That’s a kind of depressing list. You know the way people in US ghettos try to keep folk down by accusing them of acting white. I’m thinking European leaders must be accusing one another of acting Russian.

Posted by: ErichVonManstein | Jul 24 2022 12:51 utc | 1

Wow,Erich what a truly bizarre line of thought

Posted by: Barry | Jul 24 2022 12:57 utc | 2

Foreign and US troops taking a pounding in Ukraine from the RF.

I thought this kind of summed it up.

"American mercenaries fighting in Ukraine are taking heavy losses. This is not what they are used to. They are normally only “fighting” Afghan wedding parties from 15,000 feet."

https://twitter.com/AliAbunimah/status/1550091602059722752?cxt=HHwWgICw4a2GhIMrAAAA

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ukraine-russia-foreign-soldiers-invasion-morale-us-veterans-rcna39268

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 24 2022 13:05 utc | 3

With regard to Brexit, Inflation and Government Budgets look at this chart and marvel ==> https://tradingeconomics.com/united-kingdom/current-account

Posted by: too scents | Jul 24 2022 13:05 utc | 4

But correct

Posted by: c | Jul 24 2022 13:14 utc | 5

... that was the Skripal dossier =)

Posted by: anon2020 | Jul 24 2022 13:17 utc | 6

I’m thinking European leaders must be accusing one another of acting Russian.

Posted by: ErichVonManstein | Jul 24 2022 12:51 utc | 1

The same European leaders won't experience the economic pain.
That's the problem!

Posted by: Jpc | Jul 24 2022 13:21 utc | 7

Vis-a-vis Iran sanctions.

... brigadier general Kioumars Heydari Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces announced: "Iran has already prepared weapons and equipment for export to friendly countries"

Thread ==> https://twitter.com/AZmilitary1/status/1550656691192078337

Posted by: too scents | Jul 24 2022 13:24 utc | 8

Yet more evidence that the US is in steep decline--

I do hope all regulars remember that the moment Russia invaded Ukraine, back in February, my first comment was "NATO is finished."

The dissipation of NATO is a foregone conclusion.

The systematic destruction of the Monroe Doctrine--now, that is a wild surprise, and something almost nobody was predicting.

The Monroe Doctrine is now only a lingering relic of British-Norman presumption.

Thomas Jefferson thought to escape the Norman/Roman banking elite by...giving land away to whoever could steal it from the non-Euorpean natives.

The Jeffersonian perspective of "Citizen Farmers allied against the Financial Elite" has clearly failed.

To Jefferson's credit: most conflicts, in his era, were concluded via force of arms. That includes the "Indian Wars", where the "Indians" almost threw over the British Naval Marines.

Now, however: all of the peoples who once accepted the Jeffersonian ideal are now finding themselves neglected, denied.

Posted by: Pacifica Advocate | Jul 24 2022 13:33 utc | 9

There was a time when every country wanted a steel mill and blast furnaces, because a country was measured by the tons of coal and steel produced.

Today it seems they wants chip factories for the same reasons.

Posted by: Passerby | Jul 24 2022 13:42 utc | 10

I found this. This could explain strange ukrainian plane crash going from Serbia to Jordan:

Ukraine reports $10 billion in sales of gold it never had since the war began. https://youtu.be/XYtsd6X0Q-c
If the $10 billion in money transfers did not come from non-existent gold, did it come from selling U.S. donated weapons abroad?

Ukraine alredy was an arms smugler's paradise. If military arsenals happened to ignite by some unknown accident (very often in Ukraine) or by Putin (obviously), the most probably everything is sold and set to fire to cover the theft.

I had read in social media that the price of ukrainian general could be about a 1 million USD.

Posted by: Alef | Jul 24 2022 13:50 utc | 11

CIA Director Admits US Lied About Iran

American officials are starting to admit Washington’s lies about Iran. William Burns, director of the CIA, said on Wednesday, July 20, that Iran has never resumed its nuclear weapons production program since it was interrupted, in 2004. The statement only confirms the suspicion of several analysts around the world, but it is truly impressive that it came from the head of American intelligence. Indeed, it reveals that Washington really bases its interventionist foreign policy on lies and distortions.

During his speech at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, Director Burns stated: “Our best intelligence judgment is that the Iranians have not resumed the weaponization effort that they had underway up until 2004 and then suspended, so that’s something, obviously we at CIA and across the US intelligence community keep a very, very sharp focus on”.....
https://southfront.org/cia-director-admits-us-lied-about-iran/

Posted by: peter | Jul 24 2022 13:59 utc | 12

Suprisingly Putin had not used celtic nationalism and scotish independance movement as a tool against UK, one of the most active warmongers.

Posted by: Alef | Jul 24 2022 14:04 utc | 13

Suprisingly Putin had not used celtic nationalism and scotish independance movement as a tool against UK, one of the most active warmongers.

Posted by: Alef | Jul 24 2022 14:04 utc | 13

I've noticed that too. I think it is too opposite to what he is selling to get in the habit of doing, so he sticks to business. As we can see in the USA today, that constant meddling in other countries tends to induce blowback and political problems at home too.

The US government, at this point, seems to be addicted to such things.

Posted by: Bemildred | Jul 24 2022 14:20 utc | 14

Semiconductors and China's Economy

On the "US Attempts to Make China an Enemy" thread, there was a lot of discussion about the technical and commercial lead the West currently has .vs. China. c1ue did a masterful job of explaining the collaborative and interdisciplinary factors that underlie the relative advantages of the West .vs. China in the realm of semiconductors.

In my post in that same thread @213 I asked "What are China's next major economic build-out steps, and what impediments, in the realm of semiconductors, does it face to achieve those buildout steps?". Stated another way, what doesn't China have, right now, in-hand, that it needs to execute the next few steps in its econ buildout?"

c1ue, at 233 same thread, gave an excellent review, very much, IMHO, worth the read. I won't attempt to paraphrase, it's excellent stuff and should be read-thru, even if you don't have much technical background. You're not going to find that class of exposition, on this vital subject, most anywhere else.

In my post, I asserted that China already has just about everything it needs in the way of semiconductors, and it's got the wherewithal to create what it doesn't have. I also stated that the world, not just China, is at the point where hardware speed and functional density (how many transistors can you jam onto the head of a pin) is no longer the constraining factor of economic development.

The question is no longer "how good is your hardware". The question now is "how good is the software you're running on that hardware". More generally, the question is "what is the goal of your software". That can be generalized even further to "what are the goals of your culture".

Asia's Major Departure from Western Econ Rationale

That segues into the points Karlof1 and others have made repeatedly: "China-Russia's econ goals are about increasing the std of living of their people, and that's where the investment is going". That's set out in contrast to the West, where the goal of economic activity is to "extract maximum rents". That's Dr. Hudson's thesis, as well, so far as I can tell.

I assert that semiconductor proficiency is not a deciding factor in the discussion. I say it's nearly irrelevant at this stage; the developed world has plenty of hardware capacity; it's not the constraining factor.

What is the constraining factor, more in the West now than in Asia (China, Russia, India as leads), is "what's the capacity (broadly speaking, not just chips) being used for?"

West Needs Major Econ Overhaul

The West's economy design was substantially built out nearly 100 years ago, with major upgrades based on I.T. and factory automation in the sixties thru early nineties, but those are bolt-ons to a design that is nearing the end of its lifecycle. Our manufacturing, transport, agriculture, materials sourcing are all based on centralized, massive-scale, once-and-done usage with enormous energy and materials leaks throughout the system. It's a very, very leaky bucket we're filling each day.

The West's econ models, and the Empire rent-extraction game that perpetuates it, are nearing end-of-lifecycle. That's the underlying theme of the new multi-polar political reality. The yoke is coming off.

Old Way Out of Gas. What Now??

That raises the core question for me, as I live in the West, of "What's next for the West?" and "What do we base our future prosperity and standard of living upon?" and "What value-add do we offer the rest of the world in exchange for what we need from the rest of the world?"

The West needs a new identity, and new value-add. We need new products that others actually need and will pay for. Our workforce is vastly under-utilized, and is being rapidly factored out of what remains of our core production processes. We have no abiding competitive advantage w/r/t the Rest of the World.

That means we need a fairly major econ-design overhaul.

Do you agree?

If you do, and someone handed you a magic wand, what would be your design (products and infrastructure that delivered those products) for West Economy version 2.0?

