@ Jose Garcia | Jan 12 2023 16:24 utc | 2 – that’s wild!
from rt this morning… got to love snowden…
“Worth noting that the President seems to have absconded with more classified documents than many whistleblowers,” Snowden wrote, comparing the situation with the case of Reality Winner who “was sentenced to 5 YEARS for just one document.” The former NSA translator was convicted in 2018 of leaking a report about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US elections.
“Meanwhile Biden, Trump, Clinton, Petraeus… these guys have dozens, hundreds [of documents]. No jail,” the whistleblower added.
Snowden went on to say that “the real scandal isn’t that Biden had classified documents coming out of his socks, because sadly they’ve all been doing it. The scandal is that the DOJ found out about it a week prior to the midterm elections and chose to suppress the story, conferring a partisan advantage.”

Posted by: james | Jan 12 2023 16:29 utc | 3

Latin America
Peru
The majority indigenous people are in open rebellion. I’m surprised at the level of action– a general strike, many airports shut down, demands are being hardened. They want Boluarte out and Castillo back in. Most of Castillo’s base was somewhat disillusioned with him when he was deposed and jailed— that has changed. Death toll rising. One police dead, his car stopped, burned including him, his partner in the hospital. U.S. support and involvement is getting more press. Coup leaders don’t know what to do.
https://orinocotribune.com/perus-prosecutors-office-initiates-preliminary-investigation-against-boluarte-for-genocide/
Here’s a liberal mainstream perspective on Peru: they’re worried that the wheels are coming off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFa6ai_dyWU
Brazil
Black Agenda’s Margaret Kimberly interviews Brazilwire’s Brian Mier (text, not video), a good, brief summary of what’s going on regarding the coup attempt, Bolsonaro, Lula’s response and quick history lesson including Obama/Biden role. Right now everyone loves Lula: Putin, Xi, Biden etc. Biden is pushing hard to pull Lula into his team (I don’t think he will succeed). Domestically Brazil is a mess as is Lula’s cabinet but I expect the next month will see many pushed out, including purge in military/police.
https://www.brasilwire.com/behind-the-terrorist-attack-on-brazils-government/
Glenn Greenwald has a summary on the coup, 8 minutes. Greenwald and Mier don’t like each other: Greenwald’s husband/congressman supported a Lula opponent in the first round.
Pepe Escobar thinks the CIA staged the Jan 5 coup attempt. interesting. I read Escobar every chance I get and generally think he’s on target but he often seems to project beyond his facts, probably mostly accurate but sometimes he leaves me scratching my head. He’s Brazilian, knows Lula personally but he has been in Eurasia a long time. Escobar is convinced Lula will supercharge BRICS which means Lula is “playing” Biden.
https://thealtworld.com/pepe_escobar/why-the-cia-attempted-a-maidan-uprising-in-brazil
Haiti
This is a “must view” that summarizes the U.S./West endgame, detailing what a country looks like at the end stage of imperial dominance. (1hr 24min)
Danny Haiphong and Margaret Kimberly interview Jemima Pierre– a native Haitian– and lay it out, pointing fingers and naming names. Support for and solidarity with Haiti is huge in Latin America. Most in the West don’t get that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4tfazfpsAs
bottom line, U.S. is naked and exposed in Latin America and Caribbean. Lots of confusing actions at elite and government levels but over time the “street” is heating things up. Multipolarity is the only path that will benefit from it.

Posted by: migueljose | Jan 12 2023 16:50 utc | 5

Greenwald’s post on Brazil.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HPb-dQh_20

Posted by: migueljose | Jan 12 2023 16:53 utc | 7

Jose Garcia @ 2

What’s the deal with banning gas stoves now? Biden wants to do that. And now Baroness Hochul, of my state of New York, let out a feeler to the press that she wants to do it here for new homes and restaurants. Everyone is fuming. Have we become that stupid? I guess I answered my own question.

Relax, someone told Biden to say something stupid and being senile he said it. Maybe they are just fucking with the old guy, like sticking a kick me sign on his back.
Ever work in a restaurant? That’s some serious BTUs ablaze, you’d need an electric line the size of a garden hose wired in just for that. Even in an apartment or house you can’t just swap out the stove for electric you’d need a new line. Millions of residences would have to be refitted, think of all the apartment buildings just in NYC. And if you are going to scrap the stove pointless not to scrap the gas and oil heat. So run two new electric lines into every residence in America.
And, where’s the electricity going to come from, you’d need dozens maybe hundreds of new plants built with new power lines and transformers run all across America. Seeing how poor most of America has become I guess Biden will mail out $10,000 checks to every residence to get electric while providing trillions in public funding for all the new utilities.
The kick me sign would have been funnier.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 12 2023 17:14 utc | 9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iom7DeSkZR8
re: Musk – I posted this before on a UKR thread but an reposting it here, it should interest the MoA crowd. Varoufakis proposes what Musk is really up to with Twitter. It is excellent. There are other guests less interesting, Varoufakis comes back in at ~30min and again at the end at ~58min.
He also has a good Bitcoin debate with some bitcoin tech-nerd. The other guy no matter how brilliant or correct if that’s your point of view is barely functional exposition-wise and has the debating skills of a house plant. I’m hesitant to post the link as I don’t want to open the crypto can of worms, so it’s here FYI not for arguing over:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JGYpDZixlY

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 12 2023 17:33 utc | 11

Love Donbass @8–
You’re missing the socio-political context Lula must operate within as it’s very complex with many factions. To put him within the larger historical context and using the terms coined by Arevalo, he’s a sardine who’s learned how to swim with the sharks and survive.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 12 2023 17:37 utc | 13

Yesterday on the week in review thread I noted the Chinese FM’s visit to Africa. Today, we have an excellent overview by Ekaterina Blinova about happenings there, “From Unipolar World to Multipolarity: Why US Attempts to Intimidate Africa Won’t Work,” that I highly suggest be read. Here are several outtakes:

“China continues to be the leading source of FDIs in Africa and has a pipeline of projects, particularly in infrastructure,” Kubayi told Sputnik. “Africa’s relations with China continue to deepen. This relationship can yield great benefits to both parties in joint research and development, manufacturing in Africa, and an African market that is expected to reach 2.5 billion in population by 2050. African wealth in minerals such as rare earths and others are all thoroughly purposefully explored for practical action and development.”
“The recent G20 summit reiterated the importance of multilateralism and the United Nations in its declaration,” Mikatekiso Kubayi underscored. “BRICS – which China and Russia are members of – emphasized the need to deepen and improve the practical experience of multilateralism with the United Nations at its center. The changing geopolitical landscape is changing precisely because of the realization that it does not benefit the majority of the world.”
“You have emerging multilateral platforms like BRICS, for instance, that have so much momentum, and seem to be more open to emerging powers, more focused on issues that are really important to the majority of the world,” Ovigwe stressed. “One of the trends we might see going forward is countries tilting more towards these new and emerging multilateral platforms because they want it to be accessible to them. G7 is not going to be expanded – it has already contracted from G8 to G7.”

