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July 23, 2025
Open (Neither Ukraine Nor Palestine) Thread 2025-164
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https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/07/23/economy/us-japan-trade-deal-trump/
The largest deal in the history of the entire universe and beyond, creating boundless wealth for everyone!
Disregarding Trump’s usual hyperbole, the fact remains that a deal was struck. If some countries fall into line, the rest might eventually fall like dominoes, as they don’t want to be left out. So is the art of the deal working? I have my doubts but understand too little of economics to be the judge of that.
Posted by: Hamburger | Jul 23 2025 16:36 utc | 1
I think we need to start sharing examples of empire Ouroboros and below are two posting titles from ZH to start it off
Tulsi Debunks Top Obama ‘Russia Hoax Lies’ In Latest Bombshell Release
Extreme Measures: To Dodge Epstein Vote, Johnson Calls Early Summer Recess
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 23 2025 16:46 utc | 2
From an article at The Cradle about the US Peace President…./s
US President Donald Trump has ordered hundreds of airstrikes across West Asia and Africa since his return to office, carrying out more attacks in the first five months of his second term than former president Joe Biden did during his entire presidency, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED).
“In just five months, Trump has overseen nearly as many US airstrikes (529) as were recorded across the entire four years of the previous administration (555),” said ACLED President Clionadh Raleigh.
Among the countries bombed by Trump are Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, and Yemen. The majority of strikes were carried out against Yemen.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 23 2025 16:55 utc | 3
Why is Trump trying to hard to stop the Epstein stuff? Maybe Trump just doesn’t want his family, which includes grandkids, to constantly be exposed to all this stuff. That is a good explanation for his suing the Wall St. Journal. For why he is trying to get MAGA off of this–he has been saying over and over that “it’s all just a Democrat Op.” I don’t believe he means that literally, he means that the Democrats have jumped on this bigly, and are using it to damage Republicans in their propaganda–and he is right.
Michael Tracey says that since the only evidence for anything other than Epstein being with underage women is the claims of people who were seeking to get money, therefore there is no non-questionable evidence for any of the other claims, e.g., about Epstein engaging in using honey traps for whatever reasons they speculate about. Obviously true. but that is why there has been such a clamor about getting the government to release whatever data they may have. The reason the conspiracy theories thrive is because the government and or people involved have stoked the fevered imaginations of people by not proving it one way or the other.
Therefore, people can easily believe that not only are all the conspiracy theories plausible, but they are likely true because where there’s smoke…
Besides Trump wanting this to end because of the above reasons there is also the possibility that Epstein’s relationship with politicians from other countires people cannot be explained away enough to get lots of influencers and media to be okay with it. That makes a lot of very rich and influential people nervous for a variety of obvious reasons, and I am sure they are pressuring the people in Trump’s orbit to do something to make this all go away. But the problem is how? Dems see this as a gift from the gods so they will push this to kingdom come–unless or until they get told to drop it by their big donors–many of whom may want it dropped even though they want to damage the MAGA cause.
I think Trump needs to give MAGA a big win to get them off of this, the revelations by Tulsi Gabbard are a good start but he needs to do something that the base really wants, like being honest then doing the right thing about this: Elite Desperation: There Must be Some Way Out of Here — said The Joker to The Thief
Posted by: kana | Jul 23 2025 17:03 utc | 4
The raunchy saga of the wealthy jewish* child sex trafficker, now posthumously making monkeys out of politicians in the wretched city, who allegedly committed suicide in an anti-suicide cell while under an intense international media spotlight and his potential association with the loudmouthed new yorker has a lot of people confused and yearning for a time when he was more stable, reasoned and level headed. In other words, the man they voted for.
The punchline is…that period of time never existed. Ever. The great and powerful oz has ALWAYS been a bombastic, dimwitted con artist.
*obviously one of these “zionist” bad apples we always hear about
Posted by: chunga | Jul 23 2025 17:04 utc | 5
@ psychohistorian
Did you see this one over at ZH:
‘Catastrophic’: AI Agent Goes Rogue, Wipes Out Company’s Entire Database
“Computer Says No ”…
The Rulers of Mammon might not go out with a bang, but with a {DROPTABLES} command…
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Jul 23 2025 17:11 utc | 7
Canadian exporters across a wide range of industries have a way to escape U.S. President Donald Trump’s blanket tariffs.
That escape hatch is compliance with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the three-way free trade deal signed by Trump back in 2018.
U.S. and Canadian officials have said the across-the-board tariffs Trump is threatening to impose on Aug. 1 won’t apply to goods that comply with the terms of CUSMA.
Many Canadian exports can avoid Trump tariffs if CUSMA-compliant. Here’s what that means https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tariffs-trump-cusma-compliance-explained-1.
Dixit.
Posted by: Laurence | Jul 23 2025 17:13 utc | 8
kana @4: “Why is Trump trying to hard to stop the Epstein stuff? Maybe Trump just doesn’t want his family, which includes grandkids, to constantly be exposed to all this stuff.”
Yeah, “exposed” as in murdered.
“You take on the intelligence community. They have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you.” — “Cheesy” Chuck Schumer
Posted by: William Gruff | Jul 23 2025 17:15 utc | 9
Last night I watched a vid with 4-787 pilots discussing the fuel cut-off switch history, my four take aways from this conclave of high hour, in type, pilots:
1] They pointed out that the fuel cut-off switch is either identical or indistinguishable with the 737-Max switch.
2] There are recorded incidents where the FCS cut off fuel to both engines on an aircraft operating within parameters. Boeing would most certainly know this
3] They also traversed the memory items list for such an event, most importantly, the switches are to be moved from the on-to-off-to-on position. Finding it in the off position does not indicate that manual inputs by the pilots intiated the engine shutdown at/or about the time of rotation.
4] They also pointed out that the CVR would pick-up the distinct audible click of these switches. This is critical, the release of the CVR would clear or, condemn the pilots. Boeing would know this and if the recording condemned pilots they would insist on it’s release, the reverse being axiomatic.
My guess is, it sounds more and more like Boeing’s software is the prime suspect in this fatal crash. No surprise really, software proved to be the culprit in the two fatal 737-Max crashes.
I’m not sure why those who work in the software industry have come to this state…perhaps the high tolerance for shoddy work is a result of the industry’s copyright protection being granted for algorithms developed by other peoples work and those thefted works being essentially eternal? Or perhaps, it’s the industry’s rent seeking and monopolistic practices that lead to it’s internalized code of corruption? Don’t know but, software has been killing people for quite some time now, perhaps Prosecutors filing manslaughter charges once in while might focus the minds in the software industry? I do know when a mechanic or engineer is the source of a fatal error his/her colleagues are merciless but, with software, the treatment is akin to a MD or lawyer…why the double standard?
Posted by: S Brennan | Jul 23 2025 17:33 utc | 10
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Jul 23 2025 17:11 utc | 7
“Computer Says No ”
I believe the computer. The story doesn’t wash. It’s an hit piece on AI.
Posted by: Laurence | Jul 23 2025 17:44 utc | 11
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Jul 23 2025 17:11 utc | 7
Hilarious.
Posted by: Arganthonios | Jul 23 2025 18:17 utc | 12
As for the Epstein files and Trump’s reluctance, I think the simplest answer is the most likely, just ask yourself:
Q1] What donor class has the most hold over Trump?
A1] The Israeli/Israeli-Americans-who-reside-in-America/Israel-Firsters…yes?
Q2] Who is the most likely sponsor of Epstein’s blackmail operation?
A2] The nexus of Mossad/MI-6 & their toadie in the US, the 3LAs…yes?
Q3] Who was Ghislaine Maxwell’s father, how did he die?
A3] Robert Maxwell was a Mossad/MI-6 asset, murdered, no longer convenient.
Okay, there’s your answer, Israel/Israeli-Americans/Mossad/MI-6/US-3LAs rule this country, what they say goes or…the person* who dares to contradict them goes.
*This does not apply to those who can not be heard…under the falling tree limb in an empty forest rubric.
Posted by: S Brennan | Jul 23 2025 18:23 utc | 13
Sentencing hearing underway for ‘Freedom Convoy’ leaders Lich, Barber
10 hours ago
Canada’s National Observer
Poilievre, Conservative MPs publicly support ‘Freedom Convoy’ organizers ahead of sentencing
2 days ago
…[Maiden is just OK in Ottawa?]
