Happy ‘Russian Invasion’ Day

February 16, 2022

I woke up early today because the moon is full and I have been promised a 'Russian invasion'.

The sky was clouded, no moon to see, and the 'invasion' is for some reason way less bloody than anticipated.

Not all hope is lost though. It may still be coming:

The 3am time (1am GMT) when US intelligence sources suspected a Russian attack came and went without incident last night as Putin continued to keep The West guessing.

Cold clear skies over capital Kyiv – where locals had braced for an aerial blitz – remained silent save for passing commercial flights.

But tension remained high before dawn on the day American officials had said Putin’s invasion force would be unleashed on Ukraine.

I wonder why the map accompanying The Sun screed has four of the five arrows showing a 'possible Russian advance' plus all those artillery cannons and tanks point towards the east.

bigger

What is this supposed to say?

Anyway, let's have a happy 'Russian invasion' day.

Posted by b on February 16, 2022 at 07:02 UTC | Permalink

Comments

Off-topic:
Is the Doctorow mentioned in this thread the same Doctorow that’s all-in on Modern Monetary Theory?
Or maybe one of them is Gilbert and the other one Cory? Not sure right now.
My off-topic point, regarding MMT:
It has a critical conceptual problem. You can’t create something when you spendit. Creation requires previous nonexistence, spending requires previous existence; at no point can required conditions obtain to truthfully predicate “creation” and “spending” of a same object in the same action.
The trivial solution is to change the terminology – forego either of the terms “creation” and “spending” or both.
The more involved solution is positing an additional object or property that is spent on money creation, but I think this doesn’t gel with the ideological commitment of MMT to money being ENTIRELY conventional in all of its aspects.
I’ve told as much to MMT supporters, including the relevant Doctorow, but all I’ve got has been: silence, blocks, claims that I don’t get it, and claims that conventionality trumps my argument because… undisclosed reasons.
Economy cannot go against logic and physicality, on pain of becoming fictional, at most it can build new and more specific rules upon it.
TL;DR:
Basic theses of MMT try to fly against logic and are therefore flawed.

Posted by: Misotheist | Feb 16 2022 19:23 utc | 101

@94 I think I may have spotted a Russian. Perhaps two. They were getting on a bus in Sumy. Should I notify NATO intelligence?

Posted by: dh | Feb 16 2022 19:23 utc | 102

I distinctly recall there being a connection between helium and H-bombs…
Could anyone here elaborate on this?
H is Hydrogen and He is Helium.
He a source for Tritium???? Apparently not….
INDY

Posted by: Dr. George W Oprisko | Feb 16 2022 19:38 utc | 103

Tritium is a very rare form of hydrogen. It’s nucleus has one proton and two neutrons.
Helium isn’t used directly in H bombs.

Posted by: DaveGood | Feb 16 2022 19:46 utc | 104

A hydrogen bomb, (H bomb), produces Helium.
Perhaps this is what you are thinking of?

Posted by: DaveGood | Feb 16 2022 19:51 utc | 105

EU sanctions agreement?
“Tell them they’re dreaming.” — Darryl Kerrigan, The Castle
“…A key aspect will be to avoid disproportionate losses to Europe’s economy or companies. Otherwise, it may be difficult to rally support among the 27 EU member governments, which would have to agree unanimously on sanctions…”
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-technology-business-global-trade-siemens-ag-9e1ad0ce3794a4ef5c8cd9399a1d3b7c

Posted by: Paul | Feb 16 2022 20:22 utc | 106

Posted by: MFB | Feb 16 2022 7:16 utc | 2
In all seriousness the Russians could evacuate non-essential personnel from Mexico City to make that very point. Nothing like satire to wrong foot your opponents.
@b: the Sun map is a poor copy of all those half-arsed maps we studied at school depicting the invasion of Poland in 1939, full of pincer arrows and intimations of blitzkrieg, etc. The whole thing is meant to evoke WW2 for a generation raised on Call of Duty and the History Channel. Meanwhile warfare ain’t what it used to be… or even happening as it turns out.
Extra! Russians threaten Ukraine with peace and respect for their national sovereignty! Run for the hills!

Posted by: Patroklos | Feb 16 2022 20:31 utc | 107

That map appears to have been devised by someone with no clue about modern warfare. Bozos.

Posted by: Figleaf23 | Feb 16 2022 20:32 utc | 108

Helium is the classic example of a finite resource. Beside that it is the second most element in known universe, it is seldom on earth. Because almost all of it did rise and disappeared in space. Only massive rock formation in crust of earth prevent that. Same for natural gas. This is the reason why you produce it together. After it is released it never come back or get reproduced. Helium will be the first element we will have real scare of in future. Which is a pity, because you need it for couple of applications without that an exchange exist. Most true this is for deep freeze technologies. Only lasercooling can achieve deeper temperature, but not possible for big scale. Very important for medical applications and also space technology.

Posted by: rico rose | Feb 16 2022 20:33 utc | 109

To Misotheist | Feb 16 2022 19:23 utc | 100
Your criticism of MMT isn’t coherent. The government can certainly issue money, and then spend it. Your (apparently) existential criticism doesn’t apply to a subject matter that is an arbitrary exercise of state power that would take effect in a common-consent system.

Posted by: Figleaf23 | Feb 16 2022 20:37 utc | 110

A bit of trolling going on from the Russians 😎
Russia in RSA @EmbassyofRussia
16 February 2022. Meanwhile in Ukraine
https://twitter.com/EmbassyofRussia/status/1493884806022713344

Posted by: Norwegian | Feb 16 2022 20:40 utc | 111

Posted by: Patroklos | Feb 16 2022 20:31 utc | 106
Nothing like satire to wrong foot your opponents.
Or comedy becoming tragedy to wrong foot oneself, setting names and therefore objectives based on a smart sounding but meaningless acronym like the one I just found out about.
NYET, Never yielding European territory Act. How’s that for a great endeavor?. Ok senator, you just announced to the world that you own Europe and are not ready to “yield” it. Decadence is tragicomic.

Posted by: Paco | Feb 16 2022 20:58 utc | 112

What’s going on in Kiev for their “Unity Day”?
Showing UKRanian Dubbed Versions of:
“Red Dawn” – Original and Remake?
“Hunt for Red October”?
Bond Movies where Soviets/Russians are Villains and where Russian Women get “Nailed” by Bond?
“Rocky and Bullwinkle – Boris and Natasha” Marathon? “Say it’s ‘Fake News’ – Work of Moose and Squirrel”?
“Volunteers” to provide the Chinese Scare “Fight, Fight, Fight, for Washington Staate…”, with Zelensky dubbing Hanks and TwinkBlinken dubbing Candy?

Posted by: IronForge | Feb 16 2022 21:01 utc | 113

Your criticism of MMT isn’t coherent. The government can certainly issue money, and then spend it. Your (apparently) existential criticism doesn’t apply to a subject matter that is an arbitrary exercise of state power that would take effect in a common-consent system.
Posted by: Figleaf23 | Feb 16 2022 20:37 utc | 109
Hello, thanks for replying:
The MMT thesis that I know doesn’t predicate sequential creation and then expenditure of money, that doesn’t incur in any contradiction.
The MMT thesis I know of proposes creation of money through its public expenditure; not only simultaneously but in the same action, which runs afoul of the previously explained contradiction: something cannot be spent if it didn’t previously exist, and if it did exist previously it certainly is not being created.
This is an a priori asessment based on the meaning of the terms, and should hold universally regardless of the subject matter.
However my critique is not necessarily “existential” (a strong interpretation), it also has a weak interpretation where the critique is lexical: at least one of the terms used is not apt to characterize the phenomena which are the object of analysis, and there is no object of analysis at all for which all terms would constitute an apt characterization.
I said “trivial” solution, but I didn’t mean it’s an invalid solution. The concept of “money creation” cannot be dropped, but if the concept of spending is substituted for a different one, the contradiction can be avoided.
That which doesn’t exist is simply impossible to spend, regardless of economic window-dressing; if something is in fact spent, either it already existed or is a different object to begin with.

