The MoA Week In Review – OT 2024-293

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December 8, 2024

Last week's posts on Moon of Alabama:

Dec 2 – Why Did Joe Biden Pardon His Son?
Related:
– We haven’t seen a pardon as sweeping as Hunter Biden’s in generations – Politico

Dec 3 – Mirror Action – China To Block 'Dual Use' Exports To U.S. War Mongers
Related:
– How America’s War on Chinese Tech Backfired – Foreign Affairs
– US blasts China’s export ban on key minerals, vows ‘necessary steps’ – SCMP
– Could Chinese Control Over Strategic Minerals Coupled with US Corruption Cripple US War Machine? – Naked Capitalism

Dec 3 – South Korea – President Launches Putsch Against Parliament
Dec 4 – South Korea – Majority Wins As President's Putsch Fails
Related:
– Reprieve for South Korea’s Yoon as ruling party boycotts martial law impeachment vote – SCMP
– Interior Minister Lee Sang-min offers to step down amid martial law turmoil – Korea Times
– President under investigation as 'suspect' for treason, abuse of power – Korea Times
– S. Korea Pres. Yoon to step aside before resigning: party head – Kyodonews

Dec 6 – U.S. Has Stopped Ukrainian ATACMS Strikes On Russia
Related:
– The Missile Will Always Get Through. But who is prepared to admit it? – Aurelien
– ‘Unlimited’ enemy troops, no sleep: Ukrainian soldiers fight to hold on to Russia’s Kursk region – CNN
– Ukraine’s exhausted troops in Russia told to cling on and wait for Trump – BBC
– Will Trump Channel Nixon in Ukraine? – American Conservative
There are indications that the president-elect may intend further escalation.

Dec 7 – Craig Murray – The End of Pluralism in the Middle East
Dec 8 – Syria Falls
Related:
– Erdogan’s Idlib shock shadows “Kursk” – Alastair Crooke /SCF
– Lebensraum Needed for Israel’s Exploding Population (archived) – Times of Israel
– Amnesty International Investigation Concludes Israel Is Committing Genocide – Zeteo
– The White House Gave Israel Coordinates to Save an American’s Family. Then Israel Bombed Them Again. – Intercept

—
Other issues:

Russia:

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview to Tucker Carlson, Moscow, December 6, 2024 (transcript) – MID.ru
CNN interview with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov: compelling for those who want to think for themselves – Gilbert Doctorow
Watch CNN’s full interview with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister (vid) – CNN
Foreign Minister Lavrov’s answers to questions following the 22th Doha Forum, 07 December 2024 (video)

Romania:

Romania's top court scraps presidential election – AFP
Cynical Overtakes Sacred, as the West Bares its True Face – Simplicius
Prosecutors raid properties of key Georgescu backer in Romania election probe – Politico

Arnaud Bertrand @RnaudBertrand – 4:05 UTC · Dec 7, 2024

Ok, I had a detailed look at the declassified Romanian intelligence documents (https://presidency.ro/ro/media/comunicate-de-presa/comunicat-de-presa1733327193 ) on the basis of which the election results were cancelled and the craziest part of all this is that they actually don't prove foreign interference or manipulation.
…
What's notably missing from these documents is any concrete proof of foreign state involvement or manipulation. There's no technical evidence of artificial amplification, no proof the accounts were fake rather than real supporters, and no clear distinction between coordinated campaign activity (which is normal) and malicious manipulation.

—

chinahand @chinahand – 16:35 UTC · Dec 6, 2024

in the neoliberal order, democratic elections that yield unacceptable outcomes are by definition not democratic

France:

The French crisis is Macron’s doing – Unherd
Why Did the French Government Fall and What Happens Next? – Naked Capitalism
'Macron is primarily responsible for France's unprecedented and hazardous political situation' – Le Monde

AUKUS:

Congressional report suggests Australia could dump plans to acquire AUKUS nuclear submarines (Oct 17) – ABC
AUKUS risks are piling up. Australia must prepare to build French SSNs instead – ASPI Strategist
Australia’s nuclear sub plan sinking on multiple fronts – Asia Times

Use as open (not related to the wars in Ukraine and Palestine) thread …

Posted by b on December 8, 2024 at 12:42 UTC | Permalink

Comments

Macron, VdL, Rutte, have stolen elections and altered democratic procedures to keep in charge and precisely, this is where we are today. Erdogan betrayed Astana all along. Only Assad saw it correctly.

Posted by: Tom | Dec 8 2024 13:32 utc | 1

Thanks so much, b, for this, as usual. I really get the most reliable news nowadays from your threads.

Posted by: Avtonom | Dec 8 2024 13:48 utc | 2

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Dec 8 2024 14:20 utc | 3

b, you should have included the The Intercept celebration piece about the Syrian rebel who got to finally go home (!). Pierre Omidyar’s rag never stops asking for donations either.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Dec 8 2024 14:25 utc | 4

I hope the UHC CEO murderer gets away
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Dec 8 2024 14:20 utc | 3
—
~~murderer~~ assassin
Don’t amplify the media’s smear.

Posted by: too scents | Dec 8 2024 14:34 utc | 5

Posted by: too scents | Dec 8 2024 14:34 utc | 5
Thank you. Correction accepted.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Dec 8 2024 14:39 utc | 6

S is ranting abot romania and syria (and a bit on south korea) so I’ll leave it here
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/cynical-overtakes-sacred-as-the-west

Posted by: Newbie | Dec 8 2024 15:00 utc | 7

I really hope they don’t find him (the heroic assassin).
I believe a lot of people are willing to protect him and pretend they have no idea about his whereabouts etc.
It looks like there is a new sentiment in America now and the CEOs of the worst companies are not safe.