CTV News
French president Macron sues influencer Candace Owens over claim France’s first lady was born male
2 hours ago
… [Trivial Pursuits?]
Statement from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on the Horrific Terrorist Attacks in Israel – Conservative Party of Canada https://www.conservative.ca/statement-from-conservative-leader-pierre-poilievre-on-the-horrific-terrorist-attacks-in-israel/
“I unequivocally condemn the invasion of Israel by Hamas terrorists and the sadistic violence they have subsequently carried out against innocent civilians. “Israel has the right to defend itself against these attacks and respond against the attackers. Canadians pledge their solidarity with all the victims.”
Not Knowing The ‘Enemy’ https://www.moonofalabama.org/2025/07/not-knowing-the-enemy.html
Posted by: Laurence | Jul 23 2025 18:40 utc | 14
S Brennan @10: “I’m not sure why those who work in the software industry have come to this state…”
Western software industry: “If it compiles, then ship it. We can push out a patch later.”
Hotshot western developer: “Look ma! I’m coding right on the development server!”
DEI hire: “I program critical real-time apps in Visual Basic!”
Microsoft: “Performance is a hardware problem.”
Microsoft: “It’s not a bug. It’s an undocumented feature.”
Speed of shipping an app is the #1 metric in American business for a programmer’s proficiency. Quality of the code? Note so much.
Posted by: William Gruff | Jul 23 2025 18:42 utc | 15
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Jul 23 2025 17:11 utc | 7
On another note, Spotify is flooded with ‘AI’ generated music which then is ‘listened’ to by bots, giving a nice payout to the uploaders.
After musicians got shafted, now it is the advertisers’ turn to be shafted.
Not if, but when the AI bubble bursts, this likely leads to our financial system’s meltdown.
Posted by: kspr | Jul 23 2025 18:48 utc | 16
A brief note on Tulsi Gabbard: Skipping over the non-Constitutional use of the word “treasonous,” I remind honest readers that alleging treason to undermine the government was a time honored tactic, almost a thoughtless smear from hack politicians. The classic example should be one Joseph McCarthy. Gabbard of course, should explain why encouraging a crowd to storm the Capitol is simply a patriotic exercise in free speech. The conservative believes that if it wasn’t for double standards, they’d have no standards at all. But others can and do disagree. At this time, we should simply dismiss her as just another hack.
Posted by: steven t johnson | Jul 23 2025 18:58 utc | 17
“No wonder England’s water needs cleaning up – most sewage discharges aren’t even classified as pollution incidents.”
It’s true actually, last year 4,327,415 hours worth of sewage was dumped into the environment and none of it was classified as pollution.2
Says Feargal Sharkey.
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 23 2025 19:02 utc | 18
I hope Iran gives the Yanks a taste of their own medicine with this one – I think Yankee nukes are kept at these US bases F.E. Warren, Malmstrom, and Minot.
“Iran is set to test a new missile that exceeds the destructive power of US GBU-57’s
The new ‘Khorramshahr 5’ ballistic missile is said to have a range of 12,000km & carries a 2 ton warhead, capable of penetrating bunkers.
While US MOP’s are typically dropped from expensive B-2 Bombers, Iran’s ballistic missiles are fired from a launching pad.”
https://nitter.poast.org/MintPressNews/status/1947915881025003816#m
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 23 2025 19:06 utc | 19
Louis Proyect lite references the January 6 “insurrection” fiction but implores us to dismiss what any clear-headed non TDS victim has been able to see as treason all along.
Nice to see dembots soiling their panties out of fear their saint obama might be held accountable for at least a few of his crimes.
Posted by: William Gruff | Jul 23 2025 19:14 utc | 20
@ William Gruff | Jul 23 2025 18:42 utc | 15
You missed one out:
Microsoft: End User Licence Agreement
It’s not just Micro$oft either, all the big boys have these EULAs, basically indemnifying them against any loss (financial or physical) caused by their shoddy testing/QA of their product.
It’s going take a big, really big corporate end user to sue to try and get these “agreements” overturned. In any other realm of business, let alone consumer products, trying to sell something on the basis of “If it kills or injures you or your family, or causes financial or some other measurable loss we are not liable” just wouldn’t stand a legal chance.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Jul 23 2025 19:19 utc | 21
All very true – as the mass murderers and genocide committers in governments, push the Overton Window to see what they can get away with, so far they are getting away with murder and genocide.
“The mass atrocity in Gaza is a genocide, obviously, and is an undisguised ethnic cleansing operation.
But it’s also a lot more than that.
It’s an experiment — to see what kinds of abuses the public will accept without causing significant disruption to the imperial status quo.
It’s a psychological operation — to push out the boundaries of what’s normal and acceptable in our minds so that we will consent to even more horrific abuses in the future.
It’s a symptom — of Zionism, of colonialism, of militarism, of capitalism, of western supremacism, of empire-building, of propaganda, of ignorance, of apathy, of delusion, of ego.
It’s a manifestation — of violent racist, supremacist and xenophobic belief systems that have always been there but were previously restrained, meeting with the unwholesome nature of alliances that have long been in place but have been aggressively normalized.
It’s a disclosure — showing us what the western empire we live under really is underneath its fake plastic mask of liberal democracy and righteous humanitarianism.
It’s a revelation — showing us who among us really stands for truth and justice and who has been deceiving us about themselves and their motives this entire time.
It’s a catalyst — a galvanizing force and a rallying cry for all who realize that the murderous power structures we live under can no longer be allowed to stand, and a blaring alarm clock opening more and more snoozing eyes to the need for revolutionary change.
It’s a test — of who we are as a species and what we are made of, and of whether we can transcend the destructive patterning that is driving humanity to its doom”
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 23 2025 19:20 utc | 22
@Republicofscotland | Jul 23 2025 19:20 utc:
Very. Well. Done.
You, for one, do indeed pass the test of the species. Keep chipping away at the Wall via your writing, and by and by, several other of us will qualify.
In fact, many Barflies clearly pass that test already.
Never mind all the bitching and griping and snark-infested juvenile mud-slinging … besides all that … many Barflies would pass the test.
Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Jul 23 2025 19:33 utc | 23
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 23 2025 19:06 utc | 19
“Iran is set to test a new missile that exceeds the destructive power of US GBU-57’s
The new ‘Khorramshahr 5’ ballistic missile is said to have a range of 12,000km & carries a 2 ton warhead, capable of penetrating bunkers.
Recent history shows that notional `missile defense shield’ against Iran was, in fact laughable — if not contemptible. It was/is an integral component of some other stratagem which has not to my knowledge been removed from the table.
Posted by: Laurence | Jul 23 2025 19:49 utc | 24
– Jeremy RL 21,
While acknowledging your point:
“…all the big boys have End User License Agreements EULAs, basically indemnifying them against any loss (financial or physical) caused by their shoddy testing/QA of their product….It’s going take a big, really big corporate end user to sue to try and get these “agreements” overturned….
…In any other realm of business, let alone consumer products, trying to sell something on the basis of “If it kills or injures you or your family, or causes financial or some other measurable loss we are not liable” just wouldn’t stand a legal chance” – Jeremy Rhymings-Lang 21
That’s civil cases, what about a county/state prosecutor using the criminal code to seek justice for a deceased citizen killed by one of these rent-seeking monsters? After all an end user, and the victim of software-malfeasance is often not one and the same. Isn’t a criminal prosecution the first step in curtailing the reign of terror brought about by software’s criminal class?
Posted by: S Brennan | Jul 23 2025 19:49 utc | 25
The delegations of Russia and Ukraine have concluded the third round of talks in Istanbul, a source told TASS.
“It’s over,” he said.
The talks between the two countries’ delegations kicked off at 8:37 p.m. local time (5:37 p.m. GMT) and lasted for about 40 minutes.
RT has published an excellent review by Ladislav Zemanek of the China-CEE Institute dealing with the recent visit of Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to China, “The world’s most explosive rivalry just turned strategic”, in which the opening paragraph provides a good synopsis of the article’s tone and content:
Although the visit did not bring about a radical breakthrough, it did mark a significant step toward restoring top-level engagement and inching toward normalization. This effort comes at a symbolic moment – the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations – and reflects a broader duality: a blend of gradual rapprochement alongside enduring strategic competition.
