Left is being set up for a fall."
Does that mean the Rolling Stones can sing Brown Sugar again?
Posted by: dh | Oct 13 2021 22:23 utc | 48
Posted by: rjb1.5 | Oct 13 2021 20:19 utc | 38
comparing anti-vaxxers to Jews under Hitler..."inside every American, there is a wounded chest thumping Proud frat boy just waiting to get out and avenge being stabbed in the back." half the US isn't vaccinated.
_________________________________________________________
Actually they say that 60% of the US population is vaccinated (77%0f the population allowed to be vaccinated) which is a lot less than the 84% that could be vaccinated if every eligible person was vaccinated. Of course, if every eligible person was vaccinated and the pandemic still continued then there would be a real credibility problem!
But as long as you got the anti-vaxxers to blame there is no credibility problem.
Posted by: jinn | Oct 13 2021 22:23 utc | 49
Jackrabbit wrote;
Republicans, especially of the "populist" sort, prefer to think that they are heroically battling "the Left" and/or a Deep-State that is aligned with the Left.
______________________________________________________________
heh heh, there is always something that anyone prefers, but there are few who can resist preferring to be something heroic...
___________________________________
and then jackrabbit wrote:
The 'Woke' Left is being set up for a fall.
_______________________________________
Well yah obviously, but you also got admit they entirely deserve it...
But in all fairness you have to also admit that the populist right is also being set up for a fall.
and sure they deserve it, also...
Posted by: jinn | Oct 13 2021 22:37 utc | 50
karlof1 #32
"less money for kleptocrats to steal"
More likely less money for Hunter BIDEN to steal. The gross dishonesty of the usai elite has no limit.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Oct 13 2021 22:50 utc | 51
Dear B,
No need to apologise for not posting! We barflies can find plenty to keep us occupied. Take care and get as much rest as you need.
Posted by: Jen | Oct 13 2021 22:52 utc | 52
Get well soon B, my thoughts are with you. I hope you have a good view of some beautiful German Autumn scenery.
Posted by: Bill in the Four Cor | Oct 13 2021 23:07 utc | 53
"Veering to the Abyss… U.S. and Allies Are Intellectually Comatose," has Finnian Cunningham interviewing Michael Brenner--when I read Brenner's replies, I hear myself. I picked one of the exchanges to highlight:
"QUESTION: All three AUKUS members stand to lose economically if relations with China slump further. The economies of the U.S., Britain and Australia rely heavily on China’s vast markets, so what accounts for the self-defeating antagonism of their governments towards Beijing? Could they be so stupidly shortsighted?
"MICHAEL BRENNER: Yes – just as the Europeans are in regard to Russia. There is not a strategic mind in a position of authority anywhere in the West. The United Kingdom is run by a bunch of buffoons who live in a 'Jewel in the Crown' mental world. While Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is just posturing. He will be brought up short when the economic losses inevitably hit Australia’s population. Against that, however, the big news is in Japan where Fumio Kishida, the new prime minister, has shifted the country’s attitude towards the PRC by at least 90 degrees. In a breakthrough cordial exchange with China’s President Xi last week both leaders reportedly agreed to pursue 'constructive and stable relations' based on increased dialogue."
In these interviews, I'm always puzzled about the utter lack of questions regarding those pulling the strings as the focus is always on the puppets, a frustration I'm sure is shared by most barflies. Perhaps we can make inferences based on the puppets's performances and the discourse emerging from their scripts.
As we saw from the earlier trade report I provided, it appears China and Russia's strategy is to cut away the vassals from the Outlaw US Empire as it's already isolated itself to a large degree internationally. Putin emphasized the energy backstabbing delivered to the EU when promised LNG shipments went everywhere but the EU and sank the Establishment Narrative that Russia's to blame for increased energy costs. China meanwhile is boosting its Soft Power by offering its leadership on two critical, interconnected ecological issues, Climate and Biodiversity and has effectively shoved the Outlaw US Empire out of the way.
