The Journey of a Sea Bean: In Praise of the Ocean’s Smallest Gifts Literary Hub
The Argonaut Octopus Has Mastered The Free Ride Defector
Climate
Cop16: the world’s largest meeting to save nature has ended with no clear path ahead The Conversation
A pivotal year for global renewable energy transition: navigating the opportunities S&P Global
Sea ice alert Arctic News
Amazon deforestation drops to nine-year low, says Brazil France24
Water
Will Lake Powell become Lake Mud? Inside the growing sediment crisis Deseret News
Syndemics
Preprint: Emergence of a Novel Reassortant Clade 2.3.2.1c Avian Influenza A/H5N1 Virus Associated with Human Cases in Cambodia Avian Flu Diary
China?
China’s Xi calls for ‘stable’ US ties in message to Trump Channel News Asia
Chinese premier pledges broader opening-up for foreign-funded firms CGTN
India
US elections and their impact on Indian equities BNE Intellinews
Germany’s Pivot to India The Diplomat
Apple to build hostel facilities for 100,000 women workers across India (excerpt) Business Standard
Trash troubles: How India can deal with its staggering amount of plastic waste Channel News Asia
Syraqistan
We are witnessing the final stage of genocide in Gaza Guardian
Israel, Blackmail & the Presidents Consortium News
The Rewards and Risks of Islamic Finance JSTOR Daily
European Disunion
Europe’s winter gas supplies at risk from market disruptions FT
New Not-So-Cold War
Total of 148 clashes on battlefield in Ukraine over past day: Pokrovsk and Kurakhove fronts remain hottest Ukrainska Pravda
* * * Ukraine War well beyond Trump-Harris election Responsible Statecraft. The deck: “Experts: Kyiv is losing no matter who takes the White House. The question is, who will end it before time runs out?”
Even Donald Trump Can’t Afford to Lose the Ukraine War Foreign Policy
Trump advised to freeze war in Ukraine, but has yet to make decision – WSJ and Republican senator says war in Ukraine has reached a stalemate and must be ended Ukrainska Pravda. Rubio.
Biden ‘rushing’ billions in aid to Ukraine as Trump win fuels uncertainty Al Jazeera
* * * South Korea ‘not ruling out’ sending weapons directly to Ukraine France24
Ukraine – North Korean Soldiers Are “Disguised As Buryats” Moon of Alabama. Big if true:
A usually reliable source tells me that the North Korean soldiers who have deployed to Russia have never had unfettered access to the internet before. As a result, they are gorging on pornography.
— Gideon Rachman (@gideonrachman) November 5, 2024
* * * Mystery of a 2nd Sabotage Team (Google translate) Bild. The deck: “Too small! Too wobbly! Diving experts are certain: The 15-meter yacht “Andromeda” could not possibly have been the base for the massive Nord Stream sabotage.”
The New Great Game
Daily protests, repeat elections: what’s opposition’s plan in Georgia? JAM News
Georgia’s opposition announces daily protests as part of campaign of ‘resistance’ BNE Intellinews
2024
Election Aftermath: Notes on the ‘Grand Realignment’ Simplicius the Thinker
Bernie Sanders slams Democratic Party’s ‘disastrous’ campaign strategy following Harris’ loss Anadolu Strategy
Transcript of WION interview, 6 November 2024 Gilbert Doctorow
Against Hyping Civil War and Mass Violence RAND
Voted in America? This Site Doxed You 404 Media
* * *
Trump Transition
Election 2024: The sun rises on Trump’s resurgent MAGA era Axios
* * * Trump is Eyeing Iran Hawk Brian Hook as First Foreign Policy Pick Dropsite
Billionaire hedge fund manager lines himself up for Treasury secretary role FT
* * * The view from countries where Trump’s win really matters BBC
EU has wish list for Trump, but support for his tough China agenda will be expected South China Morning Post
* * * The US is about to make a sharp turn on climate policy MIT Technology Review
SEC Crypto Enforcement Slated for Major Rollback Under Trump Bloomberg
RFK Jr. says he won’t ‘take away anybody’s vaccines’ after Trump win The Hill.
Trump likely to uphold CHIPS Act despite his campaign rhetoric, experts say CNBC
Realignment and Legitimacy
US court reluctant to blow up Boy Scouts’ $2.46 billion sex abuse settlement Reuters
Fascism, from The Theory of Capitalist Development Paul Sweezy, MR Online (1942).
