Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
June 15, 2025
The MoA Week In Review – OT 2025-131

Last week's posts on Moon of Alabama:


Other issues:

Gaza:

Syria:

China:

Aukus:

Parade in Washington:

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

Comments

Regarding b’s comment “My opinion as a former soldier…”.
Suggest to wait for China’s parade for the 80-anniversary celebration in Beijing on 2025-09-03. You will see the REAL things.

Posted by: LuRenJia | Jun 15 2025 13:26 utc | 1

Yes, Trump’s birthday parade was an embarrassment.

Posted by: too scents | Jun 15 2025 13:44 utc | 2

So tell me. We we Aussies get our prepaid money back on our AUKUS expenditure . Or does our American seigneur just expect us to wear it as a bum loss?

Posted by: Mustee | Jun 15 2025 13:49 utc | 3

Mustee | Jun 15 2025 13:49 utc | 3
Just be proud that we are helping make the American MIC ‘great again’.
Brain dead Australia ‘public’ fearfully watching China giving the American burglar a free opening to make off with anything not nailed down… and even the stuff that is seemingly nailed down.
Going by the Trump parade, it will take a huge amount of Australian dollars to make MIC great again.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 15 2025 13:57 utc | 4

@Mustee | Jun 15 2025 13:49 utc | 3

So tell me. We we Aussies get our prepaid money back on our AUKUS expenditure . Or does our American seigneur just expect us to wear it as a bum loss?

Refer to how amerikkka treats Taiwan as a good reference. Taiwan has paid amerikkka tons of $$$ for weaponry and there is either delayed or NO delivery as agreed upon. amerikkka just grabbed the $$$ and ran. Another example is that amerikkka even holds $$$ that supposedly belongs to Taiwan for no legit reason. amerikkka just holds it and does not return it to Taiwan. Taiwan does not even get “interests” on that fund while amerikkka holds it. The “interests” (if any) goes to Taiwan’s amerikkka daddy.

Posted by: LuRenJia | Jun 15 2025 13:58 utc | 5

From the Ren Zhenfeng interview:

Q: How do you view basic research?
A: When our country possesses certain economic strength, we should emphasize theory, especially basic research. Basic research doesn’t just take 5-10 years—it generally takes 10, 20 years or longer. Without basic research, you plant no roots. And without roots, even trees with lush leaves fall at the first wind. Buying foreign products is expensive because their prices include their investment in basic research. So whether China engages in basic research or not, we still have to pay—the question is whether we choose to pay our own people to do this basic research.

The Chinese proverb ‘difficult songs find few singers’ is a gem! Ren, who is very humble and sincere, uses it to illustrate another aspect:

“People should pay more attention to understanding those engaged in basic research. They are highbrow and solitary [曲高和寡—literally ‘difficult songs find few singers’], ordinary people don’t understand them, and it takes decades or centuries to see their contributions.”

He goes on to emphasize strategic patience.
As a last point, this link might be of interest to some: https://trackingpeoplesdaily.substack.com/

Posted by: persiflo | Jun 15 2025 14:18 utc | 6

At least Reuters is acknowledging the fly in the rare earths ointment
US-China trade truce leaves military-use rare earth issue unresolved, sources say
Why should China sell the US the tools to bomb them?

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jun 15 2025 14:31 utc | 7

persiflo | Jun 15 2025 14:18 utc | 6
Basic research. The Soviet Union was I suspect, by far he leader in that subject. As successor state to the Soviet Union, the Russian federation now has that wealth of data stored in the archives. I think it was aspects of that basic research that allowed Russia to build its current crop of next gen weapons systems.
Here in oz, the government CSIRO undertook a lot of research. I think they still exist but with the Americanization of Australia, have been massively defunded.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 15 2025 14:36 utc | 8

Re: parade
Yup. It would have been more exciting if we had seen pride flags and transvestites on parade. But that was Biden’s thing.
Boring and the music was crap.
Couldn’t finish my popcorn.

Posted by: Angelo | Jun 15 2025 14:43 utc | 9

10 year at close Friday
4.40 US ($)
1.68 China (CNY)
De-Dollarization brings peace

Posted by: Exile | Jun 15 2025 14:49 utc | 10

Re the parade in Washington DC.
I’ve seen military personnel walk like that before. But that was on the ‘Via Gladiola’ (final stretch) after 4 days of 40 kms marching with 10 kg backpacks in the International Four Days Marches Nijmegen here in the Netherlands. Which is held during the 3rd week of july, one of the hottest times of the year here in the Netherlands.

Posted by: NaomiClareNL | Jun 15 2025 14:55 utc | 11

lots of articles to read! thanks b…
‘difficult songs find few singers’ – i like that persiflo… thanks… my version – ‘easy songs find many singers’, lol…

Posted by: james | Jun 15 2025 15:01 utc | 12

Wars of empire and opal are my remaining interests in life.
A couple of ordinary blokes at lighting ridge, Kiwi and a young Australian bloke teamed up to try and find a fortune. As much a lifestyle as anything else. The young bloke puts out videos regularly.
Kiwi is 65 but physically still young.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp6n-LMa0HQ

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 15 2025 15:02 utc | 13

“Secret British plans to ‘defeat entire Russian Black Fleet’ revealed in leaks”
https://thegrayzone.com/2025/06/11/uk-plans-russian-black-fleet/
I consider this to be a declaration of war against Russia. This is going to lead to WW III. In whatever form.

Posted by: WMG | Jun 15 2025 15:12 utc | 14

Moon Of Alabama posted this article:
“Secret British plans to ‘defeat entire Russian Black Fleet’ revealed in leaks”
https://thegrayzone.com/2025/06/11/uk-plans-russian-black-fleet/
I consider this to be a declaration of war against Russia. This is going to lead to WW III. In whatever form.
In the entire Brexit debate there was the notion that the UK was not part of “Europe” (silly because the UK is part of Europe). The brits also have a saying called “Continental Europe”. All these things combined give a clue of how the british think of (the rest of) Europe.
Are the russians aware of this british involvement in an attempt to sink the russian fleet ? This is going to make the russians more determined to fight Ukraine (and as much other countries as possible) to the bitter end (of this war). Remember “Operation Sipderweb” ???

Posted by: WMG | Jun 15 2025 15:28 utc | 15

WMG | Jun 15 2025 15:12 utc | 14 “I consider this to be a declaration of war against Russia.”
The Russians are gearing up for it.
To project your intentions as the Brits do requires an enormous amount of hubris.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 15 2025 15:30 utc | 16

This is an hilarious take on Donald’s parade.
Expectation vs reality.