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 13 2021 21:22 utc | 44
I fully agree that the 'Woke Left' is not an existential threat. However, people such as George Soros and Klaus Schwab and their bosses, who are behind these Woke policies, open borders, Green New Deal, racial reparations etc., that are designed to turn the U.S. into a de-industrialized, third world colony of the Globalist empire, certainly are an existential threat to anyone who's well being is dependent on the well-being of the U.S.
On the other hand policies such as those that George Friedman outlined to the Europeans are the last thing that Soros, Schwab, etc. want to hear. They will essentially destroy the whole Globalization project.
'IMO hyper-partisanship is both a tool for shaping a political outcome and smokescreen.' I don't think so. These people are playing for keeps!
Posted by: dh-mtl | Oct 13 2021 23:21 utc | 56
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Oct 13 2021 22:50 utc | 51
Not really. Poor Hunter got a cushy job, allowing to pocket OK money for periodically linking online to some meetings where he did not need to say a word, our economy has plenty such job to bestow on politically connected, so very, very legal, and on a larger scale, very paltry amount of money.
What is really disturbing is that USA and "collective West" builds those "anti-corruption infrastructure" which is less effective than mowing is in elimination of grass (when the latter is also watered, fertilized etc.). Very few and very selected scalps are collected. This "infrastructure" is programmatically corrupted as a tool to bestow the right too loot for those who are obedient and politically convenient.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Oct 13 2021 23:45 utc | 57
Michael @47--
What can Russia do to reverse the continual upward CO2 rise?
It could snuff out the massive wildfires that occur annually in the Taiga, burning the CO2 absorbing forest while releasing more CO2. The fires there make those we have out here in the Western USA like campfires. This year set a new record at well over 18 million hectares of land. I believe Putin is close to changing Russia's policy dealing with them, but it's possible more CO2 will be emitted in fighting them than letting them burn since they're almost always in very remote regions of Siberia that can only be access via airplane. But Putin wants Russia's forests to be counted as CO2 absorbers when counting Russia's CO2 footprint.
Overall, the entire planet's energy use/CO2 output is in a state of flux. ROSATOM's closing the nuclear fuel cycle is a big step forward as is it's ability to design much smaller reactors that will allow the many nations still in development to bypass the heavy fossil-fuel usage phase of development. But lots of CO2 gets emitted when making concrete to build things. Eventually, humanity will solve the fusion problem, but IMO it won't have an impact on the Climate Crisis until 2100. One of the goals China has for its space program's new space station is to experiment with solar collection and downward transmission to Earth to assess its feasibility. My favorite's the harnessing of stratospheric winds by kites tethered to generators having the ability to operate continuously given the constancy of winds at that altitude. Then there're improvements in long distance high voltage transmission and related grid structures. Concentrated solar generation is being given an opportunity to produce by the Chinese.
My opinion on geoengineering isn't favorable primarily because it ignores the huge problem of ocean acidification and diverts scarce resources away from genuine solutions. As for the IPCC scenario humanity faces, it doesn't have one since the state of the crisis is currently beyond the worst case.
Get well B!!!!
https://fivegunswest.blogspot.com/2021/10/decanterbury-tales-short-primer-on.html
Posted by: FiveGunsWest | Oct 14 2021 1:24 utc | 59
Time for your daily dose of RT:
You know you crossed the limits when neoliberalism sympathizer Vladimir V. Putin tells you you abused your financial system.
--
Overdoses soar by nearly 30 PERCENT in US, breaking record for second year in a row – CDC
That's why Russia and China want peace. Americans simply kill themselves in peacetime.
--
Holy shit:
Bow and arrow attack kills 5, injures 2 people in Norway, terrorism not ruled out (PHOTOS)
Norwegians are so rich they're killing themselves in exotic ways out of boredom.
--//--
How inflation works in capitalism (fiat system only):
Stagflation: a demand or supply side story?
The scientific answer is in paragraph #27.
dh-mtl @Oct13 23:21 #56
I don't think so. These people are playing for keeps![Responding to my statement: "IMO hyper-partisanship is both a tool for shaping a political outcome and smokescreen."]
