Usual caveat for those reading MSM, don’t believe everything you read…
‘Fake news’: China dismisses claims of US trade talks
Government ministries say trade negotiations not being considered after US President Donald Trump suggested the two countries have been in contact
https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3307745/china-denies-rumours-us-trade-talks-says-claims-have-no-factual-basis
China denied it has made any overtures to the United States on trade negotiations, dismissing claims of progress on bilateral talks as “fake news” despite an apparent softening by US President Donald Trump on the hefty tariffs he has imposed since returning to office in January.
When asked if the US and China have started trade negotiations – a question prompted by assertions from Trump that Washington has been in contact with officials from Beijing – Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun said “all of this is fake news” in a press conference on Thursday.
The Ministry of Commerce echoed the sentiment in a conference held the same day.

Posted by: Newbie | Apr 24 2025 14:50 utc | 3

Henry Tillman: China’s Thorium Revolution – 60.000 Years of Cheap Energy
Glenn Diesen from yesterday, 35 minute interview… this is one of the ways of the future… china is in the lead..

Posted by: james | Apr 24 2025 15:07 utc | 5

Trump Talked About the ’51st state’ During Call With Carney: Radio-Canada Sources (& vid)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/carney-trump-51st-state-1.7517252
“According to Radio-Canada’s sources, Trump brought up the issue of the 51st state during the March 28 call, explaining the advantages of Canada joining the US Carney let him speak before expressing his disagreement.
That contradicts what the prime minister told journalists in a news conference later that day, when he suggested that Trump had put his expansionist language aside during the conversation.
‘The president respected Canada’s sovereignty today both in his private and public comments,’ Carney said on March 28…”
Surely a Bilderberger, Knight of Malta, Central bankster x 2 and ex Goldman-Sachs (‘vampire squid’) royalty, would never tell a lie?
Election Monday but ‘Whoever you vote for the government always wins’…

Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 24 2025 15:22 utc | 7

MoA offer a Strike thru HTML Tag other blog sites do not.
Test
https://www.namecheap.com/visual/font-generator/strikethrough/
𝚃̷𝚑̷𝚒̷𝚜̷ ̷𝚒̷𝚜̷ ̷𝚊̷𝚖̷𝚊̷𝚣̷𝚒̷𝚗̷𝚐̷
Also useful:
https://www.namecheap.com/visual/font-generator/
https://www.namecheap.com/visual/font-generator/whitespace/

Posted by: Otto Penn | Apr 24 2025 16:27 utc | 9

It is not customary for people touting the so-called Deep State or its usual corollary the so-called PMC to include the rather visible officer corps in their agitprop. It seems to me that Trump disagrees, hence his choice of Hegseth to purge the officer corps (a necessary prelude to full dictatorship, not so by the way.) The boomlet in media agitation about how Hegseth is on his way may be correct reporting from inside sources, or prompted by the belief that perception is reality…therefore if you keep saying Hegseth is gone, then it will become true.
Regardless, key to the moves against Hegseth/Trump are the leaks about Signal indiscretions. Partly this may be trying to attack Hegseth/Trump from the right (a mad project but tit for tat for the email servers nonsense, as was the Russiagate campaign.) Crying treason is a standard smear by conservatives of all stripes, from so-called liberals to cryptofascists. The question is, is there a clique orchestrating this, as best they can? The first place to look for leaks is the intelligence agencies, not just the CIA but also the NSA, which usually has a general at the top for a reason in my view. In darker moments, I can imagine some youngster in an office adding that Atlantic editor to the group chat with a few keystrokes.
To focus on Hegseth’s supposedly treasonous leaking instead of the attack on the Houthis is to miss the real crime. But such a focus is useful to a faction that is also committed to American empire, but dissents on how, and who (benefits.) Nonetheless the notion of playing into such conspiratorial methods is I think unwise. It’s an example of not caring about bourgeois democracy before it’s replaced with something better, fundamentally irrational and doomed in the long run. My guess is that lots of the MoA commentariat is indifferent, on the grounds they want Trump to have a reliable—for him—officer corps. But perhaps I guess wrong?

Posted by: steven t johnson | Apr 24 2025 16:33 utc | 11

Trump just can’t catch a break, now the Chinese are exposing his lies by declaring there are no active negotiations.
Trump is looking for an easy win and none is to be found. It is interesting to see thd China strategy vs the Russian strategy with Trump.
China has decided not to give an inch to Trump even in public.
Posted by: silverfoxes | Apr 24 2025 16:29 utc | 10

It seems rather like the difference between a static advantage in chess versus a dynamic advantage in same. The Russian Federation seems to have more diplomatic approaches to choose from and, for the nonce, it shows.
But the Chinese are a quick study and it won’t take long before we will be hearing the new Chinese Lavrov. We are already getting little hints of it, with Chinese ways of expressing things, and, I, for one, am getting a huge tub of popcorn.