Posted by: Jon_in_AU | Jun 15 2025 15:38 utc | 17

Another Reuters headline –
“India Prime Minister Modi visits Cyprus to advance trade corridor plans”
Cyprus, little more than a UK military base in the south, not sure about Erdogan’s north.
But I assume the Cyprus that crops up frequently regarding Israel is the British south. The Hindutva hate muslims period. Trade corridor plans? Bullshit. The Quad…

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 15 2025 15:43 utc | 18

Yes to both Peter AU and Lurenjia, Australia is a too-stupid or too gentle Milch-cow that the Yankees abuse.

Posted by: Mustee | Jun 15 2025 15:56 utc | 19

Thinking a little more about that Reuters headline.
Modi and Erdogan are similar typs. Opportunistic pathogens.
Way back when, The Frogs and Perfidious albion teamed up with the Sublime Porte of Anatolia in the wars against Moscow. Crimean war ect.
After that, The Frogs and Perfidious albion teamed up to carve up the sublime porte’s empire.
Trade, Erdogan’s gas hub. The Americans want to sell Russian gas to the Euro twats. The Brits I suspect want to bypass Erdogan and sell middle east gas to the Euro twats.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 15 2025 15:59 utc | 20

Redgum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGDhzVi1bqU
This new cold war that separates the west from the rest. Have not been away to war but listening to that again, thinking a few thoughts.
Grand fathers photos from when he went off to fight for King and Country. Messines ridge – the utter destruction on that ridge. The little stash of trophies – German cigarette lighters, belt buckles buttons ect. He was a scout and the Australians would regularly conduct raids on the German trenches.
WWII and the shootout at Brisbane railway station. Father in law part of airfield defence. The best part of his war was defending the American airstrips from returning American planes. Two uncles went to Vietnam, one a conscript the other a career officer. The conscript held no hatred for the Vietnamese. The career officer doesnt think much of the ‘gooks’. Both very much dislike the Americans.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 15 2025 16:53 utc | 21

battle of brisbane

… The Battle of Brisbane was a riot with United States military personnel on one side and Australian servicemen and civilians on the other, in Brisbane, Queensland’s capital city, on 26 and 27 November 1942, during which time the two nations were allies. By the time the violence had been quelled, one Australian soldier was dead and hundreds of Australians and U.S. servicemen were injured…..

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Brisbane

Posted by: Exile | Jun 15 2025 17:17 utc | 22

First, I feel as if there are four countries in the Northern Hemisphere. Mexico, Canada, the United States and Washington D.C.. The last one acts as a country all unto itself. A sort of “Vatican” like entity that only needs the citizenry to elect them back to office and once back, they act in their own interest.
Second to read that our fearless leader, Mr. Trump, has made a couple of bucks since sitting in the Oval Office. A true man of the people. A real oligarch.

Posted by: Jose Garcia | Jun 15 2025 17:23 utc | 23

The Turkistan Islamic Party’s Syrian branch, which is commanded by a member of Al Qaeda’s central shura who is based in Afghanistan, has become a division in the Syrian army, even after @realDonaldTrump called for TIP to be ejected from Syria. What could possibly go wrong? – Bill Roggio

Nothing. Everything is going according to the Plan: 1) expand Israel’s territory, 2) create terrorist networks near and inside Xinjiang. Sunni radicals ruling over Syria remove Shia Iran, Israel’s most principled adversary, from the region and in the future will serve as the pretext for Israel to grab more of Syria’s territory in “defense”. Terrorists close to and inside Xinjiang will force China to adopt further deradicalization measures which will be used to paint China as anti-Muslim. They hope that, with time, through the wonders of Western propaganda, the Islamic world will be made to see China as the bigger enemy of Islam than Israel.

Posted by: S | Jun 15 2025 18:08 utc | 24

uncle sham

None of our biz, its the Israeli’s war

Middle East Eye
1 day ago

After Israel pummelled Iran in an unprecedented attack and the Islamic Republic launched a barrage of missiles targeting Tel Aviv, US President Donald Trump has portrayed himself as above the fray.

Posted by: denk | Jun 15 2025 18:21 utc | 25

craig murray from today discussing a number of issues, including the present dynamic between israel and iran.. worth the read…
Starmer and Lammy are Terrified

Posted by: james | Jun 15 2025 18:32 utc | 26

From previous open thread.
Carney defending his invitation of MOdi to G7

‘We anglo and Indians share many common values, India belongs at the table with us’

SCO

Israel’s attack on Iran unacceptable.

India

Count me out.

The elephant, three legs in G7, one leg in SCO.. why bother tho ?

Posted by: denk | Jun 15 2025 18:34 utc | 27

The good cop, bad cop routine
Middle East Eye
2 days ago
US President Donald Trump has urged Iran to strike a deal over its nuclear programme, warning that further attacks could be “even more brutal”.

“I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the world, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – and they know how to use it,” Trump said in a message on Truth Social.
“Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!”

[sic]

Posted by: denk | Jun 15 2025 18:42 utc | 28

In the garden, they keep yapping about ‘common values’ with so and so, for example Israel, Indonesia, India…
Not sure what they mean by ‘common values’ but I do know for a fact,
India committed Sikh genocide in 1984
Muslim genocide in 2001
[Modi was accused of ordering a police stand down to lend his BJT goons a free hand or even helping hand]
MUslim genocide in Kashmir
xtian genocide in the NE
genocide of indigenous Indian tribes
Sikh genocide in Canada

No means feat that.
So you know G7 by their Indian buddies and vice versa.
Why not take India in to make it G8, the perfect 8NA reincarnation.
Indians should be proud.
In the 19C original outfit they were mere gardeners fighting the gardenist war, this time they are accepted as full fledge gardenist ……..or so they thought 😉

Posted by: denk | Jun 15 2025 19:10 utc | 29

On the eve of op Sindoor, Iran sent a team to Delhi to show solidarity, as full fledged all weather strategic ally.
Thats huge !
IronY Of irony !
, the massive Indian internet brigade are trolling gleefully the Iranian air force’s drubbing by IAF !
Thats all folks !

