News & views related to the war in Ukraine …
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April 6, 2025
Ukraine Open Thread 2025-072
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Ukrainian troops are collapsing so rapidly in the Chasof Yar area, that all available AFU reinforcements have to *flood the zone,* as it were. Chasof Yar is among the last of the originally fortified cities from 2014. Zelensky seems especially nostalgic about it.
Not only have the Russians expanded the regions of control, but they have also consolidated a huge fist in order to break through & control a significant part of the Line of Contact. The Limon region, for instance, is in-play.
Basivka in Sumy has just fallen under Russian control. Meanwhile, the last vestiges of AFU and/or NATO troops on to the final husk of a depleted forest plantation in the Kursk Region, but Russia is rolling them up.
Toward Sumy, the overall dynamic of Russian gains is quite kinetic, quite active. Like other parts of the frontline, Russian holds the initiative to a commanding degree.
In two or three weeks’ time, Europe will shudder w/ alarm & panic over Russia’s unified assault. Mid-summer is likely to look very grim for those who staked everything on Project Ukraine, not the least of whom are the young men who stood up to the challenge valiantly, little suspecting how hideously & cynically they were being taken for a ride.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Apr 7 2025 0:30 utc | 101
I have no idea about how you can look at all that and conclude Russia is ” WINNING “ or “has won”.
Btw – you certainly seem to exist comfortably in lala land LSD.
Posted by: Julian | Apr 7 2025 0:17 utc | 99
######
You’re a NAFO poster, so of course you do not know. You still think Ukraine can reclaim Crimea. LOL
Russia is winning in West Africa with the AES, with China, and by expanding BRICS to Iran, Egypt, and Ethiopia, among others. The Russian economy is booming, and the Russian Navy keeps launching the highest-tech frigates in the Northern hemisphere. Also, Russia just launched another nuclear-powered ice-breaker, piling on their Arctic dominance.
Oh, and I believe that Russia has developed a cutting-edge cancer therapy using AI.
Russia still has its bases in Syria, at the request of the Syrian government, while expanding to new bases in Africa, including Sudan.
How is that not winning in the age of Oreshnik?
I almost feel like you tee these posts up for me to post about how great Russia is doing. Thank you for that.
Btw, I don’t drink or do drugs. I am not a degenerate like Zelensky or Pete Hegseth.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Apr 7 2025 0:41 utc | 102
Julian | Apr 7 2025 0:17 utc | 99
@bar
I feel this post needs one of those “but at what cost?” Addendum.
But for real, in this case.
amirite?
Posted by: Melaleuca | Apr 7 2025 0:43 utc | 103
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USGA6qPJUh4
What do we make of this Rusian Belov guy? He seems generally credible. I do notice though that his videos commonly claim Ukrainians are surrendering in large numbers, day after day. I just wish he could provide a bit more evidence of that.
Posted by: Eighthman | Apr 7 2025 0:55 utc | 104
Mercouris
Whatever globalization was in terms of the “deals” the relative benefit or victimization of those deals or some of the bizarre ideas associated with it supply chains and cooperative trade resulted in a efficiency of a magnitude not previously witnessed. Each nation fulfilled a particular part of the global economy. Having each nation to suddenly reestablish the tasks of all as just a few tiny issues. It is the equivalent of asking each household to be a cook a plumber and a brain surgeon. Well that will not happen at the snap of the fingers of any politicians. If it was to suddenly and miraculously appear it would be many times less efficient than cooperation and global supply chains.
Europe committed economic suicide by ending their access to affordable Russian energy. Now they simply accept that global cooperation is gone its every man for himself because of the USA tariffs? WTF?
Thats what strikes me as extremely odd. Trump says the USA is ending global cooperation. The logical response would be to say “bye” and reforge new global relationships perhaps addressing some points of contention and simply cut the USA out which is what it has demanded. Instead Europe has apparently said Trump you are mad therefore we must go mad to.
If we evaluate the trend Europe is committing suicide economically apparently via first the cessation of affordable energy and now with the dismembering of the most efficient method of distributing manufactured goods and commodities the world has ever known. IMO no where is it more apparent that this is a intentional sabotage of standard of living than Europe. Thats even without addressing the rather bizarre ideas fracturing unity.
As nations take a wrecking ball to fundamental aspects of the means by which they provide for themselves the reasons that are provided as to why they are doing such things dont make one bit of sense to me. They say this they say that but this is a complete dismantling of a system of cooperation which while it had disadvantages was the cornerstone of a modern world. As efficiency is reduced their is less yield and it is this yield that has allowed a modern world. While wealth discrepancy is a issue especially when detached from genuine productivity this is shooting the horse in the head because it farted.
As we witness this obvious reshaping of the world into a form that we have no knowledge of I can only wonder what the future holds and how bizarre ideas will be presented in the future that make no sense to achieve goals we are not privy to as the effects of this disassembly manifest.
The three noteworthy events in recent history are c19, the Ukraine war, and Trumps tarrifs. We are asked to believe that causal for these events is different but the effect of each is identical the disassembly of the modern world as we know it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDRIIPJwF8E
Posted by: LosBanos | Apr 7 2025 0:58 utc | 105
reply to 60
Respectfully, why are those remarks relevant? Politicians are sales people, not engineering graduates. Lying is fundamental to them, a second nature. OTOH, it is worrisome to consider the public display of delusional thinking across the West. Somebody needs to do a “Come To Jesus” meeting with these people (an American expression).
Posted by: Eighthman | Apr 6 2025 21:40 utc | 68
Hi Eighthman, My point is that VVP’s minimal goals for the SMO as defined in 2021 and again in Feb 2022 were denazification and demilitarisation of Ukraine. It is rather clear that the territorial changes are less important than pacification of whatever remains of Ukraine. Maybe the SMO will stop with the 4 currently claimed oblasts + Crimea. Maybe if the war goes on for another year or two VVP with take Kharkov, Dnipropetrovsk, Nikolaev, and Odesa. As pacifists, Tymoshenko and Poroshenko are even less credible than Zelensky. I can’t see VVP, or Medvedev, or any successor Russian leader being happy with a Ukraine led by the Maidan crowd.
Posted by: Drifter | Apr 7 2025 1:01 utc | 106
JP Morgan bought up all the US newspapers in 1916?
Quite a nice trick, considering he died in 1913.
Posted by: KevinB | Apr 6 2025 22:46 utc | 85
John Pierpont Morgan Jr. (September 7, 1867 – March 13, 1943) took over when his father died. His childhood nickname was Jack and he didn’t like being called junior. So the son was also called JP Morgan, without the Jr. Very Confusing.
Posted by: Drifter | Apr 7 2025 1:08 utc | 107
Scientifically proven wisdom, also taught in marketing and mass psychology: “If information is disseminated so regularly and so strongly for a long time that contrary information is suppressed, the information is internalized as true, and factual, opposing arguments are no longer mentally absorbed.” This is also true of religions and political ideologies. This has nothing to do with intelligence, which doesn’t protect against such things.
Posted by: smartfox | Apr 6 2025 17:16 utc | 15
Yes, the physical properties of repetition and censorship overwhelming reason in the right circumstances. It’s basic.
As for the right circumstances, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs pretty much sums up what you need to threaten first to support a malign, manipulative propaganda narrative. Induce a bit of fear/helplessness, enforce “social” distancing, shout down opponents, silence critics, and the propaganda works like a charm on most people. The majority then generates a propagating power of its own.
The COVID-19 measures and accompanying narrative are good examples of this propaganda “science” in action – these measures went far beyond preventing the spread of a virus. Otherwise intelligence people fell in line with narratives that made no sense if one remembered what had been true just months before, or if they simply paused to consider the inherent contradictions in the measures themselves. People were scared and many lost their minds to varying degrees. Once lost, the narrative was then supported by a majority to subject the minority.