Posted by: NH | Apr 24 2025 16:41 utc | 13

🇧🇦 Bosnia’s getting a free preview of life under EU rule.
After failing to arrest him last (https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/145593?single) night, the unelected German “peace commissioner” Christian Schmidt has now moved to cut party funding for President Milorad Dodik and the ruling coalition in Republika Srpska.
Via: Margarita Simonyan on X (https://x.com/M_Simonyan/status/1915446210795540766?t=9i4lLuk77MTnyC201oJ6gg&s=19)

germany once again antagonizing slavic people. once a nazi, always a nazi. they didnt like that dodik is going to moscow on may 9th, tried to arrest him for some bogus but failed, so now they are “cutting funding”, in other words, more blackmail.
i am so sick of what we germans have returned to.

Posted by: Justpassinby | Apr 24 2025 18:02 utc | 15

Bosnia is a perfect example of “agreement incapable’
The Dayton Peace Accords created a weak Bosnian central gov’t and 3 autonomous provinces. (Serb, Croat, Bosniak). This outcome was a defeat for the Brussels and Washington War Parties whose core war aim was a strong central gov’t dominated by the Bosniak ethnic minority. For the last 30 years, the War Party has refused to hold to the Dayton Accords. The latest attempt to arrest a freely elected Provincial Leader is yet another example of ‘agreement incapable’
The Russians are fully aware of these nuances.

Posted by: exile | Apr 24 2025 18:29 utc | 17

@Posted by: Newbie | Apr 24 2025 14:50 utc | 3
The Chinese may keep Trump exposed within the tariff hole of his own making for a while, and his position will get weaker every day as the cut-off of Chinese goods works its way from the Pacific ports, through the truck and rail supply chains, to the shelves and industrial loading docks. At the same time, US agri-business will be taking the hit from losing their biggest export market – especially in the soya beans and pork businesses. All to be added to the economic fallout of the government staffing cuts, the government research and other budget cuts, and the increasing fallout from the actions of the xenophobic, racist and brutal ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) knuckleheads in the foreign tourist and foreign student sectors. His Art of the Surrender will be on full display, but as usual the Chinese will be diplomatic about such things. The Chinese are playing Trump just as well as the Russians are playing Trump.
I wrote a piece on this, detailing how very different the situation now is to Trump’s first term. As with Russia in 2014 during the Obama administration, Trump’s first term provided a warning to China that it fully took on board and it is now much strengthened vs. the US. The economic and political pain will just keep increasing until Trump is where the Chinese want him. They may also be making sure that he gets a very hard lesson about consequences, to help restrain his future actions. China can do just fine without exports to the US, and most definitely with what it imports from the US (new providers are forming a queue), while the US very much needs its imports from China. In a relationship, picking a fight with your partner who has less to lose from a breakup is generally not a good idea.
How Are Those Tariffs Going? The Inevitability of US Surrender Talks
We are now in the period of a change in global leadership, as the US and the West succumb to their internal ills while especially EurAsia flourishes. But even Africa and South America now increasingly have a different option to US and Western dominance.

Posted by: Roger Boyd | Apr 24 2025 18:35 utc | 19

They may also be making sure that he gets a very hard lesson about consequences, to help restrain his future actions.
Posted by: Roger Boyd | Apr 24 2025 18:35 utc | 19
—

Donald Trump informed the Chinese president that he had launched missile strikes on Syria as the pair ate “the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake that you have ever seen”, the US president has claimed.
“I was sitting at the table. We had finished dinner. We are now having dessert. And we had the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake that you have ever seen. And President Xi was enjoying it,” Trump said.
“And I said: ‘Mr President, let me explain something to you … we’ve just launched 59 missiles, heading to Iraq [sic] … heading toward Syria and I want you to know that.’
“I didn’t want him to go home … and then they say: ‘You know the guy you just had dinner with just attacked [Syria].’”
Asked how Xi had reacted, Trump said: “He paused for 10 seconds and then he asked the interpreter to please say it again – I didn’t think that was a good sign.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/12/trump-xi-jinping-chocolate-cake-syria-strikes

Imagine not learning from that episode.

Posted by: too scents | Apr 24 2025 19:01 utc | 21

Who’s running the show? On one hand Trump states he’s compromising on the tariffs on China. On the other hand, Bessent states otherwise. I thought the buck stops in the Oval Office. This uncertainty is not good. If Trump was going to be so unreliable in his decision making, he should not have run for office. His duplicity is destroying our economy and showing the world that the United States is not a country any one can partner and prosper with. Untrustworthy.