Posted by: denk | Jun 15 2025 19:39 utc | 30

With War of Mass Distraction 2.0 now in full swing, I had a bit of a look at what highly enriched uranium is used for. Naval nuclear propulsion systems is the biggest user, then nuclear weapons, then very small amounts for medical and scientific research purposes.
Modern nuclear weapons with a plutonium core use and enrichment of 40-80%
Naval propulsion – from wikipedia…
” HEU is also used in fast neutron reactors, whose cores require about 20% or more of fissile material, as well as in naval reactors, where it often contains at least 50% 235U, but typically does not exceed 90%. These specialized reactor systems rely on highly enriched uranium for their unique operational requirements, including high neutron flux and precise control over reactor dynamics.”
It appears that in general, enrichment level is actually higher for these type of reactors than required for modern nuclear weapons.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 15 2025 21:05 utc | 31

Thanks, Peter AU1 for the information on the uses of various uranium enrichment levels.

Posted by: mjh | Jun 15 2025 22:17 utc | 32

Re the USA Flag Day Trumpian Parade.
Question from the internet.
When it’s Fag Day, the gays put on a fantastic parade …
Given there’s so may fags in uniform, why was Flag Day not nearly as impressive as Fag Day.
Does the US military actually need *more* fags ?

Posted by: Melaleuca | Jun 16 2025 1:43 utc | 33

Melaleuca | Jun 16 2025 1:43 utc | 33
Now that is uh… stirring the shit. You are banished to the white noise threads.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 1:52 utc | 34

Peter.
Now you are back from the dead.
How are you doing ?
—-
You know the plague of socks here, so when I’d seen posts from your nom, I needed some verification…. You understand.

Posted by: Melaleuca | Jun 16 2025 2:02 utc | 35

I’m no fan of Albanese. But I have trepidation he’s gonna get the Trump Treatment sitting in the Naughty Chair and publicly humiliated.
Australia isn’t even in the fking G7. Why is he attending?
And. No. Just no.
G7: Australia considering EU request for formal defence partnership
In Calgary for the G7 summit, the prime minister says he will instruct senior ministers to review an EU request for a formal defence partnership

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/g7-australia-considering-eu-request-for-formal-defence-partnership/t917ve35m

Posted by: Melaleuca | Jun 16 2025 2:08 utc | 36

james | Jun 15 2025 15:01 utc | 12
Drunk + karaoke…. Everyone is a singer!

Posted by: Melaleuca | Jun 16 2025 2:17 utc | 37

Middle East Eye

13 hours ago

Donald Trump has described Israel’s Friday morning attacks on Iran as “excellent” and warned Iran that things will get worse if the country does not agree to a nuclear deal with the United snake

How come potus the mediator sounds more like an extortionalist ?
Rings a bell ?
Trump to Xi

Sign here or else…
Expect higher tariff

Posted by: denk | Jun 16 2025 2:35 utc | 38

Besides the 3I’s, gardenists also declare many ‘shared values’ with the Mongols
The Mongols btw genocided the Han in 1250.
Even today, they prefer to cozy up with the gringo at the other end of planet, instead of build up a good relation with its Russian./Chinese neighbours.
Hint: They have this very popular rapper over there who’s fav theme is genociding and raping the Han,
kinda like reminiscing the good ole days you know !

You know a man by his mates

So you know the G7 by their Mongolian blood bro and vice versa !

Posted by: denk | Jun 16 2025 3:05 utc | 39

Melaleuca | Jun 16 2025 2:08 utc | 36
My grandfather went off to “Fight for king and country for the duration”. Nothing has changed.
As to the other – still trying to stabilize my health. Just wanted a drink of water and a day or two later my sister rocks. Jeez cant even die in peace. I recovered enough over a couple of weeks to have another go and try to put together a nutrient mix I had thought about for several years. Some ingredients were easier to find than several years ago but vitamins were a problem. Nowhere can I find a balanced essential vitamin mix. There is a compounding pharmacist in Melbourne and another in Sydney. Fucking system pigs. They wanted a doctors prescription for a balanced mix of frigging vitamins. I could have persisted but I hate dealing with that sort of trash.
Diet for three or four months was nutrient mix and little steamed or boiled fish and chicken.
I have found that to maintain digestive function, a balanced mx of the six electrolytes plus a few of the essential vitamins – balanced is critical to maintaining gut function. Very difficult with out access to pathology and seeing what the bloods are doing.
A matter of first testing each element individually to try and spot the high or low signs of that element, mineral or vitamin. Balance is critical, imbalance the same as deficiency.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 3:23 utc | 40

How come potus the mediator sounds more like an extortionalist ?
Posted by: denk | Jun 16 2025 2:35 utc | 38
War is a racket….the extortion racket.
US did not fight a ‘war on terror’, it fought a ‘war of terror’.
Likewise, the US does not fight organised crime, it is organised crime.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 3:37 utc | 41

“India Prime Minister Modi visits Cyprus to advance trade corridor plans”
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 15 2025 15:43 utc | 18

Modi is about to get squoze. He will be one of the big losers of this fandango.

Posted by: too scents | Jun 16 2025 3:41 utc | 42

too scents | Jun 16 2025 3:41 utc | 42
Erdogan in not a nice bloke but has proved himself to be a very wiley and astute player. Modi also rides the fence but whether he makes the grade as wiley and astute remains to be seen. Erdo uses religious extremism but his focus is on the greater Turkic world.
In contrast, Modi is the head of the political wing in Hindutva extremism ideology.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 3:49 utc | 43

Likewise, the US does not fight organised crime, it is organised crime.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 3:37 utc | 41
——————–
As you know , I like to quote William bLum alot..,here goes !

For more than 70 years, the United States convinced much of the world that there was an international conspiracy out there. An International Communist Conspiracy, seeking no less than control over the entire planet, for purposes which had no socially redeeming values. And the world was made to believe that it somehow needed the United States to save it from communist darkness. “Just buy our weapons,” said Washington, “let our military and our corporations roam freely across your land, and give us veto power over who your leaders will be, and we’ll protect you.”
It was the cleverest protection racket since men convinced women that they needed men to protect them, for if all the men vanished overnight, how many women would be afraid to walk the streets?

YOu are sounding more and more like the old PeterAu, Keep it coming !

Posted by: denk | Jun 16 2025 4:12 utc | 44

The gardenists most fav Asian who ‘share many values‘ are…the jp,. they are ‘honorable whites‘ , no less.
The jp’s cv at a glance
jp pirates started terrorising Chinese coastal towns from 1350 onwards.
Annexed Ryukyu, a Chinese tributary , 1879
Robbed TW, Diaoyu FROM China, 1895
Full fledged invasion , 1939
Genocided the Han in 8 years of brutal warfare, including chemical and bioweapons.
Do they feel any remorse ?
Be the judge !
Here’s just exhibit A
https://tinyurl.com/bddyam37
Tip of an iceberg
You know G7 by their ‘honorable white mates’ and vice versa !