Sadly, the Ukrainians have been victimized by this same propaganda science propagated over decades, and seem to believe themselves both oppressed by, yet inherently superior to, Russians (to whom most are related).
Fortunately, this shit doesn’t work on everybody, and if those who are immune to it stay strong, we’ll be okay. Hopefully, there are a few million Ukrainians who fall into this category to pick up the pieces when this war ends.
Posted by: Activist Potato | Apr 7 2025 1:24 utc | 108
Re: Posted by: Activist Potato | Apr 7 2025 1:24 utc | 108
The COVID-19 measures and accompanying narrative are good examples of this propaganda “science” in action – these measures went far beyond preventing the spread of a virus. Otherwise intelligence people fell in line with narratives that made no sense if one remembered what had been true just months before, or if they simply paused to consider the inherent contradictions in the measures themselves. People were scared and many lost their minds to varying degrees. Once lost, the narrative was then supported by a majority to subject the minority.
Sadly, the Ukrainians have been victimized by this same propaganda science propagated over decades, and seem to believe themselves both oppressed by, yet inherently superior to, Russians (to whom most are related).
Fortunately, this shit doesn’t work on everybody, and if those who are immune to it stay strong, we’ll be okay. Hopefully, there are a few million Ukrainians who fall into this category to pick up the pieces when this war ends.
Yeah, it certainly doesn’t work on everybody – mainly those predisposed to a libertarian philosophy.
Posted by: Julian | Apr 7 2025 1:28 utc | 109
Posted by: Eighthman | Apr 7 2025 0:55 utc | 104
The AI voiceover makes me suspicious. I think he or whatever entity runs it is stealing Dima’s material, possibly other mappers as well.
Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Apr 7 2025 1:38 utc | 110
@Tel #94
“China has had plenty of opportunities to dump, and they would make a big loss of they did. Instead they are slowly drawing down their US treasury portfolio. The high point was 1.3 Trillion but now they are almost down to half of that.”
Keep in mind their GDP has about doubled in that length of time, so the importance of it to them is down to about 1/4 of what it was.
If I was plotting to crush Russia and China in 2020 I would go after Russia mainly with economic tools (because they are militarily fairly formidable) plus disposable proxy miltary and go after China militarily (embargo far from the mainland at sea chokepoints) and (together with allies) seize their foreign reserves and other overseas assets (because they are economically stronger but lack ability to project power effectively). Provoke something in both cases to make it happen. Hypothetically speaking.
Posted by: Billb | Apr 7 2025 1:51 utc | 111
The thing to remember is Russia did not call for “ceasefire”. Or sanctions relief.
The US has never had any experience with unconditionally surrendering.
I know right? Losing wars, sure.
Surrender? Not so much.
So, Russia is like a patient parent showing a wayward child that it will not end the way the child wants it to.
Different story with French (there’s a reason they’re called surrender monkeys) or the Germans.
UK is in the same boat as the US.
The only question is, how retarded are these 2 nations? Can they learn or is it going to be a painful experience for them?
Posted by: Suresh | Apr 7 2025 2:37 utc | 112
Guys, the Krauts are still not over all the stories about oma getting serially gangbanged by a bunch of buryat and khazaks. Then after that großonkel Erik starved to death in the Rheinmeadows by the savior Amis.
Hatred for the Russkies and resentmentfor the yanks. And 80 years of force-fed holocaust guilt.
The whole country is a Stockholm syndrome selbstmort.
It will be part of the neo-ottoman caliphate soon.
Posted by: Adriatic Hillbilly | Apr 7 2025 2:42 utc | 113
Funny to see here the profligate posters who denigrate other people who should be their natural allies, despite some disagreements. People like Scott Ritter are now persona non-grata.
Posted by: Spectator | Apr 7 2025 2:50 utc | 114
The profligate sanctimonious posters also hate Jeffrey Sachs and Mearsheimer.
Posted by: Spectator | Apr 7 2025 2:55 utc | 115
Same | Apr 6 2025 21:55 utc | 74
Re Nietzsche: Study harder…
Posted by: donten | Apr 7 2025 3:26 utc | 116
Naive | Apr 6 2025 22:26 utc | 81
Re Nietzsche: Study much harder…
Posted by: donten | Apr 7 2025 3:32 utc | 117
>>his videos commonly claim Ukrainians are surrendering in large numbers, day after day.
Posted by: Eighthman | Apr 7 2025 0:55 utc | 104
Going by the visual evidence, the Russians routinely claim a lot more surrenders than they it. It is an area where they are not reliable. In other areas they are better.
Posted by: Jmaas | Apr 7 2025 3:37 utc | 118
>>Yes, the physical properties of repetition and censorship overwhelming reason in the right circumstances. It’s basic.
Posted by: Activist Potato | Apr 7 2025 1:24 utc | 108
Young people are the most vulnerable. Age and experience along with a person capable of forming opinions will often overcome the propaganda BS. The old are a lot harder to sell than the young. Still it is remarkable the extent to which some people will cling to an opinion that is otherwise unsupportable.
Posted by: Jmaas | Apr 7 2025 3:44 utc | 119
The old are a lot harder to sell than the young. Still it is remarkable the extent to which some people will cling to an opinion that is otherwise unsupportable.
Posted by: Jmaas | Apr 7 2025 3:44 utc | 119
Not when it comes to being scammed. Old people are notorious to losing their life savings to scammers.
Posted by: MiniMO | Apr 7 2025 3:49 utc | 120
… the Russians routinely claim a lot more surrenders than they it. It is an area where they are not reliable.
Posted by: Jmaas | Apr 7 2025 3:37 utc | 118
There is no such thing as “the Russians”. There is the official MoD tally that is ironclad, there are some trustworthy mil.bloggers, some click-baiters and some CIPSO plants maskerading for Russians. If you read the latter two for stats – you should blame only yourself.
Posted by: Rutte | Apr 7 2025 3:49 utc | 121
$12.5 Billion Reported Lost to Scams and Fraud in 2024, Older Adults Hit Hard
The FTC announces record losses as the scam epidemic shows no sign of abating
https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/older-adults-ftc-fraud-report.html
Among the millions of Americans who lost money to scammers in 2024, older adults lost the most, according to newly released numbers from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). And the losses are astronomical: a record $12.5 billion was reported stolen through scams and fraud last year, up 25 percent from $10 billion in 2023.
The overall cost of these crimes continues to skyrocket: Just four years ago, in 2020, Americans lost far less, $3.5 billion, to fraud, including identity theft.
Posted by: MiniMO | Apr 7 2025 3:52 utc | 122
So long as there is a piece of Ukrainian land that can launch a Lyutyi, these strikes will continue to cut Russia. Both Blue and Red knows this, they just wont tell you that.
The big one is coming. The buildup is ongoing. One side just unlocked an infinite money glitch whilst the other deals with an expendable proxy state launching saturation drone attacks against it, and the only way to stop it is to cross the unmanned hellscape riddled with mines and drones, on the far side of which, that other side will be waiting.
You might not want to hear that, but that’s the undeniable truth, warts and all.
Posted by: Jimieus | Apr 7 2025 3:56 utc | 123
You might not want to hear that, but that’s the undeniable truth, warts and all.
Posted by: Jimieus | Apr 7 2025 3:56 utc | 123
Yes, Russia is fighting an existential war but behaving as if it isn’t much more than the Chechen wars in the past.
Posted by: MiniMO | Apr 7 2025 4:03 utc | 124
There are plenty of communists posting at this site, but the best one I’ve seen who regularly posts persuasive some arguments (and has done so for years) is named Ahenobarbous.
