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May 15, 2025
Open (Neither Ukraine Nor Palestine) Thread 2025-104
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just made a connection about our new Pope Bob and a recent Michael Hudson posting with the title
When Usury Became Doctrine
Pope Bob is from the Saint Augustine order within the Catholic church
From Michael
St. Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo in North Africa, said, how do we get rid of the fact that a lot of Christians don’t like interest? They also don’t like landlordship, and if there’s a landowner that’s a creditor reducing people to bondage – according to the documents that have survived – they raid the guy’s house, and they freed the bond persons.
So Augustine said, look, we’ve got to kill all of these Christians that are not pro-Roman. And he said, you’ve got to give their churches to us, not them… and he said, we’ve got to get rid of the fact that in the Lord’s Prayer they’re all praying “forgive us our debts,” because all the debts are owed to you – my constituency, the Romans, the 0.1%.
And so he said, it’s not really about debt at all. It’s about sin, and we’re all born with sin, and there’s nothing we can do, just like you have to pay a debt, you have to pay for the sin, and you have to pay us, the church. And this led to a large argument, and there were Welsh, British theologians…
LOGO DAEDALUS: The Pelagians!
MICHAEL HUDSON: Who said, no, if we’re Christians, we want to do good things, good works for the world. You know, we want to use our money to help people, maybe to forgive the debt. Augustine said, no, no, I’m excommunicating you. You can’t have anything. You can’t have people spend their own money in helping the society around them. You have to give to the poor. The poor are us. The poor are us clergy who are going and helping them – we get the money. And it’s all about sin. And the sin is inborn. There is nothing you can do but go through us, and when you die, give us your estate so that you can go to heaven by giving us the money.
I mean he sounds like one of today’s Protestant evangelical leaders. So this was the Roman setting for that.
This did not characterize the Eastern Christian Church orthodoxy. It was Constantinople and the rest of the Patriarchates… Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem that we’re following pretty close to the original Christianity. The Romans said, we’ve got to fight against that in order to control the entire church and make it all celibate, so that we can’t have the Tusculum people, the Popes, making it a family.
Just so you know where Pope Bob stands on private/public finance.
Michael Hudson’s research into the history of finance is a true gift to our species because it gives us a big picture look at how our forms of civilization have evolved and where we are now. I have written here before about a pact between Rome and the private money folks of the middle ages and Michael Hudson has fleshed out the reality of my scenario.
Again from Michael in the piece referred to above
So it was the Roman church that created the banking class. It’s very funny, there’s hardly any of this impetus on the church in economic histories. And a lot of it is because of Jewish historians that were understandably concerned about the fact that there was so much anti-semitism aimed at the Jews. Some, even many Jews, if they’re merchants, did lend money. But Matthew Paris and others say, well, they weren’t charging as much as the Christians. Well, Christians immediately – wanting to get rid of the Jewish money lenders – got King Henry’s son Edward to exile the Jews from England. And Phillip the Fourth exiled them from France.
And so the Jews did not play a role in this creation of international banking – it was the church. And I’m just amazed at how the Jewish historians haven’t said that this whole idea of identifying Jews with international banking has been used as an anti-semitic accusation. They did not play any role at all. The Vatican, when it was organizing the war loans to its vassal Kings, did not borrow from the Jews. They would confiscate their money, but they wouldn’t borrow, and they would certainly not pay interest.
The role of Jews when they were brought into England was the fact that they were the merchant class. And the warlords didn’t know too much about creating mercantile trade or production because they were robbers, not merchants.
So the Merchant class in the West went on to grow into my God Of Mammon cult that still infects the Western form of social organization and hides behind centuries of lies about the hypocrisy of the Catholic church….doing good for humanity.
And now we have Pope Bob who is steeped in the Saint Augustine crafted lie about a basic tenet of Christianity.
The shit show continues until it doesn’t
Posted by: psychohistorian | May 15 2025 12:27 utc | 1
Posted by: psychohistorian | May 15 2025 12:27 utc | 3
Excellent !
We need Karlof to do a Karlof special on this ….
https://t.me/kremlin_sekret/17221
The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation is stepping up efforts to nationalize enterprises, seizing them from unscrupulous owners and foreign jurisdictions. The agency has succeeded in transferring five large enterprises with assets worth 2.4 trillion rubles to the state. These companies, previously controlled by offshore structures, have been transferring profits abroad for years, evading taxes and ignoring social obligations to labor collectives. In some cases, facts of financing the Kyiv regime have been recorded.
Nationalization affected several key industries at once: the fishing industry (a group of companies of the Far East “crab kings” Oleg Kan and Dmitry Dremlyuga), agriculture (grain producer and exporter Rodnye Polya and pasta manufacturer Makfa) and metallurgy (Chelyabinsk Electrometallurgical Plant). These assets played an important role in the Russian economy, but in fact worked in the interests of foreign owners. Profits went to unfriendly jurisdictions, and within the country, these companies did not invest in modernization and ignored the infrastructure development of the regions.
The nationalization of these assets is not a point solution, but part of a systemic course to strengthen economic sovereignty. The state is eliminating the gray schemes through which Russian resources and money flowed abroad, redistributing them in the interests of national production and the budget. This is not just restoring justice, but creating conditions under which the income from the work of large enterprises will remain in the country and be directed to the budget.
Obviously, the nationalization process will affect other assets, especially those where the owners continue to use offshore mechanisms to withdraw capital. This will cause resistance from business groups accustomed to working according to old schemes, but the trend is already obvious: control over strategic sectors is gradually transferred to those who are ready to work in the interests of the country. State policy in this direction will inevitably continue, forming a new economic model, where key assets work for national development, and not for foreign interests.
The state is not just reclaiming assets — it is reclaiming the right to shape the rules. Those who created capital based on administrative resources are now faced with a new reality: anything obtained without transparency and legal grounds can be challenged.
The Constitutional Court of Russia has effectively restarted the legal coordinate system regulating property disputes. Its ruling, according to which the statute of limitations for privatization transactions is calculated not from the moment of the transaction itself, but from the moment violations are identified during a prosecutor’s inspection, opens a fundamentally new stage in the strategy of state re-privatization.
This is not just an expansion of the powers of supervisory authorities, but a transition to a legal model where historical justice can be restored even decades later.
The privatization of the 1990s is no longer perceived as an inviolable foundation of property. If previously property obtained in violation of the law was considered practically indisputable after the expiration of the statute of limitations, now the state has the opportunity to selectively and systematically return assets to its control. It is important that this step does not seem sudden. It was anticipated by a number of cases: from the case of the agricultural magnate Korovaiko, as a result of which more than 370 real estate objects and 6.7 thousand hectares of land were transferred to the state, to the active investigation of Moshkovich’s assets.
The Constitutional Court’s ruling became an institutional superstructure over the already implemented practice, giving it legal completeness.
But the point is not only in the revision of transactions. This is a signal to big capital: the era of guaranteed inviolability of formally secured property rights obtained illegally is coming to an end. Now the main thing is not the fact of ownership, but the legitimacy of its origin and compliance with the long-term interests of the state, which is becoming a manageable tool for the formation of a sovereign economy. Most Russians perceive privatization as injustice that has legalized social stratification. Today, the state offers a different framework: not revenge, but adjustment, institutional cleansing. The Constitutional Court’s decision will have far-reaching consequences. It lays the legal basis for the seizure of assets in energy, transport, agriculture – everywhere where the interests of the “old groups” previously dominated. In the near future, we can expect an expansion of prosecutorial inspections, increased legal support for transactions and the formation of a new class of “clean property” – in direct dependence on state loyalty and transparency of the origin of capital. At the same time, the state acts in a targeted manner and within the legal field. Thus, the legal mechanism becomes the most important element of the sovereign economic course. Not slogans, but a structure, not head-on nationalization, but a cold revision of the mistakes of the past.
Looks like China has been teaching Russia how to run a country properly.
Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | May 15 2025 12:46 utc | 2
Will take the opportunity to post a link to a major Chinese breakthrough on air breathing hypersonic flight with standard fuel.
A true game changer if applied to next gen flight.
Saw it a week ago but already 3 months old.
https://www.china-arms.com/2025/02/china-tests-oblique-detonation-engine/amp/
Posted by: Newbie | May 15 2025 12:48 utc | 3
I sincerely hope this is a blueprint of what BRICS will look like, when it is rolled out as a strategic partnership.
Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | May 15 2025 12:50 utc | 4
I sincerely hope this is a blueprint of what BRICS will look like, when it is rolled out as a strategic partnership.
Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | May 15 2025 12:50 utc | 6
In your text you seem to mix two things
One about the origin of assets process (property is theft is an old phrase but particularly applicable in certain cases) that can be beyond repair (already reasonably bought in good faith by another entity at a later moment)
And the regulation part of existing companies that may be forced to operate within boundaries established by the state .
The first should be preempted, the second enforced . As already mentioned , after 400 years of private interests growing to the detriment of the state and labor, things seem to be changing and the state’s reassertion of his power is a major battle for the XXI st century .
Posted by: Newbie | May 15 2025 13:12 utc | 5
Posted by: psychohistorian | May 15 2025 12:27 utc | 3
Good that you draw attention to Michael Hudson’s When Usury Became Doctrine.
For those who are not aware, professor Hudson’s invaluable knowledge/ writing is available on his website:
https://michael-hudson.com/
Posted by: JB | May 15 2025 13:14 utc | 6
“Just slap a ketchup package on the ear and go play golf with a pristine ear two days later” Trump/Drumpff has demanded that European Nato countries spend 5% of their budget on defense. That is, give it straight to the protected nationality in america that owns the military industry.
Let’s see how that looks like from the perspective of something like Finland. The effective tax percentage is already around 85-90%, so if I understood anything about math, taking an extra 2-3% and giving it to the billionaires of the protected nationality in america is taking away 20% of the money that the normal people would otherwise have kept.
Which is great for the protected nationality, because they can have their little protected nationality members in countries like Finland use the opportunity to sell national property like the postal service (oh, right, they sold it already), land (gave away all the ore-containing land for free already, but they can always un-protect national parks and sell them), the power network (sold), water and, umm, blood and organs and dna, I guess? (oh right, they collected the dna already).
Posted by: Jack M | May 15 2025 13:21 utc | 7
State control of the country resources is the basis of the Burkina model since 2022.
Search for Hibraim Traoré, Burkina Faso interim president. Special guest of Putin last may 9.
3 African countries formed a Confederation, including banking services. Support from Russia and North Coreia. Unstoppable movement.
Posted by: António | May 15 2025 13:29 utc | 8
tate control of the country resources is the basis of the Burkina model since 2022.
Search for Hibraim Traoré, Burkina Faso interim president. Special guest of Putin last may 9.
3 African countries formed a Confederation, including banking services. Support from Russia and North Coreia. Unstoppable movement.
Posted by: António | May 15 2025 13:29 utc | 10S
You’re being unfair in forgetting Thomas Sankara…
Posted by: Newbie | May 15 2025 13:34 utc | 9
Have you seen the monument to Thomas Sankara recently built at Burkina Faso capital. Sankara has been the “spiritual leader” of Traoré. Check it out.
Posted by: António | May 15 2025 14:04 utc | 10
Sorry Newbie ( May 15 2025 12:48 utc | 5 ) I am invoking the SuRuBu NSNG rule on that stuff about hypersonics (the reference is SCMP, no surprise, there’s no link to their article either) which could have been written or plain made up at any point during the last thirty or so years.
SuRuBu, No Source No Go:
Any science reporting from anyone that mentions or alludes to a scientific paper which it does not provide a direct link to is to be ignored until or unless any third party does the drudgery of providing such a link. Do not propagate such “science reporting” unless you do that work and provide the link.