LOL. The Left has been given enough rope to hang itself. Which it has done nicely.
Propagandist Victor David Hanson explains the turnabout from the POV of the butt hurt right:
The Left Got What It Wanted - So Now What?What was the purpose for the insane opposition of the Left between 2017 and 2021? To usher in a planned nihilism, an incompetent chaos, a honed anarchy to wreck the country in less than a year? ... the Left won its Pyrrhic victory.
(ht neoliberal ZeroHedge)
We are now seeing many express similar sentiments: the 'woke', authoritarian Left is a drowning man and must be stopped before we are all dragged under!
Those with no memory of the last few decades will not see the set-up through the hyper-partisan smokescreen.
!!
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 14 2021 1:46 utc | 61
jinn @Oct13 22:37 #50:
But in all fairness you have to also admit that the populist right is also being set up for a fall.
Yes. After the turn to the right.
More accurately: populism itself is being set-up for a fall.
!!
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 14 2021 1:51 utc | 62
Maidan comes home to roost
Robert Kagan, the neocon husband of Victoria Nuland has written a dystopian prediction on how the United States will descend into anarchy during the 2024 presidential elections. The title may be misleading, 2020 was a "constitutional crisis". 2024 will be civil war. One thing is certain though, no amount of State Department cookies can save America.
Opinion: Our constitutional crisis is already here - Washinton Post, September 23, 2021The United States is heading into its greatest political and constitutional crisis since the Civil War, with a reasonable chance over the next three to four years of incidents of mass violence, a breakdown of federal authority, and the division of the country into warring red and blue enclaves.
Interesting reading, but while reading, remember it was written by the devil himself.
Posted by: Petri Krohn | Oct 14 2021 2:09 utc | 63
B, best wishes for your health and congratulations on the negative results.
Posted by: bobzibub | Oct 14 2021 2:56 utc | 66
AUKUS unmasked, as an Australian this realistic article brings me no joy, only despair that 'The Lucky Country' is without any leadership and with only obsequious second rate morons to chose from.
"By joining Australia and the UK in the AUKUS agreement, the US has highlighted its decline. And if that decline continues, Australia will find itself increasingly isolated.
Empires historically collapse from the periphery to the core. AUKUS, far from being a source of strength is a key marker of imperial decline."
https://johnmenadue.com/aukus-alliance-highlights-us-decline-and-australian-humiliation/
Posted by: Paul | Oct 14 2021 3:29 utc | 67
The Canadistani propagandist Gwynne Dyer (which among other things spent 25 years, 1989-2014, predicting the imminent and inevitable collapse of China, claims that billionaires are the best rulers for poor countries since they are already rich and "don't need to steal", alleges Putin poisoned Navalny and Lukashenko "probably" lost the election in Belarus) admits in one of its recent (obesely smug) articles that if it wanted to, China could invade and capture Taiwan even today. However, it bloviates, Amerikastan would immediately "destroy China" by imposing a "sea blockade". Apparently it has yet to get its fat-saturated brain around the concept that China can do ten times more damage to Amerikastan, since it literally makes everything Amerikastanis depend on for their existence, and that Amerikastanis aware of that.
https://bangordailynews.com/2021/10/11/opinion/contributors/will-china-invade-taiwan/
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Oct 14 2021 3:46 utc | 68
India: massive coal shortages mysteriously coincide with the Modi regime wanting to sell off all government owned economic infrastructure to its capitalist cronies, especially the Ambani and Adani groups. Adani, significantly, is mostly concerned with mining. 13 or so years ago, the then Manmohan Singh regime broke off ties with its Communist party allies in order to push through an agreement to buy nuclear reactors from Amerikastan, Singh (who hugged George W Bush and informed him that "the people of India love you, Mr Bush") averring that it would solve all of India's power requirements. Now in 2021 almost all Indian power still comes from coal fired thermal plants and massive blackouts are inevitable.