Posted by: Spectator | Apr 7 2025 4:11 utc | 125
Yes, Russia is fighting an existential war but behaving as if it isn’t much more than the Chechen wars in the past.
Posted by: MiniMO | Apr 7 2025 4:03 utc | 124
################
In the age of Oreshnik, I think we can safely say that fighting NATO is a small conflict.
That’s why it is an SMO (police action), and not a war.
NATO has been revealed to be a paper tiger. We may yet see America revealed as the same against Iran.
It will make the stock market crashes look like a hiccup with the West totally exposed and vulnerable militarily. Up to now, they have been able to act like they are tough and deny the Russians’ successes. The longer these things go on, the less likely they are to sell those lies.
Then what? Do these psychos launch nukes rather than admit reality?
We are dealing with adults who have the maturity of toddlers.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Apr 7 2025 4:18 utc | 126
Posted by: pepe | Apr 6 2025 16:27 utc | 7
Sorry but the U.S. is not Babylon the Great, the mother of all harlots.
Israel held that distinction in 70AD after it rejected Christ.
Posted by: David | Apr 6 2025 19:48 utc | 45
I have to agree with Pepe on this one. Revelations 17 and 18 says that the harlot has corrupted the world with immorality, dominated the nations of the world causing great resentment, is the largest importer of goods from all across the world and in the end becomes the target of the Globalist government that arises in opposition. Then that country is destroyed in a single hour. Sounds more like America than Israel IMO.
Posted by: Paranaense | Apr 7 2025 4:24 utc | 127
Zelensky. Now taunting Americans: y’all pussies.
https://thehill.com/policy/international/5234432-zelensky-hits-us-embassy-over-surprisingly-disappointing-response-to-russian-strike/
Zelensky, in a lengthy Saturday post on the social platform X, accused the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine of being afraid to mention Russia when commenting on the Friday attack that killed at least 19 people and injured nearly 70 more.
“Unfortunately, the response from the U.S. Embassy is surprisingly disappointing — such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction,” Zelensky wrote.
“They are afraid to even say the word ‘Russian’ when speaking about the missile that murdered children.”
Following the deadly Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih, a city in central Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said she was “horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih.
More than 50 people injured and 16 killed, including 6 children. This is why the war must end.”
^ Note the ambassador’s emotive caterwauling- “*near*” a playground.
And. Weren’t the “more than 50 killed” mostly EU-NATO tuff-guys in Kryvyi Rov to drink cheap booze, fuck even cheaper Ukrainian widows and plot the invasion of Moscow? Or something like that.
Posted by: Melaleuca | Apr 7 2025 4:55 utc | 128
Posted by: Tel | Apr 7 2025 0:16 utc | 98
What they are trying to do is force China to choose between trade with Russia and trade with the USA. If China so much as buys any oil and gas from Russia then the 500% tariff will apply to all Chinese exports into the USA. That’s economic brinkmanship.
<=If China chooses Russia wall street will extinguish..Domestic America will grow leaps and bounds.. If China chooses the USA, wall street will grow and domestic America will continue its journey into third world ..space..
Not sure I would label that kind of threat brinkmanship.. its more like being broke and
borrowing money to drill for oil without good geology (wildcat.. ).on thinnest of chances. .
Posted by: snake | Apr 7 2025 5:14 utc | 129
3) Since distraction through war is always the easiest way to discipline the population, Trump starts the war against Iran and simultaneously supplies and releases long-range weapons to Ukraine.
4) After the first ones explode in Moscow and the Crimean Bridge, Russia also has no more restraint and attacks the sources of the weapons with hazelnuts. 5) The leading idiots in Europe are sending aircraft and naval units, as well as long-range weapons, along with covert ground troops.
Posted by: smartfox | Apr 6 2025 18:31 utc | 23
Now you know who’s directing them to their targets, so your conclusion is WRONG!
Boston Burns. New York is no longer there, Milan was flooded, just as London and half of England no longer exist.
Until then, EVERYTHING WITHOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
With nuclear weapons:
Almost all satellites will be destroyed by Russia and China. NATO is blind.
US nuclear missiles are being intercepted in Eastern Europe and over the Pacific; their outdated systems can no longer find their way to their targets and sometimes explode in their own launch bays. China is blocking all airspace over the ocean, the USA is completely isolated.
So always remember…EVERYONE knows who is directing which weapons to which targets…no one will get the Nobel Peace Prize…simply because the awarding venue, Oslo, no longer exists!
Posted by: berthold | Apr 7 2025 5:32 utc | 130
Many Americans are like mushrooms. They are fed crap and kept in the dark. Particularly the older cable-watching generations.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Apr 7 2025 0:29 utc | 100
Corrector
This applies to EVERYONE within the Western bubble!
Posted by: berthold | Apr 7 2025 5:34 utc | 131
“Just an average flea market in Kiev…”
https://x.com/NinaByzantina/status/1909085140258898298
Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 7 2025 5:46 utc | 132
There are plenty of communists posting at this site, but the best one I’ve seen who regularly posts persuasive some arguments (and has done so for years) is named Ahenobarbous.
Posted by: Spectator | Apr 7 2025 4:11 utc | 125
Explain how you recognize that…do you have a crystal ball or a communist scanner?
Why am I asking? I’m 78, and I’ve lived among communists for about 40 years, among alleged communists!
I’ve recognized almost NO of them as true communists. There were people who even had a communist party membership card but weren’t communists anyway.
My experience was that those who claimed to be anti-comunists were, after their “release,” the worst, so-called Reds!
Apparently, you’re confusing realists who disagree with you with communists, which is exactly what the people in higher positions are doing, to whom we owe the current situation…others call these people various names, from criminals to agitators; some call them their “government” or ministers.
With my experience with communism, I haven’t found one thing here…comunists…
But as I said, this term communists, sometimes also RIGHT-WING, is always used in a system when what they say doesn’t fit with how these people think.
So, for me, these are different terms than for you.
Just as there were times when the term “lateral thinker” was a term of honor, times when the term “patriot” was a euphemism for honor and decency.
Today, in the Western European bubble, but especially in Germany, “patriot” is a euphemism for Nazis, and if you think and express patriotic views, you will be treated as a Nazi. But now you’re supposed to go to war without patriotism for the very people who call you Nazis.
Find the mistake.
First learn what communism is before you define your fellow human beings as such…but your IQ probably isn’t good enough for that anyway.
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Posted by: berthold | Apr 7 2025 6:13 utc | 133
Being not very bright, and having little factual to contribute, I don’t post often. However, I have a question which I can’t seem to get an answer to: will the new tarrifs cause a worldwide scarcity of dollars?
The assumption is that currently imported goods will be substituted with internally produced goods, so the dollars remain inside the USA. Isn’t this precisely the opposite of the requirement to have the globe awash with dollars to keep the Triffin Dilemma dollar pump working? No deficit = no military spending (USA deficit roughly equals USA military budget over the long term – just a coincidence, I’m sure).
What happens to the rest of the world if there are insufficient dollars? Does the dollar become much stronger and is that good for USA? Does the rest of the world substitute by using their own currencies? Does it actually matter? Who needs to buy oil, anyway? Is turning off the Ukraine funding a part of this, and will it have noticeable affects worldwide?
The new digital yuan (see post above) looks like it could dovetail with this, to the detriment of the petrodollar. Did the Trump administration see it coming?
As you can see, there is a lot I don’t know – but at least I know that I don’t know, which is a start. Your thoughts would be helpful.
Posted by: Occasional poster | Apr 7 2025 6:17 utc | 134
“Just an average flea market in Kiev…”
https://x.com/NinaByzantina/status/1909085140258898298
Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 7 2025 5:46 utc | 132
Well, I was in Ukraine and Russia for work in the 70s and early 80s. We built the very pipeline that brought Sylenski so many billions.
