Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
September 28, 2025
The MoA Week In Review – OT 2025-224

Note: This week’s review is incomplete. Typepad, the old system MoA was running on, is so far failing to export MoA post’s from September 6 to September 23. If that failure continues I will add those posts ‘by hand’. But the comments to those posts would be lost forever.

Last week’s posts on Moon of Alabama:

  • Sep 24 – Welcome At The New Home Of Moon of Alabama
    Related:
    – There is still some background work ongoing to clean-up the appearance and functionality of MoA at its new home. Please bear with me for another week or so.


Other issues:

Gaza:

Europe:

Empire:

U.S. Economy:

LLM Bubble:

Others:

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

Comments

Posted by: dodger | Oct 1 2025 2:00 utc | 298
——————
China is at max alert at TW ST, SCS, ECS.
Its being BDS by the entire west and their vasals
China’s duty first and formost is to
protect 1.4B own citizens.
Its already going all out challenging  FUKUS at the UN etc
If people say its not enuff, but what
are they themselves DOING to stop the genocide ?
Recently there’s this suggestion to BDS tiny Fiji , cuz it dares to open an embassy in Israel
 
FFs
Fiji has no say in such matter, the entire South Pacific live under the thumb of five eyes tyranny
How about some concrete action
such as to BDS FUKUS, mastermind of the UKraine and Gaza war ?
 
 

Posted by: denk | Oct 1 2025 2:20 utc | 301

Posted by: dodger | Oct 1 2025 2:00 utc | 298
 
######
 
It’s not China’s problem.
 
I think many people can’t face the uncomfortable truth that they don’t matter. Their feelings don’t matter. Their opinions don’t matter.
 
Their loved ones don’t matter.
 
Believers (any belief) tend to feel differently, that everything matters, regardless of what governments or other humans do.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Oct 1 2025 2:22 utc | 302

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Oct 1 2025 2:13 utc | 300
——–
Exactly
 

Posted by: denk | Oct 1 2025 2:26 utc | 303

Fellow barflies
 
I am going to make the following observations about XHTML formatting in the new MoA world
Select the text you want to effect and select the effect from the choices…don’t try and code like old way because of new XML requirements to the XHTML…for programmers only in CODE land
 
If you want to create link, click on link button and cut/paste URL and display text where shown.
The requirement for 2 CRLFs is because of XML requirement to close the “paragraph” which the 2 CRLFs does….hope that helps

Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 1 2025 2:27 utc | 304

BHP. 
 
I don’t know how to quote as yet.

 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has responded to reports China has banned iron ore imports from mining giant BHP, describing it as concerning. 
Bloomberg has reported that China’s state iron ore buyer ordered steelmakers to pause purchases of iron ore shipments from the company as they continue hardball negotiations with BHP.
What’s next?
A BHP spokesperson declined to comment on the negotiations.
 
The prime minister says he’s “concerned” by reports that China has banned iron ore imports from mining giant BHP in the midst of a pricing dispute, saying he wants the issue resolved “quickly”. 
Bloomberg reported yesterday that China’s state iron ore buyer had ordered steelmakers to pause purchases of iron ore shipments from the company as they continue hardball negotiations with BHP over the price which should be paid for the commodity.
Chinese commodity analysis firm Mysteel contradicted that report later in the day, saying no such order had been issued by the China Mineral Resources Group (CMRG) — which Beijing created to consolidate purchasing power and help control iron ore prices.
 