Posted by: octavian61 | Apr 24 2025 19:09 utc | 23

His duplicity is destroying our economy and showing the world that the United States is not a country any one can partner and prosper with. Untrustworthy.
Posted by: octavian61 | Apr 24 2025 19:09 utc | 23
1)
Our economy was destroyed in 2009. Its been a shot show ever since papered over by numbers saying its great.
2)
the United States is not a country any one can partner and prosper with. Untrustworthy.
duh. Been that way for decades.

Posted by: UWDude | Apr 24 2025 19:34 utc | 25

Posted by Dun Groanin April 24 2025 11:30 utc/ 283 (‘Setback for US Ceasefire Deal’)
“So the caravan moves on to the MAIN EVENT..It is AFRICA…”
Your post in another thread made me remember the brilliant work of the late great investigative journalist, photographer and activist Keith Harmon Snow…
Gertler’s Bling Blang Torah Gang
https://dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/gertlers-bling-blang-torah-gang/
“Israel and the ongoing holocaust in Congo.”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 24 2025 19:49 utc | 27

Correcting #27:
Keith Harmon Snow: Gertler’s Bling Bang Torah Gang
https://dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/gertlers-bling-bang-torah-gang/
“Israel and the ongoing holocaust in Congo…”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 24 2025 19:56 utc | 29

Zionist dictator Starmer today announced that his regime intends to “accelerate” their already insane drive to force the UK to become a “net-zero” economy.
Yet in the last couple of days the regime was also seriously considering dropping various chemical cocotions into the clouds to block or reflect away the sun.
Which the emissions they intend to ban completely just happen to do naturally, more safely and at no added cost.
Intensified greenshit scam on top of endless billions of pounds to Kiev-Ukraine … effectively unlimited illegal immigration they have absolutely no intention of stopping … big energy price rises really to subsidise their own corporate (often foreign) or personal associates … new nuclear power stations decades overdue … still no genuine effort to prevent private water companies (often foreign) very profitably pumping toxic crap into every river and lake they can reach … food price rises … and plenty more which includes expensively helping Israel to mass-murder Palestinians, plus making dissent ever more illegal.
They claim “There is no money!” — except for what they want = “There is limitless money”
So much for so-called modern “democracy” and its “NATO values”.
Wherein the public are elected to serve the Political Establishment.

Posted by: Cynic | Apr 24 2025 20:04 utc | 31

Medvedev proposes BRICS intl. court as alternative to ‘flawed’ ICC
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev has proposed the creation of a new international legal body under the BRICS international court framework as an alternative to what he described as the “inefficient” and “irreversibly flawed” International Criminal Court (ICC).
In an article titled “Lost Illusions, or How the International Criminal Court has become a legal nonentity,” Medvedev argued that the ICC’s current role and structure have failed to deliver impartial justice and should be replaced.
Medvedev suggested that BRICS nations could lead the development of a new judicial body that aligns with the principles of the UN Charter, particularly emphasizing sovereign immunity in international law.
This proposed court would respect the immunity of heads of sovereign states from foreign jurisdiction and oppose foreign interference, including what he described as “unlawful foreign instructing of opposition leaders.”
Full article : https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/medvedev-proposes-brics-intl–court-as-alternative-to–flawe

Posted by: Red Star | Apr 24 2025 20:13 utc | 33

In his recent column from Shanghai, “Pepe Escobar: The Shanghai Spirit–China Will Take No Bullying” Pepe Escobar linked to a key Guancha podcast that I have now translated and crafted into an article that marries it to today’s Hudson/Wolff/Nima chat, “Paper Tiger, Global Fracture & Trump as Catalyst”. The podcast is entitled, “How to deal with Trump’s trade war – wisdom from Mao Zedong,” and is very educational, which in turn melds with what’s taught during the chat.