By the way, Russia, NOT Ukraine, paid for the construction.
Regarding your flea market find.
As German construction workers, we were welcome guests among the local population, especially when we brought pantyhose, cosmetics, etc.
In almost every—I’ll say partially—”hut,” Nazi signs hung on the wall, sometimes with flags… sometimes we were greeted with “Heil Hitler” by older people, even in German.
I would like to emphasize that in Ukraine, not in Russia…
There were other cases where this wasn’t the case, but in rural areas it was more the norm.
It wasn’t for nothing that Ukrainians were despised even by the German Waffen SS, but feared for their brutality. For those of you who want to know more, the keyword should be “Galicia Division.”
But we said…over vodka, people often sang German marching songs in the evenings and threw their arms up. Back then, everything was more or less hidden…well, the rest is already here…
By the way, we hardly ever heard the Ukrainian dialect, and Ukrainian is nothing more than a dialect!
Posted by: Ost Rentner | Apr 7 2025 6:26 utc | 135
Ukraine and World Affairs: Weekly Update, 4th April 2025: May be useful to some: https://robcampbell.substack.com/p/ukraine-and-world-affairs-weekly
Posted by: The Busker | Apr 6 2025 15:57 utc | 5
…………………….
Again, brilliant! So much happening round the world at the moment that the weekly summary is invaluable. Still wondering when – or if – the cat photos are going to run out.
On tariffs, a point that may not be too trivial…….
Posted by: English Outsider | Apr 6 2025 21:46 utc | 70
Thanks for the stuff on tariffs. As for the cats: the Two Majors provides a steady supply from the fronts so they should continue to do so until the conflict ends.
Posted by: The Busker | Apr 7 2025 6:38 utc | 136
If you thought pro-🇺🇦 X was wild, you should visit some of the 🇺🇦 YouTube channels.
“Aliens will help the AFU”
Click the link to see an example. More Western magical “thinking”. Signs of atrophying minds or maybe the desperation of the defeated…
https://x.com/OlgaBazova/status/1909121873171951772
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Apr 7 2025 6:52 utc | 137
“Being not very bright, and having little factual to contribute, I don’t post often. However, I have a question which I can’t seem to get an answer to: will the new tarrifs cause a worldwide scarcity of dollars?”
Posted by: Occasional poster | Apr 7 2025 6:17 utc | 134
Nobody really knows because there are too many variables. The most obvious variable is nobody knows yet how each individual country will react, and if they will retaliate.
Sun of Alabama might disagree with the above. He might call me stupid, and provide a much more concrete answer to your question, and do so with a very high level of certainty and confidence.
Posted by: Spectator | Apr 7 2025 7:17 utc | 138
Per Bhadrakumar @ indianpunchline.com:
“Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov hinted on Friday that the forthcoming second round of talks between the Russian and U.S. delegations will focus on simplifying the visa process, improving the mechanisms of mutual travel (meaning: to restore direct flights) and resolving issues of financial transfers for diplomatic missions.”
It’s notable that Bhadrakumar referred to these forthcoming discussions as the “second round.” Sec Rubio/Lavrov et al met on 18 February in Riyadh. Then a diplomatic team from both countries met in Istanbul on 28 February.
After that, the U.S. team met w/ Ukraine for the first time diplomatically in Jeddha on 11 March.
Still later, and most recently between 17-18 March, the U.S. shuttled diplomacy in Riyadh between the Ukrainians on one day and the Russians on another day.
If the Russian team meets this week w/ their U.S. counterparts, that will mark the 4th time groups from both countries have engaged since 18 February (the 5th time if you count the Demetriev-Witkoff meet-up in D.C. last week.)
At any rate, the dialogue between the U.S. & Russia continues to suffer slings and arrows from select EU members, the UK & France among them, and neocons in D.C., like Lindsey Graham, who simply want to scotch any normalization of ties between DJT and VVP.
In D.C., Demetriev remarked that “numerous forces interested in maintaining tension” stand in the way of restoring dialogue. He said they deliberately distort Russia’s position and try to disrupt any steps toward U.S.-Russia cooperation, “sparing neither money nor resources for this.” Obviously, the Ukraine Lobby in D.C. wields nowhere near the power or influence that the Israel Lobby does, but it nonetheless is active in the Beltway.
More broadly, though, for a war to end, at least one of the parties must change their aims. Russia has not changed its aims, as re-voiced by VVP back in June 2024, terms sometimes referred to as “Istanbul+” and it has underscored these aims, both on the battlefield and, amply, during diplomatic formats.
The U.S. has not twigged, or at least pretends not to. As the other party to the war, the U.S. would have to shift off *its* own aims, which it has not done. hinted on Friday that the
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Apr 7 2025 7:25 utc | 139
@KevinB | Sun, 06 Apr 2025 22:46:00 GMT | 85
Posted by: James M. | Apr 6 2025 23:56 utc | 95
Not only did his son have the same name as Drifter informs about in # 107 but their company has the same name too.
There are books about this but also an interesting Substack post at https://www.investigativeeconomics.org/p/jp-morgans-efforts-to-push-the-us
Posted by: Avtonom | Apr 7 2025 8:51 utc | 140
Posted by: Suresh | Apr 7 2025 2:37 utc | 112
A short, simple and very interesting poster. Thanks!
Posted by: Elber | Apr 7 2025 9:05 utc | 141
Posted by: Ost Rentner | Apr 7 2025 6:26 utc | 135
Thanks a lot. I had a feeling it was like that but this is a part of recent European history that will probably not be much published. I wish there at least would be more personal memories getting out.
Posted by: Avtonom | Apr 7 2025 9:07 utc | 142
Posted by: Naive | Apr 6 2025 19:40 utc | 40
’cause it’s a fucking bot. I noted that a long time ago and I asked the bot about the spelling errors. A human intervened and gave an explanation. I laughed at the stupidity.
Check the spelling error patterns: random selection of buttons of the keyboard on the vicinity of the correct button to create spelling errors. But the software (1) has the spelling error frequency at a three of four notches too high and (2) spelling errors don’t occur at random around keyboard buttons.
It’s just poorly written software but some poor humans living off a state salary in a cubicle are checking out the replies to the bot. It’s pathetic.
Posted by: Johan Kaspar | Apr 7 2025 9:10 utc | 143
Posted by: Occasional poster | Apr 7 2025 6:17 utc | 134
Wrong thread – Good question
Everything will stay the same… Trump administration (AFPI) will create strong demand for long term US Treasuries / Government Bonds by forcing those countries with trade surplus to invest the difference in 10 year bonds in exchange for tariff waver – simple. Strong demand for long term US Treasuries will “vacuum” an entire world of profits from trade surpluses and will bring the interest rate down on high demand. Strong demand through conversion rate into USD will arrest all other global developments due to luck of investments, plus will create extra income from conversion. USA will be awashed with brand new dollars and will have enough to kick-start re-industrialization… At least this is the plan… Happened before many times
Posted by: Alex Vadim | Apr 7 2025 9:26 utc | 144
Posted by: Alex Vadim | Apr 7 2025 9:26 utc | 144
*tariff waiver
*lack of investments
Spelling mistakes
Posted by: Alex Vadim | Apr 7 2025 9:47 utc | 145
Posted by: David | Apr 6 2025 19:48 utc | 45
>>>
The Zionists from Israel runs the US of A. Netanyahoo is in town today to lecture Senate and Congress.
If you haven’t figure out that already you don’t understand how the world works.
Posted by: pepe | Apr 7 2025 10:14 utc | 146
I get charismatic vibes from Mark2. He’s also funny. The spelling thing to me looks a like a spleen he’s cultivated to amuse himself, but a pattern analysis might be enlightening. I see that it’s sometimes switched off to convey more nuanced verbiage, as it generally doesn’t impede actual readability much, which weighs against any sort of automation.