But Anthony Albanese waded into the dispute when he was asked about the reports on Wednesday morning, referring to China’s past campaign of economic coercion against the Morrison government.
(China’s past campaign of economic coercion against the Morrison government. – bullshit. Abbott and Morrison were the American attack dogs against China)

 
“I am concerned about that and what we want to make sure is that markets operate properly. Of course, we have seen those issues in the past,” he said.
“I want to see Australian iron ore to be able to be exported to China without hindrance. That is important, it makes a major contribution to China’s economy but also to Australia’s………………

I looked up who owns BHP. Google AI overview came up with this –
Key shareholders
Institutional Investors: A large portion of the company is owned by institutional investors, with State Street Global Advisors, BlackRock, and The Vanguard Group being among the top shareholders.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Oct 1 2025 2:30 utc | 305

china-russia-putin and
The people who should be doing something are the people of this collective west. But they don’t. Lambs to the slaughter. Everyone I know believes in the system. etc
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Oct 1 2025 2:13 utc | 300

That all sounds accurate to me. imo in times of crisis and fear humans have typically defaulted to wanting an authoritarian to take charge and fix the problems for them. 
an academic historical review of this and other dynamics by aussie Luke Kemp is here if interested…… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7JsDrHrRsI
and a quick summary reflects on intraspecies predation (ours) and the impact psychopathic actors DARK TRIAD have on the mean and median of human behavior – in the past all the way up to our modern society. Human evolution was shaped by both cooperative, pro-social behavior and a competitive, predatory approach for survival – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90ePY2MQ3-Q 
Almost all people are decent and not evil. Jut complacent. placaters and too naïve and trusting. not preaching only sharing. 
 
re fixing format text — most effective is keeping a TEXT file open, and paste into that first. it clears out formatting. 
or using this text editor box, you can remove EMBEDDED LINKS  by selecting all the text you just pasted in here and use the REMOVE LINK icon button. it will take out all those links in one go. 
 
 

Posted by: dodger | Oct 1 2025 2:31 utc | 306

The control of  western media takes more open, ‘in your face’ form. After the CBS cut the contract with comedian/night show host Stephen Colbert, and ABC the cut fired on the dime another night-show host Jimmy Kimmel (and had to reverse the firing) there is another scandal – this time in Germany; a show host was fired by ARD and video pertaining to that, which was on youtube, disappeared. 
https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/kultur-vergnuegen/tv-medien/oeffentliche-sitzung-zur-causa-julia-ruhs-video-mitschnitt-ploetzlich-wegen-urheberrechtsverletzung-geloescht-li.2360089
 
The media in Germany have been for long time under strict control and active censorship, in addition to self-censorship. A good example is the FAZ, which became an american – like rag, like NYT or WaPo. 
 

Posted by: fanto | Oct 1 2025 2:44 utc | 307

institutional investors, with State Street Global Advisors, BlackRock, and The Vanguard Group being among the top shareholders.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Oct 1 2025 2:30 utc | 305
They and international hedge funds USA / UK bankers and Japan / China Corp giants majority own almost all majors in Australia  –  China can and will do whatever it wants with Australia (Kind of powerless)  the same as Trump and Tariffs. 

Posted by: dodger | Oct 1 2025 2:49 utc | 308

dodger | Oct 1 2025 2:31 utc | 306
 
Thanks. Have started using persiflo’s advice and right click then past as plain text to deformat, also  select and then the broken chain link at the top.
 

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Oct 1 2025 2:50 utc | 309

People are piling it on Israel.
[sorry, Netanyahul will not stop until its stopped by Washington]
 
People are blaming China not doing enuff !
[sorry, China is itself besieged by the 8NA, ER, G7, it can only do so much, unlike the west, CCP’s duty is to its own citizens]
 
People wanna BDS Fiji
[sorry, blaming the victim much ?]
Never cross their mind to BDS FUKUS, mastermind of the ME and UKraine conflict ?
 
Meanwile ,
FUKUS has it handful too,
Bomb Iran
Invade Venezuela
BOmb Yemen
Menacing China
 
So nice to have everybody looking the other way eh ?
 
 
 
 

Posted by: denk | Oct 1 2025 2:54 utc | 310

Test

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Oct 1 2025 2:57 utc | 311

test

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Oct 1 2025 2:58 utc | 312

test

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Oct 1 2025 2:58 utc | 313

I’m a bit slow off the mark. It finally dawned on me to test all the gidgits at the top of the comment box.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Oct 1 2025 3:03 utc | 314

‘Stop Trump’s military deployment to Portland! Mobilize the working class against dictatorship!’
 