Posted by: karlof1 | Apr 24 2025 20:57 utc | 35

@Posted by: too scents | Apr 24 2025 19:53 utc | 28
Fiat South America is actually doing very well (as is the Stellantis Peugeot-Citroen in South America), but its basically a completely localized operation with region-specific models and local production. Fiat has 20% of the Brazilian car market, with 521,000 sales. Nearly a 100,000 sales also in Argentina.
In Italy, Fiat had only a 9.7% market share in March and y-o-y its sales fell while the overall car market grew. The Fiat Panda (70% of Italian Fiat sales) was the only Fiat car in the top 5 sellers. Italian Fiat sales fell by 17.6% in 2024, Turkey and Germany by 24%, France 20%, the UK 14%. In the first quarter of 2025, Fiat sales were down about 55% y-o-y in France, 36% in Germany, 41% in Spain, 22% in the UK, 53% in Turkey (Egea sales are collapsing in Turkey).
The ICEV Panda is made in Italy, but the Tipo/Egea in Turkey, and the Grande Panda in Serbia (where they are experiencing serious problems ramping up production). The ICEV Panda is being phased out with a new EV Panda planned for around 2030. Supposedly that will be produced in Italy, otherwise the Italian plants have no real future. ICEV Panda was extended to 2027 to keep production going at the Pornigliano plant in Naples. Looks more like an extended death sentence to allow for a more politically-acceptable quiet extended closure.
Production has pretty much stopped at the Fiat Mirafiori plant in Turin, that produces the failed Fiat 500 and 500e and models for the fast declining Maserati. At its peak it produced a million cars a year. Cassino produces Alfa Romeos and Maseratis (both with very low and collapsing sales, and a 25% tariff for Alfa Romeo’s second best market of the US), and Melfi produces Jeeps. The Termoli engine plant looks to be pretty much closed down. SAIC-MG sales were up 65% in Italy y-o-y to gain the #10 sales position, and BYD sales are also growing rapidly there, and Chery entered the Italian market in Q3 2024.
Looks like we may very well soon see the end of car manufacturing in Italy, with perhaps the exception of Jeep assembly, with devastating consequences for the whole Italian automobile supply chain.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/international-business/european-business/article-it-was-once-europes-biggest-car-factory-today-its-an-icon-of-europes/

Posted by: Roger Boyd | Apr 24 2025 21:23 utc | 37

Africa’s membership to the World Trade Organization has been a disaster
https://gchelwa.substack.com/p/africas-membership-to-the-world-trade?

Posted by: Dogon Priest | Apr 24 2025 21:36 utc | 39

Thanks all, the Indian/Pakistan flare-up does look like a
third party provocation. Suspect the main target is Pakistan, possibly to distract from ongoing ME events. Bonus, drawing India closer to Quads.
Karlof1 translation of the Paper Tiger conversation identifies trump as merely the latest trigger, doesn’t matter who’s in charge. This points to an institutional mentality in the US.

Posted by: Suresh | Apr 24 2025 21:47 utc | 41

Your post in another thread made me remember the brilliant work of the late great investigative journalist, photographer and activist Keith Harmon Snow…
Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 24 2025 19:49 utc | 27
A giant among journalists, pasted away for months ago:
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/gazettenet/name/keith-snow-obituary?id=57222853
Some of his work:
https://allthingspass.com/
https://www.blackagendareport.com/author/keith%20harmon%20snow

Posted by: Menz | Apr 24 2025 22:05 utc | 43

Posted by: Menz | Apr 24 2025 22:05 utc | 43
pasted away = passed away

Posted by: Menz | Apr 24 2025 22:08 utc | 45

*** REPORT on the “Front Lines” in China ***
*sigh*
Project 1

I have a “TT mold” shipping from Jiangxi to Houston, in transit now. Value is around $100,000. This is a large mold in 11 sections. When built it will be multiple football fields in length.
It departed Qingdao port two weeks ago. Should arrive in Houston in about three weeks, depending.
The Freight Forwarder began with adding a “Houston Port Fee” for each 20’OT (open top) container of $100. This is a new requirement from the port because the vessel departed from Houston.
The American customer paid this fee. He will pass on the costs to his customers.
It is expected to arrive in American customs in about a month. We (on behalf of the client), have been working with the Freight Forwarder and have temporarily resolved the drayage Issue. (This is the unloading and shipping of the containers out of the Port of Houston to the build site).
And so the containers will be put in temporary duration quarantine until the tariff issue is sorted out.
No idea what my American customer will do. He told me that if the tariff stays high at the end of the quarantine period that he will abandon the mold. And then accept the loss of the product. The costs of this loss will be passed on to his existing American customers.

Project 2

I have a number of “smaller” molds. Still all quite big, in various shapes and sizes. Six assemblies in total. They are all built, and are being fitted with the hydraulic cylinders and control stations right before the week-long May-day festivities.
The customer has not yet paid for these molds. But I am expecting him to finish the payment to the Chinese factory. Or else, the factory will not ship.
My Freight forwarder tells me that since they are also going to Houston, Texas, an additional $100 port fee is being charged because they are Chinese ships. But this is offset in price (it’s gone down) because the shipping volume (to the United States) is so low right now.
I do not know what will happen. I anticipate payment to the factory and shipping normally if the tariff situation is resolved, but potential storage on the factory site if not.

Project 3

I have another very large multi-million dollar project that is just being “kicked off” this month. We are proceeding in the anticipation that the tariff situation will self-resolve shortly. So the design work in Italy, with the owners in the USA will continue normally. We do not anticipate any work at the factory until late this Summer. Then we will see what will happen.