The Final Frontier
World’s 1st wooden satellite arrives at ISS for key orbital test Space.com
Digital Watch
Australia plans social media ban for under-16s BBC
Thousands of election gamblers anticipate betting jackpot after Trump win Reuters
Feral Hog Watch
Islands of the Feral Pigs Hakai Daily
Guillotine Watch
Class Warfare
Boeing Machinists End 53-Day Strike with 38 Percent Raise Labor Notes
Dozens of New York Times tech workers cross the picket line on Election Day Business Insider
Why even progressive US voters are America Firsters Middle East Eye
The Pleasure of Being Left Alone The Marginalian
Antidote du jour (Chuck Homler / FocusOnWildlife.Me ):
Bonus antidote:
Timeline cleanse. pic.twitter.com/PAI8UdMI2l
— cats with jobs 🛠 (@CatWorkers) November 6, 2024
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
WORKING BRAIN
(melody borrowed from Morning Train (Nine to Five) by Florie Palmer, as performed by Sheena Easton)
We all had plenty warnin’ now look where it has led
Harder times are dawnin’ you hear what I said?
Wars waged hell for leather a lot of people die
Wars to make things better—but that is just a lie
Those young soldiers look spiffy and happy to go fight
Though their future’s iffy they lock and load alright
I try to know just why, Lord above
Young men rush to die—and for what?
Old Donald lacks a working brain, his handlers view him with disdain
He’s boorish, vulgar, and mundane, he’ll find this job’s still boring
Old Donald lacks a working brain, he’ll soon see there’s a lot to gain
Sit back and play the Deep State game—let deficits go soaring!
His one and only duty is to do what money wants
Keep our wars advancing and be nonchalant
Be careful with his grifting, and delight
In graveyard whistling all the day and night
Old Donald lacks a working brain, his handlers view him with disdain
He’s boorish, vulgar, and mundane, he’ll find this job’s still boring
This world may sink or swim, he will profit handsomely
Things may be lookin’ grim—profits are all we see (profits all we see)
Presidents with no brains never ever get it right
Grabs his perks and private pay, tell the voters you’ll fight
Old Donald lacks a working brain, his handlers view him with disdain
He’s boorish, vulgar, and mundane, he’ll find this job’s still boring
Old Donald lacks a working brain, he’ll soon see there’s a lot to gain
Sit back and play the Deep State game—let deficits go soaring!
Old Donald lacks a working brain, his handlers view him with disdain
He’s boorish, vulgar, and mundane, he’ll find this job’s still boring
Old Donald lacks a working brain, he’ll soon see there’s a lot to gain
Thanks, Antifa! An excellent addition to the songbook.
I watched part of Old Donald’s “victory speech” and it was quite bizarre. Old Donald sounds more like my crazy Uncle at the Thanksgiving dinner table after a blowout meal, regaling us with tales of past glories.
A long, rambling riff on various random topics, including Musk, RFK Jr, and giving thanks to a lot of folks. He would bring others up to the mic to talk, including one random lady who looked like she was lost.
It’s going to be a fun ride for the next 4 years – buckle up.
4 years? There is a reason people retire in their 60s. The problems from the trail and the first administration are all there except four years on.
He looked normal for him at McDonald’s, but otherwise he looks like a lumbering old guy who is supposed to switch to working full time where he has to make decisions. His mother had severe osteoporosis at this age. Trump is a noted over eateries routinely golfs. With the sitting about to come, the Jabba comparisons will be everywhere.
Then there is the lifestyle swing that is occurring right now. “Musk or Vance: who is in charge?” will be here soon.
Bill Clinton’s lecturing comes to mind. He’s not even working, and he clearly can’t handle it when he used to be the I feel your pain guy.
Thank you, Lambert.
The only good thing Rachman has ever said is nyet after interviewing George Osborne for a job at the FT. Ossie, who was christened Gideon, but changed that to George in his teens*, had the last laugh, though. *Having decided on a career in (Tory) politics and needing to hide his Jewish origins.
‘Gideon Rachman
@gideonrachman
A usually reliable source tells me that the North Korean soldiers who have deployed to Russia have never had unfettered access to the internet before. As a result, they are gorging on pornography.’