Drop such meaningless “science reporting” that is the antithesis to the core attribute of the internet/HTTP: the utility of appropriate links.
Stop the spam, because that is what it; just another form of spam. Don’t get fooled by it. Don’t waste everyone’s time. One could generate an infinite amount of such “reporting” on any subject matter if one wanted to (and SCMP among others seem to try to do just that lol (they have plenty of “competition” from other news media both western and non-western)).
Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | May 15 2025 14:23 utc | 11
I would say there is no doubt russia’s economy is sacrificing potential future growth for extended use of fiscal policy and high interest rates, but at the same time i dont think they will have a serious problem with their economy on the coming years, afaik next year the forecast is reduction in growth and inflation which seems what it would want, at the same time i dont believe this war will last enough years to the point the condition of growth, inflation and deficits will be considered by putin and other people close to him a variable sufficiently important to consider if they continue the war or not.
Posted by: counterforce | May 15 2025 14:23 utc | 12
Posted by: Jack M | May 15 2025 13:21 utc | 9
Here’s several reasons what is wrong with Finland.Just scroll down to read them.
https://billmitchell.org/blog/?s=Finland
Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | May 15 2025 14:27 utc | 13
Posted by: counterforce | May 15 2025 14:23 utc | 14
What’s wrong with deficits ?
Considering all it is just a measure of how much people save in cash ?
Can you give some context why you don’t like workers saving ?
Or is it just the Orwellian language used – ” Deficit ” that has fooled you ?
It will be very interesting to hear what you have against people who save.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | May 15 2025 14:32 utc | 14
… This admin is sincere in rolling-back interventionism, of both the zionist-neocon and liberal-humanitarian flavors. And that is not because of any epiphany of pious remorse, nope, it’s just that the USA is essentially nearing bankruptcy.
The neoliberal model is kaput and with it goes the ‘exorbitant privilege’ and the need to go back to basics, industry and shit, need to cut spending on foreign adventures.
Posted by: Johan Kaspar…
10 year keeps kissing 4.5% Trump is experienced in overleveraged situations.
Posted by: Exile | May 15 2025 14:43 utc | 15
Ireland, like many EU nation states continues to hurdle down the road to energy dependency, and will eventually wind up like Spain and Portugal.
Ireland now is most energy dependent country in the EU, with the vast majority of energy imported from Wales and Scotland via undersea cables.
Ireland has specifically closed its last turf fueled power plant, and is now converting its last coal fired plant in Clare to burn heavy bunker oil, this while the world in awash in cheap coal supplies and the Russians and Chinese and Indians continue to build new coal fired power stations.
Horribly ugly industrial wind mills and chinese made solar farms was disgrace the once beautiful Irish countryside. Solar and wind power is not only expensible but its undependable in the extreme.
Burn coal, live better and warmer with lower utility rates……or live with massive blackouts like Spain and Portugal.
Posted by: tobias cole | May 15 2025 14:50 utc | 16
The Finnish authorities propose getting Fins aged up to 65 into the military.
“The Finnish Defense Ministry has submitted a proposal to raise the maximum age for military reservists to 65, according to a press release published on Wednesday. The move is part of a broader militarization trend among European NATO member states.
The proposed reform would apply to all citizens liable for being called up who were born in 1966 or later, potentially adding 125,000 personnel to Finland’s reserve forces over a five-year transition period. If enacted, the total number of reservists is projected to reach one million by 2031, the Defense Ministry noted.
Currently, rank-and-file soldiers are removed from the reserves at age 50, while officers exit at 60. The proposal would not apply retroactively to those already over 60.
According to the ministry, refresher training for 50–65-year-olds would be organized for those assigned wartime duties. No upper age limit would be set for military service volunteers.”
Posted by: Republicofscotland | May 15 2025 15:14 utc | 17
I don’t know why the Washington Regine would be short of luxury jets – they stole two from Venezuela recently – in anycase this is just arse licking by Qatar – and Trump ever the self-centred, egotistical sociopath loves it.
“Qatar has dismissed criticism over its proposed gift of a luxury Boeing jet to the US, insisting the move is a straightforward government transaction. In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani suggested the offer was part of normal diplomatic relations and not a personal favor.
The $400 million Boeing 747-8 would be handed to the Department of Defense and replace Air Force One, while the US government awaits a delivery of new presidential jets from Boeing; the order has been set back years by the troubled plane maker.”
Posted by: Republicofscotland | May 15 2025 15:17 utc | 18
The British Regime – is sending someone to whisper in the ear of the Neo-Nazi dictator in Ukraine Zelensky, when peace talks begin – the last time a Brit whispered in the dictators ear (Boris Johnson) Ukraine decided to keep on fighting Russia – now look at the state Ukraine is in.
“London is reportedly sending an adviser to Istanbul to give its recommendations to Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky ahead of talks with Russia, the Guardian reported on Wednesday.
On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to restart direct negotiations with Kiev to find a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict. While Zelensky had previously ruled out talks with Moscow, he welcomed the proposal and agreed to personally travel to Türkiye to take part.
Moscow has barred Western European leaders from participating in the negotiations, accusing them of a biased approach to the conflict and trying to prolong the fighting. Nevertheless, the UK is reportedly sending Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s security adviser, Jonathan Powell, to meet with Zelensky ahead of the talks to provide “background advice” on how he should handle the meeting.”
Posted by: Republicofscotland | May 15 2025 15:20 utc | 19
Maybe the Poles aren’t as stupid as some people (Washington Regime) think.
“Poland has no plans to send its military to Ukraine in any role, the country’s top officials have said, responding to remarks by Keith Kellogg. US President Donald Trump’s special envoy had said Warsaw’s troops could be a part of a “resilience force” to be deployed to the country.
Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Tuesday that was not the case, stating that his country would only serve as a “logistics hub” and the government “does not plan and will not send Polish soldiers to Ukraine.””
Posted by: Republicofscotland | May 15 2025 15:23 utc | 20
Trump’s found his niche – between two monsters.
https://nitter.poast.org/21WIRE/status/1922617425725477235#m
Posted by: Republicofscotland | May 15 2025 15:33 utc | 21
SuRuBu, No Source No Go:
Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | May 15 2025 14:23 utc | 13
Some of the studies
Origin of article IMO
http://www.syltlx.com/en/article/doi/10.11729/syltlx20220090
More detailed older basis
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yunfeng-Liu-5/publication/376120245_Experimental_demonstration_of_forced_initiation_of_kerosene_oblique_detonation_by_an_on-wedge_trip_in_an_ODE_model/links/65e490abadc608480af99a8c/Experimental-demonstration-of-forced-initiation-of-kerosene-oblique-detonation-by-an-on-wedge-trip-in-an-ODE-model.pdf
Several chinese teams advance with kerosene, work in the west still on easier fuels to auto detonate
Posted by: Newbie | May 15 2025 15:35 utc | 22
Putin lost the entire war in Syria and Ukraine
Posted by: Alex Baratoochi | May 15 2025 15:44 utc | 23
Posted by: Newbie | May 15 2025 15:35 utc | 22
Constant dieseling on open combustion.
Probably a decade from practical use, but neat if it can be utilized.
Posted by: saner | May 15 2025 16:17 utc | 24
The scattershot Michael Hudson description of the Church and the charging of interest recalls Belloc’s description of a painting by Turner: “ a tortoiseshell cat having a fit in a platter of tomatoes .”
Posted by: Kansas | May 15 2025 16:44 utc | 25
Constant dieseling on open combustion.
Probably a decade from practical use, but neat if it can be utilized.
Posted by: saner | May 15 2025 16:17 utc | 24
If in a decade we get mach 10 planes It’s excellent
Would be surprised if it gets military use so soon
Posted by: Newbie | May 15 2025 16:45 utc | 26
Constant dieseling on open combustion.
Probably a decade from practical use, but neat if it can be utilized.
That’s understating it a little, methinks. Granted I’ve not designed piston engines, but their action seems to be very different, compressing the gas through mechanical force, while fuel injection merely has to overcome the pressure inside the piston. The shcramjet works on a uniform space for a given Mach number; perhaps they’ll need an adjustable lip over a range of M. Ignition is achieved by control of the airflow and especially its shockwave geometry. – A shockwave is a discontinuous front of pressure which forms in regions of supersonic flows.
The concept is simple and sound. What you need to pull it off is the high-powered wind tunnel for testing, the number crunching machines to model the fluid dynamics, and the engineering zeal to get it all together. Now that they’ve demonstrated the principle I think it’s going to work out.
It’s an interesting case study for technology prowess because it is in some sense a quite straightforward design, enabled by the background infrastructure which allows to do the work. As we’ve read here before, China can be expected to be a leading innovator for the future to come.
Posted by: persiflo | May 15 2025 16:59 utc | 27
A pet peeve;
Was in an office this morning for meeting. Becoming impossible to listen to the under 30s.
“Like, um, you know, I like literally, um, personally really like sort of think, kinda like, maybe, if you, um, like, know what I mean?”
No, I fucking don’t, because you have said nothing but goddamned filler words. 45 minutes and I don’t think one coherent sentence was uttered, and certainly none without at multiple ‘like’s.
They can’t write, they can’t speak, they can’t think. We really are living in Idiocracy.
Posted by: saner | May 15 2025 17:01 utc | 28
In answer to psychohistorian | May 15 2025 12:27 utc | 1
I’ve disagreed with Professor Hudson in past posts on his version of Christian history, so will just say here that it is somewhat biased. His basic economic facts are certainly well founded, but the larger issues of faith are best discovered elsewhere. I wasn’t familiar with pelagianism so did a brief search. Here’s what wikipedia says:
… because Pelagius considered a person to always have the ability to choose the right action in each circumstance, it was therefore theoretically possible (though rare) to live a sinless life.[29][45][36] Jesus Christ, held in Christian doctrine to have lived a life without sin, was the ultimate example for Pelagians seeking perfection in their own lives, but there were also other humans who were without sin—including some notable pagans and especially the Hebrew prophets.[35][46][d] This view was at odds with that of Augustine and orthodox Christianity, which taught that Jesus was the only man free of sin.[47]
The last sentence includes “orthodox Christianity” in the non-acceptance of Pelagian teachings. So, it is also the Eastern Orthodox position, as can be seen at the orthodox wiki site. Augustine was never pope, and many of his views can, and should, be debated, (preferably using direct quotations from Augustine himself) but it’s a bit more complicated than can be addressed in detail here.
Posted by: juliania | May 15 2025 17:07 utc | 29
In response to
”
The scattershot Michael Hudson description of the Church and the charging of interest recalls Belloc’s description of a painting by Turner: “ a tortoiseshell cat having a fit in a platter of tomatoes .”
Posted by: Kansas | May 15 2025 16:44 utc | 25
”
Welcome to the bar. I suggest you order a strong one because you seem to need some attitude adjustment to focus on the message instead of the messenger
##############
@ juliania | May 15 2025 17:07 utc | 29 who is suffering from the same problem, it seems.
Did the Roman branch of Catholic monotheism approve usury/interest?
Do they now?
Why? Isn’t it a mortal sin?
I can’t wait for Michael’s coming book so I can refer you to the references he and his background scholars have found. Given his other offerings I have no doubt he can and will back up his words.
Posted by: psychohistorian | May 15 2025 17:29 utc | 30
Posted by: psychohistorian | May 15 2025 17:29 utc | 30
######
Riba (usury) is one of the worst sins in Islam.
It’s viewed as similar to enslavement. We’re not even supposed to keep animals in a zoo. Certainly not rent-seeking against fellow humans.
