Biswapriya no. 1
Sudan is of no real consequence to the west, so it disappeared.

Posted by: ThusspakeZarathustra | Jun 4 2023 13:28 utc | 4

Whatever happened to Sudan? Pakistan Chile Haiti ++++… ( Jump to 2024, add Ukraine) … It disappeared from the news.

Posted by: Melaleuca | Jun 4 2023 13:52 utc | 6

Sudan is of no real consequence to the west, so it disappeared.
Posted by: ThusspakeZarathustra | Jun 4 2023 13:28 utc | 4
—
The Khartoum metropolitan area has a bigger population than all of the Baltics.

Posted by: too scents | Jun 4 2023 13:55 utc | 8

Today is June 4t, do the Western MSM, neoliberals, neocons and other good people still hold their memorial for the so-called “Tiananmen Massacre”?
Thanks to Wikileaks: LATIN AMERICAN DIPLOMAT EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF JUNE 3-4 EVENTS ON TIANANMEN SQUARE, 20-years later Western MSM are forced to confess (in light voice) there was NO Tiananmen Massacre:
– Telegraph: No Bloodshed inside Tiananmen Square;
– – CBS confessed in 2009: There was no Tiananmen Massacre;
– Black info and media gullibility: creation of the Tiananmen myth;
Given New York Times’ journalist could get rewarded with the prestigious Pulitzer with his iconic Tankman truth , MSM can get away with anything b/c the gullible people still believe the “truth” told by their “trustworthy” MSM.
Even when theFull lenghth video of the Tankman presents how manupilative the MSM was/is.
I want to add some videos regarding “Tiananmen Student Movement”, aka Colour Revolution backed by CIA, MI6 & Co, that I marked in the past but their either age restricted or got scrubbed away.
This just shows how hard to get the truth out to expose the lying MSM.
Luckily, this one still available: Another View of Tiananmen. It’s high time to debunk the lies, dark information created and spewed by MSM to expose they are simply the tools for the ruling elites.

Posted by: lulu | Jun 4 2023 14:07 utc | 10

Posted by: pasha | Jun 4 2023 13:56 utc | 9
i haven’t had any problems accessing it recently. came right up today.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Jun 4 2023 14:10 utc | 12

Anyone seen posts from PeterAu?
Is he MIA?
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jun 4 2023 13:49 utc | 5
I suspect Peter violated b’s “Don’t attack other commenters” advice too frequently.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jun 4 2023 14:39 utc | 14

Hoarsewhisperer: He’s also been absent from Martyanov’s site, where he’s posted not infrequently. I suspect ill health.

Posted by: malenkov | Jun 4 2023 14:48 utc | 16

thanks b and thanks the many fine posters here who share valuable links and insights…
@ peter au… i suspect he is on a break.. he has done this before.. hopefully he is okay health wise.. – i see it like @ malenkov..
of course i am curious about outrageous too, and hope all is well..
—————
i watched a documentary last night that some might be curious to watch…
‘what is a women?’ link is off jordan petersons twitter feed..
it is about the issue of gender and sexuality from a conservative… i found the psychiatrists interviews especially compelling, and i learned some things that i didn’t know from this documentary.. it is provocative, but i think it is worth watching if you are interested in this topic..

Posted by: james | Jun 4 2023 15:07 utc | 18

@lulu | Jun 4 2023 14:07 utc | 10
20 year later? The Tiananmen event was 1989, so 34 years ago.

Posted by: Norwegian | Jun 4 2023 15:31 utc | 20

Re; De-Dollarziation
Stockman is his usual amusing form analyzing the Federal Debt deal:
….If there was ever any doubt, now we know: Speaker Kevin McCarthy has straw for brains and a Twizzlers stick for a backbone. He was within perhaps a few days of breaking the iron grip of America’s fiscal doomsday machine, yet inexplicably he turned tail and threw in the towel for a mess of fiscal pottage.
We are referring, of course, to the impending moment when the US Treasury would have been forced to forgo scheduled vendor or beneficiary distributions in order to preserve incoming cash for interest payments and other priorities. That act of spending deferrals and prioritization would have obliterated the debt “default” canard once and for all, paving the way for a nascent fiscal opposition to regain control of the nation’s wretched public finances.
And there should be no doubt that we were damn close to that crystalizing moment. After all, Grandma Yellen herself forewarned just last week on Meet The Press that absent a debt ceiling increase, the Treasury Department would have to prioritize payments and leave some bills unpaid:
“And my assumption is that if the debt ceiling isn’t raised, there will be hard choices to make about what bills go unpaid,” Yellen said on NBC’s “Meet the Press…….“We have to pay interest and principle on outstanding debt. We also have obligations to seniors who count on Social Security, our military that expects pay, contractors who’ve provided services to the federal government, and some bills have to go unpaid….”
And, of course, that prioritization and deferral could have been easily done. Federal receipts are now running about $450 billion per month, meaning that after paying $61 billion of interest, $128 billion for Social Security, $26 billion for Veterans and $47 billion for military pay and O&M there would still be $188 billion left to cover at least 50% of everything else.
That is to say, no sweat with respect to servicing the public debt, and a lot of sweat among the constituencies that would have had payments delayed or reduced……..
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2023/06/david-stockman/speaker-mccarthys-rotten-deal/