Posted by: Misotheist | Feb 16 2022 21:11 utc | 114

Happy Russ invasion day b
I have hung a braid of garlic on the gate post should they arrive here. Russian caravan tea is the beverage Du jour with crusty bread.
Party time.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Feb 16 2022 21:17 utc | 115

Well, I do think the loonies have taken over the asylum. It’s been for this for years.I don’t think I can recall the US being this dimwitted.IT is completely of the rockers. Ukraine can’t hurt anyone there (except Moldova.)
Bahh, nothing will happen, Russian Federation is sitting on this I would love to see an all out Russian assault on the Azovs and the other fascists there.
NATO talks and talk is cheap, the cant control the Ukrainian idiots.

Posted by: Den Lille Abe | Feb 16 2022 21:18 utc | 116

Sushi @90
Lavrov has had his time ; now it’s Soigu’s turn.
Downing a US plane over Syria would fit perfectly – it’s hard to find an excuse why the US should be inside Syria.

Posted by: Passerby | Feb 16 2022 21:18 utc | 117

More than any other and in simple terms this guy nailed it
http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2022/february/14/ukraine-crisis-a-nightmare-caused-by-us-interventionism/
Hard to believe that he worked with the other dirt bags in our government.
In cercumstances such as these, the manipulators are revealed.
We all live in the echo chambers of our own minds with limited means to collect reliable data.

Posted by: jared | Feb 16 2022 21:28 utc | 118

US booked in the Russian invasion for the Wednesday, but Shoigu headed off to Syria instead. Perhaps his secretary made a mistake wit the bookings.
https://tass.com/world/1404543
“BEIRUT, February 16. /TASS/. A working visit by Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu to Damascus was linked with the tensions in the relations between the West and Russia around Ukraine and it came as a surprise for the United States and NATO,”
This the link to the Russian aircraft flying over the US occupied part of Syria that was mentioned earlier in the thread.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Feb 16 2022 21:36 utc | 119

rico rose | Feb 16 2022 20:33 utc | 108
Helium is the classic example of a finite resource. . . . . Very important for medical applications and also space technology.
Thers’s quite a lot on the moon. I wonder why the Qin & the Rus are building a base there ? Mmmm…
Posted by: Sarlat La Canède |

Posted by: Sarlat La Canède | Feb 16 2022 21:38 utc | 120

I dont know how this compares to the rest of the msm, but on the Hill I notice there were only 3 or 4 RUSSIAN INVASION articles today, it has been over 10 daily when I have checked. maybe constantly wrong predictions have something to do with public credulity. or maybe they just havent figured out the new propaganda yet.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Feb 16 2022 21:55 utc | 121

Will Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan resign? Or should he be elevated? My guess is he will be promoted to something like CIA chief, he will be in good company.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Feb 16 2022 22:01 utc | 122

there is an odd dynamic in Australian politics at present, events so far:
1. asio (australian secret service) releases an analysis that mentions “foreign interference”.
2. scomo attacks opposition for being “soft on china” and calls opposition leader a “manchurin candidate”.
3. asio boss admonishes scomo during an estimates hearing (“It is critical we do not let fear of foreign interference undermine stakeholder engagement or stoke community division… it would perversely have the same corrosive impact on our democracy as foreign interference itself”).
4. scomo and tabloid media continue china smearing.
5. asio boss admonishes scomo on television (“not helpful for us”).
note that 99.9% of australians would not know who the asio boss is – it is very unusual for him to be publicly visible.
is this significant? does someone high up the chain actually get that china is the future? or is it just in-fighting that has spilled over?
is it even possible that the australian secret service has any independence to represent australian interests??

Posted by: Rae | Feb 16 2022 22:06 utc | 123

@ Rae–I’m vague on the details, but I have read that the US funded some heavy election interference in Australia during (iirc) the 1970’s. Is this true? Australia often seems like a loyal Empire poodle, at any rate.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Feb 16 2022 22:10 utc | 124

Professor Paul Robinson, from the University of Ottawa and a former soldier, knows what he is talking about where Russia is concerned. Here is an excellent piece on the Sun nonsense and the CBC.
https://irrussianality.wordpress.com/2022/02/16/mocking-the-media/#more-6900

Posted by: bevin | Feb 16 2022 22:18 utc | 125

pretzelattack | Feb 16 2022 21:55 cut | 118

or maybe they just havent figured out the new propaganda yet.

On CBC they have thinktankers dreaming up ever more bizarre scenarios for hybrid/cyber/etc stuff that is not an actual invasion.

Posted by: Keith McClary | Feb 16 2022 22:20 utc | 126

Yes Rae. I also noted this very strange event. I am not sure what is going on, but I guess the upcoming election may mean that the head of ASIO wants to keep his job.
I suspect also that the rise of the far right is also causing ASIO some concerns. The attack on the NZ mosque by an Australian must have been a serious fright to ASIO, who after giving up chasing commies (ie Russians) and chasing “rag head terrorists,” they were suddenly presented with a nasty home grown security threat. The COVID crisis and the antivax movement has given oxygen to this mob.
Sorry people but like it or not there is a HUGE overlap between the antivax mob and the violent anti muslim racists. I am not saying all those at the protests are racist, fascists but there is a fairly large shared set of people, just as there was a huge overlap between the antivietnam war protests of the 60s/70s and active members of the pro-Russian communist party. As one who took part in these protests i was not a communists (merely a slightly pink socialist) but the cries of go back to Russia were common. So I am NOT trying to tar all the antivax mob with fascism, but to accept that for ASIO it must now be a reality they must face. I might also add that if any military people are part of this right wing movement, then ASIO is right to be very, very concerned. The co-location of quasi NAZI shops (often with a Viking theme) near army bases, is a cause of some concern as I have read that in much of Europe viking symbology is used where people would not openly wave swastikas.
I also imagine that business leaders are protesting very strongly about the anti Chinese rhetoric. Australia is heavily dependent on China. Should China decide not to import our iron ore (especially if their is a hot conflict) essentially our economy will be in freefall. Already wine, beef, tourism and education are suffering badly.
The risk to our essential supplies must also be a huge concern. If there is any sort of hot conflict, Australia would not have supplies of oil, vehicles or parts, medicines or IT essentials. We have lots of food but are heavily dependent on road transport. Maybe the next aussie growth industry will be breeding cart horses.

Posted by: watcher | Feb 16 2022 22:31 utc | 127

To Oui #55
Yes, this is also my point.
I am astonished how negativ the Scholz Putin Meeting yesterday ist rated by most barflies.
Scholz was talking about Minsk process and Russians interests, but this isn’t noticed neither here nor in the MSM.
I want to tell you a story.
Three years ago, a big chinese company for automotive batteries, CATL, decided to come to my city with a 2b investment. I was invited to the presentation of the project. The chinese board and german officials explained to us the importance of this project, with BMW and Volkswagen in the background. I realized: there is not a sheet of paper between the Chinese and the German government. Everybody was impressed. It was not only about business and jobs. It was – and is – a strategic project. The BRI had arrived in my town.
The first journalist (present for three days, with a photographer) to cover this story was the NYT representative, who arrived from Berlin. I had many talks to him, I opened doors. With his article published, we noticed, that for the US the CATL-Project in Thuringia is a hostile act. The article was a kind of “German City sells it Soul for Chinese Money”. The print version titled: “Europe believes that Jobs beats Geopolitics”. (The paper version was even harder than the online):
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/02/business/china-germany-battery-factory.html
Nobody had expected this. The article was a bunch of hypocracy. Suddenly I understood why this meeting had to take place. Every international business today is geopolitics. Germany is antiamerican, but under the cover. We watch the daily Kotau to the Empire, and with every Kotau the finger behind the back. The media know it, thats why they are crying hysterically. It is only a question of time, of opportunity, of pretext, then the US regime will loose Germany. To understand this you must read between the lines.
The presser with Scholz and Putin was a signal. As I wrote yesterday here, both of them seemed to be in good mood and very relaxed. Scholz said: “We have the Minsk agreement, which precisely defines the way to a peaceful solution”. That was the max he could give without being slaughtered, as the admiral was. IMO he understands the american game, and he does not want to play it. He probably really believes, NATO bombed Jugoslawia because of “Völkermord”, but that is not the point. His Russia-bash was the duty, the real message was: We wont sacrifice ourself for the US. Putin understood. He did and could not expect more.