Posted by: Avtonom | Dec 8 2024 15:21 utc | 8

Despite statements for public consumption, realism—also called the cynicism born from experience—asks the question, what did the Russians and Iranians say and do/would not do behind the scenes. I cannot answer that question. I do believe that some in Russia will suspect Putin of mishandling Syrian affairs. This perception will probably weaken his position with oligarchs and so-called siloviki, people who I do not believe care a bit about his current popularity with the broader population. To what effect? Generally these things are not visible till an unpredictable concatenation of events and resentments. It’s like a boiling point is reached. It seems suddenly the waters are roiling and steamy vapors rising. Don’t have a thermometer either. It is appropriate that a national secular government falls subsequent to the election of Trump. Such things operate as encouragement to fellow anti-democratic or fascists/fascistic movements and parties.
The announcement that the PPP head will sideline Yoon has to be understood in context. The PPP just saved Yoon from impeachment and there is no announcement of a date for his resignation. The crisis is not resolved. (Grammatical note: The word crisis once meant the turning point, but it increasingly is used to mean the opposite, a failure to resolve a disorder in any way, neither the beginning of a return to health or a termination to the illness. It’s like literally now means figuratively.) The emphasis on foreign policy continuity after the Trump election strongly suggests the need to increase taxes to pay the US what is effectively tribute.
Nor is the Georgian crisis resolved.
Trump’s claims to favor non-involvement are preposterous. His refusal to state Turkery, the Zionist machine and US intelligence agencies are already involved is deeply suspicious. The only comment I know, that it might be best for Russia, that Russia has no interests, in this context, suggests the desire to take Tartus, probably by proxy.
Pezeshkian has at times said nice things about the IRGC and other words favoring the Axis of Resistance. But the real politics behind the words? An autogolpe against the IRGC is one possibility (autogolpe is trendy!) It might be seen as necessary to appease the US/Zionists. If instead he/factions of his administration really are at some level committed to his public expressions, though, the defeat in Syria weakens him.
It is unlikely that all of Georgiescu’s support stemmed solely from his soft anti-war position on Ukraine. Therefore it’s not certain the charges of treason (the effective import of the court ruling) will discredit the government as a whole for openly defying the anti-war choices of the masses. The more it was an inchoate protest vote on a multitude of issues, given the absence of an organized leadership, the more probable it will all be dismissed as a bizarre fluke. But the future is hard to predict, no?

Posted by: steven t johnson | Dec 8 2024 15:32 utc | 9

Posted by: Newbie | Dec 8 2024 15:33 utc | 10

thanks b…
busy week in international politics and most of it not pretty.. syria and romania stand out in my mind..

Posted by: james | Dec 8 2024 16:08 utc | 11

Giant nanomechanical energy storage capacity in twisted single-walled carbon nanotube ropes
Here’s something cheerful to consider. As many know, I advocate for product development that solves big problems. We need better batteries so we can store surplus energy (from wind and solar) and use it when and where we need it.
A “nanomechanical battery” is a battery that stores mechanical energy (e.g. applied force) in carbon nano-tube “ropes”. Those “ropes” act like springs, and they can store enormous amounts of energy in a very small area.
Nano-tubes are just complex carbon molecules. The ropes can be twisted; you can “wind them up” just like a spring. The winding up of the spring stores mechanical energy. To release that same energy, let the spring “un-twist”.
Because the tubes are so strong, so robust, so light, and use cheap, ubiquitous materials (carbon), they can store enormous amounts of energy, last virtually forever, and may become very cheap to build and use. And they are safe. No explosions or fires.
One application is to make a battery that stores solar or wind energy for later, when it’s needed.
To “wind up” the spring you would probably use an electric motor, powered by a wind farm or solar array. The spring stores that mechanical energy very efficiently (> 95%). When it’s time to use the stored energy, connect the spring to an alternator – which converts mechanical energy to electricity – and let the un-winding spring drive the alternator, producing electricity.
Shifting from “load the spring” to “unload the spring” would be like shifting your car from “Drive” to “Reverse”. This is a well-solved problem, and can be done automatically, of course.
These nanotube springs have been built on a small scale. Now it’s time to make a range of batteries and load-unload apparatus for various sized and scaled applications.
The really big batteries needed for renewables may take the form of longer, more complex sets of “ropes”, and the wind-up and un-wind apparatus to match the scale of the springs. The researchers have already built small batteries, now they want to build the bigger ones. They seem confident that this may happen soon.
Here is a scientific paper on the subject, about 6 pages of text, the rest is references (after all, it’s a scientific paper, and you have to support and corroborate your findings).

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Dec 8 2024 16:08 utc | 12

Shifting from “load the spring” to “unload the spring” would be like shifting your car from “Drive” to “Reverse”. This is a well-solved problem, and can be done automatically, of course.
Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Dec 8 2024 16:08 utc | 12
—
I had speculated before on mono-crystalline diamond as the ablative material for the Oreshnik projectiles. Consider the energy released when a diamond is “unwound”.

Posted by: too scents | Dec 8 2024 16:18 utc | 13

Posted by: Newbie | Dec 8 2024 15:33 utc | 10
It looks like there is a new sentiment in America now and the CEOs of the worst companies are not safe.
Posted by: Avtonom | Dec 8 2024 15:21 utc | 8
As we replay the gilded age we should replay the anarchists’ bombs and assassinations…
<= I am against assassinations even when there is good cause, arrest, indictment, trial by jury, and imprisonment or hanging is a better solution. My bet is if they bring the assassin to trial by jury, he will walk free..

Posted by: snake | Dec 8 2024 16:23 utc | 14

My bet is if they bring the assassin to trial by jury, he will walk free..
Posted by: snake | Dec 8 2024 16:23 utc | 14
—
They dare not kill him until they find his accomplices.

Posted by: too scents | Dec 8 2024 16:26 utc | 15

My bet is if they bring the assassin to trial by jury, he will walk free..
Posted by: snake | Dec 8 2024 16:23 utc | 14
Wake up. That’s why he’ll never be captured alive.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Dec 8 2024 16:26 utc | 16

re: Syria
Blinken, Dec 6
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss developments in Syria. Secretary Blinken emphasized the importance of protecting civilians, including members of minority groups, across Syria. The Secretary discussed the need for a political solution to the conflict, consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. . .here
Resolution w254 (2015)
. . . Reiterating that the only sustainable solution to the current crisis in Syria is
through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process that meets the legitimate
aspirations of the Syrian people, with a view to full implementation of the Geneva
Communiqué of 30 June 2012 as endorsed by resolution 2118 (2013), including
through the establishment of an inclusive transitional governing body with full
executive powers, which shall be formed on the basis of mutual consent while
ensuring continuity of governmental institutions, . . .here . pdf

