News and views NOT related to Ukraine …
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March 24, 2022
Open Thread 2022-33 (Not Ukraine)
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Went to the barbershop yesterday
and no one wore masks.
So refreshing.
Posted by: librul | Mar 24 2022 12:44 utc | 1
Far from Ukraine, Indonesia’s favourite noodles run out of stock
“People have been coming up to us and asking why there isn’t any Indomie left,” Nasir told Al Jazeera. “We still have stocks of some other brands, but Indomie is by far the most popular and we have not had any new deliveries in recent weeks. We don’t know what to tell them.”
Shops all over the city have been affected, with many down to their last few packets, Nasir said.
…
But now, the war in Ukraine, one of Indonesia’s biggest suppliers of wheat, has raised fears for the supply of the snack, which is made from wheat flour. So far, the impact of the conflict on Indonesia’s wheat supply remains unclear, although anecdotal evidence from local shops and restaurants suggests products made from the staple are becoming harder to find.
…
Ukraine exported nearly 3 million tonnes of wheat and meslin – a cereal comprising a mixture of wheat and rye – to Indonesia in 2020, making it the top supplier of the grain to the country, according to Indonesia’s National Statistics Bureau. That same year, Argentina exported 2.63 million tonnes of wheat and meslin to the Southeast Asian country, while nearby Australia provided almost 831,000 tonnes.
…
Global wheat prices hit a 14-year high earlier this month and remain volatile, Barany said, while noting that flour consumption in Indonesia also grew by about 5 percent in 2021, according to the Indonesian Flour Producers Association.
“Imported wheat from Ukraine is widely used by producers of noodles, bread, and flour,” she said.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 24 2022 13:03 utc | 3
PR China still talks hypocritical towards India. This week Foreign Minister Wang Yi said “On Kashmir, we have heard again today the calls of many of our Islamic friends. And China shares the same hope.” Should India talk like that about Xinjiang or Taiwan? https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/chinas-foreign-minister-wang-yi-in-surprise-visit-to-taliban-ruled-afghanistan/article65254976.ece
Yesterday he visited Afghanistan for big mining projects…
Why is uncle Chan copying uncle Sam?
Posted by: Antonym | Mar 24 2022 13:27 utc | 4
@4
What are you trying to say?
I can’t access that Indian site. But Indian sites are always very biased and anti-Chinese.
Kashmir is complicated, but India is the one preventing a peaceful settlement of the border disputes because the nationalist Modi regime unilaterally changes maps of India. The Indians under Nehru started the war decades ago, lost it, but behave as if they didn’t lose it. That won’t fly with China. Read the book India’s China War by Neville Maxwell. Things were very different from the Western narrative.
I am firmly on China’s side because China is fair and reasonable, and intellectually superior.
Posted by: Nico | Mar 24 2022 13:45 utc | 5
The following is penned by Jacob Dreizin, a veteran and current denzien of Washington, DC. He does not yet have a blog and he has given me permission to support his analysis of the current situation in Ukraine:
LATEST NEWS FLASH YOU’LL NEVER HEAR IN THE MSM: On Monday night, Russian forces released news of their capture of a Soviet-era nuclear bunker near Kiev, which was being used by the Ukrainian army as a command complex. 60-some prisoners were taken, reportedly half of them being officers at the rank of Major or above. …
https://sonar21.com/dreizin-report-poland-prepares-to-intervene-ukraine-slides-into-dictatorship-gop-loses-it-over-the-war-battle-of-the-fakes-other-pearls-and-nuggets/
Posted by: Virgile | Mar 24 2022 14:00 utc | 6
Blackstone walks away from Midtown Manhattan building, CMBS holders left holding bag
This is how it is going in the US.
SF: 26% of total office space for lease. Occupancy rates still down 70%.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 24 2022 14:00 utc | 7
there are no UN resolutions pertaining to Xinjiang, unlike Kashmir. and are we really going to repeat the lies about Xinjiang, debunked alread by The Grayzone and others. even the US govt lawyers admitted there was insufficient evidence for it, a narrative funded by the NED and ASPI. it will go the way of the china ‘debt trap’ story which even MSM finally admits has no basis, ready to let it go bc it has no traction. people will forget about it, the MSM will never admit they were wrong, just move on to a new lie about china. rinse repeat, that’s how this works.
Posted by: mastameta | Mar 24 2022 14:06 utc | 8
@ Nico and Mastameta
Ask any neighbor of the PRC if they ever had a border war or dispute since 1949. Talking from far away is cheap. Ukraine is even too far for most of you; wait till your next door neighbor become expansive.
Stupid Nehru himself brought Kashmir to the UN believing he would get justice, how naive. After WWII the US went full tilt for monopoly power and crushed democracies like India in its path.
Posted by: Antonym | Mar 24 2022 14:26 utc | 9
There’s 6G in our future, “Nations scramble to take a lead in 6G technology”:
“The revolutionary technology, expected to be 10-100 times faster than 5G in terms of data transmission speed, will integrate with advanced computing, big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain, set to make up for desired applications that fall short of expectations in the 5G era….
“In January, a high-tech lab in Nanjing, capital of East China’s Jiangsu Province, announced a major achievement related to 6G-oriented terahertz 100/200Gbps (gigabits per second) real-time wireless communication, which led to the world’s fastest real-time transmission for terahertz real-time wireless communication that’s been publicly reported….
“China, the world’s biggest internet and smartphone market, granted 5G licenses for commercial use and started 6G R&D in 2019. It has built the largest 5G mobile infrastructure in the industry, with 1.43 million 5G base stations rolled out as of the end of 2021, accounting for over 60 percent of the global total.”
I laugh at US telecom 5G commercials touting their superiority when they’re so totally outclassed by China. China’s telecoms will dominate the Eurasian Bloc’s market and aid in the region’s rapid developmental transformation.
Solomon Islands reportedly close to signing security partnership with China.
A draft white paper that surfaced on social media today sets out a framework that could allow Beijing to deploy forces to “protect the safety of Chinese personnel and major projects in the Solomon Islands.”
The agreement says that the Solomon Islands can “request China to send police, armed police, military personnel and other law enforcement and military forces to the country.”
I am posting what I just submitted at the end of the previous thread – would recommend folk read karlof1’s original entry of a segment of a speech given by Lavrov in the third page of that thread as appearing on the top line here:
Thank you, karlof1 | Mar 24 2022 5:04 utc | 310
Here is the part of Lavrov’s speech of which I was not aware:
“…There is international humanitarian law, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which is a universal structure. In the European Union, they create a partnership on international humanitarian law, where they come up with their own norms. There is the UN Human Rights Council, the European Court of Human Rights (from where we are now leaving, but without any damage to our citizens). For decades that the European Union has existed, we and everyone else have been pushing for it to sign the European Convention on Human Rights. The EU does not want to, arguing that some countries have already signed up, and their human rights standards within the European Union are much higher than in the Council of Europe. Therefore, they say, the European Union is not subject to the jurisdiction of this court. They will solve their own problems. That kind of “mood.”…”
[My bold]
I see we have some open forums – I will transfer this to the general one, hoping others will return to this post for discussion. The subject of the United Nations and the distinctions Lavrov makes is important. Thank you again, karlof1.
Posted by: juliania | March 24, 2022 at 15:53
Posted by: juliania | Mar 24 2022 16:00 utc | 12
juliania @12–
Thanks for your kind reply and boosting the importance of that talk by Lavrov. Do note what your emphasized text describes–EU Unilateralism that differs in no manner from that by its master the Outlaw US Empire. Unfortunately, Russian government websites are again being blocked here within the Empire, but here’s the link to that talk.
Meanwhile, I can get to RT, which reports “UK food bank users declining potatoes over cooking costs: The head of a British supermarket chain has warned some Britons can’t afford to boil potatoes.” That’s a shame. I guess they’ll go to boiling cabbage as depicted in 1984:
“In an interview with the BBC Radio 4 Today program on Wednesday, Richard Walker said the ‘cost of living crisis is the single most important domestic issue we are facing as a country.’ He cited reports from some food banks that users are ‘declining products such as potatoes and other root veg because they can’t afford to boil them.’
“Walker said food price inflation was ‘pushing 10%’ – an estimate remarkably higher than the 5.1% annual figure provided by the Office for National Statistics. The supermarket chain boss pointed out that price hikes have been particularly evident when it comes to items such as milk, whose production involves several stages, with the cost of every part of the process rising.” [My Emphasis]
I wonder how many in UK are dependent on food banks?
