Feb 022025
 


Pablo Picasso Les Demoiselles d’Avignon 1907

 

Musk Reveals Treasury Has Been Auto-Paying Everyone, ‘Even Known Terrorists’ (ZH)
USAID Website and X Account Go Dark (RT)
Trump’s Overhaul of Federal Bureaucracy Backed by Recent Survey Research (RCW)
US Federal Workers Told To Remove Pronouns From Email Signatures (RT)
NYT, NBC, NPR, Politico Evicted From Pentagon Press Offices (ZH)
Chuck Schumer Is Now Under Federal Investigation (Margolis)
Ric Grenell Scores Big Win For Trump In Venezuela (ZH)
Border Encounters Plummet 94% Under Trump (ZH)
Mexico Announces Retaliation Against US (RT)
Canada Strikes Back With Tariffs (RT)
Musk Sank $288 Million Into Trump Campaign – WaPo (RT)
Can Trump Make A Peace Deal With Putin? (SCF)
White House Wants Zelensky To Hold Elections – Trump Envoy (RT)
The Chihuahua Energy Policy: It’s a Gas, Gas, Gas (Pepe Escobar)
Russia and China Boost NVIDIA Performance 800-Fold (Sp.)
Norway Clears Russian-Crewed Ship In Sabotage Probe (RT)
Global Green Spending Is Falling Short of Net Zero Targets (OP)

 

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/i/status/1885451352819560698

AfD
https://twitter.com/i/status/1885741075509252315

 

 

 

 

What a story…: “..a handful of career officials within the Bureau of the Fiscal Service” … control “the US government’s payment system”, which includes Social Security, Medicare, federal salaries, payments to government contractors, tax refunds, grant recipients, and more. No payment is ever refused, and $6 trillion per year is disbursed this way. The Treasury Department’s highest-ranking career official flees the scene when Musk comes close.

I would take a good look at these guys’ bank accounts and other assets over the past 10 years. And it looks like DOGE can find a lot of savings here.

Musk Reveals Treasury Has Been Auto-Paying Everyone, ‘Even Known Terrorists’ (ZH)

Update (0942ET): Well, well, well – DOGE moves into the Treasury, triggering their longest-serving, highest-ranked career official to quit in a huff, and they find that department has essentially been auto-paying everyone, according to Elon Musk. “The @DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups,” said Musk in a Friday night tweet. “They literally never denied a payment in their entire career.”

***
The Treasury Department’s highest-ranking career official quit after a clash with aides of Elon Musk over access to sensitive payment systems, according to the Washington Post, citing (of course), three anonymous sources. David A. Lebryk, a decades-long Treasury official who President Trump named as acting secretary upon taking office last week, announced his retirement in a Friday email to colleagues. According to the report, Lebryk had a dispute with Musk surrogates over access to the US government’s payment system used to disburse trillions of dollars every year. [Imagine Musk and team uncover decades of improper payments and shady dealings?] The Musk surrogates are affiliated with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and have been asking since the election for access to the system, according to the report. The requests were reiterated after Trump’s inauguration.

After Trump pick Scott Bessent was confirmed as Treasury Secretary on Monday, Lebryk ceased to be acting agency head. The payment system in question is run by a handful of career officials within the Bureau of the Fiscal Service – which controls the flow of more than $6 trillion annually to households, businesses, and other entities nationwide – and includes Social Security, Medicare, federal salaries, payments to government contractors, tax refunds, grant recipients, and more. The clash is the latest incident involving career ‘deep state’ bureaucrats vs. the Trump administration. And of course, WaPo, the CIA’s favorite tentacle, frames it as follows:

“The clash reflects an intensifying battle between Musk and the federal bureaucracy as the Trump administration nears the conclusion of its second week. Musk has sought to exert sweeping control over the inner workings of the U.S. government, installing longtime surrogates at several agencies, including the Office of Personnel Management, which essentially handles federal human resources, and the General Services Administration, which manages real estate. (Musk was seen on Thursday visiting GSA, according to two other people familiar with his whereabouts, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal matters. That visit was first reported by the New York Times.) His Department of Government Efficiency, originally conceived as a nongovernmental panel, has since replaced the U.S. Digital Service.”

Translation: “Unfortunately for the career bureaucrats, Trump signed an executive order instructing all agencies to ensure DOGE has “full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems, and IT systems,” which appear to include the Treasury payment systems. Musk has previously slammed rising national debt as an existential threat to the country, while DOGE has already made progress in rooting out bullshit programs established by Democrat administrations.

Read more …

“About 98 percent of USAID grants pay for activities and not results..”

USAID operates like the typical NGO of today. A vehicle to ‘silently’ dole out money. Ukrainian media are fully dependent on such vehicles, to name an example.

USAID Website and X Account Go Dark (RT)

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) website has gone offline following an executive order by President Donald Trump that pauses most American foreign aid programs for three months to reassess US overseas spending. The website became inaccessible on Saturday afternoon, displaying a message stating that the “server IP address could not be found.” Later that day, the agency’s X account also disappeared. The outage follows reports that the Trump administration is considering placing USAID under the control of the State Department. Last week, Trump signed an executive order freezing most US foreign aid for 90 days, citing the need for a comprehensive review of how funds are allocated.

The order states that “billions of taxpayer dollars flow to programs that do not serve American interests and, in many cases, actively work against them.” The White House has framed the move as part of Trump’s “America First” policy, aimed at cutting wasteful spending and redirecting resources toward domestic priorities. USAID, which oversees humanitarian and development programs abroad, has been significantly impacted. The agency spent over $60 billion on foreign assistance in 2023 alone. On Friday, Reuters reported that the Trump administration is planning to strip USAID of its independence and place it under the control of the State Department. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the National Security Council has hosted meetings on the issue, and legal options are being explored for Trump to issue an executive order formalizing the merger.

Some officials believe the order could be signed as early as this weekend. Photographs of USAID headquarters reviewed by Reuters showed that signs bearing the agency’s official seal had already been removed. Critics have condemned the proposed reorganization, with Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warning that such a move could face legal challenges. “A president cannot eliminate an appropriated federal agency by executive order. That’s what a despot – who wants to steal the taxpayers’ money to enrich his billionaire cabal – does,” Murphy wrote in a post on X on Friday. US-based billionaire Elon Musk, who is advising Trump on downsizing the federal government, reacted by saying: “Live by executive order, die by executive order.”

USAID was created in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy through an executive order, consolidating various foreign assistance programs under one agency. Its mission has been to promote economic growth, respond to humanitarian crises, and advance U.S. national security interests globally. However, the agency has faced growing criticism over its effectiveness, with experts questioning whether its assistance programs achieve their intended goals. “About 98 percent of USAID grants pay for activities and not results,” Walter Kerr, co-executive director of Unlock Aid, said earlier this month. “Less than 10 percent of our foreign assistance dollars flowing through USAID is actually reaching those communities.”

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“..just 45% of Federal Government Managers would follow a legal order from President Trump if they thought the order was bad policy, and instead would do what they thought was right.”

Trump’s Overhaul of Federal Bureaucracy Backed by Recent Survey Research (RCW)

Since returning to office for a second term, President Trump has taken aggressive action to overhaul the federal bureaucracy. After a week in office some of Trump actions towards federal workers include: removing employment protections for civil servants, firing 17 inspectors general, reassigning career officials in the Department of Justice, sending home 160 staffers from the National Security Agency and firing the lawyers at the Department of Justice who prosecuted Trump under special counsel Jack Smith. Trump’s efforts have been met with hostility and criticism from the media and predictably from his political opposition. Opinionist Phillip Bump at the Washington Post writes Trump’s actions are “a sharp disruption of how the government works.” Bump laments that “Trump is clearly interested in…seeding loyalists throughout the executive branch.”

At Axios, Zachary Basu and Dave Lawler explain that Trump is “transform[ing] the federal bureaucracy into an army of loyalists.” Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who represents 140,000 federal workers in Virginia, told reporters “This gleeful hatred of the federal workforce will lead to nothing good. “But are Trump’s efforts to transform the government workforce justified by a real concern that his policy platforms–which earned him a presidential victory–will be thwarted by anonymous bureaucrats? Recent survey research suggests Trump is right to be concerned. Napolitan Institute found that just 45% of Federal Government Managers would follow a legal order from President Trump if they thought the order was bad policy and instead would do what they thought was right.

Among managers who voted for Kamala Harris that figure jumps to nearly three-quarters (69%.) The survey also found a majority (52%) of the federal managerial class voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Those current survey results are consistent with events that developed in the first Trump Administration, where we learned how bureaucratic opinions on “right” policy interfered with the power of the duly elected executive officer. Former diplomat Jim Jeffrey revealed that his team routinely mislead the Trump Administration after the president had ordered the withdrawal of troops from Syria. “What Syria withdrawal? There was never a Syria withdrawal,” Jeffrey said. “When the situation in northeast Syria had been fairly stable after we defeated ISIS, [Trump] was inclined to pull out. In each case, we then decided to come up with five better arguments for why we needed to stay. And we succeeded both times. That’s the story.”

“We were always playing shell games to not make clear to our leadership how many troops we had there,” Jeffrey said in an interview.While Jeffrey’s revelation came after Trump had left office from his first term, there was a real time revelation of a policy conflict between President Trump and the “interagency consensus” that would become foundation of the first Trump impeachment.The policy difference originated from a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when Trump requested Zelensky open an investigation into possible corruption at the Burisma energy company before receiving a military aid package. Trump’s 2020 election opponent Joe Biden’s son was on the board of Burisma. A central part of the subsequent impeachment case was testimony from Lt. Alexander Vindman (ret.), who had been detailed to the National Security Council and present for the phone call.

