Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
March 30, 2025
The MoA Week In Review – OT 2025-065

Last week's posts on Moon of Alabama:


Other issues:

Zionist Entity:

Trumpconomy:

Today's long-read from the NYT is some weird whitewashing and fake history. Anyone who, during the last three years, has read more than the propaganda from the New York Times already knew each and every of these points:

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

Comments

Plenty of stuff to discuss without going overboard. I’d also add the continued lawfare in Europe to avoid elections going against what the PTB demand .
If you can’t beat them , ban them

Posted by: Newbie | Mar 30 2025 14:10 utc | 1

[i’ve given up on the idea that a US carrier has been hit by the Houthis – i should probably stop drinking so much, but i still have hope]
ANYWAY, my twitter feed tells me Zelensky is not going to sign the deal with the US and just now Trump is threatening Russia. Apparently Trimp is, and i quote, is “pissed off” with Putin – something about more oil sanctions and going 2017 on Putin’s ass because he’s playing games.
Trump is also threatening to bomb Iran, i think the quote is “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing — and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before [of course it will]. And hasnt Iran threatened to bomb Diego Garcia. I’m getting a bit sick and tired of all the willy waving and looking forward to a good punch up.

Posted by: Keith | Mar 30 2025 14:31 utc | 2

People who see clearly, like Jonathan Cook, recognize that “fascist” is the appropriate term for the gathering darkness. Less astute observers fail to grab the tiger by the toe, opting for the label “authoritarian” — meaninglessly slapped over everything like whitewash. According to Cook, Western fascism never went away after WWII. It was kept alive in the geopolitical incubator called “Israel”…

When the West was reluctantly forced into decolonisation processes in Africa and Asia, Israel was given licence and endless support to grow a violent ethno-nationalist project on another people’s homeland.
Jewish supremacism was respectable, even as white supremacism fell out of favour.

Few observers provide such a 50,000-foot view of current history, like Cook.

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Mar 30 2025 14:40 utc | 3

Alastair Crooke explains why Israel needs to start a war as a distraction form its internal problems:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0oKPBGMyGFQ (length: 46 seconds)
Are the divisions in Israel REALLY that deep ?
I think that the US also needs such a distraction from the MAGA disaster. so, that’s why Trump and his buddies are going to strike that war on Iran.

Posted by: WMG | Mar 30 2025 14:40 utc | 4

Flaunting the “nuclear ambiguity” on Israeli television; ‘An extraordinary three-part series on Israeli television, The Atom and Me, lays out how the country got its nuclear weapons. It takes for granted what anyone who pays attention has known for years.’ in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, ‘Closer than ever: It is now 89 seconds to midnight’
https://thebulletin.org/2025/03/the-us-hypocrisy-about-israels-nuclear-weapons-must-stop/

Posted by: pilpul | Mar 30 2025 14:45 utc | 5

Alastair Crooke explains why Israel needs to start a war as a distraction form its internal problems:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0oKPBGMyGFQ (length: 46 seconds)
Are the divisions in Israel REALLY that deep ?
I think that the US also needs such a distraction from the MAGA disaster. so, that’s why Trump and his buddies are going to strike that war on Iran.
Posted by: WMG | Mar 30 2025 14:40 utc | 4
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
The thing about such claims as Israel/US needs a war with Iran to distract from internal strife or whatever seems to miss the global picture that points to war with Iran simply being just one part of the coming global conflict, it is necessary (for US to remain dominat) and inevitable (unless there can be a peaceful overthrow). I mean Trump is literally talking about having to have Greenland in terms of a global conflict with China/Russia, and “dealing” with Iran is a part of that mindset, is it not? I very much subscribe to the Brian Berletic school of thought that says it is all part of the coming showdown between east and west, or US and China.

Posted by: Keith | Mar 30 2025 14:56 utc | 6

03/30/2025 – In the last 24 hours, the Ansar Allah (Houthi) armed forces engaged in a battle with a group of enemy warships led by the US aircraft carrier Harry Truman three times in the Red Sea. The counteraction operation involved missile troops, unmanned aerial vehicles and naval forces that used several cruise missiles and drones.
The US of A stand no chance against the Houthi movement.

Posted by: pepe | Mar 30 2025 15:08 utc | 7

Without question, Western governments can be described as fascist because the key and critical element of fascism is collusion between government and big business.
In short order, Trump and friends have created a juggernaut of insecurity among Americans and all the people of the world.
Biden Team was terrible, but Trump’s creation of insecurity has worsened the real estate market, markets and the economy generally.
Each successive US Presidential admin worsens our lives.

Posted by: chakakhagan | Mar 30 2025 15:11 utc | 8

Re: An unrestrained Israel is reshaping the Middle East.
This week there have been 2 TV reports in Oz about the success of Wasrael’s Blackmail Bombings. The first was from sbs.com.au/Dateline on Monday re Lebanon. Apparently, the Lebanese are so p’d off with the destruction that the citizens are blaming Hezbollah.
The second was on abc.net.au News, a couple of days later, claiming that Gazans are becoming anti-Hamas.
However neither group is as p’d off as I am over Oz.gov’s decision to buy $90 Billion worth of AUKUS submarines for $366 Billion!

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Mar 30 2025 15:19 utc | 9

thanks b and moa posters… a happy weekend to all!

Posted by: james | Mar 30 2025 15:25 utc | 10

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Mar 30 2025 15:19 utc | 9
##########
Friend, if you cannot control something, do not be upset about it.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 15:35 utc | 11

Posted by: pepe | Mar 30 2025 15:08 utc | 7
############
Every AD missile that the US Navy expends on Ansar Allah is one less they have to defend against Iran.
All of those long watches, staring at screens for hours, anticipating a drone or missile.
A way to wear down the Americans before things kick off in a big way.
Honestly, I am conflicted. I know Iran talks a big game, but I have no idea if they will back it up.
China and Russia are involved with Iran’s decision-making, which may be a good thing or a bad thing.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 15:51 utc | 12

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 15:51 utc | 12
China and Russia are involved with Iran’s decision-making, which may be a good thing or a bad thing.
>>>
They are.

Posted by: pepe | Mar 30 2025 15:53 utc | 13

I found the following concept from the Fazi article odd and wanted to run by the brain trust here:
“I’ve written for Compact about the EU’s unprecedented rearmament programme, ReArm Europe, and how its true objectives are not economic but political.”
The distinction made between political and economic is interesting. For myself, over the past few decades I have found that “political” is simply the means through which each nation/block’s elite arrange things to their own economic benefits. So for example in the EU case here, they are using the political tools they have to enact policies in their masters’ huge MIC economic benefit.