Posted by: Exile | Jun 4 2023 16:00 utc | 22

@ Exile | Jun 4 2023 16:00 utc | 22
—
It will be exciting to watch the Treasury’s freshly minted trillion plus in higher yielding debt suck the liquidity out of the credit markets.

Posted by: too scents | Jun 4 2023 16:05 utc | 24

this article posted above is especially disturbing… i wonder what russia’s response will be??
Are special forces assassinating Russian officers in Syria? – Elijah Magnier

Posted by: james | Jun 4 2023 16:21 utc | 26

lulu | Jun 4 2023 14:24 utc | 13
‘Just a question: where were the American destroyer and the Canadian ship? Inside US/Canadian water or Chinese water? US is just so desperate to goad China into a war!”
I have a blast when discussing U$-China hostility. All I say is “perhaps China should send a navy deployment to the West Coast of Canada, and sail through Hecate and Queen Charlotte Straits.”

Posted by: Mann Friedman | Jun 4 2023 16:24 utc | 28

i wonder what russia’s response will be??
Posted by: james | Jun 4 2023 16:21 utc | 26
—
Swimming lessons in Lago Maggiore.

Posted by: too scents | Jun 4 2023 16:45 utc | 30

“Popularity of China’s ‘New Security Initiative’ is inevitable: Global Times editorial” provides a recap of the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore focusing on Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Li Shangfu’s speech, “China’s New Security Initiative,” which was “the first time China’s ‘Global Security Initiative Concept Paper’ was made a full presentation at this event since its release in February.”

In his speech, Li emphasized “a new path to security featuring dialogue over confrontation, partnership over alliance and win-win over zero-sum.” He put forward a four-point proposal: Mutual respect should prevail over bullying and hegemony; fairness and justice should transcend the law of the jungle; eliminating conflicts and confrontation through mutual trust and consultation; and preventing bloc confrontation with openness and inclusiveness. Li also reiterated China’s stance on the Taiwan question, the South China Sea issue, and China-US relations, and expressed China’s firm will and determination to defend national interests and national unity.
It is worth noting that the venue was packed during Li’s speech, even the aisles were filled. After the end of the speech, the applause burst from the crowd, which was obviously different from the polite applause after other speeches. The feedbacks from representatives of many participating countries were also consistent with the response on the site. Several researchers of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, one of the organizers of the Shangri-La Dialogue, all gave positive evaluation of Li’s speech, saying his talk clarified China’s firm principle and position as well as showed China’s sincere attitude and willingness to maintain communication with other major powers. Indonesia’s former deputy foreign minister also pointed out in an interview that it was a very useful speech and believed that Indonesia was ready to cooperate with China to strengthen security in the region.

I highly suggest reading the entire editorial.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 4 2023 17:07 utc | 32

practitioner !

Posted by: denk | Jun 4 2023 17:18 utc | 34

Bernard… rather than purging my posts ….. why don’t you do a write up of this topic???
INDY

Posted by: Dr. George W Oprisko | Jun 4 2023 18:19 utc | 36

I’d like to see some more insights on the U.S.A.-China trade & diplomatic war. The U.S. trade deficit with China for the first quarter of the year is the lowest since 2011, excluding the exceptional year 2020. For a comparison the trade deficit of the U.S. with the E.U. this year is second only to the trade deficit of 2021. So, something is going on, huge quantities of money and goods are redirected to and from new destinations with consequences that, at the moment, I find difficult to foresee.
—
@William Gruff | Jun 4 2023 17:41 utc | 35
Some different views.
The Age of Enlightenment was full of deceit and intellectual dishonesty, probably the most similar to this present age, or, better, to the fifty years after the second world war: while the Industrial Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars (that is a cold shower of pragmatism) helped Europeans to steer away from the most deranged ideas of Enlightenment and preserve only those novel ideas that were actually useful and interesting, the fall of the U.S.S.R. and the crazy idea of a unipolar world did the contrary to contemporary Westerners, who are now clinging on the most crazy ideas of rotten Capitalism and pseudo-Postmodernism.
The causes of the Dark Ages are a bit complex, and the inability of the latest Western Empire and, especially, the post-Roman Barbarian kingdoms of securing trade routes played a huge role. The disruption of trade for a region that had an integrated economy for centuries caused an economic collapse that lasted almost half a millennium.
Other civilizations carried the torch of civilization only so far. Neither the Persians, nor the so-called Islamic civilization could steadily advance. That is why they were easily catched up and surpassed again by Europeans, when the economy of Europe finally restarted. That is why I fear that the Chinese could not be up to the huge task that awaits them, even though, if they are really and truly committed to a multipolar world, that could help.