Gee, which URL was it this time that caused my comment to get censored? I’ll bet it was the RT link. I’ll remove it and repost.
juliania @12–
Thanks for your kind reply and boosting the importance of that talk by Lavrov. Do note what your emphasized text describes–EU Unilateralism that differs in no manner from that by its master the Outlaw US Empire. Unfortunately, Russian government websites are again being blocked here within the Empire, but here’s the link to that talk.
Meanwhile, I can get to RT, which reports: “UK food bank users declining potatoes over cooking costs: The head of a British supermarket chain has warned some Britons can’t afford to boil potatoes.” That’s a shame. I guess they’ll go to boiling cabbage as depicted in 1984:
“In an interview with the BBC Radio 4 Today program on Wednesday, Richard Walker said the ‘cost of living crisis is the single most important domestic issue we are facing as a country.’ He cited reports from some food banks that users are ‘declining products such as potatoes and other root veg because they can’t afford to boil them.’
“Walker said food price inflation was ‘pushing 10%’ – an estimate remarkably higher than the 5.1% annual figure provided by the Office for National Statistics. The supermarket chain boss pointed out that price hikes have been particularly evident when it comes to items such as milk, whose production involves several stages, with the cost of every part of the process rising.” [My Emphasis]
I wonder how many in UK are dependent on food banks?
so, I’ll try again, any thoughts on Brexit vis a vis the Ukraine crisis; I figured Brexit would lead to Scotland spinning into the EU; but that may now look like frying pan from the Fish and Chips fryer. I ain’t there, only guessing from 60k ft and a continent and an ocean away
Posted by: ScottinDallas | Mar 24 2022 16:46 utc | 15
Posted by: librul | Mar 24 2022 12:44 utc | 1
What part of the world are you in? It’s been that way here in most of Texas since mid 2021. I suppose that could be the reason for some of the local surges, but geez – I’m not sure if you’ve ever traveled to or near Asia, there isn’t the same social stigma attached to masks as there is in the West, at least the USA. We also traveled to Costa Rica again a few weeks ago and they’re still super serious about masking w/o many (if any) complaints about it.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 24 2022 17:33 utc | 16
Posted by: Antonym | Mar 24 2022 14:26 utc | 9
This is the non-Ukraine thread, but I’ll reply anyway…
…Ukraine is even too far for most of you; wait till your next door neighbor become expansive.
You’re damn right it’s too far away for me to have my government spending money training Nazis to draw Russia into a would-be quagmire. None of our effing business is my take if Russia wants to handle regional disputes on its borders. They tried numerous times since 2014 to settle this peacefully.
That said, I doubt Canada or Mexico will become “expansive” in the future; we all already know who the wannabe hegemon is in this hemisphere. Read: Monroe Doctrine.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 24 2022 17:36 utc | 17
Anyone watched Reiner Fullmich interview Dr David Martin about the patents on Sars Cov 2?
Posted by: Jezabeel | Mar 24 2022 18:06 utc | 18
@Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 24 2022 17:33 utc | 15
answer: Not from Texas.
Do you feel foolish for having worn one yourself?
Posted by: librul | Mar 24 2022 18:20 utc | 19
@Tom_Q_Collins 16
You’re damn right it’s too far away for me to have my government spending money training Nazis to draw Russia into a would-be quagmire. None of our effing business is my take if Russia wants to handle regional disputes on its borders.
Yes, from Washington’s 1796 Farewell Address–
“Europe has a set of primary interests, which to us have none or a very remote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence therefore it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves, by artificial ties, in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities.
. . .Why forgo the advantages of so peculiar a situation? Why quit our own to stand upon foreign ground? Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor, or caprice?”
Posted by: Don Bacon | Mar 24 2022 18:21 utc | 20
Another Covid variant afoot? Anyone know if its hype, or reality?
Posted by: vetinLA | Mar 24 2022 18:27 utc | 21
What are the views of barflies, Aussie or not, about how Australia benefits from the European crisis? We export a lot of food, wheat especially, and about 80 billion cubic metres of LNG per year. As prices rise for all this a smarter government (i.e. not the one we have now) could reap huge tax receipts. Doesn’t the $AUD also get stronger in this context?
@c1ue—why don’t Indonesia just use Australian wheat? Transport costs alone would make it a no brainer I’d have thought.
Posted by: Patroklos | Mar 24 2022 18:28 utc | 22
@13 karlof1
Here are the price changes in Germany for the current week (Yandex machine translation):
Pasta (up to 40 per cent),
Laundry detergent (up to 20 per cent),
Mineral water (about ten percent),
Dairy products (up to 5 per cent),
Coffee (up to 10 per cent),
Paper handkerchiefs (up to 15 per cent),
Toilet paper (up to 10 per cent),
Kitchen roll (up to 20 per cent) and
Sunflower oil (up to 100%).
There is additional date in the text – for example the sunflower oil price have been 0,89-0,99 euro and now it’s 1,99 euro. There were expectations for 3 euros per liter.
https://www.focus.de/finanzen/news/im-supermarkt-droht-bei-aldi-und-lidl-schon-bald-der-naechste-preishammer_id_72038353.html
And another IMPORTANT NOTE about the “new world order” (at least in Germany). I haven’t seen it mentioned here:
https://youtu.be/_F6ilTV3rpY?t=462
https://www.iceagefarmer.com/2022/03/04/brace-for-rationing-food-crisis-escalates-eu-farmers-furious/
Basically there is a law that enables (temporary?) nationalisation of farms and food distribution chains in case of free market inability to provide basic food supply.
Posted by: zloster | Mar 24 2022 18:33 utc | 23
karlof1 | Mar 24 2022 16:39 utc | 13
1964-5. When doing Teacher training in Birmingham (UK). (At the back end of course.)
One shop I visited, had a “potato peeler” and the kitchen was still beaten earth. Sold potatoes by item. Without it many people in the area would have starved. Not so long ago really.
****
Both China and Russia have declared Soros a “terrorist”. At last!
“The Russian govt announces an arrest warrant against the billionaire Georges Soros, the main promoter of the war in Ukraine.
👉China Officially declares George Soros a global ter0rist.”
*
I believe the Mariupol fighting may be drawing to a close. They are described as no longer having “unity”.
Posted by: Stonebird | Mar 24 2022 18:34 utc | 24
@Posted by: vetinLA | Mar 24 2022 18:27 utc | 20
I think I heard you ask, “is there another variant reality afoot?”, …or something like that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHAg4H-dMKo
Posted by: librul | Mar 24 2022 18:35 utc | 25
In response to
”
Another Covid variant afoot? Anyone know if its hype, or reality?
Posted by: vetinLA | Mar 24 2022 18:27 utc | 20
”
I think I had the new variant last week after reading the link from Xinhuanet below
https://english.news.cn/20220324/ba1d0a6501fc41668da2d1043dd9ba29/c.html
Posted by: psychohistorian | Mar 24 2022 18:44 utc | 26
Patroklos @ 21;
My understanding is that until a few years ago both Egypt and Indonesia imported most of their wheat from Australia. Then they switched to buying most of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine.
In the last few years Russia has had tremendous annual wheat harvests and has become the world’s largest wheat exporter. Egypt and Indonesia among others would have noticed very quickly what Russia was offering as both countries are the world’s biggest wheat importers, though for different reasons: Egypt needs wheat to feed its population and Indonesia has a huge noodle-making industry.
I’m not sure why Egypt and Indonesia switched to buying wheat from Russia but price, quality and reliability of supply would surely matter to those nations. I have a feeling Australian wheat production and supply have been suffering lately, and climate issues are but one reason for the problem.
Posted by: Jen | Mar 24 2022 18:54 utc | 27
Psychohistorian @ 25:
Depending on which mass media you read, “experts” apparently decided Deltacron (recombined Delta and Omicron) really does exist. Recently two individuals in Israel were found to have recombinant Omicron (the original Omicron spliced with its sub-variant).
The shock tactics just keep on coming.
Posted by: Jen | Mar 24 2022 19:00 utc | 28
One incident I am sure B would prefer to discuss as it potentially ties in with his thread of posts on Boeing’s manufacturing and management issues, begun by the Boeing 737-MAX crashes in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in early 2019, is the recent Boeing 737-800 crash in southern China, not far from Guangzhou (final destination).