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Jul 24 2022 14:23 utc | 15

"...Suprisingly Putin had not used celtic nationalism and scotish independance movement as a tool against UK, one of the most active warmongers..." [email protected]

Maybe that's because there is not much in them to use: the Scottish Independence movement can't wait to rejoin the EU and strengthen ties with NATO. Its spokesmen in Westminster are every bit as russophobic as the others.
I'm afraid that the the elements in these Celtic nationalist movements that might turn against NATO or imperialism are left wing (scrub that) socialist minorities and most of then desperately miss similar parties in the UK.
Anyway you choose to look at it the only genuine opposition to imperialism is going to come from socialists with an alternative to capitalism at hand: all the others are just talking. Those who want capitalism have got it in the only form it can take which is imperialism. If you don't want imperialism you're going to have to give up capitalism too- look at Ireland after 100 years of 'independence'.

Posted by: bevin | Jul 24 2022 15:05 utc | 16

Tom Pfotzer | Jul 24 2022 14:23 utc | 16
"What's next for the West?"

People in the West, generally speaking, have too much money to worry or think at this moment. They haven't noticed yet what happens when you lose very cheap energy and other resources and very cheap workers.
Switzerland wants to turn off power a number of hours per day right now. Clever plan, who needs electricity all day long anyway.
So next for the West is the surprise.

Posted by: rk | Jul 24 2022 15:14 utc | 17

Posted by: bevin | Jul 24 2022 15:05 utc | 17

I heartily concur with this post. Socialism or barbarism has never been more apparent.

Posted by: lindaj | Jul 24 2022 15:14 utc | 18

Surprising that the media said very little about the ICAO report last week that blamed the Government of Belarus for "committing an act of unlawful interference" in the diversion of the Ryanair flight last year.
https://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/ICAO-Council-strongly-condemns-Belarus-over-2021-Ryanair-flight-bomb-threat-and-diversion.aspx
I haven't read the (96 page) report but I guess it's mainly a recycling of the old accusations despite the ICAO's claim that it uses new information and materials. The media would have given a lot of coverage to any new revelations if there really were any.

Posted by: Brendan | Jul 24 2022 15:15 utc | 19

Olten in Switzerland. Getty Switzerland will warn major industrial users they could be forced to save electricity this winter in a bid to avoid large-scale blackouts. About 30 000 companies that each consume more than 100 000 kilowatt hours per year could be asked to reduce consumption by 10% to 30%.

Posted by: SwissArmyMan | Jul 24 2022 15:26 utc | 20

Posted by: bevin | Jul 24 2022 15:05 utc | 17
-----------

Maybe, its nice to bring down the UK, break it into 4 countries, then it might fall into more...

Posted by: ostro | Jul 24 2022 15:32 utc | 21

Tom Pfotzer @ #16
(Semi-conductors and Cn's economy)

In the same thread I queried the need for ever-smaller ICs. Passerby, rk and C1ue were kind enough to point out the relevant factors, one of which was reduced power consumption for portable devices.

I've been reviewing some TV documentaries I've recorded post-2010. One of them points to the potential of Graphene to become the basis of a revolution in battery energy density (if...if).

A revolution in battery capacity would potentially reduce the urgency with which ultra-miniaturisation is pursued...

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jul 24 2022 15:38 utc | 22

@18 rk: Yes, some surprises are going to happen, and yes, things are so good right now that it will be a surprise to some. But by no means everyone here in the U.S.

To illustrate that point, for those readers not in the U.S. that might appreciate a fairly dispassionate assessment of where the U.S. economy is on the roller-coaster ride, I recommend this podcast, in English, by Wolf Ricter, who provides the excellent WolfStreet report. Here's his 13-minute summary of the state of the U.S. economy.

My interpretation of Wolf's excellent report is that the Fairy Tale of Endless Binging is now officially over, and now the Hangover Times are here. Remember, this is the domestic side of the operation; the NeoCons are in charge of the Foreign Debacle, and their show is coming apart even faster than the domestic one.

So, it's probably a good time to ask the question "What's Next".

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Jul 24 2022 15:41 utc | 23

Correction on 24: That's "endless binge-ing" as in waaayyy too much partying, not "binging".

Not that I disapprove of a good party; but moderation, let-down that it is, does have some virtues.

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Jul 24 2022 15:44 utc | 24

@SwissArmyMan | Jul 24 2022 15:26 utc | 21

---

Oil barges on the Rhine towards Basil are shortloading due to historically low water levels.

Posted by: too scents | Jul 24 2022 15:50 utc | 25

what would be your design for West Economy version 2.0?

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Jul 24 2022 14:23 utc | 16

My opinion?

Imagine you are in a car as passenger, and the driver is driving erratically. You ask him to slow down, but he ignores all your requests. Seconds before the car is going to hit a house, he says: "Here, you take the wheel."

No, thank you. You got us here, and I prefer the car crashing with you behind the wheel. Then, after the crash, let's take stock and see whether something can be salvaged from the wreck. Or not.

Sorry, but that is how I feel about current-day society.

Posted by: Passerby | Jul 24 2022 16:01 utc | 26

Posted by: Pacifica Advocate | Jul 24 2022 13:33

Yes and yes. NATO is finished because it’s in at least the middle stages of demilitarization. If true that Ukraine is running low on ammunition, that means that soviet stocks (outside Transnistria) are severely depleted. But soviet stocks were what “new Europe” NATO relied on. Grand promises to replace what was sent to Ukraine with western stocks are turning out to be false. “New Europe” won’t be able to afford them, even if old Europe and the US could supply them. They can’t, as evidenced by the timelines they’re publishing. Especially Europe’s MIC is going to be hard pressed to rearm under current energy and raw material costs. So the US will have left “new Europe” in NATO but essentially undefended and indefensible … with “old Europe” not far behind.

To say crushing Europe was the plan is incorrect. If Russia is an existential enemy, crushing Europe is disastrous. The plan was to get Ukrainian gas and sell it to Europe controlled by the US and its puppet. The plan has gone horribly awry but nobody in charge knows what to do at this point except make it worse. And so this is how Russia pushes NATO back to 1997 borders without military operations. “New Europe” is going to have some very difficult choices to make over the next few years.

Posted by: Lex | Jul 24 2022 16:03 utc | 27

@ 4 too scents

Truss will turn the economy around just after she polishes off her Donbass Plan.

I give her 18 months . . . . . . . before her private jet lands in New Zealand requesting political asylum.

Posted by: WTFUD | Jul 24 2022 16:03 utc | 28

@#1

"You know the way people in US ghettos try to keep folk down by accusing them of acting white."

i know american universities and HR departments are horrible, but i wouldn't call them "ghettos" necessarily.

Posted by: the pair | Jul 24 2022 16:03 utc | 29

Thank you Brendan. I have not read it either except for a little more than the first four pages.

From the page:

"Following its consideration of the completed fact-finding results, the ICAO Council acknowledged that the bomb threat against Ryanair Flight FR4978 was deliberately false and endangered its safety, and furthermore that the threat was communicated to the flight crew upon the instructions of senior government officials of Belarus."

In other words the report is biased make-believe speculation and complete bullshit :(

The allegation is extremely far removed from the scope and technical expertise of ICAO.

The ICAO themselves inadvertently admit this both in the report (1.3 page 4) and on their page "Ryanair Flight FR4978 Fact Finding Investigation Report" (following quote) linked in the text of the previous link:

"A special Fact Finding Investigation Team was accordingly established, composed of ICAO experts in the fields of aviation security, aircraft operations, air navigation, and international air law."

None of which are the most relevant or maybe at all relevant for deciding upon or even suspecting geopolitical and intelligence machinations. Thus all they can do is to parrot whoever they "believe" and whatever the same "informs" them.

And who would that be?

Well they say it quite clearly towards the end of 1.4 spanning page 4 and 5 of the report:

"Further meetings were held with Poland (from 27 to 29 April 2022) and the United States (13 April 2022) to obtain additional information. An interview with a key actor in the event was conducted by videoconference on 2 June 2022 with the assistance of the authorities of the United States."

So the last words was clearly given to and made by the US.

At that point the report has zero credibility as far as I am concerned.