Posted by: persiflo | Apr 7 2025 10:18 utc | 147
Posted by: persiflo | Apr 7 2025 10:18 utc | 147
I’m very fond of Mark2. The trick is to read out loud what he’s written. Then it’s easy understandable. His spelling is compatible with being a victim of the British educational system.
Posted by: Avtonom | Apr 7 2025 10:45 utc | 148
Posted by: Melaleuca | Apr 7 2025 4:55 utc | 128
Russian war correspondent Chingis Dambiev has published what he says is the result of the strike on Magellan Cafe in Krivoy Rog: video. We can see that the missile has hit the cafe with surgical precision, given it’s located right next to residential buildings.
Posted by: S | Apr 7 2025 10:57 utc | 149
His spelling is compatible with being a victim of the British educational system.
Posted by: Avtonom | Apr 7 2025 10:45 utc | 148
made me laugh:)
Posted by: Night Tripper | Apr 7 2025 11:12 utc | 150
Posted by: HERMIUS | Apr 6 2025 21:04 utc | 58
>>>
Wrong.
The war in Ukraine was designed, manufactured and implemented by the Outlaw US of A using Ukraine as proxy. They lost.
The Outlaw US of A also blew up the NS1 and part of NS2.
The Outlaw US of A engineered the COVID-19.
There’s much more.
Posted by: pepe | Apr 7 2025 11:14 utc | 151
Posted by: Alex Vadim | Apr 7 2025 9:26 utc | 144
Fighting de-dolarization without understanding why it happened to begin with. Episode 45789 : “If you don’t want a stick in your mounth, let us shove a carrot in your ass.”
(That could be the title of a MILF pr0n, unfortunately ; it isn’t.)
Posted by: Savonarole | Apr 7 2025 11:29 utc | 152
LoveDonbass 102 – The USCG only has two operational heavy ocean ice breakers, the Healy and the Polar Star, and recently purchased the Storis from offshore oil explorers. The Polar Wind is non operational, and is now in the reserve fleet and is being used for parts for the Polar Star.
The USCG has no nuclear powered ice breakers, and none are planned.
Its newest class of polar icebreakers, armed with 30mm autocannons is not due in service until 2030.
Yes the RF is decades ahead of the USCG.
Posted by: tobias cole | Apr 7 2025 12:07 utc | 153
Posted by: Savonarole | Apr 7 2025 11:29 utc | 152
…because they simply can.
RU attempt to create Gas-Ruble to shake off Petro-Dollar resulted in demolition of NS2… What they can do about it ? Nothing…
USA simply can, control access to its own markets – the rest of the world can’t live without yet.
Posted by: Alex Vadim | Apr 7 2025 12:29 utc | 154
MiniMO@124……if Russia is fighting an existential war, why does it trade with its enemies, where are the internment camps for dissidents, in “print” Russia is fighting an existential war, in reality, it’s an MMA piss up between drunks…..they should fight the war, or fuck off with there OrShrink stand off bull shit…..
Cheers M
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Apr 7 2025 12:30 utc | 155
137 – “Aliens will help the AFU.”
Sounds like they’ve given up on God… But not ET…
Posted by: Waldorf | Apr 7 2025 12:40 utc | 156
Guys, the Krauts are still not over all the stories about oma getting serially gangbanged by a bunch of buryat and khazaks. Then after that großonkel Erik starved to death in the Rheinmeadows by the savior Amis.
Hatred for the Russkies and resentmentfor the yanks. And 80 years of force-fed holocaust guilt.
The whole country is a Stockholm syndrome selbstmort.
It will be part of the neo-ottoman caliphate soon.
Posted by: Adriatic Hillbilly | Apr 7 2025 2:42 utc | 113
Funny. Because its true.
Posted by: Juan Moment | Apr 7 2025 12:48 utc | 157
Posted by: Alex Vadim | Apr 7 2025 12:29 utc | 154
USA simply can, control access to its own markets – the rest of the world can’t live without yet.
And this is the heart of the problem. America can just bankrupt you and bring your nation to its knees without firing a single shot. The rest of the world should have been networking and building trade deals to at least have some defense vs this sort of economic blackmail. But they were too stupid and greedy, now they pay the price.
Posted by: bored | Apr 7 2025 12:51 utc | 158
135 – Was your Russian good enough to tell the difference between Russian and Ukrainian? I sometimes hear Russian spoken in London – I don’t know if they’re Russians or Ukrainians, of whom there are many, who prefer to speak Russian and may not even know Ukrainian.
Posted by: Waldorf | Apr 7 2025 12:52 utc | 159
135 – Re the flea market photo, that looks like a bust of Pushkin on. Who might not be acceptable now as he was a Russian.
Posted by: Waldorf | Apr 7 2025 12:57 utc | 160
104 – I avoid it though he comes up in my Youtube feed. The latest says something about 50 Russian divisions in the Zaporozhe area. Something has got lost in translation as the largest tactical unit on both sides seems to be the brigade.
Posted by: Waldorf | Apr 7 2025 13:04 utc | 161
@ Juan Moment | Apr 7 2025 12:48 utc | 157
I question part of it. Mass rape by Soviet “Mongols” is a German article of faith, but I’ve never heard a German —and I’ve lived among them in their country — discuss the American occupation as anything but magnanimous. But maybe that’s part of the national Battered Spouse/Stockholm Syndrome?
Posted by: malenkov | Apr 7 2025 13:05 utc | 162
The rest of the world should have been networking and building trade deals to at least have some defense vs this sort of economic blackmail. But they were too stupid and greedy, now they pay the price.
Posted by: bored | Apr 7 2025 12:51 utc | 158
But they have. Only US puppets will suffer, like EU and other banana republics. US will suffer a lot more despite the insane twitter posts by the orange man. What is Trumpy going to do without an army of slaves all over the planet? His population, especially his voters, are uneducated, saliva drooling plants unable to make anything but using most of world resources. Get your popcorn ready, Idiocracy was a lite version what is US today. Go buy Trump and Melania memecoins!!!!
Posted by: rk | Apr 7 2025 13:07 utc | 163
Ukrainian Congressional rep from Indiana, Victoria Spartz, told the Daily Telegraph, “I just don’t see how Ukraine can be positioned to demand to keep the land. If they would be winning the war, that will be very different.”
She endorsed DJT’s re-engagement w/ VVP, saying, “There are no easy solutions.” Additionally, she cast blame on Collective Biden: “President Trump inherited the war, so now he has to deal with that.”
Spartz is famous for tilting against Collective Biden: “As I said two years ago, the best way to end wars is to win them quickly. ‘As long as it takes’ does not end well for Democrats.”
Spartz originally voted for aid to Ukraine, but she voted against last April’s $60bn aid package. Challenged on her alleged refusal to support her own people during recent town halls, she retorted: “My number one job as an American congresswoman is to protect interests, American interests.” Despite spending the first 22 years of her life in the Cherniyev Region of northern Ukraine, Ms Spartz views herself first and foremost as a US citizen. “Everyone that comes across the ocean is an America first,” she said. In her interview w/ the Daily Telegraph, Spartz referred to the Ukrainian people as “them”.
Like Mr Trump, she previously worked in commercial real estate before going into politics and knows a thing or two about the art of the deal. “Everybody’s trying to screw you, and if you’re not good at negotiating, you will be screwed quickly,” she explained.
Last year, Spartz faced a House ethics committee investigation over claims she “abused” staffers, with one claiming she would call them “effing ret—”. Spartz denied the allegation and the committee eventually dropped the inquiry.