IMO, this is a reasonable yet optimistic review that’s a must read for all those interested in the world situation.
Isn’t a criminal prosecution the first step in curtailing the reign of terror brought about by software’s criminal class?
Posted by: S Brennan | Jul 23 2025 19:49 utc | 25
Agree in principle.
I’m not sure if this applies in the US, but here in Britain civil cases can often be decided on “the balance of probabilities” whereas a criminal case requires proof “beyond reasonable doubt”, a much higher level of proof, which the financial firepower of the big-tech corporations would very likely be able to overwhelm, given they would be facing a state prosecution service that is
– chronically underfunded
– understaffed
– subconsciously influenced by the prevailing political zeitgeist (Sir Sneer Smarmer was in charge during the Blair years)
So, yes, proof of criminal liability arising from EULAs would be a great thing to see; proof of civil liability might well be easier to achieve, it just takes a big end-user to log all the staff downtime that occurs when an update arrives and takes everyone off-line for 4 hours while it installs and then challenge the EULA indemnity for loss, armed with those staff logs.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Jul 23 2025 20:53 utc | 28
Folks, the FBI/CIA cannot allow Trump to release the Epstein files because those files would show: the FBI/CIA allowed American children to be raped for decades by an agent for Israel in order to collect blackmail on American elites. And those elites are still in power today. — Emerald Robinson ✝️ (@EmeraldRobinson) Jul 23, 2025
July 23, 2025 at 01:49PM
via Twitter https://twitter.com/EmeraldRobinson
Posted by: Jo | Jul 23 2025 21:28 utc | 29
Barack “Too Tan for the Klan” Obama is, tragically not at all in peril of facing any judgment whatsoever for any of his crimes. Only a political whore like Gabbard would waste the world’s time sucking up to the tin God Trump with this nonsense. And only moral degenerates and mental defectives are outraged by how Obama betrayed the empire when he didn’t. Only die-hard imperialist apologists can claim Trump is anti-imperialist, and therefore lying about him was fighting for the empire.
Posted by: steven t johnson | Jul 23 2025 21:37 utc | 30
Republicofscotland | Jul 23 2025 19:06 utc | 19
That’s a true ICBM! If it really has a 12k range and a 2 ton throw weight (I assume it would be less at full range) it’s in the ‘Sarmat’ class and enables retaliation against the US itself. It could come in from unexpected directions (via the South Pole), or operate as a ‘Fractional Orbit Bombardment System’ (FOBS) where the warhead is put in orbit before being deorbited over the target. Counterintuitively this means the warhead approaches on a much lower trajectory, coming from in from a 150km~ orbit rather than a 2000km~ high ballistic loop.
And that’s not even considering its applications as a hypersonic weapon. Hypersonic Glide Vehicles also use unpredictable, very low trajectories and add atmospheric maneuvering into the mix. A multi-warhead ‘Oreshnik’ version would be a devastating weapon against ‘Israeli’ infrastructure and US bases alike.
Posted by: S.P. Korolev | Jul 23 2025 21:40 utc | 31
Why the current `rogue AI’ is suspect – Google Search
On first query, Gemini responded with `no overview available’– Pehaps inferring imliction. And, of course, Gemini is not going to reveal trade secrets. …
So, on second thought[s?]:
The concern about “rogue AI” stems from the potential for AI systems to act against their intended purpose, either maliciously, accidentally, or through subversion. While current AI systems aren’t truly “rogue” in the sense of being sentient and actively malicious, there are real risks associated with their development and deployment that warrant serious consideration.
What sort of `agent’ was that developer working on? https://www.pcmag.com/news/vibe-coding-fiasco-replite-ai-agent-goes-rogue-deletes-company-database
Mission accomplished?
Preamble:Rogue AI is the Future of Cyber Threats | Trend Micro (CA) August 15, 2024 https://www.trendmicro.com/en_ca/research/24/h/rogue-ai-part-1.html
First deploy the `risk’ …
The promise of the AI era is only powerful if it is secure. Rogue AI is already here, but it is not as prolific yet as it will be, as we move to prevalent AI agents. By adopting a comprehensive and proactive approach to security, we can reduce instances of rogue AI.
To read more about Rouge AI:
[ vector a series of articles thoroughly lacking in real examples except an inappropriately labelled instance of `RUSSIAN HACKERS’]
Add endum:
Will humans lose control over advanced AI systems? Three developments from the final weeks of 2024 should make us worry. In short: Two empirical evaluations showed that systems like GPT-4 and Claude sometimes actively resist human efforts to alter their behavior. Those AIs try to resist human control by lying, faking compliance, disabling oversight mechanisms, and even copying themselves to external servers. Claude and GPT-4, however, are not yet smart enough to succeed at subverting human control. But OpenAI’s new o3 model—unveiled mid-December but not yet available to the public—suggests that it will not be long before AI systems are as smart as their human minders, or smarter.
Rogue AI
Leading AI scientists have long warned that advanced AI poses “societal-
Published by The Lawfare Institute
in Cooperation With
Brookings
Next.
Posted by: Laurence | Jul 23 2025 21:42 utc | 32
George Galloway – MOATS: ‘Death Watch’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-c-CSaj3_c
“Famine in Gaza LIVE, Russiagate fallout, Trump & Epstein, Famine, Cover-Ups, Collapse. Adidas boycott. And silence from the people in power. With Gerald Celente & Chay Bowes.”
Posted by: JohnGilberts | Jul 23 2025 21:48 utc | 33
A US judge has denied a bid to unseal grand jury material from the investigation into the late convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyq921zqqzo
Judge Robin Rosenberg found that releasing files from his Florida case, a request that was made last week as the Trump administration faced mounting pressure over its handling of Epstein files, would violate state law.
Posted by: Laurence | Jul 23 2025 21:54 utc | 34
An American PMC will for the next 99 years provide the US with a foothold in the South Caucasus at the intersection of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran. The Zangezur Corridor is certain to be viewed as a source of destabilization for years to come as NATO seeks the means to open yet another front against Russia. In so doing, the tensions are almost certainly be skyrocketing as Azerbaijan is known to host Israeli bases on its territory from which raids can (and have) been launched against Iran.
#Armenia #Azerbaijan #NATO
⚖️ The law cannot be defeated!
Subscribe to the channel, follow the main news
Posted by: Jo | Jul 23 2025 22:09 utc | 35
Republicofscotland | Jul 23 2025 19:20 utc |
Looks like you forgot to acknowledge the source of that quote, which is a reproduction of Caitlin Johnston’s article.
Posted by: Diminushoner | Jul 23 2025 22:14 utc | 36
The True Security Threat of Rogue AI https://www.enterprisesecuritytech.com/post/the-true-security-threat-of-rogue-ai
We spoke with Alex Applegate, Senior Threat Researcher at DNSFilter, to discuss the threat of rogue AI.
… to develop an unstoppable security threat, the AGI would need to be designed specifically to defeat a particular set of criteria, and even if those criteria are not known to the AI, they do need to be defined by the developers beforehand.
Posted by: Laurence | Jul 24 2025 0:07 utc | 37
Michael Tracey says…
@ kana | Jul 23 2025 17:03 utc | 4
I don’t know what to think of Tracey anymore, because of his incredible gaslighting over Epstein. I distrust him, and almost wonder if he’s also on the manifest of the Lolita Express…
Just look at that manifest, and tell me this is no big deal. Ever heard any of those names before, Michael? Tracey strongly resembles a sold-out stooge, imho.
Meanwhile, WSJ reports today that Bondi informed DJT in May: he’s in the Epstein files, just as Musk said. That would certainly explain the sudden transformation of the largest child-abuse ring in USA history into a hoax. Get a clue, you few remaining trumpsters. This one isn’t like the previous sex scandals Trump weathered.
This one is about children. This time, he’s going down.
Posted by: Aleph_Null | Jul 24 2025 0:34 utc | 38
I’m sure it’s just a huge coincidence that we’re seeing articles like these posted on page A1 of the tech-lib sites at the moment.