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Oct 14 2021 3:58 utc | 69
b. Probes, swabs and allegedly small cameras stuffed into nooks and crannies that were not designed for it are not the most pleasant of things. Best.
Posted by: Billb | Oct 14 2021 4:05 utc | 70
Petri Krohn @Oct14 2:09 #63:
Kagan: greatest political and constitutional crisis since the Civil War... remember it was written by the devil himself.
Making the comment from "Seward" (@Oct13 20:24 #39) all the more interesting.
William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869 ... he was a prominent figure in the Republican Party in its formative years, and was praised for his work on behalf of the Union as Secretary of State during the Civil War.
Someone wants to frame what is coming as "saving the union"?
!!
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 14 2021 4:10 utc | 71
Covid update from India.
From day to day covid cases are coming down slowly. At present daily cases average around 20,000 with Kerala contributing around half. In typical beaurcratic style govt took out ivermectin and HCQ usage once cases were under control and emphasis is back to jabs. Govt has especially cleared Gates sponsered covaxin for administration to children from 2 to 18 and is probably awaiting signal from abroad for its launch. The tragedy is people are so brainwashed from media and govt that many are welcoming jabs to kids so that the children can go back to school. As with everything the jabs to kids may end in disaster but we have to wait and see what happens next.
Posted by: R M Rao | Oct 14 2021 4:30 utc | 72
@ R M Rao 72
Agree fully with you comment.
To add, young children have been deprived of physically meeting their class peers for over 18 months. Anyone thinking that doesn't mess with their psyche is ignorant or is a higher = old government bureaucrat/ politician without close contact with small kids.
Posted by: Antonym | Oct 14 2021 4:44 utc | 73
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 14 2021 1:46 utc | 61
That's not any "left", those are radlibs.
Posted by: Misotheist | Oct 14 2021 7:43 utc | 75
The new NSW premier has been advise to push for two million migrants over five years to drive economic growth and fill labour shortages. This from todays AFR:
"These three surprising countries could win the global war for talent
The “great lockdown” will be followed by the “great migration”, and among the front runners to attract the best and brightest are Canada, Japan and – wait for it – Kazakhstan"
Meanwhile, the best NZ can do is encourage Pacific Islanders to come to pick berries and be cheap exploited farm labourers because NZ refuses to make Managed isolation places available. There are TEN beds available in Wellington, the national capital. NZ refuses to provide managed isolation places available for Kiwis returning home. A pathetic lack of governance.
Posted by: Paul | Oct 14 2021 9:33 utc | 76
Biswapriya Purkayast @68: "...Amerikastan would immediately "destroy China" by imposing a "sea blockade"..."
Such brilliance! America will blockade China and prevent them from shipping their products to... America!
For those who still hold out faith that American industry will rise from its ashes like some grotesque, red, white, and blue capitalist phoenix, what more evidence do you need that it is "Game Over"? We are rapidly approaching the two year mark for pandemic-imposed trade friction, which itself followed on years of deliberate trade friction from trade war, and where is the rebirth of industrial America? We're even further from that now than a decade ago, and drifting further each year. So now America is contemplating using its military to force a halt in trade in the hopes that will bring back the economic boom years for the US?
It is hopeless, empire fanbois. The US cannot even afford to fix its domestic freight infrastructure, which collapsed due to decades of over-optimization.
Middle manager trying to justify his existence: "Hey, if we hold off on ordering this product until the last minute then we can shut down this warehouse and save $millions per year! Do I get my annual bonus now?"
Brilliant. Now shipping containers are your warehouse, but China needs those containers to ship you your next batch of stuff. There is no excess inventory of shipping containers because those too have been pared down to the minimum to squeeze a few more cents of profit out of the system. There is no wiggle room in trucking either because that industry has been optimized to the max to previous conditions for profitability too.
And you cannot "un-optimize" now. Business now relies upon those optimizations for its profits. If they have to build warehousing and higher freight rates become the norm then they will go out of business.
It is easy to see why the imperial leadership might be considering war as the only way out.