The Colonial Age of Plunder is ending but the Outlaw US Empire persists in trying to keep it alive as it knows of no other method. The result is obvious to foresee–the Empire will isolate itself and cease to be the sort of Empire it is today, which is great for RoW.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 12 2023 17:58 utc | 15

Would like to thank those who responded to my post. Appreciate it. Now I want to add that I feel that this banning of gas stoves is so that the natural gas companies can sell the reserves to the suckers in Europe at sky high prices, which will increase profits. And allow the American dunces to save the planet by using electric stoves.

Posted by: Jose Garcia | Jan 12 2023 18:42 utc | 17

@ Vikichka | Jan 12 2023 18:39 utc | 16
true…. they legalized bribery – it is now called lobbying.. and etc. etc..

Posted by: james | Jan 12 2023 18:54 utc | 19

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jan 12 2023 17:08 utc | 8
Regarding Lula flirting with Biden and the West Karlof is spot on in his comment quoting Arevalo: “he’s a sardine who’s learned how to swim with the sharks and survive.”
The leaders of Latin America know how the U.S. imperial mafia works. They have the scars to remind them. More than that, a huge percentage of normal people there know it too. When a leader like Lula or AMLO is shown smiling and shaking hands with Biden or his people it turns my stomach. I don’t like when they condemn Russia’s “invasion” in Ukraine. At that point I can’t tell if they are selling out or if they are making a tactical accomodation in order to survive the moment. But their actions on the ground reveal their long term strategic direction which appears to be away from the U.S. empire and toward the sane, multipolar world.
Many current Latin American leaders have survived attacks, coups, imprisonment which usually included mortal threats on them and family members by the U.S. I’m sure their traumas are seared into their memories:
Lula–prison, by Obama/Biden
Evo Morales– couped, attempted to shoot down his plane, U.S. backed
Arce (Bolivia)– assasination plot foiled, U.S. Cia backed
Castillo– U.S. CIA/state dept backed coup
Colombia’s Petro: one assasination attempt, his vp, two assasination attempts
Honduras’s Xiomara Castro– husband Zelaya was couped by Hillary clinton’s people, 2009
Cuba– too many to list
Nicaragua– Ortega, long list as well
Venezuela’s Maduro, numerous coup and assasination attempts
Mexico’s AMLO, right wing oligarchs teamed up with U.S. support to run him out of office 2 years ago, they failed.
Argentina’s vp Cristina Fernandez given 6 year prison sentence backed by U.S.

Posted by: migueljose | Jan 12 2023 19:40 utc | 21

On the current Ukraine thread, I provided some of Putin’s opening remarks in his meeting with government members, but IMO his entire initial oratory ought to be provided for barflies to read. The complete translated transcript of the meeting is available here:

Vladimir Putin: Dear colleagues, good afternoon!
Today we are holding our first meeting with members of the Government in 2023. I once again congratulate you on this event and wish you every success.
Just recently-a couple of days ago-we met with the Prime Minister and some colleagues from the Government, discussed the results, and talked about what we will do in the coming year. Mikhail Vladimirovich [Mishustin], showed how the work in the Government is technologically structured in the most important areas, including the implementation of national projects.
What I would like to say is that we spoke at a narrow meeting, but I would like to point out [once again]. First of all, I would like to thank you for your work in 2022. Nothing that our opponent predicted for us happened. And this was done, of course, first of all thanks to the citizens of Russia, their composure, all our composure, readiness for challenges, readiness to work in difficult conditions. But last but not least, this is the result of the Government’s work. Mikhail Vladimirovich managed to assemble an efficient, modern team of interested people-interested in the results of the work, [managed] to build all this activity technologically well, and this, of course, brings appropriate results.
We know – we discussed it with our colleagues from the Administration just this morning – that we have additional budget revenues, and they are not related to oil or gas revenues, but rather to non-oil and gas revenues: 200 billion rubles in additional revenues. This gives us the opportunity to solve all the tasks that we set for development and on those issues that are current, but very serious and important. This means working at the federal level, and it means working on the regional dimension.
We need, of course, in the near future to absolutely achieve [resolution] of issues related to sovereign – namely, to sovereign, independent development, despite any external pressure and threats.
I would like to emphasize that we will reliably guarantee the security and interests of the country, we will improve our defense capability, and we will certainly solve all the problems related to providing the Armed Forces and units involved in a special military operation.
At the same time, we will continue to implement large-scale social and economic programs and plans aimed at improving people’s well-being, unlocking Russia’s enormous potential, and expanding our international relations. We certainly have all the resources to do this.
Six main areas of work for the current year, 2023, have already been outlined, and I would just like to remind you of some of the things that we have already discussed.
The first is to expand foreign economic relations and build new logistics corridors. As a matter of fact, we are actively working in this area – we need to continue this work.
Further. We need to achieve noticeable positive results in the development of road and other infrastructure, housing and communal services, although 2022 was also successful and good here. Well, what can I say: Deputy Prime Minister Khusnullin, and I discussed just the other day the results of work in the construction sector – a good result, one of the best in our history. As for housing construction, it is probably the best in general. The groundwork is done, you need to maintain this pace.
The third. It is necessary to significantly increase the technological capabilities of the Russian economy and encourage the opening of new industries and jobs. Everyone is doing it, of course. First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov is working in the most promising areas.First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov is working in the most promising areas, and I very much hope that together with the companies that are designated as leading, we will continue the work that was started last year.
Fourth. A systemic issue is the strengthening of our country’s financial sovereignty. This is the most important condition for increasing investment in high-tech companies, industry, agriculture and many other industries. I very much look forward to the effective work of the Central Bank and the Government, first of all, of course, the economic bloc and the Ministry of Finance, just as it was in 2022.
Fifth. Economic policy measures should be designed in such a way that they lead to an increase in real wages and incomes of people, and together with social support measures, especially for families with children, ensure further reduction of poverty and inequality.
Sixth. Special attention should be paid, of course, to solving acute problems in the field of demography – this has also been discussed many times, I will not go into details. We understand what the main problems here are and how to approach them in order to solve them. I mean, of course, addressing these issues by increasing the availability of modern and high-quality healthcare.
I would like to emphasize that work in these areas should cover all regions of the country, including new regions of the Russian Federation. That is why the task was set to provide a systematic, integrated approach to the integration of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions into the common socio-economic space of Russia.
Let me remind you that the Government has been instructed to prepare a special program for the development of new constituent entities of the Russian Federation by the end of this quarter. In the horizon of 2030, they should reach the national level in terms of infrastructure, the level of social services, and many other parameters of the quality of life. I ask the Government, federal agencies, and colleagues in the regions to work out all the details of such a program as clearly and consistently as possible.
And of course, the most acute, vital issues need to be resolved now in an operational mode. As a matter of fact, that’s what we do. I understand that the situation in the new regions is complicated: fighting continues in some territories, and peaceful life has not been restored everywhere, and people’s safety has been ensured.
Naturally, all these factors need to be taken into account, but all this is not a reason to take a break, postpone the solution of the most pressing issues for later. Even now, we need to set specific goals and gradually, step by step, achieve them, achieve their solutions. This is what people who are really going through hard times and want to see changes for the better are waiting for.
It is important to set clear and understandable guidelines for the development of new regions of Russia, so that residents know what will be built in their cities and towns, what facilities will be restored and when, how family incomes will grow, what state assistance they will receive, how kindergartens, schools, universities, hospitals and polyclinics will work, when businesses will open, what support small businesses and entrepreneurs will receive, and how infrastructure and transport will develop.
Here’s what I wanted to put some emphasis on: we need to support local entrepreneurs. Of course, if we need investments from some serious Russian sources, from our large companies-private or state-owned-we need to promote this. But where possible, it is necessary to support local businesses.
Key performance indicators for the development of Zaporizhia, Kherson region, LPR and DPR should be set for the current year. I am referring to common, transparent work criteria not only for regional and municipal authorities, but also for federal authorities, so that our colleagues on the ground, together with the Government, ministries and departments, can focus their efforts and resources on those priority areas that require attention in the first place.
In addition, we have already said this, and I want to emphasize once again that it is necessary to involve new regions of the Russian Federation in the implementation of national projects, and this also means that the activities of national projects in the territories of the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions should be provided with funding.
We have said this many times – I know that the Government is actively working on preparing key performance indicators for the development of new regions and connecting them to national projects, but I would like to draw your attention: it is not yet completed, and we need to resolve the remaining issues as soon as possible.
As for today’s agenda, we have agreed to consider the issues of social support for citizens, the organization of payments of funds in new regions of Russia, and benefits in all areas as the main topic. About it Tatyana Alekseevna [Golikova], will report today.
But at the beginning of the meeting, I would like to ask Denis Manturov, to tell us how the instructions for implementing long-term programs for updating the fleet of aircraft and water transport fleet are being implemented. We have also been actively engaged in this last year, and we all understand the urgency of these issues, especially in air transport. We discussed this topic just a month ago at the Strategic Development Council.
Let’s get to work.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 12 2023 19:45 utc | 23