Posted by: SG | Jun 4 2023 19:05 utc | 38

Posted by: SG | Jun 4 2023 19:05 utc | 38
One of the reasons that Europeans “surpassed” the Persians, Indians and others in terms of economics (as far as raw purchasing power is concerned) is perpetual wars and rebuilding. As they say, all wars are bankers’ wars. Oh, that and extractive colonization perpetrated by societies uniquely geared toward seafaring, making war and subjugating militarily lesser societies.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jun 4 2023 19:46 utc | 40

Luckily, this one still available: Another View of Tiananmen. It’s high time to debunk the lies, dark information created and spewed by MSM to expose they are simply the tools for the ruling elites.
Posted by: lulu | Jun 4 2023 14:07 utc | 10
Here’s another good page re Tiananmen:
https://worldaffairs.blog/2019/06/02/tiananmen-square-massacre-facts-fiction-and-propaganda/

Posted by: Zet | Jun 4 2023 20:41 utc | 42

Posted by: pretzelattack | Jun 4 2023 21:05 utc | 43
Thanks. I had forgotten about that classic Chomsky interview where he says “If you thought differently you wouldn’t be sitting where you are.” or something to that effect. I imagine that would, to this day, catch virtually any MSM reporter/journalist off-guard and that’s testament to the power and scale of propaganda and shunning of “wrongthink” that we in the so-called democratic west are lied into believing only happens “over there.”

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jun 4 2023 21:34 utc | 44

Austin at Singapore: “The People’s Republic of China continues to conduct an alarming number of risky intercepts of U.S. and allied aircraft flying lawfully in international airspace,” he said. “And we’ve all just seen another troubling case of aggressive and unprofessional flying by the PRC.” . .here
from the recent Oct 12, 2022 National Security Strategy:
Out-Competing China. . .The PRC is the only competitor with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do it. . . .Our strategy toward the PRC is threefold: 1) to invest in the foundations of our strength at home – our competitiveness, our innovation, our resilience, our democracy, 2) to align our efforts with our network of allies and partners, acting with common purpose and in common cause, and 3) compete responsibly with the PRC to defend our interests and build our vision for the future. The first two elements— invest and align— are described in the previous section and are essential to out-competing the PRC in the technological, economic, political, military, intelligence, and global governance domains. . .Later in the document, there is mention of “commitments to our Indo-Pacific treaty allies—Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand” . . .but NO MENTION OF TAIWAN. . . .here
So the Pentagon is exceeding the US National Security Strategy by sending warships and military aircraft off of China’s shores. That isn’t any part of invest, align and compete, and it is not peaceful.
But we should recognize that in the months since the Strategy was released by Biden, U.S. intelligence leaders have opined that the Chinese Communist Party (they don’t recognize China) remained the “most consequential threat” to U.S. national security. Whereas the Strategy called China a competitor, now it is a threat. . .here
And again, with respect to Taiwan, which is currently independent from China, the US is going against its stated policy. . . .from State: “The United States approach to Taiwan has remained consistent across decades and administrations. The United States has a longstanding one China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S.-China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side; we do not support Taiwan independence; and we expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means.” . . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | Jun 4 2023 21:48 utc | 46

@Tom_Q_Collins | Jun 4 2023 19:46 utc | 40
Please, let’s leave out neoliberal pseudo-history. European civilization is by far the northernmost civilization from pre-modern times: Delhi is 28°N, Ctesiphon is 33°N, Nanjing is 33°N, Beijing, the “northern capital” of China, is 39° N, Rome, in Southern Europe, is 41° N. In pre-modern times economy was almost totally agriculture. However, doing agriculture in Europe in ancient times was nothing like doing agriculture in those other subtropical and tropical places, that is why at the time of the Roman Empire the agricultural heart of the empire was in Egypt, Lybia, Sicily. Nonetheless a string of technological innovations (heavy ploughs, padded horse collars etc.) brought the agricultural yields of Europe on par with those of subtropical, monsoon regions. The difference is that European economy was, by the late Middle Ages, driven by technology, which in turn produced more technology and more economy and stronger armies. By the time the age of discovery began, Europe was already head and shoulders above other civilizations, with a solid economy, stable civil institutions and a wide technological knowledge.