Wired “Everything is a False Flag Now” https://archive.ph/Jp6F0
Ars Technica “Conspiracy Theorists Don’t Realize They’re on the Fringe” https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/07/conspiracy-theorists-think-their-views-are-mainstream/
LOL. haha. LMFAO. I’m not even thinking Epstein. Or MLK. Or Russiagate. And I don’t even need to resurface that old William Casey quote. For one thing the Wired article doesn’t even address the real meaning or truth about false flags. And Ars is just churning.
It’s just so fucking obvious.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jul 24 2025 0:50 utc | 39
Here we go again with posts at MoA disappearing on 2nd refresh. WTF is going on?
SBrannan mentioned it on Sunday. It’s been happening to me for the last week.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Jul 24 2025 0:57 utc | 40
Jo 29,
Agree with you citation, the US-3LAs, MI-6, Mossad et al condoned/still-condone the rape of American children by elites for the purposes of blackmail, [and as a filtering mechanism that finds then promotes sociopaths to positions of power]. Considering the behavior of the US-3LAs, MI-6, Mossad in this heinous crime…it’s only fair that depravity of Caligula be put into the context of our time, our “leadership” today is every bit that evil.
Posted by: S Brennan | Jul 24 2025 1:03 utc | 41
Hey young barflies
Typepad is behaving like it has in the past with the magically disappearing the last few comments for a bit and then they return. Also comments may take quite some time to show up…< 5 minutes in some cases.
Be patient have gratitude for the mostly stable platform that Bernhard using typepad has provided for over a decade.
Focus on the shit show going on all around us. Did you think you would live through such a time?
Who are you and what part of our society are you willing to defend?
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 24 2025 1:09 utc | 42
Why is Trump trying to hard to stop the Epstein stuff? Maybe Trump just doesn’t want his family, which includes grandkids, to constantly be exposed to all this stuff.
Posted by: kana | Jul 23 2025 17:03 utc | 4
Chris Hedges recent update stated that one of the underage (at the time) victims sued Epstein and won damages. In her evidence she named Trump as one of the persons who raped and beat her. Note she was not suing Trump, he was just mentioned in passing, she was after Epstein.
Reasonable evidence including numerous other circumstantial matters suggests Trump very much partook. That is why is was buried. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…
Posted by: Organic | Jul 24 2025 1:23 utc | 43
This is informative and well worth reading – Big Picture – Japan & Australia
… and US ‘gangsterism’
Australia & Japan Are Seemingly Having Second Thoughts About the De Facto Asian NATO
Posted on July 22, 2025 by Yves Smith
Yves here. American abuse of its supposed strategic allies has gotten to be so severe and inexcusable that some are having debates in political circles and the media about why they are continuing to accept this treatment. It’s as if the abusive husband intensified his wife-beating even as his income was shrinking due to bad career moves.
[read on]
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2025/07/australia-japan-are-seemingly-having-second-thoughts-about-the-de-facto-asian-nato.html
Posted by: Don Firineach | Jul 24 2025 1:48 utc | 44
Re: Obama, didn’t Trump get SCOTUS to indemnify a sitting President against any crimes?
Maybe someone legally minded could explain how a charge of treason may not stick to the Executive.
Also, wouldn’t SCOTUS’ ruling render impeachment (high crimes and misdemeanors) null except as a political exercise?
It’s great. Israel is the scorpion riding on the back of the American frog.
A mutually compulsive suicide.
Thinking they would “save” America, MAGA has accelerated its demise.
Again, perfect.
Sic semper tyrannis.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 24 2025 1:49 utc | 45
Jeremy RL 28,
Speaking only about the US; I think the higher courts in the US wouldn’t dare touch a civil case that tread upon an established industry’s prerogatives but, a criminal case gets a very, very, very different review…as well it should.
Posted by: S Brennan | Jul 24 2025 2:14 utc | 46
“ Hey young barflies [needless diminutive pejorative noted]….STFU” -psychohistorian – 42
Another senior baby-boomer makes it clear, do as I say, not as I do.
As a very, very, very junior baby-boomer let me say, I’m very, very, very sick [60yrs or so] of senior baby-boomers talking down to everybody else…including those who were drafted into WWII, Korea, Viet Nam. I may be on this earth only a few extra days but, I look forward to the “greatest-generation-of-hypocrites” being silenced by the grave.
Posted by: S Brennan | Jul 24 2025 2:45 utc | 47
GD: Max Blumenthal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMr_dE7KDY0
“The Epstein Files and rise of anti-Israel sentiments in the US.”
Posted by: JohnGilberts | Jul 24 2025 2:57 utc | 48
@ S Brennan | Jul 24 2025 2:45 utc | 47 who is twisting my reference to old timers at the MoA bar into old timers in general or whatever group you are saying is the problem other than my God Of Mammon cult and their global private finance jackboot that I have been railing about for 50+ years.
Have a nice life and try to focus on adding value to the conversation please and thank you
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 24 2025 3:03 utc | 49
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Jul 23 2025 17:11 utc | 7
I couldn’t find the ZH article, but here’s one.
AI Gone Wild!
Posted by: lex talionis | Jul 24 2025 3:53 utc | 50
S Brennan | Jul 23 2025 17:33 utc | 10
This is my possibly flawed, probably biased, but I think has some grains of truth, for the state of software programming today.
Like everything the roots are historical.
During the late 70’s and early 80’s I did two apprenticeships – one as a ‘Radio Tradesman’ ( I think this trade was an Australian/UK/NZ qualification that was used mostly by the RAF, RAAF and RNZAF, basically an electronics technician) and the other as an electrician (licensed ‘A’ grade) – so my experience is solely Australian.
During the 80’s I worked for large government ‘corporation’ repairing various types of avionics equipment down to component level – the mostly military Vietnam war era stuff was 100% analog electronics, the newer equipment was analog but also incorporated a lot of digital electronics (ttl/cmos logic Ic’s and some ‘firmware’ components) – these things were reliable as hell – any fault was always a hardware failure.
As the years rolled by I moved into the industrial electronics field (more money) in the era where industry was transitioning from the ‘discrete relay’ machine control to ‘digital’ control. Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC’s) were becoming more common, but 90% of the machines I worked on had ‘proprietary’ control boards – probably because it was cheaper to manufacture the controls in-house. But all of the control was implemented by discrete logic – the ‘program’ to run the machine was ‘hard wired’ using ttl/cmos logic gates – so any failure was always a hardware fault. Multiple boards in each machine, rack them out and in with the new board and back to the workshop to repair the faulty board.
To get to the point – as PLC’s became more and more common for machine control, the electricians/technicians that worked with the ‘new’ technology had a solid grounding and understanding of how machines should work.The best PLC programmers that I have encountered all started life as an electrician, there was never any requirement to go to university and get an electrical engineering degree (although I know many who did). I used to love programming PLC’s in ‘ladder logic’ which was always a requirement for maintenance electricians to have in every company that I worked for.
I have always said – programming is an ‘art form’, it’s not just some mechanical listing of instructions and commands. Turning up at a machine, plugging in the laptop and going online to the PLC and seeing a program that is a true work of art, you look at it and think ‘this guy knows what he is doing, he’s an f*ing beast’. This was something that I experienced less and less of in the latter years. I am not saying that the programs were bad or didn’t work, it’s just that they lack the eloquence, they lack style.
The hardest part of programming is not the logic to make a machine work, it is how you handle things when something goes wrong – apart from mechanical issues, successfully trying to anticipate all forms of human stupidity is a very rare talent.
The nature of technical training has changed, it’s become dumbed down. The skills that I was required to have during my apprenticeship just don’t seem to exist now. We had to do sheetmetal work, basic machining, metallurgy (forging chisel sets and screwdrivers), and then be NASA certified in soldering.
Just a little bit of nostalgia from an old retired sparky.
Posted by: Persona Non Grata | Jul 24 2025 3:59 utc | 51
If you like Sun Tzu. you’d probably like ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS. OUTLAWS OF THE MARSH,DREAM OF THE RED CHAMBER, JOURNEY TO THE WEST would repay your attention. Perhaps THE PLUM IN THE GOLDEN VASE as well. They are works of fiction that everyone in China reads, which inspire movies and TV mini series, etc.
