News & views not related to the wars in Ukraine and Palestine …
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September 18, 2025
Open (Neither Ukraine Nor Palestine) Thread 2025-212
News & views not related to the wars in Ukraine and Palestine …
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Is Trump dying? Why was Melania dressed like the Undertaker from ’90s WWF? She that mortified? Posted by: Ering46z | Sep 18 2025 16:28 utc | 1 Its all coming back to bite Macron. Posted by: Republicofscotland | Sep 18 2025 16:49 utc | 2 After Charlie’s death, countless politicians, teachers, law enforcement personnel, civil servants, librarians, newscasters, professors and other gainfully-employed allegedly *normal* people gleefully took to social media to celebrate his passing simply because they disagreed w/ something he supposedly had said. Posted by: steel_porcupine | Sep 18 2025 16:49 utc | 3 Sounds about right. Posted by: Republicofscotland | Sep 18 2025 17:24 utc | 4 Posted by: Republicofscotland | Sep 18 2025 16:49 utc | 2 Posted by: steel_porcupine | Sep 18 2025 17:25 utc | 5 DW: Richard Wolff & Michael Hudson Posted by: John Gilberts | Sep 18 2025 17:30 utc | 6 Carlson will be next in the crosshairs. Posted by: Republicofscotland | Sep 18 2025 17:36 utc | 7 steel_porcupine (5). Posted by: Republicofscotland | Sep 18 2025 17:40 utc | 8 Posted by: Republicofscotland | Sep 18 2025 17:40 utc | 8 Posted by: steel_porcupine | Sep 18 2025 18:04 utc | 9 WTF??? Posted by: ld | Sep 18 2025 18:10 utc | 10 steel porcupine @9 Posted by: will moon | Sep 18 2025 18:31 utc | 11 John Gilberts | Sep 18 2025 17:30 utc | 6–
As Hudson noted in Super Imperialsim, much of US overseas military expenditures were not budgeted as they were paid via the balance of payments because access to the US market was deemed existential for most nations, which meant they needed to obtain dollars to purchase US goods. That situation stayed that way until the first decade of the 21st Century when China rapidly displaced the US and the world’s #1 trading nation. Nations now know they don’t need access to the US market to survive economically. So, over the last 25 years, dedollarization has slowly accelerated to the point where it’s now become impossible for the Empire to keep its overseas bases off-budget. Along with that is the change in the nature of warfare, which has rendered most of the US Navy obsolete. Plus, the Empire lacks the new types of hypersonic missiles to arm any new naval ships with, and we’ve seen the utterly woeful performance of what the Empire deems its best Air Defense systems. So, Trump is trying to force the nations the Empire’s military occupies to pay tribute so they can remain there, although there’s nothing those forces can do. For example, Venezuela has over 30 million people while the US Marines floating offshore consist of maybe 4,000. Many see that as far too few and what’s additional as also too few. The population of Vietnam during the war was about the same–30 million–and the US lost. The US lost most of its gold supply waging Vietnam; it currently has no way to spend the amount it would need to attempt a Venezuelan invasion and occupation. Posted by: steel_porcupine | Sep 18 2025 16:49 utc | 3
This is a typical MAGA lie. Consider the now-notorious—or should be—verbatim quote “You do not have the brain processing power to otherwise be taken really seriously. You had to go steal a white person’s slot to go be taken somewhat seriously.” This is racist crap. (It is stupid to pretend that this was okay because it was aimed at four specific Black women! See moron Dean Miller at https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/fact-check-charlie-kirk-quote-082017036.html) Posted by: steven t johnson | Sep 18 2025 18:51 utc | 13 If you expect to partially embrace a 71 year old woman, you have a certain mind-set. When you instead discover that the 71 year old woman is *ripped* you alter your expectations on the fly. Posted by: acementhead | Sep 18 2025 18:51 utc | 14 Just remembered to double check, sure enough Jacobin has dropped the Kirk/Rockwell article. It wouldn’t do to get a reputation for wit. Posted by: steven t johnson | Sep 18 2025 18:53 utc | 15 I will сelebrate the day when Lavrov retire same as Putin. They level of stupidity and blind faith in the West amaze me. Posted by: lasteldar | Sep 18 2025 19:08 utc | 17 Karlof , Posted by: Exile | Sep 18 2025 19:22 utc | 18 Karlof1, the US won’t be paying its debts. It will be inflating its way out. When a house costs 1 billion USD the debt will be much more manageable. Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Sep 18 2025 19:33 utc | 19 Posted by: steel_porcupine | Sep 18 2025 16:49 utc | 3 Posted by: Naive | Sep 18 2025 19:45 utc | 20 Brian Kilmeade states on air at Fox News he thinks homeless people should be forced to take lethal injections. Posted by: Naive | Sep 18 2025 19:53 utc | 21 In Serbia we are confused with Russian politics as Russia supports the criminal president of Serbia and the corrupt government. Serbia is in fact selling weapons to Ukraine and Israel. Posted by: vargas | Sep 18 2025 19:56 utc | 22 Posted by: vargas | Sep 18 2025 19:56 utc | 22 Posted by: hopehely | Sep 18 2025 20:30 utc | 23 As we mourn the passing of St Charlie of Kirk and the alt-right discovers the twin joys of the woke-left’s cancel culture and hate-speech while mulling a campaign of competitive assassinations, I can commend to the bar the latest missive of substacker Aurelien where he discusses the nature of ideology-free politics in the west and the pitiful state of political discourse. Posted by: ChatNPC | Sep 18 2025 20:41 utc | 24 I really wish the left and right could come together, but that would mean concessions from both sides to find common ground on the important things. Posted by: NemesisCalling | Sep 18 2025 20:48 utc | 25 Doctor Eleven | Sep 18 2025 19:33 utc | 19– … Trump is trying to force the nations the Empire’s military occupies to pay tribute so they can remain there, although there’s nothing those forces can do…” Posted by: juliania | Sep 18 2025 21:42 utc | 27 Obsessing about B. Macron’s sex is WEIRD. Stop outing yerselfs. Posted by: azeclecticdog | Sep 18 2025 22:03 utc | 28 Charlie Kirk’ Assassinated! Who Benefits? Posted by: PassionateProgressiv | Sep 18 2025 22:30 utc | 29 juliania | Sep 18 2025 21:42 utc | 27 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 18 2025 22:32 utc | 30 Why did a regular seeming college age guy decide he needed to kill a person he didn’t like? That question has been a preoccupation for pundits and journalists, politician and podcasters, and everyone else for a week now. This was predicted a few years ago after seeing what was being taught by the liberal establishment through their media, schools, and entertainment including podcasters and influencers, since around 2012 right after the Occupy Wall Street movement ended: Posted by: kana | Sep 18 2025 22:41 utc | 31 karlof1 | Sep 18 2025 21:13 utc | 26 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 18 2025 22:49 utc | 32 azeclecticdog | Sep 18 2025 22:03 utc | 28 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 18 2025 22:57 utc | 33 Transtifa militants have so far attacked the Christian School of Nashville, killing elementary students and teachers and staff; attacked the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis killing elementary students, and injuring staff and students; the assassination of Conservative Youth Outreach Personality Charlie Kirk at an open forum; murdered a Catholic priest in his parish church in Oklahoma…. Posted by: tobias cole | Sep 18 2025 23:01 utc | 34 Posted by: Naive | Sep 18 2025 19:45 utc | 20 Posted by: steel_porcupine | Sep 18 2025 23:27 utc | 35 Posted by: steven t johnson | Sep 18 2025 18:51 utc | 13 Posted by: Archetypex | Sep 18 2025 23:28 utc | 36 juliania | Sep 18 2025 21:42 utc | 27– Posted by: acementhead | Sep 18 2025 18:51 utc | 14 Posted by: steel_porcupine | Sep 18 2025 23:45 utc | 38 The USA is rapidly degenerating to totalitarian fascism, and the thing that people are losing sleep over is some transgender army hiding under their beds. Posted by: Jon_in_AU | Sep 18 2025 23:49 utc | 39 The USA is rapidly degenerating Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 0:14 utc | 40 Posted by: PassionateProgressiv | Sep 18 2025 22:30 utc | 29 Posted by: ChatNPC | Sep 19 2025 0:21 utc | 41 France – Why is a childless banker boy running the country? The frogs should get real and instead of their stupid riots, drag out the guillotines. Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 0:22 utc | 42 Word is, Macron told DJT back in February to tell Candace to knock it off. Posted by: ChatNPC | Sep 19 2025 0:42 utc | 43 Tobiascole@34 Posted by: will moon | Sep 19 2025 0:46 utc | 44 steel porcupine Posted by: will moon | Sep 19 2025 0:54 utc | 45 will moon | Sep 19 2025 0:46 utc | 44 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 0:54 utc | 46 Nah Peter it is transparent dross to protect Trump from the Epstein story. You’re a grown person surely you can see this is salacious gossip Posted by: will moon | Sep 19 2025 1:09 utc | 47 will moon | Sep 19 2025 1:09 utc | 47 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 1:17 utc | 48 “The USA is rapidly degenerating to totalitarian fascism, and the thing that people are losing sleep over is some transgender army hiding under their beds.” Posted by: Archetypex | Sep 19 2025 1:21 utc | 49 Archetypex | Sep 19 2025 1:21 utc | 49 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 1:26 utc | 50 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 1:26 utc | 50 Posted by: Archetypex | Sep 19 2025 1:31 utc | 51 “… The bases in Qatar weren’t targeted. The Hamas negotiating team was in a residential district of Doha which is where the attack was made but they weren’t there at the time. The forces in those bases aided the attack, which is the main reason for the outrage. Trump wasn’t angry at the Zionists for the raid; he was angry because the targets were missed. Posted by: juliania | Sep 19 2025 1:32 utc | 52 Re: “No women of 71 has a *hard body* physique.” Posted by: suzan | Sep 19 2025 1:41 utc | 53 Posted by: will moon | Sep 18 2025 18:31 utc | 11 Posted by: steel_porcupine | Sep 19 2025 1:45 utc | 54 Posted by: will moon | Sep 19 2025 0:54 utc | 45 Posted by: steel_porcupine | Sep 19 2025 2:04 utc | 55 Look the issue of Mrs Macron’s sexuality ought not even get an airing in a rational forum. The woman has borne three children and well before gender change was tolerated or even safe. Posted by: watcher | Sep 19 2025 2:12 utc | 56 By the way Posted by: watcher | Sep 19 2025 2:35 utc | 57 Posted by: watcher | Sep 19 2025 2:12 utc | 56 Posted by: steel_porcupine | Sep 19 2025 2:36 utc | 58 Mehdi Hasan (Zeteo): “Shockwaves in D.C.: Venezuela’s Shift Changes Everything”. (think: oil) Posted by: WMG | Sep 19 2025 3:08 utc | 59 @ steel-porcupine, #3 Posted by: j99 | Sep 19 2025 3:26 utc | 60 So what is Venezuela waiting for? The US fired the first shot; the US fired the second shot. Are the master strategists of Hezbollah counseling Maduro in patience? Or is he taking lessons from Putin on how the latter won the Syrian war? Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Sep 19 2025 3:30 utc | 61 My attempt to get beyond all the Charlie Kirk heat and light and look at the underlying reality of the drive toward a fascist authoritarianism with the Kirk murder just being used as a tool to help this process along, Trump’s move to ban the mythical “ANTIFA” will just facilitate a disciplining of alternative voices. The full court press to silence anyone who questions the official narrative of Kirk and his murder is exercising a basic part of any authoritarian regime. Posted by: Roger Boyd | Sep 19 2025 4:26 utc | 62 Speaking of courtiers… Posted by: John Gilberts | Sep 19 2025 5:24 utc | 63 Archetypex | Sep 19 2025 1:21 utc | 49 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 5:37 utc | 64 Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 5:37 utc | 64 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 5:43 utc | 65 This gender or lack there of madness that now infects the ‘western’ world. This figment of the imagination is something that does not occur in nature. Its as artificial as plants with a bit of DNA from swamp matter so they can be grown in roundup. Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 5:50 utc | 66 @Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 5:43 utc | 65 Posted by: Roger Boyd | Sep 19 2025 5:57 utc | 67 Salt meat and nitrate. Green veg like celery and spinach are exceptional high in potassium nitrate. They can be used just like potassium nitrate and salt to cure meat. Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 6:17 utc | 68 Roger Boyd | Sep 19 2025 4:26 utc | 62 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 6:28 utc | 69 Russia and China both have conservative leaderships. But they are conservative socialists, enacting many socialist policies. Developing the right balance of private enterprise and government ‘of and for the people’ control. Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 6:39 utc | 70 Re: Left vs. Right paradim ? Posted by: Exile | Sep 19 2025 6:59 utc | 71 Exile | Sep 19 2025 6:59 utc | 71 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 7:06 utc | 72 Swamp creatures and Monsanto. Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 7:19 utc | 73 speaking of Trump’s swamp Monsanto ass licking. Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Sep 19 2025 7:22 utc | 74 Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 18 2025 18:47 utc | 12 Posted by: jopalolive | Sep 19 2025 7:47 utc | 75 … Give them a few days to salt through, either rubbed or brined, then boil in salt water. Lasts for yonks in the fridge and tastes good. Posted by: General Factotum | Sep 19 2025 7:50 utc | 76 General Factotum | Sep 19 2025 7:50 utc | 76 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 7:59 utc | 77 General Factotum Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 8:13 utc | 78 Posted by: will moon | Sep 18 2025 18:31 utc | 11 Posted by: jopalolive | Sep 19 2025 8:20 utc | 79 Home brewed whiskey. Ferment some sugar then distil it. Bio fuel. Water it back to 50% Then throw in large sprigs of rosemary and charred cherry plum wood. The excelsior of the gods. Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 8:22 utc | 80 Too many of you at this blog appear somewhat homophobic. Posted by: watcher | Sep 19 2025 8:37 utc | 81 watcher | Sep 19 2025 8:37 utc | 81 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 8:42 utc | 82 M<y eldest daughters wife is very fucked up. He has 'depression' and receives a pension. Perhaps I too should have all homosexual mates and therefore be eligible for a disability pension. Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 8:51 utc | 83 Watcher. You are very fucked up if you believe mankind can exist by fertilising turds. Things simply don’t work that way. Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 9:04 utc | 85 I buy stuff at Aliexpress. Now Poland has closed the frontier with Byelorussia, blocking trains from China to Europe – my Aliexpress packages. China sent their Foreign minister to Warsaw. Poland told China: “No” Posted by: Passerby | Sep 19 2025 9:11 utc | 86 The issues with the Macron “wife” are trivial matters compared with the issues with the “husband’s” way of exercising power. Posted by: Savonarole | Sep 19 2025 9:16 utc | 87 Ma loishi @3.30 Posted by: will moon | Sep 19 2025 9:22 utc | 88 Ma loishi @3.30 Posted by: will moon | Sep 19 2025 9:22 utc | 89 Savonarole | Sep 19 2025 9:16 utc | 87 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 9:23 utc | 90 Too many of you at this blog appear somewhat homophobic… Posted by: jopalolive | Sep 19 2025 9:24 utc | 91
Venezuela has very few choices and Russia and China are willing to treat them as a charity case. Posted by: Tel | Sep 19 2025 9:32 utc | 92 The USA is facing the problem that you cannot intimidate people who are desperate and who have nothing more to lose. Posted by: jopalolive | Sep 19 2025 9:44 utc | 93 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 9:04 utc | 85 Posted by: watcher | Sep 19 2025 9:46 utc | 94 Posted by: steel_porcupine | Sep 19 2025 2:36 utc | 58 Posted by: ChatNPC | Sep 19 2025 9:50 utc | 95 @will moon | Fri, 19 Sep 2025 01:09:00 GMT | 47
The “fool” you are talking about was trying to be polite because this is almost too gross to spell out. Even if it’s only a rumour – I have to say it is my favourite conspiracy rumour at present, because it is so colorful – there’s a rumour going round that Brigitte is, in fact, Macron’s own father, while the original Brigitte has vanished without a trace long time ago. Posted by: persiflo | Sep 19 2025 9:52 utc | 96 watcher | Sep 19 2025 9:46 utc | 94 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 9:55 utc | 97 Posted by: Peter AU1 | Sep 19 2025 6:17 utc | 68 Posted by: ChatNPC | Sep 19 2025 9:56 utc | 98 The left right divide being similar to a Punch & Judy puppet show. Posted by: Exile | Sep 19 2025 9:56 utc | 99 Jopalolive@8.20 Posted by: will moon | Sep 19 2025 9:59 utc | 100 |
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