Makes perfect sense that colonizing Christians would be for it.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | May 15 2025 17:44 utc | 31
@ juliania | May 15 2025 17:07 utc | 29 who is suffering from the same problem, it seems.
Did the Roman branch of Catholic monotheism approve usury/interest?
Do they now?
Why? Isn’t it a mortal sin?
Posted by: psychohistorian | May 15 2025 17:29 utc | 30
Thanks for responding, psychohistorian, but you need to read my post more carefully. I said: ‘ His basic economic facts are certainly well founded, but the larger issues of faith are best discovered elsewhere.’
I am not a Catholic so I cannot answer your questions on doctrine. I know how my Eastern Orthodoxy regards Augustine, and there are conflicting views on his sainthood. Best, as I said, to look at how he is depicted at Orthodox wiki. He is regarded by some as a saint, by others as a blessed teacher. I do not know the present pope’s views on usury. They might be different from Augustine’s.
Posted by: juliania | May 15 2025 18:10 utc | 32
Thought this was an amusing new aspect of western decline:
“Rapper Kanye West releases pro-Nazi song “Heil Hitler””
Just Google that title and you’ll find the article. It’s a SEP, dens-as-lesser evil screed, but it’s got some funny details on this development.
Apparently Kanye includes recording of one of Hitlers speeches from 1935 in the song!
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | May 15 2025 18:27 utc | 33
Topic: Canadian Housing bubble is busy Deflating:
“WOW Ontario Real Estate”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lzqfI59e4g (length: 7 minutes)
1) Sales in the province of Ontario were down 23%
2) Prices are down by 20 to 30%.
3) Condos in Toronto wnet down by some 30% as well.
I knew that the real estate market in Ontario and in Canada in general was a “little bit soft” and that the amount of sale was down. But prices are down by 30% for condos ? That figure was for me also a shock.
Posted by: WMG | May 15 2025 18:37 utc | 34
Now that they’ve demonstrated the principle I think it’s going to work out.
It’s an interesting case study for technology prowess because it is in some sense a quite straightforward design, enabled by the background infrastructure which allows to do the work. As we’ve read here before, China can be expected to be a leading innovator for the future to come.
Posted by: persiflo | May 15 2025 16:59 utc | 27
Kerosene fueled air breathing hypersonics is groundbreaking
a bump to solve the bump… elegant
Posted by: Newbie | May 15 2025 18:38 utc | 35
Newbie ( May 15 2025 15:35 utc | 22 ):
Thank you! 😀
That first link is interesting (the other doesn’t work for me
for unrelated reasons) and I see it spawned some interesting
comments too 🙂
Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | May 15 2025 18:51 utc | 36
Tobias Cole 16
No worries for the culties in the west of Ireland though… they can easily reverting to cutting peat!
Posted by: E | May 15 2025 18:57 utc | 37
The British Regime – is sending someone to whisper in the ear of the Neo-Nazi dictator in Ukraine Zelensky, when peace talks begin – the last time a Brit whispered in the dictators ear (Boris Johnson) Ukraine decided to keep on fighting Russia – now look at the state Ukraine is in.
Posted by: Republicofscotland | May 15 2025 15:20 utc | 19
Just a reminder : Project Alchemy.
Emails and internal documents reviewed by The Grayzone reveal details of a cabal of British military and intelligence veterans which plotted to escalate and prolong the Ukraine proxy war “at all costs.” Convened under the direction of the British Ministry of Defense in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the cell referred to itself as Project Alchemy. As British leadership sabotaged peace talks between Kiev and Moscow, the cell put forward an array of plans “to keep Ukraine fighting” by imposing “strategic dilemmas, costs and frictions upon Russia.”
https://thegrayzone.com/2024/11/16/uk-plot-keep-ukraine-fighting/
And : ‘LET’S JUST FIGHT’: HOW BRITAIN PREFERS WAR OVER PEACE IN UKRAINE
Boris Johnson avoided promoting a compromise peace in Ukraine after Russia invaded. Now, Labour continues to help prolong the conflict to secure British interests.
https://www.declassifieduk.org/lets-just-fight-how-britain-prefers-war-over-peace-in-ukraine/
Posted by: Red Star | May 15 2025 18:59 utc | 38
Thanks Juliana 29
I personally find it “rich” hearing Hudson invoke God (knowing his fraudulent representation of satoshi… has he repented of this yet?)
Posted by: E | May 15 2025 19:02 utc | 39
🇮🇳 India bent over backwards to prove its loyalty to Washington:
– Banned Chinese apps ✅
– Begged for Apple factories ✅
– Hosted Modi-Trump rallies ✅
– Pledged zero tariffs ✅
And what did they get?
Trump: “Don’t build in India.”
That’s the price of being obedient without being useful.
The US doesn’t want India to replace China – it wants the jobs back home.
Everyone who isn’t all-in on BRICS or the Axis is screwed, America wants to de-industrialize everyone to industrialize themselves, so they can repeat the process of offshoring all of the jobs away later. 😂😂😂
Posted by: LoveDonbass | May 15 2025 19:05 utc | 40
“The Reagan administration set the tone of labor relations in the 1980s by [abetting] the worst capitalist assault on America’s working people since the 1920s.” “… mathematics and the natural sciences –which presumably are essential for the future technological competiveness of the United States– could together claim fewer than 4 percent of the college seniors graduating in 1983. –Barbara Ehrenreich, 1989”
Posted by: Ben Trovata | May 15 2025 19:16 utc | 41
Regarding the history of the Catholic Church and usury, this took some effort to compile:
1. The New Testament commends those who invest the Master’s capital with interest.
2. The Church Fathers of the first four centuries condemned charging interest to a poor or needy man.
3. The Council of Elvira (305 AD) condemned clerics and laity who persisted in charging usury.
4. The Council of Arles (314 AD) condemned clerics charging interest.
5. So too the First Council of Nicea (325 AD).
6. The First Council of Carthage (345 AD) condemned laity charging interest.
7. So too the Council of Aix/Aachen (789 AD) at the time that Charlemagne was Holy Roman Emperor. The decrees of this council obtained throughout the Holy Roman Empire.
8. Canon Law during the Middle Ages forbade interest.
9. The Decree of Gratian in the 12th Century forbade interest.
10. So too Pope Alexander III (1159-81 AD).
11. The Third Lateran Council (1179 AD) condemned interest.
12. Pope Urban III (1185-87 AD) extended interest prohibitions to the Jews.
13. The Fourth Lateran Council (1215 AD) reined in the Jews’ interest practices.
14. Saint Louis of France (1226-1270 AD) forbade Jews as well as others to charge interest.
15. The Decretals of Pope Gregory of 1234 AD forbade interest.
16. As did the Second Council of Lyon (1274 AD).
17. St Thomas Acquinas d. 1274 and Duns Scotus d. 1308, two of four preeminent scholastics, severely proscribed conditions for charging interest.
18. The Council of Vienne (1311 AD) declared it heresy to justify interest.
19. For a good many centuries in Europe, Jews were exempt from these prohibitions, since the Jews were money lenders at interest, the Church taking care to see only that the interest not be usurious.
20. The Babylonian Talmud forbade Jews charging interest to Jews, but not to others.
21. Modern Church discussions distinguish reasonable from usurious interest.
22. Of the 1030-some expulsions of Jews from provinces or cities, a very common reason cited was their practice of usury, of preying upon the poor.
23. Modern Church discussions distinguish between productive loans for, say, building a factory to make profits, and an unproductive loan for building a house.
24. Michael Hudson is like a tortoiseshell cat having a fit in a platter of tomatoes.
25. Note to psychohistorian: Augustine identified the first psychology, the love of power, in his City of God. So too the first philosophy of history in the same work.
Posted by: Kansas | May 15 2025 19:40 utc | 42
Better keep an eye on the Balkans… https://geopolitiq.substack.com/p/the-balkans-on-the-brink-of-explosion?r=25fc37
@ LoveDonbass | May 15 2025 19:05 utc | 40
the usa has done the same to europe as it has done to india.. if i was europe, i would say to the usa – screw you.. instead like an obedient puppy europe agrees to the tariffs on china, imposed by the usa.. fast forward to now, and europe is not treated in any special way whatsoever… serves them right, lol..
Posted by: james | May 15 2025 20:36 utc | 44
Kansas 42 – thank you for a great summary……..the church has many times rallied against the users, usery and money changers……..see Jesus at the Second Temple during Holy Week.
Posted by: tobias cole | May 15 2025 20:43 utc | 45
Posted by: james | May 15 2025 20:36 utc | 44
#######
Skills that aren’t practiced atrophy. No country that bought into Western globalism knows how to negotiate these days.
India has never recovered from being colonized by the British. It’s a massive country with an ancient civilization, while also being a total basket case incapable of acting strategically or rationally.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | May 15 2025 21:23 utc | 46
I don’t see any European “power” being more formidable politically, economically, or militarily than India is, and India is a joke.
Trump will probably eat their lunch. I am a big believer in losers going extinct. If they hang around while being unfit, they pollute the gene pool, and that is bad for the species.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | May 15 2025 21:29 utc | 47
Canadian Prime Minister Mark ‘Goldman-Sachs’ Carney’s New Foreign Minister – Anita Anand
https://x.com/EnglerYves/status/1922447787246944676
“Anita Anand’s appointment as foreign affairs minister suggests Mark Carney will continue Trudeau’s pro-genocide, imperialism and NATO policy. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”
Posted by: JohnGilberts | May 15 2025 21:30 utc | 48
@ LoveDonbass | May 15 2025 21:23 utc | 46 // 47
i don’t know if i would go that far.. is capitalism good for democracy?? it seems they are incapable of living together in any beneficial or happy way.. this explains the increasing divide with a small elite wealthy group, and all the rest of us… would you have those who aren’t cutting it financially cease to exist?? the skill or ability to be compassionate and express empathy for others has never died as a skill, but it certainly is downplayed significantly by the world of capitalism…
Posted by: james | May 15 2025 21:42 utc | 49
Tell me about the Empire…
The FAA has resorted to buying parts on eBay, $EBAY, because its equipment is so old, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said.
https://x.com/unusual_whales/status/1923044954668138613
Posted by: LoveDonbass | May 15 2025 21:51 utc | 50
R2R: In a New Clash Over Kashmir, Pakistan’s Chinese Warplanes Defeat India’s Western-Made Fighters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBM_HTVIJJo
“Yet again, nuclear-armed Pakistan and nuclear armed India have gone to war over Kashmir. To explore the causes of the latest hostilities and the likely trajectory of this existentially dangerous conflict, Dimitri Lascaris spoke with Aman Ullah Tariq, host of The Eon Podcast* in Pakistan.
The Eon Podcast provides analysis on Pakistan’s domestic politics and international relations from a democratic and anti-imperialist perspective.
According to Aman, India’s ‘mainstream’ media are lying relentlessly about the causes of this conflict and the performance of the Indian military in the latest clashes.
Aman says that Pakistan’s military response to India’s attacks on targets in Pakistan has caused India’s leadership to become deeply concerned about its ability to take on the Pakistani military.”
*The Eon Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/@eonpodcast
Posted by: JohnGilberts | May 15 2025 22:03 utc | 51
JohnGilberts | May 15 2025 21:30 utc
John I heard Anand introduce Carney at some big British policy/cultural event shown on BBC several years ago – she made him sound like the Second Coming of Christ, a creature of rare glittering brilliance, humanity and wisdom lol
So Canada’s new foreign minister is a champion ass kisser – business as usual lol
Posted by: will moon | May 15 2025 22:06 utc | 52
@ will moon | May 15 2025 22:06 utc | 52
that kind of identifies canuck foreign policy in a nutshell – ass kisser… that is pretty much the extent of canada’s foreign policy objective/s…
Posted by: james | May 15 2025 22:09 utc | 53
Posted by: james | May 15 2025 21:42 utc | 49
##########
Years ago, I tested the waters at MoA, coming out as overtly and unapologetically anti-democracy. I wanted to get the lay of the land and take the temperature of the prevailing opinions.