LoveDonbass @22–
I cannot comment on Lula’s position on the use of gender as a Machiavellian device to divide and rule. In August of last year, I wrote this article on the issue, “The New Tool to Divide and Rule”.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 12 2023 19:52 utc | 25

You might’ve chanced to notice Bye-Done, our demented hoodlum, tripping over his own shoelaces again. The pabulum prepared for us hoi-polloi has it that our hoodlum (D) stole far fewer highly classified papers than their hoodlum (R) — also we have not (yet) seen thrilling night-scenes of DOJ cop-cars with flashing lights outside of Bye-Done’s house. That, and not stealing quite as much, should count for something, shouldn’t it?
I can’t get away from the feeling the script we’re subjected to is more deliberate than it seems. Having found no limit to the incompetence, by now I suspect they’re all collobarating to prove our exceptional system of democratic governance (God bless the founders!) is so inherently, awesomely strong that any idiot — or collection of abject morons — could run it. The watch took a lickin’ but it kept on tickin’?

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Jan 12 2023 20:50 utc | 27

God, what a stodgy crowd. I’m going to bed. Here’s one for the Empire…
WARNING: no headshots!
https://youtu.be/Zmzv5xJ4wE4

Posted by: john | Jan 12 2023 21:02 utc | 29

Posted by: Down South | Jan 12 2023 21:17 utc | 78
UAF counter attack on the flank of Soledar – no recon, no artillery support, no air support, mostly open fields, failure.

Posted by: unimperator | Jan 12 2023 21:31 utc | 31

re: Aleph_Null | Jan 12 2023 20:50 utc | 26
no big deal, I lock my corvette
my corvette is locked in a garage
secret files are safe by my
corvette, my lawyers have
washed my corvette
and are working with DOJ
to fix my corvette into the
minds of the brain-washed
scattered papers =corvette
any other questions?
the leader of the bonzo world

Posted by: qmess | Jan 12 2023 21:42 utc | 33

FAIR has an excellent takedown of the MSM and USG’s quiet surrender on random Guydo.
Guaido is gone but Media Dishonesty is Here to Stay

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jan 12 2023 22:14 utc | 35

good rant from Ritter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsWQYBIoSWU

Posted by: pretzelattack | Jan 12 2023 23:35 utc | 37

33 Christian Chuba | Jan 12 2023 21:49 utc
That’s not a site I would go to except for a specific link, Escobar or someone. Otherwise I’d shun it.
These two are in my feed for news:
https://www.cgtn.com/
https://www.globaltimes.cn/index.html
For more individual reportage of China, try:
Godfree Roberts
Jeff J. Brown
Larry Romanoff
Martin Jacques
Eric X. Li
Zhang Weiwei
Yuen Yuen Ang
Nathan Rich + various other expats in China…
Some in print, some on YouTube. There’s actually plenty to study if one wants to learn about China. Also, the diplomats on Twitter and elsewhere tend to tell a pretty straight story.

Posted by: Grieved | Jan 13 2023 0:24 utc | 39

Any theory about both of Joe Biden and Antony Blinken refusing to designate Russia as ‘state sponsor of terrorism’ ?

Posted by: Malwen | Jan 13 2023 0:42 utc | 41

For those hoping for a solid partnership between Moscow and Beijing will be disappointed : Chinese officials seem to distance themselves from Moscow. This rumor would coincide with Huawei disbanding its enterprise business team in Russia while Moscow would need telecoms equipments after Nokia and Ericsson quitting and CNPC getting an oil extraction deal with Afghan government, which would mean Beijing plans to diversify its oil suppliers.
Links :
https://www.ft.com/content/e592033b-9e34-4e3d-ae53-17fa34c16009
https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3203995/huawei-disbands-enterprise-business-team-russia-further-pullback-amid-western-sanctions-local-media
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/russian-mobile-calls-internet-seen-deteriorating-after-nokia-ericsson-leave-2022-12-21
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/6/afghanistan-signs-oil-extraction-deal-with-chinese-company
That’s sad how Moscow hoped to develop a solid, respectful relationship with Beijing as equals, while Chinese elites, like Western ones, would consider Russia as a small power, ‘gas station with nukes’. Maybe they wouldn’t despise Russians in ethnical fashion like Westerners do but Russian media should stop pathetically simping for China.
Anyway, that’s delusional of Chinese elite to think its country is even superior, considering Russia’s adjusted human development index is 0.751 while China’s about 0.651.