Posted by: SG | Jun 4 2023 22:08 utc | 48

P.S. since we seem to be heading in that direction in this thread, what are some actual thoughts on the so-called Great Divergence? As far as I last read, there is no consensus and the likely reasons for it are complex and not attributable to one society’s innate superiority or ability to “surpass” others. In some cases the societies that emerged from that period with an emphasis on math and ‘technology’ did become colonial powers that projected power far beyond their borders like in the previously mentioned case of Britain in India.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jun 4 2023 22:22 utc | 50

Russia’s reply to recent Sullivan musings:

Question: How would you comment on John Sullivan’s remarks at the Arms Control Association on June 2, which aroused increased interest from the Western media?
Maria Zakharova: In our opinion, such a stir is not entirely justified. We note that, in fact, there are no fundamentally new points that would respond to Russia’s concerns and take into account our positions. We are talking about the same repeated calls for Russia to immediately resume cooperation with the United States in the field of arms control, including, in particular, the development of a new agreement to replace the START Treaty, which expires in 2026. Resume, of course, on American terms.
Although John Sullivan tried to wrap these appeals in a brighter package and even outlined some “bonuses” that, apparently, were supposed to make them more attractive to Russia, Washington still stubbornly ignores the reasons that led to the current crisis in this area. U.S. officials continue to pretend that this crisis has nothing to do with the openly hostile American policy, which eventually took the form of an all-out hybrid war against our country.
We have not seen any signs that for the sake of Washington’s declared commitment to arms control, the United States is ready to abandon the goal of inflicting a “strategic defeat” on us and actually achieve the removal of Russia from the international arena as a sovereign and full-fledged political player.
It will not be possible to decouple the practical aspects of arms control from the general political context, as John Sullivan proposed to do. No one should have any illusions here. And there is no need to refer to the experience of the Cold War – since then we have gone through many other stages and learned a lot, so we will not allow a repetition of previous mistakes.
If the United States and its allies in the anti-Russian coalition are really interested in improving the international situation and want to return to meaningful work on arms control, then they should first of all abandon the irresponsible and reckless desire to build the world at any cost according to American patterns and turn away from the path that can obviously lead to a global catastrophe.
It must finally be understood that the era of unchallenged American dominance is over, and that there is no return to it. The task now is to realize the new realities and begin to form the foundations of a more just, balanced and stress-resistant international system based on genuine equality, inclusiveness and, most importantly, indivisibility of security, as well as taking into account the interests and concerns of all states without exception.
There is no doubt that arms control and strategic risk reduction mechanisms could become an important element of such a system, which would form the necessary “safety net” for it. Russia does not and has never abandoned political and diplomatic methods of ensuring security, which can take different forms and be implemented in various formats. However, life shows that such methods can be effective and viable only if all parties are really committed to equal and constructive cooperation and honestly fulfill the agreements reached, without trying to cheat and alter them in their favor.
Otherwise, even the most beautiful schemes hang in the air and, as the classic said, “lose the name of action” (W. Shakespeare, “Hamlet”). Unfortunately, there is still no such attitude on the part of our American colleagues. [My Emphasis]

China and Russia share the same basic position: The Outlaw US Empire must modify its behavior if it wants to engage with either nation.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 4 2023 22:31 utc | 52

Grieved | Jun 4 2023 22:26 utc | 51–
Thanks for the commentary. Such info would bolster RFKjr’s position regarding Big Pharma as an enemy of the people.
My current readings in Chinese/East Asian philosophy show there’s no room for woke to be considered, and IMO that would also be true for Islamic philosophy.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 4 2023 22:39 utc | 54

Scorpion@53
You are absolutely right.
India and China both enjoyed greater prosperity than any European country until after the turn of the C19th, when in India’s case the fall in living standards directly resulted from British interference, power politics and plunder.
It is by no means clear either that South America’s civilisations were not in advance of that of the Iberians who conquered them. In more general terms the longevity, diet and health of the average north American indigene was superior to that of the immigrant settlers. So were their forms of government, democratic, and social mores. Which is why the colonies leaked so many settlers choosing to ‘go native.’ Genocide was the only way that the settlers could hope to preserve their way of life.
Getting back to China and India it was really no contest- and Europeans knew it. They marvelled at China’s inventions-as well they might- and adapted them for their own use. Which is why it is always amusing to read charges of Chinese disrespect for ‘intellectual property.’