A few did the expected shrieking and tut-tutting. Didn’t matter to me. I don’t seek approval from others, and not if they cannot offer a counterargument beyond making animal noises.
I oppose Capitalism AND Democracy.
I think both are unnatural and not conducive to humanity’s flourishing.
If we believe our only choices are democracy or authoritarianism, capitalism or gulags and bread lines, these are curated and narrow choices that serve the power elite.
There are a lot of options, but we have to be willing to wander from the herd and risk social pushback from family, coworkers, and friends.
I post a lot about China to show people who don’t have exposure to that stuff. What is kept hidden from most of us, in a sense, what we’re denied.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | May 15 2025 22:12 utc | 54
Re #51, #52, #53 – More from Carney’s imperialist ass-kissing FM Anita Anand
https://x.com/AnitaAnandMP/status/1923045148121821186
“Today I join our Ukrainian friends and millions of Ukrainians here in Canada, in celebrating Vyshyvanka Day. The Vyshyvanka is a powerful staple of Ukrainian culture, and a symbol of Ukraine’s strength, unity and resilience in the face of Russia’s ongoing, illegal invasion. Canada will always stand with our allies in support of a free and sovereign Ukraine.”
Posted by: JohnGilberts | May 15 2025 22:41 utc | 55
Newbie | May 15 2025 12:48 utc | 3
A couple of other interesting developments in Chinese propulsion tech:
China Tests a Hypersonic Afterburner, Doubling Thrust at Mach 6
China Builds World’s First Boron Ramjet Engine to Launch Underwater Weapons at Supersonic Speeds
Probably a little further from practical application than the kerosene detonation engine. Perhaps the Zirkon uses a similar approach in order to use hydrocarbon fuel in its scramjet instead of Hydrogen? Hydrogen is the most efficient fuel for a scramjet but imagine trying to squeeze a Space Shuttle external tank into a VLS! Adding magnesium or boron could pack in even more energy, if they can deal with the problems with solid exhaust particles that stymied the USAF program into boron-based ‘zip-fuels’ back in the 50s-60s.
Posted by: S.P. Korolev | May 15 2025 23:27 utc | 56
@ LoveDonbass | May 15 2025 22:12 utc | 54
re: I oppose Capitalism AND Democracy.
We might say that if we had true democracy, government by the citizens via the congress, then we wouldn’t have government by capitalism. Or would we. Are the citizens qualified to fashion a proper government, one for the people? Or do citizens merely agree with whatever the national media cooks up, and usually have zero role in any international governing in a country that is in obeyance to RBIO, rules-based international order. Attacking other countries.
So China succeeds because it doesn’t have any of that. It has qualified people in a congress that goes along with governance that has obviously succeeded. We can see it. Visiting China cities, I didn’t see people living on sidewalks. I did see happy people in a park, doing yoga with others or by themselves. They were all moving, nobody just sitting around.
Confucius: “In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.”
Posted by: Don Bacon | May 15 2025 23:39 utc | 57
@ LoveDonbass | May 15 2025 22:12 utc | 54/57
IOW I agree with you.
Posted by: Don Bacon | May 15 2025 23:45 utc | 58
Re: #55 – more…
Canada and Europe are Collaborating on Defence. What That Might Look Like.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/canada-and-europe-are-collaborating-on-defence-what-that-might-look-like/
“…For more than a year, Canada and the EU have been in talks about a possible ‘security and defence partnership.’ Prime Minister Mark Carney was elected on a platform that promised to advance ‘Canada’s involvement in the Re-Arm Europe plan in support of transatlantic security’…”
Meet the MEP Who Wants To Bring Canada Into The European Union
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/05/05/meet-the-mep-who-wants-to-bring-canada-into-the-european-union
“Almost half of Canadians want to join the European Union and one German MEP is doing his best to make it possible. For him, geography is relative…”
‘Almost half’ eh? First I’ve heard, but the very first thing Carney did as prime minister, even before his election, was fly to Europe to meet Macron, Starmer and Queen Ursula von der Lying. And we do seem to be a member of the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ although it’s hardly ever mentioned…
Posted by: JohnGilberts | May 15 2025 23:53 utc | 59
Newbie ( May 15 2025 15:35 utc | 22 ):
Thank you! 😀
That first link is interesting (the other doesn’t work for me
for unrelated reasons) and I see it spawned some interesting
comments too 🙂
Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | May 15 2025 18:51 utc | 36
It was easy to find, second link works fine, just confirm you’re human
—————
Newbie | May 15 2025 12:48 utc | 3
if they can deal with the problems with solid exhaust particles that stymied the USAF program into boron-based ‘zip-fuels’ back in the 50s-60s.
Posted by: S.P. Korolev | May 15 2025 23:27 utc | 56
Reminded of china having the only facility producing hundreds of tons of hydrogen on magnesium substrate…
But that gave a slower burn, opposite of what we want here, maybe changing substrate as you suggest…
Posted by: Newbie | May 16 2025 0:08 utc | 60
“The scattershot Michael Hudson description of the Church and the charging of interest recalls Belloc’s description of a painting by Turner: “ a tortoiseshell cat having a fit in a platter of tomatoes .”
Posted by: Kansas | May 15 2025 16:44 utc | 25
Who the fuck remembers Belloc? Meanwhile, Turner is timeless.
Posted by: UK Defektor | May 16 2025 0:21 utc | 61
Can China buy America ?
( Or any large exporter to America who gets to horde $’s in return )
50 years ago the Ford administration created the government body that stops that from happening.
Here:
https://www.crisesnotes.com/cfius50anniversary/
But imagine trying to explain CFIUS to a Fox news MAGA audience.
Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | May 16 2025 0:21 utc | 62
Confucius: “In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.”
What is it about China’s socialist system—with capitalist market characteristics—that arguably makes it more democratic and economically just than Democratic Western economies dominated by entrenched corporate elites?
And why has the Shanghai Stock Exchange remained flat despite China’s booming economy?
Let’s start with the paradox.
Many Western analysts assume a flat stock market signals a struggling economy. But in China’s case, the reality is the opposite. Over the past two decades, China has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty, become the world’s second-largest economy, and built world-class infrastructure—yet the Shanghai Composite Index has remained relatively stagnant.
Why? Because China’s system doesn’t exist to inflate shareholder wealth—it exists to serve the people.
Stock markets ≠ national well-being
In capitalist systems like the U.S., GDP growth is increasingly captured by a tiny elite: stock markets hit record highs while real wages stagnate, the middle class shrinks, social services are cut, and infrastructure crumbles. In contrast, China’s economic model, guided by the Communist Party of China (CPC), channels growth into public goods and long-term development.
Fast trains, modern airports, and high-tech railway stations serve commuters nationwide, even in remote regions.
Food, medical care, education, and housing are treated as human rights—with extensive government programs and local initiatives ensuring access for 1.4 billion people, especially the disadvantaged.
National planning, not corporate lobbying, determines investment priorities.
Public goods and collective uplift—not stock buybacks and speculative profits—are the system’s goal.
So why doesn’t the Chinese stock market boom?
Because China enforces hypercompetitive markets that reward innovation but limit excessive profit-taking:
Companies can’t easily entrench themselves as monopolies. Antitrust rules are real and enforced.
Brand moats are hard to build. Consumers are tech-savvy, price-conscious, and constantly shifting toward better value.
The CPC actively suppresses rent-seeking behavior—profits are kept modest so that gains flow to the broader economy, not just shareholders.
As a result, China’s economic growth benefits workers, consumers, and communities—not just an investor class. And this is economic democracy in practice. It’s a system built to serve the real economy and the people (today and into the future), not only the financial elites.
In China, success doesn’t mean endless profit extraction. It means upgrading industry, building infrastructure, meeting people’s needs, and sustaining long-term stability.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sees the economy as a tool for national development and social uplift—not a playground for hedge funds and billionaire dynasties.
Antitrust enforcement is real. Predatory consolidation is checked. Tech giants are reined in, not worshipped.
On climate and ecological action—China leads
While Western leaders make speeches at COP summits, China builds:
The world’s largest and most advanced renewable energy infrastructure, including wind, solar, and hydroelectric.
Massive land reclamation and reforestation programs, turning desert into green landscapes.
The world’s leading EV and battery industry, including next-generation IoT-integrated electric vehicles, charging networks, and high-tech component manufacturing.
Ultra-efficient gas turbines and high-tech coal plants that push thermal efficiency far beyond Western norms—even as China scales down coal dependence.
Nationwide high-speed rail and electrified transport that radically reduce per capita emissions.
By scale, speed, and seriousness, China’s action on climate and environment puts most Western countries to shame.
This system isn’t perfect, and it’s not “democracy” in the liberal Western sense. But in many respects, it’s far more democratic in substance—especially economically—than what we see in countries where wealth and power are concentrated in a tiny financial oligarchy that controls both the media and political parties.
Conclusion: Real democracy is about outcomes and solving problems
In Western liberal democracies, political rights are emphasized—yet economic rights are often ignored. In China, while the political system is different, the material outcomes reflect a far broader distribution of well-being, opportunity, and ecological responsibility.
China shows what happens when a government governs for the many—not the few. Its flat stock market is not a sign of failure. It’s a sign that profits are being redistributed, needed infrastructure is being built, and people are being lifted up. It’s what economic democracy looks like when directed by a state that treats good planning, not speculation, as the engine of progress.
One might even conclude real democracy and good governance is about meeting the genuine needs of ‘the moral majority’ over the long haul for the good of all citizens, not only a few.
President Xi Jinping and the China Ministries emphasize this people centred approach at all times.
Full text Global Civilization Initiative. Path Towards Modernization–Xi Jinping’s keynote address at the CPC 2023
Polarization or common prosperity? Pure materialistic pursuit or coordinated material and cultural-ethical advancement? Draining the pond to catch the fish or creating harmony between man and nature? Zero-sum game or win-win cooperation? Copying other countries’ development model or achieving independent development in light of national conditions? What kind of modernization do we need and how can we achieve it? Confronted with these questions, political parties as an important force steering and driving the modernization process are duty bound to provide answers. Here, I wish to share some of my observations.
We must put the people first and ensure modernization is people-centered. The people are the creators of history and are the strongest bedrock and force in advancing modernization. The ultimate goal of modernization is people’s free and well-rounded development. For a modernization path to work and work well, it must put the people first. Modernization is not only about indicators and statistics on the paper but more about the delivery of a happy and stable life for the people. With a focus on the people’s aspirations for a better life and further progress of civilization, political parties should strive to achieve material abundance, political integrity, cultural-ethical enrichment, social stability, and pleasant living environments so that modernization will better address the concerns and meet diversified needs of the people. In this way, modernization will promote the sustainable development of humanity by not only increasing the wellbeing of this generation but also protecting the rights and interest of future generations.
https://english.news.cn/20230316/31e80d5da3cd48bea63694cee5156d47/c.html
Further promoting Sinicization of Marxism 2021
In his speech to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China on July 1, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said: “At the fundamental level, the capability of our Party and the strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics are attributable to the fact that Marxism works.”
Xiaokang (moderately prosperous) first appeared in The Book of Songs, but Deng endowed it with the meaning of Chinese-type modernization, and thus made it a pivotal term in the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the era of reform and opening-up.
And Xi has highlighted the values of being people-focused, maintaining integrity, upholding justice and harmony, and seeking unity to further integrate fine traditional culture with Marxist values and thoughts.