Posted by: Malwen | Jan 13 2023 2:09 utc | 43

@ Posted by: Malwen | Jan 13 2023 2:09 utc | 42
Interestingly Ericksen’s greed corruption and theft are well documented since foundation day. Do you know that in the bad old days of the 1960s? The company once sold top-tier crossbar direct-dial anywhere in Oz. Rack equipment cabinets minus the nuts and bolts to assembly to the Oz PMG. Back in the day when prior to Bell’s in-band tone switching. The substandard obsolete Streager-based USSA telecommunication system. Was stuck with operator connect out of state/international calling! VERY PRIMITIVE INDEED.
As for next-generation computer-controlled networks for all telecommunication. Was solved by Berkley U cal state in 2010. Not really a big problem with that particular molehill.
Since the bulk of Russian/Kremlin secrets is a paper-based secure archive. They do not have to worry about the usual NSA/GCHQ silicon holes installed by decree on all Intel/AMD/ARM-based crap power-wasting CPUs.
Since Chinese telecom giants ZTE/Huawei are far cheaper and better made than the flawed ones with NSA/GCHQ holes installed by decree(software&silicon). Which are also assembled in China. Then onsold O/S.
In short, removing the trashy western five-eyes junk telecom equipment is a very smart move by the Russians.
As for the Chinese. The only country in the world that sells a battery with a minimum of 75 years of operating life. Just replace the electrolyte every ten years. The Chinese E car industry will be selling cars with the next generation Sodium based batteries!
Here in the west still addicted to the carbon and nitrogen toxic fossil fuel system. The USSA has kickstarted World Depression 2.0 in February 2022. Completely destroying their own import-based economy. Killing Apple Inc. 🙂
The next-gen Chinese smart mobile phones. Not using ARM/Intel(has perpetual ARM license) CPUs. Will probably start selling in the final quarter of 2023. This also includes the ones powered by the flawed Google/NSA Andriod spy on me variants!

Posted by: Bad Deal Motors On | Jan 13 2023 3:27 utc | 45

Posted by: Melaleuca | Jan 13 2023 3:33 utc | 184
Christchurch Massacre? Me too. I was online and saw it practically live ie within minutes someone from 4chan had rebroadcasted it to standard offcolour sites that a Luddite like me can operate.
Port Arthur? It may have been you who put some info up here that I followed-up on. Very suspicious about at least two victims. It also makes sense. Get a satrap to push through antigun -legislation successfully, and then you can pretend to be the avuncular grandstatesman POTUS. If it works, great, if it doesn’t , -who cares; no great number of Usians died ,if at all, and only Aussie politicians take the fall.
A different theory, Having learned about Hammarskold (sic) maybe someone else was very big with the Russians and had to be taken out with a convenient cover. The Pommie driver who said he had intelligence contacts and/or the Belgian Intelligence agent

Posted by: Brother Ma | Jan 13 2023 4:05 utc | 47

Posted by: Bad Deal Motors On | Jan 13 2023 3:27 utc | 44
So China puts in the spyware for American phones on the US Five -Eyes orders?
Sad. I would have purposefully built in a fudge – factor to make spyware not work in maybe twenty percent of phones sent to the West. If the West can parachute safe – phones into Iran , and Hong Kong , then China should return the favour with a lottery on who actually gets a clean phone. That will have the NSA burning the midnight oil.

Posted by: Brother Ma | Jan 13 2023 4:14 utc | 49

> $aker $ays: general sag ghasem …
they now have to put guards around General Cutlet’s statues in occupied Iran because people keep setting them on fire. you can buy the sakers of the world agha but you can’t buy love.
but over here they have their fans with paid pens ($aker is pretty low rent these days though) but obviously no one here cheering for the general cutlet and company has to suffer living there or get to know what general cutlet and his smelly brothers are like in person. but they do love thugs over here in moa. i wonder if that makes foreign supporters morally complicit in their crimes.

Posted by: dis-membering-ghasem | Jan 13 2023 4:37 utc | 51

Posted by: Christian Chuba | Jan 12 2023 21:49 utc | 33
“If anyone knows of a good website to get decent info about China, let me know.”
I would add Han Dongping to Grieved’s excellent list @Jan 13 2023 0:24 utc | 38
Han Dongping
Click on topics and contributors top right for many good pieces.
Also, do a search for his earlier writings, especially on Mao, Cultural Revolution, etc.

Posted by: waynorinorway | Jan 13 2023 6:00 utc | 53

Posted by: Malwen | Jan 13 2023 2:09 utc | 42
Huawei is so sanctioned by USA that it needs to be very cautious if it wants to survive. It has no hope of keeping its installed base in UK or Germany if it is operating openly in Russia.
MegaFon intends to source tech from Israel and will no doubt find Israel a very willing facilitator

Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Jan 13 2023 6:37 utc | 55

NASA is bitter about the China space program and the almost certain probability that China will establish a moon exploration base.
anti-spiegel.ru has a report and response “A science journalist from the Russian news agency TASS has dealt with the topic in detail and I have translated his analysis of the background of the story.”

In early 2023, Politico magazine published an interview with NASA chief Bill Nelson in which he said that in the near future, China may try to occupy the most resource-rich parts of the moon and deny the U.S. access to them.
“It’s a fact that we’re in a space race,” Nelson said. “And it’s true that we’d better be careful not to get to a place on the moon under the guise of scientific research. And it cannot be ruled out that they will say: ‘Stay away, we are here, this is our territory.'”
Follow me, I don’t know where to go…
So the head of NASA is blaming China for trying to secure and appropriate part of the moon under the guise of scientific research? And the most important goal of the USA is the geological exploration of the moon… For me personally, this is the first (and most important) disagreement.
So far, no unique and potentially lucrative mining sites for raw materials have been found on the moon. Judging by the samples brought to Earth, lunar regolith consists of oxides, among which silicon dioxide is the most abundant. However, this substance is the main component of almost all earthly rocks. Yes, the lunar soil is not fundamentally different from the ground.

Read on comrades: https://www.anti-spiegel.ru/2023/warum-die-nasa-vor-chinas-ambitionen-auf-dem-mond-warnt/

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jan 13 2023 7:25 utc | 57

Posted by: Brother Ma | Jan 13 2023 7:34 utc | 57
Guess what? Both the “Canada Act 1982 and Constitution Act 1982” were signed off on by Her Majesty!! Your opinion is worth jack-s*it here.

Posted by: Laurence | Jan 13 2023 7:47 utc | 59

https://www.propublica.org/article/afghanistan-night-raids-zero-units-lynzy-billing
ON “unprovoked invasions” NOT related to Russia.
Here’s a little rhyme I use, called “Prophets Paradox”
I get no joy in being RIGHT;
It’s in the LORD I find delight!

Posted by: zendeviant | Jan 13 2023 9:04 utc | 61

A different theory, Having learned about Hammarskold (sic) maybe someone else was very big with the Russians and had to be taken out with a convenient cover. The Pommie driver who said he had intelligence contacts and/or the Belgian Intelligence agent
Posted by: Brother Ma | Jan 13 2023 4:05 utc | 46
An interesting conspiracy theory as one could politely say.
Occam’s Razor Test 1. The terrain surrounding Ndola Airfield: – The region lies on the eastern Central African Plateau, with gently undulating terrain mostly between 3,000 and 5,000 feet (900 and 1,500 metres) in elevation and occasionally broken by isolated hills. The airfield’s minimum approach altitude is. Keep well clear above the height of the tallest local surrounding hills until the runway landing lights are sighted. It is always in the standard NOTAM notes for every aerodrome on this planet. Standard aircraft safety rules “SOP”.
Occam’s Razor Test 2. Commercial Hairy planes of that era have two altimeters. Barometric type height above sea level. Basically near useless in mountainous terrain. Equals contact airfield to set to local air pressure. Plus radio altimeter reading height above local ground level. Limited to a maximum of 2500 feet.
Occams’s Razor Test 3. All Swedish crew. Pilot fatigue. Charter pilots unfamiliar with Rhodesian topography. It was a long flight in the ten-year-old DC6B cruise speed is 315 mph (507 km/h).
Occam’s Razor Test 4. The time of the crash was 1 am local time. The residents reported a bright flash on the horizon against the dark night skyline. That is the plane crashed and the resulting fire was from the onboard fuel tanks.
Occam’s Razor Test 5. Location of the crash site relative to the main runway direction of Ndola Airfield. Here the plane wreckage was sighted on the reverse slope of a hill the search plane had just cleared on take off.
Occam’s Razor Test 6. Man-portable MANPADS. USSA Stinger missile’s first service use was in 1981. Soviet 9K38 IGLA version around the same time frame. Recap. The plane crashed in 1961.
Occam’s Razor Test 7. The cargo manifest showed live ammunition was carried on board.
Occam’s Razor Test 8. A single Air-to-air intercept would require a sophisticated advanced night fighter two-man crew and/or AWACs. In the early sixties in Africa. About as common as hens’ teeth.