This is the chief foreign affairs commentator for the Financial Times saying this. Just either making it up or spreading rumours. I believe I know the source of this story. An article came out a few months ago of how there was this totally isolated tribe in South America that got access to the internet and spent the whole time downloading pron. So somebody took this story, combined it with how little North Koreans can access the internet and voila – bs pie. Still waiting for proof of North Koreans in the Ukraine.
Back in the 60’s there was a rumor spread by John Birch Society that UN sponsored Mongolian bare-foot soldiers were deployed on American soil in the south west.
If you ask me, all these stories about North Korean forces have the same sort of odor.
Who needs proof when the facts have been set by the narrative creators. Trying to explain that there isn’t a shred of evidence to a team blue member only elicits that dreaded PMC stare.
If, as b at MoA says, the objective is to drag NATO troops to Ukraine something more than an idiotic tweet from “reliable sources” will be needed. The chief foreign affairs commentator on FT falling to such low commenting levels is itself noticeable.
https://www.politico.eu/article/pentagon-north-korean-troops-pornography-vladimir-putin-russia-war-in-ukraine/
US can’t confirm Putin’s North Koreans are ‘gorging on pornography’
The Pentagon late Tuesday said it was unable to confirm reports that North Korean troops are taking advantage of their more expansive internet access in Russia to consume copious amounts of online pornography.
Hey,
Remember when they tried to tell us that Joe Biden was the “new FDR”?
It turns out he was just the new Benjamin Harrison.
John Hollander’s delightful double dactyl has come to mind in recent months (from, forgive me, Wikipedia):
Higgledy piggledy,
Benjamin Harrison,
Twenty-third president
Was, and, as such,
Served between Clevelands and
Save for this trivial
Idiosyncrasy,
Didn’t do much.
Donald has history:
Tariffs and travesties
Covid and miseries
Landed on us
Now he’s in charge again
Already weighing in
World’s smallest violin
Concert can start
Not in my books after reading his Wikipedia entry. The guy was an actual dyed in the wool progressive and not the make believe ones that we have nowadays-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Harrison
> Sea ice alert Arctic News
>> It is worrying for slow growth to occur during La Niña conditions in 2024.
>> On November 3, 2024, global sea ice extent was 23.15 million km², a record low for the time of year and well below the 2023 extent at this time of year.
Daily Surface Air Temperatures are up a fifth of a degree C’ from the previous record, last year. Sea Surface Temperatures are tracking last years values instead of dropping down to previous years. Models didn’t predict it and I didn’t expect it.
Hurricane Raphael is the third hurricane to pop out of the Central American Gyre this year, entirely unprecedented. The previous two blew up to Cat 5. While Raphael is modeled to settle down in the middle of the Gulf, there’s warmth in the oven yet. Conditions aren’t great for a blow-up, but Janet and I have too many memories of storms expanding to fill the Gulf to be sanguine. Keep a weather eye out.
File under 2024 or T: I left this late last night on WC. I’m leaving it again because it’s the best thing I’ve read explaining the T win. Americans vote their pocketbook. The Dems refused to acknowledge anything is wrong on Main Street. Sounds right to me. In my nearly solidly blue uni town voting was way down this year according to published local stats.
From Jacobin magazine:
Democratic Party Elites Brought Us This Disaster
https://jacobin.com/2024/11/election-harris-trump-democrats-strategy
Would you believe that on the night of the election there were political pundits on TV saying that they could not understand why Trump had so much success with common people as after all, the economy was going so great and business was booming. I think that they actually believed it.
They still believe it. They have spent so many years getting to where they are by doing exactly this, which is only seeing what they have been told to see by their “betters” and it was going so well. It has to be the truth. And for some of them it really is true, their investments are going well, their house is worth double what they paid for it, and organic food is everywhere, not to mention that they have job opportunities everywhere.
Of course they believe it. How can the system be broken when I am prospering within it?
In other news, the 2024 Upton Sinclair Award for Blinkered Thinking in News Commentary has been canceled due to the 1,000-way tie for winner.
From linked Jacobin article:
Hanging over it all was the festering political sore that was Democratic support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Given the perfect chance to reset from an issue that had demoralized the party’s base, threatened its chances in Michigan, and thrust the world into roiling chaos, Harris chose to squander it, loyally lining up behind the despicable and unpopular blank-check policy of the man the party had just ousted as unfi
Curious how Jacobin has been covering Genocide in Gaza, I stopped reading them when they went whole hog into CV19 Vax Mandate.