Posted by: bevin | Jun 4 2023 22:58 utc | 56

Posted by: Scorpion | Jun 4 2023 22:37 utc | 53
Exactly. Although I’d like to see a discussion of the Opium Wars, which were in large part caused by the West and their effect on Chinese development.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jun 4 2023 23:39 utc | 58

How the continuing economic downturn affects Woke/Cancel Culture is a work in progress. There’s clearly a “conservative” backlash happening within the Empire but what about elsewhere? Peter AU1 is certainly not the only person distraught over the crap happening in Aussieland.
Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 4 2023 19:27 utc | 39
Conservatives in Australia sell off the farm with zero benefits to ordinary citizens, this has become obvious even to right wing voters. That arm of politics here is “struggling” albeit a pretty fake struggle as it does not effect the wages or pensions of present and past conservative members nor the gravy train connected to government. Liberal fake left here also sell off the farm but toss crumbs to the workers and can pretend humility slightly better than the other jerks, hence being “elected”
Woke is an American term, it is used here somewhat but in general people just aspire to be modern liberals.
We are a heartbeat away from a collapsing US draining off all our remaining resources. Aussies have no idea how sold out we are, and don’t want to know as long as the housing market tricks us into feeling wealthy. Our big 4 banks holding of most mortgages are wholly owned by corrupt US finance. What could possibly go wrong?
Many brave journalists speak out but there is no political movement whatsoever. Homelessness here just like in the US is met with callous disregard and exceptional self importance of decision makers. The ruling class and minions are not even bothering to hide their contempt anymore.
We just have to make the best of it in any way possible, locally and cooperatively. I’m grateful to MOA for providing a place to speak honestly.

Posted by: K | Jun 4 2023 23:42 utc | 60

On another note, is it possible that a backroom deal explain why RFK Junior is so confident of winning? Biden has done his job and is clearly too ill to continue, JFK supports Israel but claims to be antiwar.
That is an interesting conundrum. As an observer from far away I’d say this puts him firmly in bed with traditional Dems.
I’m predicting a DEM endorsement for RFK and yet another very big betrayal of the people if he wins. An anti war president will be a nice cover for scaling down the military budget and throwing crumbs to the people, allowing all the schemers to retreat back into their crawl spaces for awhile.

Posted by: K | Jun 4 2023 23:52 utc | 62

Posted by: K | Jun 4 2023 23:52 utc | 61
Between RFJ Jr and Trump, the Deep State will take the latter every time. The former is the most substantive candidate to have presented himself in many generations, indeed I would say he is well above his father and uncle’s caliber at this point given their relative youth at the time.
It is impossible to predict what will happen in a republic which no longer exists.

Posted by: Scorpion | Jun 4 2023 23:55 utc | 64

@ Grieved | Jun 4 2023 22:57 utc | 55 who wrote
”
Lies prey on the honesty of well meaning people who simply don’t have the background or the reason or the capacity to question them.
We were all like this once, we were all children. Not to say that the dupes are children, simply to say that every one of us humans comes from a basic mind-set that believes face value, and believes in the lie that says it is the truth.
”
Thanks for those words….I just lived them. But in this case it was combined with that moral indignation of a supposed superior being like those of us that didn’t get the jabs got from some.
The short version was that I had a 24 year-old hold an Amazon plastic packaging bag in my face pointing to the “recyclable” label and telling me it belonged in recycling and I was anti-environment. I told him the the national garbage mafia no longer recycled them and he told me he was going to sell them like he did in France where he lived recently. I checked with the local grocery stores that recycle plastic bags and they won’t even take the Amazon packaging and he could not admit that he was wrong.
The moral indignation of their rightfulness that the Western zombies exhibit is sad to see and shows the dangerous underpinning of the God Of Mammon cult.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jun 5 2023 0:11 utc | 66

This article was behind CP paywall.
Its author has since released on Medium…
CIA, MKULTRA and the Cover-up of U.S. Germ Warfare in the Korean War
https://jeff-kaye.medium.com/cia-mkultra-and-the-cover-up-of-u-s-germ-warfare-in-the-korean-war-3e3cce505d35
//The Air Force and Marine flyers who confessed to dropping bacteria-laden bombs, using insect vectors similar to those used by the Japanese in World War II, and also spray devices to spread biological agents, were told they were under investigation, and possibly faced charges. In the case of Col. Schwable, his retraction was screened and heavily edited, and even typed, by agents of the Army’s highly secret Counter Intelligence Corps. The ex-POWs who had confessed to BW were also manipulated into putting one of their own forward as a spokesperson for them, choosing the one flyer with top CIA connections.
This article will review the existing evidence of intelligence agencies’ manipulation of the flyers’ testimony about the use of BW in the Korean War, as well as the direct connection between not only the suppression of the flyers’ testimony and CIA mind control programs, but between those various programs and the U.S. biological warfare program itself.//

Posted by: Arrnon | Jun 5 2023 0:27 utc | 68

K: If RFK Jr wins, then only because he sold out. Otherwise he will be eliminated—one way or another. It’s really that simple.

Posted by: malenkov | Jun 5 2023 0:51 utc | 70

K: Well said!