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202111/22/WS619ace61a310cdd39bc76943.html
The Shijing (诗经) https://www.byarcadia.org/post/the-book-of-songs
Posted by: Roger | May 16 2025 0:28 utc | 63
Posted by: james | May 15 2025 21:42 utc | 49
The recent short interview Glenn Diesen had with Professor Sergei Karaganov puts the problem entirely differently, james. (I don’t have the link but it could be searched.)
It is not a problem between capitalism and democracy but rather between modern technological ‘attractions’ or ‘diversions’ (my interpretation) and spiritual humanism or focus on the human spirit. For Karaganov it has been a lifelong quest to persuade Russian leadership to follow Dostoievski’s path into Siberia as a way of reawakening that spirit.
He, being very elderly, speaks slowly, but Glenn is patient and is rewarded by the slow buildup between questions in ways I found rewardingly helpful. Karaganov speaks from an Orthodox perspective but he includes the other great faiths and makes a final point that Russia is totally either an Oriental nation nor anti-European.
If you cannot find the link, mine can be found on b’s discussion about Trump’s Saudi Arabia 49 minute speech. Both Don Firineach (sp?) and I made the same comment there comparing the two dialogues, or rather monologue with dialogue).
Posted by: juliania | May 16 2025 0:30 utc | 64
Sorry, “… that Russia is not totally either an Oriental nation, nor anti-European.”
Posted by: juliania | May 16 2025 0:35 utc | 65
Sorry, “… that Russia is not totally either an Oriental nation, nor anti-European.”
Posted by: juliania | May 16 2025 0:35 utc | 66
Here is the link to the Glenn Diesen interview with Professor Sergei Karaganov. The interview gives a further understanding of the concept of multipolarism as it has been put forward by Putin. Here is one of its proponents, having championed it from earlier Russian historical times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH70b-9k4bQ
Posted by: juliania | May 16 2025 0:45 utc | 67
BRILLIANT EXPLANATION OF LOGIC BEHIND THOSE TARIFFS …. and a way for The Global South to counteract them …. Europe, of course, commits Economic Suicide
Listen carefully …
Michael Hudson with Nima on the 15th May
Michael Hudson: Exposed: The Secret Deal That Started a Global Economic War!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq8z8ojSmas [ 50 mins
Posted by: Don Firineach | May 16 2025 0:55 utc | 69
Further to Michael Hudson: “Exposed: The Secret Deal That Started a Global Economic War!” — the truth is, there’s not much secret about it anymore. Initiatives like Project 2025 and various official documents from U.S. government departments have already laid out what’s happening. The problem is that it gets little to no attention in mainstream media, and even much of the pro-BRICS alternative media seems confused or unaware of how deep this goes.
This latest escalation comes on the heels of the new U.S. tariff agreement with China, as always with these moves. These kinds of economic weapons — tariffs, sanctions, restrictions — are deployed under the guise of “national security,” but their true purpose is to subvert the economic sovereignty of countries like Russia and China and punish their allies. The goal is to make the rest of the world fear trading with them.
For decades, Western commentators attacked China’s so-called “Great Firewall,” framing it as proof of an autocratic and censorial regime. Yet now it’s clear who the real global authoritarian is. The U.S., acting through unelected bureaucracies, has become the world’s leading force for suppressing technological freedom and imposing control. It’s increasingly accurate to describe it as an extraterritorial, coercive regime — the number one global terrorist, if we’re honest about what it’s doing.
HEADS UP: AI Tech Sovereignty Under Fire – US Escalates Global AI Chip Sanctions
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce Official Press Release:
https://www.bis.gov/press-release/department-commerce-rescinds-biden-era-artificial-intelligence-diffusion-rule-strengthens-chip-related
On May 15, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a press release confirming a major shift in AI export policy. First, it formally revoked the Biden-era AI Diffusion Rule, which would have imposed limits on the global spread of U.S. AI technologies. According to the Department, the rule “would have stifled American innovation and saddled companies with burdensome regulatory requirements,” and it would have “undermined U.S. diplomatic relations with dozens of countries.” Under Secretary Jeffery Kessler made it clear that the rule will not be enforced.
In its place, however, new and far more aggressive export control guidelines have been announced. The U.S. now explicitly warns that using Huawei Ascend chips anywhere in the world is a violation of U.S. export controls. This includes Chinese companies operating within China’s own borders. Additionally, the U.S. has declared that even allowing American-made chips to be used in training or inference of Chinese AI models constitutes a serious export violation. The justification offered is familiar: US National Security grounds to “keep technology out of the hands of adversaries,” to “protect supply chains from diversion tactics,” and to “maintain U.S. global AI dominance.”
The implications are staggering. We are now witnessing the global lockdown of AI sovereignty. In practical terms, countries are being told they may only use Nvidia chips and only run U.S.-approved AI models. Any attempt to use Huawei Ascend hardware — even for legitimate, non-military purposes — will be treated as a criminal offense under U.S. extraterritorial law. Companies and institutions that fail to comply risk being added to the Entity List, effectively cutting them off from the global financial system and future access to advanced technologies. Executives could face personal sanctions and even arrest if they travel to U.S.-aligned jurisdictions.
This isn’t just about China or U.S. companies. It’s about the future of AI for every other nation. Take Malaysia, for example — a key data center hub in Southeast Asia. Many organizations there want to use Huawei hardware to run Chinese open-source models like DeepSeek, which are more cost-effective and locally optimized. But under the new rules, that would be illegal. Even running Chinese models on Nvidia chips is now restricted. In effect, we are being forced — under threat of criminalization — to buy only from Nvidia and run only U.S.-approved models. This is not a security policy. It’s the criminalization of technological independence.
Multiply that situation across every self-respecting nation on Earth. AI is fast becoming critical infrastructure, as essential as water, power, or transport. Accepting these new U.S. restrictions means surrendering that infrastructure to the control of a foreign government. This is not “leadership” in AI — it is monopoly enforced by decree.
Global blowback is inevitable. China’s only rational response is to accelerate its efforts to decouple technologically and financially from the U.S.-dominated order. Ironically, in trying to isolate China and Huawei, the U.S. may end up isolating itself. We’re likely to see the emergence of entirely new non-U.S. ecosystems — alternative hardware, models, platforms, and financial systems — as a direct response to this overreach.
For years, the West mocked China’s Great Firewall as a sign of repression. But in hindsight, it served a protective function — shielding Chinese institutions from coercive U.S. policies and the extractive logic of rentier capitalism. Now the rest of the world is beginning to understand the need to do the same.
To summarize, the new U.S. policy effectively declares that using Huawei Ascend chips anywhere is a violation of export rules. Using Nvidia chips to train or run Chinese AI models is also prohibited. The only legally compliant setup now allowed is to use Nvidia chips with U.S.-approved AI models. This amounts to an attempt at total monopolistic control over global AI — enforced through legal threats, sanctions, and the weaponization of regulatory systems.
Nothing about this direction is healthy or sustainable — but for now, it’s the reality we’re facing.
Posted by: Roger | May 16 2025 1:39 utc | 70
Welcome to the bar. I suggest you order a strong one because you seem to need some attitude adjustment to focus on the message instead of the messenger
##############
@ juliania | May 15 2025 17:07 utc | 29 who is suffering from the same problem, it seems.
Did the Roman branch of Catholic monotheism approve usury/interest?
Do they now?
Why? Isn’t it a mortal sin?
I can’t wait for Michael’s coming book so I can refer you to the references he and his background scholars have found. Given his other offerings I have no doubt he can and will back up his words.
Posted by: psychohistorian | May 15 2025 17:29 utc | 30
You have the audacity to lecture anyone about their attitude when you are without question the most arrogant little cockroach thats ever visited the bar?
Judging from your vast spam postings you only know about 18% of what you think you do.
Here’s a hint. If people gave a shit what the delusional Hudson had to say they would simply visit his site for a direct injection of his ignorance. Why do you feel the need to polute the boards every single time with your idiotic copy/paste spam trolling?
Jimmy you should spend this vast amount of time fixing your own site since it looks like a fifth grader smoking crystal meth designed it.
Posted by: Screwdriver | May 16 2025 1:44 utc | 71
To summarize, the new U.S. policy effectively declares that using Huawei Ascend chips anywhere is a violation of export rules. Using Nvidia chips to train or run Chinese AI models is also prohibited. The only legally compliant setup now allowed is to use Nvidia chips with U.S.-approved AI models. This amounts to an attempt at total monopolistic control over global AI — enforced through legal threats, sanctions, and the weaponization of regulatory systems.
Nothing about this direction is healthy or sustainable — but for now, it’s the reality we’re facing.
Posted by: Roger
Most illuminating; Sam Altman, IDF reservist, is pleased.
Posted by: Exile | May 16 2025 1:51 utc | 72
Everything is inter-connected — The Deep State and Techno-Fascists are still running the US Government.
National Security as a Pretext: The New Cold War Strategy Undermining Global Sovereignty
In recent remarks, economist Michael Hudson @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq8z8ojSmas laid bare a disturbing pattern in U.S. foreign economic policy: the weaponization of “national security” to erode the sovereignty of other nations under the guise of trade rules, tariffs, sanctions, and export controls. This approach, pioneered with Britain, is now being extended across the West, systematically coercing countries to fall in line with Washington’s Cold War strategy against Russia and China.
1. Britain as the Prototype
Hudson points out that Britain has long served as a gateway for U.S. geopolitical strategy in Europe. Recently, Washington negotiated with London to adopt trade rules—framed as “national security” measures—that bar imports from China if they could hypothetically be used for military purposes. No explicit mention of China was needed; the intent was clear. Anything from cloth to semiconductors can be deemed a national security risk if it suits U.S. strategic goals.
The point wasn’t the tariffs themselves, as Trump admitted. Rather, tariffs serve as leverage—punishment for non-compliance and incentives for “givebacks” in the form of political alignment. What the U.S. really seeks is subordination to its geopolitical vision.
2. Coercive Alignment Under Economic Duress
Germany appears to be following the same trajectory under leaders like Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck, who—like Keir Starmer in the UK—do not reflect popular sentiment, as evidenced by widespread protests and plummeting poll numbers. These leaders, Hudson argues, have been groomed or promoted precisely because they serve U.S. interests first, even when it runs counter to their own national economic wellbeing or democratic will.
Countries are now faced with a stark choice: align with a shrinking, militarized U.S. economy, or face disruption in trade, investment, and potential sanctions. The U.S. strategy is not subtle—either you join the anti-China, anti-Russia bloc, or suffer economic instability.
3. “National Security” – A Blank Check for Economic Dictatorship
The genius—or danger—of invoking “national security” lies in its total ambiguity. As Hudson notes, the term is now so vague it can justify nearly anything: banning Chinese imports, criminalizing student protests, detaining immigrants, and restructuring global trade.
By wielding national security as a catch-all justification, the U.S. has granted itself unilateral authority to dictate what other countries can trade, whom they can trade with, and under what terms. This amounts to a form of centralized economic planning—only not by democratic institutions, but by the U.S. military-industrial complex and what Hudson refers to as the “deep state.”
4. Global South: The Primary Victim
Perhaps the most egregious consequence of this system is its impact on the Global South. Already burdened by debt, many developing nations are being pushed further into economic hardship. Denied access to Chinese markets and investment, these countries are unable to generate sufficient foreign exchange to service their dollar-denominated debts.
To comply with IMF or Western demands, they are forced to impose austerity—cutting domestic social programs, slashing public investment, and prioritizing debt repayment to foreign bondholders. In short, they are being told to put the interests of the U.S. and global capital above their own people.