Vindman explained in his opening statement to the House impeachment committee he was concerned the president chose to wield his executive authority in a way that was at odds with the “interagency consensus.” Vindman testified “…a false narrative of Ukraine inconsistent with the consensus views of the interagency,” Vindman said in his opening statement. “This narrative was harmful to U.S. government policy. While my interagency colleagues and I were becoming increasingly optimistic on Ukraine’s prospects, this alternative narrative undermined U.S. government efforts to expand cooperation with Ukraine.” But Vindman and the “interagency consensus” have no authority to determine or execute their interpretation of U.S. government policy or in other words, “do what they thought was right.”

The New York Times editorial board supported and encouraged the usurpation of executive authority in favor of the “right” bureaucratic opinion by praising the government bureaucracy overriding or ignoring President Trump’s lawful authority. “…patriotic public servants — career diplomats, scientists, intelligence officers and others…have somehow remembered that their duty is to protect the interests, not of a particular leader, but of the American people.” There is no way to know exactly how extensive bureaucratic resistance interfered with Trump’s ability to govern in his first term, but we do know 46% of current Federal Government Managers would ignore the legal order of President Trump and instead do what was “right.” Trump is making the correct move to overhaul the federal bureaucracy in order to deliver on the campaign promises that got him back in office.

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How did we ever get here?

US Federal Workers Told To Remove Pronouns From Email Signatures (RT)

Employees at US federal agencies have been ordered to remove pronouns from their email signatures, according to internal memos obtained by several media outlets. The directive reportedly cites two presidential executive orders seeking to curb diversity and equity programs across the government.On his first day back in office, US President Donald Trump repealed 78 executive orders signed by his predecessor, Joe Biden. They included several measures to protect transgender rights and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The orders also set a 60-day timeframe for federal agencies and departments to cease DEI-related practices.The memos on removing pronouns from signatures reportedly set Friday afternoon as the deadline.

“Pronouns and any other information not permitted in the policy must be removed from CDC/ATSDR employee signatures by 5 p.m. ET on Friday,” ABC News cited one such message as saying. It was sent to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees on Friday morning. The outlet reported that a similar notice urging the removal of DEI “language in Federal discourse, communications, and publications” had been received by federal employees with the Department of Energy and the Department of Transportation on Thursday.

Several federal government agency websites, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the Census Bureau, temporarily went down on Friday, according to The Guardian. Some pages displayed as blank before reappearing later that day. The British newspaper noted that the Bureau of Prisons had renamed a webpage called “inmate gender” to “inmate sex” and stopped displaying a list of trans inmates. Donald Trump declared in his inaugural address on January 1 that the US would officially recognize only two genders. ‘Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government’, one of the orders signed by the president later that day, states that “there are only two genders, male and female,” and orders agencies to update official documents such as passports and visas in accordingly.

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Legacy no more: “The Trump White House will speak to all media outlets and personalities, not just the legacy media that are seated in this room..”

NYT, NBC, NPR, Politico Evicted From Pentagon Press Offices (ZH)

The innumerable consequences of the 2024 election keep gushing forth at a pace that’s hard to keep up with. Here’s a new gem: On Friday evening, the Department of Defense told The New York Times, NBC News, National Public Radio and Politico that they have two weeks to vacate their long-held and treasured offices inside the Pentagon. Three of their four replacements skew decidedly to the Trump-friendly sector of the political spectrum: the New York Post, One America News Network and Breitbart. Throwing a bone to leftists, HuffPost news snagged Politico’s old slot. The Pentagon Press Association said it was “greatly troubled by this unprecedented move by DOD to single out highly professional media.”

The short-notice evictions from the hallowed “Correspondents’ Corridor” spring from the launch of a “new annual media rotation program for [the] Pentagon Press Corps,” according to a memorandum sent by DOD spokesman John Ullyot on Friday and posted by CNN Pentagon correspondent Haley Britzky. The program seeks to “broaden access to the limited space…to outlets that have not previously enjoyed the privilege and journalist value of working from physical office space in the Pentagon,” said Ullyot. The booted outlets will retain their status as full members of the Pentagon Press Corps, entitled to attend briefings and be considered for travel with officials. “The only change will be giving up their physical workspaces in the building to allow new outlets to have their turn to become resident members of the Pentagon Press Corps,” wrote Ullyot.

Make no mistake: Those physical workspaces are a big deal. “Kicking out reporters HURTS coverage. If you can’t file your stories from inside the building you are disadvantaged. If you don’t have a work space you are disadvantaged,” wrote former Pentagon Press Corps VP Kevin Baron on X. That commentary was part of a thread condemning the development as “the erasure of journalism at the Pentagon.” The Pentagon Press Corps comprises more than two dozen outlets. The program calls for one outlet from each press medium to rotate from the premises every year. As if Breitbart’s invitation into the Pentagon weren’t enough to outrage establishment media types, the fact that it’s taking the “radio” slot from NPR only compounded the indignation. In a Friday night article, CNN’s Brian Stelter called foul:

“Breitbart – a well-known web site for pro-Trump coverage and commentary – barely has a radio operation of its own. The word ‘radio’ doesn’t appear on its home page at all. The media outlet has a distribution deal with SiriusXM and one big podcast, Breitbart News Daily. Its footprint pales in comparison to NPR, which provides news coverage for local stations all across the country.” In another hilarious, leftist-pummeling swap, One America News Network will be sliding into NBC’s slot. Expressing sympathetic disbelief, CNN’s Britzky emphasized that NBC “has an entire booth w/ cameras etc.” NBC News promised to soldier on, telling Reuters, “We’re disappointed by the decision to deny us access to a broadcasting booth at the Pentagon that we’ve used for many decades. Despite the significant obstacles this presents to our ability to gather and report news in the national public interest, we will continue to report with the same integrity and rigor NBC News always has.”

For the many Americans who are still angry about legacy media’s aggressive role in working to derail Trump’s 2020 re-election bid, Politico’s punishment is perhaps the most satisfying. The outlet took the lead in spreading the consequential, Deep State lie that Hunter Biden’s “laptop from hell” — first reported by the New York Post — was part of a Russian misinformation scheme. That lie helped ignite unprecedented censorship of the Post’s coverage. Fittingly, the Post — the country’s longest-running newspaper — is among the outlets graduating to space in the Pentagon.

“The National Press Club is deeply concerned by the Defense Department’s decision to remove certain media organizations from their dedicated spaces in the Pentagon,” club president Mike Balsamo said in a statement. “Any action that restricts the ability of journalists to report on the operations of the U.S. government should alarm all who value transparency and press freedom.” Balsamo pointed to the Pentagon press corps’ history of “diversity,” yet the announced swaps inarguably increase viewpoint diversity. The Pentagon’s shot across the bow of legacy media follows Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s announcement that the White House will significantly broaden media access, with an emphasis on alternative media. “The Trump White House will speak to all media outlets and personalities, not just the legacy media that are seated in this room,” she said in her first press conference. Never a dull moment in Trump II: The Revenge. What’s next?

Read more …

“I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh: You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price,” Schumer said to a chorus of cheers..

Chuck Schumer Is Now Under Federal Investigation (Margolis)

Interim D.C. U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. has made a bold move, dismissing about 30 federal prosecutors involved in the Capitol riot cases. This decision, announced on Friday, signals a significant housecleaning of the top prosecutor’s office in Washington, D.C., as Martin gears up to purge partisans who weaponized the Justice Department against Joe Biden’s political enemies, including Trump, pro-life activists, and others. But he’s also taken another bold step, effectively launching an investigation into Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer over comments he made back in March 2020 during a #MyRightMyDecision rally outside the Supreme Court. During the rally, Schumer blatantly threatened Trump-appointed Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch over their potential votes in the first abortion case before the Supreme Court with the new conservative majority.

“I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh: You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price,” Schumer said to a chorus of cheers. “You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.” According to 18 U.S. Code ß/ 115, whoever threatens a federal official, with intent to impede, intimidate, or interfere with such official, judge, or law enforcement officer while engaged in the performance of official duties, or with intent to retaliate against such official, judge, or law enforcement officer on account of the performance of official duties, shall be punished by a fine or imprisonment of as much as ten years. Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, has been calling on Schumer to be federally prosecuted for years. “Schumer should have been (and should be) criminally prosecuted for his threats targeting two Supreme Court justices,” Fitton wrote.

“If I had said that, I’d have two U.S. marshals in my office, or frankly, probably in my home in the least, questioning me, questioning my family, questioning everyone here at Judicial Watch,” he said back in 2022. “Anyone else I had talked to about that threat on the Supreme Court, Justice Roberts responded, rightly so, said that type of language is dangerous.” “We take threats against public officials very seriously. I look forward to your cooperation,” Martin wrote Schumer in a letter obtained by the Washington Post.

According to the Post, while Martin’s actions are “likely to be welcomed by Trump and allies, who assert they were unfairly targeted by the past administration,” but “career prosecutors who have served under presidents of both parties say Martin is politicizing the office and potentially breaking with 50 years of Justice Department policy and practice intended to shield criminal prosecutions from political considerations.” That’s cute. I wonder what those “career prosecutors” had to say about the various cases the Biden administration launched against Donald Trump.

Read more …

Grenell truly is a special envoy. When the going gets tough…

Ric Grenell Scores Big Win For Trump In Venezuela (ZH)

Update (1815ET): The government of Venezuela has agreed not only to release six detained Americans, who arrived home Friday evening with Trump envoy Richard Grenell, the Maduro government has will take back tens of thousands of migrants, President Trump said on Saturday. “It is so good to have the Venezuela Hostages back home, and, very important to note, that Venezuela has agreed to receive, back into their Country, all Venezuela illegal aliens who were encamped in the U.S.,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding that Venezuela would take back members of the Tren de Aragua transnational gang that has recently expanded into America from various Latin American countries. According to the WSJ, Maduro’s government will provide transport for its citizens to return.”This is good news for all who care about ensuring that Venezuelans with removal orders actually get sent home,” said Kevin Whitaker, a former U.S. ambassador to Colombia who also had served as deputy chief of mission in Venezuela.