Thats the spirit, time for action not words !
 
BUt why stop at portland ?
 
Why not mobilise the working class to occupy the WH, ?
 
dEMand to stop
Gaza genocide
UKraine genocide
China genocide
 
Lets pile it on Washington,
 
Barking up the wrong tree wont solve any problem
 
Thats all folks
 
Hello Peter
Having problem ?
May be take a break and try later

Posted by: denk | Oct 1 2025 3:10 utc | 315

One more for the road
 
Occupy WH
dEmand to
 
Stop Venezuela genocide
 
Signing off

Posted by: denk | Oct 1 2025 3:12 utc | 316

Italy said on Tuesday it would stop tracking an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza with a military vessel, leaving activists vulnerable to Israeli forces.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of more than 40 civilian boats with over 500 people including parliamentarians, lawyers and Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, aims to break Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian enclave.
 
Once the convoy gets within 150 nautical miles (278 km) of Gaza’s shoreline, the Italian frigate accompanying it will stop, the Italian defence ministry said in a statement, adding that it expected it to happen at around 0000 GMT.

https://www.reuters.com/world/italys-navy-quit-gaza-flotilla-risk-israeli-attack-looms-2025-09-30/
 
It was easy to see that coming. Spain says they will protect the Thunberg Amada. I’ll put my money on Spain doing nothing as well.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Oct 1 2025 3:30 utc | 317

Larry Johnson’s (Sonar21) take on the military brass coming together in US. He refers to the opinion of Yves Smith from “Naked Capitalism”.
 
https://sonar21.com/was-trumps-meeting-with-the-us-military-brass-today-a-cover-for-action-and-a-charlie-kirk-update/

Posted by: WMG | Oct 1 2025 3:40 utc | 318

dodger | Oct 1 2025 2:00 utc | 298In an interview once, Putin was asked who his friends were. He said I am nobodies friend. I am the president of the Russian Federation.
 
*********
 
Also interesting that President Putin is not a member of any political party – he is the leader of the Government, and he ‘belongs’ to the country.

Posted by: General Factotum | Oct 1 2025 4:43 utc | 319

China can and will do whatever it wants with Australia (Kind of powerless)  the same as Trump and Tariffs. 
Posted by: dodger | Oct 1 2025 2:49 utc | 308
 
************
 
That’s true. China can and will do whatever it wants.
 
The very important thing that is not (often) stated is the caveat that what China wants good, fair, and reasonable  business relationships with friendly countries. The Chinese ethos is that ‘what is good for my neighbour is also good for me’.
 
China’s leader does not have the attitude of that other horrible leader, for example, when he made threats about Greenland: ‘One way or another we’ll get it.’ No consideration was given to the wishes of the citizens of that country.
 
Australia has a similar, if not as rapacious, attitude to South Pacific nations, regarding them as their own backyard and expecting them to act in the strategic interest of Australia. The Australian Foreign Minister even stated recently in regards of Vanuatu that ‘we shouldn’t over-emphasise (Vanuatu’s) sovereignty in this situation.

Posted by: General Factotum | Oct 1 2025 5:15 utc | 320

General Factotum
 
In one interview he was asked about moving from St Petersburg to Moscow. I’m not sure now if it was Yeltsin or who it was asked him to go to Moscow. He said he considered it for sometime as he was worried about the safety of his family. Since then, he has devoted his life to his country and people.
 
I see now, many of those who have put in their time in combat and risked their lives for their country are being moved into civilian positions of leadership.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Oct 1 2025 5:21 utc | 321

US Secretary of War in State of Panic Following Charlie Kirk’s Murder: Report
 
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/09/30/756034/Pete-Hegseth-in-state-of-panic-following-Charlie-Kirk%E2%80%99s-murder-Report
 
“US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is reportedly experiencing severe anxiety and fear for his safety after the recent shocking death of right-wing political activist, entrepreneur and media personality Charlie Kirk.
 