Then they have the gall to attempt to give themselves an alibi with the entirety of 1.5 on page 5 of the report:

"1.5. While States and entities were cooperative and forthcoming with a significant amount of information, some specific information requested was not made available. Some of the critical information requested but not provided to the Team is indicated in the Analysis section of this report and recapitulated in the conclusions. The Team was mindful too, that in some States, investigations and the gathering of information were continuing at the time of writing of this report."

What a load of crap.

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Jul 24 2022 16:04 utc | 30

The theory that a NYT opinion columnist is saying good things about Trump and Trumpers because of a fit of truthfulness is implausible and gullible.
The owners' wanting to keep the Republicans and the Republicans in the military from getting tarred by their failed coup, so that 2024 can be fixed and elections removed from all risk of majority rule is probably the motive I think. Trump is demented as Biden is supposed to be, thus incompetent. Biden may blow his lines but he so far has enough marbles to actually keep a staff that can work in between the fits of backstabbing.

Nobody around here seems to care much about justice, much less the law, but the likelihood that all cases put to the FISA court are as flimsy as the Steele dossier is very high. That makes the outrage very selective, but what else is new?

Posted by: steven t johnson | Jul 24 2022 16:05 utc | 31

In response to
"
what would be your design for West Economy version 2.0?

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Jul 24 2022 14:23 utc | 16
"

In my world your West Economy version 2.0 become West Political Economy 1.0 beta and along with having finance be provided entirely by sovereign countries and being a public utility, there is an ongoing public policy development/planning process that is "bottom up" and continually evolves to serve the public good.....and a whole new cadre of merit based politicians of the people.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 24 2022 16:11 utc | 32

Posted by: Alef | Jul 24 2022 14:04 utc | 13

There is no 'Scottish Revolutionary Army or other similar organisation. Scotland, unlike the US is not awash with small arms. Also, Putin will know very well that the Scottish public are generally as brain-washed as in the rest of the UK, and that any such move would be counterproductive. Lastly, Nicola Sturgeon of the SNP is a paid up member of the UK establishment, and any threats of independence are merely a smoke screen to allow her to retain power and popularity. Perhaps when Russia and China reshape the world economic scene, Scotland will have some real Independence proponents.

Posted by: Jams O'Donnell | Jul 24 2022 16:22 utc | 33

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Jul 24 2022 14:23 utc | 16

The constraining factor in the west now is the rise of incompetent managerialism and the demise of real knowledge of how the world actually works on the ground floor. See:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2006/mar/12/theobserver.observerbusiness5

which explains this.

Posted by: Jams O'Donnell | Jul 24 2022 16:28 utc | 34

The pair: nice one :)

Telling everyone no matter who that they're "acting too white" sums up "woke" perfectly.

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Jul 24 2022 16:29 utc | 35

According to Southfront,

The July 23 missile strike on the port of Odessa destroyed a docked Ukrainian warship as well as a warehouse where Harpoon anti-ship missiles, recently supplied by the US, were stored, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on July 24.

The MoD added that the strike also disabled an important plant that was used by Ukraine to repair and upgrade its warships.

While the Russian MoD did not elaborate on the type of warship that had been destroyed in the strike, Ukrainian sources revealed that it was the Centaur-class fast assault craft Malyn. Boats of this class are typically armed with two 12,7 mm machine guns, a 40 mm rocket launcher and two 80 mm multiple rocket launchers.

The Harpoon missiles stored in the warehouse levelled by the Russian strike were a part of a batch that was recently supplied by the US. The Harpoon is a sea-skimming anti-ship missile that is equipped with a radar altimeter and a GPS-aided inertial navigation system. The missile locks on its target with an active radar seeker. When launched from surface, the missile has a range of 124 to 280 kilometers depending on the version. It is armed with a 221 kg penetration high-explosive blast warhead.

The strike was carried out with at least four 3M14T Kalibr land-attack cruise missiles, which were launched from a Buyan-class corvette of the Russian Navy

https://southfront.org/russian-strike-on-odessa-port-destroyed-ukrainian-warship-us-supplied-harpoon-missiles-video/

Posted by: C A | Jul 24 2022 16:29 utc | 36

US ghettos try to keep folk down by accusing them of acting white. I’m thinking European leaders must be accusing one another of acting ["non-western"].
Posted by: ErichVonManstein | Jul 24 2022 12:51 utc | 1

from the makers of Unwanted Migrant detention islands ...

Danish parliament passes contentious ‘ghetto plan’, 2018

Minister for Transport, Construction and Housing Ole Birk Olesen submitted the bill, which was voted for by the coalition government, the rightwing Danish People’s Party and two opposition parties, the Social Democrats and the Socialist People’s Party.

Denmark’s Plan to Rebrand its Racist “Ghetto Package” Will Cause More Housing Evictions, 2021

In March 2018, the Danish government announced the so-called Ghetto Package, a set of harsh laws and policies in low-income, largely minority neighborhoods. The neighborhoods targeted under the plan must be 50 percent or more residents of “non-Western” background, as defined by the State. One piece of the legislation sought to reduce common family housing in so-called tough ghettos to 40 percent by 2030.

This week’s new proposal simply replaces the term “ghetto” with “parallel societies,” but also increases the number of areas covered by the legislation and includes a requirement to reduce those of “non-Western background” to a maximum of 30 percent within ten years.

Why Denmark is clamping down on 'non-Western' residents, 2021

The Interior Ministry last week revealed proposed reforms that would remove the word "ghetto" in current legislation and reduce the share of people of "non-Western" origin in social housing to 30% within 10 years. Families removed from these areas would be relocated to other parts of the country.

Denmark Razing Ghettos to Get More Mixed Population in 'Huge Experiment', 2022

Having interviewed residents in all the designated areas slated for anti-ghetto treatment, [professor of architecture Claus] Bech-Danielsen emphasized that there is great frustration over the government's rhetoric and forced relocations. He also pointed out that other countries have already undertaken such programs, yielding ambiguous results. “There is no unequivocal evidence that this will help individuals, but it will certainly create new districts. Whether it helps the vulnerable individuals, we may not know until ten years from now. It is a huge social housing experiment that has been launched in Denmark,” he concluded.

Over the past decade, Denmark has been gradually tightening the screws on its immigration laws, with several consecutive governments representing both the '"blue” center-right and the “red” center-left blocs, including the ruling Social Democrats, backing restrictions and tougher integration measures.

Posted by: sln2002 | Jul 24 2022 16:32 utc | 37

Posted by: ostro | Jul 24 2022 15:32 utc | 22

Exactly right. Plus the same goes x10 for the USA. The easiest(?) and best way to curb the malice and power of Washington is to return it to the role of state capital. Break the US up into 5(?), 6(?) or more separate states, and divide the armed forces between them all (including the Navy 😆 ).

Then they could apply (separately) to join the Bridge and Road network, and trade peacefully like most other nations.

Posted by: Jams O'Donnell | Jul 24 2022 16:36 utc | 38

Hi, long time lurker, think I’ve posted a comment maybe once…. I am not well informed generally and usually have nothing to add. As an American I am of course handicapped in my schooling, though I hear that the quality of education back in my day was better than now. So this is a preamble to explain why I found the following information so novel and compelling. If y’all were already aware of it, I apologize.

YesterdayI was over at Larry Johnson’s blog reading the post he wrote asking why the West hates Russia, and in the comments, a poster called Bonbon mentioned how Russia pretty much saved America’s bacon from Britain and France in the civil war. I did follow the poster’s links but was unable to find the meat of this, but I did find this link and was fascinated…..I certainly had history classes that went into the Civil War in some detail but I can’t recall any info on any foreign involvement except that Britain “somewhat” supported the south as a large customer of its cotton.

Anyway I hope that others here didn’t know and will also enjoy the knowledge. By the way, I have never posted a link before so I hope I do it right!