Posted by: njet | Feb 16 2022 22:35 utc | 128

French (and sundry Eurotrash) retreated from Mali, after protesting unconstitutional government (that alone could be overlooked) and invitation to Wagner mercenaries. I wonder if the latter will stabilize the situation as well as in CRA.
Apparently, damn Ruskies work better with locals, not being as superior in respect to Asians and Africans.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Feb 16 2022 22:39 utc | 129

pretzel 121
Oh yes the CIA interference in the 1975 coup against Whitlam is widely accepted- read the Falcon and the Snowman. Newer stuff just now emerging suggests a role for the UK also. The key issue was then the Pine Gap telecommunications station, a major control site for US missiles and monitoring.
Some of the Assange wikileaks also hinted at US involvement in the removal of PM Rudd in 2010.
There has also been a history of charismatic leaders of the Australian left suddenly losing their wits. This started in the 1930s when the only ever Communist elected to a parliament was a popular lawyer who suddenly had a physical attack and was never the same again. Evatt a leading and EXTREMELY intelligent guy on the 1950s, heavily involved in setting up the UN, suddenly started to lose his wits. Then there was the strange case of Dr Cairns, a leading antiwar politician, who was first attacked in his home, suffering a head injury and quite soon after suddenly changed his life style and took up with a rather odd woman (who originated in a US patsy nation) and joined the hippie (probably druggie culture). Probably just co-incidences but I wonder – we know that LSD was first investigated as a means of breaking foreign spies.

Posted by: watcher | Feb 16 2022 22:45 utc | 130

Posted by: pretzelattack | Feb 16 2022 22:10 utc | 121
Yes, it was dubbed the “Constitutional Crisis” and it was effectively a coup orchestrated by the USUK to remove a sitting Prime Minister.
In some surprisingly honest reporting (only because it was written by John Pilger one of Australia’s greats, IMO), the Grauniad published a piece on the death of Gough Whitlam, the PM who was ‘removed’…
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/23/gough-whitlam-1975-coup-ended-australian-independence
I can’t think of a single thing created or touched by the USUK that didn’t eventually turn to shit for those involved.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Feb 16 2022 22:48 utc | 131

There is a different reason why Lavrov has not gotten many replies. NATO and EU have decided it is better they answer on behalf of those who got the question, so those are the replies that Lavrov receieved, instead of from the signatory countries.
Posted by: Norwegian | Feb 16 2022 17:08 utc | 76

I absolutely agree.
And what about the fact that the treaties also disavow any group or bloc?
Using incumbency to break the rules. How very Queen Elizabeth.

Posted by: John Cleary | Feb 16 2022 23:06 utc | 132

Rae #120

is this significant? does someone high up the chain actually get that china is the future? or is it just in-fighting that has spilled over?
is it even possible that the australian secret service has any independence to represent australian interests??

There are many people in high level positions in Australia that view exclusive ties to USA as detrimental to Aus sovereignty and prosperity. Australia has long been manipulated and ‘managed’ by the USA and UK and it is deeply resented in many spheres of Australian life – public and commercial. There are no coincidences when such a person makes bold statements. The natives are restless and the drum beat grows.
It would not surprise me that head of Australian Security is a patriot that has just seen us manipulated to severe economic disadvantage in our loss of mineral and gas resources sale to China. In the last few years we have repeatedly been used by UKUSA as a yapping lap dog only to see USA corporations make exceptional trade deals with China a week or so after the yapping. This is threat to our economy and our democratic framework.
Predictably the UKUSA controlled media will wage an unrelenting attack on the opposition party in the weeks before the next election. My guess is that outside the media, the upper ranks are restless and perhaps desperate to rid the country of the fools in government.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Feb 16 2022 23:06 utc | 133

Berman #126
“French (and sundry Eurotrash) retreated from Mali, after protesting unconstitutional government ”
France itself is without a constitution as its constitution is not respected.
The head of the government is the prime minister not the president as it is the case currently.
Not to speak of the power separation which does not exist. The governement makes the laws and the parliament is only a registering chamber.

Posted by: Olivier1973 | Feb 16 2022 23:08 utc | 134

njet #125
Thank you. More and more the UKUSA becomes the burden we all have to ease out the door.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Feb 16 2022 23:12 utc | 135

@ bevin | Feb 16 2022 22:18 utc | 122… thanks bevin.. i was on his site earlier and that article wasn’t up yet… interesting how the truckers sign was a trigger for his post… another upside aspect to the trucker protests perhaps?? i said so in my comment to paul on his site.. paul definitely knows what he’s talking about when it comes to russia…

Posted by: james | Feb 16 2022 23:17 utc | 136

re: Dr. George W Oprisko | Feb 16 2022 19:38 utc | 102 & DaveGood | Feb 16 2022 19:51 utc | 104
The hydrogen bomb uses the energy released when a nucleus of light lithium and deuterium (often called “heavy hydrogen” because it has one neutron, unlike common hydrogen which has no neutrons) fuse to form two nuclei of ordinary helium (a two part process). In order to create the stellar heat and pressures required to create fusion, a “trigger” is used, which is essentially an atomic bomb, probably a plutonium pit, which is imploded to create nuclear fission. The massive burst of heat and neutrons is reflected within the bomb casing, sort of like how light is focused by a lens, upon the the lithium and deuterium to trigger nuclear fusion (the second stage in the weapon). Very large hydrogen bombs had outer casings of uranium, which would fission from the enormous number of neutrons release by the fusion. (this is a three stage weapon, fission-fusion-fission). This was the multimegaton type weapon that was common in the arsenals of the US and USSR during the first Cold War.
There is also a third isotope of hydrogen, which is Tritium that has two neutrons, and is radioactive with a 12.3-year half-life (meaning half of the isotope will self-destruct in 12.3 years). Tritium is commonly used in boosted fission weapons, in a thermonuclear detonation that boosts the yield (explosive power) by causing a much more complete fission of the plutonium or highly enriched uranium. Unlike a hydrogen bomb, the fusion produced by the tritium only releases about 1% of the total energy of the boosted fission weapon.
When you fission uranium atoms, you produce a couple hundred different radioactive isotopes. Most of these have very short half-lives and will disappear in a matter of seconds, hours or days. However, some isotopes, like cesium-137 and strontium-90, have half-lives of about 30 years, and so they stick around to poison the biosphere. Cesium is in the same family as potassium and plants treat it like a macronutrient and recycle it in ecosystems; plants rich in potassium, such as berries and mushrooms, will concentrate it (and it will bioaccumulate and bioconcentrate as it moves up the ecosystem). Strontium is in the same family as calcium so it concentrates in bones and teeth.
And even the most “efficient’ nuclear weapons will not completely fission all the plutonium or uranium, so it is also vaporized and spread through the ecosystems, too. Plutonium has a half life of 24,100 years; since it takes about 10 half lives for most of an isotope to disappear, plutonium remains deadly for a quarter of a million years. Plutonium is an alpha-emitter, which is very dangers if it is inhaled, absorbed, or ingested and gets into the body. Fifteen thousandths of a gram of inhaled plutonium will kill you from pulmonary fibrosis. Fifteen millionths of a gram inside your body can cause cancer.

Posted by: Perimetr | Feb 16 2022 23:19 utc | 137

Uncle T 130
I think the chances of our head of ASIO being a genuine patriot are a little low, given its long history of subservience to the USA/UK, but the trade situation must certainly be making the natives restless.
I may be way off here but the role of WA as a state should be considered. Isolated for the last two years, it is expected to take the brunt/risk from the nuclear subs deal as they would be based in WA. Trade conflict with China (especially iron ore) would destroy their economy. Given the general distrust of WA for the east, while secession is unlikely, serious not co-operation is quite possible. WA also houses key US military/communications bases.

Posted by: watcher | Feb 16 2022 23:21 utc | 138

The only blitz I’m witnessing is the one on the tube with U.S. media on a viral Russia feeding frenzy every single day trying to get inside Putin’s brain when actually he’s living rent free in their heads, followed by a break with an Olympic update that amounts to hating on a 15-year old Russian skater mostly because they can’t get over how not one of American female skaters is fit to tie the laces on her skates. Oh, and to throw in some variety they trash the Olympic host China every other day.
It’s an all out blitz bombardment of hate-Russia propaganda missiles and behaving like doomsday cultists with hair on fire predicting the end of times that came and went.
Really embarrassing display of hype on overdrive.