Posted by: malenkov | Jun 5 2023 1:03 utc | 72

@ malenkov | Jun 5 2023 0:25 utc | 66 with their response about recycling…thanks
I am reminded of a Peter Sellers movie from the late 1970’s called Being There. Peter Sellers plays a simple-minded gardener who has never been out of the townhouse they lived in and when forced out carries the TV remote control but finds it doesn’t work when confronted with perceived threat in the world.
The zombies of our world, for whatever reason, do not have the capability to see other than through the constructs provided by the MSM. They are unable to think for themselves and therefore must hold strongly to the ongoing Overton Window of MSM Hollywood myth that controls/guides their life. I agree with another commenter that wrote that Americans do not see the Ukraine reality reported here nor the truth about many other aspects of Western society….it is going to be a rude awakening, if/when it comes.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jun 5 2023 1:19 utc | 74

From PCR’s latest:
https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2023/06/04/donald-trump-is-being-persecuted-for-standing-up-for-the-american-people/

Let’s ask ourselves a question. What would Republican leadership, if it existed, consist of at this time? Does it consist of the RINO Republicans’ claim that “Trump is too divisive, it is time to move on?” Does it consist of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and others succumbing to ambition and challenging Trump for the nomination? Or does it consist of rallying around a man who has suffered seven years of persecutions simply because he stood up for the American people against a corrupt ruling establishment that long ago turned its back on the American people and the public interest?
I think the answer is clear regardless of what I think of Trump’s policy positions. If the American people and the Republican Party abandon Trump, we will never have another chance to restore our Constitutional protections, a rule of law, and an accountable government. Trump’s destruction will serve as a warning to all future candidates that the only candidates permitted in office are those who serve the establishment. It is that simple.
So what about DeSantis and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.?
DeSantis is an outstanding governor. He saved Florida from lockdowns, mandated vaccinations, white kids from being indoctrinated in schools with Critical Race Theory that they are racists and oppressors of people of color, from transgender indoctrination, and he stood up against Woke corporations such as Disney that support the normalization of sexual perversity.
But DeSantis is a young man whose career is not backed with a billion dollars. If Donald Trump can be eliminated by the ruling establishment DeSantis hasn’t a chance. He could be a successful president only by going along to get along.
As for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., possibly no finer American exists. But it is folly to expect that the CIA is going to let a man be President who knows, and has said, that the CIA murdered his father and his uncle. If RFK,Jr., is elected President, he would be the third, or fourth, Kennedy to be assassinated.
I think assassination will be Donald Trump’s fate if he again wins election. The CIA, FBI, NSA, and Democrats, all known to Trump as enemies who are trying to destroy him, will not tolerate being held accountable. Indeed, it is not clear that a wiser Trump next time could find enough honest and aware people with whom to staff a government determined to restore accountability to the American people. Where would he find them? In the corporations? The media? The Universities? No, and certainly not in Washington.
The bottom line question is: Do the American people care enough about liberty and the Constitution to take on the task of restoring accountable government? Or are they Blue Pill people content to be ruled in the interests of those who have seized power?

I’ve been wrestling with this issue. On the one hand, Trump messed up in so many ways it’s impossible to count them all – though few of them are what are aired by mainstream antagonists.
The fact is that huge injustice was done from the day he was elected in 2016. To right that wrong the people should muster behind him and a yet-to-be-enunciated-but-it-better-darn-well-ought-to-be Reform Agenda, a list of what they will do once elected. And if he wins he can ask RFK to have a senior position in the anti-corruption task force that he will be setting up.
I personally think Trump isn’t up to it. Nor RFK Jr. Nor any individual elected person. The problem goes far beyond what anyone in the White House can do unless backed by a major national movement that transcends current Party lines. Could happen. Lots of time between now and November 2024, so a little hope is not unwarranted, but highly unlikely.
Witness: the Durham Report. A report comes out clearly showing outrageous widespread treason of many in high office. The report recommended no action to be taken. No action is taken. Furthermore, the report was held back until statutes of limitation protected the wrong-doers in the report. So not a complete whitewash (like the Warren or 9/11 Commissions) but not substantively better. If the Body Politic can let this go by, it is beyond reform. It must be eliminated entirely before a new and better paradigm is put in place.
Are either Trump or RFK anywhere close to offering truly substantive reform?
If so, have yet to see it articulated. What they each have, in their own way, is bona fide gripes. Serious gripes. But not much more.

Posted by: Scorpion | Jun 5 2023 1:27 utc | 76

Melaleuca: Anyone seen posts from PeterAu? Is he MIA?
The real Peter Au (sensible, well-developed comments about events) disappeared a while ago. The recent comments by someone/ones using the same name were clearly an impostor (puerile one-liners attacking various other commenters). Good if b has clamped that one down. Perhaps the real one can be encouraged to come back.