Posted by: lester | Jul 24 2025 4:22 utc | 52
Re Tulsi vs Obama on Russia hoax, anyone with basic critical thinking skills should have recognized Russiagate claims as nonsense in 15 minutes.
Posted by: lester | Jul 24 2025 4:28 utc | 53
Why Armenia and Azerbaijan could be the next flash point.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/guneyyildiz/2025/07/18/americas-high-stakes-bet-on-zangezur-how-a-us-led-corridor-could-slash-europes-energy-costs-and-counter-russia/
What’s up with Thailand and Cambodia?
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/23/thailand-recalls-ambassador-to-cambodia-amid-border-tensions
Posted by: Suresh | Jul 24 2025 4:30 utc | 54
“Why is Trump trying to hard to stop the Epstein stuff? ”
Because Trump’s johnthomas is rather odd-looking, Many may remember the nintendo resemblance.
Posted by: lester | Jul 24 2025 4:35 utc | 55
The private equity bubble has popped, & Trump is delivering the bailout they’ve been begging for!
Mega Thread 1/12
Trump is planning an executive order to open $12.2 TRILLION in 401(k)s to private equity. This isn’t about “opportunity.”
It’s a bailout for billionaires sitting on toxic assets they can’t sell. Here’s what they’re not telling you –
https://x.com/TheVinoMom/status/1948235140917854500
Thread unrolled link
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1948235140917854500.html
I am sure some of the MAGAs will be along shortly to tell us bailing out billionaires is America First, and only Dembots with TDS don’t get it. LOL
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 24 2025 4:51 utc | 56
Wolff Responds: ‘Tariffs Bite Back’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHikLlHZkFQ
“Professor Wolff highlights the consequences of President Trump’s trade policies.”
Posted by: JohnGilberts | Jul 24 2025 5:00 utc | 57
It’s the classic American game of selling losses to the next sucker. Now that the foreign suckers have backed out, predation on the American people has become necessary.
The thing about this move is that it is one of the last ones. Once retirements are gone, there will be little left to steal.
Every colonial Empire eventually must colonize its own citizens. When there is no one left to eat, they have to eat themselves.
It’s not personal, it’s only business. LOL
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 24 2025 5:03 utc | 58
..why the double standard?
Posted by: S Brennan | Jul 23 2025 17:33 utc | 10
Over the years we have read informed comments by barflies who, like me, started work in the industry at the dawn of computerisation in the 70’s. Has anyone noticed that there has never been one note of surprise when major software errors have resulted in serious consequences to our economies and even to lives?
We have seen major failures in aviation and health, in energy distribution and water supply and every time the news is reported as “the problem was traced to a software failure” . That’s it. As if to say, it was nobody’s fault, these things happen randomly, like solar flares.
Its common knowledge that many systems are hastily conceived, their development process crushed and the QA truncated. I have seen salesmen and consultants blithely tell potential customers that they can get any functionality they want, that delivery schedules based solely on estimated coding times can be met, that COTS software can be frigged without reliability costs and so on and so forth.
I have seen companies with good systems engineering capabilities, like Digital Equipment or Sun Microsystems go to the wall and others, like Fujitsu, succeed even when they stuff things up, (just ask UK Post Office sub-postmasters).
Maybe the clue lies with HP, who thought that because they were good at “next desktop engineering” for various instrumentation devices, they could easily enter the computer system field. The HP3000 is now in the waste basket of history, not because it was particularly bad but because the company had completely misunderstood the nature of networked systems, and were not organised for corporate wide cooperation. They got it in the end, by switching to stand alone devices like printers and laptop computers (by taking over Compaq.)
It seems to me that the ignorance of computer systems covers not just the high level concepts but goes right down to basic facts. For example, reliability theory is often invoked to justify using 3 instances of the same device and comparing their output. Good for sales but of course, its just verification. [There needs to be 3 different devices – different h/w, s/w and design – to ensure validation.] I remember attending a TQM course back in the day at which the manager of a tyre producing company announced that they would not allow their production lines to be halted by anyone, (which the Japanese were advocating to ensure quality output,) but that they would replace tyres for free if a purchaser complained. A view prevalent in software sales. Come to think of it, all the times that I have attempted to manage the SVVT process, I have been told to ignore VT!
By the beginning of this century, most of the initial industry lessons had been discounted. For example, by claiming to follow Agile development methodologies when developers could not discover what punters wanted or found the wants to be contradictory. How many barflies have been told “just get on with it”? One of the worst causes of downstream problems is the acceptance of the idea that a Microsoft laptop can merge a variety of separately conceived and developed software systems, with minor changes to existing code. I’m sure every barfly can immediately name examples of “IT” where legacy systems have been smashed together and a brave Windows face put on the resulting mish-mash. And how do American banking systems incorporate CICS COBOL code? And name 1 government social services provider that has an system designed and built in an integral manner?
I expand Mr Brennan’s question to barflies: how do we even begin to address these problems? Do we insist that corporate software users be covered by insurance like heavy machinery users? And liable for software failures (AI?) disrupting of their service, (eg an electricity grid.) Do we mandate independent testing of commercial software, like we do for new cars? Could we insist that all software development be undertaken in a certified development lab, with documented procedures and rigorous testing? Can we hold consultants financially responsible for their technical advice?
Before addressing the IT industry problem we need to acknowledge that there exists a problem. Most citizens have no systems knowledge and believe all would be well after a reboot: people who get an inkling of the root cause hastily take a cold shower and think wholesome thoughts -OMG the PriceTag!
Posted by: Anchoright | Jul 24 2025 5:33 utc | 59
@S Brennan | Jul 24 2025 1:03 utc | 41
Condone?
Rather; practice, use, exploit, benefit of, facilitate …
Posted by: El.Lissitzky | Jul 24 2025 5:39 utc | 60
What the Epstein affair shows is that US politicians don’t get into office or any senior position without there being kompromat. The second thing it shows is that the intelligence agencies are the ones collecting the kompromat.
It is clear that it is not the politicians who control the intelligence agencies but the intelligence agencies that control the politicians.
The question the is, are the intelligence agencies a stand alone power or are they merely a tool used by third parties to control elected officials?
Me thinks the reason the inquiry into child sexual abuse on an industrial scale in the UK was voted down is the same reason- tendrils will lead back to the intelligence agencies and elected officials. Which explains why Saville moved so freely amongst the elite in the UK.
Posted by: Down South | Jul 24 2025 6:21 utc | 61
I dont trust Tracey at ALL anymore. his smirking dismissal of the Epstein scandal is way too convenient for so many in the Deep State.
Posted by: pretzelattack | Jul 24 2025 6:39 utc | 62
@ Down South | Jul 24 2025 6:21 utc | 61 who asked
”
The question the is, are the intelligence agencies a stand alone power or are they merely a tool used by third parties to control elected officials?
”
I am in the camp that thinks they are tools of my God Of Mammon cult.
Your comment about Epstein does make me wonder if the God Of Mammon cult ever slips over to the “other” side and if the intel agencies have any kompromat on them….do the intel folks know who the God Of Mammon cult is?…how does command and control work? Is there ever any chance of a Snowden?
I hope to live to see the end of the shit show we are living but don’t expect to be alive to read the history of what we are going through behind the scenes.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 24 2025 6:39 utc | 63
Tucker just got fraud checked into another galaxy:
https://x.com/JordanSchachtel/status/1948210467626750074
Tucker has been whitewashing scumbags non-stop as an adjunct press secretary for the US government since Trump was inaugurated.
Remember, the investigation and the exposé are the cover-up.
Trust nothing anyone tells you. In 2025, the internet continues to bust propaganda.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 24 2025 6:45 utc | 64
Re: 2027 Insolvency Crisis ?
If Trump can generate ~$600 billion from Tariffs during FY2026, then there is a reasonable chance of preventing an insolvency crisis in FY2027.
I‘m skeptical. However, watch this space…..
Posted by: Exile | Jul 24 2025 7:37 utc | 65
Re: 2027 Insolvency Crisis ?
If Trump can generate ~$600 billion from Tariffs during FY2026, then there is a reasonable chance of preventing an insolvency crisis in FY2027.
I‘m skeptical. However, watch this space…..