Posted by: Caliman | Mar 30 2025 15:54 utc | 14

!—the country that *started* the Industrial Revolution will no longer produce steel—!
British Steel has announced that it will close its two blast furnaces in Scunthorpe, ending all steel production in the UK after more than 150 years. This happens during a period when Britain has been running a permanent deficit. It is necessary to import capital from abroad, increase taxes or cut spending in order to stay afloat, but just barely. The cost of energy is the highest in the world.
Foreign bond holders grow anxious, seeing the shape of Britain’s economy, and Parliament has to slash spending or raise taxes in order to reassure confidence in these foreign lenders. Ukraine is now a major reason why the British government is finding itself running out of money. Under Sir Keir’s leadership, ahem, British foreign policy has become one-notedly uni-dimensional: the government focuses exclusively on Project Ukraine.
When he campaigned in 2016, DJT famously said, “If you don’t make steel, you’re not a country.”

Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 30 2025 15:57 utc | 15

Whichever port the Americans are using for re-supply, it might be wise for the Axis to do a strike (or serious sabotage) on the supply of munitions and replacement parts.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 15:58 utc | 16

For those receptive to the truth:
2 hours ago: Strategic Suicide:
Why the U.S. Can’t Win a War with Iran

Col. Larry Wilkerson & Larry C. Johnson on Dialogue Works
46mins 36 seconds
https://youtu.be/EyTxAu91wb8?si=rk8fKI4Zi5zXGGwc
pete hegseth + tulsi gabbard

Posted by: WillSeymour | Mar 30 2025 16:13 utc | 17

The EU High Court is in the process of Georgescu-ing Marine Le Pen, getting ready to convict her for embezzling, a verdict that will put the kibosh on her aspirations to run for president in the French elections in 2017.
“Political death,” Le Pen said.
Meanwhile, protests in Istanbul and in Ankara have attracted between 1 and 2 million demonstrators. They’re railing against Erdoghan’s having arrested the mayor of Istanbul, a politician seen as Erdoghan’s main political rival.
These events are occurring against a backdrop of a Moldovan politician’s arrest—Yevgenia Gutsul—who heads a party in opposition to the pro-Western one in Chisinau. Gutsul claims the charges, having to do w/ bribing voters, are “trumped up.”
European democracy in action this week

Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 30 2025 16:14 utc | 18

How about a supersonic passenger jet that flies at 2000 km/h?

China’s supersonic jet C949 targets 50% range increase over Concorde, 95% less sound

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 16:20 utc | 19

Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 30 2025 16:14 utc | 18
##############
Europeans are getting a hard lesson about the danger and stupidity of democracy.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 16:22 utc | 20

Thanks to b for linking to the Jonathan Cook article. To me it felt somewhat unfortunate that he identifies the problem as facism – not because that isn’t an accurate definition; it is. But for US citizens confronting the Trump administration’s crackdown underway at present via the charge of antisemitism, it feels to me like a new McCarthyism, more dangerous than the old because now headed by the entirety of the current government.
I wasn’t in the US for the old McCarthyism, so don’t have a memory of it – here is again perhaps a better comment on the Cook article:

“…People who see clearly, like Jonathan Cook, recognize that “fascist” is the appropriate term for the gathering darkness. Less astute observers fail to grab the tiger by the toe, opting for the label “authoritarian” — meaninglessly slapped over everything like whitewash. According to Cook, Western fascism never went away after WWII. It was kept alive in the geopolitical incubator called “Israel”…
When the West was reluctantly forced into decolonisation processes in Africa and Asia, Israel was given licence and endless support to grow a violent ethno-nationalist project on another people’s homeland.
Jewish supremacism was respectable, even as white supremacism fell out of favour.
Few observers provide such a 50,000-foot view of current history, like Cook.
Posted by: Aleph_Null | Mar 30 2025 14:40 utc | 3 [my bold]

Well said, Aleph, and thank you.

Posted by: juliania | Mar 30 2025 16:29 utc | 21

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 15:51 utc | 12
I’m assuming Iran won’t move unless they get attacked directly.
If they do preemptive strike(s) on Wasrael and/or Diego Garcia, I’ll be pleasantly surprised. I think preemptive goes against their Islam or their honor.
Either scenario works for me
Either way works for me.

Posted by: Mary | Mar 30 2025 16:29 utc | 22

Apologies – Not clear in my comment at Mar 30 2025 16:29 utc | 21:
In the indented quotation of Aleph’s post, the two paragraphs below his […] are from Cook’s article, ending with the (bolded by me) two liner.
His own words continue after the bold.

Posted by: juliania | Mar 30 2025 16:46 utc | 23

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/rcna198729
Lol where’s c1ue or Gruff to womansplain this to us leftist anti-imperialists?
What’s the bitchsplanation?
More MSM lies? Trump b mad yo.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 30 2025 17:13 utc | 24

Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 30 2025 15:57 utc | 15
I haven’t read as much garbage in over 20 years. You are utterly clueless when it comes to money.
“Foreign bond holders grow anxious, seeing the shape of Britain’s economy, and Parliament has to slash spending or raise taxes in order to reassure confidence in these foreign lenders”
Is the most absurd description of all.

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Mar 30 2025 17:15 utc | 25

European democracy in action this week
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 30 2025 16:14 utc | 18
Yes, I mentioned that @1, we’re getting sooo much freedom, huuuge democracy.
Was a bit surprise on how AfD wasn’t banned in the last german elections.
——————
How about a supersonic passenger jet that flies at 2000 km/h?
China’s supersonic jet C949 targets 50% range increase over Concorde, 95% less sound
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 16:20 utc | 19
They’re all in the same mach 1.6 ballpark,should be a sweet spot for range and noise (that 5% noise is just shy of 90 perceived decibels)
————–
I think preemptive goes against their Islam or their honor.
Posted by: Mary | Mar 30 2025 16:29 utc | 22
Debatable, no current truce (us withdrew from treaty with iran and repeatedly violated the UN charter) so no dar al-sulh, just good old Dar al-harb applies

Posted by: Newbie | Mar 30 2025 17:25 utc | 26

Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 30 2025 15:57 utc | 15
Foreign gilt holders don’t fund the UK government.
It is even written on it what it is – A gilt edged savings certficate.
It is how foreigners “save” their £’s they accumulated after selling the UK goods and services.
Where did the £’s come from in the first place ???
Read a bank note it is written on both sides of the note who issued it and where it came from. It
This savings of £’s by foreigners that make up part of the ” deficit ” and the ” debt “.
As foreigners like to net save, households like to net save, UK business likes to net save.
Thus a government budget deficit.
When they save in gilts = the national debt.
Written evidence has now been published
Here:
https://new-wayland.com/blog/how-sustainable-is-our-national-debt/
Read it an educate yourself and stop being an idiot.
HM Treasury sets the price, not The Market
Here:
https://new-wayland.com/blog/hm-treasury-sets-the-price/

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Mar 30 2025 17:29 utc | 27

Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 30 2025 15:57 utc | 15
Since there is now a full detailed description of how the full monetary sovereign UK monetary system actually works. In the real world and NOT in some ideologues head. Or fanciful thinking.
Here:
https://gimms.org.uk/2021/02/21/an-accounting-model-of-the-uk-exchequer/
There is absolutely now no excuse or any number of excuses for misrepresenting the UK monetary process.
Unless of course you are as dumb as a bag of spanners.