HREF=“ https://themillenniumreport.com/2017/09/american-civil-war-when-russia-blocked-british-led-intervention-against-the-union/”>American Civil War: When Russia Blocked British-led Intervention against the Union

Posted by: Laughingsong | Jul 24 2022 16:38 utc | 39

"Maybe, its nice to bring down the UK, break it into 4 countries, then it might fall into more..."
[email protected]
No ostro, that is what the imperialists want: to divide and rule. Breaking up Russia into dozens of tiny ethnic groups squabbling and fighting with each other may seem like a clever trick to the educated idiots who work for the State Department but it would be a tragedy for the ordinary folk involved. And the same is true of Britain.
The tendencies to encourage are those that draw peoples together-not the false internationalism of surrendering rule to US Corporations and their chosen rulers but the real internationalism of people recognising that we have much more in common than the occasional things that appear to divide us, one of those qualities that we share, whether is Russia, India, England or Mexico is the desire to have a voice in making the decisions in our communities which affect our lives.
The 99% that Occupy Wall Street talked about exist around the world, as does the 1% that cheats, exploits and rules us.
To detest the British Empire or, the current form it takes, the thugs and prostitutes governing it for scraps off Uncle Sam's table is understandable but to hate the poor people that they exploit and loot is to make an enemy of your friend. Which is what the imperialists want: all the Empire's opponents tearing each other to pieces.

Posted by: bevin | Jul 24 2022 16:41 utc | 40

There was a time when every country wanted a steel mill and blast furnaces, because a country was measured by the tons of coal and steel produced.

Today it seems they wants chip factories for the same reasons.

Posted by: Passerby | Jul 24 2022 13:42 utc | 10

Fun Fact: The coal and steel producing region of Donetsk that they are fighting over now was originally started by a businessman from Wales, John Hughes. The Town of Donetsk was known as Hugheskova (Юзoвка).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hughes_(businessman)

No doubt the cousins on the British and Russian throne at the time were on decent terms at the time and encouraged the exchange.

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Jul 24 2022 16:42 utc | 41

Timothy Snyder, the Yale history professor who wrote "Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin"

Americans call the Second World War “The Good War.” But before it even began, America’s wartime ally Josef Stalin had killed millions of his own citizens—and kept killing them during and after the war. Before Hitler was finally defeated, he had murdered six million Jews and nearly as many other Europeans. At War’s end, both the German and the Soviet killing sites fell behind the Iron Curtain, leaving the history of mass killing in darkness.

Bloodlands is a new kind of European history, presenting the mass murders committed by the Nazi and Stalinist regimes as two aspects of a single history, in the time and place where they occurred: between Germany and Russia, when Hitler and Stalin both held power. Assiduously researched, deeply humane, and utterly definitive, Bloodlands will be required reading for anyone seeking to understand the central tragedy of modern history.

He sees the SMO as a fight of freedom vs tyranny

In his July 21 substack

Nazis, Nukes, and NATO
Or: what the Russo-Ukrainian War is Not About

"Nazis," "nukes," and "NATO" have been Putin's three "N"s from the beginning of the war. His three propaganda slogans have their origins in Soviet or Russian trauma. They emerge as excuses for the war not because they have anything to do with Putin's motives or Russia's interests, but because they summon Russian fears that can be usefully directed outward, against the rest of the world. Even if Russians do not understand why they are fighting, or even what these three slogans have to do with the war, their simple evocation makes it clear that they are to keep their heads down.

Russian propaganda reaches us for much the same reasons it reachers Russians. The three “N”s give us no analytical purchase on what is actually going on; we cling to them for the reasons that Russians do, which is that they touch deeper emotions. If your default inclination is guilt about the world, and you are inclined to believe that America is responsible for all evil, then your “N” is NATO. If you are fearful and looking for a reason to do nothing, then you are best served by "nukes." And if you like to look down on others as barbarians, or have the urge to be seen as the most radical person in your pack, you will be susceptible to Putin's characterization of his chosen enemies as "Nazis."

It is easy to demonstrate that none of this makes any sense, nor has any bearing on Russia's war aims. But unless we are able to say about ourselves: "oh yes, I have that vulnerability" or "sure, I might fall for that sometimes" or "I can see how I could be led down that rabbit hole" such a demonstration will make no difference. And this, one hopes at least, is the fundamental difference between Russia and America at the moment. We still have the institutions and, one likes to hope, the inclination to reflect, to reconsider. Tyranny at some late stage is based on nothing more than the backwash of violent action: it must have been right because we did it at the tyrant's behest. Democracy depends upon the ability to catch ourselves halfway, before we internalize the slogans and defend them just because we defend them.

Posted by: Don Midwest | Jul 24 2022 16:46 utc | 42

I like that unite and untie differ by an adjacent transposition

Posted by: Platero | Jul 24 2022 16:49 utc | 43

It is impossible that Biden fire any staffer. They aren't there to follow his orders; they tell him what to do.

Posted by: Platero | Jul 24 2022 16:54 utc | 44

and how is the Danish "social experiment" going for Ukrainian refugees?
The Local.dk | Ukrainian refugees in Denmark can apply for residence ‘from this week’, March 2022

“The actual calculated additional costs will depend on factors including the number and configuration of displaced persons who are given residence status under the proposed provisions,” it states.

1,085 people have so far applied for asylum in Denmark since the invasion began, according to a latest count, updated on Friday. ...

Schengen Info | Denmark Struggling to Accommodate Newly Arriving Refugees From Ukraine, May 2022

The European Commission has announced that about 25,000 people displaced by the war in Ukraine have arrived in Denmark so far. ... According to the Commission, the Special Act for Ukrainians gives municipalities only four days to prepare for the reception of newcomers. People arriving independently in Denmark from Ukraine to be received by a friend or family member are eligible to stay in that municipality.

At the same time, this affects the distribution process and puts additional pressure on the Danish municipalities. The government prepared this model of distribution of people coming from Ukraine very quickly, and the same is turning out to be problematic for some municipalities.

EC Cedefop Mission | Denmark: special law, language support and guidelines on VET for Ukrainian refugees, Jun2 2022

Until May 2022, the cases of around 14 000 Ukrainian refugees of all ages were examined further regarding their residence permit, and were distributed to Danish municipalities. On average, there are about 140 Ukrainian refugees of all ages per municipality, of whom only a very small number is expected to enrol in vocational training, according to the special law. Their integration should therefore be re-examined in relation to other initiatives linked to primary, lower secondary and ​​higher education. Regardless of education level, the most important aim is for young Ukrainian refugees to be admitted to education or be able to enter the Danish labour market, within a short time after their arrival. ...

Posted by: sln2002 | Jul 24 2022 16:55 utc | 45

Posted by: bevin | Jul 24 2022 16:41 utc | 41

Not so, I believe. Scotland is a different counrty from England in many ways - legal, cultural, educational etc. Scotland was one of the first English colonies, and like the rest of them, deserves and wants freedom to organise itself. However, as I said above, break-up is the best way to neutralise the US. As for Russia and China, now is not the best time for break up, but once things have settled down without the 1000lb US gorilla threatening everyone, then Russia and China too should lose non Russian or Chinese ethnic regions and give them autonomy. Everyone wants to be free - as far as it can be arranged without too much fragmentation.

Posted by: Jams O'Donnell | Jul 24 2022 16:56 utc | 46

If you don't want imperialism you're going to have to give up capitalism too- look at Ireland after 100 years of 'independence'.

Posted by: bevin | Jul 24 2022 15:05 utc | 17

Ireland is now a tax haven masquerading as a country. The multinational tax avoidance schemes domiciled there are the big reason for their surge in standards of leaving.

It seems "rent seeking" has a fellow traveler in the quest for easy money. If Ireland's corporate tax rates are lower than everywhere else then there is another tax jurisdiction somewhere that they are stealing from.

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Jul 24 2022 16:59 utc | 47

If that racist hate monger Yale Professor wasn‘t treated seriously I‘d be gut busting laughing, but tragically he is treated with respect. Tragic

Posted by: Exile | Jul 24 2022 17:05 utc | 48

Posted by: bevin | Jul 24 2022 16:41 utc | 41

To continue on another note, the world would work best if it was composed of numerous small countries - none of which would have the resources to do much harm to any other. Backed up by a United Nations forum with a rotating council chosen from all nations, and equal votes (because equal small countries) to - by majority voting - stop anyone getting out of line. Of course that would need a lot of work and vigilance to keep it from being played, but hey, if it was easy it would have already happened.

Posted by: Jams O'Donnell | Jul 24 2022 17:08 utc | 49

PS

If you don't want imperialism you're going to have to give up capitalism too.
Posted by: bevin | Jul 24 2022 15:05 utc | 17

Capitalism and Imperialism are just two cheeks of the same arse. Imperialism is just the last gasp of capitalism, and both are destined for the 'dustbin of history'.