Posted by: Circe | Feb 16 2022 23:30 utc | 139

To Posted by: Misotheist | Feb 16 2022 21:11 utc | 113
“That which doesn’t exist is simply impossible to spend, regardless of economic window-dressing; if something is in fact spent, either it already existed or is a different object to begin with.”
I’m not seeing how that is a meaningful objection to the process involved in MMT.
The government clearly can create money. Whether it
(a) creates a notional amount of it on ‘day 1’ and then pays out for goods and services on ‘day 2’, or
(b) receives goods and services on ‘day 1’ and creates the money to pay for them on ‘day 2’,
the result by day 3 is the same either way.

Posted by: Figleaf23 | Feb 16 2022 23:32 utc | 140

This item in Sputnik News (a Russian mouthpiece) was something a surprise.
The tone is rather unfriendly to Iran, nominally Russia’s “ally”, and per analogous Western journalism practices emitted from an “analyst”. The “analyst” tells Iran “Sends a Message to Iran to Stay At Bay”.
Bahrain, formerly a bit of dirt in “the Gulf” that belonged to Iran, is framed as “Iran’s regional rival”. (LOL)
The article completely black washes Iran using the same precise ‘rogue regime’ caricature used by the Western anti-Iranian cliques, without even a single sentence and nary an “alleged” in sight.
Спаси́бо dear ally of Iran!
Then another interesting article appeared in British created and Muslim Brotherhood run Al Jazeera giving the good news of JCPOA talks “nearing conclusion”.
Iran, the 3rd largest producer of natural gas, can of course supply energy to Europe, undermining the energy sword held over Europe by its “regional rival”, the Russian Federation. (touche tovarich! 😉
The plot thickens.

Posted by: IranianBorn | Feb 16 2022 23:37 utc | 141

Rae | Feb 16 2022 22:06 120
Interesting goings on with David Hurley the Australian Governor-General. He appears to have vacated his official residence in Canberra on the 25th of January after having been served with papers by former Senator Rod Cullerton who asserts that the Commonwealth of Australia created under the Constitution in 1901 has been usurped by the Australian Government created by Gough Whitlam in 1973. Cullerton says that Hurley’s appointment is invalid as it has not been officially sealed by Queen Elizabeth II.
Now we have some mysterious government documents which suggest that the Governor of Victoria has taken the place of Hurley.

Posted by: Cyberhorse | Feb 16 2022 23:44 utc | 142

Cyber 139
I can think of at least 3 far more likely scenarios if the GG has relocated:
1. Some staff at the residence have COVID – highly likely given the spread of Omicron – the GG because of age has relocated 9easier than getting new staff in a hurry
2. There is asbestos in the plumbing – highly likely given the age and location but it might be embarrassing if the GG residence used Mr Fluffy
3. As former senior in the Army, something nasty may be emerging from the Roberts-Smith war crimes/murder show trial. It is hard to believe a senior Army guy like him was not made aware long ago about the allegations, given they seem common knowledge in the SAS. He may have signed a memo to ignore etc.
With these three possibilities much more likely than some document signed or not signed by Lizzy 2, I would not be doing beat ups like this, especially if coming from Cullerton.
Mind you in all probability the idea he has relocated may be a load of tosh- this is a very unreliable source.

Posted by: watcher | Feb 17 2022 0:14 utc | 143

With his article published, we noticed, that for the US the CATL-Project in Thuringia is a hostile act. The article was a kind of “German City sells it Soul for Chinese Money“. The print version titled: “Europe believes that Jobs beats Geopolitics”. (The paper version was even harder than the online):
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/02/business/china-germany-battery-factory.html
Nobody had expected this. The article was a bunch of hypocracy.
Posted by: njet | Feb 16 2022 22:35 utc | 125
A gloss: “hypo-cracy” is a rule (kratia) of those “below/beneath” (hypo), but not in the sense of common people, instead in refers to people who are both mentally and morally beneath a standard.
NYT article was of course a piece of bunk, because Germans are busy saving their souls (by adhering to Atlanticist Geopolitics and goddess Gaia), jobs and inflation be damned. That said, there are resisters in some nooks like Thuringia, Bavaria, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
It Is high time to introduce rational slogans into European politics, e.g. “Do the right thing, do not mind jobs and quintupled utility bills”. That should convince the yokels in Thuringia.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Feb 17 2022 0:49 utc | 144

watcher #135
The spectacle of the majority conservative party in Australia being captured by the USA implant pentecostal loony right in league with the reincarnated League of Rights gives many cause for concern.
This concern touches all levels of the Aussie elite right through to the people wise enough to observe their game.
For sure the Aussie Intel community can be dismissed as fully programmed robots of the UKUSA, but many are far smarter than that and, unlike the UKUSA clowns, possess a healthy cynicism sufficient to analyse what they see and draw reasonable conclusions.
I am not excusing the idiots past and present in their midst. I have observed their immense bungles and their vulnerability to be played out for geopolitical games.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Feb 17 2022 0:51 utc | 145

Not that anyone cares, but I have not even looked at Off-Guardian this year cos the moderators were so incredibly rude to me. I guess SJW, maybe Trans but wtf??
I am 68 years old. I do not need this abuse.
I can understand young people, not liking my point of view, cos I disagreed with their beliefs, that infectious diseases, did not exist..
But the entire cult of them including the moderator ganged up on me, and pleaded for me to banned– even though I agreed with much of what they wrote.
So I banned myself.
F’ck ’em.
I am probably banned here as well, but Berhard Hoftsman makes me laugh.
I might disagree about covid, but I think he is a good bloke, and in the same league of geopolitical analysts as the best in the world, like Pepe Escobar, Linh Dinh, The Saker, Laura Dodsworth, Craig Murray and John Ward (The SLOG)
None of my immediate family have been jabbed
If you want to get jabbed – fine
Bye,
Tony

Posted by: tony_0pmoc | Feb 17 2022 1:00 utc | 146

Posted by: Perimetr | Feb 16 2022 23:19 utc | 134
It may be argued that thermonuclear weapons (especially Soviet variety, two megaton multiplexed warheads) are very clean, because for all the dispersed plutonium, radioactive cesium etc., the ratio of collateral damage from from radiation to the immediate deaths is very small. For example, after obliterating a city of 1-2 million people, you are left with a contaminated zone ca. 1000 sq km that can be converted into a wildlife preserve.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Feb 17 2022 1:06 utc | 147

Iran, the 3rd largest producer of natural gas, can of course supply energy to Europe, undermining the energy sword held over Europe by its “regional rival”, the Russian Federation. (touche tovarich! 😉
—
Posted by: IranianBorn | Feb 16 2022 23:37 utc | 138
Yes, thanks for bringing that up. I’ve brought that up here before, but that is crimethink still.
However I think it may get re-examined soon based on the idea that it is better Iran than Russia for Europe to be dependent on, if dependent on somebody not USA must happen.
Since Russia seems to be shifting gas to China, Iran may have a lot more leverage soon.

Posted by: Bemildred | Feb 17 2022 1:13 utc | 148

A minor quibble, but it is becoming much more widespread in many of the blogs I read – the use of “lose”and “loose”.
The former is used when something can be lost, e.g. “he could lose that”
The other is used when something is being released or set free, e.g. “to loose the dogs of war” or if something is not tight, e.g. “that shirt is a bit loose fitting”, or “that screw is a bit loose”.
It would be interesting where this new usage of “loose” to mean “lose” comes from, it seems to be popping up more and more.

Posted by: Roger | Feb 17 2022 1:16 utc | 149

How Russia uses sarcasm as weapon in Ukraine crisis
Another entry for your weaponized list.

Posted by: Keith McClary | Feb 17 2022 1:17 utc | 150

@ Roger | Feb 17 2022 1:16 utc | 146… i doubt that is the case roger… i know i made typos like this though, so maybe that is what you are seeing – me or others making typos… playing fast and loose with our words, but not losing sight of it either.. cheers..

Posted by: james | Feb 17 2022 1:31 utc | 151

It’s getting very stormy nowt he can’t handle. neither he or me joined the military. i got my rocks off flying gliders, he does it sailing boats. personally I felt safer flying gliders, solo with a parachute, but whateverver gets your rocks off, without ever actually wanting to kill anyone..its an adrenaline thing, riding fast motorcycles, etc to the limit but basically, if you are boy, all you really want is this girl in the advert. I saw her today. In fact she gave it to me.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/be/26/ea/be26ea7f3a34afaeedd8b2bc430c0024.jpg

Posted by: tony_0pmoc | Feb 17 2022 1:44 utc | 152

jared @ 116 said;”We all live in the echo chambers of our own minds with limited means to collect reliable data.”
Diamond thought j, cause’ it’s true today, more than ever..Kudos!!!

