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Links 12/31/2022

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Barbara Walters Dead at 93 TMZ

Christmas with the Tudors History Today (J-LS)

Flesh-Eating Bacteria Struggle To Chew Through Leathery Florida Residents The Onion

Finding the First Americans aeon (Anthony L)

#COVID-19

Asia

China Faces Deluge of Covid Deaths Over Lunar New Year Holidays Bloomberg (furzy)

China accused of censoring criticism of Covid policy RTE

US

US considers airplane wastewater testing as Covid cases surge in China FirstPost (LawnDirt, J-LS). Only now, because yellow peril China.

Climate/Environment

In the Pacific, Outcry Over Japan’s Plan To Release Fukushima Wastewater New York Times

Could Floating Solar Panels Help Mitigate Climate Change? EcoWatch

Discarded oyster shells used to build new reefs in coastal Louisiana Yale Climate Connections. Moar oysters!

China?

Amid tough US chip chat, S Koreans turn anti-China Asia Times (Kevin W)

North Korea fires three short-range ballistic missiles DW

India

‘India wants good neighbourly ties but…’: Jaishankar’s message to Pak, China Hindustan Times (J-LS)

‘India to be a major manufacturing hub by 2025, will emerge as $5 tn economy’: Jaishankar Republic World(J-LS)

The Top Five Geostrategic Developments In Africa Last Year Andrew Korybko (Micael T)

3 ways Germany’s migration crisis is different this time around Politico (Kevin W)

Old Blighty

Britons on brink as over a third fear being made homeless in 2023 Express

‘We’re trapped’: Britons in homes with unsafe cladding see no way out as living costs soar CNN (John Z)

Brexit is slowly being discredited, but there’s still a long way to go Chris Grey

New Not-So-Cold War

Again, new air alerts. And apparently not due to possible Kinzhal-carrying Mig takeoff. Fresh strike in Kramatorsk, and a report of an Iskander strike in Chernihiv, and air alerts first over Odessa and Nickolaev, then eastern oblasts, then per below:

Ukraine. Military Summary And Analysis 30.12.2022 YouTube. Reviews considerable Russia progress around Bakhmut but discusses presumed great difficulty of cracking a central area with up to 9 story buildings. This is a comparatively small area. Russia has been focusing on taking out Ukraine air defenses and howitzer/HIMARS platforms, so perhaps Mr. Kinzhal or some aircraft-delivered thermobaric bombs will finish the job. Dima instead thinks Russia will advance in the north and eventually be able to cut the supply line to this area. However, these are both territory-focused views, as opposed to “force them to throw more weapons and men into the meat grinder” approach. Also note at the very end the discussion of Zaporizhzhia. Yours truly had mentioned to Lambert that Zaporizhzhia could become the next Russian focus after they had gotten their operations in Donbass largely done. Russia may be starting a move now not just as part of their plan to secure all four Russian oblasts but also to further stretch Ukraine forces.

U.S. Reassures Russia: Patriot Missiles to Ukraine Won’t Have American Troop ‘Shields’: A Green Light to Strike? MilitaryWatch. IMHO confirms that 1 Patriot system is a joke sent for political STFU reason….unless as Russia worried, it was intended to be a trap.

NATO is not in the business of winning wars Gilbert Doctorow

Note Alex Christaforu took note of Hammill’s drone fundraising quite a way back as one of Christaforu’s “clown world” features:

* * *

Lack Of Good Analyses Contributes To The Decline Of The ‘West’ Moon of Alabama (Chuck L)

Hollande backs up Merkel revelation on Donbass peace RT (Kevin W)

Merkel’s, Hollande’s remarks on Minsk Accords signify betrayal — Russian top senator TASS (guurst)

Zelensky gives his government powers to restrict media, block websites, order Big Tech to censor Reclaim the Net

* * *

Europe’s energy sacrifices: the winter test of resolve Financial Times

Turkey accuses US of losing ‘balance’ vis-a-vis Greece, Cyprus ekathimerini

Syraqistan

Turkiye agrees to fully withdraw troops from Syria: Syrian media Islamic Republic News Agency

Iran holds joint military drills near Strait of Hormuz waterway Middle East Online

2022 in review: Palestine’s moment of truth Mondoweiss

Israeli settler seizure of Christian land a ‘threat to peaceful coexistence’, says EU Middle East Eye

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

Police in China Can Track Protests By Enabling ‘Alarms’ on Hikvision Software Guardian. Have the Chinese not heard of Faraday bags?

Biometric privacy 2022 year-in-review Biometric Update

Imperial Collapse Watch

The Ghosts of George Kennan: Lessons From the Start of the Cold War Foreign Affairs (J-LS)

Military Grounds Some F-35s Following Crash in Texas Military.com

F-35 deliveries halted after Texas mishap; new contract finalized DefenseNews

Russia-China talks President of Russia. Only the introductory remarks; perhaps more soon in readouts.

Trump

Trump tax returns show China bank account as six years of records released Guardian. This is the best they have?

What Trump’s Tax Returns Say About His Finances and the IRS Bloomberg

Trump’s Taxes Show Wide Use of Real-Estate Losses Wall Street Journal

L’affaire George Santos

re Harbor City Capital Management Brian Krebs. BC: “BTW, anyone casually glancing at Harbor City Capital Management’s employee profile pages on LinkedIn (if anyone can actually view them), would immediately go WTF????”

Where George Santos’ many scandals stand Politico

Arrest of suspect in US university killings ‘a relief’ to Idaho campus ABC Australia (Anthony L)

City Hall Still Planning for Shutdown of Rikers Island Jails, But Is Mayor All-In? The City

MIT Adopts Free Speech Resolution: “We Cannot Prohibit Speech as Offensive or Injurious.” Jonathan Turley

Southwest Meltdown

Long a fan favorite, Southwest’s model now faces questions Washington Post

Southwest Airlines passengers get stuck in the Nashville airport on Christmas — then threatened with arrest for ‘trespassing’ Business Insider. Same kind of airport cop that beat up the United passenger when forcibly removing from a plane (BTW in violation of United’s contract of carriage).

The Bezzle

Another Crypto Investment Firm Shuts Down, Taking Over 55% of Customers’ Funds Kitco

Sam Bankman-Fried to Plead Not Guilty to Fraud at Jan. 3 Hearing Bloomberg

India To Explore Prohibition of Unbacked Crypto in Its G20 Presidency TechCrunch

Twitter closes Seattle office, facing eviction, reports say Seattle Times (furzy)

Who decides cause of death? It may be a business owner – or an 18-year-old Kaiser Health News

Wall Street ends 2022 with biggest annual drop since 2008’s global financial crisis ABC Australia (Kevin W)

Class Warfare

Judge puts hold on California law that could have raised fast-food worker wages Yahoo! News (Kevin W)

Starbucks Illegally Terminated Union Leader, US Officials Say Bloomberg

Antidote du jour (furzy):

And a bonus (guurst):

A second bonus:

And in anticipation of the new year:

See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.