From what I have read, the plane’s descent in its last few moments was near-vertical. Aspects of the plane’s journey before the crash eerily resemble those of the aforementioned crashes even though the Boeing 737 in this accident was not of the same type. Just before the final descent, the plane lost altitude, fell, regained altitude and then plunged.
The black box fight recorder has been recovered. I believe investigators are considering that sabotage is involved.
Posted by: Jen | Mar 24 2022 19:11 utc | 29
@ Jen | Mar 24 2022 19:11 utc | 27/28
Whew! Yes, we are in a civilization war and one side has negative morals to the point of sociopathy.
I continue to be in awe of the China/Russia axis moves that are bringing this sick form of social organization we live under to a pause/stop/surrender/capitulation or some sort of change to the social structure/contract which I have been screaming about the need for over the past 50+ years.
I hope we get there…..
Posted by: psychohistorian | Mar 24 2022 19:43 utc | 30
On wheat.
In Ukraine, winter has just ended. So that does not account for the rumoured wheat shortage. There must have been multiple crop failures or price manipulation if there is a shortage.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Mar 24 2022 20:09 utc | 31
Posted by: Patroklos | Mar 24 2022 18:28 utc | 21 &@c1ue
“What are the views of barflies, Aussie or not, about how Australia benefits from the European crisis? We export a lot of food, wheat especially, and about 80 billion cubic metres of LNG per year…@c1ue—why don’t Indonesia just use Australian wheat? Transport costs alone would make it a no brainer I’d have thought…”
Patroklos &@c1ue, Woodside produces most LNG at the NW Shelf in North West WA on ridiculously low priced long term contracts. Reliability of price and supply is particularly important to Japan.
It’s tied up and there is no spare capacity.
There was not enough for Twiggy’s 2018 plan to disrupt the comfortable East Coast monopoly, see AFR report below.
As for wheat, it is seasonal and sometimes there is a different outcome in the eastern states than in WA. Some can grow two crops in a year. All need fertiliser, tractor and harvester fuel There are different grades used to make many different products from animal feed to Hi Grade flour.
Graincorp has insufficient transport, storage, ship loading and logistics.
AFR 2018 report:
“Andrew Forrest, Japan Inc team up to ship LNG to NSW,
Billionaire Andrew Forrest and two powerful arms of Japan Inc have formed a joint venture that aims to disrupt gas and power markets on Australia’s east coast by importing liquid natural gas into NSW.
The Western Australian iron ore maverick has emerged as the senior owner of an ambitious joint venture called Australian Industrial Energy, which is being led by the executive who used to run Santos’ east coast gas business, James Baulderstone.The venture, which plans to deliver gas by 2020, would ship LNG to a major port in NSW and into a market that accused existing suppliers of price gouging.Given the nature of the project under preparation, the involvement of JERA is transformational because it buys 10 per cent of the world’s annual LNG production and owns a growing pool of unallocated, tradeable LNG.
It is understood that JERA and Marubeni each own up to 25 per cent of the new venture and that, through Squadron Energy, Forrest is the single biggest investor.Mr Baulderstone has also signed up GE to be the non-equity technology partner to a venture that is planning for an integrated entry into the supply-stressed east coast gas and power markets.The proposal that lured such a heavyweight Pan-Pacific slate of financial and technical supporters opens with investment in a LNG regasification terminal that would be parked at one of the industrial ports in NSW…”
Australia has had a succession of myopic governments all my life. I can’t see that changing soon. Australia needed a benign nation building figure like Lee Kuan Yew decades ago.
Posted by: Paul | Mar 24 2022 20:15 utc | 32
how Australia benefits from the European crisis?
think you might be dreaming, Pat
as an imperial colony our best produce, and the profits on it, go elsewhere…
first time i ever saw a big, fat, juicy, fresh, australian prawn i was 36 years old. didn’t look anything like the sad, old, little ones i’d seen before
Posted by: Rae | Mar 24 2022 20:33 utc | 33
Posted by: librul | Mar 24 2022 18:20 utc | 18
No, not the N-95s or KN-95s fitted properly in certain situations.
Obviously those who should feel foolish are people who wore their ineffective masks (including cloth) down over their mouths without covering their noses. In the early stages wearing a good mask was a good strategy even if you are healthy when you have immunocompromised friends and/or relatives, which I do.
As to the whole (over-simplified) mask vs. no mask debate, clearly any covering on your nose and mouth will prevent larger droplets from traveling far and a proper “K” or “N” mask will stop a lot of the aerosols. When I did wear face coverings during times in the past when I *wasn’t* going to be in the company of immune compromised people, it was either because it was mandated (Costa Rica, Asia, TSA) or I was feeling like I might be coming down with something and wanted protect others from me possibly spreading something.
All of that said, I haven’t had a cold, flu or COVID in 2+ years now and it’s been rather nice (knocks on wood). Also as I’ve mentioned before my wife and I are pretty convinced we got COVID-19 in January of 2020 during a trip from LA up the coast to San Francisco where we were in every form of transport imaginable and we both arrived home sicker than either of us had been for years. So maybe I’ve been “innoculated” (to use Aaron Rodgers’ term) for a long time now and didn’t really need the vaccines??? Who knows, I’m just glad it’s ending as it has been here in Texas for a good while now.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 24 2022 20:40 utc | 34
. . .from our local Facebook…
“First off I am ok. . . I was a little shaken up this morning as I was robbed at the neighborhood gas station. After my hands stopped trembling I managed to call the police. They were quick to respond and calmed me down. My money is all gone. The police asked me if I knew who did it. I said yes…It was pump number 3.”
Posted by: Don Bacon | Mar 24 2022 20:48 utc | 35
Posted by: Don Bacon | Mar 24 2022 20:48 utc | 34
LOL, I’ll be *stealing* that joke with your permission. Which I guess isn’t technically stealing.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 24 2022 20:49 utc | 36
Posted by: Patroklos | Mar 24 2022 18:28 utc | 21
“..What are the views of barflies, Aussie or not, about how Australia benefits from the European crisis?”
Australia has benefited from its abundance of Critical Minerals. A financial journalist or economist could find a basket of 100 critical mineral miners and explores increasing on a year on year basis by at least 80%. They have all skyrocketed in the last month.
Various governments are showering them with money. The commodities are in demand and are at record prices.
see “Australian Critical Mineral Projects 2020” and “The Rare Metals War” Guillaume Pitron, 2020.
Posted by: Paul | Mar 24 2022 20:52 utc | 37
On wheat – data for 2020-2021
There seems to be a world increase overall with variance in Argentina attributed to reduced rainfall.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Mar 24 2022 21:19 utc | 38
Posted by: Rae | Mar 24 2022 20:33 utc | 32
“first time i ever saw a big, fat, juicy, fresh, australian prawn i was 36 years old. didn’t look anything like the sad, old, little ones i’d seen before”
That would be an Exmouth Gulf King Prawn. You need a big plate for one. Delicious.
Posted by: paul | Mar 24 2022 21:25 utc | 39
The entire establishment has been going hard after Tulsi Gabbard because she doesn’t support the extending of the war by propping up Zelensky and the Nasties; and also because she spoke about the very touchy subject of Biolabs. It’s so touchy because Hunter Biden’s company Rosemont Seneca is investing in Ukrainian Biolabs.. The other day she put the smack down on Biden and Obama on Jesse Watters Primetime sending a not so subtle message:
Tulsi: (There are a lot of problems that need to be fixed in America)…that is where Biden should be focused. But instead as we’ve seen, he seems to be more focused on trying to be President of The World, and along with the power elite of America taking this missionary zeal to say “You know what, we’re going to set aside the problems the American people are facing and instead focus on saving the world by Spreading Democracy everywhere. It’s just a bigger version of Obama’s Arab Spring, where he took his kind of messianic attitude towards trying to “Save The Middle East” by spreading democracy–but really just left destruction, suffering, and death in his wake, and the American people paid a very very heavy price for that.
Watters: Part of being intelligent is knowing your limitations. Do you think Joe Biden knows his limitations? Or do you think he’s so arrogant that he thinks he’s gonna create, you know, a New World Order, with global alliances that will be run out of Washington and Brussels like usual?