Posted by: William Gruff | Oct 14 2021 11:12 utc | 77
Gobbling China’s exports, US sinks into dependency
David P. Goldman forgot to mention China's imports from the USA grew even more (by some 42%), so dependence of the USA on China is even greater.
@44 and @48C "Critical" as emerging religion.
You might find this of interest.
20 minute presentation plus Q&A.
"Cancel Culture and Wokeness" (Sep 10, 2021)
(internationales literaturfestival berlin)
"The linguist, comparatist, publicist, and author John McWhorter [via live stream] has been involved in socio-political debates in the USA for many years, drawing attention to himself through critical comments on concepts such as ›white fragility‹. Currently, he sees the freedom of academic teaching as being threatened by ideological bans. A lecture on cancel culture and wokeness, followed by a discussion. Host: Matthew Karnitschnig."
Posted by: imo | Oct 14 2021 11:27 utc | 79
TSMC looking to build Japan plant in 2022 and start operations in 2024
All of this "according to sources with knowledge of the matter".
One semiconductor factory for the USA, another one for Japan... TSMC is giving semiconductor factories like candy!
How long until they realize TSMC is selling bridges in Brooklyn?
P.S.: the tactic of using taxpayer money to pay for the costs of relocation is standard Japanese practice, and has absolutely no novelty in it. This is the same tactic Japan tried to use to remove manufacturing from China during the apex of the "decoupling" fever (roughly the Trump era). It failed.
Cancel Culture, Wokeness, Political Correctness, Social Justice, etc...
all loosely-defined, subjective terms that can be tossed about to support or refute a person's point of view.
I tend to avoid them for that reason.
Posted by: Malchik Ralf | Oct 14 2021 12:05 utc | 81
The level of delusion in this article is off the charts:
How to Build a Better ‘Made in America’
Just one observation: to reach the level of international coordination the authors want, we would have to have a socialist world. In a capitalist world, you're just asking for more coercion and military interventions by the USA.
The German Bundeswehr held a nighttime torch procession through the center of Berlin, attended by von der Leyen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNmUKUWCSCs
Somehow this reminds me of something, but I can't quite pinpoint it...
Posted by: Norwegian | Oct 14 2021 13:54 utc | 83
Manual recount in Iraqi elections B. Interesting to see if there is a significant difference in the results.
Posted by: Reggie | Oct 14 2021 13:56 utc | 84
How to Build a Better ‘Made in America’
Just one observation: to reach the level of international coordination the authors want, we would have to have a socialist world. In a capitalist world, you're just asking for more coercion and military interventions by the USA.
Posted by: vk | Oct 14 2021 12:09 utc | 82
I found a better method. I recall a quip (but I do not recall the source) "Did you see a Russian toaster?". That raises a question: can you find an American toaster? Apparently, you can, if you pay 10 times more ... according to a website. Then I noticed another web search hit: "10 top toasters made in USA". And wow! Those toasters can be ordered from Amazon, Walmart etc. Website is run honestly enough to inform that they are independent from the producers, they merely get a dollar on a purchase if clicked from their website.
I clicked on top three. All made in China. The top method!
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Oct 14 2021 13:57 utc | 85
: mastameta | Oct 13 2021 17:42 utc | 21
The following contradicts what you posted...
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/09/15/what-happens-soldiers-who-refuse-covid-vaccine.html
Posted by: notlurking | Oct 14 2021 14:08 utc | 86
In life and in mathematics we were always told that KISS was the way- keep it simple & stupid.
Taliban are doing just that- a one way ticket (Kabul-Islamabad) that at times costed as low as $90 are now selling for as high as $1500.
Taliban told the Pakistani carrier to bring the prices down to earlier levels or face a ban....does not matter that they(PIA) are the only foreign carrier coming to Afghanistan... or how the intricacies of free market dictate this hike... or the theory of some nobel prize winner justifying this daylight robbery... or the people who are leaving are for the most part anti Taliban...
It also did not take them months to come up with this decision.
They realized that it was thievery and took a stand against it right away.