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177 comments

  1. griffen

    Pity poor Mark Hamill. The soothing bombastic tones coming from Darth Vader. “Luke, I am your father. Gratefully Leia got the brains in the family”.

    Or rather as Yoda speaks, much to learn still before a Jedi you will be.

    1. Pat

      Hell is having an extra large end of year “Welcome Home!” party. I am sure they will both be surprised at where they end up and how many of their friends and colleagues are already there.

    2. griffen

      In the habit of watching ABC news on the weekend mornings. One hell of a legacy for Walters. I am too young to really remember Cronkite, and can recall NBC news more with Tom Brokaw than anyone else. Oh the days of yore, when just 3 channels and PBS were the simple choices.

      1. Toshiro_Mifune

        One hell of a legacy for Walters

        I’m not sure if you mean that sarcastically or not. If you do I apologize for the below. If you’re being earnest…. I apologize for the below.
        Her entire career was spent being a living breathing punch line. It was nothing more than softball interviews with various figure who were guaranteed to never be asked questions that would make them or the audience uncomfortable.
        All she ever did was to help facilitate “humanizing” the sorts of vultures who should be pressed about where all the bodies are.

        1. griffen

          I tend to facilitate the sarcasm tag when I use sarcasm or appropriate satire. Just more an observation of a career where maybe, just perhaps if things had stayed the same, she would play second fiddle for a really long time. Someone had to be first is more the point I was making. And also, unless they are a special kind of lying asshole, such as a Donald Rumsfeld or when he hopefully goes Dick Cheney, then I heap upon the dead all the scorn such a villain has earned.

          1. Pat

            Your bar may be higher than mine, or you may be being too kind to Walters.
            I do not remember Murrow, but I do remember Cronkite. I also remember when funding the news department was a cost of having access to the air waves, before the advertisements on news had to pay the cost, and ratings trumped reputation and news gathering. First, the golden age of television news also had problems, even if it is light years ahead of today. And no Walters was not the only reason it became the useless item it is today, but she was groundbreaking in popularizing some of the worst aspects. Her interview style, well she became known for making her interviews cry. She led the way for the Oprah PR interview being considered news. As she broke the barriers she became the go to to soften the rough edges of despicable people. She humanized the special lying assholes that you are willing to scorn. She created and helmed The View for decades, that alone deserves scorn in my book.
            Being first does not have to equate to being good or admirable – see Thatcher and Obama. Sometimes what the backers will allow is more important than the symbolism. Walters was ambitious, worked hard, AND recognized what the owners wanted and had no problem providing it – journalism be damned.

            1. Questa Nota

              The BabaWawa hagiography by co-workers was on the telly last night. One story that relates to Cronkite is as follows:
              She ran out onto the tarmac to stop a jet from taking off. That jet had Cronkite, Sadat and Begin. She then got on board, and managed to get Sadat and Begin to let her be their first interviewer.

              That takes some chutzpah, gigantic ego, sturdy shoes or something.

              She does get credit from those co-workers and interviewees for the many 3×5 cards with questions showing thorough research, even with the subsequent uneven treatment.

              Too often inserting herself or her implied views into the interview, as arbiter of a worldview, so ahead of her time in a way. She could’ve dated Hunter S. Thompson to round out her dance card.

              The View started off with some more lofty goals before degenerating into a caricature and more of those arbiters devolving into petty carpers.

              1. Pat

                When you consider that two of the first View panel were Starr Jones and Debbie Matenopoulos… In truth I attribute any success of the first years to Meredith Viera, who really did moderate the whole thing. After Viera left what little even handedness there was lost especially as people realized that no one was going to require any background for an opinion even occasionally

            2. semper loquitur

              Dear Lord, The View? I hadn’t realized she was the first cut of that septic wound. I never liked her but that takes the cake…

            3. griffen

              Tough crowd today! I guess this is my final lesson to learn in 2022.

              And ffs, I did not compare the woman to Mother Teresa. Not directed at you or anyone else exactly. Just old man yelling at clouds.

        2. petal

          Toshiro, I had to explain this about her last night to my niece that works in the news industry. She is in her mid-20s. She has no clue. Very disappointing. Everything I’ve been seeing is along the lines of “She must be lionised because she was a woman.”

            1. agent ranger smith

              I will claim to remember having seen Roy Cohn being interviewed on TV about something or other. I remember thinking that he looked like a Disney Animatronic Corpse talking. I wondered how totally living-dead sick he had to be to look that way.

              Sometime later I remembered hearing he died, maybe of AIDS.

              1. Michael Fiorillo

                Yes, he died of AIDS,
                which to the end he denied he had. He was a notorious chicken hawk (the sexual predator kind, not the militarist kind, though he was that too).

          2. Mikel

            If you haven’t seen it, there was a doc released around 2019 called “Where’s My Roy Cohn”.
            Gives an overview of many of his relationships from the sordid to the surprising.

        5. garden breads

          She was not softball with people she looked down on – like Dolly Parton. She was quite rude to persons who originated from the lower classes.

          2. Pat

            I’m glad I missed that, Parton is one of the few people I consider a role model. I am not surprised Walters couldn’t recognize her worth.

            1. Jeff W

              The article in which the video is embedded says this about Dolly Parton:

              Ever the embodiment of grace and country class, she teaches us to rise above the hate and, in so doing, becomes the very definition of self respect and quiet (but bubbly) confidence.

              The way—the deftness and groundedness—in which Parton handles the questions is, definitely, a marvel. She knows, quite obviously, exactly what she’s about.

                1. Jeff W

                  Thanks—I would have shared the video if NotTimothyGeithner had not done so. Credit where credit is due.

                  I’ll add that, to me, Dolly Parton does something quite extraordinary in that interview. She doesn’t really defend against or resist whatever Barbara Walters is trying to imply—she kind of transcends it, as if, whatever it is, it’s so not her that it’s not worth acknowledging, much less rebutting or calling out. Barbara Walters comes off as petty and manipulative but, more than that, she’s seems like she’s engaged in some kind of a match that Parton isn’t even participating in.

              2. Yves Smith Post author

                ZOMG, I am not up to adequate words for the awfulness of Walters’ conduct and the way Parton kept adeptly sidestepping her and left Walters punching at air.

            2. Rolf

              I’ve always admired Dolly Parton, who exudes a charming intelligence, disarming grace, genuine warmth. Thanks for sharing this link —

            3. The Rev Kev

              Wow. Walters was a nasty piece of work, wasn’t she? I am looking at the difference here between a lady and a women and why I differentiate. Much respect for Dolly.

      2. Pelham

        I’m somewhat inclined to share that sentiment. I hesitate because there was some pretty questionable news curation back then, practices that we would find objectionable or even dastardly today. OTOH — and I truly mean this — it was rather pleasant being led around by the nose.

    4. Mildred Montana

      Where were the endless encomia for another, better Barbara? Namely Barbara Ehrenreich. She died September 1, 2022. Barely a peep from the MSM.

      The contrast between the two Barbaras is stark and says everything anyone needs to know about MSM, its priorities, and its promotion of hacks who know who butters their bread.