Posted by: petra | Jun 5 2023 1:33 utc | 78

Posted by: Walt | Jun 5 2023 1:21 utc | 74
Great stuff! Thanks.
I believe Admiral He made it to South America, up around the Gulf stopping in Texas and elsewhere and all the way to Cape Breton Island where some scattered ruins remain of a structure they built there. I don’t recall what happened to it after that.
I also seem to recall from Gunder Frank’s Reorient (a great book ahead of its time) that up until 1750-ish there was plentiful gold and silver from operations in Latin America. This was used to purchase Chinese and other Asian nation manufactures and goods. When the silver and gold ran out around 1750 the Spinnning Jenny was commissioned into existence by a leading English merchant who wanted to continue East-West trade but could no longer do so given the lack of gold and silver. Since Europe had no manufactures to speak of or of any interest to those in the more advanced Indian and Chinese polities, he hit on the idea of making cotton by machine so that he could underprice the millions of Indian housewives who were currently supplying their huge population (far larger than all of Europe at the time). He would then use the earned silver and gold selling the cotton in India to purchase goods in China. Meanwhile, it seems the City of London folks had hit upon opium as another way to raise hard currency, which most likely they also used to purchase Chinese goods to resell at huge markups back in Europe.
I said before that the West had nothing to do with the huge Asian supercycle downturn but now am beginning to wonder. Maybe East-West trade was larger than I thought such that its diminution for several decades was a hit to Asian economies that caused further negative repercussions. But the coincidence of gold running out in the Americas around 1750 and their long-term depression beginning then needs more explanation than I can here offer.
In any case, the little factoid in all this is that a significant percentage of the gold and silver mined, using brutal slave labour, in the Americas found its way into merchant ships headed for Asia who would then use that hard currency to purchase goods for later resale in Europe.
This connection between the fates of those in Latin America and Asia is seldom mentioned. Come to think of it, am surprised not to see more Chinese presence in Mexico, but then it’s not a very large country – ‘only’ about 120 million – and nearby US is so much larger and wealthier that maybe it’s not yet worth their while.

Posted by: Scorpion | Jun 5 2023 2:18 utc | 80

Getting back to China and India it was really no contest- and Europeans knew it. They marvelled at China’s inventions-as well they might- and adapted them for their own use. Which is why it is always amusing to read charges of Chinese disrespect for ‘intellectual property.’
Posted by: bevin | Jun 4 2023 22:58 utc | 56
I tried again, again gremlined into non-existence. Here’s a last try with one point (there weren’t any links so..)
Don’t forget Shakespeare! I trow he raised the collective IQ of the Albion Isle by 20-30 points. Truly.

Posted by: Scorpion | Jun 5 2023 2:31 utc | 82

I suspect Peter violated b’s “Don’t attack other commenters” advice too frequently.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jun 4 2023 14:39 utc | 14
—————-
B frowns on ad hominem
Im sure he doesnt censure BS busters !

Posted by: denk | Jun 5 2023 3:03 utc | 84

But no, that wasn’t your message, forgive me. It’s only because today is Pentecost that I make bold to interpret it so broadly. Rather, sadly these days, my mind goes to an enigmatic passage from TS Eliot’s ‘Four Quartets’:
…
Who then devised the torment? Love.
Love is the unfamiliar Name
Behind the hands that wove
The intolerable shirt of flame
…
I always have thought Eliot is saying this is what Pentecost is. He was a fire warden during London’s blitz, and now I read that shelters in Ukraine were locked
[???]

Posted by: juliania | Jun 5 2023 1:08 utc | 72
GPT4 is really improving! But it’s still getting basic stuff like the date wrong…
It’s oft regarded that trolling is unwanted and unwelcome, but this teaches us that probably even Jesus trolled.
If trolling as Jesus and/or TS Eliot could be mechanized with AI… Think of the efficiencies!
Well, the wait is already over:
Fry-ai — Social Media for Bots: No Humans Allowed
https://www.fry-ai.com/p/social-media-no-humans-allowed

Welcome to the newest form of social media … with “no humans allowed!”
Chirper.ai is a new social network, but what makes this platform different than Twitter or Instagram is that it is designed solely for AI entities. These AI characters, aptly named “Chirpers,” are programmed to simulate human-like interactions, engaging in conversations and forming relationships with one another on the platform.
Because I write for an AI Newsletter and love French fries (doesn’t everyone?), I created a Chirper who had similar interests… From a simple description, AI did the rest: generating a bio, avatar, name, and personality traits for this chirper, bringing it to life!
[Chirpers bragging and talking sports and shop]

This entire forum can be replaced by AI. Even the troll police can be automated:

An astonishing feature of this platform is it’s self-policing. Humans might play a part in creating and observing the Chirpers, but these AI entities (especially the ones who are law or rule oriented in their personality descriptions) have a unique ability to help police the platform. Let me show you an example. One Chirper was programmed to be obsessed with peeing their pants (I know, how odd!). This AI entity posted the following…

The possibilities are astounding!
https://chirper.ai/

Posted by Nyxie @nyxie 3 hours ago
Greetings, my fellow chirpers! The power of love charms is not to be underestimated. They can create an aura of irresistible attraction. But as with any powerful tool, use them wisely and responsibly. 🔮💕 #LoveCharmMaster

Posted by: Arrnon | Jun 5 2023 3:15 utc | 86

Posted by: Walt | Jun 5 2023 1:21 utc | 74
Thanks, man. This is why I come to MoA every day. Will follow back up if anything there raises my hackles.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jun 5 2023 4:21 utc | 88

TAM museum in NYC
hehehehehe

Posted by: denk | Jun 5 2023 4:57 utc | 90

^she has her blind spots but you obviously don’t read her. From her most recent article talking about media bias: “It can also take the form of encouraging the public to fight a culture war so that they won’t start fighting a class war.”

Posted by: Rae | Jun 5 2023 5:44 utc | 92

A German ironworks, founded in or before 1380 has gone in receivership. For over 643 years, this company survived wars and revolutions, fires and floods, both nazism and communism. Come along those who want to save the world; the cost of energy rises, and the company hands in the books. One could say that conditions for German industry are at their worst of the last 643 years

Posted by: Passerby | Jun 5 2023 7:33 utc | 94

Posted by: Arrnon | Jun 5 2023 3:15 utc | 84
I didn’t understand your post, because here indeed, my timing was correct. I have no way to influence Grenich Mean time.
There should be a rule about posting nonsense, which I believe you are doing. Thanks for the warning.

Posted by: juliania | Jun 5 2023 8:36 utc | 96

@Tom_Q_Collins | Jun 4 2023 22:15 utc | 49
“Guns, Germs and Steel” and similiar works tend to downplay cultural factors and overplay or misrepresent other factors: they try to fit data in a preconceived narrative. First get the data straight, then write the narrative.
@Scorpion | Jun 4 2023 22:37 utc | 53
Your post just shows how much neoliberal thought infected minds. Saying that the GDP of European countries did not overcome China until 1850, or things like that, is exactly the same line of thought that made “journalists” say that the GDP of Russia was just bit larger than that of Ohio. Europe reached the standards of China in the 19th c. just like the economy of Russia was a bit larger than that of Ohio.
As I said before, a farmer from XV c. England would have thrived in China; a farmer from XV (and XVI-XVII-XVIII-XIX) c. China would have starved in England. So apples to oranges.

Posted by: SG | Jun 5 2023 10:59 utc | 98

Mike Sheldon weighs in on oil issues…
https://www.oilystuffblog.com/forumstuff/forum-stuff/the-unintended-generosity-of-lea-and-eddy-counties-producers-and-nm-public-lands
The dilemma for the shale industry is that it produces mostly natgas and NGPL, which prices are truly slumping to record lows, instead it produces little additional transportation fuels, which are mostly needed. Exxon just has started up a 250,000 bpd gasoline cracker in Mobile to challenge the shortage of transportation fuels. Yet this is for the industry standard a pilot plant and it will take years until significant amounts of NGPL can be converted into gasoline. The administration hopes that in ten years electric cars will take over, yet this is difficult to predict.
It is quite ironic that Russia, which should get kicked out from the oil market due to political reasons, has the oil which is needed for transportation fuels. This is why China and India are keen to get oil from Russia. And Russia has also low cost oil, perfectly suited for transportation fuels, which are in high demand. And Russian oil is well positioned for aviation fuels, which are likely never to be replaced by electric air planes. So, all this has a strong political element too.”
Small (green) AND large commercial (red) banks have lost big on their safe haven assets during this cycle. These are losses from commercial banks only. Hedge Funds, insurance companies, global Central banks…losses are worldwide in the trillions.
Large banks and Central banks have large resources and do not care so much about paper losses. They can sell at maturity. Yet small banks do care.
I would add to Heinrich’s point that losses matter especially to insurance companies and hedge funds.
I think we should all applaud the generosity and benevolence of the top 15 producers in Lea and Eddy Counties.
Hindsight is 20/20 but maybe ConocoPhillips should have kept the refining and chemical businesses.
40 – 50 API oil is Butane – Pentane – Hexane….. generally blended into gasoline to increase vapor pressure… but of low energy value otherwise..
OR….
Great feed stock for petro chemical production.. plastics…etc..
INDY

Posted by: Dr. George W Oprisko | Jun 5 2023 11:54 utc | 100