The Automatic Earth

Edouard Manet The absinthe drinker 1859

Elon Musk on wars: "A lot of people dying for basically almost no changes in land, young boys who don't know each other, killing each other on behalf of old men who do know each other, there's lot of sons not coming back to their parents, most of them don't hate the other side" pic.twitter.com/uo7QVt2y0B

— Camus (@newstart_2024) March 3, 2025

Failings

BRAVO!!!! This is Incredible common sense from this British woman

pic.twitter.com/ajnyqA59wd

— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) March 2, 2025

Hegseth 5 bullets
https://twitter.com/i/status/1896279104535904726

Dellinger

NEW – Judge rules against President Trump, preventing the Trump administration from removing Biden-appointed Office of Special Counsel head, Hampton Dellinger—Case now likely headed to the Supreme Court pic.twitter.com/dSgtcjGilP

— Overton (@overton_news) March 3, 2025

Tucker

Tucker Carlson says Texas Republicans are corrupt

This may explain why there’s a 60 square mile city of illegal aliens called Colony Ridge in Texas or why a 402-acre plot of land is being subsidized exclusively for a Muslim community pushing Sharia Law

“What is it with Texas… pic.twitter.com/oJSsLHXdsS

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) March 2, 2025

Just for reference, this is the Texas Congressman calling Tucker Carlson a “Russian Agent”

Congressman Michael McCaul Insider Trading $576 million dollars, makes $20 million per month and owns a $20 Million Dollar Private Jet

– He makes an average of $24,000,000 every single… pic.twitter.com/1lO5jsUxuz

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) March 3, 2025

Time to talk Europe. Why do they insist on antagonizing Trump by sabotaging his peace efforts? Martin Armstrong says Europe is so far gone, the only thing they can think of doing is go to war with Russia. Von der Leyen today presented a $1 trillion EU rearmament plan. Which they can’t afford, but they could blame Putin for all consequences, not themselves. Consequences such as widespread and deep poverty across the continent.

• Europe’s Reckless Warmongering Pushes Trump Toward NATO Exit (Sp.)

So long as the US provides an expensive and robust support for Europe’s defense, oligarchs based in Europe can continue business as usual, living their lavish lifestyles and provoking their nuclear neighbor, Wall Streest analyst Charles Ortel says. “Our European ‘partners’ seem to want ‘war at all costs,’ believing that America will do the paying and Americans will do the dying,” Wall Street analyst Charles Ortel told Sputnik, commenting on Europe’s demonstrative support for Volodymyr Zelensky, who rejected a Trump-brokered ceasefire in Ukraine. The UK and EU feel free to provoke Russia – a nuclear power – because they believe their security is guaranteed by Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which would obligate the US to come to their defense, according to the analyst.

Europe’s proxy, Zelensky, “is behaving like an old-fashioned mafia goon, demanding protection money,” Ortel says. US involvement in the Ukraine conflict would mean increased protection for Europe and further US taxpayer money flowing into European coffers. But that won’t happen under Donald Trump and JD Vance, Ortel underscores. As Europe’s reckless warmongering continues, the US may have no choice but to leave the transatlantic alliance, he believes. “The US has no business subsidizing Europe and defending it,” Ortel says. “Indeed, I believe we have a duty to our own citizenry to significantly reduce our defense commitments to Europe and rescind NATO treaty assurances — if not exit NATO altogether under present circumstances.”

Read more …

“Trump has given us an opportunity we have not had for a long time. Be thankful for it.”

• Why Is Europe Making Itself Irrelevant? (Paul Craig Roberts)

Readers want to know why the UK PM and European leaders–really, non-readers, misleaders, bad leaders–want war with Russia over Ukraine. My answer is that they don’t. What would they go to war with? According to the European “leaders,” they already have given all their weapons to Ukraine and have nothing with which o fight a war. The only way Europe can send any money to Ukraine is to get the EU central bank to print euros to send to Ukraine. Moreover, the NATO force structure depends on the United States. Without the US, Europe lacks a force structure that can support a war. Trump has ruled out war with Russia and read Zelensky the riot act. Unless Putin makes a fantastic mistake, I expect the conflict to end.

Perhaps what is going on with Europe’s is that EU governments, after sending so much money and weapons to Ukraine backed by claims that Ukraine was winning and would win, want to be able to say that Trump sold out Ukraine in order to avoid accountability to the deceived populations of Europe. They can blame Trump for denying Ukraine and NATO a victory. The European talk of sending “peacekeepers” to Ukraine is nonsense. Putin intends a settlement, an over-and-done-with event, not a ceasefire with European “peacekeepers.” Trump can’t get a settlement if he sides with the EU against Putin. If Trump and Putin don’t accept “peacekeepers,” it can’t happen.

Here is a thought. Trump sees economic growth as fed by opportunity. He sees more opportunity in business deals with Russia, India, China, the rest of Asia, and Africa than he sees in Europe. Trump understands that it was sanctions and the weaponization of the dollar that produced BRICS and the search for an alternative for central bank reserves and international payments. To save the dollar’s role as reserve currency, Washington needs to stop bullying. Trump, like Putin, wants deals that work for everyone, not wars. In a world in which the dollar is not used as a weapon against other countries, BRICS is not necessary. Trump sees tariffs in a different way than indoctrinated free-market economists. Tariffs don’t prevent trade. They ensure that countries have something with which to trade.

Moreover, tariffs are a tax on consumption, not a tax on factors of production such as labor and capital. And as I emphasize, tariffs in place of income tax eliminates the resurrection of a form of slavery established in 1913 when government was given partial ownership of the labor of every working citizen. We have little to lose by supporting Trump and keeping him focused on his agenda. We should not add to problems for Ukraine’s sake, or for Israel’s sake, or some other non-American interest. There are sufficient unaddressed threats around, such as AI and the creation and release of another virus, to knock Trump’s agenda off balance. Life is a challenge. Making good decisions is a difficult thing to do. Let’s try for a change to meet the real challenges and to make good decisions. Trump has given us an opportunity we have not had for a long time. Be thankful for it.

Read more …

“Right now, I am concerned from about May 15th on. . . . Our computer (Socrates) says Europe is going into war, and I put it into this report, Europe will lose. . .”

• Europe is Falling & Needs War with Russia – Martin Armstrong (USAW)

Legendary financial and geopolitical cycle analyst Martin Armstrong is back with a new warning about war coming to Europe. You may have seen the heated exchange between President Trump and President Zelensky of Ukraine on Friday. If not, you should. Some of the Trump highlights are: “President Zelensky is not ready for peace. . . (Zelensky is) gambling with WWIII, and You either make a deal or we are out.” It looks like Zelensky intentionally started a fight with Trump in the White House. It also looks like every country in Europe is backing more war in Ukraine. And now, there is renewed talk of an EU army. Armstrong says, “Why?” ” Because they all are facing the collapse of the European Union. The debt is just unbelievable. They never consolidated. Between Covid, Climate Change and sanctions on Russia, the German economy has shrunk . . . 3% to 5%. The economic growth (of the EU) is appalling. Europe is falling, and this is why they need war. So, they are backing Zelensky.”