      Barbara Walters will be praised fulsomely for three days and then promptly forgotten, as there’s always another worthless hack to take her place in MSM-world.

  3. griffen

    Trump tax returns revealing, well that something is gonna be there if you really, really want it to badly be so. It is much like the ongoing investigation by the NY Attorney General, mentioned towards the ending of the Guardian article. Breaking news! It is possible billionaire has a highly inflated opinion of his business acumen ! And lest there is a misunderstanding, I find nothing to like about Trump.

    I remember from 2012 the kerfuffle surrounding Mitt Romney and his tax returns. There are different rules for them as opposed to most of us mopes.

    1. Pat

      The only bright spot possible from this, with its seemingly unending hype, would be for the public to have it pounded in their heads that the tax code is rigged for the wealthy to limit or even eliminate their tax liability by the very same politicians who have been screaming about Trump’s taxes for six years.

    2. Yves Smith Post author

      There may very well be Bad Stuff in there, but I get turned off by MSM aghastitude over the fact that real estate is a big fat tax shelter BY DESIGN, and that = generating lots of tax losses.

      1. Mark Gisleson

        In 1982, US Attorney Roxanne Conlin won the Iowa Democratic Party primary to run for governor after long-time Gov. Bob Ray announced his retirement.

        Between the IDP convention and the general election (early June to early November), the Des Moines Register ran over 80 stories that mentioned Conlin’s husband’s real estate shelters which resulted in the Conlins’ not paying any state income taxes. (Conlin’s husband taught seminars on how to use real estate to avoid taxes).

        The Republicans, to the best of my memory, never even mentioned this issue. The Des Moines Register single-handedly beat Conlin’s candidacy to death with her husband’s legal use of loopholes. The next biggest newspaper in the state, the Cedar Rapids Gazette, mentioned the taxes 30 times, but several mentions were in the context of editorial asides about the Register’s anti-Conlin jihad.

        David Yepsen was the junior reporter who cowrote those Register articles. He then trained and groomed Kathy Obradovich as his replacement. Obradovich was responsible for the Register’s flighty jump from one non-Bernie candidate to the next non-Bernie big thing in 2020. The Register’s wildly erratic coverage clearly helped Buttigieg. Obradovich then left the Register to start an online newspaper that features daily anti-Trump headlines.

        And so it goes.

    3. Watt4Bob

      Pulled from the comments to Brian Krebs Santos article;

      my sense is the reactionary supporters and benefactors of the GOP all assume everybody is as corrupt as their individual circumstances allow, and that ‘getting away’ with whatever loophole or imprecision the law or convention allows is simply the point of participating in society – their conservatism is fundamentally an antisocial belief system.

      When the press or the law come around to enforce the law or social conventions, they view it as an expression of political bias.

      See also Perfectly Legal by David Cay Johnston;

      The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich—and Cheat Everybody Else

      1. KD

        At the end of the day, there is tax avoidance and tax evasion. The first is legal, the second is not. It is very hard to make the case that someone practicing legal tax avoidance is doing something immoral or illegal.

        Now, obviously, tax avoidance is only a problem for high income or high wealth people, and opportunities for tax avoidance are a result of institutional corruption and lobbyists. But that is a systematic problem, not a problem of individuals strategically limiting their tax liability lawfully.

        That is not to say that Trump may not have done some tax evasion as well (evidence?), but it is utter hypocrisy for the Dems and their donor class to cry about people utilizing aggressive tax avoidance, because they do it too, and they have aggressively lobbied to expand and preserve it. I think even college-educated TDS cases understand this in their heart-of-hearts.

      2. Pat

        My continuing education over the past several decades tells me that that comment is shortsighted in only attributing that attitude to supporters of the GOP.

        1. Swamp Yankee

          Agreed, Pat. In this corner of New England, both parties have Machines, and the Machines are just openly anti-social in their belief system (“I should be able to plunder what I want because of who I am” is more or less their line — the Machines are feudal systems).

      3. Not Again

        Trump tax returns show China bank account as six years of records released

        Nancy still has three days left as Speaker. Maybe she can impeach him again?

        I want to see Mitt Romney – who admits to holding both a Swiss and Cayman Islands bank accounts – vote guilty again.

        1. Questa Nota

          Nancy Pelosi tax returns appearing soon, along with Paul and maybe even a dependent or two? How does a career politician accumulate a net worth over $100,000,000? Insider trading, front running, other legalized capers when she and her cohorts do that. Not counting on Congress to request those or hold hearings since they would be implicated as well.

          Way back in the day, before noon, there were a few in Congress who would take their oaths seriously and would remember and even practice the lessons of the Declaration and Constitution. Once Wright Patman left, who would pick up that torch?

          A key lesson for taxpayers, aside from donors, and even voters, is that the people who write the laws look out for themselves first, second and third, and for the taxpayers and voters only as afterthoughts.

          Write to your Senators and Reps and tell them that you will vote against them and any running who do not put constituents first.

        2. Yves Smith Post author

          That means he reported them legally. More manufactured aghastitude.

          BTW the belief as to why Romney showed only one year of returns, which showed a Swiss bank account, is that the IRS has just offered amnesty for foreign bank account holder. If you reported the accounts and paid back taxes and interest, you would not be charged. This was also right after the US cracked Swiss bank secrecy.

          The prior years would have been the ones where Romney would have had to refile returns if he had previously hidden his Swiss account. The fact that they were refiled would have been extremely prominent. Those returns are called “stapled” because the amendment is stapled to the face of the older return.

    4. Lee

      “There are different rules for them as opposed to most of us mopes.”

      FWIW: To my surprise, this point was emphasized on the PBS Newshour discussion of the Trump tax returns, starting about half-way through the 7 minute video.

      Hopefully, this aspect of the story will have legs. Ever the giddy optimist, me.

  4. Henry Moon Pie

    Tudor Christmas–

    I could relate. At my Midwest boys’ prep school 50+ years ago, we performed the “Boar’s Head Carol” every Christmas in the main hall of the city’s art gallery, a very live room. Presumably, we were trying to emulate this performance at Queen’s College, Oxford. On one point, we failed miserably. It looks like the Oxford boys have a real boar’s head while we had a less-than-convincing paper mache replica.

    1. Anonymous 2

      Pedantry alert.

      Going to indulge my inner pedant by pointing out that it is The Queen’s College, Oxford (former Queens’ man here). We students never got to the Boars Head Gaudy – fellows only I fear, once the students had gone down for the vacation.

      Queens’ College is in Cambridge.

      Pedantry over (for now).

      And a Happy New Year to all.

      2. Mildred Montana

        Pet peeve here. Pedantry is only called “pedantry” because so many call it such. They’re not interested, therefore they dismiss and resent what others might call “facts” or “knowledge”.

        And yes, I realize pedantry can sometimes be mere hair-splitting. But many times it provides a necessary distinction.

        1. skk

          Details matter ! What if they’d said – “ahhh the disagreement between Newton Theory predictions and the experimental data on Mercury’s orbit’ is merely a detail ?