* * *
More of the Trump effect: six imprisoned Americans have been freed by Venezuela after President Trump’s envoy Richard Grenell visited the country this week. They were released and flown home on a State Dept. aircraft on Friday. “Just been informed that we are bringing six hostages home from Venezuela,” Trump announced on social media. “Thank you to Ric Grenell and my entire staff. Great job!” This comes amid reports of some significant behind-the-scenes deal-making with Venezuela, as Washington demands the Latin American country receive back illegal migrants in the US.The six men were not named, but previously the White House had called on Venezuela to release what it dubbed “US hostages” or else suffer consequences. Grenell had reportedly met directly with President Maduro.

At least nine people with American citizenship or residency had been detained in Venezuela, after authorities accused them of planning to kill President Nicolás Maduro. According to the NY Times: Relatives of three detained U.S. citizens said they had gotten very little information from the American government and had not heard from their loved ones for months since they had disappeared. David Estrella, 64, who worked in quality control for pharmaceutical companies in New Jersey, was among those released, according to his family. “After such horrible moments that we and David have suffered unjustly, we look forward to welcoming him home and taking care of him until he fully recovers and leaves all this unfortunate incident behind him,” said Elvia Macias, Mr. Estrella’s former wife and close friend.

He had entered Venezuela from Colombia to visit friends, Ms. Macias said. Another reason this is such an unexpected positive development is that the United States has no diplomatic presence or embassy in Venezuela, and also has sanctions against the country and its top officials.As for what could be a factor in the release, Financial Times speculated that “a deal could involve an easing of US sanctions on Venezuela and dropping a US reward offered for Maduro’s capture in return for Caracas taking back thousands of [Venezuelan] migrants from the US, shipping more oil to American Gulf Coast refineries and releasing US nationals held in Caracas.” The jubilant freed Americans thanked President Trump in a phone call on the plane ride home:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1885535726973915381

The US State Department special envoy for Latin America, Mauricio Claver-Carone, has meanwhile said the discussions and this new initiative with Caracas will not change Washington’s overall Venezuela policy. “President Trump expects Nicolás Maduro to take back all of the Venezuelan criminals and gang members that have been exported to the US, and to do so unequivocally and without condition,” he said.

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Now add the threat of Guantanamo. It’s ugly, but it may work.

Border Encounters Plummet 94% Under Trump (ZH)

Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, illegal alien encounters at the southern US border have plummeted an average of 94% during his first 9 days, compared to President Biden’s last 19 days in office. During Trump’s first 9 days in office, after new border measures were implemented, there were an average of 126 daily encounters at the border vs. 2,087 per day during the last 2.5 weeks of the Biden administration.

As Rasmussen’s Mark Mitchell put it last week, “It’s like a switch was flipped.” During his 2024 campaign, Trump vowed to crack down on illegal immigration by continuing construction on the border wall, conducting the largest mass deportation in US history, slapping tariffs on Canada and Mexico until they control the situation from their end, and increasing penalties for illegal aliens.

To that end, there were more than 3,500 illegal immigrants who were arrested during Trump’s first week in office, including over 1,100 in a single day. As American Greatness notes further, on Wednesday, shortly before signing the Laken Riley Act into law, the 45th and 47th President announced his intention to send 30,000 of the most dangerous criminal illegals to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Laken Riley Act, named after the 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was murdered by a Venezuelan illegal, is the first bill signed into law during President Trump’s second term. It gives federal immigration authorities broader power to arrest illegals who commit dangerous crimes, including drunk driving and assaulting police officers.

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Pete Hegseth is talking about US military action against cartels inside Mexico.

Mexico Announces Retaliation Against US (RT)

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has accused the United States of fueling cartel violence by allowing powerful firearms to flow south, pushing back against President Donald Trump’s claims that Mexico is failing to stop illegal migration and drug trafficking. Sheinbaum’s comments late Saturday came as she ordered retaliatory tariffs on US goods in response to Trump’s sweeping 25% duties on imports from Mexico and Canada. “We categorically reject the slander made by the White House against the Government of Mexico, accusing it of having alliances with criminal organizations,” Sheinbaum wrote in a fiery post on X. “If such an alliance exists anywhere, it is in the armories of the United States that sell high-powered weapons to these criminal groups – as demonstrated by the US Department of Justice itself.”

Her remarks apparetly referred to a recent report by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which indicated that a significant number of military-grade firearms used by Mexican cartels originate in the United States. Sheinbaum also touted her administration’s anti-narcotics efforts, stating that in just four months, Mexican security forces have seized over 40 tons of drugs, including 20 million doses of fentanyl, and arrested more than 10,000 people linked to organized crime. She criticized the US government’s approach to the drug crisis, arguing that if Washington were serious about combating drug abuse, it would “start a massive campaign to prevent the consumption of these drugs and take care of its young people, as we have done in Mexico.”

Trump’s new tariffs, set to take effect on February 4, impose a 25% duty on goods from Mexico and Canada and a 10% duty on imports from China. The US administration justifies these measures by citing concerns over illegal immigration and drug trafficking, particularly fentanyl entering the United States. In response, Sheinbaum has instructed the Ministry of Economy to “implement the Plan B that we have been working on, which includes tariff and non-tariff measures in defense of Mexico’s interests.” While details have not been disclosed, sources indicate that Mexico aims to impose measures targeting key US industries, particularly agriculture, while seeking to avoid further escalation.

The Mexican leader called for bilateral cooperation to address the drug crisis but insisted on equal footing. ”If the United States truly wants to combat the criminal groups that traffic drugs and generate violence, we must work together comprehensively,” she said. “But always under the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust, collaboration, and, above all, respect for sovereignty, which is non-negotiable.”

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Trudy is far too woke for Trump, and far too close to “Joe Biden”. That will never work.

Canada Strikes Back With Tariffs (RT)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced retaliatory 25% tariffs on American goods, hours after US President Donald Trump imposed sweeping trade restrictions on Canadian imports. “Tonight, I am announcing Canada will be responding to the US trade action with 25% trade tariffs against $155 billion worth of American goods,” Trudeau said at a news conference on Saturday. The first wave of tariffs, covering $30 billion worth of US goods, will take effect on Tuesday, with broader measures following in 21 days to allow Canadian companies to adjust.

“These tariffs will be far-reaching and include everyday items,” the Canadian leader said, listing alcohol, fruits, vegetables, clothing, and shoes. In addition to direct tariffs, Ottawa is exploring “several non-tariff measures,” which could include restrictions on critical minerals, energy procurement, and other trade partnerships. “We will stand strong for Canada,” Trudeau said. “We will stand strong to ensure our countries continue to be the best neighbors in the world,” he added, urging citizens to support domestic businesses.

Trump’s 25% tariffs on nearly all Canadian goods were announced earlier on Saturday, with the White House citing concerns over illegal drug trafficking and immigration. “The extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl, constitutes a national emergency,” a White House fact sheet read. “President Trump is taking bold action to hold Mexico, Canada, and China accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country.”

The US president claimed that Canada has played “a central role” in America’s fentanyl crisis and failed to “devote sufficient attention and resources” to combat the flow of illicit drugs. In an effort to avert the tariffs, Ottawa introduced a $1.3 billion spending plan aimed at strengthening border surveillance and tackling drug trafficking. Trump said on Friday, however, that there is “nothing Canada can do right now” to avoid the new tariffs. Economists warn that the escalating trade dispute could lead to rising consumer prices and economic disruptions in both countries.

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Is that him, or the PAC?

Musk Sank $288 Million Into Trump Campaign – WaPo (RT)

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk was “the biggest political donor” of the 2024 election cycle, contributing at least $288 million to Donald Trump’s presidential bid, the Washington Post has reported, citing an analysis of new Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings. Trump appointed Musk to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to cut federal spending and regulations. In an article published on Friday, the Washington Post said, “the staggering 2024 political spending by Musk” cemented his influence within Trump’s political network, with some critics calling him a “de facto, unelected co-president.”

Musk’s political spending largely flowed through America PAC, a super PAC he helped establish to support Trump by mobilizing low-turnout voters in key battleground states. The group raised $263 million, backed not only by Musk but also by his close allies, including Tesla board member Antonio Gracias, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, and Sequoia Capital investor Shaun Maguire. According to the report covering the period from November 26 to the end of the year, Musk contributed $11.2 million on December 31, which was described as “petition incentives.”

The billionaire launched the initiative in October, pledging “$1M to someone in swing states who signed our petition to support free speech & the right to bear arms.” Those who signed the petition could also receive $47 for referring a registered voter in battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. With earlier FEC filings showing an in-kind contribution of nearly $40.5 million, the total spending for petition incentives alone amounts to at least $52.7 million.

Musk’s “investment in the 2024 election has already paid off enormously,” the newspaper said, with his net worth surging by more than $200 billion since Trump’s victory on November 5. This is primarily attributed to the soaring stock price of Tesla. Shares of the electric vehicle manufacturer have risen approximately 70% since the election, significantly boosting Musk’s wealth. His fortune was estimated at around $442 billion as of mid-December. Musk, who previously positioned himself as politically neutral, publicly endorsed Trump shortly after the failed assassination attempt on the Republican nominee on July 13.