Posted by: vetinLA | Feb 17 2022 1:57 utc | 153

Circe @ 136 said;”Really embarrassing display of hype on overdrive.”
Yep, would be, IF our MSM delivered ANYTHING that was an attempt at voicing the truth, but, alas, that’s not on their agenda..

Posted by: vetinLA | Feb 17 2022 2:13 utc | 154

Iranianborn
Sputnik’s article is penned by an anglo writer.
She puts words into an “ANALYST”s mouth. It was nor, in my opinion, outright hostile to Iran but reflected the attitude of the US, Bahrain and Israel.
Bahrain has a special problem,: The reigning dynasty is Sunni while the much more numerous subjects are Shiites. The reigning monarch is quite overwhelmed by the possibility that the great majority may be steered by Iran into revolution.
I surmise that Sputnik may not want to sound too sympathetic to Iran, lest the Kingdom put an end to its operation in Bahrain.
I am sure it doesn’t reflect on the Russian sentiments towards Iran.
Aren’t you being over sensitive?
Posted by: CarlD |

Posted by: CarlD | Feb 17 2022 2:47 utc | 155

Thanks Peter AU1 (Feb 16 2022 9:19 utc | 16), assuming it’s correct it’s interesting that they didn’t dare use the helicopter all the way into Ukraine.
Isn’t that peculiar? A single helicopter yet they didn’t dare risk it for an emergency despite flying in weapons, ammunition, and personnel? Seems very curious, I would guess there must have been something local in western Ukraine giving them serious heebie-jeebies and I doubt it was anything to do with Russia as such. Some kind of internal trouble/brouhaha rendering a helicopter too vulnerable on short notice?
Can’t think of any more mundane explanation than that, can anyone else?

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Feb 17 2022 2:55 utc | 156

Tony@143
I was there (off-g) when some of that stuff started and i stood up for you if you recall. Anyway, i am glad to see you are alive and kicking.
Getting to the topic of this thread, though i knew all this msm hysteria was propaganda as it had that oh so familiar smell, i couldn’t help indulging in the mental exercise of contemplating a very limited future. Not conducive to a good nights rest.

Posted by: simon crow | Feb 17 2022 2:55 utc | 157

Or maybe the location of a landing zone would give something away.

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Feb 17 2022 3:03 utc | 158

I am completely at a loss for words at bumbling, stumbling Biden. Right out of the gate his delivery belies the message. Anyone with half a brain will see right through his talk of “engaging in dipidydipdiplomacy.” The situation must be so severe that war is seen as a preferrable option than facing reality. And I’m not talking about the kind of reality the U.S. prides itself in creating in its own image, for its own consumption. This has all the makings of a resource war, and it looks to me like the U.S. and its allies and partners are somewhat on the outside looking in and wondering how to keep the entire superstructure upon which all their wealth and power depends from collapsing beneath them.

Posted by: thecelticwithinme | Feb 17 2022 3:30 utc | 159

Good interview with Russian rep. Dmitry Polyanskiy;
https://thegrayzone.com/2022/02/15/russian-un-ambassador-us-war-propaganda-grayzone/

Posted by: vetinLA | Feb 17 2022 3:47 utc | 160

@156 thecelticwithinme “This has all the makings of a resource war, and it looks to me like the U.S. and its allies and partners are somewhat on the outside looking in”
It strikes me as being even more bizarre than that.
I agree that it is a “resource war”, but it is being waged by Washington against its “partners” in Berlin and Paris, not against Moscow.
As in: the “crisis” in Ukraine has being beaten up by Biden as a way of forcing the EU vassals to leave themselves at the mercy of a rapacious USA.
I mean, there is a reason why the ONLY “sanctions” that Biden was willing to call out by name was NS2.
Washington must have heard the whispers of muttering amongst the corridors of power in Europe.
The natives were getting restless, and next thing you know they’ll be making their own decisions.
Which will never do: they must not be allowed to grow a pair.
That would be more of an existential threat to Washington than Russia/China combined.
The beauty of this beat-up of a “crisis” is that Washington hopes for a two-fer:
1) Washington can force those vassals to geld themselves, and
2) then make out like bandits selling LNG to those dickless wonders
Genius! Unless, of course, Russia wins this battle of wills.
If they do then Berlin (in particular) and Paris might start to mutter ever more loudly.

Posted by: Yeah, Right | Feb 17 2022 4:45 utc | 161

#147 – “How Russia Uses Sarcasm As Weapon In Ukraine Crisis”
I thought the headline was itself sarcasm – but no…
“It’s a tool that officials in Moscow have long used to belittle their rivals and to deflect attention from actions seen as threatening to the West or Russia’s neighbors. Laconic quips dovetail with the Kremlin’s domestic agenda by making Russia and its all-powerful president look more cool-headed and clever than countries in the panicky, democratic West…
Russia’s ambassador to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, accused Westerners of “slander” for alleging an invasion was afoot. He insisted in an interview with German daily newspaper Welt that “there won’t be an attack this Wednesday.” Then Chizhov added: “Wars in Europe rarely start on a Wednesday.”‘
The statement seemed more flippant than historically significant. World War I started on a Tuesday and World War II started in Europe on a Friday, but Europe’s history of war over centuries includes conflicts that kicked off throughout the week.”
Exactly. For example, it is believed the Friso-Drentic War (1231-1233) started on a Wednesday. So f—k off Vladimir Chizhov – spread your sarcastic misinformation elsewhere! (sarc)

Posted by: jayc | Feb 17 2022 4:54 utc | 162

Norwegian @76–
Yes, Lavrov said the same when he gave his report to Putin. Those replies have been publicly deemed unsatisfactory and Russia still awaits the individual national replies since they signed those treaties as individuals not as a group. As someone wrote yesterday, the screws are being tightened.
One fact the Outlaw US Empire is proving with all its hysteria and behavior since 1992 is the Cold War was never really about ideology but about how much money one class could wring from the world’s nations. I also think Beard was 100% correct to take a Marxian approach to looking at both the Revolution itself and the Coup that brought forth the 1787 Constitution. A further investigation into US history from 1840 onward would also tell a rather different and disturbing story than the preferred narrative.

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 17 2022 6:23 utc | 163

Some of this crap from last April is almost word-for-word.

Posted by: Keith McClary | Feb 17 2022 6:36 utc | 164

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Feb 16 2022 21:36 utc | 117
Surprise my arse!
Biden predicted it weeks ago. He said Wednesday 16 and it took place Wednesday 16. Ha!

Posted by: Jörgen Hassler | Feb 17 2022 6:57 utc | 165

The AP is becoming more inclusive:
“an invasion of some kind could still happen — on a future Wednesday or any day of the week”

Posted by: Jörgen Hassler | Feb 17 2022 7:10 utc | 166

@Roger | Feb 17 2022 1:16 utc | 146
“It would be interesting where this new usage of “loose” to mean “lose” comes from, it seems to be popping up more and more.”
I too have noticed this becoming incredibly common. Both these words come from Old/Middle English; lose from *los* (“loss”) and loose from *loos* and before that from Old Norse *lauss* (“free from bonds”). Anyone with proper chops in Old English please correct me but a lot of the weirdness in modern English pronunciation comes from archaic rules in Old English—of particular relevance here being that the “vowel-s-e” combination tends to soften the s to a z sound as well as lengthening the preceding vowel. This carries over into modern words, so the s in “laser” has a z sound rather than being pronounced “lacer”.
The same holds true for letters that were a single rune in Old English; consider how the final e in soothe (to gently calm) softens the th (Old English Þ)to a “dh” sound (Old English ᛞ) rather than being pronounced as the hard th of sooth (truth). Or how the pronunciation of past (Middle English variant of “passed”) differs from paste (“st” was once the single runic letter ᛥ as well). The rule holds in modern English but looks like an exception if you don’t know that these paired letters were once single runes governed by the “vowel-consonant-e” rule.
Somehow the modern generation has reversed this in their minds, thinking that it’s the “extra” o in loose softens the s (making them think it’s the word *lose*), instead of representing an entirely different word. I imagine if we still used sooth in modern English they’d be mixing that up with soothe as well.
I blame spellcheck. Since it came into existence no one knows how to spell anymore.