          In the latter days of my career, whenever somebody grandly talked of the helicopter view or the 10,000 ft view I’d say – “Well, you can’t see very much can you ?”

          Purely in the interest of fulfilling my obligations of mentoring of course.

    2. Eclair

      Ah, Henry, fond memories. I worked at an east coast girls’ prep school in the 60’s, where the annual ‘Revels’ was the highlight of the school year. All during the autumn rumors ran rampant as to who would be chosen to play ‘Lady of the Manor.’ Pretty sure the boar’s head was paper mache. Those were good times, when we trained the young to observe the class distinctions and the peasantry knew their place.

      1. orlbucfan

        Yeah, but some of us middle-working class got educated, and a little “uppity,” and still are. Happy New Year!!

  5. Lexx

    ‘Arrest of suspect

    I suppose Australia can be forgiven for naming two different state universities interchangeably, however… Washington State University (WSU) is just across the Washington-Idaho state border from Moscow, Idaho, in Pullman, Washington. The University of Washington is in Seattle and Tacoma.

    So, hanked his butt outta bed where he was sleeping in the buff? He seems a little under-dressed for winter.

    The newly arrested for multiple murders aren’t usually looking so collected or gazing directly at the camera. His expression strikes me as ‘curious’.

    1. Lexx

      Oops, forgot to go back and complete the title of the article. ‘Arrest of suspect in U.S. university killings ‘a relief’ to Idaho campus’. Apologies.

    2. Mikel

      There’s a lot left to be revealed about relationships, possible motives, and maybe even another suspect appearing altogether, but I can’t help but notice some similarities with Ted Bundy.

      Some childhood spent in Pennsylvania, studying at a university in Washington, the interest in psychology and law and crime (Washington Gov. Evans appointed Bundy to the Seattle Crime Prevention AdvisoryCommittee), the multiple victims at once…

  6. Pat

    I am not a big fan of rhetorical question headlines, but The City overview of Adams and his administration regarding the plans to close Rikers Island is pretty decent otherwise.

    Adams versus the New York City Council is rapidly becoming an updated version of DiBlasio vs. Cuomo, with I am sorry to say it looking like Adams might end up being Cuomo in the scenario.

  7. The Rev Kev

    “Turkiye agrees to fully withdraw troops from Syria: Syrian media”

    This sounds big this, especially since Assad, Putin and Erdogan have not yet had their conference. Looks like Erdogan wants to re-establish the old border again and they will help the Syrians to patrol it to keep a lid on the Kurds. But more to the point, I think that Erdogan has realized that the US forces present in eastern Syria are actually directed at him with the Kurds being their proxy and so form a clear and present danger. The US helping Greece to his south-western borders is clear notice of this. What happens to Idlib province? I have no idea but perhaps it can be drained as Erdogan may now be wondering if the forces there may end up being turned against him. If Erdogan really wants to expand his country’s economic interests to the far east, then having an area of deliberate instability on his border is not a good idea. So now it is time to shut down Project Syria.

    1. jo6pac

      Yes on side note now Syria can start on moving on Amerikan troops and the kurds might want to step aside or keep being used by Amerika.

    2. ChrisFromGA

      Nice – can we start the “Assad must stay!!” gloating tour now?

      I suggest stops at the retirement home where Hillary and Lindsay Graham will no doubt end up drooling into their porridge.

      Troll the ancient neo-con peril!

    3. Skip Intro

      It is interesting to see much abuse the US can heap on the most important NATO ‘allies’ before they snap. Hasn’t there even been some ‘mysterious sabotage’ attempts on Turkey’s gas pipeline?

    4. John k

      Tough to get us mil out once they’re there. Iraq politely asked them to leave, they haven’t gone. They would have to be encouraged.

  8. bwilli123

    New Year has arrived in my city of residence (Adelaide, South Australia)
    Greeting and best wishes to the worldwide NC habitués. To the sites dedicated administrators, many thanks for your efforts in providing a refuge of sanity for so many.

    If you are adding to this please include your location. Naked Capitalism means that you are not alone.

      1. Yves Smith Post author

        Sydney fireworks are da bomb. Sydney harbor is a fantastic staging ground and the city takes full advantage. I was lucky to see great displays 2x, once at the Olympics finale, the other at New Year.

    2. small moon rabbit

      Not New Year here yet (but a very happy, healthy, peaceful, and joyous 2023 to those of you in the future), but I wanted to thank you for this: “Naked Capitalism means that you are not alone.” Feeling a bit low today on account of everything, and this helps. So much in fact that I, who usually keeps her head down everywhere on the internet, am calling softly over the parapet. Thank you.
      Take care people, stay safe, and find what joy you can. Go outside and be in this beautiful world while it (and we) are still here. And thank you to all at NC and the commentariat too for being a thread in the chaos.
      Love from France

      1. Pat

        May you always find the oasis of solace and peace you need to weather the tribulations of our world in the coming year.

        Love from NYC.

    3. LaRuse

      Best wishes in the new year to the hardworking NC crew and the internet’s best Commentariat. Currently checking in from Atlantic Beach, NC, where we are ringing in the new year before heading home and back to real life in Richmond, VA. I’ll uncork the sparkling grape juice at midnight and be asleep by 12:07 and call it a good night.

    4. Bugs

      Meilleur voeux, best wishes, from my little corner of the Normandy countryside. Getting ready to whip up the obligatory seafood and champagne gluttony. Hope everyone has a safe and healthy 2023.

      May it be a better year.

    5. DJG, Reality Czar

      bwilli123 and other members of the commentariat, also known as groundlings: Best wishes to all. Buon anno.

      Many thanks to our hosts, to the regular writers (like Conor Gallagher, who jumped in with both feet), and to the moderators.

      In spite of these fraught times, it is always like a real conversation here. I appreciate that people take the time to clarify their thoughts and write with care.

      Will next year be better? The situation is hopeless but not serious.

      Writing from Chocolate City in the Undisclosed Region of Italy, where I have a bottle of arneis (a local grape that has indeed distinguished itself) in the frigorifero that seems a bit tipsy. So I must open it and do some oenological research. With tuna steaks…

      1. Maxwell Johnston

        “The situation is hopeless but not serious.” Or as Mao allegedly said, “There is great chaos under heaven, the situation is excellent.” We live in interesting times. Here in unseasonably warm northern Tuscany (+16 C today), we are about to grill fish and vegetables and wash it all down with vino spumante, with panettone to finish. And then we’ll see what 2023 brings us. Best holiday wishes to all, especially to the proprietors and moderators of NC who provide us with a refuge of sanity in a strange and confusing world.

    6. johnnyme

      We still have 12 hours plus change to go here in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

      In case anyone needs an additional reason to celebrate (since I never saw any recent mention of it and it’s just too [family blogging] cool to let it slide by unnoticed), the one year embargo has passed and the Naked Capitalism archive at the Library of Congress is live!

      Woo hoo!

      Happy new year and a big thank you to each and every one of you that make this place indispensable.

    7. Posaunist

      A simple Happy New Year from Denver, Colorado to everyone on my one essential blog. And a sincere thank-you to all who make this happen.