Staff members have described Hegseth’s behavior as increasingly erratic and ‘manic’ with frequent outbursts and rants. Reports suggest that this heightened state of agitation has intensified since Kirk’s assassination earlier this month in Utah…”
 
timor mortis morte peior

Posted by: John Gilberts | Oct 1 2025 5:47 utc | 322

Ouch!
“Sit down, Barbie.” — Whoopi Goldberg suddenly lashed out at Erika Kirk, calling her a “T.R.U.M.P. puppet” live on air.
https://newshour21.com/5254/
Presumably, this confrontation with Whoopi occurred after Erika announced a $100m lawsuit charging Jimmy Kimmel with denigration of a national hero-martyr. Meanwhile, Erika’s TPUSA has totally mended fences with Zionism as it deploys new campus chapters across our proud land.
You know what? I have the feeling Candace isn’t friends with Erika anymore, either. In her last podcast, Candace concluded by repeating “I proclaim regicide!”

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Oct 1 2025 6:57 utc | 323

More hating on Erika, this time from Nick Fuentes. I’m getting acquainted with some of these kids for the first time, in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s public execution. Nick, here, expresses himself colorfully and, to some degree, fearlessly. It’s easy to understand his appeal…
 
Charlie Kirk’s Far-Right Foe Turns Fire on His Widow
https://www.thedailybeast.com/charlie-kirks-far-right-foe-turns-fire-on-his-widow/

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Oct 1 2025 7:17 utc | 324

JFK | X Outlines a Massive Plot in Dallas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erLalxTWJm4&t=891
 
14 minutes from Oliver Stone film. Note, Oliver Stone never mentions JFK was also going after Israel. Ron Unz argued that Israel was critical to the killing of JFK and subsequent Coup D’ Etat.  
 

Posted by: exile | Oct 1 2025 7:21 utc | 325

I have to re-post on this Whoopi Goldberg “Sit-down Barbie” rumor:
 
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/fact-check-digging-rumor-whoopi-185800507.html
 
Apparently a complete fabrication, what do you know? Interesting, though, to see such manipulations. I shoulda known: If Whoopi had actually publicly insulted Barbie, I mean Erika, that way, she’d be in federal custody by now.

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Oct 1 2025 7:46 utc | 326

@ 317 peter
 
here in italy the trains are doing a day protest in honour of gaza.. trains aren’t running from 9 til 2100 hours..  we had a ticket for friday 11am which had to be changed to a 753 am train.. italy train workers are also showing there support here..

Posted by: james | Oct 1 2025 7:51 utc | 327

@ Posted by: Newbie | Oct 1 2025 1:40 utc | 292
India? No my dear. Not India. 
AFRICA 
By 2150 Africa will be the most populous continent ever. About 4 billion. They will be turning out more geniuses and engineers than any other continent. 
India or more correctly the sub-continent is nowhere near as homogenous as China. It (fake India) will have its rich regions and others. It is designed to remain with a large proportion of illeterate and poor families – who else are going to be the live in and daily household servants of the even slightly better off? There’s zero chance of the subcontinent achieving in next 50 years what China has in the last 25! Unless it goes back to the distinct nations it was before colonisation. 

Posted by: DunGroanin | Oct 1 2025 8:47 utc | 328

@ Posted by: james | Oct 1 2025 7:51 utc | 327
 
Are you still in Puglia? I noted you said being in Lecce. 
if you haven’t already make sure you see the little walled towns Galatina and coastal Otranto – it’s church is wild! The floor especially. And they got hundreds of skulls – ghoulish. They love their special meat treat too – horse. The sea food, wine and fruits are the best. 

Posted by: DunGroanin | Oct 1 2025 8:52 utc | 329

By 2150 Africa will be the most populous continent ever. About 4 billion. 
 
Posted by: DunGroanin | Oct 1 2025 8:47 utc | 328
 

 
Tsetse fly says no.

