Saturday, July 4, 2026

Links 7/4/2026

Michael Hudson: How US Slave Interests Stifled US Monetary and Banking Policy Until 1913

On US 250th anniversary celebration, Michael Hudson considers the counter-revolution thesis and the role of slave capital.

Why AI Doesn’t Think, Cannot Reason, Isn’t Intelligent and Will Never Achieve Consciousness

Rob Urie addresses common misperceptions regularly promoted by AI touts, of what AI can and cannot do.

Coffee Break: Apathetic Americans, Science Agonistes, and Cool Science

Part the First: Jessica Wildfire on Apathetic Americans.  As a paid-up member of the Professional Managerial Class who came from a thoroughly working-class background, I tend to hear and see things differently from most of my colleagues.  An enduring theme among them is “They just don’t seem to care…”  Not exactly.  From Heads Above Water: […]

Links 7/3/2026

The UK’s Latest “Debanking” Scandal Should Give Everyone Pause

First they came for Muslim activists. Then they came for Nigel Farage. Now, they’re coming for independent media outlets.

Iran War: Philip Pilkington, Nate Wade Debunk Oil Cliff Hopium; Pilkington Explains Prices Derived from Crack Spreads are $100 to $115 a Barrel; US Declares Fertilizer Emergency

Today’s abbreviated Iran war news: some information hygiene on the oil cliff and fertilizer fronts.

Living in a Ghost Town: The Geography of Depopulation and Aging

A look at various government’s efforts, particularly in Japan, to manage shrinking and aging communities.

Do Muslims Want Sharia Law in the West?

Asking about Sharia Law in the West creates an erroneous binary for Muslims, ignoring a deeper view of law, land, and the modern nation-state.

Links 7/2/2026

Iran War: Vance Confirms Plan to Use “Deal” as Minsk-Type Pause to Restock Fuel (and Arms); US Ostentatiously Failing to Implement MOU, Seeking to Isolate Iran Over Strait of Hormuz Control

Today’s Iran war news: The US thumbs its nose at MOU obligations and seems content with current Strait of Hormuz transit levels.

Supreme Court Denies Pork Industry Appeal of Animal Welfare Law

How the Supremes gave a win for farm animals over Big Ag.

When Trust in Official Statistics Declines

The Trump firing of the BLS chief imposed costs by lowering faith in official statistics and increasing uncertainty.

Coffee Break: Tawdry Trump Gang Corruption Wave Cresting?

Trump 2.0 is setting records for graft while establishing a tawdry, tacky aesthetic that is not going over with the American public.

Most EU Citizens Support Economic Growth Even Though Climate Experts Question Its Role

Most Europeans do not see a tradeoff between economic growth and preserving the environment. Propaganda and happy Green New Deal patter worked.