In a new report released yesterday, Armstrong lays out the case why war in Europe is coming and coming soon. Armstrong points out: “In this report, I gathered a bunch of headlines: London Financial Times, what’s the headline? ‘America is Now the Enemy of the West.’ This is why Trump is saying ‘We are out.’ Zelensky has admitted that 58% of the $350 billion the US gave him is missing. You cut the funding, and you are going to find out the truth. Trump should cut every single penny. Bring it all out. Zelensky is counting on Europe to replace the United States. This is why he’s so arrogant. . . . Trump should get the hell out of NATO–ASAP.”

So, why are all these reports coming out in the last few months about gold coming to America from Europe? Armstrong says, “Last week, I was on the phone, and I can’t tell you how much, but when you are about to go into war, capital moves…” “Right now, I am concerned from about May 15th on. . . . Our computer (Socrates) says Europe is going into war, and I put it into this report, Europe will lose. . . . This is why the gold is coming to America.” Armstrong also contends you can forget about predictions of the US dollar collapsing anytime soon – it won’t.

Armstrong says, “The Euro will become extinct.” Armstrong also predicts, “I published what the computer “Socrates” put out on Ukraine. It’s a flatline, and I have never seen that on any other country. It’s a flatline. It’s going dead. That’s it.” Did the election of President Trump stop a thermonuclear exchange with Russia? Armstrong says, “Absolutely! You had Dick Cheney endorsing Kamala. . . . Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger were on the J6 Committee. Both of them are Neocons. Adam Kinzinger said ‘We could defeat Russia in three days.’ They put out nothing but propaganda all the time.”

Read more …

“Because Ukraine is mostly a flat plain, it has served historically as the doormat for invasions into Russia, so you may see why Russia was not comfortable with the prospect of NATO perched there..”

• Attitude Adjustment (James Howard Kunstler)

See if you can get this straight: So, Kier Starmer says: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland wants to “put boots on the ground and planes in the air” in Ukraine so as to lead a “coalition of the willing” (NATO) against Russia. Sounds a little like the British PM is holding seances at No. Ten Downing Street to channel the spirits of bygone European leaders who launched doomed bear hunts into the vast and mysterious Eurasian east. (Who comes to mind?) Why is Europe so avid for war? After eighty-odd years of serving as the world’s tourism theme park, languishing in their cafes, maybe they forgot what war is like. The New York Times reports: Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union would fortify Ukraine with economic and military aid, aiming to turn it into “a steel porcupine that is indigestible for potential invaders.”

This requires you to fall for the fake idea that Russia seeks to invade western Europe. Notice how much the EU acts like America’s Democratic Party — projecting its own hostile fantasies on its adversaries. Also, like our Democratic Party, Europe is sinking into oblivion. The animating ethos of the ruling parties in Germany and France is to punish their own citizens with censorship, tyranny, and sponsoring an alien invasion that aims to demolish European culture. Their economic wizards are taking the continent medieval, to a global backwater of defeated peasants eating bugs. I will boldly predict that the likes of Starmer, von der Leyen, and Friedrich Merz will be swept out of power by angry mobs before next Christmas. In the meantime, Europe has made itself preposterous. Europe does not have the mojo to do a darned thing about Ukraine or Russia.

The British army has 74,296 active-duty troops, comparable to Algeria. The UK’s North Sea oil production has declined by approximately 73-percent since 2000. Germany produces around 23,000 barrels-a-day, enough to meet two percent of its domestic oil demand. Anyway, exactly a year ago, Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared, “There will be no ground troops, no soldiers on Ukrainian soil sent there by European countries or NATO states.” So, who’s kidding whom? Circumstances are driving the USA and Russia into an alliance of necessity. The immediate goal is to stop the insane war provoked by previous non-Trump administrations (and the EU) going back to George W. Bush, that repeatedly promoted “color revolutions” (regime change) in Ukraine so as to drag it into NATO — putting a hostile forward base on Russia’s “front porch.” The idea all along among the most fervidly delusional neocons has been to bust-up Russia in order to seize its oil and mineral assets.

That project never panned out because after a decade of post-Soviet chaos, Mr. Putin put his country back in order, turned it into what used to be the definition of a normal European nation and — too ironically even for Russian literature — made it a bastion for defending Western Civ while the other nations of Europe launched their campaign of collective suicide. History is ever a trickster and the zeitgeist is its consigliere. Mr. Trump and his wingmen apparently recognize the obvious: that Ukraine is exactly what its name signifies in its Slavic root, (Ukraina): frontier, borderland, periphery, outskirts. Ukraine is on the edge of Russia. Most of all, it is geopolitically within Russia’s sphere-of-influence in the same way that Mexico is in ours, with similar implications for national defense as laid out explicitly in our Monroe Doctrine.

Because Ukraine is mostly a flat plain, it has served historically as the doormat for invasions into Russia, so you may see why Russia was not comfortable with the prospect of NATO perched there, especially in a new age of drones and missiles. As Europe now flounders impotently and wrecks itself, America and Russia are motivated to avoid being snookered into an unnecessary world war over Ukraine. Mr. Zelenskyy is but an anachronistic artifact of the color revolutions that finally sputtered out with “Joe Biden,” who was himself in the vanguard of a colossal money-grubbing operation in that sad-sack country.

Read more …

“This guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing..”

• US Halts All Military Aid To Ukraine – Media (RT)

US President Donald Trump has instructed the Defense Department to pause all military aid to Ukraine following his public spat with Vladimir Zelensky, news agencies reported on Monday, citing American officials. According to Bloomberg, the freeze affects the equipment already designated for delivery, including weapons in transit on aircraft and ships or waiting in transit areas in Poland. The suspension will stay in place until Trump sees that the Ukrainian leaders “demonstrate a good-faith commitment to peace,” Bloomberg said, citing a senior Pentagon official. According to the New York Times, the order takes effect immediately and affects more than $1 billion in “arms and ammunition in the pipeline and on order.”

“The president has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution,” a White House official told Reuters. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Monday that Washington has stopped funding new weapons sales to Ukraine and was considering freezing weapons shipments. Trump has repeatedly accused Zelensky of undermining his effort to broker a peace deal between Kiev and Moscow. Their public feud culminated in an unprecedented shouting match during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House on Friday, after which Trump said that Zelensky was disrespectful to the US.

Zelensky has insisted that a ceasefire must be tied to security guarantees provided by the US and other Western countries. Trump, however, has refused to commit to specific guarantees and has ruled out making Ukraine a NATO member or contributing American troops to a potential peacekeeping mission. On Sunday, Zelensky told reporters that “an agreement to end the war is still very, very far away, and no one has started all these steps yet.” Trump condemned his statement on social media, promising that “America will not put up with it for much longer.”

“This guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Zelensky told reporters last month that Ukraine had a “low chance” of survival without American aid. The US is one of Kiev’s principal suppliers of weapons, including M1 Abrams tanks, Bradley armored vehicles, M777 howitzers, HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, and artillery rounds. As of December 2024, the Pentagon has committed more than $66 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since 2022. Russia has stressed that no amount of Western aid would stop its troops in Ukraine.

Read more …

Just take the arms away.

• The Three Conditions For Zelensky’s Departure (Ryumshin)

For a long time, discussions about elections in Ukraine were hypothetical, a distant prospect. But recent developments – including Russian-American negotiations and the growing friction between Washington and Kiev – have thrown the question of Vladimir Zelensky’s future into sharp focus. The emerging détente between Russia and the US has activated what one might call a “Chekhov’s gun” scenario – an inevitability set in motion long ago. Both Moscow and Washington now seem to agree that Zelensky, whose legitimacy is increasingly in question, must face elections before making any binding agreements. Public statements from Russian and American officials indicate that if Zelensky were to exit following an election, both parties would welcome the outcome.