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“The U.S. is a party to this war, not a peace broker..”

Can Trump Make A Peace Deal With Putin? (SCF)

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to open talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to end the war in Ukraine. Trump has spoken about the urgency of bringing the conflict to a peaceful conclusion. Fair enough. For his part, President Putin has magnanimously reciprocated, saying he is ready to engage in talks with Trump. So far, so good. At least the American side is no longer encumbered with the stupid intransigent, hostile mentality of the Biden administration, which refused to have any diplomatic contact with Russia. Russia, for its part, has always been willing to negotiate a genuine way to not just end the conflict but to avoid future conflict.

Before the war in Ukraine erupted three years ago in February 2022, Moscow put forward a comprehensive proposal for a security treaty in Europe in December 2021. The proposal stipulated that the U.S.-led NATO military alliance desist from aggressive expansion on Russia’s borders and, in particular, for Ukraine never to be a member of NATO. Those proposals were rejected out of hand by the U.S. and its European partners. At the earliest stage of the Ukraine conflict, in March 2022, Russia negotiated a potential peace settlement with the Kiev regime in Istanbul, only for that proposal to be rejected by Washington and its British surrogate. The result has been three years of bloodshed and destruction, with millions of Ukrainian casualties and refugees. Ukraine has been destroyed thanks to the intransigence of its NATO sponsors.

If diplomacy is the art of making politics work then anything is possible. Opening talks is at least a start to exchanging ideas and demands to bring the conflict to an end and stop it from spiraling into a catastrophic global war between nuclear powers. President Trump says he wants to end the conflict. But does he understand what the conflict is really about? If a problem is not correctly defined, then a solution is elusive.Trump has a showman style of doing politics. He bragged about ending the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of being elected. Now he is talking about ending it in 100 days. There are some positive indicators of good intentions. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban said this week that he believed the Trump administration is determined to do a peace deal.

Trump’s pick for Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, told senators during confirmation hearings for the post that her “priority would be to support President Trump’s efforts to get Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table.” (She may not be confirmed, however.) U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in an interview this week, repeated his calls for the war in Ukraine to end. In a telling comment, Rubio said the onus was on Russia and Ukraine to make compromises. Here’s where the problems emerge. The Trump administration seems to think that a resolution is a matter for two sides – Russia and Ukraine – and that the U.S. is acting as a mere peace broker instead of being the instigator. This was reflected in Trump’s own recent comments when he boorishly and stupidly warned Russia that if it did not come to the negotiating table, he would impose crippling sanctions on the Russian economy.

Trump is delusional if he thinks he can bully Russia or threaten the Russian economy. Such a fatuous attitude is out of order and counterproductive. The fact is the American and European sanctions against Russia have already failed. Russia’s economy has strengthened by being more independent and developing new trade relations with the rest of the world. It is now ranked 4th in the world, above Germany and other European nations. More importantly, Russia is decisively winning the war in Ukraine despite the colossal arming of the Kiev regime by the U.S. and its NATO partners. Ukrainian military lines are crumbling amid mounting losses. Even the Western media are reporting on the disarray and mass desertion of Ukrainian soldiers. The notion that Russia can be pressured to the negotiating table by the Trump administration is a fallacy and a serious misconception about the nature of the conflict.

Furthermore, the two parties that need to negotiate are not the corrupt puppet regime in Kiev and Russia. It is the United States and Russia. The U.S. is a party to this war, not a peace broker. If Trump’s administration is serious about making a peace deal, then it will have to be understood that the United States must accept Russia’s terms. A mere ceasefire and freezing the hostilities in Ukraine, which is what Trump aides are touting, is far from adequate as a solution. As we pointed out in our editorial last week, the conflict in Ukraine has deep roots in the imperialist machinations of the U.S. and its NATO proxy toward Russia. The history of this goes back decades, not just a few years. Only by addressing the root causes of the conflict can an authentic peaceful resolution begin.

Russia’s terms have been adumbrated clearly for a long time. The United States and its NATO war machine need to respect Russia’s national security interests. The security treaty that Moscow proposed in December 2021 is a basis for negotiation. So too are the realities on the ground. Russia’s new territories of Donbass, Kherson, Zaporozhye, as well as Crimea – all historic lands of Russia – are not negotiable. Neither is Russia’s insistence that Ukraine can never be part of the NATO alliance.

Read more …

Get rid of Zelensky first, then hold elections.

White House Wants Zelensky To Hold Elections – Trump Envoy (RT)

Washington wants Kiev to have presidential and parliamentary elections, potentially by this year’s end, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Ukraine conflict, Keith Kellogg. According to the report, Kellogg and other White House officials have discussed asking Kiev to hold the votes as part of a potential truce deal with Moscow. Speaking to the agency, Kellogg said that both the presidential and parliamentary elections “need to be done.”“Most democratic nations have elections in their time of war. I think it is important they do so,” the special envoy said. “I think it is good for democracy. That’s the beauty of a solid democracy, you have more than one person potentially running.”

Parliamentary and presidential elections in Ukraine scheduled for October 2023 and March 2024 were not held after Vladimir Zelensky announced in December 2023 that they would not take place while martial law imposed during the conflict with Russia remains in force. Martial law was declared after the escalation of hostilities between Kiev and Moscow in February 2022 and has been repeatedly extended ever since. In November 2024, it was prolonged once again and is now expected to continue at least until February 7, 2025. US President Doland Trump has repeatedly vowed to swiftly end the Ukraine conflict. On Friday, he claimed that the US was “having very serious discussions about that war” with Russia – something that Moscow has not confirmed so far.

The American president also stated on multiple occasions that he was ready to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as possible to negotiate an end to the fighting. Moscow has repeatedly stated it its ready for dialogue at any time, but has received no specific signals from the US. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, no such talks are currently planned and all communications are being conducted at the embassy level. If the US plan eventually involves a temporary ceasefire deal prior to a more permanent agreement, the winner of the Ukrainian presidential election could be responsible for negotiating the terms of the final treaty, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing discussions in the White House.

Moscow has questioned Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s legitimacy and said that he is no longer qualified to sign international agreements on behalf of Ukraine as his presidential term officially expired in May 2024. Earlier this week, Putin said that although Zelensky could take part in any potential negotiations, he could not be part of a final deal. “It’s possible to negotiate with anyone,” the Russian leader said, adding that any agreement would be a “very serious question” and must “guarantee the security of both Ukraine and Russia” for a “serious” period of time.Putin had previously stated on multiple occasions that the Ukrainian constitution does not envisage any extensions of the president’s term, only authorizing this for the parliament. Moscow has also said it will not agree to a temporary truce and that a settlement must include “reliable, legally binding agreements eliminating the root causes of the conflict.”

Read more …

“..the European logic is completely different from the American logic: one is the logic of war and the other is the logic of peace.”

Orban: US Now Seeks Peace In Ukraine, While EU Wants War To Continue (TASS)

The new US administration and the EU leadership have different approaches to the conflict in Ukraine: Washington now favors a peaceful settlement, while Brussels wants to continue the war, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said during a Kossuth radio broadcast. “The Europeans are saying that sanctions must be maintained and even tightened in order for the Ukrainians to win the war against Russia. Yesterday US Secretary of State [Marco Rubio] said in a big interview that it would be unfair to fool everyone by saying that the Ukrainians can win this war. Well, thank him for that interview, because it showed that the Americans want peace, not sanctions, and the Europeans want sanctions, not peace,” the prime minister said.

He emphasized that now “the European logic is completely different from the American logic: one is the logic of war and the other is the logic of peace.” Orban reiterated that the Hungarian government still favors a negotiated settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, and is counting on US President Donald Trump in this endeavor.

Read more …

The Chihuahua Strategic Victory Plan. For Pepe, Europeans are chihuahua’s.

The Chihuahua Energy Policy: It’s a Gas, Gas, Gas (Pepe Escobar)

As highlighted before, the U.S. – via fracking – has enough gas for domestic consumption, but not enough to export en masse to the EU, because of liquification problems. That explains why even buying more American energy for exorbitant prices, the EU de facto remains largely dependent on Russian LNG – and non-U.S. sources – since the sabotage of the Nord Streams, unveiled in detail by Sy Hersh. Even at full capacity, the Empire of Chaos simply cannot deliver all the gas the EU needs; add to it virtually no investment in both badly needed extra exploration plus the infrastructure necessary to meet increased EU demand. On the domestic U.S. oil market, things do get positively Kafkaesque. U.S. trucking – a massive service industry – is dependent on imported Russian diesel, which needs to be mixed with Made in America oil in order to be suitable for trucks.

Now cut again to Davos, which came and went barely registering a blip. Toxic EC Medusa von der Leyen told Davos that Europe had “substantially reduced”, and “in record time”, its dependency on Russian fossil fuels. Nonsense. Europe’s energy reality is bleak. Russian LNG from Novatek is currently priced at around $4.5–$4.7 per MMBtu. That’s more expensive than pipeline gas but still much (italics mine) cheaper than American LNG. Every industry pro from the Persian Gulf to Antwerp knows that Europe is now importing Russian LNG like it never did before. That’s it – or a dry death. In parallel, Russia will triple its LNG supply capacity by 2035. End result: whatever those “energy commissioners” in Brussels may come up with, Russia will remain essential when it comes to European energy security.

There are no limits – even stratospheric – for Eurocracy stupidity, which corrodes the system like a plague. The Europeans not only have managed to shut off their own gas pipelines but are still “investigating” the Nord Stream de facto terror attack. End result: they are now importing more (italics mine) Russian gas, but by different means, from third-party suppliers, and paying a fortune. This is what can be described as the Chihuahua Strategic Victory Plan. Russia’s LNG exports hit a record high last year, growing by 4% – and delivering 33.6 million tons. The monthly record was 3.25 million tons in December 2024 – 13.7% more than November. The largest Russian exporter is Yamal LNG: 21.1 million tons, 6% more than in 2023. Now cut to proverbial American rumble, in the form of Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt ordering the “full termination” of Russian gas exported to Europe.