Posted by: Jams O'Donnell | Jul 24 2022 17:12 utc | 50

Indian Punchline posted a very good piece summarizing the current situation. Most notably for me is the following quote by Hungary’s President Orban:

“The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban probably articulated a thought that is gaining ground in the European mind when he said in a speech in Romania on Saturday that the EU needs a new strategy on the war in Ukraine, as the sanctions against Moscow have not worked. “A new strategy is needed which should focus peace talks and drafting a good peace proposal … instead of winning the war,” Orban said.

Orban recalled that the Western strategy has been built on four pillars: the first that Ukraine would win a war against Russia with NATO weapons; second, that sanctions would weaken Russia and destabilise its leadership; third, that sanctions would hurt Russia more than Europe; and, fourth, that the world would line up in support of Europe.

This strategy has failed, according to Orban, as governments in Europe are collapsing “like dominoes”, energy prices have surged and a new strategy was needed now. “We are sitting in a car that has a puncture in all four tires, it is absolutely clear that the war cannot be won in this way,” he said, adding that Ukraine will never win the war this way “quite simply because the Russian army has asymmetrical dominance.”

Significantly, aside the plain-speak, the salience of Orban’s speech was his call for US-Russia talks. “Only Russian-US talks can put an end to the conflict because Russia wants security guarantees” only Washington can give, Orban said.”

https://www.indianpunchline.com/ukraine-grain-deal-is-a-feel-good-event-but-road-to-peace-is-long-and-winding/

Posted by: Michael.j | Jul 24 2022 17:18 utc | 51

Ireland is now ...
Posted by: Opport Knocks | Jul 24 2022 16:59 utc | 49

"now"? How now is "now"?
Dutch sandwich
an pointer to transnational corporateions (TNC) transfer pricing tax avoidance strategies, in general, and the evolution of UK- and US-"based" pharma and software industry domiciled in Ireland since 1991.

Posted by: sln2002 | Jul 24 2022 17:20 utc | 52

@Tom Pfotzer #16

Re: my responses to your questions on semiconductors in China

Hopefully it was helpful; and again, it is only my view based on my fairly unique experiences ranging from chip designer to chip designer software support to managing chip designer software company interactions with TSMC.

Re: econ design

I don't agree the problem is "econ design".

My view is, and continues to be, the problem is the incompetence, corruption, decadence and arrogance of the oligarchy in the US and EU.

These are politicians, CEOs, media heads and spokesmodels, professors, bureaucrats and so forth comprising a significant - if not most - of the top 5%.

How do you change such an enormous mass of groupthink?

One, a thousand, even a million intelligently presented arguments won't do it any time soon because said groupthink is an emergent phenomenon arising from social, economic, political and bureaucratic privilege.

I expect social breakdown to come before the groupthink dissipates.

Posted by: c1ue | Jul 24 2022 17:23 utc | 53

Define capital. NO -ism allowed, now.

Posted by: sln2002 | Jul 24 2022 17:24 utc | 54

@Hoarsewhisperer #23
Greater speed = leading edge sales, that's it.

And as the overall desktop/laptop industry was experiencing prior to COVID lockdowns, even leading edge sales are affected by marginal utility benefit.

IMO - cell phones are getting pretty close to that point of decreasing benefit.

Posted by: c1ue | Jul 24 2022 17:27 utc | 55

Jams O'Donnell (48).

James Scotland isn't a colony of England's, infact Scotland is the elder of the two countries that are meant to be in a equal union via the Treaty of 1707, it is however anything but equal, and Scotland is treated as a colony, only dissolving the union will allow Scotland to reach its full potential.

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 24 2022 17:41 utc | 56

scientific "melting pot" headline w/o 24 July

yahoo! FOX | Intelligence Committee members warn US of bioweapons targeting [?] DNA of individual Americans

Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., made the comments during an appearance at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado on Friday, saying many Americans are far too willing to give up their DNA information to private companies.
[...]
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, also attended the forum and added that U.S. adversaries could use the same technology to target livestock [?] and crops[?] to induce famine.

wut

"It's not just the one-offs that are being purchased on the internet, but now we have near-peer adversaries that are developing swarm technology where they can use 100 or 200 different drones — highly, highly evolved drones that can attack our service members on the battlefield," Ernst said.

You can't fix stupid.

Crow added that U.S. research into drone technology must also take moral and ethical considerations into account, something he acknowledges many U.S. adversaries are not concerned with.

Posted by: sln2002 | Jul 24 2022 17:48 utc | 57

Platero @46

It is impossible that Biden fire any staffer. They aren't there to follow his orders; they tell him what to do.

Having spent my life watching the Democrats, being one at one time, and even organizing for them I can see that in this incarnation of the Party.

I do not think they will let him finish his term. They will not let him die of covid, bad optics, but they will bounce him from the office one way or another after the midterm wipe out. They push up Kamala and hide her in the basement for a while until the next election cycle to let her implode in the primaries.

Hillary again? Who knows. Maybe they will ride her in on a white horse to save the day. It is all bullshit.

Posted by: circumspect | Jul 24 2022 17:53 utc | 58

Here's some more fodder for the "what's next" for the West question.

Those of you that currently believe that the U.S. "doesn't make anything anymore" might want to take a look at this next link.

This might interest those that are wondered "what's a turbine - you know, like the North Stream 1 pipeline turbine that got detained in Canada?"

Here's a pictorial tour of General Electric's Greenville South Carolina USA Turbine Plant..

How do turbines figure into the economy of tomorrow? Well, nearly every power generating plant in the world uses them. Jet planes use them. Gas pipeline operators, of course, use them.

What do turbines do? A turbine is a machine that does one of these jobs:

a. extracts the energy from a stream of liquid or gas, and converts that energy into mechanical force. Imagine a water-wheel that runs a grain mill by harnessing the forceful movement of a river's water. The blades of the waterwheel, which are connected to a shaft that turns, converts the force of the liquid's flow into the mechanical force of a turning drive-shaft.

b. injects energy into a gas stream, sort of the opposite use from example a) above. Jet engines use burning jet fuel, which is expanding rapidly, to create a hot, very forceful exhaust stream which pushes against the engine, which is connected to the jet, and shoves the jet forward through the atmosphere. The chemical energy contained in the fuel is converted into hot-gas exhaust flow.

b.1 A variant of the jet engine is the gas-line compressor, which is used in North Stream 1. An electric or internal combustion engine (mechanical energy) turns the turbine shaft which takes low-pressure natural gas in on one end, and delivers much higher-pressure natural gas out the other end. That's how the natural gas pipeline is pressurized, and gas is forced to flow from one end of the pipeline to the other

Solar systems don't use turbines, but wind turbines are a variant of the gas turbines presented in the pictures. Similar skill sets are required to manufacture gas and wind turbines.

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Jul 24 2022 17:56 utc | 59

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jul 24 2022 15:38 utc | 23

The mobile phone in your pocket is 1000 times faster, and has a 1000 times more memory, than the phone exchanges of forty years ago. Yet this computing power does not benefit the end user.
It is gobbled up by the operating system - google, apple adding yet another layer of surveillance and intrusion - and by the programmers - adding yet another abstraction or framework. The cost to them is small, negligible. But the cost to society is huge.

Just assume that a programmer adds a feature that slows down your mobile phone experience 0.2 second per day. You may be barely aware of that delay. But multiplied by the 3.5 billion mobile phone users, those 0.2 seconds per day per phone add up to more than 100 70-year lives wasted per year.

Economists call this externalisation of costs.

Posted by: Passerby | Jul 24 2022 17:57 utc | 60

the U.S. "doesn't make anything anymore"
@Tom Pfotzer | Jul 24 2022 17:56 utc | 61

---

Military conflict has a neat way of unequivocally answering these assertions.

Posted by: too scents | Jul 24 2022 18:01 utc | 61

Posted by: circumspect | Jul 24 2022 17:53 utc | 60

Hillary may perhaps have reached a point where she would do less harm than good by now.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/hillary-clinton-putin-manspreading-sexist-b2105339.html

Hillary Clinton said in a recent interview that Russian President Vladimir Putin was on occasion “helpful” in their private interactions, only to go on and “manspread for effect” when the press was present.

What is the former first lady actually saying here? A woman of the world, she must be fully aware of how her husband, for instance, might interpret that bold statement.