However, Zelensky’s departure is far from certain. For him to resign, at least two of three critical conditions must be met:
• The key players in the Ukraine conflict – Russia, the US, and the European Union – must want him to go.
• The Ukrainian political elite must push for his resignation.
• Zelensky himself must see a reason to step down.
• At present, none of these conditions are fully in place.
The US and Russia have seemingly converged on a three-stage process: ceasefire, elections, peace talks. Reports indicate that an informal consensus is emerging in both capitals. However, neither side has explicitly acknowledged a unified stance, likely because the negotiations are still in their early stages and have yet to formally address Ukraine.

The European Union remains the wildcard. Brussels is adamant that Ukraine must be supported, regardless of Washington’s position. This provides Zelensky with an alternative power base, meaning that even if Russia and the US agree on his departure, he could still count on support from Europe to justify staying in power. Public sentiment within Ukraine is difficult to gauge accurately. While polls indicate that Zelensky’s approval ratings have been steadily declining since 2023, recent attacks from US President Donald Trump and other Western critics have paradoxically caused his numbers to rebound. Whether this surge in support is genuine or a manufactured crisis response from his administration remains unclear. Polling during wartime is notoriously unreliable, making it difficult to assess whether the Ukrainian people truly want Zelensky to step down.

Ukrainian political opposition also remains fragmented. Many figures within the ruling elite bear grudges against Zelensky, but their ability to effectively challenge his authority is questionable. The Ukrainian parliament recently embarrassed Zelensky by failing to pass a resolution reaffirming his legitimacy at the first attempt – an incident that took place in front of EU representatives. But this is hardly a coordinated coup attempt; rather, it underscores the lack of unity among his detractors. A unifying figure for the opposition remains elusive. Former Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny, once seen as a potential rival, has so far refrained from making any overt political moves. Without him, Zelensky’s adversaries appear more interested in minor disruptions than in mounting a serious challenge.

Despite his declining popularity, Zelensky is not without influential allies. His inner circle, particularly Andrey Yermak, head of the Ukrainian Presidential Administration, has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. Yermak, often seen as the power behind the throne, has built his career on his proximity to Zelensky. Any shift in leadership could threaten his influence and that of his associates, making it likely that they will fight to keep Zelensky in office. The simplest answer is no. Zelensky appears convinced that his leadership is indispensable to Ukraine’s survival. He has consistently rejected any suggestion of early elections or stepping down voluntarily. His statements on the matter are often deflective, saying he would consider resignation only if Ukraine was admitted to NATO – an impossible condition. This suggests he will cling to power for as long as possible.

While Zelensky currently holds his ground, shifting battlefield dynamics could force his hand. Ukraine’s military situation continues to deteriorate, its resources are stretched thin, and Western support is no longer guaranteed. The new US administration is unlikely to display the same patience as the Biden White House. If Ukraine fails to turn the tide, Zelensky may face a stark choice: hold elections before the situation becomes catastrophic or risk being overthrown in a palace coup orchestrated by Ukrainian elites desperate to preserve their own futures. The latter scenario would not be unusual in history. Leaders who refuse to acknowledge military defeat often find themselves ousted by their own ranks. If Zelensky continues to insist on leading Ukraine down an unwinnable path, he may well meet the same fate.

Read more …

“The argument at the White House was “a rather unprecedented event,” during which the Ukrainian leader “at the very least, demonstrated a complete lack of diplomatic skills..”

• Trump-Zelensky Clash Shows Ukraine Doesn’t Want Peace – Kremlin (RT)

The public dispute between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky at the White House last week is further evidence that Kiev is not genuinely interested in a diplomatic resolution to its conflict with Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has stated. Zelensky’s visit to the White House on Friday was abruptly cut short after a heated exchange with the US president and vice president in front of the media. During the tense meeting, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance accused the Ukrainian leader of “gambling with World War III” by refusing to negotiate peace with Russia. They also criticized him as ungrateful and disrespectful despite the significant military aid Washington has provided to Kiev. During the intense argument, Zelensky once again ruled out talks with Moscow, demanded security guarantees from the US, and denied that Ukrainian forces are facing manpower shortages.

“The Kiev regime and Zelensky do not want peace,” Peskov told journalists on Monday. “In this situation, Washington’s efforts and Moscow’s readiness alone will clearly not be enough [to stop the fighting] as a very important element is missing.” The Ukrainian leader’s behavior at the Oval office “demonstrated how difficult it will be to get on the path of a settlement around Ukraine,” he said. According to the spokesman, Russian President Vladimir Putin is aware of the details of the clash between Trump and Zelensky. “It was available for the entire international community to see… Therefore, of course, the president knows all the nuances,” he confirmed. The argument at the White House was “a rather unprecedented event,” during which the Ukrainian leader “at the very least, demonstrated a complete lack of diplomatic skills,” Peskov noted.

The Kremlin spokesman also stressed that “the collective West has partially begun to lose its collectiveness” when it comes to the Ukraine conflict, as some nations or groups of nations are beginning to work out their own more nuanced stances. There remains “a party of war” in the West, which declares its readiness to continue backing Ukraine and ensuring the continuation of the fighting, he said, adding that “at the same time, some first drafts of eventual peace plans are also appearing.” Peskov emphasized, however, that “it is too early to speak about some kind of a coordinated, detailed peace plan being on the agenda.” Overall, the situation surrounding the resolution of the Ukraine conflict remains complex, he stressed. Peskov reiterated that Russia remains committed to achieving all the objectives outlined at the start of its special military operation.

Read more …

“The EU leaders and Zelensky having fancy dinners while men die in trenches. How many parents will never see their son again?”

• Musk Slams Zelensky For Rejecting Ceasefire (RT)

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has lashed out at Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in a series of X posts, accusing him of prolonging the conflict with Russia by refusing to negotiate. Musk’s comments follow a tense White House meeting on Friday between Zelensky, US President Donald Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance. The meeting ended abruptly without a planned minerals agreement. During a heated exchange, Zelensky resisted Trump’s demand to negotiate with Moscow, leading Trump to accuse him of ingratitude, “gambling with World War III,” and lacking the willingness to end the conflict. After Zelensky’s “fiasco” in Washington, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called an emergency summit in London on Sunday to discuss Western support for Ukraine. Some European leaders raised the possibility of sending ground troops.

Early Sunday, Musk reposted a statement made by Balazs Orban, political director of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, calling for “direct negotiations with Russia” and an “immediate ceasefire and peace.” He then re-shared his 2022 peace proposal, suggesting referendums in Russian-controlled territories, the recognition of Crimea as Russian, and Ukraine’s neutrality. The Donetsk People’s Republic, Lugansk People’s Republic, Kherson Region and Zaporozhye Region—formerly part of Ukraine—became federal subjects of Russia after referendums in 2022. Crimea and Sevastopol had previously voted to join the country in 2014. However, Kiev continues to assert sovereignty over these territories.