Posted by: too scents | Oct 1 2025 8:54 utc | 330

@ 329 dungroanin
 
yes! i am afriad we won’t be seeing these ideas, but thanks!  we went to nardo yesterday and it is raining heavy today.. well, maybe we can go to galatina tomorrow.. we’ll see. thanks!  going to monopoli friday..
off to see a few other venues in lecce today..

Posted by: james | Oct 1 2025 9:01 utc | 331

Typepad has kicked the bucket. The end of an era.
Last night I was wondering at which time it was going to shut down, as it was still up even yesterday, and in which time zone that time would be.
It was sometime at 10 PM in my Pacific Time zone when I tried to access David’s Medienkritik one last time, and it said it was closed for good (and good riddance – the owner had a chip on his shoulder with Putin and Gerhard Schröder).

Posted by: joey_n | Oct 1 2025 9:38 utc | 332

@ Posted by: too scents | Oct 1 2025 8:54 utc | 330
”Tsetse fly says no.”
At this point I’d put on the Beegees and sing you ‘Nile Fever, Nile fever …’
i inadvertently know more about such things but shan’t go into it ..
Do you know about elephantitis and other such nasties – it seems Africa the largest and most densely specied continent – where most of life evolved from as far as we know …
 
Do you know what that maligned super drug derived from soil — IVERMECTIN is? And what it has done to almost all the deadly diseases that affect humans throughout such places? 
Go look up some of the late great Hans Rosling Gapminder lectures if you want to know what statiscally will happen to the Human populations over the next two centuries as we reach our maximum and where that will be. 

Posted by: DunGroanin | Oct 1 2025 9:48 utc | 333

@ James. stayed in Galatina a few times early naughtier friend had a house in cute courtyard.  if driving have small car the roads are tiny inside the walls but it’s easy enough to walk around instead. If nothing else the cafes etc do not miss Santa Caterina. They do amazing churches. 
btw  you will no doubt know about tarantata culture. https://www.visitgalatina.it/en/discover-galatina/history-and-traditions/the-tarantism/index.html
 
i hope that the ancient olives are still in the countryside- amazing forms to the trees – many were being dug up and sent off in pots to Europe and US and elsewhere – thousand urm eras old trees – tragic. 

Posted by: DunGroanin | Oct 1 2025 10:02 utc | 334

India? No my dear. Not India. AFRICA By 2150 Africa will be the most populous continent ever. About 4 billion. They will be turning out more geniuses and engineers than any other continent.  Unless it goes back to the distinct nations it was before colonisation. 
Posted by: DunGroanin | Oct 1 2025 8:47 utc | 328
Africa cannot be treated as a single power, and some are quite late (too recent collapses) that’s what allowed the 19th century rush to Africa 
As for Barath  India , they were exploited/submited during the Mughal empire and British Raj. A regal stage from 2090 to 2139 looks likely.
 
my 2 cents 

Posted by: Newbie | Oct 1 2025 10:14 utc | 335

Gold closing $4k amid government shutdown.

Posted by: unimperator | Oct 1 2025 10:22 utc | 336

Posted by: arby | Sep 30 2025 23:33 utc | 283
.
.
 
Be gone, troll.

Posted by: seer | Oct 1 2025 10:53 utc | 337

Posted by: General Factotum | Sep 30 2025 21:24 utc | 282
.
.
 
Be gone, troll.

Posted by: seer | Oct 1 2025 10:54 utc | 338

It was easy to pick this happening
 
Lord Bebo@MyLordBebo
1h🇪🇸🚢 Spain CALLS OFF Sumud Flotilla’s Mission to Gaza
Orders naval ship NOT to breach Israel’s restricted waters
“Flotilla’s mission is legitimate, but the lives of its members must come first,” — Government of Spain

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Oct 1 2025 10:55 utc | 339

Posted by: steel_porcupine | Oct 1 2025 2:03 utc | 299
.
.
 
The US government never shuts down. They haven’t had a legit budget process in nearly 18 years, and this is what substitutes for it. It’s opaque, authoritarian and accompanied by massive Blob propaganda to make you believe it’s shutting down. It’s worked for 18 years and is still, apparently. 