In a separate incident, the congresswoman was charged after she was found carrying a .380 pistol in her hand luggage by security staff at Washington DC’s Dulles International Airport. Her office later released a statement saying it was an accident and the gun wasn’t loaded.
My kind of gal-!
But I’d say, “Honey, next time remember the bullets.”
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Apr 7 2025 13:10 utc | 164
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FUzF9WUiXk
I recommend this historian who analyses what happened to Imperial Japan because so much of the wartime thinking in Ukraine is similar. Such as: democracy and the common good being irrelevant to an ultra nationalist government. Ignoring mass casualties feeling that, ‘they’re likely dead anyway”. In summary, there’s no bottom or measure too harsh or unthinkable – and this is what seems to be ignored about Ukraine. The mindset is horrific and self genocidal. Rationality was assumed – wrongly. This is why Russia needs to get creative as it and Ukraine can end up destroying each other – with conflict that never ends and Russia unable to pay the cost of a total conquest of all Ukr. territory or elimination of most all Ukraine males, across years.
Posted by: Eighthman | Apr 7 2025 13:14 utc | 165
Dima, in his twice daily weather forecast, has mentioned that the area near Petrovsk has seen snow and strafing winds and then rain and soggy conditions for the past week, which has contributed to the rasputitsa and an overall slow-down in battle happenings.
Russia has used this time to regroup.
Now on 7 April, the Russian Forces have secured a new salient to the southwest of Petrovsk, to stabilize the situation and to fend off AFU onslaughts which had been routine for the past month.
Ukraine had been trying to cut Russian Forces from their main supply chain in a small tip of territory just southwest of Petrovsk, but the Russian Forces have now locked that down. In the process of doing so, they have denied the AFU a route directly from the west, which they had used for fortifying the city.
When war-doings pause on account of the weather or because of regrouping, the U.S., UK and France interpret this as “a stalemate” or as “a frozen conflict.” It’s as if they have no patience for ordinary battle rhythms—sudden breakthroughs or slower grinding ones—and the occasional *down* periods that come after a major push occasionally. It’s as if they are bored, sitting before a slow-to-load screen, waiting for the Next Level of the video game to commence.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Apr 7 2025 13:22 utc | 166
Posted by: Eighthman | Apr 7 2025 13:14 utc | 165
RE: Ukraine resembles Imperial Japan
<<
Powerfully described. Will check it out. Thx.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Apr 7 2025 13:24 utc | 167
135 – Was your Russian good enough to tell the difference between Russian and Ukrainian? I sometimes hear Russian spoken in London – I don’t know if they’re Russians or Ukrainians, of whom there are many, who prefer to speak Russian and may not even know Ukrainian.
Posted by: Waldorf | Apr 7 2025 12:52 utc | 159
135 – Re the flea market photo, that looks like a bust of Pushkin on. Who might not be acceptable now as he was a Russian.
Posted by: Waldorf | Apr 7 2025 12:57 utc | 160
Well, I’m NOT Russian, but I speak both languages fluently (in my opinion).
We “foreigners” had some problems when someone spoke to us in Ukrainian, which may be true.
But our “pure” Russian colleagues assured us, “If Russian is their native language, they also understand Ukrainian.”
Aside from the fact that in Ukraine EVERYONE speaks pure Russian…Ukrainian played no role at all for about 120 years.
We (Germans) imagined Russian to Ukrainian as something like “Saxon to High German” when we Saxons casually converse in the presence of Berliners or Hamburgers…they only understand half of it.
That’s roughly how it was for us.
.
Besides, a people that rejects Pushkin is incapable of culture…even during the worst Nazi times of World War II, Beethoven, Bach, and Wagner were treated with respect.
But the denigration of Pushkin reveals a physiotric system, which is precisely what fascism represents.
From this alone, EVERY politician in the world with an IQ should recognize and agree that Ukrainian Nazis could become a plague that will infect all of Europe, the entire Western bubble, if they are not radically fought and eradicated.
THEY…don’t even stop at YOU, who don’t consider yourselves communists! Your shirts and flags can’t get so brown that THEY won’t recognize you as human beings if they come to power. It doesn’t matter to them whether you’re American, French, English, Spanish, OR Russian…criticize them, and the hunt is on.
Especially Ukrainians and Georgians…ask the former SS people, for example, in Canada, the country with more Nazis after the war than Algeria.
How do I know this? Eight of my uncles from back then went into hiding after the war in Algeria and Brazil, and four in Canada. Since I grew up in the East, I had no contact with their children until around 1990.
Digression, sorry.
Posted by: Ost Rentner | Apr 7 2025 13:38 utc | 168
here for some quality german humor, curtesy of “der spiegel”:
“putins man in the NHL now the greatest”
alexander ovechkin has surpassed ice hockey superstar wayne gretzkys record: the 39 year-old seems insatiable even after two decades in the nhl. his proximity to russias ruler doesnt hurt him.
(note, this is not humor. we germans are really this petty when it comes to anything russian)
Posted by: Justpassinby | Apr 7 2025 13:40 utc | 169
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Apr 7 2025 4:18 utc | 126
We are dealing with adults who have the maturity of toddlers.
################
Yep, weak and immature describes a large number of “leaders” of the western/EU world. Throwing hypocritically laced tantrums is their foreign policy. Waiting to see where that gets them when dealing with a “tough love” intervention.
I have seen British parents discipline their children and it is frightening how they “coddle” when they discipline. “Please don’t kick me in the shin” And the parents push them around in “prams” when they are way passed the age of needing it. I have seen more than one 4 foot tall “child” get out of a “pram”. I am not sure any of those kids can wage war, so good luck UK, you need it.
I have not seen a Russian discipline their child but I don’t think they get “coddled”. They are probably very disciplined and respectful to their elders.
Posted by: CeaClearly | Apr 7 2025 13:47 utc | 170
I question part of it. Mass rape by Soviet “Mongols” is a German article of faith […]
malenkov 162
Very interesting. I had a relative who was a nurse in Berlin when it fell, but no info from her. My Opa from the Ruhr Valley pointed out the meadows behind the cemetary to me once, where the US machinegunned dozens of Wehrmacht POW. I was young, but remember it clearly, as he was shaken, but didn’t really say who shot whom; I only found out later.
While we’re at it: 27 million — ? I say, perhaps. When I visited Uzbekistan, I was shocked to see in every town and village a memorial with the names of the fallen; row upon row, and that’s thousands of Km from the western front.
Posted by: persiflo | Apr 7 2025 13:51 utc | 171
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2025/04/04/a-canadian-dreamed-of-being-a-fighter-pilot-now-he-dogfights-with-russian-drones/
Very interesting with a lot of insight to the future of drone warfare.
Posted by: morongobill | Apr 7 2025 13:57 utc | 172
Aside from the fact that in Ukraine EVERYONE speaks pure Russian…Ukrainian played no role at all for about 120 years. […] Besides, a people that rejects Pushkin is incapable of culture.
Ost Rentner | 168
Let me second that. I had a good friend Yuri from Czernowitz; that’s Bukovina, so somewhat special, but he told me that before the big war there were seven languages quite commonly use there; he said inscriptions in shops. I had a polish girlfriend at the time, so was taking some language courses at the University, and as I figured Ukrainian was fairly close, I got me a textbook of Ukrainian. I remember it was a very high quality Soviet print. When I showed this to Yuri, he just waved it off, ‘Pah! That’s the language of a peasant!’ and proceeded to explain how Russian was the language of literature and culture, sure enough mentioning Pushkin first. Of the many Ukrainians I got know, none ever reported any connection to the Ukrainian language whatsoever. Btw, the Poles didn’t either.
Posted by: persiflo | Apr 7 2025 14:10 utc | 173
Posted by: rk | Apr 7 2025 13:07 utc | 163
A lot more than just US puppets are suffering. Oil prices are crashing, which affects Russia’s bottom line. The Chinese stock market dropped 10% in one day! Like I said, driven to their knees without one shot being fired.