“What I said over 2 years ago was that Ukraine should seek peace or suffer severe loss of life for no gains. The latter was Zelensky’s choice. Now, he wants to do that again. This is cruel and inhumane,” Musk wrote in a pinned post. Musk followed up with a meme of a tram running over people, with Zelensky at the control lever. Another post showed a blood-stained chessboard next to a dining table, captioned: “The reality of war.” He later reposted the image, adding: “The EU leaders and Zelensky having fancy dinners while men die in trenches. How many parents will never see their son again?” Musk’s remarks come as Zelensky demands more funding from Western backers while resisting talks with Moscow. Reports indicate Washington is unwilling to approve further aid unless Ukraine agrees to negotiations.

During the summit, Starmer urged the EU and other sponsors to take a leading role in supporting Kiev. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau backed the idea, stating that “everything’s on the table.” French President Emmanuel Macron said deployment would only be possible “when the peace is signed.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed strong opposition to the potential deployment of Western peacekeeping forces. He emphasized that NATO expansion towards Russia’s borders is perceived as a threat, and deploying the bloc’s troops in Ukraine, even under a different guise, does not alter this perception.

Read more …

Ukraine is aligned with EU/Biden values.

• Tulsi Gabbard Questions If Ukraine Is ‘Aligned’ With US Values (RT)

Ukraine and many of its European backers may not be aligned with the US values of freedom, peace, and democracy shared by President Donald Trump, according to Washington’s director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Gabbard was asked about last week’s heated exchange at the White House involving Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and Trump and his vice president, J.D. Vance. The tense meeting ended with Zelensky abruptly leaving the White House after being accused by Trump of ingratitude, “gambling with World War III,” and refusing to seek peace with Russia. The incident has sparked a backlash from Trump’s critics, including several EU leaders, who have accused him of “bullying” Zelensky.

However, according to Gabbard, anyone who has criticized Trump over his interaction with the Ukrainian leader is merely showing that they are “not committed to peace.” “Many of these European countries, and Zelensky himself, who claim to be standing and fighting for the cause of freedom and democracy” are actually acting contrary to these values, Gabbard stated. “When we actually look at what’s happening in reality in these countries, as well as with Zelensky’s government in Ukraine, it is the exact opposite,” she added. Gabbard pointed to the lack of elections in Ukraine, Kiev’s criminalization of opposition parties, the shutting down of Orthodox churches, and the complete government control over media outlets.

“It begs the question. It’s clear they’re standing against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. But what are they actually really fighting for, and are they aligned with the values that they claim to hold in agreement with [the US], which are the values of freedom, peace and true security,” Gabbard said. The DNI chief further criticized Washington’s EU partners, recalling Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference, where he accused European countries of implementing policies that “undermine democracy” and show that they “don’t actually believe in the voices of the people.”

“We’re seeing this in the United Kingdom, we’re seeing this in Germany, we saw it with the tossing out of the elections in Romania,” Gabbard said, suggesting that this shows a “huge divergence” between US values and those of the European nations that have backed Zelensky. Russia has also suggested that last week’s clash between Zelensky and Trump once again proved that Kiev is not genuinely interested in peace. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stressed that the Ukrainian leader’s behavior in the Oval Office “demonstrated how difficult it will be to get on the path of a settlement around Ukraine.”

Read more …

“A hammer doesn’t know the intent of an architect. America was the architect of Ukrainian project. Ukraine is just the hammer, just like Europe..”

• Scott Ritter: US Had Its fingers in Every Aspect of Ukrainian Pie (Sp.)

Aside from preparing Ukraine for guerrilla warfare and conducting anti-Russia propaganda operations, the US and the CIA built 20 bases throughout the country, former US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter told Sputnik. Hunter Biden’s position on the board of the major Ukrainian energy company Burisma also shows that “the United States had its fingers in every aspect of the Ukrainian economic pie.” Ukraine, Ritter explained, is just a tool US tried using to defeat Russia – a tool that wasn’t even aware of “every aspect of this grand plan.”

“A hammer doesn’t know the intent of an architect. America was the architect of Ukrainian project. Ukraine is just the hammer, just like Europe,” he said. Commenting on the recent clash between JD Vance and Zelensky, Ritter noted that Vance is “the vice president of the United States, who has received some of the best intelligence there is about the reality of Ukraine.” “Zelensky is an actor who reads from a script as part of a play that’s being controlled by others,” he remarked.

Read more …

“This is a new president, and we are determined to take a new approach towards peace.”

• Zelensky Rejects Calls For Immediate Ceasefire & Won’t Apologize To Trump (ZH)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has remained defiant in the wake of Friday’s explosive confrontation with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office. He said from London Sunday that he will not apologize and that his country’s freedom is “not for sale”. He acknowledged that the public spat “didn’t bring anything positive or additional to us as partner” – however he also said “This relationship will continue because this is more than a relationship in one moment.” “If you don’t have an end to the war and you don’t have security guarantees, no one is able to control a ceasefire,” he told reporters while preparing to leave the UK, following a meeting with European leaders to agree on continued support for Ukraine.

Financial Times has underscored that Zelensky is not only rejecting calls from the US to apologize to Trump and Vance, but he’s now openly pushing back against ceasefire. The Ukrainian leader…rejected calls for Ukraine to agree an immediate ceasefire in its war with Russia, saying it would be “failure for everyone” if a cessation of hostilities were not accompanied by detailed security guarantees. “If you don’t have an end to the war and you don’t have security guarantees, no one is able to control a ceasefire,” Zelensky stressed in these latest remarks. He still proclaimed that he remains “ready” to sign a US-Ukraine minerals deal, confirming that his aides are now speaking to Trump’s team about ways to move forward on it. Zelensky says he is prepared to sign a mineral rights deal with the US and thinks the relationship with Washington can be salvaged. —NBC

But the mood from the White House appears to be one of willingness to cut Zelensky off altogether. There are reports that President Trump is mulling cutting off all continuing defense aid to Ukraine. Administration officials have sought to clarify that this was no ambush which played out before media cameras on Friday, but that Zelensky was rude and confrontational the whole time, and never satisfied with what the US was providing to Ukraine. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz told the Sunday news shows that President Trump “was frustrated and angry because it’s unclear if Zelensky truly wants to stop the fighting. The President and VP said enough is enough.” Walz added: “This [lecturing] was the wrong approach, wrong time, and the wrong president to try to do this kind of a thing. This is not Joe Biden. The entire world saw that, crystal clear.”

And this segment from Walz’s account in a Fox News interview is hugely revealing:
Q: How did Zelensky react after press left? Was he surprised?

Waltz: No. His team was. His ambassador, and adviser were practically in tears, wanting this to move forward. But Zelensky was still argumentative. I said “Mr. President, time is not on your side here, on the battlefield, and in terms of the world situation. And most importantly, USAID, and the taxpayers’ tolerance, is not unlimited”.

Waltz: I think Zelensky is used to hearing that “as long as it takes” and blank check from Biden. He has not gotten the memo that this is a new sheriff in town. This is a new president, and we are determined to take a new approach towards peace.

European leaders are meanwhile trying to absorb the blowback and fallout, now talking about an alternative peace plan backed by “boots on the ground and planes in the air”. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is leading the way on plans for a ‘stabilization force’ to back a Ukraine ceasefire, likely involving France – and which the Europeans hope Trump can sign on to. But the Kremlin is likely to immediately reject it, given the Western ‘boots on the ground’ aspect to the plan.

