Lutnick Archives - The Automatic Earth

Elon Musk made it clear: 𝕏 will not censor speech to please advertisers or anyone. If the choice is money or free speech, free speech comes first

That’s exactly how it should be

And yes, 𝕏 was fined €120 million by the EU – and you know exactly why… retaliation… because… pic.twitter.com/ekjxGiteh4
— X Freeze (@XFreeze) April 23, 2026

Scott Adams nailed the prediction six years ago.

"The SPLC is not a legitimate organization," he said.

And then he predicted … well, you can see what he said next.

August of 2020. pic.twitter.com/1DgOvuWNTd
— "Doc" Hypnosis 🧠 | BowTied Brain-Hacking (@BowTiedTrance) April 22, 2026

"The more effective Trump's approach becomes, the more DESPERATE his opponents get!" pic.twitter.com/zUYmtEXLrR
— Bridgett Fertig (@LightOnLiberty) April 23, 2026

🚨 Jesse Watters: “Im beginning to think the entire Democratic Party is a whole scam”. Heres why:

– Stealing Money
– Flooding the country with illegals
– C0VID Fauci Scam
– Somali Fraud Scam no kids
– USAID none of the money left DC
– Green New Deal Scam

THIS IS THE FRAUD PARTY pic.twitter.com/zm0rExdIFJ
— MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) April 24, 2026

Trump hands Iran the noose to hang themselves. And they do.

• US Sending Witkoff, Kushner To Pakistan As Iran Balks At Talks (ZH)

Confirming earlier speculation, CNN reported that President Trump is sending tdswo envoys for talks with Iran in Pakistan, even as Tehran sounded a more pessimistic tone on the prospects of further negotiations. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are set to participate in talks this weekend with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Yet according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported earlier, no talks are slated to take place between the two parties during the foreign minister’s trip. Vice President JD Vance, the lead negotiator for the US, isn’t currently expected to join the delegation, CNN said. According to the latest from the White House Press Secretary on Vance:

Vice President JD Vance will be on “standby” and is “willing to dispatch to Pakistan” for Iran talks if negotiations progress in a way that the White House determines is a “necessary use of his time,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says. Araghchi earlier said he was headed to Pakistan, but poured cold water on speculation that the US and Iran were close to a second round of negotiations to end the eight-week war, posting on social media that the purpose of his travel is to “closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments.”
Officials in Pakistan familiar with the matter said they expected a second round of peace talks between the US and Iran, while declining to say when the negotiations would happen or at what level. Oil fell by as much as 3.3% to trade near $93 a barrel on the latest sign that the elusive peace talks between the US and Iran may materialize after all, even if there are no assurances of a favorable outcome. Traders had been closely tracking the movements of both delegations for signals on whether negotiations would come to pass and offer some relief as the strait remains largely shut.
Iran FM Will Not Meet American Side in Pakistan; Tehran Denies Ghalibaaf Rumors …but he will travel to Islamabad, and is expected there by Friday evening, amid what’s being described as a multi-nation diplomatic tour to shore up support for Tehran, and to set the conditions for potential next round of negotiations with Washington.
“The date for the launch of the second round of US-Iranian negotiations has not yet been determined,” a Pakistani source told Al Hadath. In Islamabad all that’s expected is that FM Araghchi and his small team will engage with Pakistani mediators, and nothing more. There’s been no comment on all of this from the White House, which says Trump has “all the time in the world” regarding the Iran war and Hormuz standoff. Meanwhile Tehran has once again vehemently rejected as false the new Friday reports that Iran Parliament Speaker Ghalibaaf has been replaced as lead negotiator.

Embarking on timely tour of Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow.

Purpose of my visits is to closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments.

Our neighbors are our priority.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 24, 2026

More Speculation on Ghalibaf Resigning Negotiations Team
Tehran on Thursday rejected widespread reports that Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf as resigned from leadership of Iran’s negotiating team. But these reports have persisted into Friday, with Saudi-funded, London-based Iran International ‘newly’ reporting: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, head of Iran’s negotiating team with the United States, has stepped down amid internal disagreements, Iran International has learned. According to information obtained by Iran International, Ghalibaf was reprimanded for attempting to include the nuclear issue in talks with Washington and was forced to resign.
Hardline figure Saeed Jalili could replace him, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is also seeking to take over the negotiations. And yet the fact remains that no talks are as yet scheduled, with regional media now saying Iran FM Araghchi is about to tour different countries, including Oman and even will make a stop in Russia – and that this may include Islamabad. If so, reports say it could just be part of a preparatory phase to engage Washington directly again. Latest via AJ: “No Iran-US talks to take place during FM Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Pakistan, only bilateral engagement,” citing senior Iranian source.
Hegseth Presser: Mine-Laying, Nuclear Sticking Point
A key line from the Pentagon chief on Friday morning: “All they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways, or instead they can watch the regime’s fragile economic state collapse under the unrelenting pressure of American power, a blockade as long as it takes, whatever President Trump decides,” Hegseth said. He added that with the blockade continuing, “the clock is not on their side.” On this, Hegseth reiterated, “President Trump said it again yesterday. We have all the time in the world, and we’re not anxious for a deal.” And yet, he actually again made comparison to America’s forever wars in the region:
Still, Hegseth opened his remarks to reporters decrying what he called the “endless wars of the past that dragged on for years and for decades,” and he sought to draw distinctions between the conflicts in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead, the defense secretary argued that Operation Epic Fury has delivered a “decisive military result” in weeks, with a focus on the mission of keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. T
he defense secretary said the mission is continuing into a new phase, and Iran now has the opportunity to make a peace deal. “Iran has an important choice, a chance to make a deal. A good deal. A wise deal,” he said.nHe further referenced yesterday’s reports that Iran is still engaged in mine-laying activity in the Strait of Hormuz, and warned: “If Iran is putting mines in the water, or otherwise threatening American commercial shipping or American forces, we will shoot to destroy. No hesitation,” he said.nInadvertent admission of the leveling power of asymmetric warfare & geographic advantage: “Any one with a speedboat and a gun…”
Hegseth:

The vessels that the Iranians seized in recent days, a couple of them, they're not American or Israeli ships. They're just random ships.

They drove their little speedboats up to and shot at those ships with AK-47s.

Anyone with a speedboat, a gun, and the wrong… pic.twitter.com/BGQM97vUeQ
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 24, 2026

Trump wants to throw Spain out. Apparently that’s not easy.

• Trump Weighs Consequences For NATO Allies On ‘Naughty’ List (Politico)

The effort is the latest sign President Donald Trump plans to make good on his threats against members not deemed “model allies.” The White House has developed something akin to a “naughty and nice” list of NATO countries, as the Trump administration looks for ways to punish allies who refused to back the Iran war.nThe effort, which officials worked on ahead of NATO head Mark Rutte’s visit to Washington this month, includes an overview of members’ contributions to the alliance and places them into tiers, according to three European diplomats and a U.S. defense official familiar with the plan.

It’s the latest sign that President Donald Trump plans to make good on his threats against allies who don’t adhere to his wishes. And it’s another pressure point on the increasingly frayed alliance, which has been battered by Trump’s attacks — from his push to annex Greenland to his warning of a complete withdrawal from the pact. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth floated the broad idea in December. “Model allies that step up, like Israel, South Korea, Poland, increasingly Germany, the Baltics and others, will receive our special favor,” he said. “Allies that still fail to do their part for collective defense will face consequences.”
One of the diplomats said the list appeared to reflect that concept. “The White House has a naughty and nice paper so I guess the thinking is similar,” the person said. The administration is keeping any details quiet as it plans options, according to the people. And officials have provided little clarity on what the favors or consequences might be. “They don’t seem to have very concrete ideas…when it comes to punishing bad allies,” said another European official, who, like others, was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic issues. “Moving troops is one option, but it mainly punishes the U.S. doesn’t it?”
The White House made its frustration with allies clear. “While the United States has always been there for our so-called allies, countries we protect with thousands of troops have not been there for us throughout Operation Epic Fury,” said White House spokesperson Anna Kelly, referring to the Pentagon’s name for the operation. “President Trump has made his thoughts on this unfair dynamic clear, and as he said, the United States will remember.”

Europe hardly knows Newsom. It wants anyone who can stop Trump.

• Europe Bets On Newsom To Reverse Trump’s America (Kolbe)

America remains a country of high social mobility and upward opportunity—something we no longer see on today’s European continent. It may sound kitschy to many Europeans, yet its vibrant economic centers, high geographic mobility, and the flexibility of its people still create the conditions for this unique phenomenon. Admittedly, the narrative of the “land of unlimited opportunity” may sound exaggerated today—something akin to self-promotion. Yet at its core, it still holds true. Can one still make something of oneself there? Donald Trump’s deregulation program, combined with tax cuts for businesses as well as small and medium incomes, has in any case helped to revive this promise of upward mobility.