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Mar 30 2025 17:40 utc | 28

Comatose to Manic, an empire’s royal line doubles down. Why can’t the Hebrides be attached to the Greenland Steal? Makes sense. The sturdy cottages there? Theme park material. Besides, land grabs are low cost. It’s called the further growth (the final blossoming?) of civilization.

Posted by: elmagnostic | Mar 30 2025 17:42 utc | 29

Donald Trump. Not the King of Diplomacy, but rather the King of Duplicity. And may I add he reminds me of Mussolini. Read a great biography of Mussolini. He was on the front page of Time magazine at least once. A man who understood the media because he ran a newspaper for some time. Very much like Trump who is a product of mass media and entertainment. From casinos to Miss Universe to his own television shows, he understands the mechanisms of stirring people up. From Ethiopia to Greenland to the Panama Canal and beyond, there’s not much difference between Mussolini and Trump. The pomposity, abrasivness and the call for the return of past glories is telling. To me, that is. So let’s see what the Fates have prepared for us these next four years. And beyond.

Posted by: Jose Garcia | Mar 30 2025 17:57 utc | 30

For those receptive to the truth:
2 hours ago: Strategic Suicide:
Why the U.S. Can’t Win a War with Iran
Posted by: WillSeymour | Mar 30 2025 16:13 utc | 17

There would be no intention to win. The intention is to prevent Iran from interfering in the Greater Israel project by tying them up closer to home.

Posted by: Fool Me Twice | Mar 30 2025 18:07 utc | 31

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 30 2025 17:13 utc | 24
##########
Tom, please get your TDS under control.
This is all part of the plan. The 20D chess plan.
You just don’t understand, this is all about Trump’s domestic agenda to drain the swamp by endorsing Lindsey Graham.
You will understand when the first shuttles for Mars launch and you’re not on them because your citizenship has been revoked for not converting to Judaism!!! 😂😂😂

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 18:14 utc | 32

Arms are of little value in the field unless there is wise counsel at home… Let the welfare of the people be the ultimate law… Let your desires be ruled by reason… No one can be happy without virtue. -Cicero ~45BC
The nation that will insist on drawing a broad line of demarcation between the fighting man & the thinking man is liable to find its fighting done by fools & its thinking done by cowards.-Charles George Gordon (1889)
Of all manifestations of power, restraint impresses men the most. –Frank B. Jevons (1886).
There will come a time when humanity will look back on this time as the ‘barbarian age’…. future men will wonder how, & for so long, were we able to sustain it. -Benjamin Creme (~1993)

Posted by: TobyClear | Mar 30 2025 18:18 utc | 33

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Mar 30 2025 15:19 utc | 9
##########
Friend, if you cannot control something, do not be upset about it.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 15:35 utc | 11
Generally a wise 12 steps approach to life. One man’s impotent frustration really can’t change anything. A 1000 men with organized and with the same frustration, that’s a different story.
I think it’s safe to say that at least a 1000 men have appeared at the bar with similar frustrations. What’s lacking? Unity, a political program and organization.

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Mar 30 2025 18:24 utc | 34

@b
Worth noting that an Australian Federal election is being held on May 3. A post on the main lines and issues geopolitically would allow a dedicated thread on this for Aussies to expand on the local politics for those elsewhere interested in an AUKUS, LNG, etc sitrep.
The short version is that voters will be abandoning the main parties (Labor and LNP coalition) for independents and Greens (more the former than the latter), with a likely hung parliament and political stagnation. Nothing to see here, no leadership, same old kowtowing to everyone. AUKUS is deeply unpopular at home and the political class is hoping Trump will abandon it so we don’t have to make a grown-up decision. The other live issue is LNG: Australia is the third largest exporter but we have no reserve contingency for domestic supply. This means we have to buy it back internationally marked up, and the consumer pays through the nose. Good luck trying to get some spine from government on that one.
Anyway, I’m thoroughly disengaged but it’s “happening” on May 3 (if it warrants that level of agency).

Posted by: Patroklos | Mar 30 2025 18:30 utc | 35

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Mar 30 2025 18:24 utc | 34
###########
Frustrations are plenty. Solutions are fleeting.
Larger problems usually require sacrifice. Western individualism is not conducive to sacrifice or unity. The “I” is always bigger than the goal.
It’s very simple game theory. The individual is rational to sell out his compatriots, prisoner’s dilemma style.
I don’t like it, but it is what it is.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 18:36 utc | 36

Isn’t European “democracy” wonderful
– Corbyn politically assassinated and the Labour Party taken over by a Conservative
– Romania bans anyone that has “wrongthink” aka being against NATO or the EU
– Bulgaria ring fences any party actually positive about Russia
– The German establishment collude to keep the BSW out of the Bundestag
– Now the French establishment work to frame Le Pen
The plebs are getting restless, so any form of collective representation of their angst must be stamped on. The AfD are fine, they have been an oligarch-tool since day 1 (formed by 5 radical neoliberal academics and funded by the German establishment through a rich German residing in Switzerland who is the descendent of Hitler’s banker). Also lead by the granddaughter of a Nazi judge personally appointed by Hitler.

Posted by: Roger Boyd | Mar 30 2025 18:37 utc | 37

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 15:58 utc | 16
>>>
Diego Garcia Fortress (DGF) and Perim [Volcanic island in Yemen as part of the Taiz Governorate] airfield which is a United Arab Emirates (UAE) project.
Previously Perim was under the British Empire rule. In 1967, after their independence; South Yemen extended its territorial waters to 12 miles which would include the waters between Perim and the mainland.