    8. Ambrose

      Happy new year from Romania. I stumbled upon NC this year and it’s become one of my go-to places in trying to make sense of the things happening around me.

      Hope we have a collectively better 2023.

    3. John Zelnicker

      Back at’cha, Slim.

      To you, all of the NC commentariat, and our hosts I hope y’all have a healthy and prosperous new year.

      Peace and goodwill to all.

    4. Sin Fronteras

      ditto that, as one whose name should be forgotten or remembered in ignominy used to say (I can culturally appropriate even from the Right)

      What part of Tucson are you from, Slim? I’m in Fairfield up near Sabino Canyon

        1. foghorn longhorn

          Happy New Years from the balmy burbs of Tyler, Texas.
          9 degrees last week, a very pleasant 69 degrees today.
          Take care all and thanks for all you do.

        2. Brunches with Cats

          Not that far Upstate, but feel you. It’s gently raining now and very chilly, but thank goddess not below zero. Something to be grateful for as the ball drops besides what everyone already has said re: NC moderators, writers, and commentariat, and all our pet besties.

      2. Arizona Slim

        I’m deep in the heart of the city, Sin Fronteras. Near the university and Downtown.

        Care to do an NC meetup sometime? (Hint-hint, NC powers-that-be! Slim wants to host a meetup again!)

    7. John k

      My daughter’s family celebrates there.
      Happy New Year to all at NC, one of the very few sane oases where unadulterated news can be found, from rainy southern CA. Wi will have a few guests who will help us toast the ball doing whatever it does at Times Square, then the guests go home hours before the serious people hit the roads.

    8. Henry Moon Pie

      It’s 6 hours into 2023 on the East Side of the Mistake by the Lake, and I’m still a little sleepy. It was tough to sleep last night since everybody on the East Side wanted to exhibit their gun ownership beginning about 11:45. I’m hanging on for 2023, hoping Grace Slick’s prophesy will come true:

      Don’t change before the Empire falls.
      You’ll laugh so hard you’ll crack the walls.

      “Greasy Heart” from Jefferson Airplane’s Crown of Creation

      A 2023 better than 2022 to all!

  10. Ignacio

    My former dog wouldn’t like the fireworks at all. Would run scared by the noises out of control. She was a pretty border collie. Best friend ever had.

    1. Lee

      My otherwise stalwart and fearless Airedale hated fireworks. He’d jump into bed with me, curl up tightly, and I’d put the covers over him. Alas, he is no longer with us, and more recently his doggie life partner, a female pit bull has also passed. I miss them terribly and they still visit me playfully in dreams.

      1. foghorn longhorn

        Lost my boy Pete earlier this year, just an out stounding Australian Shepherd.
        Love you buddy.

  11. KD

    Yours truly had mentioned to Lambert that Zaporizhzhia could become the next Russian focus after they had gotten their operations in Donbass largely done. Russia may be starting a move now not just as part of their plan to secure all four Russian oblasts but also to further stretch Ukraine forces.

    This would seem to make sense, but Dima recently reported that the Russians had just finished constructing fortifications/defense-in-depth along the Zaporizhzhia lines, which suggests they may have the capability to re-deploy troops from Zaporizhzhia elsewhere and hold the line with reduced troop levels via fortifications. It wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense to commit to fortifications, if you expected the front line to move north significantly. On the other hand, it might be a good conservative measure as the Russians don’t want to lose the Crimean land bridge.

    My guess is that if the Russians launch a new offensive, there is going to be some misdirection involved, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a lot of buzz about somewhere else and then it materializes where it is unexpected. If they were going to launch from Zaporizhzhia, it would make sense to signal that they were coming from the North, and then roll out of Zaporizhzhia. On the other hand, its the Russians, so maybe they hit from Zaporizhia and Sumy/Chernihiv at the same time with a view to shutting down logistics across the Dneiper–given all the Ukrainian troop concentrations in Bakhmut and Liman–which could screw up logistics pretty bad East of Dneiper, and all those troops in Kharkiv and Donbas might get pretty cold and hungry. Not to mention the chaos of being surrounded by Russians on all sides.

    1. Yves Smith Post author

      The fortifications could be a hedge, a deception…and training for all those recruits! The training centers are concentrated in that area.

      More generally, I don’t think Russia has a plan but many plans. IMHO what they do will be path dependent, based on how quickly Ukraine fighting capacity degrades and which of their promising areas for advance break down first.

      1. JTMcPhee

        NAYTO seems still to be pretty much in the picture, and keeping the pot thoroughly stirred. Sending saboteurs into the Russian heartland, staffing Gladio forces in Ukraine, fitting out “Ukie” Soviet-era leftover drones with up-to-date targeting avionics for deep-penetration attacks, filling the almost decimated front line “Ukie” forces with Poles and other “untermenschen,” inducting lots of CSISR info into both Ukie and NATO action plans and targeting, prosecuting the PR war psyops inside Russia to attempt to fracture and destabilize — lots of stuff to keep the war drums beating and build that tenesmus that maybe leads to finally using that wonderful Imperial military to full (nuclear weapon) capacity (seriously considering decapitation Pearl Harbor sneak attacks on Moscow and other decision centers and damn the consequences. The #NAFO boys, girls and “others” are still all-in, of course, and as long as the Bubble can generate “money” to play their version of the Game of RISK ™, with us mopes and mopes everywhere as pawns and soft targets, sh!t will keep happening.

        I look forward to seeing what the Russian military has in place to finally deal with the logistics routes and “decision centers” and Starlink and other communications assets. And what Russian leaders have decided is the adequate extent of security elements needed to keep the West’s ombined crazies in check while the destructive internal processes run their course.

        Of course I am always reminded of the second movie in the “Planet of the Apes” franchise, where the rump sect of surviving underground humans has turned to worship of the remaining Doomsday nuke. When it looks like the apes, led of course by Charlton Heston, are about to crush that bunch, prepare to detonate the Doomsday weapon. In the fighting, Heston gets shot, and in falling, drops on the Big Red Button that triggers The Big Bomb…

        I wonder how the strategic whiz kids that are laying the plans to decapitate Russia intend to also disable the Russian “dead hand” Perimeter system, https://www.military.com/history/russias-dead-hand-soviet-built-nuclear-doomsday-device.html, which if the Russian command structure is killed, will still order the launch of every one of the remaining Russian strategic and tactical nuclear weapons at the Combined West… and there will be more than a genteel sufficiency of such weapons to make the North American continent and all of Europe into a dead wasteland. One hopes that Russia, given the decapitation planning by the US/UK , will not make the mistake so central to the plot in “Dr. Strangelove,” of not telling the world that they have gone to launch-on-warning.

        I read that some of the people who spend their days analyzing the current state of play are relocating to the deep regions of the Southern Hemisphere. Whether that will be enough, who knows?

        In the meantime, the Nipponese are releasing megasieverts of radioactive water from the Fukushima F~~kUp… humans have maybe forfeited any right to continue to exist?