Trump’s policies go hand in hand with the elimination of fiscal privileges and subsidies. His goal: the systematic dismantling of the fiscally secured and media-backed strongholds of power of a socialist apparatus that reflects the spirit of European regulatory policy. Put simply, under Trump, American nationalism and a rejection of ideological engineering have returned to the political agenda. With intense competition and market-driven policies at home, alongside a trade and tariff strategy reminiscent of presidents like Alexander Hamilton and William McKinley, this forms a clear countermodel to his predecessors. They had significantly advanced the European model of climate socialism as a tool of power consolidation.
For the record: it was President Barack Obama who, in 2009, identified carbon dioxide as a lever of power, integrated European regulatory frameworks, and began systematically undermining the traditional American values of individual liberty, mobility, free markets, and minimal government. The public outrage over Trump’s reversal in key questions of political power architecture stems largely from the fact that too many had grown comfortable in a world of subsidies, NGOs, and public sector employment. European climate socialists now pin their hopes on California Governor Gavin Newsom. In two and a half years, he is expected to enter the White House and initiate a return to the status quo ante.
In Berlin, Brussels, Paris, and London, they are likely already counting the days until a possible political shift in Washington. Trump has fallen out of favor with Europeans because his agenda of prioritizing American national interests mercilessly exposes the ideological contradictions and intellectual weakness of European socialism. Whether in foreign policy—where the U.S. asserts itself forcefully toward countries like Venezuela or Iran—or in its confrontation with the climate lobby and the left-wing NGO complex, Trump’s policies reflect the will of many Americans to finally address the consequences of globalist policies and draw the logical conclusion: dismantling this socialist overreach.
It is telling that his migration policy meets fierce resistance in the strongholds of Democratic Party power. Where migration and poverty industries have taken root, the immigration authority ICE encounters near civil-war-like resistance. Yet it is not Trump’s fault that the European social model lies in ruins. Europe suffers from a lack of self-criticism and a general unwillingness to confront its own ideological failures. Meanwhile, nuclear cooling towers are demolished, coal seams flooded, and gas infrastructure dismantled. The politics of ideological immaturity collide with Washington’s hard-nosed approach and the necessary repair work on a deeply damaged social and economic body.
No matter whom the Republican Party nominates as Trump’s potential successor—be it J.D. Vance or Marco Rubio—the German press has already made its choice. It longs for America’s return to European-style climate socialism: more comfortable, more predictable, and promising continued access to public funding—even for its own future. To underline this, the German weekly WirtschaftsWoche recently published a guest article by Gavin Newsom. Newsom seeks to persuade foreign governments to view California as an independent economic entity—the world’s fifth-largest economy, still embodying the spirit of boundless opportunity.
The implicit message is clear: California’s economic stagnation is not the result of high taxes or aggressive climate policies in the European mold—nor of its war on oil and gas—but solely the fault of Donald Trump’s tariff policy.California is Europe in miniature—a shadow of the Old Continent cast across the United States. It now finds itself exposed by Washington’s market-driven reforms, which throw its model into stark contrast. The results are increasingly visible: one system succeeds, the other falters.
In his guest contribution, Newsom naturally avoids addressing the consequences of California’s climate policies. As in Europe, CO2 costs are placing enormous strain on industry. Companies are leaving—just as they are in Germany—and relocating to states like Texas or Florida, where industrial production is still valued. Newsom’s socialist course, which began in 2019, is evident not only in rising public debt. More striking is the emergence of a full-fledged poverty management industry. Years of open-border policies enabled the development of a deeply corrupt system of dependency management. California has become a magnet for illegal migrants, drug addicts, and other lost individuals; at the same time, the political framework sustains an extraction economy similar to what we observe in Germany’s migration sector. The parallels are striking.
The Sunshine State, once a place of aspiration for so many, now resembles—especially in its urban centers—the kind of social decay familiar from Europe’s migration-driven slums. Hardly a model to be proud of—yet, for WirtschaftsWoche, seemingly the ideal form of postmodern urbanity.
Newsom frequently points to the success of Silicon Valley, the powerhouse of digital innovation. Yet this engine of growth quite literally fell into his lap; he has contributed nothing of substance to enhancing the state’s innovative capacity. Silicon Valley existed before Newsom—and it will exist after him, if necessary in a different location, in new form, after escaping the suffocating grip of bureaucratic overreach. A final word on those Europeans who hope for Trump’s failure: with Newsom and a return of the United States to European climate socialism and mass immigration, capital flight from the EU might temporarily slow. It is entirely possible that European leadership could buy time by pointing to a faltering America. But it would change nothing about Europe’s decline—only delay the inevitable.

“The situation remains fragile: the currently stable ceasefire ends on Wednesday. And negotiations between the United States, Israel, and Iran are entering their final phase.”

“A US withdrawal from NATO would likely also mean a full retreat from the Ukraine conflict. This move would expose both Europe’s fragile finances and its non-existent security infrastructure.”

• Europe’s Hormuz Mission And The Illusion Of Geopolitical Power (Kolbe)

The loss of Europe’s geopolitical power is the defining decline narrative of our time. As Europeans, we are condemned to become unwilling witnesses of continental decay. And in no field of politics does the toxic amalgam of eco-socialism, elite arrogance, and rampant infantilism become more visible than at the level of the European Union. What we are witnessing in Brussels and the leading capitals of the EU are desperate attempts at coordinated foreign policy – and the realization that the cooperation of powerless individual entities does not necessarily lead to better outcomes than bilateral cooperation.