This is the real meaning of “loss of sovereignty.” Countries are no longer free to set their own fiscal or monetary policies in service of national development. Instead, they are compelled to act in accordance with U.S. strategic priorities—or suffer economic retaliation.
Conclusion: A Cold War Built on Economic Blackmail
Hudson’s analysis reveals that the so-called “rules-based international order” has become a euphemism for U.S. coercion. Under the pretext of national security, the United States is attempting to reconstruct the global economy into a militarized Cold War apparatus, forcing nations to choose between autonomy and alignment with a declining empire.
The ultimate cost is the sovereignty of nations—large and small—who are being dragged into a global confrontation they neither started nor benefit from. If this trajectory continues, we may be witnessing not just the breakdown of diplomacy, but the end of economic self-determination for much of the world.
Posted by: Roger | May 16 2025 2:06 utc | 73
The Guardian
Rodrigo Duterte wins Philippines mayoral election from jail cell in The Hague
Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has been re-elected as mayor of the city of Davao, the family’s stronghold, despite being imprisoned thousands…
.3 days ago
Posted by: denk | May 16 2025 2:07 utc | 74
Meanwhile the noose tightens on other U.S. allies– during his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, former President Donald Trump finalized a significant military arms deal with the kingdom.
Key Details of the Arms Deal:
Total Value: The agreement is valued at $142 billion, marking it as one of the largest defense sales in history.
Al Jazeera+7Business Insider+7Newsweek+7
Included Equipment: The package encompasses a range of military hardware, including Lockheed Martin’s C-130 transport aircraft, missiles, radars, and potentially MQ-9B drones.
Business Insider
F-35 Fighter Jets: While Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in acquiring F-35 stealth fighter jets, legal commitments to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region pose significant barriers. As a result, any potential F-35 sale to Riyadh would be heavily restricted and technically downgraded.
Business Insider
Additional Agreements:
Beyond the arms deal, President Donald Trump announced a substantial economic partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia. The agreement includes a commitment from Saudi Arabia to invest $600 billion in the United States over the next four years, encompassing sectors such as energy, defense, infrastructure, technology, and critical minerals.
The Financial Express Economy Middle East+3Your News Cleveland+3 Diario AS
Implications:
These agreements signify a deepening of the strategic and economic ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia, with potential impacts on regional dynamics and U.S. foreign policy interests. It will also keep Saudi Arabia out of BRICS and pressure other MENA nations to do the same. Specifically blocking more international trade with China.
Behind the glib speeches to the Saudis ongoing U.S. manipulation and control over the global finance and trade system expands, one chess move at a time, barely noticed while everyone focuses on the latest shock and outrage coming from Donald J Trump mouth.
Posted by: Roger | May 16 2025 2:21 utc | 75
@Juliania #64 Here you go – have to carefully listen –
Sergey Karaganov: Russia’s Eurasian Future & Spiritual Revival
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH70b-9k4bQ 32 mins
@Roger
Neatly summarised …
See also Berletic on how Europe being set up to take on Russia
… and onto Iran
Posted by: Don Firineach | May 16 2025 2:35 utc | 76
“Solar and wind power is not only expensible but its undependable in the extreme.”
Posted by: tobias cole | May 15 2025 14:50 utc | 16
What does “expensible” even mean?
I’ll assume that you meant expensive, in which case you are patently incorrect.
Solar+wind+batteries+pumped hydro in combination is THE cheapest form of electrical energy. At least in Australia it is. It comes in cheaper than existing or new coal-burning prices, and about 1/3 the price of current nuclear options.
Reliability issues, so heavily touted by the fossil fuel lobby, are relatively easily solved, and are actively being solved right now.
The reliability issues are primarily caused by frequency disturbance or voltage excursion outside of desired operational parameters which can lead to activation of protective devices and cause shutdowns.
The frequency disturbances are caused by all switching mode power supplies (including solar/wind inverters, televisions, computers, phone chargers, etc) that transpose higher order harmonics onto the LV/MV grid. These cause circulating currents at higher frequencies that can trip protective devices.
On the Australian grid @50Hz (Hertz/ cycles per second), the harmonics of most concern tend to be the third and fifth order, ie: 150/250Hz.
Gosbel, Periera, et al, at the University of Wollongong Power Quality Centre did extensive work analysing this in the 90’s-2000’s.
Solar and wind inverters have very strict requirements on harmonic output for precisely this reason.
Utilising localised storage also helps act as a filtering mechanism. The storage added also prevents voltage excurdion from having too much generation entering the grid at times of abundance in output.
All the major problems with high renewable energy penetration are being solved.
Your belief system regarding energy is stuck in the early 90’s.
Posted by: Jon_in_AU | May 16 2025 2:58 utc | 77
Who the fuck remembers Belloc?
Posted by: UK Defektor | May 16 2025 0:21 utc | 61
_______
Elderly or archconservative Anglophone Roman Catholics who include him (and Chesterton, and Myles Connolly) in their literary pantheon.
Posted by: malenkov | May 16 2025 2:59 utc | 79
Saudi arms deal
Its a mob shake down, Trump told us upfront in his 2017 inauguration speech the 47 potus is yet another MIC shill.
NO surpirse.
potus as MIC shill,
exhibit A
When weapons are your #1 industrial export product – what is your global marketing strategy?
I remember when George Herbert Walker Bush (daddy Bush) was president. He went to South Korea and was at a fancy dinner. He got sick and threw up at the table. But the real scandal was that he had a note in his hand which told the South Korean government how many fighter planes they were expected to purchase from US aerospace corporations. It’s like a mob shakedown.
The Global Hawk would likely be used against North Korea but there is another nearby country that would also find the surveillance plane monitoring them…..China.
Posted by: denk | May 16 2025 3:02 utc | 80
Posted by: Don Firineach | May 16 2025 2:35 utc | 76
My thanks, Don! And I don’t mind watching again- I did see a link to a transcript first time around lower down, but it didn’t work for me. I remember that Dostoievski liked to give his readers some of the explanatory work to do, so we shouldn’t mind the difficulties as that is par for the course as golfers say.
Posted by: juliania | May 16 2025 3:14 utc | 81
@ Screwdriver | May 16 2025 1:44 utc | 71 who is critical of Michael Hudson and myself……again attacking the messengers instead of the message….what does that say about you?
I do agree that my web site is long in the tooth and it is on my list to upgrade it after I finish remodeling and move into my shop so I can rent out my house and have a bit more money to live on…..again, I am of the belief that my web site messages are worth the current crudeness of my site…..you are attacking the messenger instead of my messages.
Why do people not want to face the reality of our species history?
Posted by: psychohistorian | May 16 2025 3:22 utc | 82
Posted by: Jon_in_AU | May 16 2025 2:58 utc | 77
Batteries as a mass storage solution are idiotic. Pumped hydraulic storage is easy, reliable, cheap, and durable. There are systems that are 100 years old already. If you build them in dry canyons draining into a large body of water they are catastrophe proof, unlike batteries. Wind is better than solar PV in theory but in practice we allow companies to build blades with limited lifespans in the name of ‘efficiency’ for something so cost effective at producing power that the old hydrocarbon model of efficiency is moronic. Building for durability in both storage and production would provide massive savings in the long term but we are organized on a short term model.
BTW, in the USA virtually all backbones are high voltage DC and are dropped down to the local grid AC level using an inverter. You put a big smoothing reactor with some compensation for the inductance on the output and it looks better on the scope than any alternator could do.
Wind and solar are great. The planning for them is done by idiots.
Posted by: Badjoke | May 16 2025 3:49 utc | 83
Thanks to Kansas | May 15 2025 19:40 utc | 42 for that effort of compilation. Well done!
On your first example, I would take that parable as a good companion to the sermon Christ gives early in his ministry containing the description of the new Jubilee year. As with so many other parables, he uses a commonly understood example to illustrate a spiritual message.
I take a different meaning from the one that you give. I may be wrong, but to me it is not so much about whether or not interest is being accrued, but rather the relationships of those individuals to their master. The one who has hidden the talents says he did so out of fear thinking he knows the master is harsh and might punish a wrong use – so he’s not even going to try. I took that, with the reaction of the master on hearing that excuse, to be the meaning of the tale. I guess I would say that both meanings are there, except I do think ‘interest’in the case of the parable has more meaning than actual interest just as a ‘seed’ has more meaning in the parable of the sower.
I will add that I was shocked at Trump’s reaction to the election of the pope and the disrespect paid at the former pope’s funeral. All Orthodox would be, in spite of differences in doctrine. The pope is still the bishop of Rome in Orthodox eyes, and reconciliation would be a very good thing to wish for even if not presently possible.
Posted by: juliania | May 16 2025 4:10 utc | 84
Posted by: LoveDonbass | May 15 2025 22:12 utc | 54
Democracy would be fine but to work it needs an intelligent, educated and informed populace.
That’s why China’s layered version works, and the west’s don’t.
Posted by: Walt | May 16 2025 4:45 utc | 85
Funny and Sad:
Baerbock gives application speech at the UN – critics fear for Germany’s reputation
Former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is set to get a top job at the UN in New York. However, many observers consider this a bad idea.
15.05.2025 17:28 Uhr
Annalena Baerbock, President-elect of the UN General Assembly and former German Foreign Minister, says she wants to lead the largest body of the United Nations as a bridge-builder. “As President, should I be elected, I will serve all 193 member states – large and small. As an honest mediator. As a unifying force. With an open ear. And an open door,” said Baerbock on Thursday in New York when presenting her goals for the new job, which is expected to begin in September.
It was her first appearance before the representatives of the world parliament in New York after her move there became known. Baerbock said that the United Nations needed further reform in the face of numerous armed conflicts and financial pressures. “We need to review, focus and use our resources efficiently – including in the General Assembly.” The Green politician cited the achievement of the UN sustainability goals, the fight against the climate crisis and gender equality as priorities.
Baerbock is running unopposed for the top position …
continues in German ==> https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/politik-gesellschaft/geopolitik/topjob-bei-der-un-das-hat-annalena-baerbock-in-ihrer-rede-in-news-york-gesagt-li.2325241
The best the West has to offer?
Posted by: too scents | May 16 2025 4:48 utc | 86
Democracy would be fine but to work it needs an intelligent, educated and informed populace.
Posted by: Walt | May 16 2025 4:45 utc | 85
—
As originally designed demographic representatives were chosen by lot rather than elected.
Elections introduce all sorts of bias.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sortition
Posted by: too scents | May 16 2025 4:54 utc | 87
Posted by: denk | May 16 2025 2:07 utc | 74
Just come up to Cebu from Mindanao.
Everybody is cheering down there. Mindanao needs independence to break away from the Manila noose.
Pro-Duterte candidates did well here on Monday too.
Sara’s popularity percentage gaining.
I look forward to 2028, should I live that long.
Posted by: Walt | May 16 2025 4:55 utc | 88
THE THEORY – “All the major problems with high renewable energy penetration are being solved. Your belief system regarding energy is stuck in the early 90’s.” @ Posted by: Jon_in_AU | 77
THE TRIGGER – “Solar and wind power is not only expensible but its undependable in the extreme.”
Posted by: tobias cole | May 15 2025 14:50 utc | 16
I believe what Tobias was getting at is this: solar and wind power are not just expensive when fully accounted for—they’re also highly variable and unreliable. And that volatility can make electricity grids fundamentally unstable and unsafe, especially in the absence of massive, scalable storage systems.
While it’s often claimed that renewables are the cheapest form of energy, the full picture tells a different story. Without sufficient grid-scale storage—and none currently exists at the scale needed anywhere in the world—renewables struggle to provide the reliability and security essential for modern energy systems.