Posted by: Bad Deal Motors On | Jan 13 2023 10:42 utc | 63

@ Paul Greenwood | Jan 13 2023 10:40 utc | 62
thanks paul.. i always appreciate your informative posts!!

Posted by: james | Jan 13 2023 17:06 utc | 65

@ Hermit | Jan 13 2023 17:07 utc | 66
you laid it out in your example very well.. thanks… it is a sad state of affairs and one wide open for exploitation… how does one change any of this? it is like asking people to be ethical or moral… it can work for those receptive to it, but for those who aren’t – this will be considered normal… the only way we move forward on the planet is for people to try to make a better world for others and not just themselves… this ain’t doing it… cheers..

Posted by: james | Jan 13 2023 17:29 utc | 67

Reporting from the lefthand side of Turtle Island (here in the SF Bay Area), we’re besieged by extraordinary rain. This started on New Year’s Eve, and only let up for a whole day on Thursday (yesterday). The day before we had grape-sized hailstones, right outside my front door. The largest I’ve ever witnessed, anywhere, and one heckuva an exciting racket, you bet!
The upside is parched Colorado River reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, getting recharged, practically in the nick of time. The downside is gradual overwhelming of riverine infrastructure, overflowing levees and spillways. This series of six or seven bomb cyclones (or near-things) has visited the whole state, roaming north to south, so there’s nary a California river of no concern. Our papers talk about the great flood of 1861/62, when Leland Stanford got to his inauguration in a rowboat…
https://www.sfchronicle.com/weather/article/california-historic-rain-storms-17714607.php

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Jan 13 2023 17:49 utc | 69

@Dr. George W Oprisko 24
Nuclear for electricity production, at a cost of 15x coal or more, is dead. It is, with the sole exception of natural gas, by far the most expensive (and dangerous) form of energy we have. It would never have been adopted had it not been massively sponsored by governments interested in plutonium to build nuclear weapons.
Today distributed solar, supplemented by big wind turbines, preferably off-shote, at 1/2 the price of coal or less, cannot be beaten. Rooftop solar combined with battery storage is the most interesting, as it means that the network can be adjusted to generate power close to consumption points, allowing downsizing of distribution networks.
We will, however, still need reactors for two purposes. Firstly to recycle high level waste, currently sitting in leaky ponds on reactor sites. Secondly to produce Helium needed for science, medicine, welding, chip production, rocket launching, LTA transport, switchgear and many other technical and industrial tasks. Both tasks can be best accomplished by fast breeder reactors, optimized to produce Helium (in very short supply due to the insane decision by the US government to sell the National Reserve in order to close the facility, later gifted to Haliburton, to save a few dollars) and fuel that can be pelletized for use in small, unconditionally safe, distributed pellet bed reactors used to produce electricity and process heating in lieu of burning gas.
Few breeder reactors would be needed (one per continent perhaps), can be located in geologically stable areas, far from coastlines, active volcanoes and human habitation, and served by rail or road.

Posted by: Hermit | Jan 13 2023 18:52 utc | 71

Export gas for rich fuckers to get richer but ban the slaves from using gas stoves.
American Government is out of touch. This is what should be done.
1. Place a steadily rising fee on fossil fuels
2. 100% of fees (minus administrative costs) are returned to households each month as a dividend
Fredom of choice will then produce the best result without any regulation. Everybody gets a credit card on which dividends are deposited.
About two-thirds of Americans will receive more in Dividends than they will pay in higher prices. This feature will inject billions into the economy, protect family budgets, free households to make independent choices about their energy usage, spur innovation, and build aggregate demand for low-carbon products at the consumer level.
But Biden is a dumfuck.

Posted by: K-Dog | Jan 13 2023 20:37 utc | 73

@karlof
Have started making my way through Fairbank’s The Great Chinese Revolution as recommended and so far so good – had put it off because I was expecting it to be very racist and very dry but it is neither. Thank you!
Link is here https://file.io/3pEX2Qm4eguN for anyone that hates or can’t use archive.org borrowing

Posted by: Rae | Jan 13 2023 22:02 utc | 75

Rae @75–
Thanks for your reply. Yes, JK Fairbank surprises many, but then he’s from what I call the Objective School of Historians to which I subscribe. As we’re seeing in real time, propagandized contemporary and historical events only serves to wreak havoc on the ability to make good decisions and policy. And that’s an excellent segway to what I came to post.
TASS today interviewed the Director of the Second Department of CIS countries of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia A.A. Polishchuk and asked him a rather wide range of questions, some of which ought to be applied to the Ukraine thread. Of particular interest IMO is what’s happening in Moldova which is covered at the interview’s end. Also of importance are the activities of the Union State that are covered:

Question: There is often talk about the need for a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine, and many countries offer their mediation services. However, despite all these statements, there is a feeling that so far the parties are quite far from diplomacy. How would you assess the prospects for a diplomatic settlement of the crisis around Ukraine today?
Answer: You are right, there is no shortage of offers of mediation and so-called good offices. There are already about twenty of them. Unfortunately, not all of them are sincere and trustworthy. First of all, this applies to countries that have imposed illegal sanctions against Russia and supply weapons to Ukraine, thereby becoming a party to the conflict. It’s unclear how this might fit in with their mediation ambitions.
It is not easy to talk about the prospects for a diplomatic settlement now. In fact, we are not dealing with Kiev. He is a tool in the hands of the West, primarily the United States. In fact, Russia is not confronting Ukraine, but the NATO-Ukrainian military-industrial conglomerate, in which the Ukrainians serve as an instrument of armed struggle against Russia, and the countries of the alliance – the role of the rear, supplier of weapons, intelligence and target designation.
I would like to remind you that the Russian side has never shied away from negotiations. At the end of February 2022, we responded to Kiev’s request and by the end of March and the beginning of April, after many rounds of hard work in face-to-face and video formats, we reached a mutually acceptable basis for agreements. However, Kiev – obviously at the behest of the Anglo-Saxons, who were frightened by the prospect of a peaceful settlement – unexpectedly interrupted the negotiation process, leaving our proposals of April 15 unanswered.
After that, there was no development on the negotiation track. During this time, the situation has changed significantly, new regions have become part of Russia. Accordingly, the possible resumption and further course of negotiations should take into account the new realities.
Question: Ukraine has rejected Russia’s initiative to have a ceasefire on Christmas Day. How does Moscow assess this refusal and does it not mean Kiev’s complete inability to negotiate even on such sensitive topics?
Answer: The Kiev regime’s rude and irresponsible rejection of the Christmas truce suggests that it has ceased to associate itself with both the residents of the new Russian regions, which it considers its own, and its own citizens, whose lives and fates it does not care about.
We are not surprised by this. We have eight years of experience in Kiev’s sabotage of the work of the Contact Group and the Normandy format, daily shelling of Donbass cities by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, despite the agreements reached then on a ceasefire on Christmas, Easter and the beginning of the school year.
We regret that international structures and Western countries, as before, condone such behavior of the Ukrainian authorities.
Question: US President Joe Biden claimed that his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky is “open to promoting peace”, while official Washington has repeatedly said that it will not push Kiev to negotiations and is not ready to discuss Ukraine in contacts with Moscow. In this regard, is the Russian side ready for the fact that possible negotiations in the future will have to be conducted directly with the current authorities of Kiev?
Answer: So far, we have only communicated directly with Ukrainians, using platforms that were kindly provided to us, which we very much appreciate. In February-April last year, three rounds of Russian-Ukrainian dialogue were held in Belarus and one in Turkey. Then almost daily contacts were carried out via video link. These were direct negotiations with the Ukrainians.
If and when these contacts resume, they are likely to be direct as well. And this would be the best option, because, as practice shows, Western mediators often pursue their own goals and try to influence the course of negotiations, acting not to resolve the conflict, but in their own political and economic interests.
Question: Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed to organise a global summit in the winter to discuss ending the conflict in Ukraine. How does Moscow assess such an initiative?
Answer: This venture looks frivolous, as another populist event to draw attention to Ukrainian affairs. It confirms the inadequacy of Kiev’s perception of modern realities. It is difficult to imagine how, in the conditions in which the Kiev authorities and the Armed Forces of Ukraine find themselves today, it is possible to propose discussion at a “global summit” of such issues as the “liberation” of territories, the payment of reparations by Russia or the holding of an international tribunal against our country. The self-confidence of the Ukrainian leadership meets the best traditions of Kvartal 95 and is worthy of the highest praise for humorous talents.
Question: Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Polish nationalists dream of taking western Ukraine. The Polish media have even reported on the date of a possible Polish invasion of Ukraine – May 4, 2023 As stated in the publications, by this time the Ukrainian army will allegedly completely lose its combat capability and will not be able to fight on two fronts. Is there any evidence to indicate the realism of these assumptions? What information is now received regarding Poland’s intentions in Ukraine?
Answer: In Polish nationalist circles, imperial ambitions are indeed alive. They remember the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth “from sea to sea”, dream of returning the so-called historical Polish lands, including those that were once transferred to Soviet Ukraine.
For many years, the Polish leadership has been striving to create its own sphere of influence in the post-Soviet space, primarily in Ukraine. Whoever has been in power in Poland since the early 1990s, Poland’s cultural and economic expansion in Ukraine has not stopped. After 2014, it acquired a military-political dimension. Warsaw worked through NATO and the EU’s Eastern Partnership, investing in new projects – the Three Seas Initiative and the Lublin Triangle.
In Poland itself, this course is fueled by the efforts of state propaganda. For example, at one time, a train ran near the Polish-Ukrainian border, on which it was possible to see the contours of the pre-war Polish state, which included the western Ukrainian lands. Now on the pages of the Polish passport among the “historical Polish cities” you can find Lviv and Vilnius.
After the start of a special military operation, Poland, which serves as a transit hub for Western weapons, moved to a more active development of western Ukrainian lands, implementing a whole range of political and military measures. Of course, such aspirations of Warsaw cannot but cause concern from the point of view of regional security.
Question: Belarus is increasingly paying attention to the threat to this country from NATO. Minsk accuses Poland of plans to claim its rights to Belarusian territories, strike or provoke escalation. How do you assess these risks? To what extent are Moscow and Minsk unanimous in their assessments of the situation? Is the Union State ready to respond to such challenges?
Answer: Indeed, in recent years, NATO has been building up strike units on the borders of the Union State, primarily in Poland and the Baltic States. This is presented as if we are talking about preventive actions aimed at stopping some threats from our side. At the same time, if earlier it was said about the alleged temporary deployment of the alliance’s forces on a rotational basis, today no one hides the fact that the Western military came there for a long time. It is of fundamental importance that it is NATO that brings the military infrastructure closer to the borders of the Union State. We are forced to react and adequately respond to such unfriendly steps.
As for talking about Polish rights to Belarusian lands, reminders of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth “from sea to sea” and its “eastern cresses”, of course, cannot but worry not only Belarus, but also Russia as its closest ally. Despite the fact that such statements come mainly from the lips of Polish political scientists and experts, they do not contribute to the détente of the already tense situation in the region.
How great are the risks of provoking escalation and strikes from Poland against Belarus is a question for military analysts. Let me just remind you that Russia and Belarus form a common defence space and are bound by corresponding obligations. Any attempt to carry out such strikes is doomed to failure. The western borders of the Union State are reliably protected by the armed forces of Belarus and the joint Russian-Belarusian Regional Group of Forces.
In the context of the emerging military-political situation, since October last year, additional contingents of this group have been deployed on belarusian territory, combat coordination activities, exercises and maneuvers have been carried out. They are defensive in nature, aimed at ensuring the security of the Union State and are designed to discourage our potential opponents from escalating and provoking. On this issue, we have a complete mutual understanding with the Belarusian allies.
Question: The Western media are discussing the possible involvement of Belarus in the Ukrainian conflict. How can you comment on such publications? Are there any scenarios in which this could become real?
Answer: In November 2021, the updated Military Doctrine of the Union State was approved. It is purely defensive in nature, but assumes that the use of military force against any participating state is considered as an encroachment on the Union State as a whole. Our countries have similar obligations on mutual support in the event of external aggression within the framework of the CSTO.
In other words, from a legal point of view, the use of military force by the Kiev regime or the invasion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the territory of Belarus or Russia are sufficient grounds for collective retaliatory measures. At the same time, their adoption remains at the discretion of the political and military leadership of the two countries. The determining principle is the expediency of the use of joint forces and the proportionality of the general response to the threats that arise in a particular situation.
In addition to participation in hostilities, there are other forms of allied support. First of all, this is military-technical cooperation, which – and this is not a secret – is at the highest level in Moscow and Minsk. Our countries carry out mutual deliveries of weapons and components for the production of military equipment, cooperate in border protection, and increase the combat capability of the unified Russian-Belarusian air defense system.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly spoken about his readiness to give a tough response in the event of Ukraine’s strikes on Belarusian territory and other aggressive provocations. It is the sovereign right of the Republic to defend its territory by all available means, and Minsk can count on Russia’s full support in this.
Question: President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that the military of Russia and Belarus are preparing as a single army as part of the deployment of the regional grouping. When will the formation of the Union State’s common defence space be completed? Is it possible to form a unified command?
Answer: It is better to ask this question to the Russian and Belarusian military, which, no doubt, are more deeply immersed in the topic.
For my part, I can say that the Treaty on the Creation of the Union State provides for a joint defense policy, coordination in the field of military construction and development of the armed forces, joint use of military infrastructure and the adoption of other measures to maintain the defense capability of the Union State.
The most important joint decisions in the military sphere are taken by the Supreme State Council and the Council of Ministers of the Union State. In addition, joint meetings of the governing structures are held by the security councils, the ministries of defense and the general staffs of the two countries. They carry out coordination on a daily basis at the working level, including on the activities of the joint Regional Group of Forces and the Unified Regional Air Defense System. The Border Committee of the Union State is also functioning. The work of these joint bodies, together with mutual obligations in the event of external aggression, largely form the common defense space of the Union State.
Question: What are the goals of the Union State in 2023?
Answer: The main goal, without exaggeration, remains the further development of the integration of the Union State, strengthening its institutional and legal framework.
The key task for the current year is to achieve the full implementation of the “Main Directions for the Implementation of the Provisions of the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State for 2021-2023” and 28 sectoral union programs approved by the Supreme State Council in November 2021.
To date, the relevant departments of Russia and Belarus have managed to achieve significant results in this. At the meeting of president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko with State Secretary of the Union State Dmitry Mezentsev on January 9 in Minsk, it was announced that seven union programs and 68% of 989 integration measures had been fully implemented. In many ways, the regulatory framework for regulating economic activity in Russia and Belarus has been synchronized. A unified system of traceability of goods has been launched, control systems in the field of veterinary medicine and phytosanitary have been combined. The Interstate Coordination Center for Customs Issues has begun its work. The next step is the introduction of a unified system for administering indirect taxes and the establishment of a supranational Tax Center.
This year, it is also necessary to agree on a new “package” of decisions to deepen union integration for the next three-year period – from 2024 to 2026. Joint proposals must be submitted for approval to the supreme bodies of the Union State.
Question: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova Nicolai Popescu said that he sees no practical need for his country to remain in the CIS, and noted that internal discussions on this matter are currently underway in the country. What is the risk for Moldova of leaving the CIS, and how realistic does this prospect look for Moscow? And how, in turn, can Chisinau’s decision to withdraw affect the Commonwealth?
Answer: Indeed, official Chisinau has now actually suspended work within the CIS and is evading participation in meetings of the CIS bodies. It is significant that in 2023 the Moldovan city of Comrat, the capital of Gagauzia, was supposed to become the cultural capital of the CIS, but, unfortunately, at the end of 2022, the Moldovan leadership abandoned this.
Talks about the possibility of Moldova’s withdrawal from the CIS began after pro-Western forces came to power in the country. However, so far the Moldovan leadership has not taken practical steps in this direction. It is obvious that Chisinau is aware of the real socio-economic benefits of participation in the Commonwealth. First of all, we are talking about a visa-free regime, a free trade zone, labor, social and other preferences for labor migrants. In addition, it is impossible not to take into account that about 25% of Moldova’s trade turnover falls on the CIS countries.
That is why the leaders of the Republic talk about the need for a pragmatic approach, taking into account hundreds of treaties in force in the CIS. We hope that this approach will prevail, and Moldova, in the interests of its own citizens, will remain in the Commonwealth and resume participation in the work of its bodies.
Question: Director of the Information and Security Service of Moldova A. Mustaţă recently made an interview with TVR Moldova that Moscow will inevitably “launch an offensive” on the Republic in order to unite with Transnistria. How would you comment on such statements?
Answer: Usually, the position of high-ranking executives implies a responsible attitude to public statements.
It is noteworthy that simultaneously with the statement you mentioned, directly opposite assessments about the absence of any threats to the Republic of Moldova from Russia were voiced both by the Moldovan leadership, including the president and the chairman of the parliament, and by the leadership of NATO and the states neighboring Moldova.
Question: Earlier, the head of Transnistria, Vladimir Krasnoselsky, said that the possibility of holding an informal meeting of 5+2 participants was being discussed. Are there any consultations with the participants of the format on the organization of such a meeting? When can the work of the 5+2 negotiation format be unfrozen? Are there any other parties interested in this?
Answer: Today, the work of the 5+2 negotiation format on the Transnistrian settlement, in which Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE are mediators, and the EU and the United States are observers, is on pause. It is too early to talk about contacts within its framework.
Question: What retaliatory measures does Moscow intend to take due to the suspension of Broadcasting of Russian-language TV channels in Moldova? Has Russia already sent a request to international organizations with a demand to understand this situation and is there any chance at all to get a clear answer from them?
Answer: The Russian Foreign Ministry has already assessed this decision by the Moldovan authorities. Let me repeat: we consider this an unprecedented act of political censorship, a violation of the principle of media pluralism, a deliberate deprivation of millions of Russian-speaking moldovans of sources of news content in their preferred language. We are seeking, including in international organisations, a proper assessment of this lawlessness and the lifting of these restrictions.
Speaking about possible retaliatory measures, it is necessary to understand that Moldovan citizens are not strangers to us. The introduction of such measures will further complicate cultural, humanitarian and human contacts between the peoples of our countries. This is exactly what the external forces that are pushing Moldova to sever ties with Russia are seeking. We constantly urge our Moldovan colleagues not to follow their lead.
As for appeals to international structures, we constantly use their platforms to draw attention to our concerns in connection with the violation of rights and freedoms both in Moldova and other countries. The Russian Foreign Ministry regularly sends reports “On the situation in the field of human rights in certain countries of the world” to international human rights structures. Another such report is now being prepared and will soon be published. As far as is known, Moldovan and Russian public organizations also apply to multilateral structures.
Unfortunately, in many international associations there is a dominance of representatives of Western countries who sin with double standards and do not differ in objective assessments. There is no need to expect an impartial reaction from them. Despite this, we continue our efforts to draw attention to the situation with media freedom in Moldova.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 14 2023 0:06 utc | 77