Posted by: Vintage Red | Feb 17 2022 7:25 utc | 167

#141
Sorry, „hypocrisy“

Posted by: njet | Feb 17 2022 7:45 utc | 168

So I concluded my Invasion Day celebrations with a glass of shiraz and nibbles.
Now I shall mosey over to see what further hysteria grips Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan. Maybe I should consider the astrological chart of Joe Biden and integrate their conjunct Mars or Jupiters. Clearly that is what guides the White House ‘intelligence’ forecasts and they got it WRONG!
Perhaps they got the month wrong and they should be following the Mayan or even the Islamic calendar.
Cheers Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov, I see you have looked a tad grim these days. Cheer up, and savor the moment, enjoy the day of sweet justice, then kick their arse again tomorrow knowing that you have many supporters.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Feb 17 2022 7:47 utc | 169

Bemildred #145

Since Russia seems to be shifting gas to China, Iran may have a lot more leverage soon.

If Russia can achieve the erasure or diminish the sanctions on Iran and enable it to enlarge its export, there will be mutual benefit. The suppression of the overbearing USA influence in the middle east will be a win for all but especially Iran’s export potential. That may progress once Syria is liberated and then Iraq is cleansed of the invaders.
The potential for supply to EU states from Iran via Turkey as pipeline or via Syria by some means (a short pipeline) is yet to emerge but I expect it will. There is sufficient market to share.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Feb 17 2022 8:04 utc | 170

@njet | Feb 16 2022 22:35 utc | 125
>>I realized: there is not a sheet of paper between the Chinese and the German government.
I have no reason to doubt of course that things happened as you wrote. It makes sense that at regional level and below, many Germans are not on-board with Atlanticism. The sentiment you quote might or might not be a majority opinion–but it is not the dominant one. Let’s draw a line Brandt-Kohl-Merkel-Baerbock (you may say my data points are selective): is this a system slowly extracting itself from Washington’s chokehold?
Sure our elites, who do this stuff for a living, understand that the media are a straitjacket, meaning some pluralism would open up space to consider policy alternatives. But more importantly, it just might open the door to alternatives to themselves, so instead we see ever-increasing censorship.
It’s nice to think that French and Germans if nobody else in Europe are sensible adults. Our host keeps this hope alive as well. With our countries turning into woke, COVID-ridden, authoritarian dystopias, what else have we left but a benign, yea superior self-image? It was Macron who bombed Syria. It was the Scholz govt that chose to invent a NS2 certification hurdle, which somehow nobody had noticed in all the years prior. Instead of these, we choose to remember that one time when our pols said the right thing when it suited them.
I’m pessimistic about Europe. I don’t think the hour of truth is now; it passed us by unnoticed in 2020 when, post-Brexit, the EU had a once-per-generation chance to rethink its place in the world. Instead, they ran around like headless chickens, “Novichok, novichok!” That’s something the Germans did to themselves.
We contend with very deep-seated attitudes. I saw this in my own family, when Our Boys were embarking on their anti-terror mission in Syria. “So, have you asked the Syrians what they think?” People are dumbfounded: you just don’t talk to Untermenschen; others here have also noticed Kirby’s potent article:
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2022/02/15/lavrov-trolling-reveals-joke-actually-russia/
Not with Martyanov’s crowd 100% but he sees, from Napoleon to the Crimean War to today, aggression by the collective West. Sputtering that no, you are the victim here, is just what everybody does in woke societies.
I don’t see this episode as the Euros starting to come around. I see it as Russia giving up that they’ll do.

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Feb 17 2022 8:06 utc | 171

@Roger | Feb 17 2022 1:16 utc | 146
>>It would be interesting where this new usage of “loose” to mean >>”lose” comes from, it seems to be popping up more and more.
Well do you see any area where education standards are being upheld? This poor word is just following the general trend. Same for “criteria” actually being the plural form of “criterion”. And a hundred other things, but I don’t want to sound bitter > 1/week.

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Feb 17 2022 8:14 utc | 172

@Ma Laoshi | Feb 17 2022 8:14 utc | 169
You are forgetting that “lose” (especially militarily) is not a part of the US vocabulary /snark.

Posted by: nudge | Feb 17 2022 8:28 utc | 173

The Duran has an excellent take on the invasion led by Gonzalo Lira who is 40 km from the Russian border.
He is articulate and uses a simple metaphor to describe the lunacy of the USA.
Take a look and laugh as the analysis rolls on.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Feb 17 2022 8:37 utc | 174

So who is Gonzalo Lira?
Here he is at naked capitalism in 2010 on: Is the US a fascist state?

“I lived in Chile during the Pinochet dictatorship—I can spot a fascist police-state when I see one.
The United States is a fascist police-state.”

2010 !! so what now?

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Feb 17 2022 8:51 utc | 175

@Sunny Runny Burger | Feb 17 2022 2:55 utc | 153

Isn’t that peculiar? A single helicopter yet they didn’t dare risk it for an emergency despite flying in weapons, ammunition, and personnel? Seems very curious, I would guess there must have been something local in western Ukraine giving them serious heebie-jeebies and I doubt it was anything to do with Russia as such. Some kind of internal trouble/brouhaha rendering a helicopter too vulnerable on short notice?
Can’t think of any more mundane explanation than that, can anyone else?

Well, Ukraine recently got a supply of Stingers, didn’t they? Maybe they got the idea it could be a problem?

Posted by: Norwegian | Feb 17 2022 8:54 utc | 176

The Russian non-invasion turned into a new Ukrainian national holiday — “Day of National Unity” or something along those lines. I just watched a half-hour summary with commentary by Anatoly Shary, and I agree with his basic sentiment — ritualistic nationalism without substance. You don’t need a command of Russian (or Ukrainian) to get a gist of what it’s about; fast forwarding through the various news reports should be enough. Crucially, this national holiday was created by Zelensky a day or two ago, and already children being interviewed say it’s their favorite holiday.
Something else that basically every person involved in the celebration says is that it’s done to show someone this or that; to show Ukrainian unity, or solidarity, to demonstrate the Ukrainian “hive-mind” and unity of thought. Anatoly appears perplexed by this recurring turn of phrase, but I believe its meaning is straight forward. For one, it’s an easy phrase to memorize and regurgitate. For two, it plainly spells out the entire objective of this media campaign, which is what I’m interpreting it as. Zelensky, or the people behind him, have been made aware of or directly faced claims of Ukrainian division, perhaps as a pretext for withholding foreign support or as the primary reason for an expected balkanization of the Ukraine. With nothing that they can do to change that reality, having complete control of the legacy media resources in the country at least allows for an attempt to change the image. Seeing Russian speaking regions of Ukraine represented by Ukrainian speaking patriots with flags coming out of their ears, who we’re supposed to believe took time off work for a newly-minted national holiday which everyone’s already heard of, to participate in a celebration program that’s identical all across the country — the intention must be to trick someone who is badly informed about Ukraine. The number of participants in total appears modest enough for it to be mainly pr reservists, and nobody on camera had anything remotely cynical or even skeptical to say about this event. Although I’m willing to believe that ordinary people could be caught up in it, this mostly smells like a cheap made-for-TV production.

Posted by: Skiffer | Feb 17 2022 9:02 utc | 177

Roger | Feb 17 2022 1:16 utc | 146
Same difference between “nose” and noose”. You use the nose to avoid the noose, which is better for you if it is loose – as everybody knows.
*
We are getting to the stage the French were in when they tried to intoduce a new “orthographie”. Confusion, as distinctions in word use had been used to note class (Ie. academic v popular). Even Argot was selective as an indication of origin (Parisian or Marseillaise). So which class did the new vocabulary imply?
*
PS. I am guilty of sometimes “inventing” words or uses thereof just for the pleasure. Not many stick obviously.

Posted by: Stonebird | Feb 17 2022 9:04 utc | 178

@Vintage Red | Feb 17 2022 7:25 utc | 164

I too have noticed this becoming incredibly common. Both these words come from Old/Middle English; lose from *los* (“loss”) and loose from *loos* and before that from Old Norse *lauss* (“free from bonds”).