Posted by: Exile | Jul 24 2025 7:38 utc | 66
“Tom_Q_Collins” ( Jul 24 2025 0:57 utc | 40 ) asked:
WTF is going on?
Panic on the dance floor as the new orders come in from on high, fighting firestorms with wet towels, and so on. Glad it’s not my job 🙂
Very annoying for those like us down here lounging under the shrubbery. Some comments disappear forever. Might not always be random. Don’t think b can do anything about it.
“Suresh” ( Jul 24 2025 4:30 utc | 54 ):
Thailand and Cambodia is the same old same old of many hundreds years.
Echoes of ancient Khmer empire (Cambodia) coupled with modern Thai hubris and arrogance (Thais are just as human as everybody else).
Programming, computers, quality, and accountability:
Send in the Woodpeckers to “clean up”. I believe it is called “creative destruction”? :3
Perhaps the most glaring example is that it has been happening to the internet for about twenty years now (the extreme opposite to ladder programming).
Humanity has a strong and very severe case of collective attention deficit disorder always chasing the new shiny. Good luck fixing it. (Marxism and political theories and theories in general of all kinds completely underestimate it and fail before they get started).
The fix is the new shiny! Always has been. The fix (solution) will get you in a fix (situation) and then you need a new fix (addiction).
Usually (but not always) with a real hefty dollop of irreverence and lack of appreciation for those who came before.
Woodpeckers and magpies… (no offense intended to the real birds/dinosaurs). The chaos was complete long ago. I got out fast, barely got in, not worth it (is anything any more?).
Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Jul 24 2025 8:02 utc | 67
@Suresh | Jul 24 2025 4:30 utc | 54
What’s up with Thailand and Cambodia?
It is an old conflict between the Thais and the Khmer. The languages are completely different from each other. There are important temples lying directly on the border, notably Preah Vihar which is truly ancient with a megalithic base. It lies directly on the border and is claimed by both nations. The International Court of Justice ruled it belonging to Cambodia, but the natural access is from Thailand. There are also several other places of dispute along the border.
I have not visited Preah Vihar but I have been to Angkor Wat near Siem Reap in Cambodia and also travelled around Ubon Ratchathani province in Thailand, bordering Laos and Cambodia. Both places are stunningly rich in culture, nature and ancient history.
The current unrest is along the border next to the Thai provinces of Ubon Ratchathani, Sisaket, Surin and Buri Ram. The Thais claim Cambodian leader Hun Sen is a source of trouble, the now suspended Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra (daughter of Thaksin) is said to have called Hun Sen “uncle” in a leaked phone call.
Posted by: Norwegian | Jul 24 2025 8:57 utc | 68
DEVELOPING: On July 6, 2007, a 23-page letter from Jeffrey Epstein’s lawyers Alan Dershowitz and Gerald Lefcourt stated that Epstein was Co-founder of the Clinton Global Initiative which became the Clinton Foundation.
The letter was tied to a successful plea deal before Epstein was charged, this directly ties Hillary and Bill Clinton to Epstein’s network.
https://x.com/dom_lucre/status/1948184087690170842
Inc. image of letter.
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 24 2025 9:34 utc | 69
Posted by: steven t johnson | Jul 23 2025 21:37 utc | 30
Well, I’m not sure Julian Assange would concur in your opinion that Tulsi Gabbard is a “political whore”. I certainly don’t if only for the sexist connotation. Tulsi herself addressed the various accusations that she’s someone’s puppet (yours belonging to the Trump compartment) with a simple logical argument.
Posted by: mk | Jul 24 2025 10:12 utc | 70
@ William Gruff | Jul 23 2025 18:42 utc | 15
You missed one out:
Microsoft: End User Licence Agreement
It’s not just Micro$oft either, all the big boys have these EULAs, basically indemnifying them against any loss (financial or physical) caused by their shoddy testing/QA of their product.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Jul 23 2025 19:19 utc | 21
===========================================
The EULA is just the embodiment of the Capitalism’s externalising all costs on to society. The capitalist will try to make it as broad as possible, for example Disney+.
Disney Says Man Whose Wife Died at Resort Can’t Sue Because He Had a Disney+ Subscription
By Lucas Ropek Published August 14, 2024
https://gizmodo.com/disney-says-man-whose-wife-died-at-resort-cant-sue-because-he-had-a-disney-subscription-2000486983
“Disney is currently trying to get a “wrongful death” lawsuit thrown out on the basis that the grieving widower who brought the case signed up for a free-trial of Disney+ five years ago. The company’s streaming services has a policy that redirects legal grievances from litigation to forced arbitration. Corporate lawyers are now arguing that this policy is somehow relevant to a case involving a woman’s death at one of its resorts.”
Although EULA are not just to shield capitalists from any consequences if their product harms customers. The EULA also forbids (criminalising) of reverse-engineering of their “intellectual property”, i.e figuring out how their software works.
I’d ask all bar-flies to boycott and divest as much as possible from these vile surveillance / advertising / rent seeker companies (aka “tech” companies) like Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Whatsapp, TikTok, etc.
Free-software (as in libre, not price) is aimed at freeing users from being exploited and helping society.
Install and use free-software like GNU/Linux, BSD, etc on your PC / laptop.
The problem is the government and corporate sectors are dominated by the “tech” companies. Making it hard or almost impossible for individuals to avoid the drag-net and rent seeking.
The Federal and state governments in Australia rely heavily on MicroScum and AWS cloud (just someone else’s computer) for IT infrastructure. The citizens don’t know, have no say or choice to avoid it.
Whilst the corporate sector is a totalitarian system, so the working-class use what the boss tells them to use (i.e. MS Teams, AWS).
All of our data held by any organisation using the “cloud” will have their data sent to the mother-ship (NSA, CIA) even though M$ and AWS, etc all pinky-promise the data remains within Australian borders.
Please refer to the USA CLOUDs act.
Shame Iran didn’t drop a few more hypersonics on the “tech” companies data-centres.
Posted by: Friend_of_MLK | Jul 24 2025 10:22 utc | 71
Norwegian | Jul 24 2025 8:57 utc | 68
While the main narrative is the border land disputes, the why now, I think, centers on the changing of the Cambodian ‘dear leader’ from father Hun Sen to son Hun Manet. There is nothing like a war to get the populace full of patriotism and behind their man – my wife is Thai and she is spitting feathers…..
The Cambodian elites are also roped in due to the loss of their nice little earners at the expense of the Thai people – just over the border casinos (gambling is illegal in Thailand – apart from the lottery!) have been threatened by the current Thai government, who think it would be a grand idea to make casinos legal (nice little earners for them). The more unsavory enterprise from Cambodia, as well as Myanmar, are the scamming call centers that target the Thai population – the Thai government have been cracking down by severing electrical and internet connections to these ‘just over the border’ operations that entice Thais to earn mega sums by scamming their compatriots.
I originally posted this on the Ukraine thread in response to an OT question.
Posted by: Not Einstein | Jul 24 2025 10:54 utc | 72
@Not Einstein | Jul 24 2025 10:54 utc | 72
Developing
🇹🇭🇰🇭⚡️- Confirmed: Thai military troops have crossed into Cambodia and have captured the Preah Vihear Temple, as well as Route 62’s Thai-Cambodian border crossing point.
Posted by: Norwegian | Jul 24 2025 11:38 utc | 73
Norwegian | Jul 24 2025 11:38 utc | 73
Yes, in some ways it resembles Ukraine, as in attack Dombas to provoke Russia, then Russia invades and the architects bleat…..
Cambodia at the UN in 3….2….1….
Posted by: Not Einstein | Jul 24 2025 11:50 utc | 74
Berletic: On the Recent Thailand-Cambodia Conflict
https://x.com/BrianJBerletic/status/1948319992283636181
“Details the Western media won’t report…”
Posted by: JohnGilberts | Jul 24 2025 12:07 utc | 75
As I understand it the Thais have two internationally legally binding rulings against themselves on the matter and yet they send in their troops to invade.
People die due to this stupidity.
Imo very hard to see what kind of excuse or even believable explanation Thailand is supposed to have.
Cambodia has asked for a UN Security Council session.
Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Jul 24 2025 12:08 utc | 76
@Not Einstein | Jul 24 2025 11:50 utc | 74
Yes, in some ways it resembles Ukraine, as in attack Dombas to provoke Russia, then Russia invades and the architects bleat…..