That this realization must have reached the highest circles of European politics could be observed at the end of this week. The four “big ones” – Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy – called for a maritime alliance and the protection of the Strait of Hormuz. Fifty additional states – according to the initiators of this rather peculiar political camouflage – are expected to join the European alliance. Leadership claims are naturally being made by the former maritime powers Britain and France, above all France, whose aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle may stand as the last remaining symbol of Europe’s great naval tradition at the center of these activities – if one can even approach the Persian Gulf at all.
The situation remains fragile: the currently stable ceasefire ends on Wednesday. And negotiations between the United States, Israel, and Iran are entering their final phase. From a European perspective, our assumptions are once again confirmed: the EU and its slowly re-approaching partner the United Kingdom are staging a political cabaret. First came the wait-and-see approach until Americans and Israel had militarily decided the situation. Meanwhile, some NATO members refused cooperation with the United States, only to now, after everything has been decided, attempt to place themselves at the forefront of political forces seeking to guarantee the security of the Strait of Hormuz.
Through constant media overdrive, Starmer, Macron, Meloni, and Merz present themselves as the decision-makers of the moment – it is their harvest time, collecting cheap public dividends. But is that really the case? Do they seriously believe that the majority of Europeans are not fully aware of what is happening? That European power is essentially the product of media magic – permanent propaganda wrapped in moral excess? A shadow of past greatness, reduced to virtual impotence, ultimately dissolving into the very media theatre that we, as embarrassed Europeans, are forced to endure every day.
The German contribution to the mission, as announced by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, is predictably modest: mine countermeasure vessels (eight available), one supply ship, and two P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft. No frigates – they are tied up in a NATO deployment in the North Atlantic. Germany does have a defense budget that exceeds all other Europeans by billions, yet even this money appears to vanish into the nirvana of bureaucracy and into the coffers of defense contractors, who are popping champagne corks thanks to the government’s debt-driven spending spree amid multiple conflict scenarios.
As for the possible German contribution. But as said: whether a military deployment will actually take place remains uncertain. Europe is already feeling the consequences of its energy dependency and its eco-socialist policy course, which hit like an icy wind. Yet this does not change the fact that policymakers continue to refuse to acknowledge the geopolitical vacuum, and instead begin trying to piece together diplomatically what they have shattered in recent years – especially in relations with the United States and Russia.
From poker we know: those who repeatedly bluff at the same table with empty hands and are exposed will be dismantled in future rounds. A US withdrawal from NATO would likely also mean a full retreat from the Ukraine conflict. This move would expose both Europe’s fragile finances and its non-existent security infrastructure. The EU faces economic and geopolitical problems it cannot manage alone.

CNN to become pro-Trump.

• What CBS News’ Dinner to Honor Trump Means for the Future of News (Rivera)

On its surface, a dinner in honor of the president of the United States isn’t exactly unusual — except when the president is Donald Trump and the dinner is being planned by one of Hollywood’s major movie studios. For decades now, Hollywood executives have been leading propagandists for far-left political groupthink. TV shows, movies, and even award ceremonies are little more than soapboxes for liberal disinformation. The relatively few creatives who dare openly lean right are often ostracized and left scrambling for work.

But now we have Paramount — led by David Ellison, son of Larry Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of Oracle and a staunch supporter of President Trump — who recently purchased CBS News, reportedly planning an invitation-only dinner this month in honor of Trump and CBS News’ White House correspondents. If there’s one thing more important to Tinseltown than adhering to progressive doctrine, it’s their bottom line. That’s why conservatives have reason to cheer Paramount’s latest pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), which will result in the company acquiring the HBO Max streaming service, all of Warner Bros. And HBO’s legacy content, and even CNN.
It’s not a stretch to call CNN an enemy of conservatives. The original cable news network has long positioned itself as a champion of the radical left — from its heyday when it was mocked as the Clinton News Network, to the embarrassingly combative shenanigans of “reporter” Jim Acosta during the first Trump administration, to the consistent mocking of Trump supporters by former CNN talk show host Don Lemon (last seen getting arrested for disrupting Christian worship services in Minnesota).
Conservatives long ago created their own successful media channels, allowing them to circumvent liberal-controlled news platforms. But they also remained frustrated over how the legacy media was so corrupted by the far left. That’s why it’s encouraging that David Ellison and Paramount have emerged. A sign of the internal earthquake to come if the Paramount-Warner deal is approved is the panic already rippling through CNN. As the New York Post reports, “CNN staffers are freaking out after learning that their left-leaning network’s owner Warner Bros. Discovery will be acquired by Paramount Skydance — even as insiders confirmed that the new owners plan to take a more politically centrist approach to news.”
Experience demonstrates that “woke” doesn’t sell. Just ask Budweiser, Target, and Cracker Barrel, among plenty of other companies that learned the hard way. When companies try to flaunt their woke bona fides, most Americans drop their brands. It’s telling that even AMC Theatres’ chief executive, Adam Aron, has announced his support for the pending merger. Executives have realized that what’s good for conservatives is good for the entertainment industry’s bottom line.
First, social media and podcasts broke the mainstream media’s monopoly on thought and content. Now, conservatives are assuming control of traditional studios and streaming platforms. With the marketplace of ideas no longer controlled by radical left groupthink, American consumers once again have freedom of choice. Just when it’s needed most, democracy is on the rise.

A long Sundance article that I cut into three pieces.

Trump loves Canada, but not the woke version. Not Trudeau or Carney. “Canada is positioned to be the first nation to discover the expressed power of the U.S. President as affirmed by the United States Supreme Court.”

U.S. media reports are blocked from Canadian social media sites. (I didn’t know that)

• Canada Pushes Closer to the FAFO Threshold (CTH)

Following direct remarks from both Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, a triggered Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says the U.S. will not be permitted to dictate terms of the USMCA renegotiation, now scheduled for formal talks with Mexico only beginning May 25th. According to the Canadian leadership they do not need the United States in order to maintain their economy. The unfortunate people of Canada are very close to finding out exactly what that level of arrogance delivers.