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 8 2024 16:35 utc | 17

FIVE LESSONS FOR RUSSIA

Doom and gloom are somewhat appropriate, but it is more important to think about the future now. What does the fall of Syria tell us?
1. False Peace is Death. A bad faith ceasefire is a recipe for disaster and after Minsk and Astana should never be repeated. False peace is worse than war, because false peace means you still have to fight the war later, but at a disadvantage. No green busses or green corridors for the enemy, no deescalation zones, no freezing of any lines. The enemy has to be defeated completely: victory is a prerequisite for mercy. Until that is achieved, no ceasefires, only death under FABs.
2. Collapse is always sudden. The Assad regime resisted NATO-Israeli aggression for 13 years. And then it fell in a week. Mistakes, systemic errors and structural attrition accumulate until a critical mass is reached, and at that point the smallest impact will bring down the entire house of cards. Likewise, our current enemy in the main theater will resist stubbornly, until he will not be able to anymore, and then we will see Big Arrows. All our efforts should be focused on damaging the enemy’s war-waging capabilities to reach that critical point.
3. Infantry is King. A single full-sized, dependable Russian infantry brigade (or a Ukrainian one, for that matter) would have been able to defeat the Jihadi advance for good. They were completely overstretched and to a large degree their offensive was a bluff that only worked because the SAA didn’t even try to resist, they just ran. We had our own experience with a lack of infantry in the SMO — it led to the Kharkov oblast debacle in fall ’22. No matter what anyone says, no matter what technological advances there are, the infantry unit was and remains the central actor of history, upon which all else depends.
4. Empire is secondary to the Nation. There was a loud public debate among patriotic circles in Russia when the intervention in Syria began in 2015. Personally, I was opposed to the intervention because it seemed absurd to me to send Russian men to die in a foreign desert while Russian people are suffering under the yoke of Banderite occupation just across the border. We were told by Kremlin propagandists that “Palmyra is a symbol for all mankind” and the Donbass is just, eh, the Donbass. Whatever. Now, Jihadi dogs will get to loot and destroy all that archaeological treasure of all mankind, and we have to fight for the Donbass, anyway. Was it worth it? I have always been staunchly pro-Assad, but a single square mile of Russian land in Novorossiya means more to me than the entire Middle East. A nation should have its priorities in order.
5. You can’t change nature. Some peoples and countries are just unreliable. They will never have stable polities unless compelled by overwhelming force or foreign occupation. They will never build working institutions on their own. You can’t just offer them a comprehensive reform package and then shrug when they refuse to implement it. They will always be shitty client states if you work with them within a civilized framework. We know how to work around local particularities in other parts of the world, so we should let Middle East policy also be guided by this knowledge. They are not Warsaw Era-pact allies you can let do things on their own.

Posted by: RWA | Dec 8 2024 16:46 utc | 18

Hi B,
I would like to comment on Donald Trump’s assertion that the U.S. is subsidizing Canada to the tune of $100 billion/year, through its trade deficit with Canada, and because of this he is threatening 25% tariffs on all Canadian exports.
While the trade deficit is approximately true if one considers only trade between the U.S. and Canada, it is not true if one considers overall U.S. trade situation. However, if one excludes hydrocarbon trade (oil and natural gas), Canada/US trade is roughly balanced. The large trade deficit comes from the hydrocarbon trade of roughly 4 MBoE/day of oil and 6BCF/day of gas.
In fact, the U.S. is a net exporter of hydrocarbons, roughly 2.3 MBOE/day of oil and oil products and close to 20 BCF/day of gas. The U.S. is running a very profitable custom refining and processing business, importing Canadian hydro-carbons, upgrading them and re-exporting them to other nations at a profit. If the U.S. stopped importing Canadian hydrocarbons it’s exports to other countries, which include not only the imported Canadian oil but also the transportation, refining services and profits, added in the U.S. would fall by an even greater amount. In other words if the U.S. put tariffs on Canada’s hydrocarbon exports, its overall trade situation would deteriorate, rather than improve.
Thus I have very strong doubts that Trump will put tariffs on Canada’s hydrocarbons, or if he did do something this stupid, that they would last long. With such tariffs one could expect the following effects on the U.S.:
– increased trade deficits (as described above)
– significant loss of business for U.S. oil refineries
– higher energy costs, loss of competitiveness and reduced economic activity.
I make this comment here because I see no recognition of this situation by any Canadian political leader or news media. They seem to be willing to cave to Trump’s tariff threat without understanding that in the area of hydrocarbon trade, it is the U.S. that is profiting more than Canada by having all of Canada’s exports funneled through the U.S., while the rest of the trade is basically balanced, giving the U.S. no excuse for tariffs.

Posted by: dh-mtl | Dec 8 2024 16:54 utc | 19

Lengthy video (over 3hrs) of the “No Nuclear War” symposium held yesterday, moderated by Scott Ritter and featuring Col. Wilkerson, Prof. Postol, Max Blumenthal and Garland Nixon among the panellists: https://consortiumnews.com/2024/12/07/watch-no-nuclear-war-a-call-to-reason/

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Dec 8 2024 16:57 utc | 20

Is the juvenile attention hound who goes by “Surferket” the best that this website can attract in the way of trolls? Asking for a friend (in his/her exact words)

Posted by: nwwoods | Dec 8 2024 17:02 utc | 21

The humor never stops
USNI
The first guided-missile destroyer fitted for conventional hypersonic missiles is back in the water after more than a year of modifications. Ingalls Shipbuilding undocked USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) and the ship is now pierside at the Pascagoula, Miss., shipyard, HII announced in a Friday statement. . .Now that Zumwalt is back in the water, the Navy anticipates testing the weapon at sea in 2027 or 2028, Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, the Navy’s director of strategic programs, told reporters last month. . .here
cmt: . . .or maybe 2037 or 2038

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 8 2024 17:02 utc | 22

more deadly humor. . .
Austin: U.S. Leadership, Alliances Make for a More Secure World . . .American leadership rallies its allies and partners and inspires ordinary people around the world to work together toward a brighter future, said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, who delivered the keynote address today at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 8 2024 17:07 utc | 23

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Dec 8 2024 16:08 utc | 12
Interesting, however how do you contain such a spring of any useful size?
One liter of gasoline holds 34200000 joules of energy. For a spring to contain that much energy over a compression length of ten meters, the spring force constant is 684000 N/m, that is, you need a force of about 68,4 tons of weight to compress the first meter, and 684 tons to compress the full ten meters.
And that’s for one liter of gasoline worth of energy. Plus if you need a smaller spring that fits into any kind of vehicle or ordinary building, the force needed grows in inverse proportion to the length of the spring stroke.
Chemical fuels and batteries are inert at rest, but a spring exerts all its potential energy all the time.
Some kind of jumble of smaller strings still needs the same amount of force to keep it from unwinding and to wind it and unwind it in a controlled way.

Posted by: Jack M | Dec 8 2024 17:08 utc | 24

getting back to South Korea. . .
AsiaTimes
Yoon right about pro-North Korea influences in South’s parliament . . .But with no public evidence of an emergency, martial law looks like a destructive example of shoot first, aim later . . .President Yoon in his statement announcing and justifying martial law warned of North Korea supporters in the opposition. He is actually right. There is a sizable chunk of South Korea’s Democratic Party and leftist political world that is pro-North Korea and also pro-China – as hard as that is to imagine. They are also anti-American. . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 8 2024 17:14 utc | 25

<= I am against assassinations even when there is good cause Posted by: snake | Dec 8 2024 16:23 utc | 14 I'm all for it. It's a very drastic and risky form of direct action. Those who undertake it are usually heroes, but of course it can also be questionable in certain circumstances. Thus, it's up to every individual person's morality and inclinations. In this case, it seems to have caught some Zeitgeist and a lot of Americans support it. I just heard rumours that a lot of young male Americans are dressing like him now, it's just hilarious

Posted by: Avtonom | Dec 8 2024 17:51 utc | 26

LOL, an Israeli jew openly writing about the need for Lebensraum–chutzpah really is a thing. Gotta give it to the Izzies, there’s nobody else like them.