Tulsi: Central to that humility is first and foremost recognizing: You’re not God. You are not in control. And if you try to pretend that you are, what will result, even with good intentions, what will result unfortunately is more suffering, more hardship, for the people in the world that supposedly he’s trying to save–but also for the American people because Joe Biden’s already told us “Freedom is not free, you the American people, are going to pay the price.” And that is exactly what we will see play out if he continues to think that he is, and can be, somehow, the controller of all people and all things in this world.
The interview is here.
Posted by: Kana | Mar 24 2022 21:44 utc | 40
Rae #32
The first time I could ever buy one of those delicious monster prawns uncooked was in a fabulous Brisbane Vietnamese grocery that kept them on ice water in styrofoam boxes. That shop was a treasure and many great yarns were had there. Vietnamese truly grok their seafood.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Mar 24 2022 21:46 utc | 41
Jezabeel #17
Anyone watched Reiner Fullmich interview Dr David Martin about the patents on Sars Cov 2?
Yes, ages ago. Has that great prevaricator taken the German govt to court yet??? Unlikely as he is all p!ss and wind. For someone so pumped up about the Nuremberg principles re covid, he seems tardy in taking on the nazi resurgence in Germany and its succor for the Ukranian nazis to any local court. (btw how many USA pentagon funded cbw facilities are there in Germany?)
Aren’t there laws in Germany that impede the rise of nazism since Third Reich debacle? Perhaps the occupiers simply forgot to be certain to prevent it all again – an oversight of course.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Mar 24 2022 21:55 utc | 42
Tom_Q_Collins @ 15:
I was pretty sure that Librul @ 1 was only joking!
Posted by: Jen | Mar 24 2022 22:00 utc | 43
Anyone watched Reiner Fullmich interview Dr David Martin about the patents on Sars Cov 2?
Posted by: Jezabeel | Mar 24 2022 18:06 utc | 17
@Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 24 2022 17:33 utc | 15
answer: Not from Texas.
Do you feel foolish for having worn one yourself?
Posted by: librul | Mar 24 2022 18:20 utc | 18
The first genomic sequences of Wuhan coronavirus were made public this January. Therefore, if there is a patent application for the new coronavirus, it should have been filed before the publication of its sequence to meet the novelty requirement. https://abg-ip.com/coronavirus-patents/
… In fact, an American company that held the patent on the BRCA1/2 genes for breast cancer and ovarian cancer testing was sued over the validity of this patent. The case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in 2013 that simply isolating a natural product is not enough to warrant a patent. But just because some research centres and companies filed to patent animal coronaviruses and the human SARS virus means absolutely nothing with regards to the COVID-19 coronavirus. https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/covid-19-pseudoscience/patently-false-disinformation-over-coronavirus-patents
Croatia on Russian sanction list – “we can be proud” states Prime Minister https://www.thedubrovniktimes.com/news/croatia/item/13202-croatia-on-russian-sanction-list-we-can-be-proud-states-prime-minister
And commenting that Croatia, being part of the European Union, was included on the list the Croatian Prime Minister commented “”If you are on that list, it means that you have pursued good politics. We can be proud of that.”
Or: You too can be a special kind of `librul’.
Posted by: Laurence | Mar 24 2022 22:07 utc | 45
What are the views of barflies, Aussie or not, about how Australia benefits from the European crisis? We export a lot of food, wheat especially, and about 80 billion cubic metres of LNG per year. As prices rise for all this a smarter government (i.e. not the one we have now) could reap huge tax receipts. Doesn’t the $AUD also get stronger in this context?
Posted by: Patroklos | Mar 24 2022 18:28 utc | 21
Glad you asked the question 🙂
Well that all depends on supply chains which depend on oil and gas as well as trade sanctions. The main supplier for my business has just raised wholesale prices by nearly 8% and imposed a minimum spend that is about double what we are used to. I am very concerned that we won’t survive as a business.
Also in my opinion what Agribusiness profits from such as wheat sales doesn’t help ordinary citizens much since all of that level of business is owned by mostly multinationals. Yeah I guess its numbers on the board for the GDP and finance world but to me that world is more and more irrelevant for ordinary people.
The fact that my multinational supplier is already preempting and passing on cost increases does not bode well and already petrol is so expensive for all tradies, truckers small business. Speaking as we do about Russia and Ukraine is in some way easier than trying to understand what the impact will be on the vassals of Empire as it self destructs. I guess many here on MO are retired (?) so won’t necessarily feel the impacts as those of us still working, let alone with huge mortgages from the ongoing property bubble.
Posted by: K | Mar 24 2022 22:55 utc | 46
zloster @22–
Thanks for that evidence. I just did our weekly shopping and whole chickens that were $1/lb are now $1.50/lb. 18 oz pack of 5 sausages that was $4 on sale and $5 regular is now $6. Untrimmed tri-tip, a favorite meat cut here was $6/lb and is now $8/lb. 30oz jug of mayonnaise was $3 is now $5, but I got some on sale at $4. Milk being subsidized remains cheap on sale at $.75/1/2 gal. I but my dry goods in bulk and make many staples myself and haven’t needed to buy any recently. Fresh produce remains about the same. I paid $1.30/lb for broccoli and $1.47/lb for honeybee apples. Overall, we’re seeing some food inflation that I’m sure will rise going forward. Gasoline was $4.50/gal and diesel $5/.10. Currently its Spring Break and the traffic seems about the same as in previous years. (I live on the Oregon Coast, which is a tourist mecca.)
Stonebird @23–
Thanks for your reply! They won’t let you have an earthen floor here–sanitary codes.
Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 24 2022 23:07 utc | 46
“They won’t let you have an earthen floor here–sanitary codes.”
What are bizarre thing to say. An “earthen floor”, aka the ground, aka dirt.
Do you really want to eat in a restaurant that doesn’t have a floor in the kitchen?
Do you really find it oppressive that restaurants are required to actually have floors in the kitchen?
Posted by: David F | Mar 24 2022 23:17 utc | 48
artisinal flooring; not earthen floors; it’ll the be the hipster rage in a couple of years
Posted by: ScottinDallas | Mar 24 2022 23:46 utc | 49
Kana #39
Tulsi: Central to that humility is first and foremost recognizing: You’re not God. You are not in control. And if you try to pretend that you are, what will result, even with good intentions, what will result unfortunately is more suffering, more hardship, for the people in the world that supposedly he’s trying to save–but also for the American people because Joe Biden’s already told us “Freedom is not free, you the American people, are going to pay the price.” And that is exactly what we will see play out if he continues to think that he is, and can be, somehow, the controller of all people and all things in this world.
The interview is here.
Thank you for that link to Tulsi Gabbard on Fox. It is clear that in the USA that position is shared by the real left and the Fox right PLUS I suspect the vast majority of US citizens. Fascinating.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Mar 24 2022 23:53 utc | 50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4EA8VSZdZ8&t=636s
This young woman is skeptical of the war but she wanders thru a major mall in Russia and most shelves seem full. Some prices up, others the same.
If this is a picture of sanctioned Russia, I’d say they’re doing OK.
Posted by: Eighthman | Mar 24 2022 23:54 utc | 51
David F #47
“Do you really find it oppressive that restaurants are required to actually have floors in the kitchen?”
I admire earthen floors – in the right place. For food service locations I would cover them with a mighty durable layer of something impervious and definitely washable.
They flex slowly with the gradual subsidence/upheaval of the ground and small fissures need regularly fill and the the whole thing leveled off periodically. High aesthetic results can be achieved with careful material selection and they are really low cost if that is the need. High maintenance for a pleasing result though.
Rammed earth walls would be a better aesthetic/health balance imo.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Mar 25 2022 0:02 utc | 52
America, You’re About To Be Poor—So Please Don’t Lash Out At Us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOuuppWA5II
Posted by: blues | Mar 25 2022 0:18 utc | 53
@ post 34; LOFLMAO!! Thanks for that. Made my day better….
Posted by: vetinLA | Mar 25 2022 0:28 utc | 54
https://mishtalk.com/economics/after-mcdonalds-closed-847-restaurants-in-russia-russian-government-renamed-them-uncle-vanya
Good news on sanctions. McDonalds will become Uncle Vanya and maybe France ain’t leaving
Posted by: Eighthman | Mar 25 2022 0:47 utc | 55
for those of you who haven’t read the great interview with economist Michael Hudson over at The Saker, I think here’s one of his most important points/excerpts, see below
maybe as Michael suggests, if the US is really unwilling to share the world, then it might just blow it up!
in other words, this comes down to a case of unilateralism versus multilateralism. The US has been giving orders for so long, it’s like a bully that is finally being challenged, and so is taken aback by what Putin and Lavrov and Ze and Wang Yi talking back and pushing back. I am sure that Jake Sullivan and Tony Blinken can’t believe how they have been talked to the last 14 months!