        1. Yves Smith Post author

          You may have heard Russia in its last strikes included Starlink terminals. And it has improved its detection and response time so it can now effectively target “shoot and scoot” howitzer and HIMARS platforms and is now going after them too. That’s not part of the big strike waves, they do it more locally with nasty drones.

      2. Paradan

        Fortifications allow the Russians to conceal their troop deployments. Minimal manning, empty crate supply depots, etc. plus a campaign of Radio/COMMs deception makes it hard to figure out where the strong point is. Then you can play “Three-train Monte” behind the lines so the enemy doesn’t know where your attack will be.

        1. Yves Smith Post author

          Aha, that explains per Mercouris on New Year’s Eve reporting that Zelensky’s chief propagandist (Arestovich???) was complaining publicly that Ukraine was taking alot of losses at Bakhmut due to Russia using barbaric human wave tactics (they won’t stop running that nonsense). And to your point, that Russia had also built up troops in the area but Ukraine had no idea where they would strike. Russia has been building fortified lines in Donbass too….

    2. Ignacio

      Indeed the Russians are the ones with the capacity for such initiatives and the one you mention makes sense. A lot of sense in fact, and it might be the smartest move to demilitarize Ukraine though they should have to do it very fast if they don’t want to show troop concentrations in advance. Or may be not so fast while Ukrainian logistics are nearly broken.

    1. begob

      I came across that project a few months ago – some interesting lives, despite his often leading questions. I notice that he frames escape from skidrow in material terms – the great job, the great car etc. – and the means of escape through self-worth. To me, that misidentifies the task and pretends that observation of the problems is as much as anyone can do. He does seem to tend toward Gabor Mate’s diagnosis of early trauma, but lacks the wider prescription that would demote the markers of success that he recommends.

      1. anahuna

        Yes, demote the current markers, and little by little replace them with a spacious inner contentment. May that be true for all of you who gather here, and all who at the moment choose to turn away.

        No obstacles except the ‘mind-forged manacles.’

        Let the year sing.

        From the banks of the Gowanus, Brooklyn NY.

  13. Wukchumni

    Let me be the first to say: Happy bicentennial, Monroe Doctrine!

    You say you want a resolution
    Well, you know
    We all want to change the world
    You tell me that it’s evolution
    Well, you know
    We all want to change the world

    For 2023, I will endeavor to be more resolute.

  14. John Beech

    I find the article in Aeon offensive. Why? Simple, it repeatedly uses the term Indigenous to refer to ‘native Americans’, and keeps yammering about when they first arrived, 30,000 years ago, 100,000 . . . whatever.

    As if this weren’t enough, the subtext is arriving first establishes claims to ownership, which means for later arrivals (Europeans), they are established firmly in a position of subordination. Why is this? What about being second means you’re less entitled to what you find? So why has it drawn my ire? Simple, words have meaning and indigenous means native . . .

    adjective

    1. originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native.

    2. (of people) inhabiting or existing in a land from the earliest times or from before the arrival of colonists.

    . . . but so far, native Americans are thought to have arrived by boat or by walking across an existing land bridge from Asia. What part of walking or floating establishes origination, e.g. being indigenous to the Americas? Didn’t they merely colonize what they found, also? How am I wrong?

    Me? I’m fed up with the narrative white people stole this land because it strikes me the so called indigenous stole it, also. From whom? From whatever life actually originated on the American landmass since it appears homo-anything didn’t originate here.

    But this doesn’t count? OK, I happen to agree with this position – but – this merely establishes they were here before white settlers. Ever seen children on a playground find a Dollar bill and a melee ensues to establish ownership and finally one trots out of the scrum triumphantly? That’s white people. Triumphantly in possession. Native Americans on a reservation? Not in possession.

    Point being, if white conscience wants to fell bad for what happened, fine, but don’t expect me to feel bad for so called native Americans because I happen to be very aware they weren’t native to this place, either. Thus far, none of the ‘science’ establishes more than they settled here first. Until then; how is any of this different from the old childhood chant of, finders keepers, losers weepers?

    And before you wonder if I’m racist, I don’t favor reparations to blacks, either. Nothing against black people but they were sold into slavery by black people. Nothing pretty about it. Yet none of it involves me, who was born overseas, myself.

    So let’s review, indigenous just means first, not originating. Major point? Had subsequent waves of colonizers suffered defeat we might be speaking Cherokee instead of English in the United States!

    1. CanCyn

      Yo man, that’s about a 9 on the tension scale. Methinks you doth protest too much. I can’t be bothered to rebut this bile but suffice it to say that there are many who believe that colonialism has not been good for world. With the world in the shape that it is currently, perhaps we could acknowledge that the peoples who were more interested in land stewardship, rather than domination over the land may, just may have been on the right track?
      A couple of book recommendations for you:
      Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King
      Stolen Continents by Ronald Wright

  15. antidlc

    https://twitter.com/CDCgov/status/1608875618497867776?cxt=HHwWgMDRhbr279MsAAAA

    CDC
    @CDCgov
    Official
    Do your part to help protect yourself, your community, & our hospitals: 
    -Stay up to date on #COVID19 vaccines 
    -Test before going to large gatherings 
    –Wear a mask if you’re in an area w/ high community transmission or if you choose 
    https://bit.ly/3bGvO6p
    #XBB.1.5
    11:20 AM · Dec 30, 2022

    ———–

    (bold mine)
    Note that is says community TRANSMISSION, not LEVELS

    1. curlydan

      For better or worse, I am following CDC Director Walensky’s COVID path. I decided to get the bivalent shot due to a lot of travel (and a weaker immune system), got COVID 1 month after shot, took Paxlovid (days 4 through 9 of infection were great–I now call it the “second trimester” of COVID), started testing positive again on Day 10. Last night was rough–nose super stuffed up, head a mess. To the CDC: heal thyself, and for once, do your part to help control this disease.

      1. ArvidMartensen

        Yeah, but I want a job at the current CDC. Do sfa useful, get paid heaps. Would work for me
        Hope ur on the mend soon.

  17. ProNewerDeal

    fwd https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXUFLW8t2snu0aCIHUyzT_ekr37AKn4JI

    Youtube SocialismForAll Covid podcasts covering several articles and giving his take. S4A reminds me of Yves & Lambert – well informed on seemingly most topics and fields, and has wise good editorial takes and a good track record on statements/predictions. I don’t know if S4A is a biomedical Pro, but if not he is a knowledgeable laymen who can explain biomedical concepts like T-cells and spike protein to a layman like myself.

  18. Carolinian

    Re Gilbert Doctorow–this post from the previous day is also interesting.

    https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2022/12/30/the-new-free-world/

    In it he reports on Russian TV content and suggests that the Kremlin attitude toward a nuclear exchange is that the West is bluffing and know that they would suffer most from, not just a conventional NATO war against Russia, but also any nuclear escalation. This was the purpose of creating those unstoppable hypersonic weapons that would vaporize Washington should they attempt a decapitation strike.

    And since blowing up Moscow is the only neocon backup plan (see Graham, Lindsey), the Russians believe they have NATO over a barrel, not the other way around.