Posted by: pepe | Mar 30 2025 18:39 utc | 38

Don Firineach took us for a bender the other night across the Gaelic country; thanks for that!
Before someone attaches the Hebrides, Orkneys or Färöer to the US, I’d like to have a discussion.
Against the backdrop of Riverdance at the Eurovision Song Contest Dublin 1994, which resembles the skyscrapers of Manhattan, let us be reminded of what happened when the imperialists forbade musical instruments in an explicit (yes) attempt to kill the Irish spirit:
jukebox] reel a bouche
I’ll say as much here: the Irish spirit is alive. I know this because I had the honour to meet and be greeted by it. One of three people spirits which I’ve encountered in a vision, but I can hardly talk about it without tearing up. I’ll just leave it to ‘synchronicity’ if that is even a word. Perhaps kizmet is more suiting?
For all those lacking a sensual experience of Scottish village harbours, try ordering a bottle of Talisker from Amazon or whatever and make it a longdrink with soda on ice. Tastes of salt, smoke and seaweed are to appear. Somewhat counter-intuitively, it is superbly refreshing on a hot summer day.

Posted by: persiflo | Mar 30 2025 18:41 utc | 39

@steel_porcupine #15
Most of what you write is pretty much verbatim from Alexander Mercouris in the Duran’s “Doom Loop” video.
And even then, it is worse than it appears. What Mercouris spoke of regarding the “Doom Loop” video did not cover that the UK imports 46% of all of its food; it must maintain a high exchange rate in order to pay for these massive food imports. Energy is the biggest problem certainly but food is what keeps people from rioting in the streets.
Add in the UKs need to rearm – due to having sent almost all of its land warfare hardware to Ukraine – and you have what would be a laughable situation if it were not so serious: a nation bleeding deficits, deindustrializing even more than it already has, falling standards of living and yet barking like a rabid Chihuahua via its international militancy.
More admirals than ships, more generals than tanks, no mobile artillery, *maybe* 2 weeks of ammo and they want to send troops to Ukraine to confront Russia. This is Monty Python-esque.
And most importantly: what Mercouris noted is that it is clear that Starmer and pretty much the entire UK PMC and ruling classes have absolutely no fucking idea how to get out of this “Doom Loop”.

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 18:49 utc | 40

@Keith #2
From what I understand – the likelihood of any given Houthi barrage hitting a US carrier on the move, even with zero air defense, is extremely low. Their CEP is crap and they have no ability to target their missiles on a moving target, while the drones would barely scratch the paint.
But of course, the Houthis don’t need to hit the carrier to win.
They win by just existing; draining SM-series AD missiles is a massive bonus.

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 18:51 utc | 41

@WMG #4
We will see.
I personally believe this is all just the usual Trump bluster.
An attack on Iran does absolutely nothing to help Trump’s domestic agenda and does a lot to hurt it, even disregarding the very real possibility of an attack failing.

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 18:53 utc | 42

@Tom_Q_Collins #24
All this time and you still don’t understand that you don’t watch Trump’s lips, you watch his actions?
TDS fools who call Trump a con-artist are correct only in the sense that these morons easily fall for his patter, like a 3 card monty dealer talking shit while shifting the card.

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 18:57 utc | 43

Silver on the Verge of Breaking Out as Bullion Banks Caught with Massive Shorts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juk_dM8-97M

Posted by: unimperator | Mar 30 2025 19:01 utc | 44

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Mar 30 2025 17:40 utc | 28
But, but, in my wallet I have some pieces of paper, signed by the Chief Cashier Of The Bank Of England, that say I can redeem them for variously 5, 10 and 20lbs of sterling silver.
I’m sorely tempted to try redeeming them, though given the amount I have I doubt if I could carry so many lbs all at one go. Do you think they would arrange delivery for me???

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 30 2025 19:08 utc | 45

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 18:57 utc | 43
#############
What have his actions been besides genocide and military impotence?
If Trump can’t handle Yemen, how is he going to strongarm Iran or China?
One thing about Trump demanding the spotlight. Everyone is starting to notice his failures.
The Dems and media are starting to organize, and his talk of a 3rd term will only inspire them more.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 19:42 utc | 46

“Illegal aliens” are targeted with this in the US (e.g. on the radio and at a gas station):
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/d3CFIsTY_VE
Welcome to the United States of Trump. FAFO.

Posted by: WMG | Mar 30 2025 19:43 utc | 47

If Russia wins the Ukraine war, there will be stresses within NATO. One possibility is that NATO breaks apart.
Another possibility is the US stays in NATO, but opts out of article 5, to avoid being dragged down in European wars?
In any case

Posted by: Passerby | Mar 30 2025 19:45 utc | 48

To be clear, if I were a Trump strategist, I would have advised arresting and black bagging the entire Senate and taking them to Gitmo for interrogation before public military tribunals (great ratings for Fox!).
Now that would have been a revolution.
Instead we get apologetics for endorsing Lindsey Graham as Trump’s supporters boo him at the announcement
Power must be exercised ruthlessly as Lincoln and FDR did.
When Putin talks to oligarchs, their sphincters pucker up. When Trump talks to Oligarchs, he’s cutting them off a piece of America.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 19:47 utc | 49

Even if NATO breaks apart, expect some European military mini-NATO to remain.

Posted by: Passerby | Mar 30 2025 19:50 utc | 50

Posted by: Passerby | Mar 30 2025 19:45 utc | 48
###############
Article 5 is optional, not mandatory.
Staying in NATO is almost costless if one is going to spend anyway, or wants to reduce contributions to a trickle, which in itself is interesting because Trump has an incentive to maximize MIC purchases by NATO member states.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 19:55 utc | 51

🇫🇷 Micron larping as Napoleon is pretty cringe.
https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/143418

Posted by: Norwegian | Mar 30 2025 20:19 utc | 52

Qoute:
– @WMG #4
We will see.
I personally believe this is all just the usual Trump bluster.
An attack on Iran does absolutely nothing to help Trump’s domestic agenda and does a lot to hurt it, even disregarding the very real possibility of an attack failing.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 18:53 utc | 42

Here are (again) the links with the interviews from Larry Johnson with Alastair Crooke
https://api.bitchute.com/embed/0oKPBGMyGFQ/
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0oKPBGMyGFQ
https://api.bitchute.com/embed/dQ2gyFWRVEY/
I re-post another video made by David Hearst (Middle East Eye):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoBalmuWf0A
“David Hearst: Trump’s cabinet is a recipe for all-out Middle East war”. Date 18 november 2024.

Posted by: WMG | Mar 30 2025 20:28 utc | 53

Patroklos | Mar 30 2025 18:30 utc | 35

The other live issue is LNG: Australia is the third largest exporter…

Really? Where are the gas fields? I know the Aussie govt. managed to scam Timor Leste out of a decent chunk of theirs through various forms of spying and skullduggery but I didn’t think they were that extensive.
Speaking of Mussolini (Jose Garcia @30), that Peter Dutton gives me similar vibes. He’d look rather fetching hanging in the town square.