Not just in Old Norse, but also in modern Norwegian where you have words like ‘lausunge’, i.e. illegitimate child.
Modern Twitter-lingustics is changing the languages and spelling practices. Some even forget to begin sentences with uppercase letters. Loose/lose is also the kind of mistake that non-english natives like myself could easily commit, and I am sure I have done it many times. That’s what you get when you have crazy spelling like in English 🙂

Posted by: Norwegian | Feb 17 2022 9:12 utc | 179

@Vintage Red | Feb 17 2022 7:25 utc | 164

The same holds true for letters that were a single rune in Old English; consider how the final e in soothe (to gently calm) softens the th (Old English Þ)to a “dh” sound (Old English ᛞ) rather than being pronounced as the hard th of sooth (truth). Or how the pronunciation of past (Middle English variant of “passed”) differs from paste (“st” was once the single runic letter ᛥ as well). The rule holds in modern English but looks like an exception if you don’t know that these paired letters were once single runes governed by the “vowel-consonant-e” rule.

Speaking of runes, if you want tho hear the the Elder Futhark (pre-viking old rune alphabet) being recited you may enjoy Heilung | LIFA – In Maidjan LIVE. The recitation of the Elder Futhark begins at 3:50 and continues until 7:15

Posted by: Norwegian | Feb 17 2022 9:27 utc | 180

What’s missing from these maps showing the positioning of Russian troops is the positioning of Ukranian troops. Is it possible we had Ukranian plans to take the Donbass along with troop buildup on the contact line? We’ll never know as no one is reporting on it.

Posted by: Solar | Feb 17 2022 9:44 utc | 181

The invasion is back on.
Now, scheduled for this coming weekend.
Anyone have a weather forecast?
Will the bar be open?
Or, do I need to go to the package store, and gather refreshments?
If, Russia needs to reschedule, again, maybe there could be a best out of three super bowl games.
Best out of seven?
Better go with best out of 666,666,666, the way this is shaping up.
I would bestow much hearty laughter upon each and every one of you, but the USA has usurped my plan.

Posted by: $outhpaw | Feb 17 2022 10:11 utc | 182

Solar | Feb 17 2022 9:44 utc | 178
This was posted yesterday, (Sorry forgotten who). The viewpoint from inside Donetsk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu48GbtH5u8
**
In it one salient fact is the distance between the Donbas resistance in Donetsk and Luhansk, and the UKe front lines; 10 km or 6 miles.
Calculating the distance and the time necessary for any Russian intervention from only a few more kilometres further away, cuts the window of time available for the Russians to decide, down to several MINUTES if the Ukes attack. Once they (Ukes) get into the towns then they can use the hundreds of thousands of inhabitants as human shields. Urban fighting is NOT the same as a “tank” attack over relatively empty ground.
A massive Russian reaction by missiles does not get over this problem unless used quickly.
Any sort of Uke attack on Donbas is going to lead to enormous civilian casualties.
At which point the only conceivable thing that Putin could do would be very nasty for the expected life expectancy for the Ukes/Azov Battalion etc.
*****
“Or maybe the location of a landing zone would give something away.”
Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Feb 17 2022 3:03 utc | 155
They were very close to the Belarus border. Either a nasty accident or an attempted “infiltration” that went wrong?

Posted by: Stonebird | Feb 17 2022 10:30 utc | 183

he invasion propaganda is in full swing again so Biden not declaring victory yet. A few odd things happened. Russia invasion propaganda went quiet for about 20 hours leading up to invasion day. On I think invasion day the blackhawk evac helicopter flew into Ukraine then back to a Polish hospital. Shoigu goes to Syria for invasion day and flies strategic bombers over the American oil thieves. US/UK need a Russia invasion to make the Europeans sanction themselves.
All that’s needed is plenty of civilian bodies and plenty of bullshit, both of which US/UK can do.
It makes me wonder if whatever the evac helicopter was evacuating were the remnants of whoever was contracted to supply bodies.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Feb 17 2022 10:38 utc | 184

Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX is even closer to Mexico than Fort Hood. We’re talking 5 minutes driving, no exaggeration. Then just up the road is the White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base. Further west we have Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. We have the Mexicans cornered but for some reason the national tabloid media isn’t reporting on this clear sign of aggression and intent to invade.
Those were to prevent Soviet and Cuban troops coming up through Mexico from Nicaragua…That threat has been replaced by migrant convoys from Guatemala. Our Freedom hangs by a thread and they are the Thin Red, White and Blue Line defending our Capitalist Way of Life from Venezuelan Socialist Hellholery.

Posted by: Malchik Ralf | Feb 17 2022 11:08 utc | 185

uncle tungsten 174
That is an exultant video. Thanks for linking it.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Feb 17 2022 12:02 utc | 186

Misotheist @100: “Economy cannot go against logic and physicality, on pain of becoming fictional…”
You evil Materialist! You’re so materialistic! I can make imaginary value and eat it too if I want to, and you can’t stop me!
This is where America (and apparently much of Europe) is these days. If you imagine a thing is so with sufficient conviction then it is real. It pervades all aspects of western culture these days. MMT (Magic Money Theory) economics, “wokeness”, the exceptionality of western society, they are just different views on the same mental disorder. It is a disorder that arises from childhood in children that get their rewards effort-free (“Everyone gets a trophy!”). Children whose introduction to economics is to wake on their sixteenth birthday to find a car with a bow on it sitting in the driveway… a car that as far as they can tell just appeared out of thin air. Value from nothing. Their whole lives proceed this way, from an effortless business or journalism degree that they just have to show up for to a generously compensated career of producing nothing, everything in their lives comes from nothing. How could they ever possibly develop a worldview grounded in reality? They’ve never been to that place, so how can reality form the foundation for their understanding of the world?
The West is run by such people who exist in a world composed entirely of delusion and fantasy. For them it makes perfect sense to imagine value into existence; imagine domestic terrorist threats into existence; imagine wars into existence.
This dissociation from reality is part and parcel of the death of empire. Consciousness arises from material conditions and the material conditions of a dying empire generate delusional consciousness.

Posted by: William Gruff | Feb 17 2022 12:09 utc | 187

RE spelling and grammar: I think it is a combination of spell and grammar checkers that “lack precision”, people typing on little tiny screens with little tiny keyboards, lots of non-native English speakers feeling safe to chime in (a good thing), and a lack of concern about such niceties, which are class markers. I see lots of “mistakes” from the viewpoint of “standard English”, but feel no need to correct them.
In the same way by reading around I am picking up a little Cyrillic, as in I begin to see how cyrillic letters transliterate to latin, but I am sure I would botch it if I tried on my own.
===
If Russia can achieve the erasure or diminish the sanctions on Iran and enable it to enlarge its export, there will be mutual benefit. The suppression of the overbearing USA influence in the middle east will be a win for all but especially Iran’s export potential. That may progress once Syria is liberated and then Iraq is cleansed of the invaders.
—
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Feb 17 2022 8:04 utc | 167
Yes, thank you. I see grumbling in Syrian sources too, and I sympathize, but would still counsel patience.
===
RE Kirby’s “Lavrov’s Trolling Reveals the Joke Is Actually on Russia”:
He sounds a bit butthurt about the Russians not doing things the way he would, like some others here, and I don’t put a lot of credence in his argument.
===
Going back to reading now …

Posted by: Bemildred | Feb 17 2022 12:21 utc | 188

Or maybe the location of a landing zone would give something away.
Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Feb 17 2022 3:03 utc | 158
Yes, and must have been in a hurry, or they could have just stayed on the ground and attracted less notice.

Posted by: Bemildred | Feb 17 2022 12:25 utc | 189

We have a winner! Mr. Gruff @187 nails it.
“the material conditions of a dying empire generate delusional consciousness”
Sing this eternal truth from the mountaintop for all to hear.
the material conditions
of a dying empire
generates
delusional
consciousness
Thank you so much. I am at peace now and understand completely how things will proceed.
In other words – there will be no stopping the “empireical” delusion.
And people think they’ll have time to grab some popcorn. Hahahha! Talk about delusional.

Posted by: thecelticwithinme | Feb 17 2022 14:39 utc | 190

Ma Laoshi | Feb 17 2022 8:06 utc | 171
Thank you very much for your answer. May be you are right. My social network is about to break up.
My point is not about what the people think. They think as you described it.
But somehow I cannot imagine, that the german economy and its political arms in Berlin will agree to decisions that intend to amputate itself. Without the Chinese and Russian markets and without the Russian gas it is over. Is it possible they do not realize that? Do they regard their own phantasies as a fait accompli, they have to deal with? Aren’t they actors, but victims? All these CEOs?
Marx wrote: Das Sein bestimmt das Bewusstsein.
I am actually pretty convinced of this finding.
If you are right, we have to overthink it.