USTR Jamieson Greer was just in Mexico meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and the Mexican trade delegation. Mexico s economy minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Monday that formal negotiations to review the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact, known as the USMCA, are due to begin the week of May 25. Tomorrow and this afternoon we will hear the U.S. side s views. Once that is done, we will move on to the next phase, which is formal negotiations. We expect formal negotiations to begin the week of May 25, Ebrard said following a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Meanwhile Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney continues talking to his domestic audience about fighting Donald Trump and refusing to accept any terms that do not meet his current pontifications: It s not a case that the United States dictates the terms. We have a negotiation, we can come to a mutually successful outcome it will take some time, he continued. In Washington, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said unless Canada engaged in talks about broadening the so-called rules of origin that allow goods to enter the United States tariff-free, Washington might have to impose other border controls.
Meanwhile Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney continues talking to his domestic audience about fighting Donald Trump and refusing to accept any terms that do not meet his current pontifications: “It’s not a case that the United States dictates the terms. We have a negotiation, we can come to a mutually successful outcome – it will take some time,” he continued. In Washington, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said unless Canada engaged in talks about broadening the so-called rules of origin that allow goods to enter the United States tariff-free, Washington might have to impose other border controls. As the rhetoric continues increasing, the possibility of a full block against the import of Canadian goods increases.
It is worth remembering, the recent Supreme Court decision that overturned the IEEPA tariffs also reinforced the unilateral power of the U.S. President to regulate any/all trade with any foreign country including a full block of trade if designated. Canada is positioned to be the first nation to discover the expressed power of the U.S. President as affirmed by the United States Supreme Court. One of the reasons why Canadians are oblivious to the potential collapse of their economy is because U.S. media reports are blocked from Canadian social media sites. One of the infringements within the USMCA is the Canadian Law Bill [C-18, the Online News Act] that blocks information to Canadian citizens that is not supported by the Canadian government.
The people of Canada are stuck inside an Orwellian government constructed echo-chamber unable to hear opposing viewpoints. They simply have no idea what is heading in their direction. Which is incredibly ironic considering how much Mark Carney rails against Russian President Vladimir Putin, yet Canada has more restrictions on information than Russia. Think about it. The need for control is a reaction to fear. This information control dynamic helps to explain why Canadians, in the aggregate, simply do not realize the nature of the trade conflict that has been created by their own government.
Perhaps a full 30-day blockade would help their eyes to open; perhaps not. However, something needs to happen in order for the Canadian people to have time to prepare for the economic collapse soon to fall upon them. On June 1st Jamieson Greer anticipates telling congress that the U.S. intends withdrawal from the USMCA (CUSMA), pending unilateral negotiations with both Canada and Mexico to resolve conflict. Greer described two different protocols within any negotiation to deal with the structural differences between both Canada and Mexico.
Those differences include a completely different import/export profile with each country, different sectors of goods, difference in the wage rates within each country and a structural difference in the way each country is establishing their own, independent free trade agreements with other third-party countries. These baselines form the reason to tell congress of the dissolution, and on July 1st inform both Canada and Mexico about it.
In the interim, the points of conflict are currently being negotiated with Mexico toward resolution. Hence Jamieson Greer in Mexico meeting with officials on Monday and Tuesday.mIt is not just Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer who are publicly warning the Canadian government about what lies at the end of this self-destructive path they have chosen, Deputy USTR Rick Switzer recently also sounded the alarm.

“Canada is helping President Trump remove the congressional justification they could use to block him.”

• In President Trump’s Mind There’s Not Going To Be a USMCA (CTH)

The Canadians have been talking to U.S. media looking for sympathetic ‘Orange man bad’ coverage. However, within the contacts between Canadian government officials and U.S. corporate allies, the sentiment from team Trump is very clear:“The key thing that has struck me, and I think it has struck all Canadians, is so many of these guys in the Trump administration, frankly, they just hate Canada,” said Brian Clow, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s deputy chief of staff who led Canada-U.S. affairs. {source} It’s not hatred, it’s annoyance. Years of compounding parasitic annoyances and sanctimonious, ‘holier-than-thou’ pontifications from the arrogant and uppity Canadian government.

The only time Canada has been honest with themselves and with President Trump was when Justin Trudeau was exiting office and admitted Canada cannot function without all of the one-way benefits it receives from the USA. When President Trump was asked about Prime Minister Mark Carney creating a new trade agreement with China, President Trump responded that he didn’t care – it was irrelevant to him. Yet, simultaneously inside the USMCA President Trump has the power to veto any trade agreement between Mexico or Canada and a non-member nation.
So, why didn’t President Trump care? Easy, because in President Trump’s mind there’s not going to be a USMCA; so, he really doesn’t care if Canada runs to violate it. In real terms, Canada doing bilateral deals with other countries, especially deals potentially detrimental to the USA, only strengthens his position on dissolving the USMCA. If Canada violates the terms and spirit of the USMCA, it makes dispatch of the unliked trade agreement even easier. Canada is helping President Trump remove the congressional justification they could use to block him. If Canada is violating the USMCA (CUSMA), Congress is kneecapped from interference.
Provoking Canada into a trade position, that puts them at a disadvantage trying to stop the dissolution of the CUSMA, stops Congress from opposing the fracture, and then opens the door to a bilateral trade agreement, is creating a self-fulfilling prophecy that is entirely controlled by President Donald Trump. Both Canada and Europe are independently, out of necessity, taking action that takes apart the trade and economic system they created. At the core of the old trade system both Canada and Europe were exploiting the USA, exfiltrating wealth and skimming the independent entrepreneurial innovation that originates from within the U.S. economic system.
That necessary exploitation happened because the USA is innovative (freedom-based capitalism), while the CA/EU system is built on government control mechanisms. The CA/EU energy policy is just one impactful example of their pontificating inability to be insightful when it comes to consequences. The EU and Canada are now stuck looking for markets that will do the dirty jobs, provide them with core components, while simultaneously looking for markets for their finished products.
On the other side of the approach is President Trump, working to expand U.S. industrial dirty job capacity, create our own core components, then create finished goods entirely on our own. A complete revitalization of the U.S. industrial and manufacturing base. Our U.S. GDP is currently expected to grow north of 5%. This is not happening by accident.