Posted by: S.P. Korolev | Mar 30 2025 20:31 utc | 54

– Travel to the US has plummeted. There was a prediction that the US would see an 9% increase. Now that forcast has changed to a plunge of 14%. So, from +9% to -14%. Ouch & OMG.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2k2r9Wd3BM (length: 9 minutes)

Posted by: WMG | Mar 30 2025 20:45 utc | 55

[jukebox] Sting being pulled into port by an american interviewer.

Posted by: persiflo | Mar 30 2025 20:54 utc | 56

Isn’t European “democracy” wonderful

– Romania bans anyone that has “wrongthink” aka being against NATO or the EU
Posted by: Roger Boyd | Mar 30 2025 18:37 utc | 37

Facebook Blocks Account of Former OSCE PA President (RIA Novosti, March 30, 2025 — in Russian)

Former Romanian Foreign Minister and former OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Adrian Severin has announced that his Facebook account has been blocked for criticizing the country’s authorities.
Severin has repeatedly made statements about the annulment of the presidential election results and the prosecution of the winner of the first round of voting, Călin Georgescu.
“On March 29, 2025, Facebook informed me that after analyzing my appeal against the suspension measure, it had decided to permanently block my account. An analysis of the texts on my page, many of which spoke of a coup d’état carried out in Romania by annulling the presidential elections while they were taking place, followed by the criminal prosecution of the winner of the first round of these elections, leads to the conclusion that the blocking of my Facebook page is an effective application of the policy of the Romanian authorities directly involved in the coup,” Severin said in an open letter.
The former head of the OSCE protested this decision and stated his intention to seek accountability for those involved in blocking his account, “when the political context allows it.” He also noted that he “will use the still functioning communication channels to convey my opinion to everyone who is interested in it.”
Severin described the blocking of his account as a “rude, illegitimate, unmotivated and unprovoked decision,” as well as “a clear violation of freedom of conscience and the right to free expression, as provided for by the Constitution of Romania, the European Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the European Convention on Human Rights.”

Posted by: S | Mar 30 2025 21:35 utc | 57

Posted by: S | Mar 30 2025 21:35 utc | 57
In “Fire in the Minds of Men”, this is one of the key indicators revolution is nearing.
Next: Oppression, more jailing
Then: resistance
Then: relax persecution to stop upheaval
Then: Revolution
———+
Turkey is also on this path now.

Posted by: UWDude | Mar 30 2025 21:49 utc | 58

Arena-M tank protection system.

Posted by: Passerby | Mar 30 2025 21:56 utc | 59

Another possibility is the US stays in NATO, but opts out of article 5, to avoid being dragged down in European wars?
In any case
Posted by: Passerby | Mar 30 2025 19:45 utc | 48

NATO Article 5 was always optional.

The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.
Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security.

Posted by: Fool Me Twice | Mar 30 2025 21:57 utc | 60

Its reported that Trump is now “very mad” with Putin over the Ukraine negotiations. He is utterly narcissist delusional and Putin is playing him like a violin, knowing that the US and Trump are utterly untrustworthy and all he needs to do is play for time while the Russian army delivers the facts on the ground. Unless Trump actually starts dealing with Russia’s actual security concerns, and even then his oligarch bosses may not allow for that, he can stick any hopes for a ceasefire up his ass.
Now of course Trump is threatening to deliver even greater useless sanctions against Russia for not playing his game, the same way he is threatening Iran with getting bombed for not rolling over. Bullies always find out when they pick on kids more their size. Right now he is picking on the whole schoolyard.

Posted by: Roger Boyd | Mar 30 2025 22:07 utc | 61

🇪🇺🇩🇪The first private German “Spectrum” launch vehicle crashed during its launch from the Norwegian Andøya spaceport.
The launch of this rocket from “Isar Aerospace” was the first launch of a launch vehicle from continental Europe, with the stated goal of “collecting data and accumulating experience.”
The broader goal of the launch was to demonstrate Europe’s ability to be independent from the United States in matters of space travel.

1-minute video of a rocket launch failure in the air
https://x.com/Cyberspec1/status/1906463453742821557

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 22:08 utc | 62

Anti-Trump Protests in Greenland
“Your hand cannot reach Greenland”

30 seconds of street protests in the cold
https://x.com/SprinterObserve/status/1906465787306733972

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 22:09 utc | 63

From Cyber-Cities to a Cyber-Nation
67% of China’s population resides in urban areas. That’s almost a billion people.
And China is setting up rural villages inline with tourism to increase rural prosperity, alongside other measures.
#TheChinaModel

It looks like something out of “Ghost in the Shell” (cyberpunk story which takes place in Japan)
1 minute 8 second video
https://x.com/ShangguanJiewen/status/1906466466221682733

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 22:13 utc | 64

@LoveDonbass #46

What have his actions been besides genocide and military impotence?

Given that Trump has forced a ceasefire and Gazans are back in Gaza – I would say this is a change. Has he fixed the problem forever? Of course not because Israel is the real source of the problem.
But to say that he is even equaling the genocidal nonsense that occurred under Biden is ridiculous.
As for military impotence: yet again – it is not Trump sending ever more waves of Wunderwaffen to Ukraine. It is not Trump helping Ukraine target inside Russia. It is not Trump aiding and abetting the fools in the EU and Ukraine.

If Trump can’t handle Yemen, how is he going to strongarm Iran or China?

Another example of zero correctness in the entire sentence. Trump is not trying to “handle” Yemen. He did engage in shows of force during his first term but also did not engage in any type of new conflicts.
Iran: Russia itself likely does not want nuclear weapons in Iran whatever the short term relationship. I remember clearly the Trump talk regarding North Korea before the actual engagement, so I have little sympathy or patience for fools who – once again – don’t understand the difference between Trump talk and Trump actions.
China: Trump is not the one who wants to conquer or subdue China. If you actually pay attention to what he did in his first term as well as so far in his 2nd – what he wants is to end the dynamic where US capability is offshored to China, and China’s newly built dominance in manufacturing is used to further disadvantage any other nation’s production. Some of this is structural due to Chinese superiority in volume and quality, but some of it is also policy as in dumping, pricing wars and so forth.

One thing about Trump demanding the spotlight. Everyone is starting to notice his failures.

Good, notice all you want. Sadly, what you are noticing is not what is actually important.

The Dems and media are starting to organize, and his talk of a 3rd term will only inspire them more.