Posted by: denk | Jun 16 2025 4:18 utc | 45

The white noise thread. I am sorely tempted as what is a bar without a good old fashioned brawl. But I am a good boy now. Turned over a new leaf. Satan fearing I would use the fires of hell for nefarious purposes booted me out.
Sitting around ow, my only interest now is opal and geopolitics. hat old saying “if you cannot stand te heat, get out of the kitchen”. Similar with the australian opal fields ‘it aint half hot mum’ when the summer heat hits.
Perth mint gold. 99.999% purity. The white noise threads here at times now approach the purity of Perth mint gold. Solid ingots of high purity white noise.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 5:42 utc | 46

@ Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 5:42 utc | 46
Blessings to you mate!
Some of us old dogs can learn new tricks, eh?

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jun 16 2025 6:04 utc | 47

psychohistorian | Jun 16 2025 6:04 utc | 47
Keep on keeping on psycho. That white noise thread, I have not laughed so much in a long time. Will have to contact Karl at some point as I put him in a bad situation. I have no memory of that but the german philosopher bloke who had contacted Karl, he doesn’t talk bullshit.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 6:43 utc | 48

Something momentous has happened in the world it seems, based on the breathless posting and the rollercoaster of predictions and condemnations flying fast and furious on MoA these past few nights.
The posts blur together, but here’s what I’ve noticed thus far.
When it comes to claiming credit, the Americans will paint vivid pictures of their lord and savior Trump engaged in a titanic struggle against the “Deep State”, and that the whole world should be united behind Trump so that Trump can succeed in his Herculean task (nobody dare suggest that Trump is a capitalist and part of the ruling elite). Regardless of what Trump demands of the world, the world should accede, for complying with Trump’s wishes is for the good of Trump, and what is good for Trump is good for America, and what is good for America is good for the world.
When it comes to taking the blame, the typical Americans and American wannabes will blame everyone but America. The warmongering Europeans (who have been made wholly dependent on US arms and funding), the Jews (who are doing the dying and fighting in the Empire’s frontier outpost of Israel), the British bankers (the USD is the reserve currency of the world and Chinese netizens laugh at current-day Brits as being deluded into thinking that they’re still living in the glory days of the British Empire where the sun never sets whenever the Brits pull a “freedom of navigation” stunt), and of course the feckless and duplicitous Russians, Indians, Chinese, Pakistanis, Saudi Arabians, Turks etc whose crimes are not doing enough™. The bar is just one step away from invoking lizard people as the culprit for the world’s woe despite clear evidence demonstrating that the US is the heart of the empire with its dollar hegemony and its military bases spread worldwide.
As for Iran, Iran can stand on its own. Iran doesn’t need any outside help and is a peer power to the US, as Sakineh Bagoom has often insisted on MoA. To Sakineh Bagoom’s credit, I didn’t see any condemnation from them about the lack of outside aid. There is that little post from Sakineh about how everyone could end up as an Amalek one day that could be interpreted as insinuating that a failure to extend aid to Iran at this dire hour would condemn non-Iranians to face Iran’s current predicament, but I’ll be charitable and not interpret that post in such a manner. I do note, however, that Sakineh Bagoom is a big fan of demanding that China empties its currency reserves to aid countries indebted to the US while saying nothing about Iran’s “failure” (I don’t consider it a failure, but the MoA crowd does) to aid Assad and protect Hezbollah.

Posted by: All Under Heaven | Jun 16 2025 6:43 utc | 49

So tempted to crank the monkey on the white noise thread….
That old saying – an officer and a gentleman. Our host is very much that.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 6:56 utc | 50

European Capital Markets calm, ignoring WW3
Oil (unexoectedly) slightly up
Gold (unrxoectedly) slightly down
Hmmm…

Posted by: Exile | Jun 16 2025 7:30 utc | 51

So tempted to crank the monkey on the white noise thread….
That old saying – an officer and a gentleman. Our host is very much that.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 6:56 utc | 50
*************************
Welcome back! That’s our Peter. No Sock or AI can emulate the maestro.
My sincere apologies for doubting your “Second Coming”. I recently had a bit of a peep at the other side and didn’t like it much. Hope you can sort out the tucker/guts problem – constant butcher’s hook is no picnic.

Posted by: General Factotum | Jun 16 2025 8:25 utc | 52

‘difficult songs find few singers’ – i like that persiflo… thanks… my version – ‘easy songs find many singers’, lol…
Posted by: james | Jun 15 2025 15:01 utc | 12
One of my favourites:
Nina Simone: Sinnerman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP7XuE1Fw9s
Lyrics:
https://www.google.com/search?q=lyrics+sinnerman+nina+simone&rlz=1C1YTUH_en-GBAU1113AU1113&oq=lyrics+to+sinnerman&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgBEAAYFhgeMg8IABBFGDkYkQIYgAQYigUyCAgBEAAYFhgeMggIAhAAGBYYHjIICAMQABgWGB7SAQoxODc2NGowajE1qAIIsAIB8QUCPSp5-HU2YvEFAj0qefh1NmI&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Posted by: Menz | Jun 16 2025 11:07 utc | 53

Birthday Greetings from VP…
https://x.com/bears_with/status/1934510981154996458
“Donald Trump turned 79 on June 14; Xi jinping turned 72 the next day. Was Vladimir Putin, 72, exhausted after saying so much by telephone to Trump in celebration that he could only write a small card to Xi?”

Posted by: JohnGilberts | Jun 16 2025 12:14 utc | 54

Saxons? Angles? What is this spewing from the unlikely mouth of Lavrov? Even my 12-yr-old Russian pupils know roughly about Saxons, Kents, Jutes, Angles and where they settled. You expect this sort of garbage from pigshit ignorant Americans, not from the attributed source, if Johnson reports it correctly. SL is in danger of sounding like Lettuce Truss. Lavrov has certainly read Hardy and knows a little history about Alfred, knows where Winchester is. Still, it is nice to know the south a England will be safe in the event of attacks against the Midlands, north.