>Bernie Sanders slams Democratic Party’s ‘disastrous’ campaign strategy following Harris’ loss Anadolu Strategy
“Will the big money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign? Probably not,” he said.
Will he “learn any real lessons” from his betrayal to his supporters? The easiest thing to lose and hardest to regain is one’s trust. He is a spent used up politician, a debased coin, that carries no value for me. A recent event that he held with AOC brought out a couple of hundred supporters. In years gone by he could fill a stadium, I know I attended and financially contributed to both his campaigns, I feel he acted as a Judas goat.
If I’m not mistaken the final scene and final circle of hell in Dante’s inferno describes a Satan with three heads, in the mouth of one of them is Judas, the second Brutus, and the third, I forgot…
Saint Bernard of the Green Mountains with his extraordinary insight, courage, and integrity tells us the glaringly fambloging obvious the day after the election. Helpful. Real helpful.
His easy capitation to Biden’s right-wing authority was central to exterminating the left-populist agenda. Now he comes to scold the party. Not exactly a lesson in courage.
I believe it was Stoller who said the reason Bernie wouldn’t take on Biden was that when Bernie became senator Biden was nice to him. “To think outside the box you have to be outside the box” (quoting myself). The fence straddling Sanders wants to be a middle class revolutionary.
Which is the problem with the Democrats in general. No callouses on their hands. They are big on virtue signalling while enjoying all those Republican and–irony–Trump tax cuts.
Meanwhile an article on Trump’s intentions yesterday seemed all bad on the domestic front and uncertain on the foreign. Won’t tariffs with no domestic industries to replace merely fuel the inflation he was supposed to fight? The public have delivered their ballot box rebuke to the elites. When will we ever have a political movement that will do more than that?
> to replace merely fuel the inflation he was supposed to fight?
Higher prices with no increase in wages and reduced product availability sounds like a recipe for “reduced consumption”.
Maybe it’s a surreptitious de-growth strategy.
/s
RE: Bernie Sanders slams Democratic Party’s ‘disastrous’ campaign strategy following Harris’ loss
Wait, what??? The same Bernie who kept his mouth shut like a good little boy during the whole Biden, then Harris, campaign? The same Bernie who endorsed Harris and called her a “progressive”?
Hey Bernie, you were part of that disastrous campaign!
Just wondering what Mossad has on Bernie because none of this makes sense. They is not a signle brave soul in the Democratic Party.
He’s not even in the Democratic Party. It’s possible someone can blackmail him but maybe he just wants to not suffer the social indignities that Nader had to put up with. Maybe he’s just that kind of coward. It wouldn’t be surprising or any better morally.
He is definitely made out of a different stuff than Norman Finkelstein…
Lena from yesterday: He is not perfect, not the messiah we might have wanted him to be, but in the main, I thank him for the work he has done.
There is NOT ONE POLITICIAN who has done as much to show our younger adults how to ORGANIZE for political change. They shanked him not once but TWICE. They barred his supporters from the building. He is the ONLY national politician to prove an alternate route than MAGA for a major change.
Both Hersh and Taibbi have mentioned They will threaten your family. I read (unconfirmed) his wife was threatened. Despite that, he laid the road for a third party, and potholes don’t get filled until they’re already there.
Before trashing what he’s done, show me the alternative. To whom does he compare?
“To whom does he compare?”
Suggestion: start looking for role models OUTSIDE the USA.
“Both Hersh and Taibbi have mentioned They will threaten your family. I read (unconfirmed) his wife was threatened. ”
We need leaders who, when threatened (like being shot at), will raise a first in the air yelling FIGHT, and not shrink away and endorse the Corporate Tools.
Sanders does not show what it means to truly sacrifice oneself, and that is what he is failing to show younger adults.
And you want an example of another leader doing way more than Sanders take a look at Kshama Sawant:
https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/do-not-vote-for-those-who-support
I don’t agree. All he did was say politically popular things, which is easy. Even Trump could manage that. Political organization for results requires being ready to take your faction to a third party and be a spoiler. Only that threat, and it must be real, gives you any leverage. And you have to accept the consequences of causing the Republicans to win by splitting the vote and being a pariah. Sanders did none of this. He confirmed for the younger generation that party discipline is unassailable.