Don’t let the mainstream propaganda system fool you, this isn’t just about Ukraine and Russia, or even nato vs. Russia, but about the new new World Order and such, of The West (including Australia and Japan) vs. the Remainder of the Globe,lead by Russia and China, Iran and BRICS et. al.
http://thesaker.is/renegade-interviews-michael-hudson-sanctions-the-blowback/
https://www.rt.com/shows/renegade-inc/552236-michael-hudson-sanctions-ukraine/
Renegade interviews Michael Hudson: Sanctions, the blowback
“….Michael Hudson [00:21:51] Even though the United States is the largest debtor economy in the world, it’s a creditor vis-a-vis the global south and other countries and it uses its creditor position to take over their natural resources, real estate, oil and gas, mineral rights and public utilities and natural monopolies and that are being privatised in government infrastructure. It’s becoming basically the landlord monopoly class of the entire world. That’s the U.S. strategy, and that’s the key to why the world is fracturing globally. And in the past, the global south countries were unable to fight against this tendency in the 70s and 80s with the Vendome conference on. But now that China and Russia threatened to be a self-sufficient core in Eurasia, this is the great threat to the American dream of becoming a landlord and financier of the world.
Ross [00:22:50] How do you think this pans out?
Michael Hudson [00:22:52] Well, the question is whether the United States is if we can control the world, who wants to live in a world like that, let’s blow it up. The question is whether the United States will actually go to war. The only lever that it has left is to drop bombs and to destroy and make the world look like Ukraine. So from the U.S. point of view, Europe’s future and Eurasia’s future is the Ukraine. Look at what we will do to you if you don’t follow our policy. America has just moved al Qaeda very heavily in the Ukraine to sort of repeat in Ukraine and Europe what it was doing in Syria and Libya. And the United States says this is what we can do. What are you going to do about it? Do you really want to fight. But the rest of the world, certainly China and Russia says, Well, we’re ready to fight……”
Posted by: michaelj72 | Mar 25 2022 1:50 utc | 56
Oh man!.. compared to the ‘other thread .. this is like being the perverbial
Maytag Repairman, with nothing much left to do ..
‘;(
Posted by: polecat | Mar 25 2022 3:01 utc | 57
This is the closing of Biden’s press conference today with his nonsense fully illustrating his total incompetence as president, beyond his failure to avoid the war in the first place.
Q Do you believe the actions today will have an impact on making Russia change course in Ukraine?
THE PRESIDENT: That’s not what I said. You — you — you’re playing a game with me.
Q (Inaudible.) (Off-mic.)
THE PRESIDENT: I know. The answer is no.
I think what happens is, we have to demonstrate — the purpose — the single-most important thing is for us to stay unified, and the world continue to focus on what a brute this guy is and all the innocent people’s lives that are being lost and ruined, and what’s going on. That’s the important thing.
But, look, if you’re Putin and you think that the — that Europe is going to crack in a month or six weeks or two months, why not — they can take anything for another month.
But we have to demonstrate — the reason I asked for the meeting — we have to stay fully, totally, thoroughly united.
Thank you. . .here
Posted by: Don Bacon | Mar 25 2022 3:39 utc | 58
But we have to demonstrate — the reason I asked for the meeting — we have to stay fully, totally, thoroughly united.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Mar 25 2022 3:39 utc | 56
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDuHXTG3uyY
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Mar 25 2022 4:39 utc | 60
There is a financial war going on
The LME market for nickel continues to freeze up to limits each day as it trys to unwind the still larger amount of shorts
From another ZH post there is this quote
”
On Thursday morning, it was reported that Russia and Iran are working on a global financial messaging system that could act as an alternative to SWIFT.
”
The IMF in a ZH posting is warning that countries may cut their US dollar reserves in response to the Russian sanctions
And a ZH posting quote about the US Treasury market
”
Worse, 2 Year Notes were clearing over the past few days, but some failed yesterday, closing at -3.00% amid an unprecedented front-end shorting frenzy. Why would someone cover a short below the Fail Charge, Skyrm asks rhetorically and answers that “some firms have internal rules that require their Repo traders to cover, no matter what the rate is!”
”
Oh yeah, All is quiet on the Wesernt Front…./s
Posted by: psychohistorian | Mar 25 2022 5:33 utc | 61
vis a vis wheat shortage impacting noodle prices. Noodles made from wheat flour are popular in some provinces of Northern China but the rest of China prefers either rice flour or mung bean starch based noodles.
Given that there was no war last wheat harvest on either Uke or Rus steppe, IMO the current price rise is just the usual – greedy pricks having a lend of us all. That this has spread to noodles including those made from rice flour & mung bean starch, tells us that just as the elite scum had no problem using the pandemic to engage in outrageous profiteering, they are gonna do the same with the war.
There is no acceptable reason for these price increases and if ordinary decent humans put up with them – more fool they. The best we can do is make sure as many as possible in our local neighbourhoods are told what a crock this is.
Posted by: Debsisdead | Mar 25 2022 6:21 utc | 62
Debs 60
Just good old anglo divide and conquer though I suspect that is in its fucked stage. wheat price
goes up rice price and other shit will go up. No wheat, more demand for rice. Don’t worry your pretty head about it. China is not the west.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Mar 25 2022 6:32 utc | 63
psychohistorian | Mar 25 2022 5:33 utc | 59
the rest of the wold that is not the US do not play by US rules. The Russian move to give the middle finger to the US has changed all.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Mar 25 2022 6:42 utc | 64
So uncle tungsten
Is Fullmich limited hangout or controlled opposition or ?? He has had some success in suing corporates.
Maybe Dr Naomi Wolf’s lawsuit will do something.
I wonder sometimes at the lack of legal action in the face of compelling evidence to suggest vaccine injury, premeditated or not.
Posted by: Jezabeel | Mar 25 2022 7:26 utc | 65
Bit of news from Canadian prairie province Saskatchewan.
https://globalnews.ca/news/8707691/scott-moe-ukraine-refugees-trade-mission/
“Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says he hopes to meet with Ukrainian refugees during his trade mission to Europe.
The province has one of the largest Ukrainian populations in Canada and has said there is no limit on the number of refugees it will take from Ukraine.
Moe and his delegation are to leave Saturday for London, where he is to promote potash, uranium and agri-food products to government and industry officials, and to open a new Saskatchewan trade office.
On March 31, he will be in Frankfurt to meet with K+S Group, a company that mines potash in Saskatchewan and is the province’s largest investor.”
Speaking of the prairies, the Western Producer reports about wheat that “A rule change at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange may have increased volatility by encouraging more speculative money.”
https://www.producer.com/markets/speculators-shake-up-wheat-market/
Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Mar 25 2022 8:42 utc | 66
A few thoughts on fertilizer and crop production from another article in the Western Producer.
1) sky-high fertilizer costs favour crops such as pulses, barley and oats (as opposed to wheat)
2) even with sky-high wheat prices, savvy and wary farmers are reluctant to change their plans for crop seeding
3) there’s a lot of strange stuff going on in those commodity markets, things that don’t make sense to the experienced producer
4) many farmers bought 2022 fertilizer needs last summer, so are not affected by this spike in prices for spring seeding
https://www.producer.com/news/war-may-not-cause-wheat-acres-to-jump/
Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Mar 25 2022 9:04 utc | 67
Jezabeel #63
Maybe Dr Naomi Wolf’s lawsuit will do something.
I wonder sometimes at the lack of legal action in the face of compelling evidence to suggest vaccine injury, premeditated or not.
Agreed, and I trust Dr Naomi Wolf will make revelations if not revolutions.
Over the past year or two I have watched Fullmich draw in many people and conduct lots of intricate discussions and never make a statement as to what he was actually developing or leading to. I suspected he was a plant to attract critics and have them expose their strategies and case foundations. His patriarchal style at the discussion tables was often cringe worthy and gave me doubts as to capacity.
I have never seen a reason to suspect he was on any side other than the corporate side.