Posted by: petra | Jun 16 2025 13:30 utc | 55

The opinion of Alastair Crooke about the israeli attack on Iran:
https://conflictsforum.substack.com/p/war-on-iran-israel-is-to-blame-but
or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsm7aMDKLBE

Posted by: WMG | Jun 16 2025 13:42 utc | 56

The opinion of Alastair Crooke about the israeli attack on Iran:
https://conflictsforum.substack.com/p/war-on-iran-israel-is-to-blame-but
or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsm7aMDKLBE
Posted by: WMG | Jun 16 2025 13:42 utc | 56
The iranian attacks now targeted different targets like refineries, “israeli security buildings”.

Posted by: WMG | Jun 16 2025 13:44 utc | 57

Pascal Lottaz (Neutrality Studies):
“Massive Retaliation: TelAviv Burning, Haifa Struck, Iron Dome Useless. China Condemns Israel”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=522M-pv0qhY (38 minutes)

Posted by: WMG | Jun 16 2025 13:53 utc | 58

petra | Jun 16 2025 13:30 utc | 55
Lavrov knows his stuff – better than most poms. Look up where UK police training begins.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 14:27 utc | 59

from 2 hours ago – on the judges show – 30 minutes… listen at 10 minutes in what he says about this… i strongly agree.. what mossad/cia and m16 have set up for iran – that is also what russia has been dealing with and russia now knows it..
Alastair Crooke : Why Israel is to Blame.

Posted by: james | Jun 16 2025 14:53 utc | 60

@ WMG | Jun 16 2025 13:42 utc | 56
thanks.. you posted the same link in your post here – bottom link..

Posted by: james | Jun 16 2025 14:54 utc | 61

james | Jun 16 2025 14:53 utc | 60
The judge… at fist glance looks and sounds like any other American tv judge. But something deeper there. Patrick Armstrong’s “Putin once dreamed the American dream”.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 15:26 utc | 62

@ Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 15:26 utc | 62 about the judge
I like the judge and appreciate his “service” but he is a propertarian/libertarian which I see as one set of oligarchs wanting to replace another set.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jun 16 2025 16:33 utc | 63

psychohistorian | Jun 16 2025 16:33 utc | 63
The American culture – so many Europeans flocked to the US after the American revolution. A place without monarchy. The cossacks of the Eurasian steppe. Peasants serfs, criminals, the border lands, the badlands….
A odd place. No matter where it comes from though, honesty has a quality that makes it a gem.
Though as I replied to Denk not long back – America did not fight a war on terror. It fought a war of terror. And likewise America does not fight organised crime. It is organised crime.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 16:59 utc | 64

@ Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 16:59 utc | 64
“America did not fight a war on terror. It fought a war of terror. And likewise America does not fight organised crime. It is organised crime.”
I hear Handel’s Hallelujah Choir!!!

Posted by: maja | Jun 16 2025 17:06 utc | 65

@ psychohistorian | Jun 16 2025 16:33 utc | 63

I like the judge and appreciate his “service” but he is a propertarian/libertarian which I see as one set of oligarchs wanting to replace another set.

Umm, that it the history of “humanity”…. duh!

Posted by: maja | Jun 16 2025 17:17 utc | 66

In response to

@ psychohistorian | Jun 16 2025 16:33 utc | 63
I like the judge and appreciate his “service” but he is a propertarian/libertarian which I see as one set of oligarchs wanting to replace another set.
Umm, that it the history of “humanity”…. duh!
Posted by: maja | Jun 16 2025 17:17 utc | 66

Are Xi and Putin oligarchs? Are they and the governments they run ruled by oligarchs?
I encourage you to read The Dawn Of Everything by Graeber/Wengrow about the 40K years of different forms of social organization before the patriarchal, monotheistic [male centered] form of the West was born…some of them still exist.
I just see humanities history a bit more nuanced than you and keep hoping for humanistic change more than totalitarian change.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jun 16 2025 17:50 utc | 67

Oz prohibition era.
The government in its woke greatness has massively increased taxes on my post illness staples in life. Smokes and booze.
A chop chop shop has opened down the street. Nasty stuff, like what I grew but cut finer. More nor-nicotine than nicotine.
Humans have nicotine receptors. Apparently a target for SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Australian aboriginal people, an ancient culture, an ancient people used tobacco. The fertile cresent and turkish tabacco. The Americas.
One central australian tobacco stands out. I bought some seeds but never grew them exceptionally high on nicotine, very low on nor-nicotine.
Old dandy – one day he gathered up a bit of bark from a certain tree and burned it to a pure white ash. He then mixed it with the whitey tobacco to make a chewing tobacco. Not so much chewing, it just gets tucked in the cheek. Gives a buz he reckons. I probably should have tried it. I should have tried some lizard and turtle but me being a whitey didn’t. Would make a big improvement to my diet now.
Turtles were good tucker. Better than fish. Fishing, the ultimate catch was a turtle. The greenies had bought he plac next door. Employed a few blokes from the community there to catch some turtles so they could study tag and release them. All was good until release time. They were not going to let good tucker go to waste and ate them. After that they were in the bad books with the greens.
Old Dandy Dougy and young Dave out on the wood river…. Memories…. young Dave exceptionally talented and exceptionally distrustful of whitey’s. He was about 25 with four children. Dave’s uncles came out to the camp first. Satphone in the container was free to use. Dave drove the catcher when w were cleanng up the bulls. The catcher had a hydralic arm. I had built it in the wet season, a sixty series chassis, a ford V8 and a 45 series cab with the top ditched. Welded the rear diff. In the back just a spare wehel carrier solidly clamped down. no tray or floor in the shortened back.
I had a chopper in the air one day, so took a ride with Dave. Heading over a crest after a bull, a speed bump suddenly appears. I thought shit, this is gonna hurt. We were in the air for a while but the landing was smooth as,. Turns out the thing was beautiful balanced. Dave turns to me and said that was smooth.
Most of the time when bull catching, I would fly and run a mob out onto a flat. Dougy in the other buggy would help me hold the mob while Dave caught the bulls. Old dandy would ride as passenger in Dougy’s buggy. One day they hit an ant hill and old Dandy got turfed out. Everything came to a stop. Doug ran back got dandy in a sitting position and stuck his hat on hs head. I was circling around then Dave arrived and they help Dandy back into the buggy, young Dave straps him in with a bull rope and away we go again.
Fitted seatbelts to both buggies that afternoon when we got back to camp. Anthills in the grass are nasty.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 18:01 utc | 68

@Menz

Nina Simone: Sinnerman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP7XuE1Fw9s

Powerful song, thank you!