“The world leaders came because the process to keep USA wealth inside the USA is against their interests. That’s why they came, and that’s why President Trump left.”

• Globalism is a Series of Dependencies (CTH)

SUMMARY: Some people have construed the bilateral trade preference of President Trump to be the elimination of globalism in favor of nationalism in trade agreements. While the outcome of Trump’s approach indeed aligns with that theme, it is not specifically the objective of President Trump to eliminate global trade, but rather to focus on specific interests in trade that benefit the unique nature of each party involved.

Canada can embrace China, and Europe can embrace India; in the bigger picture it really doesn’t matter. These relationships only create dependencies which are the natural outcome of globalism. From President Trump’s position, what really matters is what happens within our borders and how the United States economy is positioned. This is President Trump’s singular focus.
Do you remember President Trump leaving the 2025 G7 meeting in Canada early? The final day invitation list brought Australia, Mexico, Ukraine, South Korea, South Africa, India, the United Nations and the World Bank into the G7. President Donald Trump smartly exited the G7 assembly a day early, he departed before that crowd of interests arrived. The world leaders came because the process to keep USA wealth inside the USA is against their interests. That’s why they came, and that’s why President Trump left.
Globalism, in its economic construct, is a series of dependencies. However, the opposite is also true. If nations are not dependent, they are sovereign – able to exist without the need for support from other nations and systems. If nations are sovereign, then globalism is no longer needed. If each nation of the world is operating according to its individual best interests, the position of Donald Trump, then what happens to the governing elite who set up the system of interdependencies?

“Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche alleged that the SPLC had used “paid operatives within extremist circles to incite and intensify racial tensions..”

• House Panel Orders SPLC to Turn Over Communications With Biden’s DOJ (ET)

House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on April 23 gave the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) until April 30 to hand over documents regarding its relationship with the Biden–Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI, as part of a federal prosecution of the civil rights group.

In a letter to Bryan Fair, SPLC interim president and chief executive, Jordan wrote that “publicly available documents revealed how the Justice Department partnered closely with the SPLC during the Biden-Harris Administration, including scheduling regular meetings, giving the SPLC early access to federal law-enforcement data, and allowing SPLC employees to train federal prosecutors.” The letter was also posted to social media. The chairman’s demand came two days after a grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama, returned an 11-count indictment alleging the SPLC had committed wire fraud, made false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspired to conceal money laundering.
The indictment accuses the SPLC of funneling more than $3 million between 2014 and 2023 to no fewer than eight paid informants in violent racist organizations, including the Ku Klux Klan, the United Klans of America, the National Socialist Movement, the National Socialist Party of America, the American Front, and the Aryan Nations-aligned Sadistic Souls Motorcycle Club. Prosecutors said the group set up accounts under fictitious names, such as “Fox Photography” and “Rare Books Warehouse” among them, to hide where the money came from.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche alleged that the SPLC had used “paid operatives within extremist circles to incite and intensify racial tensions,” arguing the civil rights organization “fostered the very threats it claimed to fight.” Jordan’s letter tells Fair that the committee is investigating whether the SPLC shaped federal policy during the Biden–Harris years, highlighting a now-withdrawn 2023 FBI Richmond Field Office memorandum, dating back to when Christopher Wray led the bureau, that treated “radical-traditionalist” Catholics as given to violence, citing the SPLC as a source.
The chairman requested that the organization provide by next Thursday all communications with any “field source,” or informant, dating to Jan. 1, 2017. He also asked for communications referring to fictitious entities used to pay any “field source,” also dating to 2017, as well as communications with the DOJ, FBI, and other federal agencies dating to Jan. 20, 2021.Fair said that the organization was “outraged by the false accusations” and will “vigorously defend ourselves, our staff, and our work.” He noted the informant program, since shut down, “saved lives.”
“Taking on violent hate and extremist groups is among the most dangerous work there is, and we believe it is also among the most important work we do,” Fair said. The SPLC disclosed the criminal probe ahead of the indictment, noting it faced a DOJ investigation over its use of “paid confidential informants” to infiltrate so-called extremist organizations. The indictment covers almost a decade of alleged misconduct and claims that donors were never told the real reason behind the solicited funds.

More stressed than the people living through the Civil War? My, what a loser.