    Of course some recent pundits have suggested that NATO is also not going to accept defeat–even up to armageddon–but on this the Europeans stand in the way not to mention the Pentagon (probably). Given NATO fantasies of victory and Russian regime change perhaps they are the ones who should be watching Russian TV.

    1. tevhatch

      United Airlines former head of maintenance took early retirement nearly 11 years ago, telling me they are heading toward corporate man-slaughter together with Boeing. He may have been a bit early, but I still have faith in his opinion, so for me if it’s not a Boeing, then I’m not going.

      1. Sin Fronteras

        We lived in NY under Mayor Koch, 1980-82 where the subways were under the “breakdown maintenance” policy: fix stuff AFTER it breaks down, NO preventative maintenance.

        Just sayin’

      2. TimH

        Be interesting to have the deaths per person-flight-hours for:
        – commercial passenger aviation
        – private commuter passenger aviation
        – personal-private-licence aviation (flyin’ fer fun)
        – armed services (spit between transport craft and offensive craft)

        May be some comparative surprises there.

  20. tevhatch

    Asia Times Link: “A September global public opinion poll of 56 nations delivered the surprise news that South Koreans harbor stronger anti-China sentiment than any people on Earth”

    I asked my neighbor, a (South) Korean Economist working at local University, who just returned from a home visit about that quote. He stopped working, let out a gasp, and said: “Wah, that’s kind of crazy talk”. Then I remembered it’s the Asia Times and they and Pepe Escobar had a nasty parting of ways with the new ownership. So I went back and looked at the article and there is no link or reference to what organ carried out the opinion poll, much less how it was framed and sampled. Considering the new ownership, I’d not be surprised if it was a poll from the Falungong owned The Epoch Times, or some other CIA proxie. I guess I can do some more unscientific sampling, but perhaps there are better positioned South Korean residents who are reading this and can chime in.

    1. Stephen

      Many years ago this was a genuine music contest. Back in the 60s serious artists such as Matt Monro and Udo Juergens competed and great lyricists such as Don Black even wrote songs for it. Abba were even “discovered” at it I recall.

      Agree with your comment: I think the last time I was remotely interested in the outcome was in the mid 80s. Other than the various national TV broadcasters involved in it, I do wonder who is interested.

      Ukraine will “win” again in 2023, I suspect.

    2. Kouros

      I hate the Eurovision contest. It is all in English, or almost all songs are in English. If I could I would ban it!

      1. The Rev Kev

        After the Ukraine “won” Eurovision last year, they will be holding it in Liverpool this year because the war you know. So one of the conditions for staging it there is that Liverpool will have to put on a display of Ukraine culture which should be fun. We’ll see how popular the Ukraine is in May after the UK emerged from this winter of discontent. Eurovision says that they hold European values like inclusiveness – but then announce that they will keep on banning Russia. The only problem is that without realizing it, that they are showing European values on display.

        1. Acacia

          So we can look forward to a full-on disco version of “It’s Springtime for Zelensky in Liverpool”… ?

    3. CanCyn

      I. Can’t. Even. I admit that I couldn’t get to the end of the article. I want to file it under ‘you can’t make this sh*t up!’ Guy is clearly paying attention to the marketers of the world. Following the playbook of endorsement being more important than substantive content or accurate results or replicable scientific study. As for the people who have been wrongfully convicted based on this nonsense, well, I don’t know what to say. More than sad and the only distressing part of the story to me. It really is crazy. My husband and I just stopped watching the Netflix series the Watcher part way through the second episode after deciding is was just too stupid. (We hung in that long assuming parody or satire). A movie or series based on this *sshole and his methods (see recent NC conversations about the definition of *sshole) would be equally unwatchable. Lambert is right, we truly are living in the stupidest timeline.

      1. ACPAL

        A couple years ago I listened to an article on NPR about the requirements for someone to become a judge. In some areas, predominately small towns and counties, there are no requirements other than to be appointed by the mayor or council. You can use your imagination how this article went. Truth, justice, and the American way.

  24. Raymond Sim

    It’s been a very exciting year for observers of the study of ancient humankind and/or proto-humankind. Homo naledi used fire! But so far no sign of stone tools?

    The rather amazing notion that chimpanzees may be more derived than modern humans is becoming an almost respectable opinion!

    And while it would be going too far to call the Cerutti mastodon site a specter haunting New World paleoanthropology, objections to the interpretation given to the site by those who excavated it continue to be refuted. If I’m not mistaken the biggest unrefuted objection is the lack of evidence for worked tools.

    Oh, and Graham Hancock had a Netflix show this year. Is paleoanthropology drifting back towards center stage in America’s culture wars? Auld lang syne and back again!

  25. Wukchumni

    Across Siberia, as in other parts of the Northern Hemisphere, conditions would have been extremely dry and cold. In fact, the archaeological record indicates that Siberia was essentially depopulated.

    Finding the First Americans aeon (Anthony L)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Wouldn’t it be something to watch the diaspora go back from whence it came on account of climate change, but I don’t have time for it.

    They reckon the Wukchumni were here for 3,000 years which isn’t much in the scheme of things compared to those early North American arrivals, and their population peaked @ 2,000 inhabitants just before the Gold Rush.

    We were right there @ 2,100 inhabitants in the last census in 2010, but its a numbers game and with so many homes being AirBnB’d, conjectures are that it is more in the realm of 1,500 to 1,600 full time residents now.

    Couldn’t find too many locations so rich in water as it is here, where the population base has shrunk since aboriginal days.

  26. Mikel

    “Another Crypto Investment Firm Shuts Down, Taking Over 55% of Customers’ Funds” Kitco

    “…they will shut down operations as of Dec. 27 and will deduct 55% from most customer accounts to “balance assets and liabilities.”

    Like taking candy from a baby. These crypto bros are working out the blueprint for how to make the rip-offs easier and to move to a “high tech” feudal economy.

    1. griffen

      The investment approach known as HODL comes to fruition. Leave it to the wonderful children of South Park to teach this lesson for us all! But that was during the Great Crisis of 2008-2009. And…it’s gone about the 40 seconds into the clip.

      https://youtu.be/Y3AM00DH0Zo

      1. Mikel

        Indeed. The clip is financial meme fave.

        The highlight: “Invest in foreign currency accounts (not named)…”
        A signal to take that check elsewhere.

    2. skippy

      So much for the sales pitches … fiat is going to implode … here is some crypto to save you … now give me your fiat … rim shot

      Same dynamic with the gold bugs that start to vibrate when there is a sniff of economic down turn. Then I ask they why in the world would anyone sell this gold to another for some fiat at fear induced inflated prices only to have the seller by it back later on at rock bottom prices – rinse and repeat …

      Then again I have heard that crypto is just derivatives for the little guy as an excuse … sadly they forget there is no government back stop to that action …

      1. ACPAL

        Real money is something you can eat, like a chicken. No matter what the economy is doing a chicken is a dinner. Precious metals are one step away from real money but at least you can carry it with you and you have a good chance of finding someone willing to sell you a chicken for some metal. Paper money is two steps away from real money but it can go to zero worth in a heart beat or go up in smoke. If you’re fast enough you might be able to trade it for metal or a chicken. You can’t even see digits let alone hold them, you just have some computer geek’s word that they exist. Money in the bank is nothing but digits but at least it has a history of being traded for paper. But the government is trying to change all that with central bank digital currency (CBDC) so they can control what you buy and make it go “poof” any time they want. I’m up to 25 hens and some pre-1964 silver coins. It’s not much but it’s a start.