Moreover, the risks go beyond just insufficient backup. The structural and systemic challenges of maintaining a stable grid with high RE penetration are far from resolved. The widely cited 100% wind-water-solar (WWS) proposals, like those promoted by Mark Jacobson, remain theoretical models—unbuildable in real-world terms beyond small-scale or localized systems.
So before repeating the claim that RE grids are “cheap,” I invite you to examine this recent analysis. And if you still believe renewables alone can support a secure, reliable, and affordable national grid, please support that view with verifiable data and sound reasoning.
Did Renewables Cause the Blackout in Spain?
Last week, Europe experienced its worst blackout in living memory, which plunged tens of millions of people across Spain and Portugal into darkness for up to 18 hours. Life screeched to a halt, with trains, traffic lights, ATMs, phone connections, and internet access failing. In the aftermath, many important questions have arisen, including: what caused such a widespread grid failure, and how can Europe and other nations prepare for the next time an event like this happens?
In today’s episode, Nate is joined by Pedro Prieto to discuss the recent blackout in the Iberian Peninsula, exploring its causes, impacts, and the role of renewable energy in the stability of the electric grid. Prieto highlights the societal and infrastructural challenges that his home country faced, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to energy management, as well as the interconnectedness of energy systems and societal resilience
Prieto wrote a book on EROI and solar voltaic and energy systems almost 15 years ago, kind of predicting that this would be one possible outcome of overly scaling intermittent energy technology.
I remember very much the phrase of Upton Sinclair when he said: “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on him not understanding it.”
“The problem is that wind and solar are intermittent energies. I mean also hydro it’s a renewable energy, but the difference with solar and wind is that hydro is not intermittent. It’s predictable. It’s as predictable-like a combined cycle natural gas plant kind of. That’s it. You can turn it on and off when you need it. They are much prepared to be smooth, reliable, and supporting the whole system. All the dams were full and they were able to turbine and to generate electricity as much as they have in the installed power.
BUT they were not generating the maximum, instead there was a lot of WS, intermittent energy given to the network. So that’s why we were exporting to the three countries with which we have interconnections, international connections. And this is what happens. I mean something has happened that has unbalanced the network.
And the problem of the networks is that we need a very tiny deviation in frequency or in voltage to have a huge problem. We are working here in 50 hertz or 50 cycles per second. In all Europe, we have 50 cycles per second. If you deviate plus minus 0.1%, this is a problem. If you deviate plus minus 0.2%, this is a big problem and the grid system starts warning the operators. If it is plus minus 0.3%, then you have to switch off many, many elements for security reasons. Among them, nuclear power plants.
Did Renewables Cause the Blackout in Spain? with Pedro Prieto – an actual expert on the topic/s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX815YnSt0k
Posted by: Roger | May 16 2025 5:14 utc | 89
While it’s often claimed that renewables are the cheapest form of energy, the full picture tells a different story. Without sufficient grid-scale storage—and none currently exists at the scale needed anywhere in the world—renewables struggle to provide the reliability and security essential for modern energy systems.
Posted by: Roger | May 16 2025 5:14 utc | 89
—
Supply creates its own demand. ==> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Say%27s_law
and
Adding roads to a network can paradoxically increase traffic congestion and overall travel time. ==> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braess%27s_paradox
The solution to energy demand is Social and not Technical. It is rooted in Social Reproduction.
Posted by: too scents | May 16 2025 5:28 utc | 90
@Jon_in_AU | May 16 2025 2:58 utc | 77
Don’t waste time with poor Tobias … he regularly spouts total nonsense related to Ireland … more to be pitied than scolded –
Ireland – Energy Use Overview
https://www.seai.ie/data-and-insights/seai-statistics/energy-use-overview
Posted by: Don Firineach | May 16 2025 5:29 utc | 91
Posted by: Roger | May 16 2025 5:14 utc | 89
Load of crap. It is the neoliberal obsession with maximizing short term returns that makes the modern implementations fucked.
The fucking Irish built a proper wind with pumped storage system back in the 70’s that is still cheaper than the coal and oil fired plants running in the country. Their more modern ‘high efficiency’ wind turbines are a fucking train wreck just as they are everywhere they tried to maximize utilization of production at peak efficiency rather than building a reliable system as they did in the 70’s.
Same shit happens with oil gas and coal systems built and operated in the same idiotic manner. You just have more legacy systems with redundancy as part of the design still around.
BTW, if you use HVDC for your backbones instead of AC you don’t have to give a fuck about FQ problems in the neighbors systems. Europe is run by a bunch of grifters who will fuck things up no matter the source of power generation.
Posted by: Badjoke | May 16 2025 5:35 utc | 92
My own view:
Intermittency and instability have exposed significant vulnerabilities in the grid system, with multiple interconnected factors contributing to recent failures. Advocates of renewable energy (RE) often claim that wind and solar are the cheapest forms of energy available. Some go as far as suggesting that entire countries—or even the whole world—can be powered solely by renewables. However, this belief does not hold up in practice.
The reality is that affordability does not automatically translate to reliability, safety, or energy security. In this context, “cheap” can mean poorly integrated, unstable, and vulnerable to disruption—especially when there is insufficient infrastructure to manage supply and demand fluctuations.
The widespread narrative that renewables alone can sustain a nation’s energy needs is overly simplistic and misleading. It relies heavily on theoretical models and ideal conditions, rather than practical experience and real-world performance. This disconnect between promise and performance has led to a collective illusion—one driven by optimism, political agendas, and marketing spin, rather than grounded, systems-based planning.
The recent ten-hour utility blackout across the Iberian Peninsula highlights a growing vulnerability within Europe’s energy infrastructure—not just in terms of power generation, but more critically, in the transmission of electricity. While weather likely played a role in the outage, it also exposes a broader issue affecting renewable-heavy countries like Germany and Spain: intermittent supply, outdated grids, and overproduction.
Germany has recently again become Europe’s largest CO₂ emitter, not because of a lack of renewables, but due to the need to rely on coal during periods when solar and wind production dip—especially in the absence of Russian gas and decommissioned nuclear power. Similarly, Spain and Portugal, hailed as EU leaders in green energy, were sourcing 80% of their electricity from renewables just before the blackout. Yet both regions are now confronting the harsh reality that overproduction from wind and solar, without adequate grid infrastructure, can destabilize entire systems.
A major flaw lies in Europe’s aging electrical grid, much of which was built in the post-war 1950s and 60s and never designed to handle the variable and decentralized nature of modern renewable sources. While Angela Merkel’s government once promised thousands of kilometers of new “electricity highways” (Strom Autobahnen) as part of the Energiewende, the promised budget of one trillion euros was never established. As a result, the critical grid expansion never materialized—neither in Germany nor in other EU states.
This infrastructure gap is now colliding with the electrification push, particularly in mobility. Electric vehicle adoption is slowing as consumer enthusiasm wanes, but the underlying strain on the grid remains. Europe’s Continental European Synchronous Area—a vast network extending from Türkiye to North Africa—runs on a finely balanced alternating current of about 50 Hz. Any overload, such as Monday’s in Spain, risks frequency destabilization. To prevent blackouts, surplus energy is exported, but insufficient interconnectors—or too many—can both trigger wider instability. Some experts now fear that adding more interconnectors could actually increase the likelihood of continent-wide domino blackouts across 30+ countries.
Ultimately, the ambition of green energy must be matched with realistic investment in transmission capacity and a well-timed rollout. Without this, Europe’s green dreams may keep short-circuiting under pressure.
Germany’s energy transition, initiated by Angela Merkel’s government in 2011 and aimed at shifting the country’s power supply to primarily wind and solar energy, is facing mounting challenges. Despite a record expansion of renewable infrastructure, electricity production from renewables in the first quarter of 2025 dropped 16% compared to the previous year—the lowest output since 2021. Particularly weak wind conditions in February and March caused offshore wind production to plummet by 31% and onshore by 22%. As a result, Germany was forced to ramp up power generation from coal, oil, and gas, significantly increasing CO₂ emissions. The country’s electricity became dirtier than at any point since the winter of 2018, contradicting the goals of the energy transition.
These issues came to a head during Easter week, which showcased the structural flaws in Germany’s reliance on weather-dependent renewables. On Easter Sunday, solar panels produced a massive oversupply of electricity—about 15 gigawatts more than needed, equivalent to the output of a dozen nuclear power plants. Since electricity must be consumed as it is generated, this surplus overwhelmed local and regional grids, especially in southwestern Germany. The excess led to negative electricity prices, with rates falling as low as -5 cents per kilowatt-hour. Germany even had to pay neighbouring countries like France and Belgium to absorb the surplus in order to prevent a grid collapse.
The most critical issue is that Germany’s vast network of solar installations cannot be easily regulated or disconnected when generation exceeds demand. This inability to curtail production during peak generation periods not only risks grid instability and localized outages, but also inflates the overall cost of power production. The Easter scenario starkly illustrated how the current model of the energy transition—despite its ambitions—can create vulnerabilities that contradict its environmental and economic objectives.
Take Spain, for example—a country of nearly 60 million people that needs a stable, 24/7 electricity supply. Yet it’s operating on the edge of collapse every single day, especially during daylight and peak demand hours. Spain’s grid is directly linked to the wider European network, and every interconnected country is facing similar challenges. The uncomfortable truth is that electricity supply in Europe is becoming less secure, not more—despite massive overbuilding of renewable energy (RE) capacity. It’s a disgrace, especially as consumers across the Western world face skyrocketing electricity prices.
The deeper the penetration of variable wind and solar, the more unstable the grid becomes—because these intermittent sources can destabilize the system in milliseconds.
What’s more shocking is that when Spain’s grid collapsed, electricity demand wasn’t even particularly high. Spain was actually exporting excess wind and solar power to three neighboring countries via interconnectors. Out of a total installed capacity of 130 GW, only about 10 GW is hydro (with 4 GW of that being pumped hydro storage). Wind and solar now make up 80 GW of that total—but even at peak demand, only around 40 GW is ever used, and typical peaks are just 28 GW. On the day of the blackout, RE production was only 23 GW—well below capacity—yet they were still exporting power. Battery storage for the grid is negligible.
Despite already having a 45 GW surplus, Spain has another 50 GW of wind and solar capacity in the pipeline—still being forced into an aging, overstretched grid.
The problem isn’t a lack of supply. In fact, wholesale electricity prices at the time of the blackout were negative. But backup gas turbines were in cold shutdown and couldn’t spin up quickly enough to replace the intermittent unstable wind and solar supply. Hydro was underutilized, and pumped hydro storage wasn’t available in time to stabilize the grid either. France’s nuclear contribution was near zero. On that day, 80% of Spain’s power came from intermittent sources.
Interconnectors, often hailed as a solution, can actually worsen the situation. Overproduction was part of the problem, but the real danger came from sudden fluctuations in wind and solar generation that impacted the critical 50 Hz system. Many parts of the grid—especially the interconnectors—are designed to protect themselves by automatically disconnecting when frequency or voltage deviates too much. Why? Because failure to do so risks catastrophic physical damage.
Could it literally explode? Yes—large generators contain heavy rotating machinery that can weigh tens of tons. If synchronization is lost, they can burn out or explode. Even high-voltage cables can catch fire. That’s how a local failure can cascade into a total grid-wide blackout. Portugal and France grids disconnected in a millisecond then the entire Spanish grid collapsed into a backout for 12-18 hours. The whole country was brought to it’s knees. Everything stopped working even water supply was cut – Banking retail gas stations trains traffic lights everything came to instant halt.
The uncomfortable truth is this: the higher the share of wind and solar in the supply mix, the higher the risks to grid stability. And we’re nowhere near ready to manage them.