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Dec 8 2024 17:51 utc | 27

@Jack M | Dec 8 2024 17:08 utc
Great comments, Jack. I speculate that – just like other spring-loaded contraptions, like a clock for ex, – there’s a transmission mechanism that regulates the load/unload. Think about a cable-car or other heavy, cable-driven systems; consider the variable loads (up and down hills, or span a big valley, etc.). There are machines extant now that regulate and manage those considerable loads. Think about a big crane and the hoist gear it takes to deal with that.
But your point’s valid: the containment enclosure for these springs has to be very strong, and stiff. The wind-unwind apparatus has to be very strong, and scaled/sized to match the energy resident in the spring. So the main work may well be in devising these type apparatus rather than figuring out how to make the “ropes”.
And it may be necessary to gang these things together, as the containment and load/unload parts may only scale up so much.
Another thought … this is _not_ well-thought-out, but just for conversational basis … I had was to use the ropes – which are very strong – in opposition-sets. As one set is winding up, another (attached) set is winding down. The opposing ropes are the “containment”. There are some issues with this, like matching the rate of unload of rope A with the loading rate of rope B, but … these ropes can handle a lot of force. They store energy. So the rates would not nec need to be matched at all times, in fact would likely not be matched, but … the opposing-spring technique might be used to reduce the strength-requirement for the enclosure.
Just a few thoughts. Thanks for that thought-provoking post.

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Dec 8 2024 17:54 utc | 28

Selfish American take:
I hope the UHC CEO murderer gets away, but his capture and execution or “suiciding” is inevitable.
They allegedly have a name now and the whole of this earth is reachable by the long arm of the US law-of-men.
But he won’t be allowed to testify if his message goes against TPTB, meaning politicians and FIRE sector corporate America. Can’t have a sanctioned martyr.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Dec 8 2024 14:20 utc | 3
Whole I oppose terrorism, I must say that random killings of CEOs and possibly members of the political elite does evince, however small, a significant advance in consciousness among the masses. I’ll take this any day over random school shootings where blameless innocents, typically of the working class, are slaughtered for nothing.
The former has at least some sliver of class consciousness while the latter is just the logical result of a cradle to grave militarist psyop on the population combined with a socioeconomic breakdown commensurate with late stage Capitalism.

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Dec 8 2024 18:31 utc | 29

It looks like there is a new sentiment in America now and the CEOs of the worst companies are not safe.
Posted by: Avtonom | Dec 8 2024 15:21 utc | 8
As we replay the gilded age we should replay the anarchists’ bombs and assassinations…
Posted by: Newbie | Dec 8 2024 15:33 utc | 10
That history certainly should be reviewed. It proved to be very counter productive and was replaced by a much more effective and formidable opposition to the ruling classes of the world. Putin was one of the last, significant products of that opposition.
Check out Terrorism and Communism, one of Trotsky’s best works IMHO.
https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1920/terrcomm/

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Dec 8 2024 18:38 utc | 30

Ruby Red Slippers From Wizard of Oz Auctioned for $32.5Mln https://sputnikglobe.com/20241208/ruby-red-slippers-from-wizard-of-oz-auctioned-for-325mln-1121121161.html

Posted by: Laurence | Dec 8 2024 18:59 utc | 31

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Dec 8 2024 16:08 utc | 12
Salaam Tom. Thank you for sharing this. My first thought on reading your comment was regarding the operational range of the mechanism. This is addressed upfront in the paper and it is very impressive. There does appear to be some minor but noticeable degradation (material fatigue) after 100 cycles so that brings up the q of longevity and am also curious regarding manufacturing cost (and environmental impact)at scale and the total cost equation.
& Salaam.

Posted by: sunof27 | Dec 8 2024 19:51 utc | 32

From ZH
Paul Krugman Rides Into The Sunset
quote

After spending 25 years as a columnist for the New York Times, Paul Krugman is finally retiring from that position – 25 years too late, if one wishes to be honest.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 8 2024 19:56 utc | 33

Posted by: RWA | Dec 8 2024 16:46 utc | 18
RWA post here now? Or is this just ctrl-c/ctrl-v from RWA on X?

Posted by: Patroklos | Dec 8 2024 20:19 utc | 34

Wonder who’ll miss the Russian presence in Syria once they’re out of range?

Posted by: Laurence | Dec 8 2024 20:30 utc | 35

My take on the happenings in Argentina, Argentina: Milei does a Menem To be Followed by a Crisis Just Like 2001; Back to the Future (Rinse & Repeat)!

Posted by: Roger Boyd | Dec 8 2024 20:43 utc | 36

That history certainly should be reviewed. It proved to be very counter productive and was replaced by a much more effective and formidable opposition to the ruling classes of the world. Putin was one of the last, significant products of that opposition.
Check out Terrorism and Communism, one of Trotsky’s best works IMHO.
https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1920/terrcomm/
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Dec 8 2024 18:38 utc | 30
Just mentioned it was time (cycle wise), but to take your clue, I don’t see a late 1970s equivalent to a communist manifesto (or a circa 2005 das kapital)
The only way I can see if it was the other way round and soviet communism won and was the enemy to beat an then maybe friedman’s freedom to chose and the fall of the ussr.
Don’t know if I’ll have the patience to read trotsky, but thanks, always nice to exchange books and somebody else might enjoy reading it (evn if eventually I wont) .

Posted by: Newbie | Dec 8 2024 21:07 utc | 37

They allegedly have a name now…
@ Tom_Q_Collins | Dec 8 2024 14:20 utc | 3
They say they have a name. Could be another fake name, from the comedian who packs Monopoly money as a gag for the police to enjoy. I certainly don’t subscribe to your forecast, that his capture and execution or “suiciding” is inevitable.
For one thing, I’d be more inclined to say (if I said it) that capture and execution are inevitable. But that issue with plural agreement for verbs which aren’t physically separate is always tricky, even painful, for me.
More to the point: why so glum, TCQ? The future lies ahead, we still have some discretion to make of it — at least of our expectations — whatever works best for us. Sometimes the bad bad good guy gets away. At least, there’s a whole narrative tradition, a zillion folk songs. The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde…
Okay, bad example. Those two got all shot to hell. Lemme think…

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Dec 8 2024 21:27 utc | 38

@ Don Bacon | Dec 8 2024 16:35 utc | 17
do americans generally believe this guy?? he is so full of shit, it isn’t funny.. thanks for the post..
@ dh-mtl | Dec 8 2024 16:54 utc | 19
very good overview.. thank you… you aren’t really expecting any type of leadership in canada are you?? i can’t see that with the present crop of leaders we have to choose from… i’d love to be wrong, but i don’t believe i am at this point..