Posted by: persiflo | Jun 16 2025 21:04 utc | 69

@ Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 15:26 utc | 62
i think the judge is a stand up guy and i respect the fact he is involved geopolitically and gets the guests he gets on his show..
in other words – i agree with you – something deeper to him, definitely..

Posted by: james | Jun 17 2025 0:45 utc | 70

@ persiflo | Jun 16 2025 21:04 utc | 69
yes – powerful song.. nina was really into the music and wanting to see change, thru politics and activism which seems to be an important part of her approach to music… maybe this was due her involvement in the 1960s….
i read david clayton thomas autobiography – he is the guy that sang in the front of the band ‘blood sweat and tears’… he had a rough life.. anyway – he tells a story in the book about travelling on a bus with a lot of the columbia record folks for a number of performances.. both nina and miles davis were on the bus… nina was pissed that blood sweat and tears were playing the billie holliday song ‘god bless the child’… that was considered sacred ground that no jive ass white guy should sing.. well, miles interjected and told nina to cool it!! i thought that was a good story.. check out the book if you are interested..
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9335789-blood-sweat-and-tears

Posted by: james | Jun 17 2025 0:50 utc | 71

Much drama in the big bad world. The zionist entity central to the anglo empire. Make or break time I guess.
Russians sweeping up the garbage in Kiev now that the party has moved on.
Interesting times.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 17 2025 5:08 utc | 72

For a better overview of current geopolitics –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahwJF5AcsGA
Wild card henry as the US. The big bloke is China. The smaller one, perhaps a combo of Russia and Iran. Perhaps just Russia.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 17 2025 5:24 utc | 73

“Why China’s Deflation Crisis is (Still) Getting Worse”
China’s economy is in deep trouble because China suffers under a thing called “Falling Prices”. These falling prices are a sign that the chinese consumer doesn’t have enough income to support. The PPI (Producer Price Index) actually kept falling since say late 2022. This falling prices were already happening BEFORE Trump started his trade / tariff war against China. So, dont blame Trump for the falling prices.
Event the CPI (Consumer’s Price Index) has been very low (close to zero) and it has been negative for a number of months since say april 2023.
These (very) low inflation figures are actually a sign of DEFLATION in e.g. the housing sector. Falling prices in the housing sector is the worst DEFLATION one can get. See the US housing bubble that started in say mid 2005 when home prices started to fall which led to the crisis of 2008.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssmWMezN_-c
This video only confirms all the other bad news coming out of China. It shows that the economic situation in China is far from rosy and that China is in deep economic dog do do. I also like the very moderate tone of the video. There is no eratic use of words.
================================================================================================================
I repost 2 videos with Michael Pettis in which Pettis explains why China is in such a dire predicament.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWOfETepcRk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE5VczIFGZA

Posted by: WMG | Jun 17 2025 7:44 utc | 74

WMG | Jun 17 2025 7:44 utc | 74
I assume you are a… the troll news coming out of China has been the same for two or three decades.
The chinese dont just sit around sipping latte and the money comes rolling in. They work for it which at the top end means constantly monitoring and adjusting economic policy both as China’s economy grows and as the world changes.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 17 2025 7:55 utc | 75

While awaiting the next move in the great game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Dpqz9eFj4
If there was more sheep it would be a sheep shaggers wet dream. Horse th cat doesn’t feature much.
Murray Ball with footrot flats, and Joliff wth saltbush bill, both in the eighties.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ed/b2/e9/edb2e9ec142e4564be8992242bc0bbd2.jpg

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 17 2025 10:38 utc | 76

WMG | Jun 17 2025 7:44 utc | 74
I assume you are a… the troll news coming out of China has been the same for two or three decades.
The chinese dont just sit around sipping latte and the money comes rolling in. They work for it which at the top end means constantly monitoring and adjusting economic policy both as China’s economy grows and as the world changes.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 17 2025 7:55 utc | 75
No, I am NOT a (paid) troll for China. China has a MASSIVE debt problem. Debt in China, North America or Australia all have the same mechanics. Once understands how debt works then one can infer what is going on in China. China has another problem. Chinese exports to the US has gone down by some 35% between May 2024 – may 2025.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssmWMezN_-c
The PPI & CPI and overall inflation in China are / seem to be much lower than in e.g. the US. Just watch the video right above or the videos in a previous post.

Posted by: WMG | Jun 17 2025 12:04 utc | 77

China has a MASSIVE debt problem.
Posted by: WMG | Jun 17 2025 12:04 utc | 77

One man’s debt is another man’s asset. They are two side of the same coin.
Unlike the West which has a massive external balance problem China owes its debts to itself and those debts are mostly secured by assets ringfenced within China’s system of currency controls.
The situation would not be that complicated for you to understand if you could remove your bias.
Whatever. Your incorrect assessment of this topic serves as an example of backwards thinking for others.

Posted by: too scents | Jun 17 2025 12:11 utc | 78

WMG | Jun 17 2025 7:44 utc | 74
I assume you are a… the troll news coming out of China has been the same for two or three decades.
The chinese dont just sit around sipping latte and the money comes rolling in. They work for it which at the top end means constantly monitoring and adjusting economic policy both as China’s economy grows and as the world changes.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 17 2025 7:55 utc | 75
No, I am NOT a (paid) troll for China. China has a MASSIVE debt problem. Debt in China, North America or Australia all have the same mechanics. Once understands how debt works then one can infer what is going on in China. China has another problem. Chinese exports to the US has gone down by some 35% between May 2024 – may 2025.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssmWMezN_-c
The PPI & CPI and overall inflation in China are / seem to be much lower than in e.g. the US. Just watch the video right above or the videos in a previous post.
Posted by: WMG | Jun 17 2025 12:04 utc | 77
I fear that the US is very well aware of this and is going to use this weakness in China to attack it in the (near ???) future.

Posted by: WMG | Jun 17 2025 12:12 utc | 79

“The Israel-Iran war is more dangerous than we imagine | David Hearst | The Big Picture”
I repost the video with David Hearst in which he is very pessimistic about the Middle East. The video has a lenght of 1 hour and 5 minutes. That’s why it doesn’t fit in one of the “Tic Toc” / “Tik Tok” threads here on Moon of Alabama where I posted it previously.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwPPQZPHHeE
“The Israel-Iran war is more dangerous than we imagine | David Hearst | The Big Picture”
The picture used for the video contains the words “The era of peace is over”.
David Hearst is senior editor for “Middle East Eye” (https://www.middleeasteye.net/)

Posted by: WMG | Jun 17 2025 12:21 utc | 80

China has a MASSIVE debt problem.
Posted by: WMG | Jun 17 2025 12:04 utc | 77

One man’s debt is another man’s asset. They are two side of the same coin.
Unlike the West which has a massive external balance problem China owes its debts to itself and those debts are mostly secured by assets ringfenced within China’s system of currency controls.
The situation would not be that complicated for you to understand if you could remove your bias.
Whatever. Your incorrect assessment of this topic serves as an example of backwards thinking for others.
Posted by: too scents | Jun 17 2025 12:11 utc | 78
China has an advantage in that it has a Trade Surplus and the US hasn’t.