LOL you if you really think the Dems are starting to organize. AOC and Bernie in 2028 is possibly the only worse ticket than Kamala in 2024.

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 22:15 utc | 65

@Passerby #48
Article 5 must be the most abused nonsense in history.
There is NO contractual obligation in NATO for any member to come to the defense of another.
Members are only obligated to consider doing so.
As for Russia winning in Ukraine: it is a done deal. All that matters now is what the morons in the EU do about it.
I spoke before about there being multiple ways for Trump to skin the NATO cat.
As it is, the fools in Paris, London and Berlin are doing just fine exiting NATO in a huff because the naked truth about where military power actually lies in NATO has been revealed. That’s even better than trying to get the US to exist NATO since it would require serious US Congressional approval to do so.
The latest idiocy of the “Coalition of the Willing” has only underscored how impotent Europe is, in contrast to its big talk.

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 22:19 utc | 66

@WMG #53
Meh.
Alastair Crooke and Larry Johnson are good people, but their track record of predicting Trump’s actions is just as shitty as almost all the posters on MOA.
Let’s see.

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 22:21 utc | 67

Posted by: Roger Boyd | Mar 30 2025 22:07 utc | 61
################
I suspect that Trump is putting on a show to create a distraction from something.
He sought to deliver that message live and on-air on a Sunday, which is the big political media day in the US, setting the tone for newsrooms the next week.
Was his intended audience Russia? Ukraine? Neo-Cons? Deep State? Britain? GOP Senate? Panama? Greenland? China? Papua New Guinea (now in Imperial sights)?
The problem with being a manipulator all of the time is that people habituate to your episodes and begin to tune them out.
I don’t think he wants to go nuclear, but I am a little concerned about what he does if his current tactics with Iran and Yemen don’t work. Ansar Allah shutting down Ben Gurion airport is a huge deal. He cannot let that continue.
Promising to deliver hell so many times makes people roll their eyes when he threatens violence now. He will need to do something “over the top” to recover attention and compliance. Hopefully that doesn’t spark WW3.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 22:21 utc | 68

Posted by: S.P. Korolev | Mar 30 2025 20:31 utc | 54
Apologies: 5th largest.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_natural_gas_exports

Posted by: Patroklos | Mar 30 2025 22:22 utc | 69

@WMG #55
That’s because all of the people who planned to illegally overstay, aren’t doing that any more. /sarc
But in reality, travel varies dramatically with the economy.
That and comparisons with post-lockdown COVID overreaction – I give zero credence to these prognostications of doom.

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 22:23 utc | 70

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 22:15 utc | 65
##########
The Gazans never left their home. Trump’s ceasefires have all failed in Gaza, Lebanon, and Ukraine. Trump is a diplomatic dud.
Trump must handle Yemen because they have shut down the international airport (Ben Gurion) in Israel.
That he cannot stop the Houthi makes him look weak. Iran is probably unimpressed. Russia and China, too.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 22:25 utc | 71

The UK is utterly fucked after five decades of neoliberalism from Callaghan to Thatcher to Blair to the 2010s Austerity BS (to pay for bailing out the banks) to the self-harming Russia sanctions and now Starmer (a pale bland version of Blair). The Chinese company that owns the last two UK steel blast furnaces is talking about closing them, its obvious that Ford is moving its production to Europe and the Vauxhall car plant will probably close soon given the lousy sales figures.
100% of GDP government debt, deficit 4.5% of GDP, current account deficit of 2.7% of GDP, while interest rates are significantly above nominal GDP growth. There are ways out of the mess, but that would require the UK establishment and the US oligarchs who now own so much of UK business to give some back for the sake of the nation – of course, never going to happen. Instead we will get fiscal consolidation no growth/recession and quite possibly a massive sterling crisis. With a big rise in energy prices in the summer, due to the EU refilling their gas storage, to help drive an inflation which will further immiserate the majority of the UK population. So the UK will continue to sink below the proverbial waves.
While Starmer cosplays as Churchill and throws billions at Ukraine. The UK does not “need” to rearm, it in reality has no possibility of being invaded by anyone as it is already occupied by the US military. The two toy aircraft carriers with the reliability of a used 1980s Jaguar car were, and are, an utter waste of money.

Posted by: Roger Boyd | Mar 30 2025 22:27 utc | 72

@Roger Boyd #61
I think there is a very high chance that this report is bullshit.
Let’s start with who reported it: some random NBC spokesmodel who has zero historical relationship to Trump was called up by Trump and Trump poured his heart out to her.
Why is this believable?
Secondly, pissed. Have you ever heard Trump say this word? While no one is going to credit Trump with an ivory tower vocabulary – at the same time, he simply does not talk this way. If he is angry, he says “I am very very angry with “. He does not say pissed.
Thirdly, if Trump is angry at someone – he posts it on X or Truth Social. He does not call ANY newspeople, much less random newspeople working for a network he detests (i.e. NBC).
I would not at all be surprised if this is some deepfake or even just a person with decent mimicry skills.

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 22:27 utc | 73

Posted by: Jose Garcia | Mar 30 2025 17:57 utc | 30
I dont think Mussolini was that evil on the spectrum of evil rulers. He was on team evil for his invasion of Ethiopia, but he did not have a “lebesraum”, he didnt genocide, he didnt cut the hands off those who did not get enough rubber, he didnt destory vietnam or korea with napalm,
I just dont see him as all that evil.

Posted by: UWDude | Mar 30 2025 22:31 utc | 74

MOATS, Ep 434, with George Galloway
https://x.com/georgegalloway/status/1906405036286238953
‘America Unstitched’
with Greg Stoker and Jessica Burbank

Posted by: John Gilberts | Mar 30 2025 22:35 utc | 75

The UK left the EU, but first there was Thatcher brandishing her handbag, shouting “I want my money back”. Next came decades of “opting out” – cherry-picking. This ended when the UK left the EU.
What if this was an Anglo-Saxon thing? Trump, like Thatcher, feels he is contributing too much, while receiving too little. The next step might be the cherry-picking stage, with the US being a NATO member only when it benefits them.

Posted by: Passerby | Mar 30 2025 22:42 utc | 76

I would not at all be surprised if this is some deepfake or even just a person with decent mimicry skills.
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 22:27 utc | 73
#############
Q-tier posting.
Thanks for the laugh. I thought all of you guys went away after 2021.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 22:44 utc | 77

@ c1ue | Mar 30 2025 22:27 utc | 73
i agree – probably deepfake… if one thinks of the use of AI to manufacture bullshit, selling a cheap ( AI or otherwise ) version of trump is easy enough to do.. and of course the intel agencies are in love with this shit too – lies and deception is their number 1 game..