Posted by: james | Dec 8 2024 21:35 utc | 39

The killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson makes me think of the Asbestos Workers’ Revenge from Slow Death comics which I loved during my misspent youth.
Slow Death

Posted by: lex talionis | Dec 8 2024 21:42 utc | 40

The only way the Syrian Army could have stood down like this was if there was an order from the top. This means Assad was told (or paid) to exit. This means Russia made a deal with AngloZioNato to abandon Syria to ISIS/Erdo/Netanhoo.
Given the history of Russia’s proclivity for “diplomatic” deals I am almost 100% sure that Russia will be betrayed yet again and the Anglos will throw the deal into the dustbin and tighten the screws on them even more.

Posted by: cafe_con_leche9 | Dec 8 2024 21:51 utc | 41

EU parliament member Guy Verhofstadt, referring to Romania cancelling its presidential election on the grounds of an imaginary Russian TikTok campaign, when in reality the people just voted wrong and the US/jew cocksucker had to be installed instead:
“Russian attempts to corrupt European Democracies reach such a level that elections have to be cancelled.”
These creepy fascists probably even believe their own lies. Reminds me of one scholar who, when asked by German students how it had been possible for nazis to get into power, replied, “the nazis were able to get into power because the people were like you”.
Next, in 2025:
“Russian/chinese/iranian/north korean attempts to corrupt European Democracies reach such a level that parts of the population will have to be sterilised with the v*xx and executed.”

Posted by: Jack M | Dec 8 2024 22:11 utc | 42

Concise summary:
The USA is floundering at every turn. The proxy fringes are all imploding upon themselves, and desperate actions are being taken by those that control the levers of power to siphon as many resources as possible, and then destroy all evidence. There is an urgency. It is at all levels.
China has been transformed by the Biden “presidency”. Prognosis for the incoming Trump team is worrisome. China has no illusions and will treat the United States as the pariah that it has become. The world is now solidly in a multi-polar situation of governance. And there is nothing that the USA can do about it. Meanwhile, the Global South is getting stronger each hour.
Europe is in slow death mode. Technology and manufacturing ability is in free fall. Markets for expensive European goods from handbags, to cars, to aircraft are on on the wane. Recovery will be difficult as massive systemic changes are necessary.
Russia will restructure it’s neighbors and alter the fate of Europe. China will assist. Russia is growing and the West is receding.
Asia Pacific to include Korea, Japan, the Philippines, are all in the process of clutching at realignment straws. Those who have enjoyed the fruits of power are now facing bleak futures. Cautious control is recommended, but be know that that is not what will happen.
Africa is cleaning up messes, and being asserted. Oh sure, there will be some minor “bush fires” here and there, but they are closing the doors on the Western hegemony.
India is very preoccupied with its own domestic issues, but alignment with the Global South will not change. There are Western elements desirous of lighting fires in this tinderbox, but smarter heads will prevail.
SUMMARY
The world has evolved independently of the anything the United States and its proxies can do. It is now a multi-polar world and the idea that any nation would accept a American rules-based “order” is delusional.
South America is watching the changing world, and in the silent backrooms, and amongst themselves, survival mechanisms for the continuity of power are being structured no matter what Geo-political influences emerge.

Posted by: Rufus Arrr | Dec 8 2024 22:55 utc | 43

Don’t know if I’ll have the patience to read trotsky, but thanks, always nice to exchange books and somebody else might enjoy reading it (evn if eventually I wont) .
Posted by: Newbie | Dec 8 2024 21:07 utc | 37
I figured. It was really for other readers interested in the historical record on the efficacy of terrorist methods. In short, collective or class terrorism is needed and highly effective at points, whereas individual terrorism, although thrilling occasionally, always aids the state in the end.

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Dec 8 2024 23:12 utc | 44

@ sunof27 | Dec 8 2024 19:51 utc.
Salaam. Tks for your insight. If you see addn’l material on nano-tubes and energy-storage apps, or do addn’l thinking on the subject pls bring it to the Barflies’ attn.

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Dec 9 2024 0:29 utc | 45

@ Rufus Arrr | Dec 8 2024 22:55 utc.
Good summary. Hope you’re mostly right, and mostly in a reasonably short order. As we’ve seen via Syria, this ain’t no straight-line activity. Zigs and zags aplenty.
Meantime, here in the U.S., I can happily report that I had a totally unexpected, in an innocuous, public, un-selected and thoroughly random manner … and encounter with an older couple with background in mfg’g, autos, globalization and military (one was a Military Kid from way-back). This happened, of all places, in a train-yard (where I occasionally go to watch the blood-flow of U.S. industry).
Upshot: these ‘Mericans had an exact, thorough, grounded sense of what the U.S. and more generally the West has to do to get re-connected with economic reality. They understand the macro forces and trends, and the moves necessary. They’re thankfully zeroed in on the grass-roots level as the operative (e.g. viable) theater.
We (the U.S. rank-and-file little peeps) ain’t “ded” yet, folks. Still got some live wires on-deck. I was really impressed, and even more gratified.

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Dec 9 2024 0:42 utc | 46

More on recycled terrorists…
War OF Terror ,
Northern Ireland and beyond…
FUKUS, the twin terror
https://tinyurl.com/2ua5txc8

Posted by: denk | Dec 9 2024 3:19 utc | 47

@ Rufus Arrr | Dec 8 2024 22:55 utc | 43
India is very preoccupied with its own domestic issues
India excels in domestic issues.
Some examples–
>India’s caste system is among the world’s oldest forms of surviving social stratification.
>religions: Hindus (favored), Muslims, Christians, Sikhs (problem), Buddhists and Jains.
>Male Privilege – Men are assertive; women, bossy.
>separation of males and females in public places
>arranged marriages

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 9 2024 3:52 utc | 48

In the 2022 Eurovision song contest, Romania voted Moldavia. But the organizers of the song contest gave the points to Ukraine instead.
In the 2024 presidential election, Romanians voted Georgescu. But the Constitutional Court did not accept the election.
Romania is not allowed to vote, not even in a song contest, and they call it freedom.