Read more …

“If this was a Democrat that was doing this, everyone would be saying, well, he’s on his way to the Nobel Peace Prize…”

• US Reportedly Halts Offensive Cyber Ops Against Russia (ZH)

In the latest indication that we’re entering a new, less adversarial era of US-Russia relations, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a suspension of offensive cyber operations against Russia. The length of the pause is uncertain but the purpose seems clear: To demonstrate good will as the Trump administration earnestly seeks a negotiated end to the three-year-old war in Ukraine, which has been costly not only to the two warring countries, but to the United States and Western European countries that first precipitated that conflict, and then perpetuated it. The pause will continue as long as negotiations move forward, according to the Washington Post’s sources. US officials tell various media outlets that the stand-down order was issued to US Cyber Command in late February.

Headquartered at Ft Meade, Maryland and commanded by Air Force Gen. Tim Haugh, the mission of Cyber Command’s two to three thousand employees is to “plan and execute global cyber operations, activities, and missions to defend and advance national interests in collaboration with domestic and international partners across the full spectrum of competition and conflict.” “I have seen many times when we are in some type of negotiation with another nation, especially if it’s one that is considered an adversary, that we stop operations, exercises, we even cancel speeches sometimes,” retired Cyber Command deputy commander Lt. Gen. Charlie Moore told the Post. The pause in offensive cyber-operations was first reported by The Record. The precise nature of the adjustment in activity is unclear, but the outlet’s sources say it does not apply to the National Security Agency and its signals intelligence-gathering.

Right on cue, hawks squawked over the deescalation move. “Russia continues to be among the top cyberthreats to the United States,” James A. Lewis, a Clinton administration diplomat and former U.N. cyber negotiator told the Washington Post. “Turning off cyber operations to avoid blowing up the talks may be a prudent tactical step. But if we take our foot off the gas pedal and they take advantage of it, we could put national security at risk.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of giving Russian President Vladimir Putin “a free pass…to launch cyberoperations and ransomware attacks against critical American infrastructure.” Appearing on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back on leftist hysterics about Trump’s eagerness to reach a negotiated ceasefire and lasting peace in Ukraine — consistent with his campaign pledges:

“If this was a Democrat that was doing this, everyone would be saying, well, he’s on his way to the Nobel Peace Prize. This is absurd. We are trying to end a war. You cannot end a war unless both sides come to the table, starting with the Russians, and that is the point the president has made. And we have to do whatever we can to try to bring them to the table to see if it’s even possible.” In another recent sign of easing tensions between the world’s two nuclear superpowers, the United States approved Russia’s selection of a new ambassador to Washington. Aside from the Ukraine peace overtures, current bilateral US-Russia dialogue has been focused on fully restoring relations and putting back in place all embassy staff in Washington and Moscow, respectively. As relations deteriorated during the Biden era, there had been several rounds of hostile, mutual booting of diplomats. Meanwhile, a summit between Trump and Putin is in the works.

Read more …

“We should spend less time worrying about Putin, and more time worrying about migrant rape gangs, drug lords, murderers, and people from mental institutions entering our Country – So that we don’t end up like Europe!”

• Trump Tells Americans To Worry About Migrants Not Putin (RT)

President Donald Trump has stated that the US should prioritize domestic issues, such as migrant crime, rather than focusing on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Recent Russia-US talks initiated by Putin and Trump, followed by Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s disastrous White House appearance, have triggered concern among Kiev’s backers that the US president’s approach could benefit Russia more than Ukraine. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has commended Trump’s approach, noting that it “largely aligns with our vision.” The American leader has dismissed concerns about his relationship to Putin, emphasizing that Washington has more pressing matters to address. “We should spend less time worrying about Putin, and more time worrying about migrant rape gangs, drug lords, murderers, and people from mental institutions entering our Country – So that we don’t end up like Europe!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday.

EU nations are meanwhile facing a migration-related security crisis. France has seen a rise in extremist attacks linked to radicalized asylum seekers, while Germany grapples with migrant-related violent crime. Italy continues to struggle with mass arrivals via the Mediterranean, prompting stricter border controls. In Sweden, studies have highlighted a high percentage of sex crimes committed by foreign-born individuals, fueling debates on immigration policy. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has underscored these concerns, stating, “There is a very clear link between terrorist acts and migration.”The US has faced a surge in illegal border crossings, increased cartel-linked drug trafficking, and crime in migrant-populated areas. In response, Trump has threatened tariffs on Mexico if it does not take stronger action. Since taking office in January 2025 Trump has signed executive orders tightening immigration policies.

One expanded expedited removal, denied federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions, and increased border enforcement hiring. Another declared a national emergency, allowing the deployment of the armed forces to secure the border. The administration is expanding detention facilities to house up to 30,000 migrants. Former President Joe Biden had made Ukraine one of the key focuses of his administration, a decision that drew strong opposition from conservatives. Critics argued he should have prioritized domestic issues instead of sending billions in aid overseas. Biden’s visit to Kiev in 2023 and other foreign trips sparked backlash from Republicans who accused him of neglecting crises at home. Following Trump’s inauguration in January, the White House reaffirmed his ‘America First’ policy – first introduced in 2016 – by outlining plans to “make the country safe again” through stronger border security and a renewed focus on “American values.”

Read more …

President Trump and Elon Musk [..] are planning to visit Fort Knox in the near future to “audit” the gold stocks and make sure all of the gold is where it’s supposed to be. I’m certain that visit will be the mother of all photo-ops.”..

• Gold’s Historic Rally (Jim Rickards)

Even casual observers know that gold has been trading near all-time highs lately. The dollar price of gold has been trading around $2,955 per ounce, quite close to the all-time closing high and near the recent intraday high just below $3,000 per ounce. Since November 1, 2022, gold has rallied from $1,650 per ounce to $2,955 per ounce, an 80% gain in 28 months. Since the U.S. dollar is also near interim highs based on leading indices, gold’s performance when measured in euros, sterling or Swiss francs is even stronger. We expect this trend to continue and to push gold solidly above the $3,000 per ounce level on its way to even higher levels in the months ahead. That’s news in its own right but there’s a lot more going on in the gold space than just the price action. President Trump and Elon Musk (head of the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, and the world’s richest man) are planning to visit Fort Knox in the near future to “audit” the gold stocks and make sure all of the gold is where it’s supposed to be. I’m certain that visit will be the mother of all photo-ops.

Of course, Trump and Musk will not be conducting a real audit in the financial sense. They’ll just look around and show that the gold is actually there. This should lay to rest the rumors and ill-founded theories that the gold is somehow missing or has been shipped to JPMorgan. It hasn’t been. Even this publicity visit has not captured all of the gold news lately. On a more serious note, Scott Bessent the U.S. Treasury Secretary said recently that “within the next twelve months, we’re going to monetize the asset side of the balance sheet for the American people. We’re going to put the assets to work.” There has been so much focus on the liability side of the balance sheet (basically the $38 trillion in national debt) that it’s refreshing to hear a senior official talk about the asset side.

The liberal critics will wail that Bessent plans to sell Yosemite National Park to real estate developers. Nothing like that will happen but the U.S. does have ample assets it can sell, lease or otherwise monetize without invading national parks or wilderness areas. These include mineral and mining rights, intellectual property, airwaves, rights of way, flight paths, and, yes, property development rights and land sales in non-sensitive areas. No one has any idea what all of this is worth, but it’s certainly worth in the trillions of dollars and can be monetized for the benefit of the American people including paying down the national debt.