Posted by: nme | Oct 14 2021 14:41 utc | 87
if you spend a couple of nights sleeping on the sidewalks of the US, you might observe the operation of the modern day street sweeper. (it still says, "'weep, 'weep", underneath all that grinding and churning, don't you worry).
the street sweepers run 24/7/365 through the land. they are not cleaning up the beer cans, butts and needles of homeless people.
the ideological street sweepers run 24/7/365 through the land, scrubbing the filth, making it look pretty for the owners.
the machines run around behind the cars. the human scrubbers, inter alia, also run behind the cars, working overtime to induce a state of blindness in people. not hard to do when peripheral vision, awareness, is itself lost via driving a car. zooming off to a future that will never materialize b/c the bridge to the future has already been burned down.
more pipelines please!
Posted by: rjb1.5 | Oct 14 2021 14:51 utc | 88
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNmUKUWCSCs
I love it, reminds me of days long gone, 1933 - 1945...
Posted by: Den Lille Abe | Oct 14 2021 14:54 utc | 89
how long before the USM is running the ports in LA and Long Beach? they can't go on strike, the soldier being the perfect worker, aka a slave.
how else will America's stocking be stuffed at Christmas, as Janet Yellen so soothingly promised?
"i can connect nothing with nothing." so curious that the capitalists can't (un)load a ship quite as quickly as they claim. so curious that people don't understand anything about capitalism from the actual operation of capitalism.
Posted by: rjb1.5 | Oct 14 2021 15:10 utc | 91
Michael Hudson is re-issuing the Third Edition of Super Imperialism. I have the second edition - it's great, can't wait to get the third.
Posted by: spudski | Oct 14 2021 15:21 utc | 92
@William Gruff #77
The shipping container issue isn't because of lack of containers - the issue is because turnaround time has soared due to a number of reasons. Shipping volume has also gone up, but that wouldn't be the issue if the turnaround time wasn't screwed up.
Posted by: c1ue | Oct 14 2021 15:24 utc | 93
Paul @ 67
how would you like to be its next-door-neighbour?
Posted by: ld | Oct 14 2021 15:34 utc | 94
Robinhood getting more publicity as a scam vehicle on the kiddies: Robinhood Markets: Robbing From Retail And Giving To Citadel
I pointed this out a long time ago.
However, IRD is behind the times. Yes, there are retail buyers in crypto but they're mostly (been) focused (by the pump and dumpers) on altcoins. The people with money are buying bitcoin in CUSIP accounts - BTC hit $58K and looks to take a serious try at breaking its May all time high.
I dunno about $100K but there is a window of about 5 months before potential Fed tightening changes market conditions into "avalanche imminent".
It is very possible that December 31, 2021 will be the same as December 29, 2000: the peak of a massive bubble that is popping. (both are the last trading days of the respective year)
I bought an obscure web site creation services company for $80 in October 2000 - tried desperately to sell it for $800 on December 29. Never got the order filled but wound up selling it for $400 on January 2 - and it was all downhill from there.
I dumped Citigroup for $71/share in mid 2007 - it is $70 now but also each of today's shares represents 10 in 2007.
All crypto, including bitcoin, is going to suffer when the bubble collapses. Will it be 2022?
That's a good question. The Democrats are definitely scared of the 2022 elections - the question is whether inflation is going to be judged enough of a (revolutionary) problem that the Fed carries out what it says it will.
Not clear to me at all.
Posted by: c1ue | Oct 14 2021 15:36 utc | 95
rjb1.5 @ 88, my son has done that, and longer than two nights. But you are wrong, nights are not for sleeping (hello darkness, my old friend). They are for walking until the soles of your shoes give out. You sleep in the daytime, away from the streets. And those bridges? If you only see the physical ones, if you only sleep by night, then yes, the future looks dark and fearful. But for the ones who have had to walk by night to stay warm, out beyond the streetsweepers and the lights, they see the stars.
And the stars are beautiful.
Posted by: juliania | Oct 14 2021 15:50 utc | 96
@ dh-mtl | Oct 13 2021 21:02 utc | 40... thanks for your post.. it's interesting speculation on your part and i think there is some truth to it too..