Posted by: WMG | Jun 17 2025 12:23 utc | 81

Trump has promised to shraply increase ICE operations in the US in response to the humuliation of the “No Kings” demonstrations in the US.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B63pc-OGJyI
Alastair Crooke is right. The West is losing its liberal image (in the sense of democracy, freedom(s), liberties). And Trump and his buddies are doing everything to make liberal image dissappear even faster.

Posted by: WMG | Jun 17 2025 12:32 utc | 82

The mechanics of debt in EVERY country are the same. There is a debtor and there is a creditor. And then it doesn’t matter if the debtor/creditor is inside or outside a country.

Posted by: WMG | Jun 17 2025 15:06 utc | 83

@james

‘blood sweat and tears’

Thanks for the anecdote, james. I’m not yet much into bs&t, perhaps because I’m a bit young, but also still haven’t found my own way to access Jazz. Although I saw a one-armed bass player in a San Francisco club when I was 14, he was the only white guy in the room other than us, with that being my dad (who loves travelling) and my sister – he wouldn’t even stop the walking lines in between the tunes. Very impressive. I guess it inspired me to pick up the instrument soon after, having tried the saxofone without much joy. I’ve been in love with the bass since forever, though, and still am.
Miles Davis was a sharp dresser who drove a yellow Italian sportscar and lived in an upscale neighbourhood. He regularly got to deal with cops pulling him over to ask “why you driving that car?” to which he replied, “Well what else should I do with my money?” or something like that.

Posted by: persiflo | Jun 17 2025 16:38 utc | 84

The Empire is at an end, China speaks softly.
“The world can move on without the United States.
The world can live without the United States.
100 years ago, the British Empire dominated world trade, controlling more than 20% of the world’s wealth. Many believed that its sun would never set.
200 years ago, France was the master of Europe, its armies feared and its culture envied. Napoleon proclaimed himself immortal.
400 years ago, the Spanish crown ruled from Manila to Mexico, its fleets loaded with silver and silk. Kings thought their glory would be eternal.
Each empire proclaimed itself indispensable. But in the end, they were all eclipsed. Power weakens, influence shifts, and legitimacy dies the moment it is embraced, not conquered.
If America loses respect in the world, it will discover what every fallen empire learned too late: the world moves on.
Always.”
(c) Xi Jinping

Posted by: Suresh | Jun 17 2025 19:22 utc | 85

US ships have all left Bahrain, all US fighter aircrafts in the region have assembled in RSA.
Bye, bye exceptionalism.

Posted by: Suresh | Jun 17 2025 19:27 utc | 86

The white noise thread. I am sorely tempted as what is a bar without a good old fashioned brawl. But I am a good boy now. Turned over a new leaf. Satan fearing I would use the fires of hell for nefarious purposes booted me out.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 16 2025 5:42 utc | 46
I’d like to imagine is similar to a scene straight out of South Park (Saddam and Satan)

Posted by: Suresh | Jun 17 2025 19:37 utc | 87

– Emmanuel Todd:
“Nihilism could explain Israel’s behaviour in Gaza and Iran” (in english).
https://substack.com/inbox/post/166169831
Rubbish. It’s a matter of the Middle East being overpopulated combined with israeli exceptionalism and zionistic ideology.

Posted by: WMG | Jun 17 2025 22:57 utc | 88

WMG | Jun 17 2025 12:23 utc | 81
Theres an old saying about banks lending for bricks and mortar.
China’s debt is underpinned by its massive infrastructure. That infrastructure created and underpins China’s massive and still growing economy.
US debt is the sum total of its wars. Blood and treasure pissed down the drain, infrastructure crumbling, education crumbling.
Massive difference.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 17 2025 23:22 utc | 89

A comment I made at the tictoc thread brought back a memory.
Between age 30 and 35, I had a small business onsite saw milling on spud farms. Would cut down pines that had ben planted as windbreaks in the past and turn them into half ton and one ton spud bins. My younger cousin and his wife wer nailing the boxes together for me on a price per box rate so they worked pretty fast.
She was literally tougher than nail. On day she was holding a board and he missed the board and nailed her finger.
The nail guns I used had coil magazines. The coils of nails were basically nails welded too two wires and as the gun striped them off, each nail would essentially have four fish hook type barbs.
I was working the mill and my cousin came over. When I saw he nail in her finger, I said I run her into the hospital. She said no. She wanted me to pull it out. I don’t think my cousin was up to it so she asked me.
I thought shit, this is going to hurt. I got te pliers ou of the ute, held her finger and said I would count to three. On the count of one, I ripped it out as hard and fast as I could. She didn’t faint or anything. I think it was about three in the afternoon and the took the rest of the afternoon off. I’ve got a feeling she tried to keep working for a bit though it would have been bit sore.
A year or two later, a young bloke did the same. Large young man that liked his street fights and stuff. I said I would pull it out. No no take me to hospital. Weak as water.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 17 2025 23:44 utc | 90

Typos. On top of my normal problem, the keyboard is stating to stick. I think I spilt some coffee on it several days ago. I have three sugars in my coffee and that is not good for a key board.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 17 2025 23:47 utc | 91

I’ve got a couple of questions (maybe more) from what we are all following: first, what does it mean that the two mindboggling events have such similarity: Ukraine’s attacks on Russia and Israel’s on Iran? Certainly that mossad and the other nefarious national groups are all in sync, but what (other question) sense does that have for the political classes? Aren’t all the nations involved crashing? Who benefits? I can’t see that even the rich do, since they’re affected even more than poorer folk still in touch with families for support. Everyone seemed to be pitted against one another. Well, you know, Pentecost is the time when the tower of Babel is the story from Genesis Christians hark back to.
At the tower of Babel, being built to challenge heaven itself, the way it came to grief was that the Lord ‘confused the tongues’ and had everyone unable to cooperate. In contrast, when the Spirit descends on the gathered disciples for the Jewish feast, there were many different languages being spoken by the jews gathered there, but some of the disciples were able to understand and speak the languages of whatever people they were addressing. (I am just telling this from memory, not going to the actual verses.)
I can’t put it all together, sorry. But Iran having the largest jewish community outside of Israel that is part of the government and supports it is a major factor in the cohesion that there ought to be in Palestine. Iran is the Houthis writ large.