Bernie’s wife was President of Goddard College in VT, a progressive institution, which ran into financial difficulties. Much hay* was made by personalizing these problems and blaming Jane Sanders – I imagine that if threats were made, they involved federal investigations and charges which would distract, destroy, and impoverish the Sanders. SO I agree, it does appear that the gangsters who run the Dem party went after Bernie by attacking his wife. He certainly has been toeing the line since!
* if you want more detail, the vermont digger is an excellent source.
“There is NOT ONE POLITICIAN who has done as much to show our younger adults how to ORGANIZE for political change. They shanked him not once but TWICE. ”
I worked the GOTV in 2016 for Sanders and donated money both times he ran. When he got the shaft and rolled over instead of taking a stand by going third party in 2020 I knew he was not going to be the one to change things. I think he was worried about his reputation and afraid of being labeled a “Nader” by allowing Trump to win in 2020. Well here we are…
“Trump advised to freeze war in Ukraine, but has yet to make decision – WSJ”
There are so many stupid suggestions by Neocons and the like and I wonder if Trump can tell when somebody is trying to bs him. Why would Russia agree to let the Ukraine join NATO in 20 years? That only guarantees a new war when a new generation of Ukrainians has grown up – which is why the 20 year delay. And they are already saying that in the meantime they would arm the Ukraine to the hilt. And why would Russia just take the West’s word on any agreement at all as they never keep any agreements? Freezing the conflict solves nothing for Russia so will be refused. A DMZ won’t work either as whose troops will patrol it? Trump say the Europeans but Russia has zero trust in them as they are a party to this war. You think that Trump would accept Chinese troops? Maybe even North Korean troops? Trump says that he will force Russia to negotiate or else he will sanction them. Realistically, what else is there left to sanction? He might offer sanction relief but what would be the point if they could be snapped back at a time of Washington’s convenience like they did with Iran? And Pompeo is pushing for a deal that doesn’t appear to give a major win to Moscow. Good luck with that one, pal.
Rut-roh, Shaggy. The worm-tongued neo-con Trump whisperers are gathering.
Russia’s best bet is to create some “facts on the ground” before Jan. 21.
You know, like rolling up to the Dnipr.
I wonder if Trump stands a chance of gaining accurate information about the state of the war. He can’t make informed choices without it. The word “freeze” in the headline suggests that AFU can defend existing lines.
If Trumps appoints Tulsi Gabbard as SecDef or SecState, then I know that he really learned from his near-death experience.
Pompeo II = Trump still stinks as a HR decider
WSJ wants to believe the POTUS gets to decide on freezing the war.
Hasn’t that ship sailed?
Seems like the Russians will settle it on their terms, and there’s really not much Trump or NATO can do about that.
Of course, US-NATO can escalate… and watch European capitals start getting hit with hypersonic missiles.
That’s just the Overton window shifting slowly.
re: Israel, Blackmail & the Presidents Consortium News
I really appreciate Sam Husseini doing much of the legwork connecting the dots for something I had suspected, that Epstein was at least spook adjacent. My angle had been that nobody has so many wildly different and wildly successful financial specializations in such a short timeframe without outside help, and some of those specilizations (recovering embezzled funds internationally) would have needed state-level intervention. This piece adds a whole other dimension I hadn’t even considered.
Would someone please comment on Simplicius’ “proof” that the 2020 election was stolen? I usually ignore what he says about domestic politics, but it’s doozy time, roughly 12 M excess Dem votes, using Obama as a baseline:
Population growth and turnout in safe states. It’s actually not that complicated. Campaigns and platforms matter. Canceling student debt is more likely to motivate non voters than Hillary is your abuela.
Millennials were a large population unlike gen x, and the Population that was under 25 in 2008 would represent nearly all of them.
When you consider Obama in 2008 was a turnout not a persuasion campaign, it’s a growth of 11.5 million in 12 years when the the voting age population grew by double that change. So not particularly complicated.
I’ve seen this making its rounds on my Twitter feed and took a snap shot and filed under “vereee interesting.”
But I did notice 6 data points separated by four year cycles with little if any context, polling, population, opponent totals, ages of the electorate, and the impact of the electoral college.
Then you look at the Senate maps and house gerrymandering in house districts.
I notice that they mailed ballots to almost everyone who was registered to vote in 2020.
That tells me that there seems to be a big impediment to voting, especially on election day.