Posted by: james | Oct 14 2021 15:54 utc | 97
@rjb1.5 #90
Have you ever observed the workings of an actual modern(ish) port?
It isn't lines of burly men carrying things back and forth on their shoulders.
There are real skills (and a strong union) involved in operating the container handling machinery as well as managing the whole process (every container looks pretty much like the other. Screwing up placement and/or tracking can cause enormous problems).
But I suspect the real problem is in the trucking side. Between unemployment payments, COVID and stimulus - there is a major shortage on truck drivers. Driving a truck is not a great job - not taxing in a physical strength sense but incredibly monotonous with long hours and a lot of physical isolation.
For example: Fox Biz on truck driver shortage in April 2021
The industry will need to hire 1.1M drivers to keep up with demand...
One key reason for the dearth of drivers, according to an instructor at the Secaucus, New Jersey-based EZ Wheels Driving School, is that it's taking longer for students to acquire a commercial driver's license.
Prior to the pandemic, it would take about two months to gain a license in New Jersey. Now, it's taking upward of six months, Victor, one of the driving instructors at EZ Wheels told FOX Business' Lydia Hu.
...
At the end of 2018, there were an estimated 60,000 drivers needed, according to the American Trucking Association (ATA), which noted that the problem has only gotten worse.
The trucking industry moves nearly 71% of all freight in the U.S. and is heavily reliant on a vast number of trained and certified drivers to keep the supply chain running, according to estimates by the Commercial Vehicle Training Association, which is the largest association of commercial truck driving schools in the country.
To help offset the demand, the trucking industry will need to hire roughly 1.1 million new drivers over the 10 years or an average of 110,000 per year, ATA said.
The school issue matters because of the high turnover rate for truck drivers.
Posted by: c1ue | Oct 14 2021 16:06 utc | 98
re #41:
No doubt the acknowledgement of MoA commenters for years that David Ignatius is a CIA spokesperson trumps my 10 years service there as a computer-system contractor, since contractors (Green-badgers) were regarded as 2nd-class citizens by Agency employees (Blue-badgers); kept out of the loop. But its endorsement by a DI middle manager, my friend the late Don Praisner (who succeeded his deceased wife Marilyn Praisner on the Montgomery County, MD Council, then died in office himself), at least lends credence to it.
No doubt Mr. Nixon was even more a Deep-Stater than Mt. Biden. But when the Deep State turned against him, they got rid of him quickly. IMHO they won’t hesitate with Mr. Biden. (Who is more correctly described as a Deep-Biden-er, out for himself. Not selflessly altruistic, like myself and #41.)
No doubt Biden’s failures do set the stage for a resurgent opposition party. But the Deep State, in my estimation, is above party, favoring Tweedledee or Tweedledum: whichever side will best keep their revenue flowing.
Posted by: Seward | Oct 14 2021 16:10 utc | 99
Seward @Oct14 16:10 #98:
... the Deep State, in my estimation, is above party, favoring Tweedledee or Tweedledum: whichever side will best keep their revenue flowing.
The problem with this is that it suggests that "Tweedledee and Tweedledum" are independent and the Deep State just plays one off the other.
Close watchers of our managed democracy know that they are not independent.
Presidents, for example, are not elected and then pressured to act a certain way, they are PRE-SELECTED because they are already on the team. It makes no sense for the Deep State to gamble on "populist outsiders". The "populist outsider" trope is made possible via controlled media.
And it works! Very few see beyond the lies of their favorite pundits and media outlets. Especially in these times of political kayfabe and deliberately hyped partisanship. It's only places like moa where these lies come to light.
!!
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 14 2021 16:25 utc | 100
The comments to this entry are closed.
Sorry for not posting.
I underwent an invasive medical examination yesterday. Luckily nothing of concern was found. But the aftereffects of the examination are still with me. I will therefore now crawl back into my bed.
See u tomorrow.
Posted by: b | Oct 13 2021 16:02 utc | 1