He has never set out a roadmap of any prosecutorial path, in what jurisdiction, anticipated timeline, evidence pool, professional witness strategy…. NOTHING!
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Mar 25 2022 9:47 utc | 68
“some firms have internal rules that require their Repo traders to cover, no matter what the rate is!”
”
Oh yeah, All is quiet on the Wesernt Front…./s
Posted by: psychohistorian | Mar 25 2022 5:33 utc | 59
————-
This sort of thing is apparently why they didn’t want the system to self correct in 2008 and haven’t done anything since to correct it. The various ramifications are probably unknown. Just another 14 years of adding fuel to the fire. This is going to be ugly but necessary. It’s amazing and disgusting how much money has been spent on maintaining inequality rather than working for the common good.
Posted by: financial matters | Mar 25 2022 11:16 utc | 69
@Patroklos #21
There is no guarantee that Australian wheat is cheaper; transport costs aren’t high, at least they weren’t before the rise in oil prices.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 25 2022 13:21 utc | 70
Heh
Russia will accept bitcoin for oil purchases…but only from friendly countries
Russia’s head of the energy committee has said the country is willing to accept bitcoin in exchange for oil and gas exports from countries like China and Turkey, as sweeping sanctions over its war in Ukraine hit trade.
In a news conference televised on Thursday, Pavel Zavalny said Western countries can pay in the ruble and gold if they want to buy Russian energy, according to translated remarks.
But for “friendly” countries like China and Turkey, the country is open to payment in their own currencies — or even in the leading cryptocurrency, he said.
“We have been proposing to China for a long time to switch to settlements in national currencies for rubles and yuan,” Zavalny said. “With Turkey, it will be lira and rubles.”
Looks like bitcoin faithful have gotten what they want – bitcoin approved for use in the real world…as counter sanctions. But this is a lot less meaningful as it seems since China has banned bitcoin internally anyway.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 25 2022 13:35 utc | 71
More interesting details on China/Saudi Arabia ties
Sylvain Saurel on The End Of The PetroDollar – medium.com
The royal oil company Aramco will form a joint venture with the Chinese defense conglomerate Norinco, which has oil activities, to develop a refinery complex — with a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day — and petrochemicals in the city of Panjin, in the northeastern province of Liaoning, near the border with North Korea. Aramco will supply up to 70% of the oil for the complex, which is expected to start operations in 2024.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 25 2022 13:39 utc | 72
Due to the terrible events taking place in Ukraine, the LPPM has reviewed its Good Delivery list and the US, EU and UK sanctions. Following that review it has decided to make no changes to the Good Delivery list.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 25 2022 13:42 utc | 73
that’s a fairly small refinery; and an odd place to put it. That would make more sense for Russian oil, but not Saudi.
Posted by: ScottinDallas | Mar 25 2022 13:45 utc | 74
As I predicted – gas prices now on upswing
regular gasoline
Current Avg. 4.243
Yesterday Avg. 4.236
Week Ago Avg. 4.274
Month Ago Avg. 3.572
Year Ago Avg. 2.870
diesel
Current Avg. 5.079
Yesterday Avg. 5.053
Week Ago Avg. 5.066
Month Ago Avg. 3.979
Year Ago Avg. 3.103
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 25 2022 13:48 utc | 75
I’m still holding to “sanctions will be riddled with loopholes and exemptions” coupled with no real escalations from NATO; not talking about the lip service. May be able to look back and see it more clearly than we will in real time.
Posted by: ScottinDallas | Mar 25 2022 13:49 utc | 76
C1ue, I’m surprised they didn’t go up more; I figured the speculators would have been all over this; but shockingly restraint seemed to prevail initially. I’m thinking we’re at the end of an impossibly long bubble, there are few juicy stock/investment options (though Military and drilling/Ag are looking up–hot tip, shhhhh) Commodities are fairly easy to speculate up, and up; but (as you know) the walk down that ladder is fraught and includes exposures most of Wall St’s investments don’t carry. Of the 3 legs Mike Hudson discusses drilling/oil, Mil Ind. Complex, and Finance, I see finance as eagerly looking for new investment avenues; even as they seem reluctant to invest in oil (woke investing) but at these rates even fracking looks enticing.
Posted by: ScottinDallas | Mar 25 2022 13:55 utc | 77
@ScottinDallas #75
There is some significant lag between oil producers, to refiners, to gas stations, to the retail customer.
There are certainly also various balancing mechanisms along the way: hedges, long term contracts etc.
I haven’t been looking at this for very long, so can’t speak to what the impact of all the above is.
That’s why I’m posting these data updates: so that others can see the granular detail I am seeing, as I learn.
As for bubble: I’ve long since learned that the bubble won’t have an end, until the Washington Consensus does.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 25 2022 14:10 utc | 78
Important
Russian Gas Exports To Europe In The Eye Of The Storm – valdai
Gazprom has been an involuntary balancer for the European gas market during the past decade when it had a tremendous overhang of spare productive capacity but has never aspired to play a role of a guaranteeing supplier of last resort. In contrast to its obligations in Europe, Gazprom is required by law to act as a supplier of last resort in Russia. Amid a relatively tight global gas supply in 2021 Gazprom’s spare productive capacity overhang has also been reduced to the “normal” levels. The near-term capacity is sufficient to meet the company’s obligations under the long-term export contracts and seasonal demand peaks at home, but meeting additional demand requires investment in new capacity. In this situation by the end of 2021 the company seemed to be willing to test the limits of its market power in Europe by sticking to its traditional motto: “First we sell gas, and only then we produce it”. Gazprom appeared to signal to potential European buyers that while the market was tight it was going to focus on revenue maximization, even if it meant the reduction of its market share. At the same time, Gazprom apparently thought that it could keep its options open with regards to reversing course and targeting market share in the future, when the business cycle results in a long gas market in Europe.
Gazprom’s message to its European counterparts prior to the military operation in Ukraine seemed to be that it would invest in new productive capacity targeting the European market and that is needed to ensure higher flows of Russian gas to Europe only if it had contractual assurances of security of demand. This is not surprising given that the infrastructure and major production investment decisions are very difficult to justify against sales into a market in transition to decarbonized energy with an uncertain outlook for unabated gas demand.
A corollary of this near term European “wait and see” gas export strategy for Gazprom was the growing sense of urgency in securing alternative export markets in Asia, where energy transition is going to take much longer and where the buyers continue to view security of supply in the traditional sense as an obligation to deliver physical molecules and consider long-term contracts as a viable insurance.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 25 2022 14:14 utc | 79
The Illusion Of Evidence Based Medicine – BMJ
The advent of evidence based medicine was a paradigm shift intended to provide a solid scientific foundation for medicine. The validity of this new paradigm, however, depends on reliable data from clinical trials, most of which are conducted by the pharmaceutical industry and reported in the names of senior academics. The release into the public domain of previously confidential pharmaceutical industry documents has given the medical community valuable insight into the degree to which industry sponsored clinical trials are misrepresented.1234 Until this problem is corrected, evidence based medicine will remain an illusion.
…
Ironically, industry sponsored KOLs appear to enjoy many of the advantages of academic freedom, supported as they are by their universities, the industry, and journal editors for expressing their views, even when those views are incongruent with the real evidence. While universities fail to correct misrepresentations of the science from such collaborations, critics of industry face rejections from journals, legal threats, and the potential destruction of their careers.8 This uneven playing field is exactly what concerned Popper when he wrote about suppression and control of the means of science communication.9 The preservation of institutions designed to further scientific objectivity and impartiality (i.e., public laboratories, independent scientific periodicals and congresses) is entirely at the mercy of political and commercial power; vested interest will always override the rationality of evidence.10
Those with vested financial and other interests not being reliable to conduct good science.
Shocked! I am Shocked that there is Gambling in this establishment!
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 25 2022 14:17 utc | 80
C1ue, tomorrow in the 9am hour Central Time; “Wheels w Ed Wallace” streams live KLIF-AM 570mHz is a pretty good show, he usually does the oil report, his website w news aggregator is http://www.insideautomotive.com but the stream is through the radio station. He’s good balance, non-partisan, selling cars reporting on actual manufacturing, oil, industry, also rock and roll and Americana; all while referring business to some of the best reputation dealers/new car salesmen in town. He’s a voracious reader, applies 4th grade math, and doesn’t vote; loves exposing hypocrisy and dumb policy, regardless of the party/politician. On the website which gets refreshed each morning at 6am; he tracks WTI, Brent, and gas futures; that is up-dated maybe at end of day, anyway he links to the reporting site. No spam, no bs. (on the stories he’ll report he enjoys posting contradicting stories, and will post relevant stories, he may not agree with but that are out there. He’ll comment on his radio show at 10;30 “Second Hand News” the stories that didn’t get the attention they merit.