All my other customers are non-American.
For them shipping is fine and normal.
I had a customer from New Zealand two weeks ago that I took on a tour of long drain factories, and some casting factories. All was fine except that he gave me the flu. Apparently, he picked it up in Vietnam. He was there looking at cheap assembly operations and motorcycle riding activities.
The United States media is a joke. It’s all blundering lies and distortions 24-7. I don’t even know what they are talking about most of the time. Their knowledge of reality is so distorted that it resembles some kind of B-grade Hollywood horror movie from the 1950s.
No Communication between the USA and China
Trump is not talking with Xi. At all. There are no lines of communication open, and no discussions. All this bluster from Trump is either delusion, or lies. It is not happening.
Official statements from Chinese media confirm this.
China”>https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202504/1332838.shtml&ved=2ahUKEwidwfyW2_GMAxWwR2wGHdJ2ERAQFnoECBoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2peGM4ntIKop2nRfuvjzD4″>China Denies existence of tariff negotiation with US
Some Thoughts
Did you know that Mike Tyson was a wimpy kid back in his school days?
Yeah, he was constantly picked on, belittled, and beaten-up.
But one day, in his rage and anger, he started fighting…
And he practiced and practiced, and practiced.
Then, after a few years, Mike (now huge, big and powerful) met one of his tormentors by chance. And the idiot (and he was truly an idiot) made a snide joking passive-aggressive comment to Mike.
And, you know what Mike did?
He beat the living shit out of his tormentor. I mean it. He was in the hospital for months. And Mike well… his trainer got him off of the more serious legal charges…
Well…
That’s China.
The pain, and the hurt of those last 150 years of torment is still fresh in the minds of all the Chinese and they don’t care. Lose money. Lose their business. Lose their American customers.
They don’t care.
PRIDE is everything.
To quote one of my factory bosses “Trump can pound sand, he’s never gonna get that phone call”.
…
I am sitting patiently on the sidelines, like most of expats in China.
The United States image of itself and it’s importance in regards to China is way, way…WAY inflated. And China is much, much… MUCH stronger than anyone in the USA realizes.
…
China is a massive dragon.
While the United States is this old broken eagle dressed up in a clown suit, high on cocaine, and trying to pick a fight with someone who just doesn’t care about consequences.
Peace Out.

Posted by: Rufus Arrrr | Apr 24 2025 22:34 utc | 47

My computer decided to freeze up on me just as Dialogue Works interesting conversation between Nima and Wolff/Hudson was reaching a final summation, but that has helped me ‘hold that thought’ which was Prof. Wolff saying that the catch to lowering labor costs is that you end up with people – workers- unable to buy anything. Fortunately, I’d managed to grab the link, so hopefully here that is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G98DeCZcT8

Posted by: juliania | Apr 24 2025 22:39 utc | 49

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G98DeCZcT8
Posted by: juliania | Apr 24 2025 22:39 utc | 49
Posting my link again, as I finished watching but will myself be watching again!
It ended with Prof. Wolff saying “Great conversation!” and Prof. Hudson saying “I loved it!”
I agree with them both!! Bravo, sirs!!

Posted by: juliania | Apr 24 2025 22:54 utc | 51

Creating currency from nothings effects in creating dictatorships and wars is well understood. After WW2 Bretton woods was a understanding that this practice is disastrous to the nation that practices it and disatrous for the world in wars. Creating money is the ultimate exceptionalism where a man becomes a god. Any crazy delusion can be dictated and enforced men are women ecetera. Biden was a dictator. Trump is a dictator. The function of the fake currency is now there is no possibility for anything but a dictator and the population supports one dictator or another. Except the reality is that bide and are identical in more than one way not just dictatorship. Biden kicked Russia off the dollar. Trump is kicking the world off the dollar. They are both obvious globalist disguised by their particular form of exceptionalism/dictatorship/fanatacism. Both have taken actions that guarantee the end of the dollar. Thats because it was known what the fake dollar woud create. The continuance of the USA was not desired.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-hyperinflation-heralded-the-fall-of-german-democracy-180982204/

Posted by: LosBanos | Apr 24 2025 23:10 utc | 53

Posted by: Menz | Apr 24 2025 22:58 utc | 52
######
Huge. Thanks for the share.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Apr 24 2025 23:23 utc | 55

Suresh | Apr 24 2025 21:47 utc | 41–
Thanks for your brief appraisal of the podcast translation. IMO, the Kashmir incident was Empire sponsored. Lavrov noted two days ago that the Empire’s trying to wriggle its way back into Afghan affairs via the Doha group.
Rufus Arrrr | Apr 24 2025 22:41 utc | 50–
One of the facts cited in the podcast I Translated regarding comparative economic power:
“And it’s not just the United States that’s far behind, China’s industrial electricity consumption is twice that of the six major industrial countries combined: the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. We have such a large industrial capacity, production capacity, and our productive forces have developed to such a scale, what else is there to fear?” [My Emphasis]
Oh, and it’s not a matter of “pride;” rather, it’s about justice for China AND the whole world.