Gold dealers and gold bugs immediately focused on one particular U.S. asset that could be monetized – gold. The U.S. has 8,133 metric tonnes of gold bullion in three locations – Fort Knox, West Point and the Denver mint – that could be sold. That gold has a current market value of $771 billion. Of course, any effort to sell more than a small fraction of that would drive the price of gold straight down. It would be an immense blunder to sell any of it anyway. The Treasury should be buying gold to maintain confidence in the dollar, not selling it.

Another take on monetizing gold revolves around the fact that the Federal Reserve currently holds a gold certificate issued by the U.S. Treasury in 1934 in compensation for the transfer of gold bullion from the Fed to the Treasury on orders of Franklin Roosevelt (backed up by legislation). That certificate is valued on the Fed’s books at $42.22 per ounce. If the Treasury ordered the Fed to write-up the value to market, that would add $760 billion to the Treasury’s general account, which could be used to finance the U.S. government without adding new debt.

Trump definitely wants new revenue streams for the government. I wouldn’t count marking-up the price of gold as a revenue stream. It does produce cash with no addition to the national debt but it’s not really a revenue stream; it’s just an accounting entry. It does produce cash but only on a one-time basis. In principle, you could repeat the process if gold went higher in the future but that’s uncertain and not completely reliable like taxes, leases and tariffs.

Despite the gold bug claims, there is no particular connection between marking up the price of gold (accounting) and selling gold reserves for cash (monetizing). One has nothing to do with the other. The government could sell the gold today at the market price without having to wash the accounting through the Treasury general account at the Fed. There’s nothing about marking up the price of gold on the Fed’s books that affects the government’s ability to sell the gold one way or the other.

Read more …

Scary numbers.

• Bessent “Shocked” By Scale Of Fraud Already Uncovered By DOGE (ZH)

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent did the mainstream media press tour this weekend, clarifying two critical bullshit talking points to the propagandists: first, DOGE is doing a good job; and second, the US economy faces some significant headwinds as a hangover from ‘Bidenomics’ spendfest. Speaking in a Feb. 28 interview on Bloomberg Podcasts, Bessent was asked whether DOGE’s cost-cutting measures would have a “material” impact on deficit reduction. “I think we can make a pretty big hit here,” he replied, explaining that if DOGE identifies $300 billion in savings – which he suggested is possible – it could reduce the annual deficit by approximately 1 percentage point as a share of GDP. Even if the savings total only $150 billion, he said, this is still “moving us back toward the target, and we’re determined to get this down.”

As The Epoch Times’ Tom Ozimek reports, Bessent emphasized that DOGE, which was tasked by President Donald Trump with rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in federal spending, has already uncovered substantial inefficiencies—and a surprising amount of outright fraud. When in comes to “waste, fraud, and abuse, I think most of us think in terms of waste and abuse,” Bessent said. “I’ve got to tell you that I’m slightly shocked at some of the fraud we’re finding, and you’re going to be hearing about more of that over the next couple of weeks.” As for the ultimate savings that DOGE will deliver, Bessent said: “We’ll see.”

DOGE, led by Elon Musk in a special government role, has an 18-month mandate to slash $2 trillion in federal spending before its scheduled dissolution on Independence Day 2026. Musk has acknowledged the ambitious nature of this goal, saying that even cutting half that amount would be a major step toward reducing inefficiency and lowering deficits. Over the past month, Musk and DOGE staffers have moved aggressively to pursue reforms across federal agencies, reporting $65 billion in savings through canceled grants, asset sales, workforce reductions, and terminated contracts and leases. Trump recently urged Musk to push even harder to root out waste and fraud. He also signed an executive order directing federal agencies to work with DOGE to eliminate costly or duplicative regulations, further accelerating its deficit-cutting mission.

“We either solve the deficit, or all we’ll be doing is paying debt,” Musk said in a recent interview with Fox News. “It’s not optional. America will go bankrupt if this is not done.” According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the federal deficit is projected to average $1.9 trillion per year between 2025 and 2034, or approximately 5.4 percent of GDP over that period. If DOGE’s projected $300 billion in savings materializes—a figure Bessent said was not out of the question—it would lower the deficit to $1.6 trillion and reduce the deficit-to-GDP ratio by nearly 1 percentage point, improving fiscal sustainability. The CBO has warned that persistently high debt could slow economic growth, increase interest payments to foreign creditors, heighten the risk of a fiscal crisis, and limit policymakers’ ability to respond to future downturns. It has stressed that lawmakers must pursue comprehensive fiscal reforms, including spending cuts, revenue increases, or a combination of both, to put the budget on a sustainable long-term path.

Meanwhile, DOGE’s aggressive efforts have drawn criticism from Democrats in Congress, who accuse the agency of overstepping its authority and operating without sufficient oversight or transparency. The agency also faces multiple lawsuits, some challenging its access to federal data and others questioning its constitutional legitimacy. Despite the legal and political battles, DOGE appears to have significant public support. A recent poll of Epoch Times readers found overwhelming backing for DOGE and the Trump administration’s push to curb waste, fraud, and abuse. At the same time, respondents called for greater visibility into DOGE’s findings, with some demanding greater accountability—including the prosecution of individuals found to have engaged in fraud. Bessent’s remarks suggest that such accountability may be on the horizon.

Read more …

“Trump will turn it around. We’re going to get inflation back down at 2% but it’s going to take a little while.”

• Economist Says DOGE Checks Are ‘Exactly The Right Incentive To Find Waste’ (JTN)

Since news broke last week that Elon Musk wants to send $5000 as a waste reduction dividend to every taxpaying household, outlets like CNN and Forbes are repeating DNC talking points that it could make matters worse. National Economic Council (NEC) Director Kevin Hassett defended the plan to CNBC, noting that if the government spends the money on a program or sends it back to the American people — who will spend it back into the economy or save it — the outcome is the same. But in the latter scenario the American people get some money back. “Imagine if we don’t spend government money and we give it back to people, if they spend it, you’re even but they’re probably going to save a lot of it in which case you’re reducing inflation” he told the press during a briefing at the White House last week. Notwithstanding fears about inflation being heightened by another stimulus-type check to Americans, the economy has a major renovation job ahead.

Many blame that stimulus spending for the inflationary surge during Biden’s term in office. Moore, who served as President Trump’s senior economic advisor told the “Furthermore with Amanda Head” podcast that for Trump to overhaul Biden’s economy, “he needs a big pooper scooper to clean up the mess that was left behind… everything that Trump is doing is deflationary; whereas, everything that Biden did raised the cost of businesses and led to runaway inflation.” It can be done, however. Moore gives a timeline of six to nine months for Trump to undo the damage and for the American people to start feeling relief. “Trump will turn it around. We’re going to get inflation back down at 2% but it’s going to take a little while.” A significant contributor to that economic recovery is reducing the cost of oil and gas. In 2024, 82% of energy consumption was sourced from traditional means like oil, gas and coal.

The Biden administration, through vehicles like the Green New Deal, allowed for regulations and standards that stymied or halted altogether domestic energy production. The “Green New Deal,” introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey in 2019, has not passed legislatively, but its core principles have been implemented throughout industry and used as a template for blue state policies like California’s push to eliminate gas-powered cars. Speaking to the seeming intentionality of Biden damaging energy production, Moore cited the first-day-of-office action by Biden to shut down the Keystone XL Pipeline, and asked, “why would anybody do that? Why would they try to destroy American infrastructure?” While legacy media outlets ran coverage for Biden and stuck to DNC talking points, Biden ultimately admitted in January of 2023 that the cancellation of the natural gas resource in fact cost thousands of jobs and revenue in the billions.