Posted by: Passerby | Dec 9 2024 7:25 utc | 49

From Lavrov in Doha, starting at about 12:25. All questions about Syria so far. “You know, if you want me to try to give my assessment of who behaves how, and how this is perceived outside — then this is your right, you’re interviewing me and I think I gave my advice. It seems however that you are doing everything to avoid coming to Ukraine.” And the audience laughs. And so did I.
So much to share from Canada, starting with this from Global News: ‘We don’t know what comes’ into Canada by rail, border union head says
Excerpt
“A report last year said Canada’s port security was similar to the lax enforcement and corruption seen in the Marlon Brando movie On the Waterfront.”
Mike Mihajlovic (former Canada Armed Forces member, current defence analyst and Serbian patriot) writes on his X account, “Dark times fell on Syria:” and it continues at length. I will post this, which he posted in reply to a question:
“Also, the US/NATO/EU may offer cash to HTS for modern Russian equipment and munition for a transfer to Ukraine. That is a high-level trade that may involve “special envoys”. The US will not let that stuff be used against their interests. Those old ones will be left for a small fish. In any case, a happy time for “former” Al-Qaida/ISIS leadership comes… on the other hand they are not “former” because there is no “former cop” or “former hooker”…”
Quebec premier, Francois Legault, met with Trump in Paris.
https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/legault-meets-trump-in-paris-as-tariff-threat-looms
Shipping container of teddy bears pulled out of river near Montreal (one wonders if these were similar to that garden gnome the Dutch collected lately) Canadian Press covered that one, it’s not just local news!
https://globalnews.ca/news/10889353/teddy-bear-shipwreck-montreal/
And it is winter so that Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway System will be closing. Details here for those interested:
https://greatlakes-seaway.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/notice20241015_en.pdf
Happening now, per CTV News:
“In the eastern part of the country, parts of Newfoundland, including St. John’s, have been issued extreme wind warnings, with wind gusts between 80 and 110 km/h expected along the eastern part of the province. In the northern part of Newfoundland, up to 35 cm of snow is expected overnight, with winds of up to 110 km/h expected to hit parts along the coast, which could last throughout all of Monday.”
Not exactly fair winds and following seas, at the moment.

Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Dec 9 2024 10:25 utc | 50

The “butcher’s thumb” has clamped down on social media search concerning current events.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/brian-thompson-ceo-killed-deny-defend-depose-song-tiktok-b2661040.html
Content like this must not trend.

Posted by: too scents | Dec 9 2024 11:53 utc | 51

One question for all.
What if after the failure of AFU’s 2023 summer offensive everything in the ME was the script for a consolation prize for dropping/ losing Ukraine?
The mother of all scripted dramas and MIHOP
That would explain the delays in the Iran RF signing off of the treaties… Syria might be gone, but Iran has been severely neutered on its foreign areas of action.

Posted by: Newbie | Dec 9 2024 12:22 utc | 52

Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Dec 9 2024 0:29 utc | 45
Salaam Tom. Giving this some thought in terms of applications from an architectural/engineering point of view, the construct has some very attractive qualities: in terms of form factor, it can be adapted to both linear and planar form; it presents no operational hazards (unlike chemical storage); and packs more Watt hours/kg than anything else. That immediately makes it an excellent candidate for both terrestrial & space applications. For example, it should be possible to incorporate the storage device in structural elements of homes, satellites, and extraterrestrial bases.
What is missing from the paper (per my skimming, possibly missed it) is any data on temporal dimension of its performance envelope. I would love to see e.g. a 3d plot of charge-discharge cycle (CDC) that shows performance subject to variation in temperature and CDC period. Let’s take our hypothetical moon base application. That would be a perfect use of this technology: minimal payload mass to lift to orbit, safe, and fairly reasonable service life. We would use the Sun’s light to charge it and discharge during the lunar night. That would give us a lunar day CDC and even at a very conservative service life of 144 cycles, 12 years of use. The q then is how does it behave when it is charged in high temperature and then discharged in the cold of the lunar night.
Back here on Earth, again the form factor and safety make it a no brainer to embed the storage in floors and walls. But the CDC is only 24 hours here so one hopes that the device has a life-cycle at least two orders of magnitude greater than 100. Beyond safety, the construct is also not toxic, so we can also explore applications that embed (mass) energy generation and storage in the environment, for example generating energy from ocean tides, etc.
& Salaam

Posted by: sunof27 | Dec 9 2024 15:45 utc | 53

A Reuters posting title that needs no comment
Argentina’s Mr Market Javier Milei wants to make austerity great again

Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 9 2024 16:13 utc | 54

Police have arrested a suspect in the case involving the involuntary euthenasia of Brian Thompson, the CEO of a luxuriously profitable health insurance corporation.
They haven’t decided whether to prosecute him for murder or nominate him for a Nobel Peace of Mind Prize.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Dec 9 2024 22:00 utc | 55

Apparently, nobody has yet released the full text of the 3-page, handwritten “manifesto” found on the 26-year-old, arrested at a Pennsylvania McDonalds.
This is Luigi Mangioni’s interpretation of Ted Kaczynski’s manifesto:

When all other forms of communication fail, violence is necessary to survive. You may not like his methods, but to see things from his perspective, it’s not terrorism, it’s war and revolution… These companies don’t care about you, or your kids, or your grandkids. They have zero qualms about burning down the planet for a buck, so why should we have any qualms about burning them down to survive?

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/luigi-mangione-manifesto-ripped-health-insurance-industry-1235198180/

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Dec 9 2024 23:11 utc | 56

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Dec 9 2024 23:11 utc | 56
Salaam Aleph_Null. A rather lively discussion over at hn. Top comment atm has some interesting additional personal info.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42370622
& Salaam

Posted by: sunof27 | Dec 9 2024 23:53 utc | 57

Nigga please. Jihadists like Al Qaeda and ISIS have never attacked Israel and they won’t because one don’t bite the hand that feeds you

Posted by: Cavoid | Dec 10 2024 3:24 utc | 58

‘To be an enemy of the US can be dangerous but to be a ‘friend’ can be fatal’ – Kissy
Trump Suggests Mexico and Canada Become US States
https://www.rt.com/news/609138-trump-mexico-canada-us-state/
“We’re subsidizing Canada to the tune of over $100 billion a year. We’re subsidizing Mexico for almost $300 billion. We shouldn’t be. Why are we subsidizing these countries? If we’re going to subsidize them, let them become a state.”
Quite aside from his ts economics, if I was the president of the biggest debtor nation on earth, I might be tempted to float such hot-air balloons also.