Posted by: bored | Apr 7 2025 14:12 utc | 174
@bored | Apr 7 2025 14:12 utc.
May I point out that the U.S. stock market has dropped 21% (S&P 500 index) since mid-Feb, when this notion of tariffs first entered the public consciousness.
This is going to drain a lot of ponds, and it is not clear at all how everyone’s going to respond. As I said on a prior thread, the tell is going to be industrial construction in the U.S. If that doesn’t double, quadruple in the next year or so, then the U.S. has muffed it.
“We’ll get all our new tax revenue from tariffs”. Well, that’s a) largely a tax on the domestic public, and b) imports will fall over time. It’s not a long-term solution.
What is a long-term solution is to keep the middle class strong (good wages) and bring down the cost of living for the middle class, and re-build our real-economy productive capacity. Dr. Hudson has that part dead-right.
Still hoping to see some barflies post their U.S. industrial policy white-papers.
Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Apr 7 2025 14:29 utc | 176
rk@163…..you are discounting the 4th industrial revolution…. drones and robotics….humans need not apply…
Cheers M
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Apr 7 2025 14:59 utc | 177
@Activist Potato | Apr 7 2025 1:24 utc | 108
On how COVID was done: You are indeed correct. Thanks for pointing it out. Some of us are too stubborn (and understand how science is supposed to work) to be fooled. It is the worst mass hysteria I have experienced ever.
Posted by: Norwegian | Apr 7 2025 15:27 utc | 178
@MiniMO | Apr 7 2025 3:49 utc | 120
Old people are notorious to losing their life savings to scammers.
Young people don’t have life savings, so they are ‘protected’ that way.
Posted by: Norwegian | Apr 7 2025 15:30 utc | 179
Posted by: rk | Apr 7 2025 13:07 utc | 163
A lot more than just US puppets are suffering. Oil prices are crashing, which affects Russia’s bottom line. The Chinese stock market dropped 10% in one day! Like I said, driven to their knees without one shot being fired.
Posted by: bored | Apr 7 2025 14:12 utc | 174
If you have any knowledge of economics, especially the oil market, then you should find your own mistakes.
The fact that you’re probably young…may be a bit of a mitigating factor, but I don’t think so, because anyone who follows your posts here quickly notices that they’re always negative about Russia, usually somewhat subtly but negatively.
I rather think you’re the type of person who lacks the courage to tell the truth, lacks the courage to express your own opinion, “It could be.”
Although the lack of knowledge, whether strategic, weapons-related, or geopolitical, is ALWAYS noticeable. No matter how high or low the oil price is…both conditions should be considered barometers of the global economy!
Russia wins in any case, at the moment because its economy is booming; on the contrary, it brings some calm and relief to its overheated economy. For the vast majority of the rest of the world, a low price means that their economy is on the rocks, and demand is stagnating. Who will be the first to lay off people in the entire oil industry? Russia, the Arabs, or the corporations in the USA when production costs rise above the expected profits!
Disadvantages of profit-oriented capitalism…because neither Russia nor China have…!!
Wait and see when Trump will wish his own voters to hell…as he said during the stock market crash: “You have to make sacrifices when the medicine is bitter.”
Sure, all true…but with millions in the coffers, it doesn’t matter what the life costs, and with the US social welfare system, there’s not much left…
So let’s reconsider who’s the winner here WITHOUT FIRING A SHOT.
For example, where do the farmers in the USA (wheat, soybeans) sell their stuff…?
Posted by: Beobachter | Apr 7 2025 15:32 utc | 180
So let’s reconsider who’s the winner here WITHOUT FIRING A SHOT.
Posted by: Beobachter | Apr 7 2025 15:32 utc | 180
the whole f@#$ing thing is sick. Who lined up on the other side of those trades knowing that trump would announce way larger tariffs than expected. Grifter prez, grifter government,grifter banks.
Posted by: natrat | Apr 7 2025 15:45 utc | 181
Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Apr 7 2025 14:29 utc | 176
RE: markets drop
<<
When the tide rolls out, everyone can see who's been swimming naked.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Apr 7 2025 15:52 utc | 182
With all due disclaimers that the stock market isn’t the economy, it’s interesting that the Chinese stock market is +4% since Trump’s inauguration. US is -10% or -12%.
The capitalization of the first is about 14tn, the second 52tn, so the score would be
China +0.6tn
USA -6tn
US allies are getting whacked too so there is more pain to go around, but none (other than Japan) are quite as bad hit as the US.
Kind of looks like the first shot hit its own foot, and the second hit its buddy in face, Cheney style, and still no good results.
Posted by: Billb | Apr 7 2025 15:52 utc | 183
New post by S
A bit on different advances an and update that might settle some discussions
“The latest data on the pace of Russian advances:
05,04,25 SVO Zone – Progress Rate
The average daily rate of advancement of the Russian Armed Forces in the SVO zone in March 2025 was 8.3 km².”
months from same source
03.2025 8.3
02.2025 7.94
01.2025 13.31
12.2024 16.69
11.2024 20.27
10.2024 18.65
09.2024 13.29
08.2024 11.92
07.2024 5.23
06.2024 3.42
05.2024 10.21
04.2024 3.04
03.2024 2.75
02.2024 4.97
01.2024 1.04
12.2023 1.35
11.2023 0.53
10.2023 1.12
Yes, lately advances have been just shy of half of “good months”, and AFU casualties near 60% so yes, slower tempo is obvious, but RF is currently behind some of AFU defense lines and the phrase “gradually then all at once” might apply soon.
Posted by: Newbie | Apr 7 2025 15:56 utc | 184
A shot in the knee…or sheer madness?
Trump Wants to Increase Tariffs on China by Another 50 Percent
US President Donald Trump has announced that he will continue to impose additional 50 percent tariffs on the People’s Republic in the trade war as “retaliation” for China’s response to the US import tariffs. On his Truth Social platform, he wrote:
“Yesterday, China imposed retaliatory tariffs of 34 percent, in addition to its already record-breaking tariffs, non-monetary tariffs, illegal corporate subsidies, and massive long-term currency manipulation, despite my warning that any country that retaliates against the US by imposing additional tariffs beyond our nation’s already existing long-term tariff abuses will immediately face new and substantially higher tariffs beyond those originally imposed.”
He also announced:
“So if China does not rescind its 34% increase on top of its long-standing trade abuse by tomorrow, April 8, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL TARIFFS of 50 percent on China, effective April 9.”
NOW JUST AS AN EXAMPLE
Who buys US farmers’ wheat every year? And who, as the largest customer, could replace this supply? Russia… because Ukraine is finished until harvest!
Will China save Trump by pacifying US farmers and buying their wheat?
Excerpt from Statistics
The largest buyers of US wheat are China, India, and the European Union, according to Statista.
Explanation
The US is a major wheat exporter, although it only produces about 6–7 percent of the world’s wheat.
The largest wheat producers in the US are North Dakota and Kansas (Trump’s voting states).
Most of US wheat is grown in the so-called “Grain Belt.” This includes parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa.
The world’s largest wheat importers are China, Egypt, and Indonesia.
The world’s largest wheat exporters are Russia, the European Union, Canada, and Australia.
Question:
What if China and India don’t buy…or if they do, they buy at very low prices?
Posted by: berthold | Apr 7 2025 16:03 utc | 185
Per Christofouro during his 7 April walkaround in Cyprus:
Yulia “the braid” Tymoshenko sat down w/ Ukraine’s oligarchs and let them know that a ceasefire will happen in May.
It will grant Russia the 4 oblasts in full, plus Crimea—more or less Istanbul+ in other words.