Posted by: james | Mar 30 2025 22:44 utc | 78

@ LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 22:44 utc | 77
c1ue and william gruff correctly predicted the trump win… i skip over your posts most all of the time, so maybe you did too? lol..

Posted by: james | Mar 30 2025 22:46 utc | 79

Posted by: james | Mar 30 2025 22:46 utc | 79
############
Keep skipping, please.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 22:55 utc | 80

Re: US economy
To be clear: I am not saying everything is hunky dory with the US economy.
First: The US economy is coming off a massive liquidity high the likes of which has literally never been seen. Biden spent more, in same year dollar terms, than the United States spent during World War 2. That’s a LOT of money printing.
Simply cutting back on this level of money printing is going to cause economic decline.
Second: Firing tens to hundreds of thousands of government employees, terminating millions to billions of dollars in contractors and US contracts and USAID BS and what not, is going to also negatively affect the economy. US Federal spending is well over 20% of the GDP – so a 5% reduction in US Federal spending means a first order 0.5% subtracted from GDP right there with ripple effects being much higher.
But why is a recession bad? Yes, regular people are going to suffer but they would suffer anyway. We have an economy that is massively distorted by Federal spending, we have zombie companies and sectors stumbling around because there has not been a recession to kill them off.
Recessions are a feature of normal economic cycles and they perform a useful function exactly like mass starvation when an animal population gets too big.
There has been talk that Trump is shooting to have a recession now, when it can be blamed on Biden, and so that a recovery can occur before the midterms.
I don’t know about that.
I think anyone who believes they can control the US economy that closely is smoking crack.
Then again, Trump can do one thing: he can run it hot i.e. high inflation but higher wage growth. Is this possible? Absolutely.
First, you cut down the regulatory apparatus impeding progress in all those areas not favored by the PMCs and liberati: climate change, alternative energy, etc etc. Seems like that is going to happen even if regulations are simply not going to be enforceable without the hundreds of thousands of bureaucrats to peck people and businesses to death. If Biden can ignore an entire Southern border by simply not enforcing the laws on the books on immigration and border control, Trump can do the same for nuclear energy or any of a myriad other areas – Thanks Biden! – especially after the bureaucrat agencies living on this are gutted.
I can give a very good example of this pecking: late last year, the CARB (California Air Resource Board) sent a “mandatory survey” to all businesses operating in California requiring them to fill out a CARB Excel spreadsheet with all of the materials used in all of each consumer products sold by a business that are remotely able to emit “VOCs” (volatile organic compounds). A volatile organic compound is literally any gas – primary or derived – that contains carbon in it. Well, that’s literally almost everything in any product you can possibly think of: cosmetics, food, drinks, supplements, OTC medical, etc etc.
If your product has a fragrance in it that you did not create yourself – you are on the hook to list that info.
Note that there has not been any California law passed by lawmakers relating to VOCs – these are diktats created by CARB itself. Just doing the survey itself is a serious effort; it is sure as death and taxes, that taxes will then be assessed based on the information garnered by this bureaucrat power grab. Note that CARB is the bureaucrat’s ideal: able to pull regulations out of its ass and with a billion dollar plus budget.
Second, you create an environment where building shit in America (non defense related) actually makes money. Tariffs will do that. Yes, they will probably raise consumer prices in the short term, but the impact on the economy – as Russia has demonstrated – can be VERY fast. Russia went from sanctions “hell” in 2022 to outperforming all of the Western economies in 2023 and 2024.
Is this Trump’s plan?
I don’t know, but he clearly has something in mind.
What fools, TDS and PMCs don’t understand is that Trump at least recognizes the core issues and is doing something about them. The lawfare, the concern trolling, all of that is irrelevant to either the Democrats’ ability to get back into power as well as actually trying to improve Americans’ lives – as opposed to the PMCs/bureaucrats/government hangers-on.
Note again: I am not against government.
I am not a believer in libertarian nonsense.
But I am also not blind to the reality that the Federal government has gone far too long without accountability.

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 22:59 utc | 81

@Passerby #76
I dispute your depiction.
The UK was never a “core” EU member.
It never adopted the euro.
It never coordinated with EU bureaucrats on financial regulations – specifically because of the City of London.
It was never part of the Schengen zone.
Yes, the bureaucrats in the UK did coordinate some aspects of the EC, but only some. The UK was no more part of the EU than Turkey is – it simply is geographically closer and therefore had more ties than Turkey does with the EU.
As for NATO: you have missed my core point.
And that point is that NATO is NOTHING without the US. It can’t do shit by itself right now and for the foreseeable future.
As such, it does not matter what the rest of the NATO alliance wants.
In reality, all of the power and capability lies entirely with the US.
If the US chooses not to support what the rest of the NATO “alliance” wants, then the rest of said alliance is fucked and can fuck off.
If these European NATO member nations want to flounce off and form the own NATO (ETO or whatever), all fine and good but the result is identical: nothing happens without US support.

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 23:07 utc | 82

@ LoveDonbass | Mar 30 2025 22:55 utc | 80
it is indeed my only choice.. you post way too much, even if you might have something relevant to say..it is drowned out by your constant posting.. broken record..

Posted by: james | Mar 30 2025 23:09 utc | 83

@LoveDonbass #77
Give that you have clearly demonstrated zero credibility or analysis skills, I really DGAF what you think especially since you do what you always do: yap with zero considered thought.

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 23:10 utc | 84

c1ue and william gruff correctly predicted the trump win… i skip over your posts most all of the time, so maybe you did too? lol..
Posted by: james | Mar 30 2025 22:46 utc | 79
LD wanted a Trump victory, hoping his zionism was just bluster.
It wasn’t, and LD now has wrath.
I felt the same way, but had very little hope Trumps zionism was bluster. I just considered him the lesser of two evils, and his blunt statements of American aggression and empire are better than the dem professionally scripted lies.