Posted by: John Gilberts | Dec 11 2024 2:35 utc | 59

@ John Gilberts | Dec 11 2024 2:35 utc | 59 about Trump wanting to add a couple of states to share our debt with…..thx
What about Puerto Rico?
How many nations will the dying empire corral into colonialism long term?
##########
Even if BRICS+ folds I believe there will be a BricsPay tool developed that integrates all the growing intra nation currency exchanges as well as a SWIFT replacement. It isn’t a new non-fiat money but the volume will cripple the FX market control over exchange rate fluctuation.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 11 2024 3:30 utc | 60

Trumptydumbty fuckin around with ‘my boy Justin’
https://x.com/Glenn_Diesen/status/1866695949369930018
“It was a pleasure to have dinner the other night with Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada. I look forward to seeing the Governor again soon so that we may continue our in depth talks on Tariffs and Trade, the results of which will be truly spectacular for all! – DJT
Get a room.

Posted by: John Gilberts | Dec 11 2024 4:36 utc | 61

I bet ya’all didn’t know about this

BEIJING, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday China has full confidence to achieve this year’s economic growth target and will continue to play its role as the biggest engine of world economic growth.
Xi made the remarks during a meeting in Beijing with heads of major international economic organizations, who are here to attend the “1+10” dialogue.
The foreign dignitaries included President of the New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva, President of the World Bank Group Ajay Banga, and Director-General of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
…
China is ready to work with the major international economic organizations to practice multilateralism, promote international cooperation, and support the development of Global South countries, so as to advance an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and build a just world of common development, Xi said.
Xi pointed out that to bring the world economy onto a path of strong and sustainable growth, it is imperative to build an open world economy through cooperation, drive development through innovation, seize the important opportunities of the digital economy, artificial intelligence and low-carbon technologies, and foster new sources of economic growth.
He urged support for cross-border flow of knowledge, technology and talent, adding that building “small yard with high fences,” decoupling and disrupting supply chains bring harm to others without benefiting oneself.
Xi stressed that international economic organizations need to actively engage in and push for reforms of the global economic governance system to make it more just and equitable and reflective of the changing world economic landscape, with greater representation and voice of Global South countries.
“Some consensus has been reached in this regard between various parties, and what is key now is to turn vision into reality,” Xi said, calling for upholding true multilateralism and ensuring equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules for all countries.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 11 2024 5:21 utc | 62

Posted by: John Gilberts | Dec 11 2024 2:35 utc | 59
As I wrote in my post earlier on this thread, (Posted by: dh-mtl | Dec 8 2024 16:54 utc | 19), the U.S. trade deficit with Canada is not what it seems. The entire deficit is due to its imports of Canadian hydrocarbons, which in fact, in the U.S. overall trade picture actually turns into a trade surplus, as the oil and gas that the U.S. imports from Canada is refined or processed in the U.S. and re-exported as products resulting in not only a net trade surplus for the U.S., but also creating high paying jobs and healthy profits within the U.S. itself. It is not for nothing that at the same time that Trump is talking about putting tariffs on Canada, he is also talking about restarting the Keystone XL oil pipeline project.
On top of that, another important part of the US/Canada trade is primary metals, where Canada is running a trade surplus in excess of $15 billion/year, mostly aluminum but also nickel, copper, iron ore and others. These are resources that it does not have, are necessary for its manufacturing industries, and if they didn’t come from Canada would need to be imported from somewhere else.
Therefore, if we exclude hydrocarbons, which the U.S. turns into a trade surplus, and primary metals which are essential for its manufacturing, it is not the U.S. that is ‘subsidizing’ Canada, but the other way around. .

Posted by: dh-mtl | Dec 11 2024 8:17 utc | 63

Daily Mail reports, “Can you sleigh the toughest Christmas quiz of them all? GCHQ releases its annual fiendish festive puzzle to test the James Bonds of tomorrow”
I’m not seeing swordfish – but this might be worth considering in the current geopolitical constellation (or however you’d describe it).
Not to be outdone, Canada’s RCMP and CSIS released a Five Eyes report “Young people and violent extremism: a call for collective action” It includes a list of acronyms and abbreviations, as well as a French version.
https://rcmp.ca/en/corporate-information/publications-and-manuals/five-eyes-insights-young-people-and-violent-extremism-call-collective-action

Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Dec 11 2024 12:53 utc | 64

I forgot to look at Canada’s satire website, The Beaverton. I’m putting this one as St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Batroun, Lebanon.
“Alley behind church unholiest place in town”
https://www.thebeaverton.com/2023/10/alley-behind-church-unholiest-place-in-town/

Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Dec 11 2024 13:09 utc | 65

My latest looking at the reality that will be the Trump administration, the direct management and control of the state by an extremely small percentage of the US ownership class, the billionaire class, the 0.001%. The logical outcome of the continuing concentration of wealth, even within the 0.1% and the 0.01%.
The New Reality of American Oligarchy

Posted by: Roger Boyd | Dec 11 2024 15:15 utc | 66

It looks like Luigi Mangioni is a completely faked “catch” unbelievable BS being
doled out by the MSM.
https://mileswmathis.com/brian.pdf

Posted by: qparker | Dec 11 2024 20:07 utc | 67

see the videos at the links below
https://x.com/zei_squirrel/status/1866621048843641341
☀️👀 @zei_squirrel
Luigi Mangione’s manifesto refers to Michael Moore’s Sicko documentary on the for-profit US healthcare system. In one part of it Moore takes abandoned 9/11 first responders to Cuba to get healthcare there, to show just how sick and depraved the US is by comparison:
https://x.com/zei_squirrel/status/1866625134062457215
☀️👀 @zei_squirrel
when Michael Moore came out with his film exposing the horrific private healthcare system in the US, which leads to mass preventable deaths every year, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and Sanjay Gupta devoted an entire segment to attacking it with outright lies. Here is how Moore responded:
https://x.com/zei_squirrel/status/1866883901387641238
when his film was released the private healthcare and insurance industry launched an all-out war on Michael Moore. Here’s a whistleblower revealing their smear campaign, which included digging up information about his personal life and setting up a plan to “push him off a cliff”

Posted by: michaelj72 | Dec 11 2024 21:03 utc | 68

The 9/11 first responders are a special cohort. They have been exposed to intense radiation from the nuclear destruction which apparently brought down the towers. Denial of adequate care in their case must be viewed in this light, too. I’m no one to suggest too much here, but others (Dr. Heinz Pommer among them) believe there is evil intent at play which goes beyond the mere silencing of the radiation lead.

Posted by: persiflo | Dec 11 2024 23:15 utc | 69

Posted by: Roger Boyd | Dec 11 2024 15:15 utc | 66

There has been a significant a level of breakdown in the “manufacturing of consent”

Uh, no, the billionaires won a hair short of half the votes! That is consent.