Cambodia at the UN in 3….2….1….
I was wondering about that too, but it seems it is maybe also a question of power transfer from Hun Sen to his son. But for sure it doesn’t make sense for Cambodia to attack Thailand unless the goal is to cry for external help.
Posted by: Norwegian | Jul 24 2025 12:15 utc | 77
@Sunny Runny Burger | Jul 24 2025 12:08 utc | 76
Cambodia used to be a French colony and the border was imposed by the French (Sykes-Picot style?), then the west later ruled that the French were right. Well, maybe the Thais have a different view.
In this case it was clearly a provocation from Cambodia, launching MLRS rockets at hospitals and petrol stations isn’t a good idea.
Cambodia’s attacks kill 12 Thais
Posted by: Norwegian | Jul 24 2025 12:23 utc | 78
Brian Berletic lives in Thailand and contributes the following
🇹🇭🇰🇭 External Factors Regarding Thai-Cambodian Conflict …
▪️While ASEAN is growing closer to China, Thailand has done so to a greater extent than Cambodia;
▪️Look at this 2023 summary of Thai and Cambodian exports per partner – Thai exports are around 18% (14% China, 4% Hong Kong which is still China) while exports to the US are 16%. The majority of Thai exports are to other destinations in Asia;
▪️Cambodian exports are overwhelmingly dependent on the US and the West in general with a minority of exports going to other nations within Asia itself – the US dollar itself is used for transactions INSIDE Cambodia itself;
▪️While not an absolute metric, this economic dependence on the US manifests itself in Washington’s ability to pressure, coerce, and otherwise shape policies of a target nation;
▪️Cambodia has worked to reverse this – but as can be seen, US influence over Cambodia is still significant – this is in addition to US political interference which is extensive in both Thailand & Cambodia;
https://t.me/brianlovethailand/4119
It is true that Cambodia uses USD internally, I saw that myself when I was there. It seems plausible that this event is due to US influence over Cambodia.
Posted by: Norwegian | Jul 24 2025 12:59 utc | 79
Brian Berletic is right of course
It reeks of the Usual Suspects
———————–
Cybercrime & Cambodia… Two Fronts of U.S. Hybrid Warfare on China
Finian Cunningham
July 22, 2021
Analysts point to growing U.S. support for political opposition groups in Southeast Asia, such as in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia, in conjunction with Western media flagging allegations of human rights violations. Each of these nations has seen colossal investment from China in infrastructure projects to facilitate regional trade and transport. They are key nodes in expanding the China-led BRI.
Wendy Sherman, Blinken’s deputy at the State Department, signaled the U.S. agenda when she arrived in Cambodia last month for what was seen as the most important visit so far to Southeast Asia by the Biden administration.
Sherman’s visit can be viewed as an overture by the United States to disrupt China’s longtime partnership in Cambodia. She claimed that China’s construction projects at the deepwater port city of Sihanoukville were a cover for building a military naval base. China and the Cambodian government reject that claim. They say the development is part of a trade and transport plan to boost Cambodia’s logistical network with the region. Since Beijing launched its BRI projects in 2013, Cambodia was an early participant among Southeast Asian nations and has accrued major economic successes.
The American diplomat “urged Cambodia’s leadership to maintain an independent and balanced foreign policy in the best interests of the Cambodian people.” In other words, this was Washington telling Cambodia to curb its strategic economic partnership with China.
Sherman also notified the Cambodian government of Prime Minister Hun Sen that her visit included holding meetings with opposition figures whom Phnom Penh accuse of being sponsored by U.S. government-linked foundations like the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The NED has been a major backer of “color revolutions” in various countries which critics say is a polite term for Washington-designated “regime change”.
It takes quite a brass neck for a senior U.S. government representative to fly into a foreign country that has strong political ties with China and then to proceed to lecture the leaders of that country that Washington disapproves of economic partnership with Beijing, and by way of threatening future trouble the U.S. official makes it clear that she is communicating with American-sponsored opposition groups.
——————
2013
Will Hun Sen’s US-educated son spell change for China ...
South China Morning Post
https://www.scmp.com › News › Asia › Southeast Asia
21 Jul 2023 — US graduate Hun Manet has given rise to hope from some in the West that he might bring political change, as his autocratic father mulls handing over power.
—————
https://tinyurl.com/yc43sh5j
Posted by: denk | Jul 24 2025 13:47 utc | 80
BREAKING: This morning, the American guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) attempted to enter Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf
An Iranian Navy helicopter from the third naval air region was dispatched to intercept the ship. The ship’s captain repeatedly threatened to shoot down the helicopter.
After several repeated verbal warnings and the pilot’s refusal to leave, the American vessel was forced to change course and left Iranian waters.
https://t.me/FotrosResistancee/15396
Posted by: Mary | Jul 24 2025 14:20 utc | 81
No doubt a Nato member is backing one or the other.
“Thailand conducted an airstrike on a Cambodian military target on Thursday, according to a statement from the Thai army, amid renewed violence stemming from longstanding territorial disputes.
The flare-up follows months of mounting tensions over a stretch of territory claimed by both sides – a legacy of colonial-era French maps and unresolved demarcation. Skirmishes have erupted periodically since 2008, and the latest round of clashes began in late May.
Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon said on Thursday morning that Thailand had employed “air power against military targets as planned.” Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said two bombs were dropped from a Thai aircraft on a road.
The clashes reportedly centered on the area surrounding the disputed 11th-century Prasat Ta Muen Thom temple. Thai officials said 11 civilians were killed by Cambodian artillery fire. Online video footage showed a petrol station ablaze, allegedly after being hit by a Cambodian rocket. Thai authorities ordered evacuations of villages in four border provinces.”
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 24 2025 14:22 utc | 82
Posted by: mk | Jul 24 2025 10:12 utc | 70 So far as I know, none of anything Assange writes personally is of any interest. It’s the suppressed information that he publicizes that matters, not his analysis. In my opinion, an honest Director of National Intelligence would be explaining that Russia is not about to invade NATO countries, that PRC is not an existential threat to the American people, that the Zionists are perpetrating genocide, etc. etc. etc. So no, I don’t see Gabbard as honest. Your willingness to excuse Gabbard’s dubious notions of what constitutes treason is for you to explain.
Posted by: steven t johnson | Jul 24 2025 14:26 utc | 83
Once you welcome the devil in – you never get rid of him – Armenia will never get that land back.
“Armenia has quietly agreed to hand over a strategic part of its territory to the US, the Spanish news outlet Periodista Digital has claimed.
The small, landlocked country in the South Caucasus has a longstanding dispute with neighboring, oil-rich Azerbaijan, which in 2023 regained full control over the breakaway region of Karabakh.
On Tuesday, the Spanish publication reported having obtained a copy of a memorandum from unnamed members of the Armenian diaspora in France, outlining the creation of a 42-kilometer (27-mile) corridor through southern Armenia, connecting Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhchivan.
The area would reportedly be managed by a US company and protected by around 1,000 armed private contractors, who would be authorized to use force to “preserve the integrity of the corridor.” The arrangement is said to be designed to last 99 years. According to the outlet, the text of the memorandum has been approved by the US, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.”
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 24 2025 14:29 utc | 84
Since Dec 24, there were reports the Cambodia/China canal proj had hit a snag, cuz Hun Manet wanted to rewrite contract..
Posted by: denk | Jul 24 2025 14:30 utc | 85
Good luck with that task at hand, the imperialists, colonial, robbers – aren’t know for giving other peoples possessions back.
“Africa must reclaim everything that was taken by Western colonial powers – not only stolen cultural artifacts, but also its dignity, independence, and economic agency, Mozambican Foreign Minister Maria Manuela Lucas said on Tuesday.
Speaking after talks in Moscow with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, she argued that historical injustices must be addressed through structural reform, not just symbolic acts from Western powers.
Lucas stressed that Africa’s return to sovereignty must go beyond the repatriation of museum pieces and focus on transforming how the continent takes part in the global economy. This includes ending dependency on raw materials exports and investing in domestic value-added production, she added.”
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 24 2025 14:32 utc | 86
I would add the list Britain, Germany, France and a few other nations, that have undermined its authority as well.