• I’m Part of America’s ‘Most Stressed’ Generation (Reagan Wilbanks)

My generation is stressed. Overwhelmed by AI-generated content. Uncertain about the future. Lacking meaningful relationships. Those of us in Gen Z—young people ages 14-29—carry a level of stress no one prepared us for. April is Stress Awareness Month, and May is Mental Health Month. Our stress is soaring. Our mental health is struggling. One reputable survey showed that 40% of young people feel stressed or anxious “all or most of the time.” Is there any hope for Gen Z? My generation is earnestly searching for the answer to that question. We’re turning to religious teachings and faith in increasing numbers in our quest for a life of deeper meaning and belonging.

Interest in Christianity is rising on U.S. college campuses and drawing more young Americans to church. We’re not looking for soft sermons or cute videos on the big screen upfront. We crave something real. Something that grabs hold of us and won’t let go. A faith that gives our lives purpose beyond endless scrolling and digital media overload. My generation is pushing back against things that are fake, quickly generated, and automated. Instead, we want real community and belonging. Smaller, more personal connections rather than big brands. I’m hungry for authentic experiences — to feel the breeze on my face, to touch green grass, to know the God who created it all and who also made me.
Are we at the point of no return?
It’s clear that America is bitterly divided. We’re angry. We’re confused. Culturally and spiritually, our nation stands at the point of no return. My generation will decide the tipping point. Which way will we turn? It took a great spiritual awakening to give birth to our country. Now, as America celebrates its 250th birthday this year, I believe we’re on the edge of another great awakening—with my generation at the forefront. Watch this video to learn more: click here.
Pollster George Barna revealed 52% of U.S. teenagers are “very motivated” to learn more about Jesus Christ. Many young Americans are turning to established faith traditions that offer the stability and longevity that we crave. We’re looking for something with roots. We’re looking for a home. We’re also turning to prayer. And this gives me a burst of hope. The next Great Awakening will come when Christ’s followers pray. Humbly. United. In towns and cities from coast-to-coast — a movement of a million believers from Maine to Hawaii asking God to draw a million Americans to faith in Jesus.
This growing movement could change everything. Only God, through a new movement of the Holy Spirit, is able to awaken faith and revive hope across America. My generation — the “most stressed” yet earnest generation — stands at the precipice. Will you be one of the million to pray? Will you join the movement?

What’s happening to personal contact?

• UAE To Move 50% Of Government Services To AI By 2028 (ZH)

Finally a practical use of AI. In a world swimming in debt and overrun by government bloat and corruption, Dubai is taking a big step into the future. On Thursday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced that in two years, 50% of UAE’s government sectors, services, and operations will run on Agentic AI, arguably the best use of the new technology yet. The new “government model” was launched under the directive of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It will make the UAE the first government globally to operate at this scale through autonomous systems.

“AI is no longer a tool. It analyses, decides, executes, and improves in real time. It will become our executive partner to enhance services, accelerate decisions, and raise efficiency,” the Dubai Ruler said in a post on X. “This transformation has a clear timeline. Two years. Performance across government will be measured by speed of adoption, quality of implementation, and mastery of AI in redesigning government work,” he continued. “We are investing in our people. Every federal employee will be trained to master AI, building one of the world’s strongest capabilities in AI-driven government. Implementation will be overseen by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, with a dedicated taskforce chaired by Mohammad Al Gergawi driving execution.
“The world is changing. Technology is accelerating. Our principle remains constant. People come first. Our goal is a government that is faster, more responsive, and more impactful,” Sheikh Mohammed added. nThe project includes a phased implementation across ministries and federal entities, based on continuous performance and impact assessment. This will pave the way for wider rollout, ensuring optimal results across the federal government. Special attention is placed on developing national capabilities by training and empowering government employees to master generative artificial intelligence technologies and their applications. Which of course is reflexive, so in effect government employees are supposed to train their own replacements.
Accroding to Khaleej Times, the move to adopt Agentic AI across government operations builds on 20 years of digital transformation in the UAE’s government, from the early adoption of eGovernment and service digitalization to mobile government and integrated systems such as the UAE Pass identity verification system to full-service redesign and integration, supported by programs such as Government Services 2.0, which introduced proactive, data driven service delivery.
In 2017, the UAE became the first country in the world to appoint a Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and launched the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 under the UAE Centennial 2071 vision. The establishment of the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications in 2020 further strengthened this direction. The UAE is especially well suited for agentic implementation: the Gulf state has spent more than a decade building digital infrastructure that connects government entities, making it one of the most advanced public service ecosystems globally. Platforms developed under entities such as UAE Government and Digital Dubai already allow residents to access hundreds of services online, from paying fines to registering businesses.
The latest plan shifts the focus from digitizing services to redesigning them, allowing AI systems to manage entire workflows rather than just assisting at specific stages. For residents, this changes the experience from navigating systems to simply requesting outcomes, with the complexity handled behind the scenes. While the progression reflects a broader pattern seen across advanced economies, the UAE is moving faster than most. The first phase involved putting services online, which reduced paperwork and eliminated many in-person visits.
The second phase introduced mobile apps, automation, and AI tools, improving speed and accessibility while still requiring users to manage processes themselves. The next phase moves beyond interfaces, with systems designed to complete tasks independently, meaning the user defines the objective and the system handles execution. Back in the US, a recent attempt through Elon Musk’s DOGE to cut back on government inefficiency and corruption came to an abrupt halt last summer when it became obvious that the deep state would fight to the death (or at least hire assassins to effect the death of others) to prevent any change in the well-paid status quo. Perhaps AI will succeed where everyone else has failed.