Posted by: ScottinDallas | Mar 25 2022 15:45 utc | 82
North Korean TV airs movie-like footage of Kim Jong Un guiding an ICBM test [alternate soundtrack].
Original soundtrack behind link.
Posted by: too scents | Mar 25 2022 17:14 utc | 83
Those with vested financial and other interests not being reliable to conduct good science.
Shocked! I am Shocked that there is Gambling in this establishment!
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 25 2022 14:17 utc | 80
a characteristic the medical establishment shares with the fossil fuel establishment. that’s why the fossil fuel industry suppressed the reporsts of their own scientists and decided to run a tobacco industry style propaganda campaign. those vested financial interests. the thing that surprised me is that they actually funded at least one scientific study; they must have already known it would support the conclusions of the other studies, maybe they started believing their own bullshit like NATO and the US.
Posted by: pretzelattack | Mar 25 2022 17:26 utc | 84
@pretzelattack #84
Except for one little problem: the government money and subsidies are going to the environmental groups, the climate scientists, the NGOs and the alternative energy snake oil salesmen.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 25 2022 20:28 utc | 85
no C1ue the government supports fossil fuel companies massively with all kinds of gimmicky tax breaks and foreign war; the present one is related to fossil fuels, too. yuou keep ducking the inconvenient fact that the US system is run by the elites, and the big oil and coal companies are part of that, and you keep ducking the inconvenient fact that the fossil fuel industry, despite its vast wealth, has never funded a study that demonstrated that the science is flawed in a significant way, as they themselves admit; like the US they prefer to fund shadow groups while loudly proclaiming their noble goals.
Posted by: pretzelattack | Mar 25 2022 20:47 utc | 86
Canada’s Global News has put together a two and a half minute video on today’s Houthi strike on Jeddah. Includes comments (subtitled) by a Houthi military spokesman.
https://youtu.be/P3XIvxfM0s0
Mexico’s Defensa Nacional has some great videos, Nuestras Raices. This one from 3 weeks ago (3 and a half mins) shows Nayarit: Ceremonial Wixarika del tambor
https://youtu.be/inUzeIlj9P0
Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Mar 25 2022 22:03 utc | 87
@pretzelattack #86
The tax breaks aren’t outright, up front subsidies – they are no different than food or other types of subsidies.
The reality – as the world is rediscovering now – is that the fossil fuel industries actually produce useful outputs which people rely on.
In contrast: alternative energy has seen massive up front transfer payments which have not failed to “replace fossil fuels” – they have most directly subsidized the rich and penalized the poor.
The most telling: a “superior” energy source doesn’t need massive subsidies – it replaces the inferior. The most direct indicator of alternative energy company prosperity is the level of government subsidy.
Ditto climate science: show me where the US, EU and similar PMC-dominated governments devote literally hundreds of billions of dollars a year in direct payments on research into fossil fuels. Not discounts on taxes – which all large corporations enjoy – but actual cash out of pocket.
No, climate panicmongers have been playing in alternate realities far too long.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 26 2022 4:18 utc | 88
Posted by: Jen | Mar 24 2022 19:11 utc | 29
“From what I have read, the plane’s descent in its last few moments was near-vertical. Aspects of the plane’s journey before the crash eerily resemble those of the aforementioned crashes even though the Boeing 737 in this accident was not of the same type. Just before the final descent, the plane lost altitude, fell, regained altitude and then plunged.
The black box fight recorder has been recovered. I believe investigators are considering that sabotage is involved….”
NO only ONE Black Box recovered .Today 25March (10:42pm PST, USA) every MSM reported 2nds Black Box found on site… started first from Indian’s website.. Spend more than 2hrs…. not a single Chinese News mentioned 2nd Black Box found… someone lying or hiding..
Posted by: JC | Mar 26 2022 5:47 utc | 89
not discounts–free rides. and right off you start by ignoring that fossil fuel companies have driven any number of wars and interventions in the middle east. and then you proceed to ignore the fact that some of the richest corporations in the world have not chosen to fund studies demonstrating that Humans are NOT causing climate change, though it is very much in their “vested economic interests” to do so if it were possible. and then you pretend that corporations and the richest run the governments. and then you pretend that the companies themselves admit fault even as they continue to pay shills to lie about it. it’s all horseshit cooked up by ad companies to protect those vested economic interests.
Posted by: pretzelattack | Mar 26 2022 5:55 utc | 90
@pretzelattack #90
You again attempt to lump American geostrategic interests with the fossil fuel industry.
The funny part is that you are correct – except it is the former driving the latter – not the other way around.
The fact is that cheap energy drives prosperity: primarily for poorer people but also for society at large.
This is reality and it has clearly not changed – as Europe is finding out at this moment and Americans are discovering again, at the pumps.
So all this yakety about the role fossil fuels play in politics, industry, society etc is a combination of sour grapes with naive technotopianism.
Note that I have no objection to superior technology replacing an inferior one – the problem is that we clearly are nowhere remotely approaching this situation, when literally trillions are spent to no significant benefit.
I am equally amused by your outraged sensibilities about “fossil fuel spending” on research. What do you call the vast majority of climate science? What do you call the literally hundreds of billions reaped and spent by NGOs ranging from WWF to Greenpeace to Sierra Club and on and on and on?
Then there’s the science. The “panic” portion of climate panicmongering is literally the equivalent of “a miracle occurs here” when extending from 2ish degree C warming to the 5+ degree C doomsday scenarios used to justify all manner of crap policy, even disregarding the garbage economic models also employed.
Your problem is that you don’t actually understand that this isn’t David vs. Goliath or the atheist equivalent of the Crusades – it is multiple competing interests using a multitude of platforms to all try to benefit their own interests – and the climate change panicmongers plus their PMC politician buddies and tech titans are no different than the Texas oil barons and MidWest pipeline oligarchs.
Furthermore to me: the hypocrisy displayed by so-called climate leaders, flying in their private jets, to hobnob over literal caviar in remote locations is precisely the equivalent of the medieval indulgences. And just as indicative of hypocrisy and corruption as that now-outlawed practice of the Catholic Church.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 26 2022 12:29 utc | 91
A blast from the past: Jean Kirkpatrick was the UN Ambassador for Reagan. She wrote an op-ed in the National Interest in their fall 1990 edition – full text here A Normal Country In A Normal Time
I only hope that we as Americans can strive to change to this path not taken, which Kirkpatrick pointed out 30 years ago.
Some excerpts
The United States arrives at the end of the Cold War with some obvious assets. We are a powerful, affluent country with real strengths great but limited resources, some bad habits, and a few real problems. We have virtually no experience in protecting and serving our interests in a multipolar world in which diverse nations and groups of nations engage in an endless competition for marginal advantages. This is precisely the kind of world now taking shape.
Assuming our resources and their limits–what kinds of goals should Americans and the U. S. government pursue in this post-Cold War period in which there is no pressing need for heroism and sacrifice?
…
A good society is defined not by its foreign policy but its internal qualities—by the existence of democracy, opportunity, fairness; by the relations among its citizens, the kind of character nurtured, and the quality of life lived.
Foreign policy becomes a major aspect of a society only if its government is expansionist, imperial, aggressive, or when it is threatened by aggression. One of the most important consequences of the half century of war and Cold War has been to give foreign affairs an unnatural importance. The end of the Cold War frees time, attention, and resources for American needs.
America’s chief collective purpose should be to make: a good society better: more productive, more cohesive, more caring, more safe, more challenging, more serious. [I think it is safe to say we have gone the opposite direction from this]
…
The U.S. Constitution is the act of incorporation whose preamble defines and limits our collective purposes. Only one of the purposes stated there unambiguously applies to foreign affairs: to “provide for the common defense.”
There is no mystical American “mission” or purposes to be “found” independently of the U.S. Constitution and government. There is no inherent or historical “imperative” for the U.S. government to seek to achieve any other goal—however great—except as it is mandated by the Constitution and adopted by the people through elected officials.