The Western security state has been very busy attempting to get things in place before Trump comes to power…

Again, no, the ruling class is not the enemy of the state. The state is their instrument. Bourgeois democracy is the form where the rivals among the ruling class coopt the lower orders in their struggles against rivals within and without. The enemies without are why they created their national security state! Communists call it imperialism and do not call it something else to pretend its the true enemy, not the ruling class.
How can this shameless fraud justify ignoring the open assumption of political power, complete with promises to do away with the bourgeois democracy, leaving only pretenses like some modern Augustus Caesar? Silence mostly. There may be a hint here?

The concentration of wealth in lesser and lesser hands, the disconnection of the rulers from the ruled, a vast courtier class fully focused on slavishly serving the oligarchs and not discomfiting them with inconvenient truths, the immiseration of the ruled as the rulers openly display their vast wealth, vast private wealth amidst public squalor; these are all symptoms of a failing empire.

For a moment ignore how the pretense this isn’t the trend of decades and decades but something novel, presumably due to the machinations of the national security state, so vigorously promoted by this person. But don’t skip how it simply ignores the political implications, something that should confess the fraudulence of a blog that dares put geopolitics in its own title!
Gloating over the rise of the billionaires as symptoms of decay is preposterous. There is more than a hint here of accelerationism, the idea that catastrophe—>miracle from nowehere—>salvation. This is exactly the same idea that failed to turn anti-Communists swearing the overthrow of the USSR opened the way to true socialism. That of course is no problem for this veteran anti-Communist. I can only say that everyone hailing the fall of the national secular state in Syria is exactly the same thing, an accelerationist. Accelerationism is stupid.

Posted by: steven t johnson | Dec 12 2024 0:55 utc | 70

ZH has a posting up with the title
Eric Trump: My Father Wants To Make U.S. The World’s ‘Crypto Capital’
quote

ERIC TRUMP: I’ve been in crypto for a long time and so is my father, and I think he realizes that every country in the world is embracing it. People are running—look at where we are right now in Abu Dhabi. They’re putting billions of dollars into crypto, into digital technologies. If we don’t do it as America, we’re going to be left behind. He wants to make America the crypto capital of the world. He’s been very, very clear with that, and I applaud that.
Listen, right now, if you live in America and want to get a home loan, it takes you 90 days. How the hell does it take 90 days to get a home loan? By then, the house is already sold. Your dream is gone. There’s zero chance you’re getting it. There is nothing on blockchain that can’t be done better, faster, and substantially cheaper—not pushing paper. The banking system we have around the world, the modern banking system, is antiquated. It’s antiquated, and it’s just a matter of time before crypto not only catches up but really leaps ahead.
We’re incredibly excited on a lot of fronts, and I think America will be the crypto capital of the world. I fully support it, my father fully supports it, and our family fully embraces it. We believe in DeFi. We believe that’s the way of the future. America better lead the way; otherwise, we’re going to leave a lot behind.
DAN MURPHY: All of this also comes back to regulation as well, and one thing your father has spoken about is incorporating new legislation, even deregulation, in the crypto space to really accelerate and move this forward. What does that look like?
ERIC TRUMP: It’s transparent, that’s what it is. The people in the crypto industry are frustrated that no one’s ever put together a sensible plan as to how to regulate an industry. They’re fine with regulation, but they just want guidelines, and they’ve said that. The problem is, you see so many companies have been so unfairly treated—so many lawsuits, hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars, people attacked, companies attacked—and they’re just saying, “Just give us the rules of the road, and we’ll obey them.”
And by the way, if you give us the rules of the road, chances are the rest of the world will follow. So I think sensible regulation makes a lot of sense. A lot of people think the crypto industry doesn’t want regulation, but that’s actually not true. They just want sensible regulation—regulation that they can follow, regulation that’s crystal clear, that’s black and white.
They don’t want to see people like Gensler, who was absolutely a disaster for crypto. He did everything he could to try and stifle innovation. He would do so, and those people have all been cleared out. I think they will put together good regulation. I think we will have a clear roadmap, and hopefully, the rest of the world follows that. Hopefully, we can lead by example because that’s what we should do as Americans. Hopefully, we truly are the crypto superpower of the world.

Regular barflies will see the conflation of blockchain technology with crypto money and roll your eyes like me thinking about Trump conflict of interest in this area.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 12 2024 5:55 utc | 71

https://x.com/ecomarxi/status/1866270255326089231
Tiberius @ecomarxi
“‘Violence never solved anything’ is a statement uttered by cowards and predators”
— Luigi Mangione
Now that’s a fucking quote

Posted by: michaelj72 | Dec 12 2024 6:42 utc | 72

“‘Violence never solved anything’ is a statement uttered by cowards and predators” … and some philosophers? I shall only speak for me, but first let me take aim – here goes my argument.
In some ways, Mr. Mangione’s hypothesis is a reverse case of the might-makes-right problem, and it’s interesting, for I have never thought about it that way.
Both statements about the ability to speak truth by shooting straight are not sensible in general. Yes, ‘might makes right’ somehow, but only as you’re silencing an opponent who would otherwise object, rather than legitimately win an argument. On the other hand, if you have a nice argument and your opponent can’t be pursued to do it justice, there may well be no way out of the situation without becoming impolite, or even rude. It’s actually easy to come up with examples where proper debate must ethically take refuge to a practical argument, of which there are a few in philosophy (such as prolonged kicking a rock to conclude that mental representation is not the same as imagination).
The basic option to deal with unsatisfactory oppsosition in an ongoing debate is to simply walk away; the performative mode of negation. But what if you can’t? It’s clear that this cannot mean you are automatically stuck with the weaker argument; it’s merely that your opposition chooses to ignore the actual veracity of your sensible point. Now, being sensible is indeed more than any arbitrary affirmation of some stupid idea someone may claim – it is, in any case, a corollary to our faculty of reason, which may or may not be derived properly. Put more starkly, choosing to ignore ethics disqualifies of being a subject of ethical consideration. Hence, there is expected a limit to any well-meaning philosopher’s patience in trying to argue his thing.
It follows, to my surprise, that sometimes truth is spoken through the barrel of a gun.

Posted by: persiflo | Dec 12 2024 9:56 utc | 73

[juke box]
Entombed – To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth

Posted by: persiflo | Dec 12 2024 10:12 utc | 74

There was another update to Canada’s Trudeau’s itinerary, this time for Dec 11. He received (I presume?) a call from Italy’s Georgia Meloni. Per the readout, she called in her role as president of the G7 for 2024. The presidency shifts to Canada in 2025. There’s a virtual G7 meeting on Friday.

Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Dec 12 2024 10:51 utc | 75

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