Posted by: karlof1 | Apr 24 2025 23:41 utc | 57

Are they going to gut Medicaid ?
Hospital stocks gotten absolutely smoked, UHS off 11% and THC off almost 10% on no news other than speculation about how hard the GOP is going to gut Medicaid.
Same story for managed care names – MOH and ELV are more Medicaid-exposed.
The senators shorting healthcare stocks because they know the privatisers and rent seekers are running amok?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If they do gut Medicaid it is yet another kick in the baws for MAGA voters.
It’s incredible really as taxes don’t fund any of it. Just like National insurance in the UK. Yet, ideological nutjobs want to privatise it. Allow rent seekers to profit instead.
It’s unbelievable how dumb the average voter is. Wouldn’t you think these idiots would connect the dots and actually say to themselves hang on a minute all public services have been privatised and barely anything is now in public hands and we are still paying more tax than ever. Not only that now we also have to pay what the rent seekers charge for providing the service.
Nope. Dumb as a bag of spanners the lot of them. The freemarketloons.

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Apr 25 2025 0:05 utc | 59

Ideological free market head banger – “We need to privatise healthcare to make it cheaper”
Sane person – ” It will never be cheaper as free at the point entry healthcare the NHS. Your taxes don’t even fund that ”
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
That’s the level of stupidity sane people have to deal with every day. Surrounded by head bangers.
The head bangers have learned absolutely nothing from pet insurance , car insurance or any insurance for that matter. All they have learned is how to be selfish and righteous and pay so they can jump the Q.
What’s even worse is they have convinced themselves that they deserve to jump the Q. As they believe they are special.
Oh boy they’re special alright.
You can replace healthcare with any public service that has been privatised. These fools still think they are paying less.

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Apr 25 2025 0:21 utc | 61

Has any American looked at Trumpian Phoneyfarts education policy of moving education back to the states and what it means.
I didn’t bother looking at the detail as it would be swimming with ideological drivel. Has anybody at the bar actually spent the time looking at it in detail ?
Moving education away from the monopoly issuer of the $ and giving it to the states that are currency users like a household and not issuers of the currency seems problematic to me. Taxes would have to fund education in those states now.
It’s a recipe for many funding crises in the future if you ask me. Just like hurricane relief and forest fires relief the monopoly issuer of the currency will probably have to step in with emergency funding in some states eventually.
Maybe it is just an excuse to starve them of funds and say it is not working and privatise them off. Get taught with Macdonalds textbooks and driven to school in Amazon buses.
Business will have more say what can be taught and what cannot be taught to the children as they end up funding most of it.
How that will help them to compete with China or Russia is for the birds if you ask me. It is just even more corporate control in everybody’s lives.
Anybody looked at what the changes mean ?

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Apr 25 2025 1:03 utc | 63

Will taxes have to rise in each state to fund education now. Meaning again in aggregate the consumer will have less to spend on other goods and services in the state creating job loses.
Or is the monopoly issuer of the $ still going to keystroke funds into each states reserve account at the FED and continue to fund education via keystrokes. That only the managing of education has changed and this will now be done by the state itself ?

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Apr 25 2025 1:21 utc | 65

About Karl Sanchez 41m
Wolff’s point is if the Capitalist knew how to reason dialectically it could anticipate and thus avoid its own contradictions. And the contradictions blowing up in the capitalist’s face cause mistakes geopolitically.
If you find time, this is a powerful read, https://warwickpowell.substack.com/p/supply-chain-disintermediation-another
—
Response:
The (capitalists) Anglo-American Imperialists are not making mistakes. Their logic and reasoning is sound and they know exactly what they are doing and why they are doing it. Trump is not a mistake, he is not a fool, but is doing what he was hired to do and totally believes in. Biden was not a mistake-they will use whatever is available in the moment
There are no contradictions here. The Imperialists, the newly named Techno-Feudalists and Billionaires reject Wolffs and Hudsons and Karls values and idealism out of hand. Along with Chinas. They do not care if thousands die on the streets or have no jobs–they are not making mistakes but acting by design. They know the far majority of the general public (here and everywhere in the western sphere) and even their faithful Bureaucratic Enforcers and MAGA Loyalists are dumb and stupid.
All the disruption and confusion over Tariffs is not a mistake. Pretending to be playing “peace maker” with Russia is not a mistake. It is all by design.

Posted by: William | Apr 25 2025 1:36 utc | 67

yeah, throwing mud at putin is your style…

Posted by: james | Apr 25 2025 1:48 utc | 69

@ my 70
And the lack of respect for China is not only in the White House, but also in the US Congress where its silly laws are not on China but on the “CCP,” the Chinese Communist Party. How infantile.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Apr 25 2025 1:56 utc | 71

yeah, throwing mud at putin is your style…
Posted by: james | Apr 25 2025 1:48 utc | 69
The paper tigers left with nothing always have some mud to throw about.
Posted by: William | Apr 25 2025 1:43 utc | 68
it is great having a know it all like you around here, lol..
Posted by: james | Apr 25 2025 1:32 utc | 66
Putin is a public figure wielding enormous power, and like all such figures, he’s not above criticism — he’s the very definition of someone who should be scrutinized. If he (or you) can’t handle dissent or critique, he (and you) are paper tigers in the wrong line of work.