Posted by: UWDude | Mar 30 2025 23:10 utc | 85

Hegseth Visits Manila: Washington Prepares For War With China
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/03/29/lnwe-m29.html
‘The opposition to Marcos is headed by the Duterte family, which has sought to improve relations with China by distancing Manila from Warshington. Over the past month, the Marcos government has overseen the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte and the arrest and extradition to the Hague of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte on charges of crimes against humanity. The current situation in the Philippines is deeply unstable.’
“…Hegseth’s visit is far more than a bid to strengthen Manila’s loyalty in an election…What is envisioned in the joint statement is the transformation of the Philippines into an island platform in the Asia Pacific region for the maintenance of the US war machine in its intended war with China.”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Mar 30 2025 23:19 utc | 86

@52 Norwegian
Terrible, he must have escaped E.T.
There is a lot of this now, here is on royalty leading re-armament (in Spanish)
https://www.elmundo.es/loc/casa-real/2025/03/30/67e56ffee85ece04468b4578.html
Maybe I missed it somewhere, but european oil companies being told by US to leave Venezuela by May is also headlines.
Seeing as Napoleon was mentioned and LoveDonbass is taking flack, here is a paper that looks at the “Non-Jewish Origin of Zionism”
https://www.scribd.com/document/164320759/The-Non-Jewish-Origin-of-Zionism
which has a lot of history and leads. The author roughly concludes the jews were set up by europeans, which I disagree with, not least because high level jewish influences are known of, are even aknowledged in the essay. The point being that Napoleon offered the jews “Israel” long before Britain became involved, but they preferred “to keep Paris as their capital”. Maybe I shouldn’t put wind in LD’s sails, but I think the topic is too important to not cover these facets also.

Posted by: Ornot | Mar 31 2025 0:15 utc | 87

“…Hegseth’s visit is far more than a bid to strengthen Manila’s loyalty in an election…What is envisioned in the joint statement is the transformation of the Philippines into an island platform in the Asia Pacific region for the maintenance of the US war machine in its intended war with China.”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Mar 30 2025 23:19 utc | 86
The philipines were not chosen by chance by spain, nor take by chance by the us.
They allow an almost perfect 3.000 km radius of control over east-asia

Posted by: Newbie | Mar 31 2025 0:25 utc | 88

Anybody could have predicted Trump’s win after the obviously fake assassination attempt.
Posted by: POOH | Mar 31 2025 0:17 utc | 88
______
Anyone could have predicted Trump’s win when it became clear he was running against first a doddering crank, then a gibbering imbecile.

Posted by: malenkov | Mar 31 2025 0:32 utc | 89

Give that you have clearly demonstrated zero credibility or analysis skills
Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 23:10 utc | 84
###############
You claimed that Trump was deep-faked on a national broadcast observed by and reported on by millions worldwide.
Surely if that was not him, the WH would have said something …
You shouldn’t worry about my credibility. You should be worried about what they did to the real Trump.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 31 2025 1:30 utc | 90

C1ue 81
Sure, but on the flip side, with tariffs, gov is introducing themselves as the middleman on arguably even more transactions than ones they are cutting themselves out of internally (in total transaction value terms)

Posted by: E | Mar 31 2025 1:37 utc | 91

you post way too much…
@ james | Mar 30 2025 23:09 utc | 83

It’s nice to hear that (I really think so) from someone who definitely does not post too much out here. Not so’s I’ve noticed, anyways. Alter-contrariwise, james has long set a standard for brevity (whether or not also for wit) which all MoA contributors could salubriously imitate. Even his handle is crisp & compact. Okay, sometimes there’s a squabble, but probably most readers aren’t into flame-war rivalries, so why bother going to the trouble of trying to win stupid arguments — within this here thread or even in real life, my dear brothers and sisters?
Something for frequent posters to think about: Is my visit to planet Earth evaporating online? Here’s a true story from my days working with a team of software developers for children’s games: One of our most vibrant producers, Dennis, presented an idea for a new product called “Go Outside and Play!”

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Mar 31 2025 1:40 utc | 92

88 POOH if definitive proof of a fake comes it… there would probably be real revolution… didn’t someone die behind trump?!

Posted by: E | Mar 31 2025 1:42 utc | 93

Washington Post report on Hegseth, titled “Secret Pentagon memo on China, homeland has Heritage fingerprints”:
(US to go to war only with China, Europe with Russia [presumably Israel with Iran] – division of labour as Brian Berletic put it)
“… An internal guidance memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth focuses on deterring China’s seizure of Taiwan and shoring up homeland defense. In some instances, the document is nearly a word-for-word facsimile of a report from the conservative think tank behind Project 2025.

“China is the Department’s sole pacing threat, and denial of a Chinese fait accompli seizure of Taiwan — while simultaneously defending the U.S. homeland is the Department’s sole pacing scenario,” Hegseth wrote. Its force planning construct — a concept of how the Pentagon will build and resource the armed services to take on perceived threats — will consider conflict only with Beijing when planning contingencies for a major power war, it says, leaving the threat from Moscow largely attended by European allies. …”
etc
About six years ago i sat and told my psychiatrist that i thought the biggest threats we faced were that the UK had become fascist, that Russia would have to invade Ukraine soon, that Israel and Iran would bomb each other, and US would go to war with China over Taiwan. At the time he was the only one who said i wasnt crazy.

Posted by: Keith | Mar 31 2025 1:59 utc | 94

About six years ago i sat and told my psychiatrist that i thought the biggest threats we faced were that the UK had become fascist, that Russia would have to invade Ukraine soon, that Israel and Iran would bomb each other, and US would go to war with China over Taiwan. At the time he was the only one who said i wasnt crazy.
Posted by: Keith | Mar 31 2025 1:59 utc | 95
###########
Brilliant.
Your psychiatrist was a geopolitical mensch who probably didn’t charge enough.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 31 2025 2:25 utc | 95

Why is Japanese stock market down 3.8% Monday pan local time ? Not a peep in the financial press.
Must be more than just the automobile tariffs

Posted by: Exile | Mar 31 2025 3:07 utc | 96

Did Yemeni military really knock out one of the Carrier USS Truman‘s E-2 Hawkeye planes ?
That’s very significant if true. Like stunning

Posted by: Exile | Mar 31 2025 3:16 utc | 97

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 22:59 utc | 81
Yawn.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 31 2025 3:25 utc | 98

Exile ( Mar 31 2025 3:07 utc | 98 ):
If Japan is still a big customer of Iranian gas and oil etc. (I do not know if this is still the case but I’m guessing it is) then it could perhaps be explained by the continued threats to Iran from the US since any actual US attacks are likely to damage Japanese economic interests.
Is it Japanese oil and gas companies/industry that are down the most? If so it would perhaps confirm this point of view.

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Mar 31 2025 3:25 utc | 99

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 30 2025 18:57 utc | 43
“TDS” is the new “anti-semitism” or “I’m a fuckin’ moron so don’t read anything I say but hey I have the power of the federal government and you don’t.”
It’s utterly redundant. TDS TDS TDS
You’re so fucking tiresome and without any meaningful or useful commentary you defer to “TDS” anytime anyone criticizes Trump. As bad or worse than Obamabots or NeverTrumpers. You’re all in the same camp.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 31 2025 3:28 utc | 100