Other contributors to the rebounding economy are government spending and the tax bill Americans must pay to satisfy that spending. The budget resolution passed by Congress on Tuesday provides a framework for what needs to be done. Each of the House’s committees are now tasked with finding tax cuts and opportunities to reduce spending. The resolution passed 217 to 215 with all Democrats and one Republican voting against it. Digging into the alternative had it not passed, Moore indicates Americans dodged a bullet: “Republicans voted to stop the biggest tax increase in the history of this country” that would’ve hit taxpayers next January. When asked what a $4 trillion tax increase would have cost the average, middle-income household, Moore said, “The average family would pay somewhere between $2000 and $3000 a year more on taxes.”

Read more …

Looks like she gets a second chance. Use it wisely. And yes, get DOGE involved. You don’t have 6 months.

• AG Pam Bondi Received “Truckload” Of Hidden Epstein Documents From SDNY (ZH)

After last week’s botched Epstein files release, many are calling for Attorney General Pam Bondi to be fired over the lame binders given to right-wing influencers and journalists that contained old information. On Monday, Bondi appeared on Fox News, where she told host Sean Hannity that she received a truckload of files on Friday morning containing additional Epstein files which were hidden away in the Southern District of New York. “FBI handed over a couple hundred pages of documents, but you know Sean, I gave them a deadline of Friday at 8am to get us everything, and a source had told me where the documents were being kept – southern district of new york (shock), so we got – hopefully all of them, Friday at 8am. Thousands of documents,” said Bondi.

“I have the FBI going through them … Now that we have Kash here it’s a game changer of course, and Director Patel is going to get us a detailed report as to why the FBI withheld all of those documents.” Sean Hannity: “I want to be clear, because I think people are frustrated. You were expecting more, and you didn’t find out – less than 24 hours before the release, you got a whistleblower that confirmed that there were way more documents that they were supposed to turn over, and then you found out just before that.” Pam Bondi: “Well sure, you’re looking at these documents going ‘these aren’t all the Epstein files!’ – and we’re going ‘where’s the rest of the stuff?’ and that’s what the FBI had turned over to us. And so a source said, whoa – all this evidence is sitting in the Southern District of New York. So based on that I gave them the deadline – Friday at 8. A truckload of evidence arrived.

It’s now in the possession of the FBI. Kash is going to get me – and himself a detailed report as to why all these documents and evidence had been withheld. And, you know, we’re going to go through it – go through it as fast as we can, but go through it very cautiously to protect all the victims of Epstein, because there are a lot of victims.” “Now, is that the only thing that would be redacted,” Hannity replied, referring to the names of the victims. Pam Bondi: “Yeah, the FBI hasn’t had, obviously, they haven’t looked at the thousands of pages of documents that they just received Friday. Kash has a team going through them – and it’s always about protecting the victim … We believe in transparency, and America has the right to know.”

The Biden administration sat on these documents. No one did anything with them, and why are they sitting in the Southern District of New York? I want a full report on that. Sadly these people don’t believe in transparency, but I think more than that – I think they don’t believe in honesty,” she continued. “Everything is going to come out to the public.” Watch (via Collin Rugg):

BREAKING: Attorney General Pam Bondi says a "truckload" of Jeffrey Epstein files arrived on Friday, says FBI Director Kash Patel is looking through them now.

"We got them all Friday at 8AM. Thousands of pages of documents. I have the FBI going through them."

"It's now in the… pic.twitter.com/rxABwmO5p2

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 4, 2025

Maybe they can ask Elon Musk and DOGE to scan and redact the documents by the end of the week, vs. stringing us along for what could now take months?

Read more …

“..this is a naturalized citizen who not only could be the next Elon Musk. He is Elon Musk.”

• Democrats Go Full McCarthy in Attacks on Musk (Turley)

This month, 75 years ago, Sen. Joe McCarthy (R-Wisc.) gave his infamous speech denouncing disloyal Americans working at the highest levels of our government. It was the defining moment for what became known as McCarthyism, which attacked citizens as dangerous and disloyal influences in government. Some of us have criticized the rising “rage rhetoric” for years, including that of President Trump and Democratic leaders, denouncing opponents as traitors and enemies of the state. In the 2024 election, the traditional red state-blue state firewalls again collapsed, as they had in 2016. The response among Democrats has been to unleash a type of new Red Scare, questioning the loyalty of those who are supporting or working with the Trump administration in carrying out his promised reforms.

Elon Musk is the designated disloyal American for many on the left. That rage has reached virtual hysteria on ABC’s “The View.” This is the same show before the election on which hosts warned that, if Trump were elected, journalists and homosexuals would be rounded up and “disappeared.” After the election, democracy seemed to stubbornly hang on, so the hosts had to resort to attacking as disloyal anyone joining the government or supporting Trump’s policies. This week, co-host Joy Behar followed many others in questioning Musk’s loyalty and attacking him over being a naturalized American citizen: “The guy was not born in this country, who was born under apartheid in South Africa. So, [he] has that mentality going on. He was pro-Apartheid, as I understand it.”

Behar was then forced, perhaps by panicked ABC lawyers, to walk back the comment — such retractions having become a regular feature on “The View“. What came out was the type of jumbled confusion that results when you interrupt a lunatic on the metro in mid-rave. Behar stated: “I’m getting some flack because I said that Musk was pro-apartheid. I don’t really know for sure if he was … He was around at that time, but maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t—he might have been a young guy, too. So, don’t be suing me, okay Elon?” This anti-immigrant attack on Musk, however, has worked its way into many Democrats’ talking points, even though their party had previously claimed to defend immigrants against racist Republicans seeking to close the Southern border and deport criminal illegal immigrants.

On Capitol Hill, Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) launched a xenophobic tirade that should have shocked the conscience of the nation. She warned citizens that Musk could not be trusted because he is an immigrant who has been a citizen for only a couple of decades: “Mr. Musk has just been here just 22 years and he’s a citizen of three countries. I always ask myself the question: With the damage he’s doing here when push comes to shove, which country is he loyal to? South Africa, Canada, or the United States? And he’s only been a citizen, I’ll say again, 22 years.” Former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney was another joining in to attack Musk for being an immigrant. “You may be unfamiliar with that part of our history since you weren’t yet an American citizen,” she wrote on Musk’s social media platform, X.

These attacks are straight out of McCarthy’s playbook. It was McCarthy who insisted that “there are no degrees of loyalty in the United States — a man is either loyal or he’s disloyal…” Of course, McCarthy (and the earlier Red Scare) attacked government employees, writers and others on the left. It is now the left that is employing the same tactics, including censorship, blacklisting and public vilification. Throughout the 2024 campaign, the Democrats, including President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, painted Republicans as either aspiring or actual fascists. That continued recently with Minnesota Gov. and former Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz (D), who referred to Republicans as “fascists and Nazis.” Even journalists and civil libertarians have been reviled using the same terms.