Posted by: veto | Jul 24 2022 18:07 utc | 62

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 24 2022 17:41 utc | 58

I'm aware of that it was supposedly a union of equals - even if it wasn't economically, and was a union of the upper classes only. (I'm Scottish too!)

Posted by: Jams O'Donnell | Jul 24 2022 18:19 utc | 63

veto @ 64
What is the former first lady actually saying here? A woman of the world, she must be fully aware of how her husband, for instance, might interpret that bold statement.

Not going behind the paywall on that so I do not know but Bill was banging every chick he could get his hands on for decades so she should be used to a little "man spreading".

There was a time when the famous reset button was hit. Not sure what that was all about...
U.S. seeks to 'reset' relations with Russia

There will be no resetting of relations in our lifetime. That is highly unlikely at this point.

Posted by: circumspect | Jul 24 2022 18:19 utc | 64

@18 rk
"Switzerland wants to turn off power a number of hours per day right now."
That statement is not correct. They consider it doing it during the winter months as a worst case scenario. At the moment there are no energy restrictions in Switzerland.

Posted by: SwissGuy | Jul 24 2022 18:20 utc | 65

@55 c1ue and 33 psychohistorian and 35 Jams O'Donnell

c1ue: yes, that response we very helpful, and not just for me. Well done.

To c1ue and psychohistorian and Jams O'Donnell - your responses overlapped a lot, and the gist was "We're caught in a competence cluster-foook and can't get out before the plane crashes".

Yes, of course you're right. And that phenomenon applies from top to bottom. The "top" - the social-system elite - are simply a reflection of the malaise through the rest of the layers of the culture.

We do indeed have a pervasive culture problem. Yes.

So what changes a culture? If you want fast and fundamental change, you need a crisis. A whopping big crisis.

What happens when that crisis hits?

Well, there's a widespread realization that change is necessary, and it must be done, or we perish. Right?

The only thing really different that a calamity offers - different from the normal glacial pace of cultural adaptation - the only thing a calamity offers is that everyone's willingness to suffer the indignities of change goes up a lot, and all at once.

The effect of the disaster is that "change" has a quorum. It has become possible.

So when I address this "what's next" problem, I'm just commencing with the adapting now, instead of later.

Why think it over now? Some change takes a good long time to get going. Furthermore, the most crucial work of "change" is figuring out what to change into. (that's the "design question, c1ue).

Forward-modeling also provides a darn good antidote to the opportunistic political hucksters who shout "There Is No Alternative! My Way is the Only Way To Salvation!" when the crisis hits. There's no shortage of these predatory nit-wits.

So, let's talk timing. How many years do you think we have before things get so foooked that we get this magic "Change Quorum"?

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Jul 24 2022 18:23 utc | 66

In a biography, Hillary made certain to impress upon readers that she implored Bill to bmob Belgrade. Bill was apparently a bit hesitant to mass murder civvies in that particular situation.

The laughter over the murder of Ghadaffi is a classic. "We came. We Saw He died!"

Strange was that legs buckling incident or two. What was up with that?

How about the two clowns and their stupified expressions with the balloons falling from the ceiling?

The coup in Honduras was all SoS Hillary, Obama, and Hill's pal Lanny Davis.

These coups don't create a migration problem.

Very few US Americans have any knowledge of any coups anywhere.

The brown folks are always coming after our milk and honey with or without a deadly US CIA sanctioned coup d'etat.

Also, Biden, Pelosi and all the democrats are not self-serving, corporate lackeys..

They're Marxists and Socialists dont'cha know.

Posted by: Chaka Khagan | Jul 24 2022 18:23 utc | 67

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Jul 24 2022 18:23 utc | 68

Yeah - change. But the problem is that the change desired by the workers is different from that desired by the owners of capital - a Marxist analysis of the situation has to be followed by a Marxist solution to the problem. Or else we just go on chasing our tails ad infinitum.

Posted by: Jams O'Donnell | Jul 24 2022 18:33 utc | 68

Also, Biden, Pelosi and all the democrats are not self-serving, corporate lackeys..

They're Marxists and Socialists dont'cha know.

Posted by: Chaka Khagan | Jul 24 2022 18:23 utc | 69

Either that is sarcasm, or else you haven't got a clue. If it's the first, my apologies - no indicator.

Posted by: Jams O'Donnell | Jul 24 2022 18:36 utc | 69

Republicofscotland | Jul 24 2022 17:41 utc | 58

Puerto Rico has been reduced to a similar fate. ... However, they just took a vote to hold a referendum on three possible options: ... a) Full US Statehood, b) Full Independence from the US, and c) a 'Free-State' autonomy.

Full Statehood has always been opposed in Washington. They like the colony status better there.

Full Independence would be the best way forward, unleashing the full potential of the island without having all of the Washington baggage.

'Free-State' status would have to be negotiated and further defined.

It is good that San Juan is standing up for itself. ... However, I suspect that the CIA, etc will somehow get involved now to put the colonials back in their chains.

Posted by: Robert | Jul 24 2022 18:46 utc | 70

ErichVonManstein @1

"I’m thinking European leaders must be accusing one another of acting Russian."

Some of them surreptitiously fly the 'Z', a symbol banned in Ukraine.

https://t.me/am_news84/1740v

Posted by: Arfur Mo | Jul 24 2022 18:54 utc | 71

@Tom Pfotzer #68
You are still operating under the assumption that "a better solution" is the change that will occur.
Historically, that is the exception - not the rule.
Far more typical is one of:

1) Crack down harder on the dissidents to preserve the status quo
2) Blame someone else (start a war, blame the Jews, etc etc)
3) Let them eat cake or its more real world implementation: brazilianization

I see all 3 going on in the US right now, and very little of the "better solution" type. Not none; the anti-monopoly work that seems to be ramping up in the DOJ has promise - we will see if it carries through as opposed to just being a vehicle to beat up on politically inconvenient companies/sectors.

But that anti-monopoly work is almost literally the only sign I see... and I am looking very, very hard.

Posted by: c1ue | Jul 24 2022 18:56 utc | 72

Hey b!
Big shout of appreciation for two of the July 20 article links.

1. AmConMag's "The Corners of the Multipolar World Order."

2. Boston Globe's "Neutralim Returns and Gets More powerful."

Jointly and separately these essays make it clear that Christian Colonial Cuntries have plundered and shat on so many cultures that they've completely worn out their welcome and the benefit of any doubt that may once have existed.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jul 24 2022 18:56 utc | 73

Posted by: Don Midwest | Jul 24 2022 16:46 utc | 43

That Yale professor blames the Russians for linguistic programming (the three N word thingy) while full well knowing that the West has weaponized Chomsky’s findings to almost perfection.

“But we have democracy to shield us…” argument is empty as one only needs to ask the people of Lybia, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq how the exported democracy shielded them. It didnt because it is not democracy or rule of law that shields us from harm but a common sense of shared ethics and values. When the latter is gone, you get democracy modern western-style. Reduced to winning and counting votes.

As a matter of fact, the weaknesses in our characters as corollaries of Chomsky’s work led a whole generation in the West to be grown in hatred of themselves; and as a reaction to it we have wokeism that wants to repair that via physchological tyranny on all people. To cure them from bias and other social constructs that are seen as harmful (pretty much all of them).

Thats what wokeism is: a tyranny by psychologists to suppress many aspects of our nature in an attempt to prevent emotional harm to others. Except that is also saps the life of about half the population (those that managed to deal with early trauma in a acceptable way), makings us living zombies. And yes, destroying the physical component of our living standard by excluding productive people because of wrong think and promoting those that worship the woke.

Its kind of how the works of Nietsche on Übermensch were used by the Nazis of the day - today Chomsky has that privilege.

Posted by: alek_a | Jul 24 2022 18:58 utc | 74

@58 It would be more accurate to go back to King David 1, who established the Stewardship under the Normans in the 12th.century. Steward = Stuart.

Posted by: dh | Jul 24 2022 19:01 utc | 75

Posted by: Don Midwest | Jul 24 2022 16:54 utc | 45

Your brain is gonna rot if you read Snyder.

Posted by: RB | Jul 24 2022 19:18 utc | 76

bookmark this reference: FR, DE, UK, US, RU, CN, IR, signatories of the JCPOA, in case you forget the common denominators of "P5+1" and G7 (FR, DE, IT, EU-CO, EU-EC, JP, UK, US, CA) international law 'n' slide rules-based violations since c. 1700 CE.