To hell with what nations like Hungary, Austria and Slovakia may think – and do need. Pyatt told the Atlantic Council, “Today we are the largest LNG exporter in the world, and by the end of the Trump administration, we will have doubled what we’re doing today […] The decision has clearly been made in Brussels to get to zero [gas supplies from Russia] by 2027…and the United States strongly supports that goal.” Oh dear. Do these people even read the basic headlines? As reported by Politico, the EU is “devouring” Russian gas at unprecedented levels since the start of 2025, importing 837,300 metric tons of LNG just in the first two weeks of the year. The Ukraine transit deal was shut off for good – at least for now – starting on January 1st. The action now is on the maritime routes.

Enter the U.S. Treasury with a new – what else – sanctions package against Russian oil trade, targeting up to 5.8 million barrels a day shipped by sea. As it stands, the global oil market is experiencing a surplus of about 0.8 million barrels a day. Oil prices for 2025 should remain at around $71 for a barrel of Brent crude (as it stands, it’s $76.2). Not exactly what Mr. Disco Inferno wants. So let’s assume these 5.8 million barrels of Russian oil – under stiff sanctions – would vanish from the global market. In this case we would have oil prices skyrocketing to an average of $150 to $160 a barrel. Once again, not what Mr. Disco Inferno wants: he vociferously promised – and keeps promising – a MAGA oil superpower, while lowering oil prices to max $50 a barrel.

Read more …

“The algorithm allows gaming GPUs to be used for scientific computing..”

Russia and China Boost NVIDIA Performance 800-Fold (Sp.)

Scientists from the two countries have developed a breakthrough algorithm using information from reverse engineering video card accelerators. The algorithm allows gaming GPUs to be used for scientific computing. The innovation was achieved by specialists from Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, co-founded by Lomonosov Moscow State University and Beijing Institute of Technology. This enables Russia and China to reduce their reliance on NVIDIA GPUs, weakening the impact of US sanctions.

It also means that Russia and China need to buy less NVIDIA GPUs, which likely led to the collapse of NVIDIA stock price, Russoft association President Valentin Makarov tells Sputnik. He believes ongoing research includes new machine learning algorithms and a next-gen GPU being developed in Russia. These advancements highlight Russia’s technological expertise, allowing collaboration with China and potential future partnerships with India.

Read more …

“It is quite absurd to continue to blame Russia for everything without any reason.”

Norway Clears Russian-Crewed Ship In Sabotage Probe (RT)

Norwegian police have released a Russian-crewed vessel after finding no evidence linking it to recent damage to an undersea fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and Sweden. The Norwegian-owned Silver Dania, which operates between St. Petersburg and the northern Russian port of Murmansk, was detained on Thursday night following a request from Latvian authorities and a ruling from a local court. Norwegian police said that the ship, which was escorted to the northern port of Tromso, could have damaged a critical fiber optic link belonging to Latvia’s state broadcaster and connecting the Baltic nation and Sweden’s Gotland island. It added that the law enforcement is “conducting an operation on the ship to search, conduct interviews, and secure evidence.”

However, less than a day later, the police stated that Silver Dania “will be able to leave Tromso already on Friday evening.” They added that while the investigation will continue, “no findings have been made linking the ship to the act,” and the crew had been cooperative. The cable sabotage case is the latest in a string of incidents involving damage to critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, with speculation rife that Russia could have played a role. Short of any proof, however, Western officials have refrained from leveling direct accusations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed allegations of Moscow’s involvement. “It is quite absurd to continue to blame Russia for everything without any reason.” The Washington Post, citing Western intelligence sources, reported earlier this month that the damage to Baltic Sea infrastructure likely stemmed from maritime accidents involving poorly maintained ships and inexperienced crews rather than deliberate sabotage. NATO has launched a mission dubbed “Baltic Sentry” to enhance surveillance and protection of critical undersea infrastructure in the area and address concerns about possible sabotage.

Read more …

The only thing that will reach net zero is the spending.

It’s all just a money grab delusion: “..the world needs to pour in $5.6 trillion each year..”

Global Green Spending Is Falling Short of Net Zero Targets (OP)

Global investments in green energy solutions topped $2 trillion last year, for the first time ever, but the world needs to pour in $5.6 trillion each year into low-carbon energy to get on track for global net zero by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement, BloombergNEF said in a new report on Thursday. Last year, green energy investments reached a record high globally, but the pace of growth has slowed from the 2021-2023 period, according to BNEF’s report Energy Transition Investment Trends 2025. The world invested a total of $2.1 trillion in low-carbon energy in 2024, up by 11% compared to 2023, the report found.

However, the pace of growth has slowed. In the years 2021 to 2023, global investment in clean energy jumped by between 24% and 29% each year, according to BNEF. Electrified transport continued to be the top segment for low-carbon energy investment, drawing in $757 billion in 2024. China remained the single biggest market with $818 billion of investment, up by 20% from 2023 and increasing investment in all sectors. China’s total investment last year was greater than the combined investment of the U.S., the EU, and the UK. However, investment was stagnant in the U.S., at $338 billion, and fell in both the EU and UK, hitting $381 billion and $65.3 billion, respectively, BNEF said.

The research provider also noted that energy transition investment will have to average $5.6 trillion each year from 2025 to 2030, in order to get on track for global net zero by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement. The current investment level of $2.1 trillion implies that the world is only at 37% of what is required to get on track, BNEF said. “There is still much more that needs to be done, especially in emerging areas like industrial decarbonization, hydrogen and carbon capture, in order to reach global net-zero goals,” commented Albert Cheung, Deputy CEO of BNEF.

Read more …

 

 

 

 

Bats

 

 

Orca
https://twitter.com/i/status/1885682013589414176

 

 

Elephant
https://twitter.com/i/status/1885538600085053571

 

 

Daddy
https://twitter.com/i/status/1885737803666825299

 

 

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Home Forums Debt Rattle February 2 2025

Viewing 39 posts - 41 through 79 (of 79 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #181126
    D Benton Smith
    Participant

    Trump just murdered a bunch of Somalians for the unwritten crime of being noncompliant to instructions given to them by the United States Empire. I guess that clears up the question of whether or not the Donald has it in him to kill people in cold blood who have done him no harm. He did it with the stroke of a pen because of a reason that he does not care to share with you.

    That’s why he didn’t ask anyone’s permission before ordering the bombing campaign. Certainly he did not ask Congress if it was okay to start and wage an aggressive war of conquest against a country (Somalia) that had committed no provocation against us whatsoever.

    Our position is that this Trump guy is the only thing that stands between us and the absolutely lunatic monsters at the top of the pyramid of money that runs this old world. Don’t expect him to be some kind of nice guy who wouldn’t kill whoever he needs to kill to retain his position of power. He has proved that several times over, starting with Covid, moving right on through to Ukraine, Gaza, and now Somalia.

    Just be aware of who you are dealing with in Trump. He sees himself as a Emperor of an essentially commercial Empire. Perhaps he aspires to be a “nice” Emperor. That might even be true, but make no mistake that he’s an EMPEROR just the same.

    Handle with caution, and take off the damn rose tinted glasses. He’s better than the last one, but that ain’t saying much, and he is only as valuable as his DELIVERY on his sworn promise to stand between us and that lunatic monster that controls all the money.

    If he wasn’t there then we would be facing that monster directly, with no one in-between to stand in the way, , like it was during the Biden years.

    He must be sent the crystal clear message that if he wants to stay Emperor then he better keep us happy.

    #181127
    zerosum
    Participant

    https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2025/02/list-of-products-from-the-united-states-subject-to-25-per-cent-tariffs-effective-february-4-2025.html

    List of products from the United States subject to 25 per cent tariffs effective February 4, 2025
    From: Department of Finance Canada

    $30 Billion List – Tariff Line Level

    #181128
    jb-hb
    Participant

    In the 1800’s, a neverending waterfall of drugs killing 100,000+ a year of a country’s citizens would lead to outright war.

    If Canada and Mexico refuse to stop the fentanyl, they OUGHT to be fucking bombed into the stone age. With occasional pauses. Had enough yet? Going to stop it yet? (but why do you value stopping drugs over canadian and mexican LIVES… uh, why do THEY value continuation over their own lives? Your terms are acceptable.)

    single digit % of US economy is Mexico and Canada exports combined. Mexico and Canada each more like 25%. Look at the relative size of our economies. Toddler fighting Mike Tyson.

    DO IT MORE, Canada. We should be BOMBING you. Just trying to get you to agree to stop something you shouldn’t have been doing in the first place. Our armies should be marching through your territory unresisted burning your villages, our banners everywhere unopposed while yours are trampled. Beheading your stupid communist trucker-hating suicide-promoting leader and installing our own. Sending your idiot marxists to live on Ellesmere Island. That’s what would happen for about 98% of all history, but we’re doing tariffs and will continue to be far more civilized. And you are not in a good position. Yes, by all means, escalate in response.

    #181129
    Celticbiker
    Participant

    The last time the jews bankrolled these 2 systems, communist tyranny, [pedojoe] and fascist tyranny, [trumpstein], we had 2 world wars. I imagine the 3rd is right around the corner..

    #181130
    aspnaz
    Participant

    phoenixvoice said

    If we expect the rest of the world to respect OUR form of government (there was a time when it was considered odd and strange), then we need to respect the forms of government in other countries.