Posted by: William | Apr 25 2025 2:09 utc | 73

@ William | Apr 25 2025 2:09 utc | 73 who deserves a bevin from the bar
If you aren’t paid to throw sand into readers’ eyes and you do so out of malice, vanity or stupidity, not even the plea of economic necessity excuses your egregious behaviour.
Kindly leave the stage- to honest actors.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Apr 25 2025 2:52 utc | 75

@ William | Apr 25 2025 2:09 utc | 73
but we’re not allowed to scrutinize you apparently.. debs is right.. it is a waste of time talking to some..
Posted by: james | Apr 25 2025 2:52 utc | 74
Did you have something worth saying? If you did I missed it. You are not saying anything of value here. But scrutinize away james. You may begin anytime you want to.
Until then do not expect me to take you or debs and other trolls seriously when all you have is emotionally charged opinionated mud to throw and unsubstantiated allegations to present. You have shown you have nothing useful or truthful to say. Prove me wrong it you think you can. A more careful reading of what I have stated might save you both some confusion and many misguided personal attacks.
But hand waving trolls will be trolls. They’re limited and there is no stopping them or you. That’s why they are called trolls.

Posted by: William | Apr 25 2025 3:15 utc | 77

If you aren’t paid to throw sand into readers’ eyes and you do so out of malice, vanity or stupidity, not even the plea of economic necessity excuses your egregious behaviour.
Kindly leave the stage- to honest actors.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Apr 25 2025 2:52 utc | 75
Do tell me what it is you do not understand in what I have said previously. Speak up. Be honest.
Otherwise you are only throwing sand into readers’ eyes and you do so out of malice, vanity or stupidity. Nothing excuses your egregious trolling behaviour. Kindly leave the stage- to honest actors. But of course you will not. Trolls never leave and never admit they are dishonest vain trolls who believe they know everything about everything and everyone already.

Posted by: William | Apr 25 2025 3:22 utc | 79

but we’re not allowed to scrutinize you apparently..
Posted by: james | Apr 25 2025 2:52 utc | 74
Who declared you are not allowed to scrutinize me james?
Show me where anyone said you were not “allowed”. Or admit you are lying and using cheap illogical strawman arguments because that is all you really have-nothing.
out of malice, vanity or stupidity, not even the plea of economic necessity excuses your egregious behaviour.
Kindly leave the stage- to honest actors.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Apr 25 2025 2:52 utc | 75
Please show me – copy and paste the quotes – where I spoke out of malice, vanity or stupidity. Or admit you are lying and using cheap illogical strawman arguments because that is all you really have-nothing. Least of all any honesty.
I will ignore you from now on. For the board, this kind of immature behavior, false allegations and harassment occurs on forums because some participants are never held to account.

Posted by: William | Apr 25 2025 3:35 utc | 81

Posted by: Roger Boyd | Apr 25 2025 3:21 utc | 78
With 90% or more of the CAB being nilas or younger who cares? A1 rated hulls would have no problem reaching all but just north of the CAA and Greenland most of the year. It’s a lack of real portage on the NA side that makes icebreakers pointless. You build to your requirements not the opposition. Unless you are the French. Then you build hotels. The RF has the advantage of geography in the Arctic. Building a fleet of icebreakers with nothing to do would be as dumb as the RF building a fleet of supercarriers.

Posted by: Badjoke | Apr 25 2025 3:43 utc | 83

Trampling down death by death
Christ has Risen

Posted by: Exile | Apr 25 2025 4:22 utc | 85

🇮🇳🇵🇰 BREAKING: Indian and Pakistani forces have clashed in Leepa Valley, Kashmir.
The exchange began around 2AM PST, with reports of light arms fire. It is currently unclear which side initiated fire, conflicting reports.
Tensions continue to rise along the Line of Control.
https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1915524382581284950

Posted by: UWDude | Apr 25 2025 4:37 utc | 87

Posted by: UWDude | April 25, 2025 at 04:40
Actually, better chance ot is Lavrovs Dog. Shadowbanned style a tad different.
What we are seeing is classic lavrov’s dog. Very cordial as the steam build between his ears, then bam, he blows, makes a bunch of sock accounts, and gets himself banned.
He has also said a few catchphrases tha LD liked to say.