Because the RU 5-day FDI tour of so-called resource-rich, technically impoverished, misinformed, mostly muslim, and "food insecure" non-western nations "hosting" G7 minerals and pledges starts today. Cleaning up unmet demand where CN hasn't left much of a footprint.

OPEC (1960 FTA): IR, IQ, KW, NG, SA, VZ, LY, AE, AL, AO, GQ, CG, GA; PLUS OM*, s-SS*, SS*, BN*, RU*, MX*, AZ*, KZ*, MY*, BH*, EC*, ID*, QA*

AU/OAU(2002/1963 FTA): BI, BJ, CM, CF, CG, CD, GY, GA, ST, CM, DJ, ER, ET, KE, MG, MU, RW, SC, SO, SS, s-SS, TZ, UG, DZ, EG, LY, MR, MA, EH, TN, AO, BW, EZ, LS, MW, MZ, NA, ZA, ZM, BN, BF, CV, CI, GH, GM, GN, LY, ML, NI, NG, SL, SN, TG, TD

SCO (2001 NGO): CN, RU, IN, PK, KZ, KG, TJ, UZ, AM*, AF*, AZ*, BY*, TR*, LK*, KH*, SA*, IR*, EG*

BRICS (2009 FTA): CN, RU, BR, IN, ZA; AR*, DZ*, EG*, ID*, IR*, CM*, ML*, SN*, TH*, UZ*, FJ*, ET*, KZ*

EaEU (2012 FTA): AM, BY, KZ, KG, TJ, RU, VN*, CN*, RS*

* observer, dialogue, or applicant member

Posted by: sln2002 | Jul 24 2022 19:18 utc | 77

btw, today is Y7 D 204 of the UN International Decade for People of African Descent
2015-2024

Posted by: sln2002 | Jul 24 2022 19:27 utc | 78

Define capital. NO -ism allowed, now.

Posted by: sln2002 | Jul 24 2022 17:24 utc | 56

This one is not bad, though it doesn't say anything about depreciation.

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/capital.asp

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Jul 24 2022 19:31 utc | 79

Posted by: bevin | Jul 24 2022 16:41 utc | 41
--------------
I'd love to see the UK break down, first into 4 countries, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and England, then I'd like England to break in to few more pieces. So, I'd wish Truss as the new PM for UK. Rishi would give some pretense of multinationalism to UK, so he shouldn't win. Truss would do what Theresa May couldn't do, break up the UK.

This is nothing to do with British involvement in the Ukraine war, by the way. Its a personal wish!

Posted by: ostro | Jul 24 2022 19:33 utc | 80

Guys whats funny, singe There is some talk in the West regarding Plitting russia - weil i Think you Bröker your Down neck here - we never ever hat the Ideal to balkanize europe/USA but of u Think absolut it? Why not? Bismarck was the General Who even for his own words would be in struggle with that challenge - why i say that? Well do you know the real numbers of russian in us/EU? If you call for us we dont need to Comet- we are already waiting...

Posted by: MacP | Jul 24 2022 19:41 utc | 81

Jake Sullivan is worried about Zelensky's personal safety

Zelensky Is About To Be Assassinated By The Americans

Posted by: Norwegian | Jul 24 2022 19:52 utc | 82

Zelensky had been trying to attack Kherson for sometime, but getting hit so much, Ukraine is losing people and equipment. He is trying to hamper the referendum in Kherson and Zaporozhye to join Russian Federation. Ukr forces had been shooting Himars rockets at Antonovski Bridge (major one) and a bridge over Ingulets river (not so important one).

All what those himars could do was to make holes in roadbed of the bridge, without damaging the structure of the bridge. Most of the himars were intercepted by RF anti-misslie rockets. Now the holes in those bridges are repaired. Also, Zelensky proved that Himars missiles are just BS! They just couldn't seriously damage Soviet built bridges! Nice advertising for American military equipment!

I'm just waiting for some American warplanes such as F35s, F16s come near the Russian controlled airspace over Ukraine, or near Russian border. It'd be interesting to hear how they suddenly fall out of sky even without being hit by anti-aircraft rockets. Just as American harpoon missiles getting knocked off even before they could be deployed, as in Odessa.

It'd be also super interesting to see how Iranian drones knocking off US/NATO military equipment.

Posted by: ostro | Jul 24 2022 19:57 utc | 83

Posted by: Don Midwest | Jul 24 2022 16:46 utc | 43

Stalin actually killed a gazillion people...and the Marsians!

Posted by: vato | Jul 24 2022 20:00 utc | 84

New York Times had to grudgingly concede that:
Russia may not have technically violated the deal, since it did not pledge to avoid attacking the parts of the Ukrainian ports that are not directly used for the grain exports, according to a senior U.N. official. If there were military targets nearby, Russia may have been trying to exploit a loophole.
=================
If there were military targets nearby, UKRAINE may have been trying to exploit a loophole.

Posted by: Ed Nelson | Jul 24 2022 20:03 utc | 85

Tom Pfotzer | Jul 24 2022 18:23 utc | 68

What’s next is going to take a lot of people coming to the realization that living in a continuous rip-off is unsustainable for starters. In a fairy tale world I suppose you would look around and come to the conclusion there is much to be done and improved upon only in reality where would you begin?
And preparing to begin can never be the same as actually saying fuck it, you know what, the folks down in the Southwest could use some of this water that otherwise gets dumped into the sea so let’s take a shovel and start digging a canal over to Mead. You see? It’s kind of a neighborhood pride approach to solve just one of many problems standing in our way before we get even close to what’s next.
As much as I would like to see this happen and expand the ground for fertile futuristic events, to me, putting everyone on the business end of a shovel just makes perfect sense. We solve this one and who knows, maybe we do wildfires or baby formulas next.

Posted by: George | Jul 24 2022 20:08 utc | 86

https://www.rt.com/news/559541-trump-us-eu-ukraine/

Wow....... Things are shifting.

I sense 'a disturbance in the Force'.

Posted by: Eighthman | Jul 24 2022 20:10 utc | 87

The six holes from the Himars in the near Kherson bridge look indeed silly. Why did they not load one big rocket instead of the six smaller ones? No confidence it wouldn't be shot down..?

Posted by: C | Jul 24 2022 20:16 utc | 88

Posted by: Alef | Jul 24 2022 14:04 utc | 13:

Suprisingly Putin had not used celtic nationalism and scotish independance movement as a tool against UK, one of the most active warmongers.

Well, not yet! Uk is just a nuisance in the eyes of real geopolitical players these days. What's the point of spiting them just for heck of spiting? That's the same reason why Palau makes noise about cozying up to Taiwan but China wouldn't give a shit. Now, if Pelosi goes to Taiwan in August, hell will break loose, but Vatican can invite Tsai Yinwen to visit, China wouldn't give a flip.

When independence movements in Uk do gather steam, I'm sure Putin will chip in some assistance just for the entertainment effects.

Posted by: Oriental Voice | Jul 24 2022 20:21 utc | 89

@89 Donald could be on a winner with that line. Make it all about money. He will have to be careful though. Could be accused of "sucking up to his buddy Putin".

Posted by: dh | Jul 24 2022 20:22 utc | 90

The Stephens piece on Trump is a masterpiece of apologising without apologising. In effect he's saying he was wrong to feed you all that anti-Trump condescending BS yesterday, but he'll be right to feed you more condescending BS tomorrow. Sorry I lied to you then but I'll have new lies for you tomorrow.
Here's a version outside the NYT paywall.

Give it a read -- it's a real insight into a certain mindset.
https://archive.ph/636vZ#selection-827.142-827.212

Posted by: Patrick Armstrong | Jul 24 2022 20:27 utc | 91

@74 c1ue:

Yup. That's what I'm seeing, too. Here's my short list of how societies tend to deal with the "diminishing pie" problem (like the one the West has now):

a. Redistribute wealth. Take from people that have it, give to those that don't
b. Repress. Squash the little people, esp. those that complain / foment for change
c. War. Ruin others' capacity, swipe their resources and / or sell our (excess) production to them
d. Fraud. Tell the public lies. "no inflation". "full employment". "fair system". Print money, give it to elites, get some 2nd and 3rd tier enablers on the payroll, and pretend that the buying power of everyone's money isn't falling
e. Redistribute the capacity to create wealth. This is _quite_ different from a) above if, instead of appropriating what someone else built, one builds new productive capacity, and owns what one built

Your list and mine look similar, except maybe for option E above.