What did you learn?
in 2020 a lot of (most? maybe all?) states – even the deepest red ones – allowed for mail-in ballots and in some states sent them to registered voters without the voters needing to request them. In states where mail-in is the standard (like Washington State), during election years, turnout is usually in the 85%+ range. In states where mail-in was only widespread in 2020, like Texas, the turnout normally is only around 45% but jumped to 65%+ that year.
(Caveat: I am not 100% certain how widespread mail-in ballots were in Texas in 2020 as I am not a voter there. I have in the past been a voter in Washington state and am familiar with their normal mail in voting process.)
Most states that expanded mail voting sent ballot applications, not ballots.
This report only goes through 2022, so there may have been subsequent changes.
“In January 2020, prior to COVID-19, five states used mostly-mail elections: Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington. In time for the November 2020 election, California, Nevada, Vermont and the District of Columbia temporarily joined this group and mailed ballots to all active voters. By November 2022, three states (California, Nevada and Vermont) and the District of Columbia had adopted mostly-mail elections as permanent policy.
In January 2020, no states had policies to mail absentee/mail ballot applications to all registered voters…In time for the 2020 general election, 12 states (Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico by county choice, Ohio, Rhode Island and Wisconsin) had temporarily changed their policies and mailed absentee/mail ballot applications to all registered voters. By November 2022, all states that had mailed absentee/mail ballot applications in 2020 had reverted to their previous policies of not automatically sending out absentee/mail ballot applications; the changes in 2020 were indeed temporary changes.”
https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/the-evolution-of-absentee-mail-voting-laws-2020-through-2022
Texas has very limited eligibility for mail voting. I recall reports of how difficult this made things for people in 2020, so I don’t think these eligibility requirements were expanded for that year, but that’s only a recollection.
https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/voter/reqabbm.shtml
“In states where mail-in is the standard (like Washington State), during election years, turnout is usually in the 85%+ range.”
Nope. Not even close in WA. Turnout this cycle was 20 pts higher than in 2022 but still in the 60-70% range.
According to Wikipedia 128.8M votes in 2016 represents a turnout of 60.1% and 155.5M votes in 2020 represents a turnout of 66.6%. There’s nothing inherently suspicious about a turnout of 66% – a level, by the way, that other Western countries routinely achieve – in an election where voting was made enormously more convenient by the easy availability of postal votes.
honestly, Trump not being in office in 2021 saved his legacy and MAGA
Trump would not have changed any of Biden’s fumbles (except maybe the afhganistan withdrawal).
Inflation was in the system even before Biden’s IRA bill passed, the Fed had to reverse zero interest rates, Trump would be led by the DC establishment into a Ukraine war, and anti-Russia sanction driven inflation.
In an alternate universe in which Trump won 2020, a generic wet-noodle Democrat (Newsom) would have run against Pence…and Pence would get mauled.
“Trump would be led by the DC establishment into a Ukraine war, and anti-Russia sanction driven inflation.”
I don’t think we know that. The Ukraine disaster was much more a Blinken/Sullivan/spawn of Albright result. Putin invaded because his interlocutors were “not agreement capable” whereas Trump fancies himself the big deal artist. The neocons around him were much more interested in going after Iran. Trump’s scorn for NATO makes him a more dubious Atlanticist.
in addition to everyone’s comments… don-t forget in 2020, the Normie Voter just wanted a return to normalcy. Biden promised that
Generic Old White Guy in charge, not an iconoclast. Normies reasonably had Trump fatigue. Normies still had faith in “The System”
“United States President Joe Biden plans to rush billions of dollars in security assistance to Ukraine before he leaves office in January, reports say, hoping to shore up the government in Kyiv before Donald Trump returns to the White House.“-
“$2bn in funding for new weapons purchases.“
Just a sigh from me. Places here ravaged by the hurricanes; people across the ocean dying from genocide. Weapons are such a sink.
A report from RT says-
‘The White House intends to expedite up to $9 billion in new military aid in a last-ditch effort to arm Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January, according to sources in the outgoing administration.’
https://www.rt.com/news/607256-biden-rush-ukraine-aid/
Trump could cause a lot of damage to the Democrats by publishing exactly how much money has been sent to aid the Ukrainians, both officially and unofficially.
re: “people were ravaged by hurricanes”
And left to their own devices or worse in their recovery efforts. I think that explains the North Carolina and Georgia vote this year. / my 2 cents
See also eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania after the East Palestine, Ohio train wreck and toxic cloud release.
Long serving Ohio Dem Senator Sherrod Brown lost his re-election race.