Some stories of China courtesy of Global South today. Amarynth has a brief review of how China, at every turn stymied in acquiring existing technology, makes a “leap frog” and surpasses the current state of play through its own efforts and its own IP:
China Delivers
First story from her piece:
Why US really blacklisted China’s YMTC – Chinese chipmaker confirmed as a US national security threat but its cutting-edge innovation is what really scares Washington
Ironically, that’s on Asia Times, but it is a specific link.
Second story is from a commenter over there, a very readable and fascinating essay from Larry Romanoff in 2019 on how China developed its supremacy in High Speed Rail, first by paying exorbitant fees to license and transfer existing technology, then by leap-frogging the state of the art using entirely its own, innovated, IP:
China’s High-Speed Trains
Country after country has simply underestimated the speed at which China’s supremely educated workforce can innovate.
Come to think of it, that was what Apple CEO Tim Cook said a few years back (2017) about the supply chain with China: that Apple depended not only on efficient production throughout the Chinese part of that chain, but also relied on the innovations made along the way by Chinese engineers. Apple depended on this, he said. So actually, here’s that story too:
Apple CEO Tim Cook: This Is the No. 1 Reason We Make iPhones in China (It’s Not What You Think)

Posted by: Grieved | Jan 14 2023 0:57 utc | 79

@Christian Chuba
Asiatimes is NOT a good place to get information about China. It is an Indian outlet with strong Indian biases.
If you want news about India, you read Indian published news.
If you want news about the UK, you read UK published news.
If you want news about China, you read Chinese published news. Mostly published in English.
This is not what Western governments want you to do. They want you to read their “news” and thoughts, instead of directly reading about the events from the source. To keep this narrative alive they will accuse other nations (such as China) of lying and deception. What ever you do, they argue, do not read their news. It’s all lies.