Now, option "e", in my opinion, is a very interesting option. It's the one I like the most, because it's potentially the most beneficial and durable for little people like me.

Lets take a little closer look at the options.

Option A, redistribute (grab) other people's wealth. This option means I have to attack people that know I'm coming, and have been preparing for my arrival for literally centuries. Sun Tzu says "Tom, that's a stupid idea".

Option B. Repression. Getting plenty now, and as the Foreign Debacle and Domestic Economy continues to come apart, repression will ramp up. Police state, manufactured crises ('nother Iraq War, anyone? What about a 9/11 sequel?), etc. New circus barkers selling new scams, and plenty of surveillance to ID and squash "emperor has no clothes" dialog

Option C. War. Russia first, then China. This is NeoCon central at work. This is their game, has been for literally centuries. Every nobility wanna-be in the West uses the U.S. as their platform, and this is the option that Putin and Xi are taking off the table. Hence the hysteria.

Option D. Fraud. It's what we've been getting for decades, and it's almost at crescendo. "Empire of Lies".

Option E. Redistribute the capacity to generate wealth. Teach the man to fish. Bad news: this option requires the most cultural change, has the most obstacles, and takes the longest. Good news: It's the most difficult to stop once it gets started, and offers the greatest long-term utility to the little people like me, and can be started without buy-in from the people that don't want it to happen in the first place.

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Jul 24 2022 20:28 utc | 92

It seems that Russia walked into another public relations trap. They have been accused by the Mighty Wurlitzer of "starving the world" so they agreed to a deal in which they would not target grain shipments from Odessa.
There was no way that the US/NATO goons would not take advantage of that deal. I now know why it was reported so widely, when the other negotiations were ignored.
I think Russia made a mistake there.
This was not as deadly as the Bucha mistake, however. That was a horrible atrocity, facilitated by the Russian withdrawal negotiated in Turkey.
Russia should know by now that she cannot trust the west to keep deals, and also that the west will kill for propaganda purposes. (See gas attacks in Syria for examples).
The US will not stop accusing Russia of "starving the world" no matter what Russia does, so Russia should not play along with it when there is a chance of causing greater harm.

Posted by: wagelaborer | Jul 24 2022 20:36 utc | 93

@16

If I had a magic wand, I'd stop 'planned obsolescence' and redirect all resources to space exploration and space colonies.

We humans need a New Frontier to save us from boredom and reawaken a sense of self-dignity. I see this as the only way to end HunterBiden Syndrome which is devouring our societies

Posted by: glupi | Jul 24 2022 20:36 utc | 94

Back to the dark ages? Now millions of Britons could be told to switch off the lights and turn down the thermostat to avoid blackouts this winter under emergency plans

Households might have to turn down their thermostats and switch off lights to avoid blackouts under emergency plans.

Government measures to tackle the energy crisis this winter would include appeals to the public to cut down on energy use in the event of an electricity or gas supply shortage.

Posted by: ostro | Jul 24 2022 20:44 utc | 95

"..I'd love to see the UK break down, first into 4 countries, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and England, then I'd like England to break in to few more pieces.... Its a personal wish!"
[email protected]
It sounds like childish self indulgence to me: no good could come of it, a lot of pain would be likely to ensue. And the cause of anti-imperialism would be set back.
I suspect that you are someone who takes the view that the British government acts on behalf of the British people, therefore making its actions blamable on the ordinary, politically impotent, English man or woman. By the same token the American people are to blame for all that their government does including the direct attacks on their welfare .
Everyone knows better: in fact the American people have gained nothing and lost enormously from their government's imperial adventures. So did the British, the French and the Russians. The Spanish people descended into poverty as their government took over America. The German people were beaten into surrender by their own government which then used them on military adventures in which millions of them died.
You are regurgitating the cheap politics of the Identity Politicians. You should know better. And until you do you will be on the same side as Zelenskyy, Biden and Macron.

Posted by: bevin | Jul 24 2022 20:48 utc | 96

Posted by: bevin | Jul 24 2022 20:48 utc | 98
--------------

No, it is a wish. I always wanted the UK to die. Better, if it is violent!

Posted by: ostro | Jul 24 2022 20:55 utc | 97

Maria Zakharova

The US economy is slowing down, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said, but this is not a recession, but a necessary phenomenon after rapid growth.

Many in 1924 were sure that Lenin did not die, but simply fell asleep until better times.

Posted by: ostro | Jul 24 2022 20:58 utc | 98

ostro: seek help, you are mad. I blame Martyanov.
Everyone wants to be free - as far as it can be arranged without too much fragmentation.

Jams O'[email protected]
So your idea of bliss is a future in which every state breaks up into ever smaller constituent pieces: England into West Country and East Anglia etc, then the West into Cornwall, Devon and Dorset, then Cornwall into North and South. The process is endless-this search for freedom Jams O'Donnell style- and it ends up in individualism, as everyone, seeking freedom, secedes from his community.
Have you ever read Peadar O'Donnell? Someone in your clan knew better.

Posted by: bevin | Jul 24 2022 21:02 utc | 99

If you do, and someone handed you a magic wand, what would be your design (products and infrastructure that delivered those products) for West Economy version 2.0?

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Jul 24 2022 14:23 utc | 16

The American masses seem intent on destroying the organized propaganda infra structure and return their news and information to purely local needs.. ...very interesting development. IMO.

I see local communities developing outreach food security farming systems and job security systems with object to avoid payroll system surveillance. Investments to circumvent organized supply channels in favor of lesser but local and independent sources of investments seem to be the order of the day. Few people trust any federal, state, county, or city agency because all roads lead to DC.

Many view the existing political structure as more an impedance rather than a progress amplifier. Local banks will see little opportunity to make loans..these people don't take out loans and homes are out of their reach. Many are seeking a local only reserve currency system (I know of nothing serious yet, but the intention is present).
I think the USA is going to have a difficult time holding America in one piece..The wade vs Roe reversal reflected a return to local. Representative federalized national government has failed all but the 1%ers and the 99%ers are aware of it.

There is strong fast growing interest on the part of many to get out of the surveillance state and off the digital platform and closer to nature. One fear seems universal, no one wants GMO foods and everyone has begun to discover miracle drugs cause quality of life threats that make rest of life after treatment miserable. IMO, those two fears may generate and sustain organized civil unrest. This trend I have seen in several towns .. but none of the city fathers or county officials are part of it.. very interesting..home school teams are developing but they are so diverse and range in purpose so much that they are difficult to classify.

With that said, what I see, is local industries like milk, meat, honey, fish, and food stuffs, handyman businesses, home schooling, and tutorial services, as well as some creative ideas in off-grid family housing..that avoid the local land planning Gestapos are happening. Land virgin to GMO is at a premium.
Homeless people are growing in numbers, and they are developing non standard very temporary housing which may develop into an industry.. the upper class are moving to Motor Home housing so they can keep mobile and avoid code enforcement hell.. and the middle classes are discovering the dollars are inflating so fast, none of their savings or pensions amount to much.. and the lower classes are experimenting with motor scooters and bicycles to get from tent to work and back.
The USA has not produced an American leader since JFK and it is not likely to do so in the near future.

I observe that one stoke of the pen can fix it all. Just wipe all laws that generate monopoly powers (deeds, copyrights, patents, government contracts, government private partnerships) off the books. Seconds later, everything will be at 1776 restart.

Government will then build the roads, dams, schools, universities and infrastructure and the people will compete with each other on the basis of efficient use of labor, skill and education instead of private ownership of monopoly power. The guy making money yesterday, will lose out to the guy who figured out some thing better today and nothing will protect today's winner from being replaced by something better tomorrow.

In my opinion reset to 1776 will, return American industrial know-how and inventive genius to America, but the wall street owned USA may not be a part of it. . I think questions concerning need for something as centralized and as venerable to corruption of purpose as the USA?

In other words, I see a moneyless chaos developing. before a new form of economic organization emerges.

Writing this caused me to understand no one wants someone to design a new system.. everyone wants a system to evolve that serves their lifetime needs.

Posted by: snake | Jul 24 2022 21:03 utc | 100