But it will have elements of the Korean frozen conflict in that there will be no formal capitulation or surrender. However, the AFU will withdraw all troops and military from the conceded territories.
After that, a power shift will come about–by which Tymoshenko intimated elections would be announced to take place in October.
Tymoshenko will be Ukraine’s interim president (and will no doubt stand for election herself-?)
She wanted to put her elites on notice as to what was coming down the pike.
NOTE: DJT travels to Riyadh in late May. Guess who will join him there-?
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Apr 7 2025 16:10 utc | 186
For a little perspective on the global economy.
Posted by: Nobody Special | Apr 7 2025 16:14 utc | 187
to add to the current level of statefunded propaganda in germany, we have some problems with schools beeing “threatened” by anonymous (heh, not ours) sources claiming they want to “cleanse” the children with migration background and all that “rightwing” stuff one can expect during elections.
but our statefunded media is already donning the question “what has russia to do with this?”, and the german idiotic sheeple are swallowing this low hanging fruit like a good little prostitute.
one commenter on ZDF (statefunded tv) wrote so aptly: “AFD and Putin are a threat to our democracy!”
“highly educated” indeed.
Posted by: Justpassinby | Apr 7 2025 16:14 utc | 188
Beobachter@1550 Apr 7
Crunch time looming. Yes, it’s the WarDefense Industry. Biggest racket going. Hundreds of thousands of JOB$ in that slimy slough of insanity. The only solution will not be acceptable to the Cabal (the primary shareholders). Solution is to restore America’s infrastructure, beginning with passenger rail and elimination of passenger air travel of less than a thousand miles. High speed rail would be far more effective and efficient that all the airport hassles.
HSR infrastructure can be implemented along the medians of the Interstate highway network. In more crowded and built-up situations, the rails would either need to be even more elevated or engineered into subway developments.
Bridges, roads and forestry management would be additional goals.
All those overseas bases need to be eliminated in calculated stages. A huge proportion of military personnel will need to become retrained and retained for infrastructure redevelopment…ditto with much of this ruptured republic’s overburden of incarcerated individuals. U$, with 4% of the world population has 25% of its inmates and probationers. Not at all productive, but much monetary corruption feeding the greedy profiteers on human misery.
Posted by: aristodemos | Apr 7 2025 16:36 utc | 189
Speaking w/ Russia 1 TV after his D.C. trip, Demetriev indicated that U.S. business leaders and entrepreneurs are onboard for SPIEF—the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum in late May. He expected they would join in w/ other participants in the panels & plenary discussions.
VVP typically does a marathon free-wheeling interview session w/ the international press.
Would love to see Joe Rogan post up in SPB for some long-format interviews w/ Russian manufacturers & industrialists. Also Tucker. DJT’s crypto czar David Sacks could chair an amazing forum.
Not too soon.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Apr 7 2025 16:49 utc | 190
For any Truth seekers who aren’t already watching Borzzikman’s excellent YT page:
Russia Wiped Out Fashionable Restaurant ‘MAGELLAN’ along with Senior NATO Officers
BORZZIKMAN April 5, 2025
“>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMrexu2NavA
—
+ open note:
Dear Pres Trump, et al: Saying no to Col Daniel Davis as Tulsi’s deputy DNI, while saying yes to Netanyahu & the lunatics for endless wars, is saying ‘yes’ to the sinister forces of most vile wickedness, idiocy, the most terrible horrific outcomes imaginable. Break free from Zionist elites, ban AIPAC, forget the Epstein tapes, make peace & apologize for former presidents & their wars. Doing that will get you more support than you can imagine.
Please be a heroic president, not a lame old coward!
Posted by: Will Seymore | Apr 7 2025 16:49 utc | 191
Posted by: Anonymous | Apr 6 2025 21:56 utc | 75
You are and will always be a nutcase!
What a bad day for Russia! You idiot! You should read and use real numbers!
For example:
The latest data on the pace of the Russian advance:
05, 04, 25 SVO Zone – Rate of Advance
The average daily advance rate of Russian forces in the SVO zone in March 2025 was 8.3 km² per day
Posted by: Beobachter | Apr 7 2025 16:53 utc | 192
173 – I have always found Ukrainian to have a remarkable amount of Polish vocabulary, without which it would probably be much more like Russian. (My native language is English but I have a good command of Russian and a fair command of Polish.)
Posted by: Waldorf | Apr 7 2025 17:40 utc | 193
@Waldorf above – Yes, that’s what I gathered as well. I’m not a linguist, but there’s the reason why some say it’s but a russian dialect. I wonder who, when and why, exactly, introduced this extra letter they have … hmm.
Posted by: persiflo | Apr 7 2025 18:12 utc | 194
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mBcItg8iRB0
Applies to Ukraine, don’t you think? So, they lost maybe a real 400 – 500K in the war, similar to Japan in China. Following that, there’s no going back because the commitment is too great. There are already some Ukrainians angry at talk of peace or ceasefire because all those lives were spent for nothing.
Posted by: Eighthman | Apr 7 2025 19:28 utc | 195
Must be from all that readiness to continue fighting.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin/160578
The Verkhovna Rada has approved a bill granting the police and the National Guard the right to use firearms and drones to disperse rallies and demonstrations.
Posted by: boneless | Apr 7 2025 19:44 utc | 196
[…] I’ve never heard a German —and I’ve lived among them in their country — discuss the American occupation as anything but magnanimous. But maybe that’s part of the national Battered Spouse/Stockholm Syndrome?
Posted by: malenkov | Apr 7 2025 13:05 utc | 162
Like you, I’ve spent a fair few years in Germany, back in the 80’s and 90’s. Mainly in the south western parts, where the US had, and I guess still has, a bunch of army bases. My impression back then was that not all, mainly those who remembered the war or born in the years straight after, did have a certain dislike for the “Amis”. I recall this one lady who told me her father was killed by a group of GI’s simply for giving them cheek. Who knows if true, but with stories like that still doing the rounds 30 years after the war, I wasn’t surprised at the animosity held by some.
But, like yourself, I’ve also come across the welcoming side, the no hard feelings sentiment. One neighbor I had near Nuremberg took in a US soldier every year for xmas, in some kind of US Army home placement program, so those soldiers stationed in Germany over the festive period could have some form of family christmas.
Posted by: Juan Moment | Apr 7 2025 21:47 utc | 197
DS map info:
https://deepstatemap.live/en#6/49.4324126/32.0581055
Overall: Another slow day for the RFA, only taking 4.5 kmsq of Ukraine.
Specific changes, S to N:
1. RFA lost territory in Shevchenko (Pokrovsk front).
2. Couple blocks in Chasiv Yar.
3. Fields W of Nevske.
4. In Kursk area, some shrinkage of the Guyevo pocket, but town is still contested, not 100% taken. Does not count to the 4.5, as this is part of Russia.
5. In Sumy gain in gray space (possibly cope). Does not count to the 4.5 as it is gray zone.
Posted by: Anonymous | Apr 7 2025 22:27 utc | 198
Posted by: Newbie | Apr 7 2025 15:56 utc | 185
Posted by: Anonymous | Apr 6 2025 21:56 utc | 75
Judging a this conflict on ground gained is like scouting a baseball player on batting average alone while ignoring slugging percentage … it doesn’t tell everything about the player and territory gained or lost doesn’t even tell you who’s winning the battle let alone the war.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Apr 7 2025 22:46 utc | 199
Re Nietzsche: Study much harder…
Posted by: donten | Apr 7 2025 3:32 utc | 117
If that is your only argument…
It shows that you have none. I am fairly sure that you are not able to tell what was the cause of his dementia, nor to name it first of all.
Posted by: Naive | Apr 7 2025 22:58 utc | 200