Posted by: Rufus Arrr | Jan 14 2023 1:17 utc | 81

@james 72
I’m delighted 🙂
I considered people who have a problem with time, I suffer it myself, when writing it. The document is carefully divided into 3 sections. The first, a brief introduction. The next expands on the introduction. The third adds detail, explanations and justifications. They can be read and understood independently 🙂

Posted by: Hermit | Jan 14 2023 1:45 utc | 83

I know if he didn’t stumble across this one that Nemesis will enjoy the following. An article explaining Alexander Dugin and his fourth political theory.
https://www.firstthings.com/article/2023/02/alexander-dugin-explained
About which:

Today, Dugin is generally thought of as an enthusiastic war propagandist and neofascist who ­proposes to unite the global far right into an anti-­Western alliance. But …when I googled Dugin after reading ­Liverant’s article, I happened upon a five-­minute talk on what Dugin calls “the fourth political ­theory.” His argument is that the twentieth century was defined by an ideological struggle between three political theories: liberalism, communism, and fascism, the last of which was most powerfully expressed in Nazism. The defeat of the third political theory in 1945—and the end of the Cold War, which saw the triumph of the first over the second—ushered in what the late Charles Krauthammer called the unipolar moment. Liberalism appeared to stand as the last viable ideology, the end of history. But what if someone wants to oppose liberalism, and to do so neither as a fascist nor as a communist? In a world defined by the three political theories, that option seems impossible. Those who oppose liberalism are either accused of being communists of one sort or another, or derided as fascists.
To break through this dead end, Dugin announced a fourth political theory. His goal was to provide intellectual breathing room for those who were trapped in an outdated framework. As he wrote in his 2009 book The Fourth Political ­Theory (which I co-translated), he doesn’t understand “why certain people, when confronted with the concept of the Fourth Political Theory, do not immediately rush to open a bottle of champagne, and do not start dancing and rejoicing, celebrating the discovery of new possibilities.” I am one of those who was happy to raise a glass. From my first encounter with Dugin, I was grateful for the freedom to think about the political future of the West outside the confining framework of the three political ­theories that claim to be our only options.

Later on, to give a sense of the inner workings of some of his thought which carries on from Heidegger in part:

The idea that a politeia is the political embodiment of foundational, ­constitutive thoughts is not far-fetched. Consider C. ­Bradley Thompson’s work on America’s ­revolutionary mind, which presents an interpretation of America’s founding as the triumph of a certain way of thinking. Because Thompson believes that America has gone astray, he calls for a return to those arguments, ideas, and principles. The original founding —and now necessary ­refounding — is philosophical. Heidegger, for his part, seems to have thought that there were no genuine regimes when he was writing, because ­America, Nazi ­Germany, and the Soviet Union, the three great powers, despite their differences, were “metaphysically the same,” all technological enterprises uprooted from the soil of genuine philosophy and poetry. In Heidegger’s formulation, a mass becomes a people when its outstanding figures emerge. A people is not a biological entity you can poke with a stick or study in a lab. It’s an existential-cultural phenomenon. (This idea runs completely counter to official Nazi dogmatism, incidentally, which Heidegger ­criticized at length throughout his Black Notebooks—an irony, given that they have a reputation for being the smoking-gun proof of his Nazism owing to the anti-Semitic remarks they contain.) Dugin applies that insight to his theory of global multipolarity, which affirms a plurality of civilizational spaces, interpreting civilizations in terms of their greatest souls, those who awaken and guide the Dasein of the people, the concrete expressions of its public life.

The clear limitation of the established three – liberalism, communism & fascism – are that they are all three variations on the same materialist scale. There is much more to life – and civilizational realms of experience – than that. It seems that the struggle for multipolarity can be regarded as a call for spiritual renewal in (geo)political space.
A refreshing perspective!

Posted by: Scorpion | Jan 14 2023 3:03 utc | 85

Inspiring hour:
Economists Radhika Desai & Michael Hudson explain multipolarity, decline of US hegemony
Introducing Geopolitical Economy Hour: This is the first episode of a show being hosted every two weeks by economists Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson. They present the program and discuss the rise of the multipolar world and decline of US hegemony.
https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/01/13/radhika-desai-michael-hudson-multipolarity/
Transcript available

Posted by: suzan | Jan 14 2023 3:42 utc | 87

Posted by: Hermit | Jan 13 2023 17:45 utc | 68
Interesting conspiracy theory until you apply Occam’s razor test on each individual piece of evidence you supplied.
It will not alter reality one inch. Ground-to-air communication is fixed channel AM VHF Air Band line-of-sight.
A Fouga Magister Jet trainer with full tanks including the wing tip ones. Has a maximum range of 750 miles. Over 250 miles short of the capability to attack and return home from the old Ndola Airfield.
Just another Occam’s Razor Test fail.

Posted by: Bad Deal Motors On | Jan 14 2023 5:47 utc | 89

@emersonreturn 87
Thank-you very much. I am deeply appreciative of your words. 🙂

Posted by: Hermit | Jan 14 2023 6:26 utc | 91

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jan 14 2023 6:40 utc | 91
Since Schewab’s son is based in China with a Chinese wife it seems sensible for him to invite members of the Chinese regime to visit

Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Jan 14 2023 10:07 utc | 93

The Swiss army is deploying 5000 troops to protect the globalist’s Davos meeting, who de-facto control national policies in the west through puppets. That tells you all you need about the popular support for “leadership” in the west.
https://thepostmillennial.com/5000-swiss-army-soldiers-deployed-to-davos-to-protect-world-economic-forum

Posted by: unimperator | Jan 14 2023 11:35 utc | 95

Grieved | Jan 13 2023 4:21 utc | 50
The rules based order. Washington as the world capital. It became very notable to me back around 2010 that our politicians here in oz used the term ‘rules based order’ rather than the term ‘international law’.
My sister was aghast when I talked about the multi-polar world and international law vs rules based order. She had been programmed to think only in terms of projection and said ‘do you mean we should be ruled by China’.
That Goering quote about how easy it is to take people to war. So simple it is dismissed by those that are easily led to war.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 14 2023 13:54 utc | 97

migueljose @5
Thanks for the info. Related to Haiti we have to realize that the US uses Haiti for drug traffic and God knows what else. All resources (including gold and lithium) are in the hands of foreign oligarchs. I retired in the Dominican Republic and am aware of the many problems facing us. The Pres of DR is afraid to confront the creeps up North for obvious reasons.

Posted by: Viktor K | Jan 14 2023 15:18 utc | 99