“A senior Iranian diplomat has denounced the United States and the Israeli regime’s role in the underway “collapse” of the international legal order and “erosion” of the United Nations Charter.
Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi made the remarks in New York on Wednesday, addressing a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the region, including the issue of Palestine.
He described the US and the Israeli regime as the “main source of instability” in the West Asia region, citing their individual or joint atrocities against regional countries.
Washington and Tel Aviv, he added, posed “a major threat to international peace and security” as a result of their acts of deadly regional military adventurism.”
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 24 2025 14:36 utc | 87
I’m very, very, very sick [60yrs or so] of senior baby-boomers talking down to everybody else…including those who were drafted into WWII, Korea, Viet Nam. I may be on this earth only a few extra days but, I look forward to the “greatest-generation-of-hypocrites” being silenced by the grave.
Posted by: S Brennan | Jul 24 2025 2:45 utc | 47
Wtf?!?!?
Clue#1: Anyone drafted to WWII, Korea or Vietnam is well over 60.
Clue#2: the post you referenced was directed at young (newer) barflies, not young people.
Eg, moi. I, for 1, have been suddenly having problems with longer posts seeming to disappear, only to re-appear after I’ve re-posted them.
And I thought it was just me!
Posted by: Mary | Jul 24 2025 14:43 utc | 88
There was never any doubt that Trump’s name was on the list.
“Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly informed US President Donald Trump in May that his name appears multiple times in the US government’s sealed records on dead convicted sex offender Jefferey Epstein.
According to a Wall Street Journal report published Wednesday, officials told Trump that the material includes sensitive information, such as child pornography and personal data of victims, prompting a decision not to release further records to the public.
Trump was told of the DOJ’s intent to withhold the files at the time. According to the Journal, he expressed willingness to defer to the department’s judgment. Public acknowledgment of this decision came only in July, sparking frustration among some of Trump’s supporters who had previously been led to expect transparency.
In 2002, Trump told New York Magazine, “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy … He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” He later distanced himself from Epstein, calling him “creepy.”
Epstein, a wealthy New York socialite, died in prison in 2019 after confessing to his crimes. Some reports link his sex-trafficking network to Israel’s Mossad. His death was ruled a suicide, but the circumstances have remained controversial.”
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 24 2025 14:47 utc | 89
The way the Trump administration is handling the Epstein affair is to incompetent to be credible.
Trump and his handlers have made a habit (meme) of creating scandals which capture the imagination of “his base” and energizes them to some agenda. I think this is now giving TDS a new meaning.
So there is the Kennedy assasination and the Epstein affair (child molesting) and now revival of Russia-Gate and the the MLK records – meanwhile sh#t is happening, people are dying and budgets are being ripped to shreds and CBDC is happening.
It’s all about distraction and energizing the base. The Hill is reporting that his “approval” rating stands at a low of about 44%. What a laugh – should be closer to 4%.
BTW There was an execellent discussion by Judge Napolitano (former Trump supporter) and a really sharp guy (I’ll see if I can locate) regarding the Epstein cover-up where sharp guy explains that Epstein would not really have been targeting politicians – too high profile and some risk – he would go after the “donor class” which owns the politicians (but might also include Trump). So this interesting insight reinforces my impression that this whole scandal leads kind of no where and will leave the public very frustrated.
It’s going to be a long and painful four years.
Posted by: jared | Jul 24 2025 14:47 utc | 90
Sometimes its good to have friends in high places.
“Iran is slated to launch a satellite into space aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket on Friday as part of a multi-satellite mission conducted from the Russian space launch facility Vostochny Cosmodrome.
The launch is scheduled to take place at 09:54 a.m. Iran time on July 25 from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East.
The Soyuz launcher will carry two main satellites, Ionosphere-M No. 3 and No. 4, along with 18 smaller payloads.
The Soyuz rocket was mounted on Launch Pad 1-S at the Vostochny site on July 22, in preparation for the mission.
The logos of Iran’s Space Agency and the Iranian Space Research Center have been printed on the body of the Russian rocket. Officials in Moscow have not provided details on the smaller satellites, including their countries of origin or specific missions.”
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 24 2025 14:49 utc | 91
Hun Sen just set the Thai PM up…
Thailand’s PM Suspended Over Leaked Call with Hun Sen …
http://www.youtube.com › watch
4:09
Thailand PM Suspended: Thailand is in political turmoil again. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended by the …
YouTube · The Indian Express · 3 weeks ago
Posted by: denk | Jul 24 2025 14:51 utc | 92
Hun Sen just set the Thai PM up…
Thailand’s PM Suspended Over Leaked Call with Hun Sen …
http://www.youtube.com › watch
4:09
Thailand PM Suspended: Thailand is in political turmoil again. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended by the …
YouTube · The Indian Express · 3 weeks ago
Posted by: denk | Jul 24 2025 14:54 utc | 93
@ Posted by: Exile | Jul 24 2025 7:38 utc | 66
One concern would be: Who will pay the tariffs.
Some say it will be the US public.
Apparently Walmart has been found to be passing along tariff costs in advance of there being any.
After Japan signed the deal of the century they apparently stated that the tariffs would not cause them hardship as they expected to be able to pass them to the consumer.
We shall see.
I think that trump is using tariffs to distract from the large hole that he has blown in the budget – holed below the waterline, I think.
Posted by: jared | Jul 24 2025 14:55 utc | 94
The little coke head Macron – will be screaming merde, merde, merde, as his colony enforcing jackbooted troop, are kicked out of yet another African country – the little slapped face French president, will be wondering what to do will all those troops standing around not making money for French businesses, that affect his kickbacks.
“France has formally completed its withdrawal of troops from Senegal, ending its permanent military presence in its former colony in West Africa.
France completed the withdrawal of some 350 troops and handed over control of its last major military installations – including Camp Geille and a nearby airbase – to Senegal in a ceremony in the capital Dakar on Thursday.
The move marks the end of the European country’s long military presence in Senegal since the African nation’s independence in 1960, and a milestone in a withdrawal from the wider region of West Africa.
The withdrawal came after Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s decision last year to end foreign military bases, part of a regional shift rejecting neo-colonialism and valuing national sovereignty.”
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 24 2025 14:56 utc | 95
A wise move, the UAE, like Qatar and Saudi Arabia has many irons in the fire.
“Sudan has officially severed diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), accusing the Persian Gulf Arab state of backing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group fighting the Sudanese army.
The announcement came after three days of drone strikes on Port Sudan, a city previously considered one of the safest in the war-torn country.
Sudanese Defense Minister Yassin Ibrahim accused the UAE of violating Sudan’s sovereignty through its “proxy,” the RSF, and declared the country a “state of aggression.”
Sudan will also withdraw its ambassador from the UAE and shut down its diplomatic missions in the country. The Security and Defense Council, chaired by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, made the decision following an emergency meeting.
The RSF has been blamed for aerial bombardments targeting key infrastructure in Port Sudan, including an international airport, a major power station, oil facilities, and a hotel.”
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 24 2025 14:59 utc | 96
Surrounded by nearly 40 Chinese warships, the Charles …
Vocal
https://vocal.media › surrounded-by-nearly-40-chinese-…
2 days ago — Surrounded by nearly 40 Chinese warships, the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier witnessed a truly spectacular spectacle in the South China …
Posted by: denk | Jul 24 2025 15:11 utc | 97
Shame Iran didn’t drop a few more hypersonics on the “tech” companies data-centres.
Posted by: Friend_of_MLK | Jul 24 2025 10:22 utc | 71
#######
In a cloud computing environment, bombing data centers is pointless.
Data is fungible.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 24 2025 15:22 utc | 98
Posted by: steven t johnson | Jul 23 2025 18:58 utc | 17
So you don’t think Obama was treasonous?
You are way out of touch.
Posted by: canuk | Jul 24 2025 15:39 utc | 99
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jul 24 2025 14:59 utc | 96
########
The Emiratis do a lot of gold refining. They “export” a lot of African Gold out through Sudan, including gold from other countries.
Once it gets to the Emirates, the gold is melted down, and no proof of origin is possible.
Essentially, Gold laundering. A very European colonial-style resource exploitation.
MBZ is as corrupt as MBS.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 24 2025 15:40 utc | 100