And tell me this: Has your power bills been getting cheaper since they have increased the RE wind and solar plants to your grid? No they haven’t. They have probably at least doubled in recent years. Renewable energy electricity national grid supply is not only not cheap, it is becoming increasingly more unstable and unreliable.
Posted by: Roger | May 16 2025 6:10 utc | 93
Back in my and my dad’s day this used to be called buying a lemon. Today things like this are the norm not the exception.
Posted by: Roger | May 16 2025 6:13 utc | 94
Posted by: Roger | May 16 2025 5:14 utc | 89
“So before repeating the claim that RE grids are “cheap,” I invite you to examine this recent analysis. And if you still believe renewables alone can support a secure, reliable, and affordable national grid, please support that view with verifiable data and sound reasoning.”
There has been extensive modelling done by Bloomberg New Energy, AEMO, ARENA, CSIRO, and others that all point to the cheapest form of energy being Renewables. This includes the cost of batteries and pumped hydro (often utilising old mining pits as reserviours). You can do your own research by searching for the above modelling sources.
Localised storage, on a suburb level allows micro-grid isolation and operation when there are failires elsewhere on the network. There are pilot programs here in Australia by Endeavour Energy among other companies to provide this localised storage. It helps smooth out fluctuations caused by intermittency or oversupply.
Sure, some modelling leans towards gas powered plant for short term peaks in demand, but this is largely deemed to be transitional. I think it should be maintained as another backup source, primarily because of the rapid ‘time to connect’ (c.15mins) compared to coal (c.2-4hours). Eventually this should not be required.
South Australia has already hit days of 100% renewable energy contribution, and they’ve had some problems along the way, but these are easily addressed with sound engineering.
For example, they did have one major blackout when HV towers came down during a gale sevrral years back (which the neo-liberas and fossil fuel lobby tried to blame on wind turbines). If the transmission towers had been engineered to cope with those wind speeds (exceeding 120km/h), it wouldn’t have been an issue. I suspect that profiteering and desires for high % mark-up was the chief cause there.
There are multiples of different storage technologies that work, but have not been rolled out at large scale as of now, but could. These include: thermal storage (carbon pile and molten salt are proven examples), and other battery technologies that are more stable than Lithium despite lower overall energy density (such as Zinc-bromide).
DC for larger transmission is utilised here, and should be expanded upon. I know one contact who believes we should largely do away with AC altogether, but that is a whole other conversation.
Large synchronous inertial storage / condensers should also be considered for stabilisation of the frequency, although pumped hydropower can provide a similar function.
I just find it hilarious watching people continuously shit on renewable energy while the real world solves problems and moves on. It reminds me of people who used to complain in the early 1900s that cars went so fast that the velocity alone would be fatal to humans.
I wish I could afford to go to China and see what they are achieving, as they are bounding ahead of the rest of the world.
Ps. As I am currently unemployed, Upton Sinclair’s riposte has no bearing on my current situation.
I just happened to have worked designing solar and wind-based renewable energy applications for 25 years. Guess what? They worked perfectly almost every time, and when problems arose, solutions were found and we got it working. It’s what solutions-focussed types do.
Posted by: Jon_in_AU | May 16 2025 6:33 utc | 95
Thanks Jon_in_AU. I’ll spot check your research suggestions but I have already been there and to others accumulating research for many years. I’ve heard and seen a lot. Did you listen to Pedro though? Or Charlie Hall? Upton Sinclair’s riposte has a philosophical underpinning, whether one is employed or not, that was not the point. Have another look because you have that ass backwards and upside down. Scepticism is a healthy trait to retain. I am not aware of any interconnected network / grid where the ‘solutions’ you mention already exist. I’ll keep looking.
I’m aware of all the variations for battery back-up storage and note various prototype installations at small scale. South Australia included which only really provides price arbitrage and not grid stability during critical periods. Spain EU like issues still apply to South Australia and the interconnected states. The more RE supply comes online and as more coal fired stations are shuttered the risk increases exponentially of unexpected breakdowns in Australia’s grid network too. Everyone promises they have the technology to manage all situations. So did the Spanish Portuguese and French and Germans make the very same promises they had it all under control.
While electricity is so “cheap” in Australia the Govt federal and state have been handing out household and business subsidies for years now and still prices are at unaffordable record levels. While South Australia has the most expensive electricity in the nation. Wind and Solar are not cheap.
A small note about the other ‘responses’:
Cheap ≠ Reliable: A Dangerous Misconception. When grid integration is poor and storage is insufficient, “cheap” energy becomes a liability, not an asset.
Wind and solar are inherently intermittent and weather-dependent, creating large and unpredictable fluctuations in output. These fluctuations destabilize grids that rely on finely balanced alternating current (e.g., Europe’s 50 Hz system).
Outdated Infrastructure can’t handle the decentralized, variable inputs from renewables. Promised upgrades—like Germany’s “electricity highways”—were underfunded or abandoned, leaving the core infrastructure fragile and overburdened.
Interconnectors are supposed to balance supply between countries. But too many, or too few, can both trigger instability. When supply fluctuates too fast (as with solar or wind drops), interconnectors can: Auto-disconnect to protect themselves triggering wider continental blackouts
Overproduction Causes Instability, Not Cheap Abundance
There’s no off-switch during overproduction surges from wind and solar arrays, meaning the system must scramble to absorb or dump excess energy—at great cost and risk.
Despite heavy RE expansion, battery and pumped hydro storage capacity remains far too low to: Stabilize the grid during low-production periods (e.g., windless winters) and to absorb dangerous surpluses during oversupply.
Blackouts Despite Low Demand? Yes — and Because of Too Much Renewable Power.
A common assumption is that blackouts occur due to a shortage of electricity, especially during times of high demand. But in Spain’s recent grid collapse, the blackout happened during low demand — a time when the country was actually exporting electricity to three neighboring countries.
This paradox reveals a critical design flaw in the renewable-heavy grid: overproduction from wind and solar can destabilize the system just as dangerously as underproduction.
Because wind and solar power are weather-dependent and feed energy into the grid when available—not when needed—they frequently create massive surges in supply during times of low demand. When this happens, wholesale electricity prices can plunge into the negative. This is not just a market anomaly—it’s a built-in feature of how variable renewables affect the system.
But here’s the dangerous part: negative pricing forces traditional generators—gas, coal, hydro, and even nuclear—to disconnect from the grid. Not for technical reasons, but for economic survival. Under the current market structure, these providers simply cannot afford to operate at a loss for long. The capitalist system demands they shut down when the price turns negative. Yet these conventional power plants are exactly what the grid depends on for stability, inertia, and immediate dispatchable backup.
Unlike wind and solar, which are inherently intermittent and unpredictable, coal, gas, hydro, and nuclear plants are designed to deliver steady, controllable output. Their supply is not weather-dependent and does not fluctuate randomly. Instead, these sources provide stable, synchronous power at a consistent 50Hz, which is essential for maintaining the grid’s frequency balance. They can also respond to demand spikes or dips with precision, making them indispensable for grid reliability. In contrast, wind and solar cannot be ramped up or down on demand and often generate power when it isn’t needed, destabilizing the system unless backed by robust balancing mechanisms.
That’s exactly what happened: Spain’s backup gas turbines were in cold shutdown and couldn’t ramp up in time to stabilize the voltage when wind and solar output began fluctuating rapidly. Hydro was underused, and nuclear supply was near zero. The result? A cascading frequency deviation across interconnectors, followed by the automatic disconnection of France and Portugal, and a full grid collapse within milliseconds.
In short: the very market incentives that are supposed to reward efficiency and price-competitiveness now actively undermine grid reliability. The more wind and solar is added—without corresponding grid modernization, storage, and regulation—the more unstable and vulnerable the entire system becomes.
Grid Blackouts Are Physical Catastrophes
This isn’t just about economics or politics. A grid failure causes: Infrastructure damage, Total systems failure: water, transport, banking, emergency services all stop, and Massive economic and human costs—within seconds.
Public Is Paying the Price—Literally
Despite claims of falling RE costs, electricity prices have skyrocketed across Europe. Consumers now face unstable service and rising bills—a contradiction to the green promise of affordable, clean power.
Bottom Line
Europe’s and the world’s headlong rush into variable renewable energy—without matching it with robust grid upgrades, storage, and regulation—has created a fragile, overextended energy system. The deeper the RE penetration, the greater the instability risk. What was sold as a solution is now revealing itself as a structural vulnerability.
In theory wind and solar power are great. So was nuclear power great in theory but it only got to 10% of global supply despite being so ‘cheap’ you couldn’t meter it.
Posted by: Roger | May 16 2025 7:12 utc | 96
Posted by: Roger | May 16 2025 7:12 utc | 96
The excess supply issue is being addressed here in Australia. Inverters now have a requirement that they can be turned off by the network operator when there is risk of oversupply. It’s all part of FCAS requirements (frequency control ancillary services). It is very much needed with the high levels of small rooftop PV.
I’ll take a look at the sources provided over the weekend.
Most of the problems discussed are, when you really drill down to root causes, a problem of neoliberal capitalism and the slow pace of regulatory changes, not engineering per se.
Government subsidies for PV and wind, with no requirement for “firming” (storage to address intermittency) led to short term explosion in installed capacity, and an accompanying snails pace of installed storage. This was being discussed as an issue at conferences 15-20 years ago.
Politicians looking for that big announcement and spivs looking for a quick cash-grab have caused these problems.
Now in Australia, they are going wild with subsidies for home and small commercial battery systems. Whether this addresses the issues caused by high rooftop PV penetration remain to be seen.
If the grid was nationalised and engineered correctly, we’d be well on our way to having all the problems addressed.
I see it as a problem with neoliberal economic theory, not a problem with the technology. We need a whole-of-system approach rather than piecemeal ad hoc craziness driven by political election cycles and the populism of the moment.
Posted by: Jon_in_AU | May 16 2025 7:39 utc | 97
Posted by: LoveDonbass | May 15 2025 19:05 utc | 40
Trump: “Don’t build in India.”
——
Tim Cook: That ship sailed, Donald… and I hear that it’s not zero tariffs, India is taking you to the WTO…
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-tata-plant-starts-iphone-production-foxconn-close-behind-apple-looks-india-2025-04-29/
I guess the situation is always a bit more complicated than easy polemic would suggest.
LoveDonbass, you make an interesting point about the gene pool. Have you reproduced?
Posted by: WetNoodle | May 16 2025 8:37 utc | 98
Posted by: Roger | May 16 2025 6:10 utc | 93
Every problem you listed is a symptom of spot market pricing and shit planning. Overcapacity of wind sources should be built into a reliable system with longer term pricing built in as you don’t pay fueling costs. Wind turbines should be optimized for longevity and maintainability not short term efficiency. Excess production is not a problem under a large scale pumped storage model as you can just spill the excess off down a spillway the exact same manner as a hydroelectric dam. The problem is the logic of trying to optimize to the spot rate model that causes similar problems in hydrocarbon fueled systems. Gas gets flared near the wells when consumption is below the flow requirements of the formation. Oil gets pumped into salt domes with steady losses in order to provide stable flows to keep formations intact. There is all kinds of waste built into the system in order to make it work. There is no difference for wind and solar PV systems. Even using wind to charge a hydro dam in a dry gorge beside the ocean with the only grid output being from the water turbines is still cheaper than coal or gas and is as reliable as any other hydro system. The problem is trying to do things on the cheap to take advantage of spot market pricing and short term gains.
Posted by: Badjoke | May 16 2025 9:00 utc | 99
Re: Baerbock as UN Chief; she’ll be a dedicated toady of the Washington War Party.
Posted by: Exile | May 16 2025 9:43 utc | 100