Posted by: juliania | Jun 18 2025 1:46 utc | 92

Hi karlof1 and frithguild, my copy of The Devil Theory of War arrived today.
Hopefully the world continues existing long enough for me to read it.
Thanks for the suggestion! I’m looking to reading it.

Posted by: lex talionis | Jun 18 2025 1:59 utc | 93

That post button is right next to the preview…
I’m looking forward to reading it.

Posted by: lex talionis | Jun 18 2025 2:01 utc | 94

juliania | Jun 18 2025 1:46 utc | 92
The history of war is the history of ‘civilization’. Sanity is often discarded. So many have launched wars only to be utterly destroyed.
Israel/zionism is religious extremism. Sanity is thrown aside.
Iran – religion gives it strength. Those that are afraid of death will die. Those who are not afraid of death live.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 18 2025 2:12 utc | 95

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 18 2025 2:12 utc | 95
Thank you, Peter. But I wouldn’t be too quick to condemn those who are afraid of death. What I find comforting is that more and more I need to sleep, so I do. And what is sleep but a kind of death? We do it every day, have done all our lives, every one of us. All the same, there is something to be said for loving life. If you love life enough, well, you would be sad to leave it. But perhaps that isn’t fear, per se, just regret.
And Dostoievski says that is what those who haven’t lived a fully caring life, or have abused others etc., most suffer for when they die — that they didn’t take the opportunity that life gives to do good and now that opportunity is gone.
I will see if I can find that passage.

Posted by: juliania | Jun 18 2025 2:58 utc | 96

I found it right away (of course). It is from Alyosha’s teacher, Father Zossima, spoken on his deathbed and copied down by Alyosha, the young hero of ‘The Brothers Karamazov’:

(i)Of Hell and Hell Fire: A Mystical Discourse
Fathers and teachers, I ask myself: “What is hell?” And I answer thus: “The suffering of being no longer able to love.” Once in infinite existence, measured neither by time nor by space, a certain spiritual being,through his appearance on earth, was granted the ability to say to himself: “I am and I love.” Once, once only, he was given a moment of active, living love, and for that he was given earthly life with its times and seasons. And what then? This fortunate being rejected the invaluable gift, did not value it, did not love it, looked upon it with scorn, and was left unmoved by it. This being, having departed the earth, sees Abraham’s bosom, and talks with Abraham, as is shown to us in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, and he beholds paradise, and could rise up to the Lord, but his torment is precisely to rise up to the Lord without having loved, to touch those who loved him — him who disdained their love. For he sees clearly and says to himself: “Now I have knowledge, and though I thirst for love, there will be no great deed in my love, no sacrifice, for my earthly life is over…”

There is much more, of course, this being Dostoievski’s last great novel. And for me it is important to remember that the name Alyosha (diminutive of Alexey, the saint called ‘Man of God’) is the name of his own youngest son who died at three years old.
(Children figure prominently in the novel)

Posted by: juliania | Jun 18 2025 3:24 utc | 97

@juliania | Wed, 18 Jun 2025 02:58:00 GMT | 96

Dostoievski says that is what those who haven’t lived a fully caring life, or have abused others etc., most suffer for when they die — that they didn’t take the opportunity that life gives to do good and now that opportunity is gone.
I will see if I can find that passage.

Intruiging. I feel he’s right, but can’t come up with an argument that would be convincing on its own. The difference between being righteous and being right, perhaps. Recht haben vs. Recht bekommen in German (not to be confused with “recht bekommen”).
Who decides what is right? To ignore righteousness for being right is what a Sophist does; scolded by Socrates as wrongful in opposition to being a true philosopher.
Being right and righteous at the same time – can I say true? – requires, logically, some kind of reference pivot (hence the famous Archimedes’ word, “If you give me a point outside the earth, I’ll pry it from its angles”). The earlier pre-socratic philosophers relied on that idea, termed the logos. It all falls apart (or begins, if you so will) when the friends of thought discover that no logos can be in itself “got”; for there is always an angle of view involved, which can’t be computed away. Total (observerless) objectivity is a mere ideation, a dream, a fantasy. A nightmare, perhaps.
Herakleitos in his time (pre-socratic) said that for us to act upon the logos, we must become one with it. Hence his famous quip “you can’t enter the same stream twice”.
Husserl said there are no ethics without a notional God, even if the idea of Him remains unsettled. Mani says that We are Him, but cannot fully realize it.
Apologies for all the ad hoc translations, I hope the thought gets through. I’ve bought myself more Tyskie for tonight but am afraid it won’t help make things much clearer at this point.
Peter, you should email Karl, I think it’s what he’s waiting for.

Posted by: persiflo | Jun 18 2025 3:35 utc | 98

juliania | Jun 18 2025 2:58 utc | 96
For some reason I do not have a spiritual bone in my body. It is a long time since I read the bible. To me both Jesus and Mohammad were the most influential men in human history. At the same time, I greatly respect the spiritual beliefs of others, unless of course it is an extremist belief.
Jesus was about peace. He himself turned the other cheek. Yet he did not tell the soldier to quit being a soldier nor did he tell the prostitute to quit being a prostitute.
Russia, ethnic Russia orthodox, but entirety of Russian federation quite religious compared to the western world. We see them fighting with honour, often at the cost of their own lives.
Its an odd world juliania

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 18 2025 4:01 utc | 99

WMG | Jun 17 2025 12:23 utc | 81
Theres an old saying about banks lending for bricks and mortar.
China’s debt is underpinned by its massive infrastructure. That infrastructure created and underpins China’s massive and still growing economy.
US debt is the sum total of its wars. Blood and treasure pissed down the drain, infrastructure crumbling, education crumbling.
Massive difference.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 17 2025 23:22 utc | 89
Does China’s “massive infrastructure” generate enough income (selling tickets) to pay down debt and pay interest on that debt ? Is that income enough for the maintenance of that infrastructure ?
Chinese exports to the US fell by some 35% between may 2024 and may 2025 (think: trade & tariffs wars) and you still think the chinese economy is still growing ?

Posted by: WMG | Jun 18 2025 4:10 utc | 100