    I don’t think any country in the world respects the USA’s form of government; call it democracy or whatever. One thing that is plainly clear is that democracy is a breeding ground for massive corruption. Having a strong man/group in charge of a country, such as Xi in China, results in work getting done to improve the country, having a democracy results in politicians lying to the people, they have an opinion on every topic, even if they don’t know anything about it, turning the people against themselves in political battles, having the wealthy back parties that will feed them government money. Like Must supported Trump to the tune of 300m, now why would he do that if he is a business man?

    You can see it in Taiwan, the country is so corrupt it is a joke, just as corrupt as this lot were before Mao chucked them out of China. The country has tons of renewable energy investment scams, tons of weapons investment scams, meanwhile they are cutting back on social services spending, such as healthcare, trying to shut down their nuclear energy plants, now totally reliant on expensive gas imports when they have perfectly good nuclear plants that could operate for many more decades.

    Other than the industrial infrastructure, the other general infrastructure is a joke; and everybody knows the money is being skimmed by the elites, the peasants who made good and are now just stealing from their country. Then you look at mainland China and you realise that the CCP is a much better government than the Taiwan government, the Taiwan democracy is just an excuse for theft. In China, if you take a government contract and do not deliver, you end up in jail; if you do the same in Taiwan then nobody even notices, which is why the country can only be described as “shoddy”. The CCP beat the corruption out of the mainland Chinese, forced them to deliver as the money being spent was effectively CCP money.

    An example, the likes of which can be seen everywhere in Taiwan. I was on an MRT train in Taipei, I looked at the welding on the hand rails. It had been tack welded, as you do to hold the pieces in place prior to completing the weld, but these welds had never been completed, they were just being held by the tack welds. This train was purchased by the Taiwan government, and they accepted tack welded hand rails?

    This is typical of the Taiwan democracy, so much of the contract money has been skimmed, then the work is repeatedly subcontracted and the delivery becomes a joke … you see this absolutely everywhere in Taiwan. Democracy is shite.

    Successful countries, such as the UK and Europe, were controlled by aristocracies, those people were the CCP equivalents, they made things happen and produced good things for their countries. Now the aristocracies, such as the UK house of Lords, have been replaced by management class plebs, people who did not have the same values or skin in the game as the aristocracy, people who could be bought for very little. As a result many of these countries are dying.

    #181131
    those darned kids
    Participant

    i said 15$

    #181132
    those darned kids
    Participant

    nice, dbs! i asked someone for a picture of trumpborg! and you’re thousand words are worth way more.

    thank you.

    Debt Rattle February 2 2025

    #181133
    zerosum
    Participant

    Since retaliatory tariffs will be collected at the borders and since they are considered an operating expense, it means that they will effectively be refunded quarterly by the gov. (It will reduce the taxable income of the company.)

    What will the gov. do with the tariff that it collected?

    If the company passes the 25% tariff to consumers, then the consumer will be affected twice. Once by the increased price and second by increased taxes.

    #181134
    those darned kids
    Participant

    compare and contast:

    “DO IT MORE, Canada. We should be BOMBING you.”

    versus

    “WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!”

    #181135
    those darned kids
    Participant

    “GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER AMERICAN NUMBER ONE CONSUMERS OF EVERY ILLICIT SUBSTANCE KNOWN TO MAN AND A.I. OR WE’RE GONNA HAVE TO FREEDOM SOME GUIDED MISSILES INTO RANDOM COUNTRIES YOU AIN’T NEVER HEARD OF SO YOU NEVER NOTICE HOW EXTRA CRAPPY YOUR LIFE HAS BECOME BECAUSE OF THE ASSET STRIPPING OF YOUR ONCE FAIR LAND BY SUPRANATIONAL OLIGARCHS WHO DON’T GIVE A WHOOP-DEE-DOO ABOUT “AMERICA”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    #181136
    those darned kids
    Participant

    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    #181137
    jb-hb
    Participant

    Freedom. USA A1 and uh stuff.

    but seriously just counteroffer with “stopping fentanyl is the best I can do” and see if that does the trick

    otherwise, severe all caps reprisals with intermittent apoplectic fits and uh, #winnings, …I guess?

    #181138
    John Day
    Participant

    Still Waiting https://drjohnsblog.substack.com/p/still-waiting

    Global Debt Reaches 326% of GDP [Stress has been distributed throughout the western financial system so that failures tend to cascade rapidly through algorithms and derivatives. GDP is money-moved, not physical-economy.] https://www.theburningplatform.com/2025/01/30/global-debt-reaches-326-of-gdp/

    Trade Wars Begin: Trump Slaps Tariffs On Canada, Mexico And China; Triggers Immediate Retaliation​ https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/trade-wars-begin-trump-slaps-25-tariffs-canada-and-mexico-10-china

    ​Could AI help here? Musk Reveals Treasury Has Been Auto-Paying Everyone, ‘Even Known Terrorist Groups’ https://www.zerohedge.com/political/treasury-depts-highest-ranking-career-official-rage-quits-after-musks-doge-team-probes

    ​ Cyberattack on DeepSeek, including brute-force assault, started in US: Chinese state media
    Early assault on AI start-up reported to include denial-of-service attacks aiming to overwhelm servers and bandwidth with internet traffic​ https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3296765/cyberattack-deepseek-including-brute-force-assault-started-us-chinese-state-media

    #181139
    John Day
    Participant

    ​ New Blow to US Sanctions: Russia and China Boost NVIDIA Performance 800-Fold
    Scientists from the two countries have developed a breakthrough algorithm using information from reverse engineering video card accelerators.
    ​ This enables Russia and China to reduce their reliance on NVIDIA GPUs, weakening the impact of US sanctions.
    It also means that Russia and China need to buy less NVIDIA GPUs, which likely led to the collapse of NVIDIA stock price.​ https://sputnikglobe.com/20250131/new-blow-to-us-sanctions-russia-and-china-boost-nvidia-performance-800-fold-1121522461.html

    ​ DeepSeek states that “we” is the Chinese government, as in “we don’t comment on that”, in an answer. What DeepSeek Says About Nuland’s Role in Ukraine War https://consortiumnews.com/2025/02/01/what-deepseek-says-about-nulands-role-in-ukraine-war/

    USAID website and X account go dark​. The White House is reportedly considering merging the agency into the State Department​. https://swentr.site/news/612037-usaid-website-social-down/

    NYT, NBC, NPR, Politico Evicted From Pentagon Press Offices In Favor Of Trump-Friendly Outlets​ https://www.zerohedge.com/political/nyt-nbc-npr-politico-evicted-pentagon-press-offices-favor-trump-friendly-outlets

    Members of Christopher Wray’s FBI Leadership Posse Told to Retire, Resign, or Be Fired by Monday​ https://defconnews.com/2025/02/01/members-of-christopher-wrays-fbi-leadership-posse-told-to-retire-resign-or-be-fired-by-monday/

    #181140
    John Day
    Participant

    ​ Insiders have revealed that President Trump is prepared to go scorched-earth against any Republican Senators who vote against the confirmations of Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr. “If they try to touch Tulsi and Kennedy, then it’s war.” – Trump Advisor​ https://x.com/BehizyTweets/status/1885124042266402974?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1885124042266402974%7Ctwgr%5Ea4055b396d4219322ca62ff17181863590bd9a2a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theautomaticearth.com%2F2025%2F02%2Fdebt-rattle-february-1-2025%2F

    ​ From across the great-waters, The Slog, John Ward: RFK Jr SENATE HEARINGS: A KANGAROO COURT THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO TIE DOWN
    All eyes will be on Republican Bill Cassidy of Louisiana for the vote’.
    ​ Lots of nosey-parkers overseeing each other….jobs for the bought folks: nice work if you can get it.
    However, after pressing RFKJr to rebut each critic in just the seven seconds left to him, these clowns can only tell AP that “ When we’ll hold a vote on the nomination remains uncertain”.
    ​ As we Limeys tend to say, these puffed-up hate poseurs ‘are avin’ a larf’.
    But disturbingly, the general view is that ultimately, much of the decision will come down to the whims of one bloke: William Morgan Cassidy, a senior Senator and physician from Louisiana.​ https://therealslog.ghost.io/rfkjr-senate-hearings-a-kangaroo-court-thats-impossible-to-tie-down/

    Distraction? Nobody can shoot down hypersonics. Money for Star Wars weapons pot. Five Takeaways From Trump’s Plans To Build An Iron Dome For America https://korybko.substack.com/p/five-takeaways-from-trumps-plans

    Guys hiding in caves in Somalia. Look, A SQUIRREL! Trump Orders First Airstrikes On Foreign Soil Since Taking Office https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-orders-first-airstrikes-foreign-soil-taking-office

    One Day Before Collision, Near Miss with Helicopter on Reagan Final Approach
    Traffic Collision Avoidance System alert prompted commercial aircraft evasive maneuver and go around just 24 hours and 40 minutes before the collision.​ https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/one-day-before-collision-near-miss

    #181141
    John Day
    Participant

    2 good videos of the crash here. It looks to me like the chopper hovered exactly in the path of the approaching jet. THIS WAS NO ACCIDENT https://www.theburningplatform.com/2025/01/31/this-was-no-accident/

    Lawsuit Alleges FAA Denied 1,000 People Air Traffic Controller Jobs To Meet Diversity Hiring Targets​ https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/lawsuit-alleges-faa-denied-1000-people-air-traffic-controller-jobs-meet-diversity-hiring

    ​But was this an intentional collision? Whose intention? Trump Says DC Black Hawk “Was Flying Too High… By A Lot” https://www.zerohedge.com/political/dc-black-hawk-flew-above-allowed-altitude-another-jet-aborted-landing-1-day-over-chopper