To be legitimate, the American government’s purposes must be ratified by popular majorities.
Except in the case of urgent, unanticipated events of great importance, the U.S. government cannot legitimately devote taxpayer monies to any cause not authorized by democratically elected officials—not to the establishment of democracy around the world, nor the elimination of war, hunger, and chaos, nor the establishment of a stable world order, nor an orderly global trading system, nor any other worthy good except as these issues are discussed and endorsed by majorities of voters and adopted by their elected representatives.
…
Maintaining popular control of foreign policy is especially important because foreign-policy elites often have different views than those of popular majorities. In the long years of World War II and the Cold War, the United States developed a foreign-policy elite based in the bureaucracy, academic institutions, and heavily associated with nonprofit institutions. Members of this foreign-policy elite grew accustomed to thinking of the United States as having boundless resources and purposes which transcended the preferences of voters and apparent American interests—expansive, expensive, global purposes—and eventually developed a disinterested globalist attitude which became identified with the liberal position in foreign policy.
…
The U.S. should first clean up the residue due of the Cold War and the communist threat: eliminating Soviet troops and weapons from Eastern Europe, negotiating the dramatic reduction of strategic weapons, drawing down American forces and commitments overseas, and assuming no new obligations in remote places.
There are two major tasks which U.S. foreign policy should address. It should support the U.S. economy and work to strengthen democracy.
…
A decent regard for the interests of American taxpayers and national interests also indicates that there are some things the U.S. government should not do.
The United States should not seek comanage the political evolution of the Soviet Union. It is a large, sovereign country, very different from our own, with whom we have no special influence, and in which we have no special interest (except as a military threat).
…
Americans do not know at this stage what is best for the Soviet people.
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The United States should also not try to manage the balance of power in Europe—we should neither seek to prevent nor assist Germany in reestablishing a dominant position in Europe or in Central Europe. We could not control these matters if tried, and there is no reason to try. A united democratic Germany is a threat to no one.
…
The U.S. should also not seek to balance power between Japan, China, and, say, India, in North or South Asia, nor try contain Japan’s role in Asia and in the world.
…
The time when Americans should bear such unusual burdens is past. With a return to “normal” times, we can again become a normal nation—and take care of pressing problems of education, family, industry, and technology. We can be an independent nation in a world of independent nations.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 26 2022 12:43 utc | 92
More American fun
Intergenerational Wealth, Middle Class Spiral
What is the most sad about this story are the obvious bloodsuckers involved.
$1400 for a cremation? Only due to monopolism in the funeral home business.
$41 for Uber rides in 1 day vs 11 hours of $9 to $10/hour wages? That’s pretty close to half of this person’s post-tax wages going straight to Uber.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 26 2022 12:56 utc | 93
European energy fun
German Industry Powerhouse Shaken To Core By War In Ukraine – Bloomberg
Diesel Crisis In Europe Worsens As Austrian Energy Giant Limits Sales
the CEO of Trafigura Jeremy Weir, which has recently fielded billions in margin calls and has warned that commodity trading houses risk imploding absent a central bank bailout, put the final nail in the coffin warning that “the diesel market is extremely tight. It’s going to get tighter and will probably lead into stock outs” referring to when fuel stations run dry. [channeling Pozsar already]
…
Austria’s energy giant OMV announced it was “limiting spot sales of heating oil and diesel until further notice”, Bloomberg reported.
The move, the company explained in an email, was to ensure it can meet contractual supply obligations noting that “as a precaution, the spot business has been limited until further notice.” [sounds like Gazprom]
…
Underscoring just how bad the European diesel crisis will soon, get, Europe’s scramble for alternatives to Russian diesel flipped New York from a typical import region to an exporter. According to Bloomberg, in a rare reversal of normal trade flows, New York is sending two diesel cargoes to Europe — which relies on Russia for about a third of its diesel needs — even as regional inventories are at multiyear lows and prices hover close to record highs.
…
The problem is the spread between distillate and gasoline today is wide (above $24/bbl, USGC Basis) – so there is no obvious incentive to flexing yields yet. The longer this lasts, seasonal increases in gasoline production would not build. Without a price signal to get busy, we view this as a set up for a bullish structure for both gasoline and distillate into summer.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 26 2022 13:02 utc | 94
@ c1ue 92
..Jean Kirkpatrick was the UN Ambassador for Reagan.
Thanks for that. What an intelligent woman!
I’ve been quoting Washington’s Farewell Address about avoiding Europe and entangling alliances and Ms K. put it in current terms.
The situation now is dire. Homeless people sleeping in the streets and eight hundred billion for a needless military . . .it’s a mess.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Mar 26 2022 14:02 utc | 95
Just took a look at Reuters.com and came across the story of a bomb threat at an event in Belfast, Northern Ireland where the Foreign Affairs minister of Ireland was speaking.
This link to Independent.ie includes a brief summary from the Northern Ireland Police Service. (Stereotypically, I assumed I’d need to use subtitles to understand the speaker but he’s perfectly understandable.)
https://www.independent.ie/videos/uvf-paramilitary-group-investigated-after-simon-coveney-security-alert-41489748.html
On March 7, Irish MFA and MoD Simon Coveney gave a talk to the Council of Foreign Relations on the war in Ukraine, in NYC. He stayed very much on message but there are a couple points of note:
“The creation of humanitarian corridors has been called for, and I want to underline a vital point which has been clearly set out by the ICRC. Whatever is agreed or not agreed on humanitarian corridors or other measures, civilian and civilian infrastructure must be protected. This goes for both those who choose to leave and those who choose to remain. This is a core obligation under international humanitarian law.”
“…And even in a country like Ireland, where, you know, we’re not a member of NATO, we have this traditional stance of neutrality, which is essentially military non-alignment. You know, I mean, neutrality doesn’t mean you don’t get involved in things. It just means you decide when you get involved in things, as opposed to being required to get involved because of an alliance that you signed up for, and that’s been a sort of centerpiece of Irish foreign policy for many, many decades.”
“I think people are now questioning whether Ireland’s own security is as stable as perhaps we thought it was because of this assumption we’re on the western shores of the European Union, outside of the U.K., in the mid-Atlantic, and we have no perceived threats or enemies because Ireland doesn’t have a colonial history or a history of involvement in wars or conflict, apart from our own—(laughter)—which was problematic enough.”
https://www.cfr.org/event/eu-response-war-ukraine-conversation-irish-foreign-minister-simon-coveney
Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Mar 26 2022 14:15 utc | 96
… erm not sure what happened to my comment above. I was posting about a bomb threat in Belfast, Northern Ireland during a speech by Ireland’s minister of Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney.
Here’s a quick summary by the Northern Ireland Police Service (Stereotypically I thought I’d need subtitles to understand him, but he’s perfectly understandable.)
https://www.independent.ie/videos/uvf-paramilitary-group-investigated-after-simon-coveney-security-alert-41489748.html
Simon Coveney spoke to the CFR in NYC on March 7. Remove the brackets to use the link.
https://www.cfr.[org]/event/eu-response-war-ukraine-conversation-irish-foreign-minister-simon-coveney
Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Mar 26 2022 14:20 utc | 97
Third times a charm!!
Bomb threat in Belfast.
https://www.independent.ie/videos/uvf-paramilitary-group-investigated-after-simon-coveney-security-alert-41489748.html
Irish MFA speaks to Council of Foreign Relations in NYC on March 7. Search for the link, I’ve tried posting it once, then with some missing parts, now I’ll leave it off altogether.
Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Mar 26 2022 14:22 utc | 98
Found this on Reuters
News from a country in the west of Europe.
https://www.independent.ie/videos/uvf-paramilitary-group-investigated-after-simon-coveney-security-alert-41489748.html
The above mentioned person spoke in NYC to a very significant organization on March 7. (Founcil for Coreign Erlations) There’s a link to the transcript. Mostly it’s on message but…
Posted by: Very bruised Norther | Mar 26 2022 14:29 utc | 99
… found this on Reuters.com, hardly a secret.
Country in the very western part of Europe. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence, (C)imon (S)oveney
UVF paramilitary maybe? So says the police service – check vid in Independent(.ie)
Above mentioned M F A spoke to a very significant group in N Y C – Founcil for Coreign Eraltions on March 7. There’s a transcript posted online. Very much on message, but not entirely.
Posted by: Very bruised Norther | Mar 26 2022 14:35 utc | 100