After a hearing on censorship two years ago, MSNBC contributor and former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) attacked journalists and members who had spoken in favor of free speech. She denounced the member witnesses (Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. Ron Johnson and former Rep. Gabbard) as “Putin apologists” and Putin-lovers. Stacey Plaskett, the Democratic delegate representing the Virgin Islands in the U.S. House, even suggested arresting respected journalist Matt Taibbi, who, along with Michael Shellenberger, testified on their investigation into a massive censorship system developed under the Biden administration. The attack on Musk is particularly disgraceful, given his contributions to his adopted country. Ironically, filmmaker Michael Moore denounced the deportations of criminal illegal immigrants last week by noting that Trump was deporting someone who might cure cancer or be the next Steve Jobs. Well, this is a naturalized citizen who not only could be the next Elon Musk. He is Elon Musk.

Read more …

Americans are so addicted to the idea of being No. 1 that they’ve completely forgotten it’s just an idea.

• Chinese Models Are Stunning Americans In The Tech Catwalk (Pepe Escobar)

When President Xi Jinping hosted a recent – rare – meeting with an array of Chinese tech superstars, including a “rehabilitated” Jack Ma, Alibaba’s founder, he urged them to “show their talent”, code for going for broke in the tech war with the U.S. It was no wonder that young Liang Wenfeng, founder of AI sensation DeepSeek, was among the guests. DeepSeek threw not only Silicon Valley but the whole somewhat paranoid U.S. national security ecosystem completely off balance. Yet Beijing’s emphasis is not subversion, but a sound drive towards building an AI system totally independent from U.S. monopolistic pressure and Nvidia products. Alibaba, Huawei and Tencent will likely align their infrastructure with DeepSeek. This process is perfectly synchronized with the Made in China 2025 project, which has already propelled China to the leadership position in several sectors – from electric vehicles, batteries and solar panels to smart grids and advanced manufacturing.

The final breakthroughs will be on top semiconductors and aerospace. It’s now common knowledge that DeepSeek’s development was not a product of Silicon Valley labs showered with billions of dollars of research funds. Liang Wenfeng himself revealed it: “I won’t lie, our AI was created on the basis of Soviet developments – the OGAS system of Academician Glushkov.” The wonders of History: a Soviet marvel auctioned off for a pittance, $15,000 in 1995 possibly because it was considered worthless, is now the backbone of China’s new digital revolution. Physics heavyweight Quantum Bird, formerly with the CERN in Geneva, is adamant: “The Americans lost the plot. It’s all about models employing less computing power and less data. Nvidia high-performance GPUs costing $40,000 consume too much energy.

Then there’s financial speculation. Raspberry Pi [a small single-board computer], the size of a credit card and with a simple processor, costing $50 for students, they may run DeepSeek, consuming less energy than a cellphone.” And that’s just the beginning, Quantum Bird adds: “When Russia and China come up with their first lithographic machine… It was Silicon Valley that pushed the world to this.” Russia-China scientists have already accelerated scientific computing on conventional Nvidia graphics cards by 800 times, creating a new algorithm using reverse engineering. That was pulled off by a joint group of scientists from MSU-PPI University in Shenzhen (MSU-BIT University), established in 2014 by Lomonosov Moscow State University and Beijing Polytechnic Institute. In parallel, researchers using Made in China GPUs have already boosted 10 times their performance over U.S. supercomputers relying on Nvidia hardware. U.S. tech sanctions? Who cares?

Chinese scientists are not intimidated by any challenges. On hardware, production of advanced GPUs like the A100 and H100 is a foreign monopoly. On software, Nvidia has restricted its CUDA software ecosystem from running on third-party hardware; that’s a serious problem for those working on independent algorithms. These may not be insurmountable problems when a rolling wave of Chinese scientists is coming back home to China mostly from the U.S.. Take Tsinghua University chip superstar Sun Nan. Tsinghua’s social media recently revealed that Sun Nan came back in 2020 after many years in the U.S. to “train chip professionals for China and solving the manufacturing problems of mid- and high-end chip technology”. The key sectors, once again, are semiconductors and quantum computing. Nothing Trump 2.0 will throw at China in terms of “tech containment” will alter the Chinese drive.

Sun Nan and his team have already come up with high-performance circuit design tech they integrated into more than 50 chips used in the Chinese power grid, high-speed rail, industrial measurement and control, instrumentation and electric vehicles. Countering the American drive to derail China’s development in AI and chipmaking equipment, interconnected Sun Tzu maneuvers paint the picture of a Chinese transformation of current supply chains, fomenting a tech crisis in the West itself. That is a key reason for Trump’s obsession with Greenland and Ukraine’s rare earth potential. Sanctionmania has been going on since 2017, when Trump started to impose a 60% tariff on Chinese imports. The Cadaver in the White House administration then slapped a 100% tax on Chinese EVs, and dozens of export controls on China, via coercion of its own “allies” such as Holland’s ASML and South Korea’s Hynix and Samsung.

Trump 2.0 will come up with a renewed charge of the heavy brigade quite soon. By 2018, China was entirely dependent on Western tech. That was a time when telecom towers came from Ericsson, GPUs and chips for neural networks from Nvidia, and cars from the European giants. Now it’s a completely different ball game: a blowback game. Huawei leads in global telecom equipment. BYD is the world’s top producer of electric vehicles – ahead of Tesla since last year. Huawei is ahead of Google in smartphone processor shipments, also since last year. Xiaomi will launch its own smartphone processor this year. Huawei’s Ascend 910B chip is already just 5% behind Nvidia’s AI products – and 70% cheaper. Huawei is vertically integrated with its own chip design and manufacturing supply chain – offering mobile operating systems (Harmony OS NEXT), electric vehicles, streaming services, and autonomous driving.

Apart from DeepSeek, ByteDance, Baidu, Alibaba, and 01.ai have all developed their own sophisticated LLM models. China not only already leads in industrial AI applications from robotics and drones to autonomous driving; it is also metastasizing its industrial, technological and economic breakthroughs into military power. Example: the recently launched world’s first 6th generation fighter prototypes – not only one but two, simultaneously; the world’s first drone-carrier; the first hypersonic stealth unmanned airplanes for strike and reconnaissance; the first stealth unmanned warship; and the most powerful long-range air defence systems. China is advancing at breakneck speed in directed energy weapons, military 5G, atomic timing, and space warfare systems.

[..] “China’s nuclear fusion device Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), Physics World wrote, ‘produced a steady-state high-confinement plasma for 1,066 seconds, breaking EAST’s previous 2023 record of 403 seconds’. This last development is an advance for the potential of a fusion power plant, a promise of almost limitless clean energy without significant radioactive waste.” China trades mostly with the Global South: more than 50% of total. Trade with the U.S. is less than 3% of its GDP – as of last year.

Read more …

Nosey

Elephants help each other in distress, grieve for their dead, feel emotions like us.

This is Nosey making her first new friend at her sanctuary after working in a circus for 29 years.pic.twitter.com/vGyJsNmh2w

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) March 3, 2025

Water
https://twitter.com/i/status/1896231517065785524

Bobcat

When Lions rub their face against yours like that. That’s the highest affection and love. pic.twitter.com/2TjlH6uU14

— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) March 2, 2025

Rhinos
https://twitter.com/i/status/1896233790294327794

2
https://twitter.com/i/status/1896481106687639791

Pack
https://twitter.com/i/status/1896536408346788183

Support the Automatic Earth in wartime with Paypal, Bitcoin and Patreon.