        1. Yves Smith Post author

          Your faith in “real money” is misplaced. How does the potential taker verify authenticity, purity, and weight?

          In Vietnam, during its civil war, middle class and more affluent women had gold bead necklaces as store of wealth. They would be lucky if necklaces of theoretically great value would buy them a small amount of food or save them from being raped.

          In other words, even if you can exchange your “real money” dream if you will get any meaningful value for it.

          1. skippy

            People always lose me when they start banging on about real or natural wrt money/currency when its a human invention used in exchange.

        2. skippy

          ACPAL …

          My case was specific to crypto and extenuated with the fear sales factor. The point about selling something at inflated price after preaching by the seller is just another failure of logic.

          Then again those that believe in barter theory with a side of Says law will do that.

          So many forms of money out there, but the topic was sovereign currency. On that note the demise of the state will always end it because the laws go poof and regardless of what form the token is in matters not. Then again I don’t ascribe to the immutable store of labour/value in a – thing – anyway because none have ever existed.

          Sure CBDC is another layer of control to track large sums and spot leakages, but that then is not a question of token, but a political question. Yet so many try to formulate a run around and not address the real problems aka there is no A political solution to a political problem.

  27. Martha

    Release of “safe” Fukushima water…

    Nigel Marks and all the Japanese officials who claim the released water is safe can fill a swimming pool with it and allow their families to swim in it to demonstrate that. “Put your body where your mouth is at…”

    Lack of snow crabs in Alaska absent in waters that flow via currents originating from Japan?
    https://www.newscientist.com/article/2342806-why-have-billions-of-snow-crabs-disappeared-from-alaskan-waters/

    Japan bans the sale of radiation contaminated food. The U.S., in the pocket of the Nuclear weapons/power industry, allows that same banned food to be sold here as “safe” after being tested with higher radiation limits than Japan allows.

    Boycott all Japanese food exports, to and including Japanese restaurants here which use imported Japanese spices. They made their bed nuclear and now they can lie in it.

    https://simplyinfo.org/monitoring-results/japan-radiation-embargoed-food-list/

    Show me a Japanese Restaurant that only uses organic and domestically produced food and we would gladly spend our money there.

    1. IM Doc

      I have enjoyed his work all the way back to when he was Lapham’s follow up on some of the Easy Chairs in Harper’s.

      I never could actually figure out what happened and why he all of a sudden disappeared from that too. It could be the gradual turn that even Harper’s has taken to the irrational Far Left. No thinking allowed, and all that.

      Alas, it is still readable for the most part, unlike The Atlantic and The New Republic.

      He and Matt have been a must listen every week for me on the Podcast list. Matt is so much better with him than Katie Halper, with all the penis jokes, etc.

      1. .Tom

        The Tarfu Report wasn’t great either, although they had some good guest interviews. Comedy isn’t Matt’s strong suit.

  30. Stephen

    “Southwest Airlines passengers get stuck in the Nashville airport on Christmas — then threatened with arrest for ‘trespassing’”

    Am sorry for these people being stranded in an airport. Always a horrible experience.

    Fascinating though that corporate media lauds “democracy” and describes Russia as “authoritarian”.

    This behavior by a police officer seems pretty authoritarian to me. The “collective west” really is a hypocritical set of societies.

    1. agent ranger smith

      Or perhaps some police persons and even police departments are a law unto themselves.

      How much more of this sort of thing would be required to get the American population in general to question Blue Privilege?

    2. Paradan

      So a ex(?) airline pilot made a video about this, and he stated that what happened was people were getting so angry at the gate agents, whom aren’t at fault for this mess, that they eventually called the police. Not sure if they kicked out people who were calm, and just sitting around.

      1. Yves Smith Post author

        I have observed that people in authority are insanely quick to depict anger as imminent violence. So customers no longer have the right to be angry? The gate agents DO work for the airline.

        1. Paradan

          They totally justified in their anger, and taking flak is part of customer service, but when a 6′ tall primate starts bellowing and waving its arms around…

    2. agent ranger smith

      Pharmaceutical refuseniks may well start refusing to take any medications permitted by FDA after that act kicks in. Numbers of people may well limit themselves to only accepting prescriptions for the good old animal-tested medications.

  34. skippy

    Happy New Year NC peoples …. wow what a year … can’t remember a time when so much was going on all at once and how all over the shop so many are …

    Very curious how that all works out as most are just groping around trying to find some semblance of the normality they once thought was real and persistent when odds are very high that its going to be just the opposite. Just hope everyone has something to keep themselves busy and they enjoy as a palliative against all the crazy.

    Take the time out for the simple joys in life and be prepared for whatever may come one way or another … for me its my work/dogs and then watching the kids get on with their lives of which all are doing well … what more can a father want in life …

  36. Wukchumni

    A groovy new year to the hap-hap-happenest spot on this here contraption, and beyond.

    What fun portends one wonders?, a few months ago i’d never heard of SB-F or any of the newly out of business cryptocurrency exchanges, but that was then and this is now.

    Mirth inventories should remain high in this, the 2,023rd year since Jesus cashed it in on a cross tie marketing effort by the Romans…

    …stay tuned

    1. The Rev Kev

      His biggest mistake was arriving in Jerusalem and asking them if they could put him up for the night.

      2. Jeff Z

        I like that!

        Not quite time yet in the American Midwest. Lots of fireworks in my neighborhood tonight.

        Happy New year to all!

  37. chris

    Happy New Year to all the commentariat and our illustrious hosts :)

    I’m glad that all is right with the world, and headlines like this from the Guardian are still making it past the editors: “Massive Missle Attack!” “One person killed…”

    I don’t have the heart to pull up the articles describing the numbers killed from our attacks in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia…

    My wish for the new year is that the farce in Ukraine ends as quickly as possible and we stop facilitating the death of innocent people.

  39. Rainlover

    Happy New Year from Washington State — “the real Washington.” 3 hrs. 45 min. to go. Looking forward to a new year of great links and commentary from NC.

  40. Pat

    Forty minutes to go here in NYC, I can only wish that new year brings more peace, better health, and being surrounded by loved ones for everyone at NC.

    Thank You all, but especially Yves, Lambert, Connor, Jeri Lynn and everyone who has kept this space up and running creating a place of sanity in an increasingly uncertain world this past year.

    Happy New Year!

    1. Rod

      24 minutes more in the Piedmont–but you captured my sentiments so well i wanted to piggy back on them.
      Happy New Year to all

  41. Jason Boxman

    Happy New Year!

    As we enter Pandemic year three, stay safe out there. It’s been 1,024 days since the US declared a Pandemic.

Comments are closed.