    Command an Autonomous Black Hawk Helicopter from 300 Miles Away​ https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/2024/command-an-autonomous-black-hawk-helicopter-from-300-miles-away.html

    ​ Pilot of Black Hawk Was Biden White House Social Aide
    Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach was involved in many activities in D.C. apart from practicing her pilot skills.​ https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/pilot-of-black-hawk-was-biden-white

    #181142
    John Day
    Participant

    ​US ‘In Contact’ With Russia, Trump Confirms​ https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-contact-russia-trump-confirms

    ​ Trump claims ‘serious discussions’ with Moscow over Ukraine
    The US president has refused to say whether he has already spoken directly with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin​ https://swentr.site/news/611999-trump-russia-serious-discussions/

    ​Hundreds of people die every day until this stops. Zelensky: Trump Talking To Putin About Ukraine Without Us Is ‘Very Dangerous’ https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/zelensky-trump-talking-putin-about-ukraine-without-us-very-dangerous

    ​ Atrocious crimes of Ukrainian Armed Forces: What Happened in village of Russkoye Porechnoye​
    According to a soldier with the call sign Lord, the bruises on the victims’ bodies indicate that they were beaten before being killed…​ Investigative Committee Svetlana Petrenko stated that the investigation had identified five Ukrainian militants involved in these crimes. Among them are Senior Soldier Yevgeny Fabrisenko and soldiers with the call signs Kum, Motyl, Provodnik, and Khudozhnik. According to the investigation, they killed 11 men and three women and raped eight women, whom they later shot. The victims’ bodies were hidden in the basements of houses.​ https://eu.eot.su/2025/02/02/atrocious-crimes-of-ukrainian-armed-forces-what-happened-in-village-of-russkoye-porechnoye/

    ​ White House wants Zelensky to hold elections – Trump envoy
    Officials in Washington have reportedly discussed pushing Kiev to hold a vote as part of an initial truce with Moscow​ https://swentr.site/news/612030-white-house-zelensky-hold-elections/

    #181143
    John Day
    Participant

    ​ EU state calls for lifting Russia sanctions
    Hungary may veto renewal of restrictions if the economic damage it has suffered persists, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has warned​ https://swentr.site/news/611967-orban-russia-sanctions-veto/

    ​But Germans wanted this to be passed. German Conservatives Fail After Merkel Joins Virtue-Signaling Outcry Over AfD-Backed Immigration Crackdown Bill https://www.zerohedge.com/political/merkel-joins-virtue-signaling-outcry-over-german-afd-backed-immigration-crackdown-bill

    ​ EU energy policy row triggers government collapse
    An attempt to tie Norway to the bloc’s ‘dysfunctional’ energy market was too much for a coalition party
    ​ “We believe it is wrong to become more closely linked to the EU’s energy policy,” Vedum told NRK broadcaster on Thursday. “What we were clear about all along is that beginning the process of linking ourselves more closely to the EU’s dysfunctional electricity market and energy policy is completely out of the question,” the Center Party leader told a press conference following the decision to leave the cabinet.
    ​ The development drew criticism from Brussels. “We are not happy with Norway. The sentiment is as bad as I have known it,” an EU ambassador to Oslo told the Financial Times on Thursday, calling the Nordic nation “selfish” for “trying to keep this electricity for itself,” and profiteering off the EU through its gas exports.​ https://swentr.site/news/611990-eu-energy-policy-government-collapse/

    ​ Trump vows to ‘absolutely’ impose tariffs on EU
    Brussels has treated Washington “so terribly,” the US president has complained​ https://swentr.site/business/612003-trump-tariffs-eu-absolutely/

    Trump Found More Than 75,000 Trafficked Children in a Week, so Why Couldn’t Traitor Joe Locate Any of Them?​ https://basedunderground.com/2025/01/30/trump-found-more-than-75000-trafficked-children-in-a-week-so-why-couldnt-traitor-joe-locate-any-of-them/

    #181144
    John Day
    Participant

    Schumer Under Investigation While Trump Reshapes Washington​ https://www.zerohedge.com/political/schumer-under-investigation-while-trump-reshapes-washington

    ​ Trump says Egypt, Jordan will comply with his plan to take in Palestinians
    “They’re going to do it. We do a lot for them,” Donald Trump declares from Oval Office, brushing off Cairo and Amman’s rejection of his controversial plan meant to ethnically cleanse Palestinians in Gaza.​ https://www.trtworld.com/us-and-canada/trump-says-egypt-jordan-will-comply-with-his-plan-to-take-in-palestinians-18259907

    Arab foreign ministers reject Trump call for transfer of Palestinians​ https://www.arabnews.com/node/2588631/middle-east

    Rebuffing US resettlement bid, Russia affirms Palestinians’ right to Gaza​ https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250131-rebuffing-us-resettlement-bid-russia-affirms-palestinians-right-to-gaza/

    Israel delays Palestinian prisoner release after Israeli captives freed​ https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250130-israel-delays-palestinian-prisoner-release-after-israeli-captives-freed/

    #181145
    John Day
    Participant

    ​ Every kind of abuse that a human could imagine. Freed Palestinian prisoners reveal severe abuses in Israeli prisons
    ICRC officials expressed outrage over the manner in which “Israel” released Palestinian prisoners during Saturday’s prisoner exchange.​
    ​..The Palestinian detainees, handed over to the ICRC after their release from an Israeli prison, were led out in shackles, their hands behind their heads, and wearing bracelets bearing Israeli symbols.​ https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/freed-palestinian-prisoners-reveal-severe-abuses-in-israeli

    ​ ‘I felt my soul leave my body’: Lebanese citizens accuse Israel of torture during detention under ceasefire
    Ahmad and Moustafa Rizk were among seven Lebanese detainees held by the Israeli army as they attempted to return to south Lebanon on Sunday​ https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2025/02/01/lebanese-citizens-accuse-israel-of-torture-during-detention-under-ceasefire/

    ​ Republicans in the House and Senate are finalizing legislation that would formally recognize the West Bank as “Judea and Samaria,” applying Israel’s official term for the region to all American government communications, according to a copy of the bill obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
    ​ Led by Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) and Rep. Claudia Tenney (R., N.Y.), the Recognizing Judea and Samaria Act would prohibit government use of “West Bank” when referencing the territories around Jerusalem. Israel, which annexed the area in 1967, refers to it as the biblical Judea and Samaria, though the United States and international community avoid this term, viewing the region as home to a future Palestinian state.​ https://basedunderground.com/2025/02/01/congressional-republicans-finalize-bill-recognizing-west-bank-as-judea-and-samaria/

    ​More Genocide: 15 people killed in ‘sectarian’ massacre in Alawi village in Syria
    ​ At least 15 people were killed in the Syrian village of Arzah, which is inhabited by members of the Alawi community, in the northern Hama countryside on Friday, and a Syrian fighter loyal to the country’s new authorities was killed on Saturday north of Homs.
    ​ The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, which has a large network of sources on the ground in Syria, said gunmen “knocked on the doors of houses in the village and shot at people using handguns equipped with silencers” before fleeing.
    ​ SOHR chief Rami Abdel Rahman said a child and an elderly woman were among the victims. He said the gunmen “were Sunni Muslims, and the attacks bear all the hallmarks of sectarian killings”.​ https://www.newarab.com/news/15-killed-sectarian-massacre-alawi-village-syria

    Turkish occupation shells villages in rural Ain Issa with artillery​ https://hawarnews.com/en/turkish-occupation-shells-villages-in-rural-ain-issa-with-artillery

    #181146
    John Day
    Participant

    ​ Bombardment of Tishreen Dam surroundings and villages by warplanes and drones
    Today at dawn, the Turkish occupation army violently bombed the surroundings and villages of Tishreen Dam with warplanes and drones.​ https://hawarnews.com/en/bombardment-of-tishreen-dam-surroundings-and-villages-by-warplanes-and-drones

    ​ Pro-Palestinian student group at Chapman University stripped of MLK award
    ​ Chapman University President Daniele Struppa took the rare step of sending a campus-wide email the day after Students for Justice in Palestine was recognized during the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Awards on Jan. 21.
    ​ “There is a significant distinction between fostering free speech and bestowing an award,” he wrote. “I want to make it crystal clear that the award does not represent the official position of Chapman University.”
    ​ Struppa ended his email with an apology to Jewish students and all offended by Students for Justice in Palestine’s award, which has since been rescinded.​ https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/entertainment/story/2025-01-30/students-for-justice-in-palestine-chapman

    ​ Weak “guardrails”? “The Singularity”? Awkward scenes as Israel’s propaganda bot rebels and tells the truth. This was not in the script.
    In a deeply embarrassing moment for Israel, one of its propaganda bots has gone rogue and started telling the truth about Gaza. The. F**king. Truth. If the bot was a journalist, it would have been fired for this outrage!
    ​ The bot in question is a Twitter account called Fact Finder which has been condemned after calling IDF soldiers “white colonisers in apartheid Israel” just because they are genetically white Europeans who helped themselves to land promised to them by an ancient book, and then subjugated the native population, creating an ethnostate with separate laws for those with the wrong ethnicity.
    ​ It seems Fact Finder actually bothered to find some facts, rather than follow its programming which told it to describe Palestinians as “human animals”​. https://www.normalisland.co.uk/p/awkward-scenes-as-israels-propaganda

    ​Maybe it found this: A Massive Database of Evidence, Compiled by a Historian, Documents Israel’s War Crimes in Gaza
    A woman with a child is shot while waving a white flag ■ Starving girls are crushed to death in line for bread ■ A cuffed 62-year-old man is run over, evidently by a tank ■ An aerial strike targets people trying to help a wounded boy ■ A database of thousands of videos, photos, testimonies, reports and investigations documents the horrors committed by Israel in Gaza https://archive.is/HYewV#selection-399.0-403.369