NC and Georgia are similar in that both have urban islands surrounded by a much more conservative remainder. A Harris win in NC was never in the cards IMO. I believe the map shows that Asheville did go for Harris but all the surrounding areas did not.
>Even Donald Trump Can’t Afford to Lose the Ukraine War – FP
Ideally, his plan should not involve Ukraine giving up territory that has been captured by Russia over the course of the war. Nor should it be based on empty promises from Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he has a history of making.
“Can’t afford to Lose!?” What would “winning” look like? If ever there was a case of projection FP embodies it in the statement about “empty promises.” Who believes this tripe?
“giving up territory captured by Russia”
You can’t give up something you’ve already lost … McFly?
Presumably they mean “recognize as part of Russia”. Part of the face-saving spin would be to insist that one day Ukraine will be able to reunite in the fashion of West and East Germany.
There is still some of Donetsk under nominal Ukrainian control. Luhansk is toast. Kherson is the most likely to end up in a split due to the geography. Looks like the Russians are launching a big Zaphorizhe offensive, so that’s likely gone by the time Trump is sworn in.
You know, they were talking about that exactly just a few weeks ago. That a divided Ukraine would be reunited just like Germany was once. Of course part of that line is that eastern Ukraine would become part of NATO so when it reunited, all of it would be in Ukraine so the Ukraine would win then after all. Yeah, nah!
Part of the job for the neo-cons is going to be manufacturing a plausible narrative for how they really didn’t lose the war in Ukraine—so, keeping hope alive that someday down the road that territory will be re-united is definitely in the playbook.
The problem is that we live in a physical world, and all that coal, steel plants, etc. will be resources for Russia, not Blackrock.
They have been talking about reuniting like Germany for months, but are moving onto reuniting like Korea talk.
>Mystery of a 2nd Sabotage Team
No mystery at all, nothing but pure mis/disinformation to give wiggle room to corrupt/bought/compromised German politicians.
The really amazing thing is that this appeared in a German publication as they are much worse at truth telling than US publications. Mind you, it took over two years to find out what every professional diver knew – that it was more likely that the SS Minnow blew up NS2 than the yacht Andromeda but hey, better late than never.
Not to minimize the abuse suffered by some boys at the hands of adult Scouts, but it’s my opinion the settlement essentially destroying the organization and forcing it into bankruptcy threw the baby out with the bathwater. The better solution? Dunno above my pay grade, but a $2460-million dollar fine for a boys social organization seems over the top. What’s more, how do you possibly quantify who gets a $3500 payout versus a $2.7M payout?
Honestly? The whole plan is crazy and does a disservice to everyone whilst trying to impose what can’t be fixed since money won’t erase the memory. And where were the parents? I have two scout age boys at home and I notice so many things about their actions and behaviors that I wonder how parents can possibly NOT notice a change in theirs kids, e.g. become withdrawn, reticent about talking about their experience . . . like nothing, nobody noticed a freaking a thing in the kids until decades later? And now with money on the table we have 82,000 victims? Bull.
“Not to minimize the abuse suffered by some boys”
PROCEEDS TO MINIMIZE THE ABUSE SUFFERED BY SOME BOYS
Bomb Iran
Sung to the tune of “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top
No clean shirts
War flu, the frontline isn’t where they’re going to
Silk suit, F-35 (thirty five!)
And they don’t need a reason why
They come running just as fast as they can
Cuz every neocon-crazy wants to bomb Iran
Tomahawks, Boeing, heat-seeking missiles dont miss a single thing
Liz Cheney, Lindsay Graham, when they “chimp out” we’ll all be eating spam
They beat war drums just as hard as they can
Cuz every neocon-crazy wants to bomb Iran
[Guitar break]
Top gun wannabes
But dontcha worry; draft boards they’ll never see
Switchblades, no doves
Lookin’ sharp, killin’ for love
They’re psycho killers with blood on their hands
Cause every neo-con crazy ’bout a war with Iran!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wRHBLwpASw
Just saw this (via X/Twitter)
So it was Kamala’s brother-in-law, Tony West, who steered campaign messaging and outreach towards the whole awkward Mark Cuban and Silicon Valley squillionaire direction. I did find it odd that Harris would put out ads effectively saying that “Trump works for billionaires, but I’ll work for you” while the campaign was using Cuban as a mouthpiece. No wonder that message fell with a thud. Few believed her, and they were right.