Posted by: UWDude | Apr 25 2025 4:49 utc | 89

Posted by: juliania | Apr 25 2025 4:04 utc | 84
No need to apologise for posting errors here, they are rarely our fault.
You say “that shortsightedness has been increasingly magnified as the determination to become the world’s financial center took hold back in the day, as karlof1 has pointed out, and psychohistorian always reminds us.”
I think you have this back to front juliana. There was and is no shortsightedness by TPTB the ruling classes the last many decades. They knew exactly what the outcomes would be like. The only shortsightedness is that belonging to the voters and others who kept pushing the likes of Thatcher, Reagan, Clinton, Blair, Bush 2, Obama, Trump and Biden – cheered on new copyright, internet oligopolies, intellectual property rights and the TPP and other misnamed free trade agreements IMF world bank strategies, and all those agents who implemented the plan in their administrations and all over the subserviant western world.
People trade unions and political parties were speaking out all the time. They were generally ignored and silenced by TPTB news media etc. Hudson and Wolff were never “all alone” merely ostracised from the mainstream.
plus this “The whole world now can see what a dead end the US leadership class is rattling down. And a question I have is, how could the first ones to decide on this course of action not see where it would lead? “
Not the ‘whole world’ that is an exaggeration juliana. The majority remain blind and cannot see. Your last question again misses the mark. Those who decided this course of action always knew and could see where it would lead. That was always their intention. They didn’t make a mistake. They never cared what people like you Wolff or Hudson Karl or psycho wanted or valued.
Their work their strategies and plans continue on as we speak. Trump is doing exactly what they wanted him to do, and Biden too. Their intention is to defeat and breakup of Russia and China, BRICS and the rest of the world for their own ends. Nothing has changed. It’s not a mistake.
Some people such as yourself and millions more in the west who are finally waking up to the fact that it was you who was mistaken about the Imperialist West and what was happening politically economically militarily and why. That is when the cognitive dissonance kicks in and denial gets to work.

Posted by: William | Apr 25 2025 4:52 utc | 91

“This is my sandpit. Get the hell out of it!”
wailed the 3 year old baby having a temper tantrum.

Posted by: William | Apr 25 2025 5:02 utc | 93

“This is my sandpit. Get the hell out of it!”
wailed the 3 year old baby having a temper tantrum.
Posted by: William | Apr 25 2025 5:02 utc | 93
Like I said, classic Lavrovs Dog.
Once he loses his cool, he starts to make the same identifying mistakes, oh, and his well crafted “mature” demeanor fades and he goes into angry banished troll phase.
Last time I pointed out some of his blatant tells. This time I will not, but…
…he’s doing it, again.
There is a reason people love “Dog’s Playing Poker”, Lavrovs “Dog”, do you get the joke yet?
xD

Posted by: UWDude | Apr 25 2025 5:08 utc | 95

Spoofing the Great Tariff War:

China said to waive retaliatory tariffs on some US chip imports in sign of trade war thaw
China has waived its retaliatory 125 per cent tariffs on certain semiconductor imports from the US, according to a Caijing report
China has waived its retaliatory 125 per cent tariffs on certain semiconductor imports from the US, according to a report from Chinese business magazine Caijing on Friday, citing industry sources.
The report said at least eight integrated circuit (IC)-related tariff codes were exempted from levies imposed earlier this month in response to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Chinese products. However, China has maintained tariffs on memory chips.
…
China’s customs administration has not issued any public notice regarding this change. Multiple phone calls to the news office of China Customs on Friday morning went unanswered. The China Semiconductor Industry Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Caijing report was deleted from its website and official WeChat channel by noon Friday.
https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3307881/china-said-waive-retaliatory-tariffs-some-us-chip-imports-sign-trade-war-thaw?

Tariffs have so much more undiscovered intrigue yet to give. Rumors move markets in China too.

Posted by: too scents | Apr 25 2025 5:42 utc | 97

The writer is chief economist at Goldman Sachs

The dollar has further to fall
Demand for US assets cannot keep up with supply without a weaker currency
Jan Hatzius
Apr 24 2025
I admit it: I often dodge questions about the dollar. A large body of academic literature and my own experience as an economic forecaster have taught me that predicting exchange rates is even harder than predicting growth, inflation and interest rates.
But with all due humility, I believe that the recent dollar depreciation of 5 per cent on a broad trade-weighted basis has considerably further to go.
Federal Reserve data shows that the real value of the dollar still stands nearly two standard deviations above its average since the start of the floating exchange rate era in 1973. The only two historical periods with similar valuation levels were the mid-1980s and the early 2000s. Both set the stage for depreciations of 25-30 per cent.
continues ==> https://www.ft.com/content/976e2798-f9db-46c6-9582-fe237c572f28

We are still in the very early days of a Sea Change. What Trump has set in motion can neither be reversed nor stopped.

Posted by: too scents | Apr 25 2025 5:54 utc | 99