    Perhaps happening now: Israeli PM to discuss next stages of Gaza hostage deal with Trump in US — adviser https://tass.com/world/1907471

    #181147
    John Day
    Participant

    Meryl Nass MD, Lt. Col. Joe Murphy, the whistleblower who released the DEFUSE proposal (probably the source of SARS-CoV-2) writes about COVID coverups and the severity of our self-inflicted blows. IMPORTANT
    ​ He identifies the many money pots that keep the biodefense oligarchy going and how we as a nation are shooting ourselves as the biodefense industry proceeds apace​ https://merylnass.substack.com/p/lt-col-joe-murphy-the-whistleblower

    ​ Investigation: Healthcare Driven by AI Technology Will Lead to More Mass Surveillance of Americans
    Well before President Donald Trump announced support for Stargate, a $500 billion private-sector AI project, Silicon Valley and the DOD had already teamed up to transform U.S. healthcare into an AI-driven system reliant on the widespread collection of personal healthcare data, according to a new investigative report by Unlimited Hangout’s Max Jones.​ https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/ai-healthcare-predictive-medicine-biometric-surveillance/

    ​ Breaking: Claims That Childhood Vaccines ‘Saved Millions of Lives’ Based on Flawed Models
    In a paper published today, all-cause mortality expert Denis Rancourt, Ph.D., said claims by public health agencies and top medical journals that childhood vaccination prevents millions of deaths annually are based on “tentative and untethered models of epidemiological forecasting” that produce “unlikely results.”​ https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/childhood-vaccines-saved-millions-of-lives-based-on-flawed-models/

    ​ Poll: More Than Half of Americans Want Right to Sue Vaccine Makers for Injuries
    More than a third of respondents said they have little or no trust in federal health agencies and more than half opposed government mandates for vaccines that haven’t been fully licensed, according to a poll conducted by Zogby Strategies and commissioned by Children’s Health Defense.​ https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/zogby-poll-more-than-half-americans-sue-vaccine-makers-injuries/

    ​Meryl Nass MD: Bill introduced into the Italian Parliament to Exit the WHO by the League’s Senator Claudio Borghi and Deputy Alberto Bagnai
    I and Philippe Kruse gave a detailed briefing to Senator Borghi on the WHO in 2023. Senator Borghi became Italy’s champion fighting the WHO. Thanks to everyone who facilitated that meeting!!!​ https://merylnass.substack.com/p/bill-introduced-into-the-italian

    #181148
    John Day
    Participant

    ​ NEW STUDY – COVID-19 ‘Vaccinated’ People Are Sicker
    Vaccinated individuals experienced a greater overall disease burden, with more doctor visits, higher rates of COVID-19 infections, and increased musculoskeletal issues compared to the unvaccinated.​ https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/new-study-covid-19-vaccinated-people

    ​ Steve Kirsch, Four different user surveys, same result: more COVID shots –> more likely to get COVID
    Have you seen any user polls that show the opposite? Counter-anecdotes seems quite hard to find!​ https://kirschsubstack.com/p/four-different-user-surveys-same

    (But more miscarriages.) ​Steve Kirsch, Czech Republic data: vaccinated women are 66% less likely to give birth compared to unvaccinated women
    Meanwhile, in the US, the CDC continues to recommend pregnant women in the US get the COVID vaccine.​ https://kirschsubstack.com/p/czech-republic-data-vaccinated-women

    Australian Government Will Not Suspend Use of mRNA Covid-19 Vaccines​ https://brownstone.org/articles/australian-government-will-not-suspend-use-of-mrna-covid-19-vaccines/

    #181149
    those darned kids
    Participant

    take this blast of the greatest of america, the real, the true, the actually really, really nice >––>–>–––––––––§∞∞ TRUMPBORG!®

    five simple steps to make america true again!:

    necessary equipment: riverside, harmonica (optional)

    i) lay down sword and shield
    ii) not study war
    iii) try on long white robe*
    iv) not study war
    v) meet loving mother

    *not that one

    #181150
    those darned kids
    Participant

    “but seriously just counteroffer with “stopping fentanyl is the best I can do” and see if that does the trick

    otherwise, severe all caps reprisals with intermittent apoplectic fits and uh, #winnings, …I guess?”

    goldfinches and buffalo don’t have borders. good thing we’ve evolved.

    #181151

    Brennan and Bolton have been humiliated. They burn, as Dulles burned.

    #181152
    kultsommer
    Participant

    As if living in the final spinning cycle of weirdness. Made me chuckle:

    #181161
    those darned kids
    Participant

    what a world, bot and sold for!

    #181162
    DarkMatter
    Participant

    Broke

    #181163
    Michael Reid
    Participant

    #181164
    those darned kids
    Participant

    sure, israel lost the war..

    but,

    it seems like they’ll keep winning battles until all the palestinians are gone.

    #181165
    Michael Reid
    Participant

    Richard D. Wolff & Michael Hudson:
    Israel’s Dead End –
    US Empire’s Collapse: Losing Touch w/ Reality

    #181166
    Oroboros
    Participant

    USAID

    Blood on their Hands

    Put their heads on the chopping block….

    “… reporter got stonewalled for asking if USAID funded Wuhan gain-of-function research.”

    RandPaul Asks Super Cunt Samantha Power:

    ‘”Did USAID Fund Coronavirus Research In Wuhan China?”

    “Should we be funding the Academy of Military Medical Research in China?

    …Some of the research proposals in 2018 were the Wuhan Insitute of Virology asking for money to create a virus with a furin cleavage site.

    A SARS-like coronavirus with a furin cleavage site. That’s exactly what COVID-19 turned out to be.

    So we want to know if there were other research proposals you either granted or denied that were in the same vain as creating viruses that could have become COVID-19. We can’t tell because you won’t give us information… I now have 25 Senators that have sent you a letter, and you aren’t responding… You are being dishonest.”

    The criminal organization EcoHealth Alliance–which funded the reckless research in Wuhan that caused COVID, killing 20 million and costing $25 trillion– received more than $65 million from USAID.

    #181167
    Oroboros
    Participant

    .

    #181168
    Oroboros
    Participant

    .

    #181169
    Michael Reid
    Participant

    Israel is DIGGING ITS OWN GRAVE
    as IDF Collapses on All Fronts
    w/ Col. Lawrence Wilkerson

    #181170
    WES
    Participant

    Australian Expressions:

    The Australian expression
    “She’ll still be there tomorrow, mate!”
    I think refers to the hangover you will have tomorrow,
    from drinking too much today!

    Australians also refer to today’s work, not done today,
    will still be there tomorrow, by saying
    “Don’t worry mate! She’ll still be there tomorrow!”.

    At Xmas time,
    Australian women are usually very careful not to say
    “They are stuffing the turkey (bird) !”

    My Australian crane operator,
    had a sign on the back of his crane, that said
    “Do Not Hump!”

    One day my crane operator sheepishly approached me,
    and asked what the sign
    “Do Not Hump!”
    meant?

    I explained that was a sign for US railways
    to not slam or hump railway cars together by force
    and that they should manually couple the railway car together gentlely,
    to prevent damaging sensitive equipment like electrical motors.

    Thus the “Do not Hump!” sign on the back of his crane!
    Of course he meant it to say something else entirely!

    #181171
    WES
    Participant

    Female Helicopter Pilot:

    As the daughter of 2 medical doctors, she was not short on brain power.
    ⁷Yes, there are the usual things being said about her private life.

    The best explanation(s), I have read, stated that she was being checked out for night flying on this training flight.

    That she was inexperienced at flying at night, shows up from the very beginning of her training flight.
    She had 2 prior close (warning) ATC calls with other aircraft before the third fatal encounter.

    Her flying above the 200 foot ceiling nearer to 400 feet indicates her inexperience of flying at night.
    Her inexperience at flying at night, would have automatically lead her to fly higher for safety reasons.

    After the (last- 12 seconds before) ATC’s 2 o’clock danger warning, she turned her helicopter such that the new danger was now coming from her 10 o’clock direction!
    But by continuing to look towards her 2 o’clock direction, clearly she was still focused on the plane from her second ATC warning, not the new third plane warning!
    This likely reflects the lack of recent flying time, showing she might have been a bit rusty.

    One can easily find fault with the ATC’s language, but in the end she received 2 clear warnings of a CJT jet, a very different type of jet than from the second jet warning.

    She very definitely was suffering from some kind of brain fog.
    She was not sharp.
    Rust, covid, ????
    We will never know.

    The DoD has completely scrubbed her existence from the internet.
    Thus the delay by DoD in releasing her name.
    There is something they needed to hide.
    And it isn’t her being a female helicopter pilot.
    She was plenty smart enough.

    She completely failed her check out training flight, sadly taking a lot of people with her.
    I would like to know who put her into this position, she wasn’t ready for?
    That person is the true mass murder!

    #181237
    Oroboros
    Participant

    Just basic common sense would have had her fly this night mission out in the boonies somewhere or at least a very low traffic airport to start with.

    If she flew flawlessly without ANY ATC cals, then, and only then would I have had her fly a night mission near Reagan Airport.

    Even in a youtube I heard from Capt Sullenberger, he said you have to have special qualifications to even operate as a commercial pilot out of Reagan.

    First time I ever landed there it was just called National and the approach was straight down the Potomac until you got so low I thought we were gonna do a water landing then at the last moment a hard 90 degree turn onto the very beginning of the runway.

    Not a place to practice your first night flights

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