Posted by: njet | Feb 17 2022 14:49 utc | 191

Happy Invasion/Unity Day !
I have my embroidered shirt and a colander on my head (cultural thing), and my Russian flag in case things kick off, and some beers. CHEERS !
—-
My biggest linguistic pet peeve is the lazy omission of pronouns, which makes a sentence needlessly ambiguous, like :
“Read the article.” Does that mean “you should read the article” or “I read the article” ?

Posted by: Featherless | Feb 17 2022 16:37 utc | 192

@Norwegian | Feb 17 2022 9:12 utc | 179 and Feb 17 2022 9:27 utc | 180
Yes, “Twitter-linguistics”. Modern technology is now changing English in a way no foreign invasion could. I imagine it’s wrecking lively havoc with other languages as well.
Thank you for the Heilung link! I’d heard the studio version of this before but never seen them live. In the comments beneath their live performance of Krigsgaldr I LOL’d at one, “We play the bones—of three Roman Legions”.
I think you might like Tribal People React to Heilung Krigsgaldr For The First Time
My favorite reaction, “Wow, Bro, wow…”

Posted by: Vintage Red | Feb 17 2022 16:38 utc | 193

@Bemildred | Feb 17 2022 12:21 utc | 188
“I think it is a combination of spell and grammar checkers that ‘lack precision’, people typing on little tiny screens with little tiny keyboards, lots of non-native English speakers feeling safe to chime in (a good thing), and a lack of concern about such niceties, which are class markers. I see lots of ‘mistakes’ from the viewpoint of ‘standard English’, but feel no need to correct them.”
I agree completely, but would add one thing: once a skill is externalized to some combination of hardware and software (spell & grammar checkers, or for math skills to calculators) there is a rapid decline in flesh-and-blood humans bothering to keep the skills. I first noticed this with the first pocket calculators back in 1973-74. Within a year or two after that it seemed no one could do mathematical calculations in their head anymore. And errors such as confusing to/too/two and there/their/they’re proliferated after the first spellcheck software—people were relying on it instead of their own knowing which of the three homophones to use.
Transliteration between alphabets such as Cyrillic and English is always going to be messy. I’ve seen articles originally written in English by an author whose first name is William get translated into Russian and then re-translated back into English (for an English language Russian periodical); on this return their first initial variously came back as V, as U, and once even as G (which made me laugh as the Welsh form of William is Gwilliam).
I’d be curious to hear what this challenge looks like from Russian speakers.

Posted by: Vintage Red | Feb 17 2022 16:40 utc | 194

ps to above
I’ve never been critical of non-English speakers confusing “lose” and “loose” or other such homophones. Non-English speakers are gaining language skills by learning English and making all the errors that go along with this learning. It’s native English speakers who are losing our language skills as the education system is decaying, with spellcheck taking its place.
But we now have emojis!

Posted by: Vintage Red | Feb 17 2022 16:48 utc | 195

Posted by: Vintage Red | Feb 17 2022 16:40 utc | 194
Thank you, appreciate your comment.

Posted by: Bemildred | Feb 17 2022 16:52 utc | 196

well roger… that was a nice conversation you kicked off!! thanks!

Posted by: james | Feb 17 2022 17:17 utc | 197

@njet | Feb 17 2022 14:49 utc | 191
>>Das Sein bestimmt das Bewusstsein.
What do I know, but that sounds like a higher-brow version of “Erst kommt das Fressen und dann die Moral”–reality over ideology. And that might have been true (with horrible exceptions) in their time. But, against my science background, I have to accept that the world works in a post-modern way now, with the primacy of narrative–Jerusalem’s hegemonic victory over Athens. Or, if that is too abstract, modern PR/advertising techniques combined with an omnipresent internet have enabled propaganda on a scale that would’ve been unthinkable in any previous century. And surely our elites cannot imagine that one day there’d be no Fressen for themselves.
I always think that Deng Xiaoping’s greatest break with the past was not “To get rich is glorious”, but rather “We must formulate our policies in close accordance with the facts” — the latter renouncing the very spirit of Maoism. Seems we’re going in the other direction.
>>But somehow I cannot imagine, that the german economy and its
>>political arms in Berlin will agree to decisions that intend to amputate itself.
I’d have thought so too once. But as right as some of us were that invading Iraq would be madness, the conclusion that therefore it wouldn’t happen was dead wrong. And what did Europeans do? First chance they got, they voted out the last two responsible governments who had opposed the madness–they wanted to share in the glory of Empire. (Chirac being centre right and Schroeder Social Democrat, all such labels are useless to us.)
Then in the Maidan years, I saw up-close the smugness “Europe really won’t be so stupid to sanction itself over a rather minor reaction to the putsch in Kiev”. But it did. Oh and pray tell, what good did the coup itself ever do to the EU.
I don’t hate Arabs. But if you let in, by the hundred thousands, exactly those Syrians for whom Assad isn’t Islamic enough, you’re existentially changing your country–and you can bet that this contingent will screw diligently, so the fun will only increase as the decades pass. Oh I forget, there were many others who unsurprisingly weren’t too keen on military service for Assad; now these are no Islamists mostly, but single young men nonetheless which brings its own problems where the human need to screw is concerned.
My last key data point is when Donald Trump, even once in office, said “Let’s all stop squandering cash on NATO”, and a bit later, called for a full retreat from Syria. Yes he was a weak, ignorant figure, but even wiser presidents are no Great Helmsmen who can act without support. One of the reasons he got nowhere on both is that the Euros were adamant. They yelled and screamed “It’s just going so well, but there are still Christians left there which haven’t been beheaded yet!”
So the way I see it, the Rubicon was crossed almost two decades ago. The Euros are insane; sacrifice is biblical I guess. And where do we see any mental growth in response to these catastrophes? Well there were some Gilet Jaunes leaders saying “Yes we oppose immigration but also Middle East war, which’d be good for both the French and for the Arab populations”. That was too much truth all at once, so the Macron regime locked them up, and the Magic Word covered up all his problems.
It may be just someone’s opinion, but Martyanov called it the other day: “Europe will commit suicide, and there’s nothing to be done about it”.
My own theory: because the arms trade always closely involves the state, and much of it is shrouded in secrecy, they punch way above their weight when it comes to corruption. Our governments went along with militarism to promote billions in arms deals; now they risk trillions in the productive economy as a result. It must have seemed clever at one time.

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Feb 17 2022 17:20 utc | 198

@njet | Feb 17 2022 14:49 utc | 191
Oh one more thing about that self-image; guess you Euros are fascinating creatures. 🙂 There seems to be a notion that Germany is forever the geopolitical prize — that you can poke the Bear in the nose and tomorrow they’ll be back, begging to be besties. And let’s face it, for years and years it worked like a clock. But is this still Mackinder’s world? Even as German industry is still a force, the country as a whole arguably matters less than India; in a generation, it may be side-by-side with Mexico on the food chain. As Russia turns away in exasperation to bigger, thriving markets in Asia, there seems to be genuine shock in Germany; it’s not just that stupid pipe which is at stake, but a worldview.
Any of this makes sense to you?

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Feb 17 2022 17:48 utc | 199

@Ma Laoshi | Feb 17 2022 17:48 utc | 199
I agree about Germany, it is going down to the dumps, and it is hard to find anything rational in German elites’ and political class’ actions and speaking. German industry is strongly tied with China (not so much the other way round), but Greens and “Free Democrats” up in arms about “Xinjiang Genocide”. My impression is that the Atlanticist NGO tightened the stranglehold.
Well, the US are self demolishing too, to say that. Midterm elections will become interesting, even more 2024.
We are observing a seismic shift, comparable to the decline of the international workers’ movement in the second half of the 20th century, and the rise of American soft power, and finally, the “unipolar moment”. Strangely, the “left wave” climaxed in mid 1970s, with the victory in Vietnam. The collapse of the traditional left was less than two decades in the future.
Soft power developments were far more complex (still are). Much of what made the attractivity of Western and American lifestyle was passionaltely opposed by US and European conservatives, not just east bloc communists. At that time, it was the commies who were curbing freedom of speech, nowadays “liberals and progressives” are, western media and states up in arms against Russian media outlets. And even GOP calling for free speech, lol.

Posted by: aquadraht | Feb 17 2022 18:18 utc | 200

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