Posted by: seer | Oct 1 2025 11:02 utc | 340

@ Posted by: Newbie | Oct 1 2025 10:14 utc | 335“Africa cannot be treated as a single power”
A strawman. I never claimed that. I agree. It is however the largest continent with the greatest diversity of dna in humans   Flora and other fauna. As old as homospaiens and their offspring that walked out of there into Europe across the dry Mediterranean. 
Those Peoples kept down and divided by lines on the map – most european maps had mostly blank areas there until the late C19th and even into C20th. They didn’t invade they traded with the coastal communities in everything. 
Mughals didn’t take over and rule all of the subcontinent – more fake history. The place has more diverse peoples and languages and scripts and was always thus. 
I suggest stop believing the Eurocentric history as the only point of reference – there is much to catch-up if we are too join the multipolar 85% of humanity in its accelerating Human Civilisational progress. 

Posted by: DunGroanin | Oct 1 2025 11:16 utc | 341

the shutdown is merely cutting around 30% of expenses. Living cats flow neutral. no big deal. 

Posted by: exile | Oct 1 2025 12:16 utc | 342

CASH flow neutral 

Posted by: exile | Oct 1 2025 12:16 utc | 343

no big deal. 
 
Posted by: exile | Oct 1 2025 12:16 utc | 342
 

 
Without the expected stimulus from extravagant spending the US markets will become very sad.
 
Mortgages and gold have become more expensive overnight.

Posted by: too scents | Oct 1 2025 12:21 utc | 344

The US government never shuts down. 
 
Posted by: seer | Oct 1 2025 11:02 utc | 340
 

 
Argentina’s Milei certainly hopes so!

Posted by: too scents | Oct 1 2025 12:39 utc | 345

@ 334 dungroanin
 
thanks!  the olive trees have suffered from a bacteria and that in combo with changing and much drier weather in this area has altered the olive oil industry in puglia..  puglia has been home to the largest supply of olive oil in all of italy, but i am not sure it is true anymore..  what did well here in the past is not doing well now..  we were told by some locals they have engineered a hybrid olive tree from 2 different ones and this is showing some success against the bacteria, but the trees are young and not producing yet..  we passed by many olive trees and could see devastation and also healthy trees too..
we have a few olive trees in our yard at home which i planted in march 2020,  right before covid..  they would have been 3 to 5 years old at the time..  they are a crimean olive variety..  i am not sure if we will get much in the way of olives, but maybe in another 5 or so years.. i have to learn how to prune them, to help and i don’t know anyone yet, who knows..  i prune the fruit and nut trees but i think it is different with olive trees.. my moms name was olive.

Posted by: james | Oct 1 2025 12:58 utc | 346

I‘m musing that maybe Trump uses the shutdown to permanently slash 30% of the Federal Budget …..this would prevent a insolvency crisis.
 
thoughts ? 

Posted by: Exile | Oct 1 2025 13:02 utc | 347

@ 334 dungroanin
 
thanks for that link on galatina which i just read..  interesting.. i better not wear my tie dye shirt while i am here, lol

Posted by: james | Oct 1 2025 13:13 utc | 348

permanently slash 30% of the Federal Budget …..this would prevent a insolvency crisis. thoughts ? 
 
Posted by: Exile | Oct 1 2025 13:02 utc | 347
 

 
The Ponzi must go on.
 
Insolvency is long since baked in.

Posted by: too scents | Oct 1 2025 13:21 utc | 349

we were told by some locals they have engineered a hybrid olive tree from 2 different ones and this is showing some success 
 
Posted by: james | Oct 1 2025 12:58 utc | 346
 

 
Like this one?
 
Fellini’s Amarcord.  Olive tree ==> https://youtu.be/PKKSDSrMtLs
 

Posted by: too scents | Oct 1 2025 13:29 utc | 350

test

Posted by: Stella | Oct 1 2025 22:27 utc | 351