“Again, this is all positioned to take on Nvidia ..”

• Google Deepens Anthropic Bet With Up To $40 Billion Investment (ZH)

The AI funding frenzy continues, with Google planning to invest $10 billion in Anthropic at a $350 billion valuation, deepening its relationship with the San Francisco-based AI company best known for building Claude. Bloomberg reports that Google’s deal with Anthropic includes an initial $10 billion investment at a $350 billion valuation, with the potential for another $30 billion if certain performance milestones are achieved. That would bring the potential deal size to as much as $40 billion. Part of the deal includes Google Cloud providing 5 gigawatts of computing capacity to the AI startup, founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees, including Dario Amodei and Daniela Amodei, over the next five years. Additional capacity could follow.

Earlier this week, Amazon committed another $5 billion to Anthropic at the same valuation, with the option to invest an additional $20 billion over time. Amazon’s scramble for compute was detailed earlier in a deal with Meta: “Scramble For AI Compute: Meta Inks Multibillion-Dollar Deal With Amazon For CPU Chips”Bloomberg pointed out that the Google-Anthropic deal is an “expansion of an agreement announced earlier this month between Anthropic, Google, and Broadcom.” For Google, the agreement with Anthropic strengthens demand for its cloud services and in-house TPU chips, which have become viable alternatives to Nvidia’s AI chip stack.
Earlier this week, Google unveiled two new chips for the agentic era, including the TPU 8t, designed for training AI models, and the TPU 8i, designed for inference, or running AI services once they are developed and deployed. Again, this is all positioned to take on Nvidia. There has been increased scrutiny around “circular” AI financing since we broke down the math and called it an epic “circle jerk” last fall.

Into the lion’s den.

• China’s DeepSeek Debuts Flagship AI Model As Compute Race Intensifies (ZH)

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has launched a preview version of its long-awaited V4 model, ending months of silence from one of China’s most closely watched AI labs and arriving a year after its R1 release sparked U.S. market turmoil and concerns across Silicon Valley AI firms. The rollout signals that DeepSeek is full steam ahead in the frontier-model race:

🚀 DeepSeek-V4 Preview is officially live & open-sourced! Welcome to the era of cost-effective 1M context length.

🔹 DeepSeek-V4-Pro: 1.6T total / 49B active params. Performance rivaling the world's top closed-source models.
🔹 DeepSeek-V4-Flash: 284B total / 13B active params.… pic.twitter.com/n1AgwMIymu
— DeepSeek (@deepseek_ai) April 24, 2026

The open-source model comes in the V4 Flash and V4 Pro series, with DeepSeek saying its V4 “leads all current open models, trailing only Gemini-3.1-Pro.” In terms of reasoning, the startup said it “beats all current open models in Math/STEM/Coding, rivaling top closed-source models.”

DeepSeek-V4-Pro

🔹 Enhanced Agentic Capabilities: Open-source SOTA in Agentic Coding benchmarks.
🔹 Rich World Knowledge: Leads all current open models, trailing only Gemini-3.1-Pro.
🔹 World-Class Reasoning: Beats all current open models in Math/STEM/Coding, rivaling top… pic.twitter.com/D04x5RjE3L
— DeepSeek (@deepseek_ai) April 24, 2026

Counterpoint Research Vice President Neil Shah told CNBC that “DeepSeek’s V4 preview is a serious flex.” According to Counterpoint Principal AI Analyst Wei Sun, V4’s benchmark profile suggests the model could deliver “excellent agent capability at significantly lower cost.” Ivan Su, Senior Equity Analyst at Morningstar, told CNBC that V4’s debut is unlikely to deliver the same market shock as R1 did a little more than a year ago, largely because Wall Street has already priced in the view that Chinese AI can be built and deployed at a lower cost. Goldman analyst Christopher Moniz commented on the market reaction in overnight trading in China, where “GPU and domestic chip stocks rallied after DeepSeek unveiled preview versions of its latest V4 AI model.”
Moniz continued, “News of DeepSeek’s latest AI model created weakness in AI application names – Minimax (100 HK) -9.4% and Knowledge Atlas (2513 HK) -9.1%. Conversely, China domestic chipmakers spiked – HHS (1347 HK) +15.2% and SMIC (981 HK) +10%. Tencent (700 HK) -0.4% on mixed feedback regarding its new Hy3 model release, with locals noting it is less efficient than Minimax M2.7 launched a month ago”One key question is the chip stack behind V4: which chips it was trained on and which hardware it runs on during inference. Huawei has already claimed that its latest AI computing cluster, powered by Ascend AI processors, can support V4, suggesting that Beijing’s domestic AI hardware ecosystem is powering DeepSeek’s ongoing frontier-model push.

He changed when he got rich.

• Bruce Springsteen’s Land of Hope and Dreams No Longer Welcomes All (Perrotta)

The first time I heard Bruce Springsteen play “Land of Hope and Dreams” during his reunion tour of 1999, I nearly wept. Summoning the spirit of Woody Guthrie’s “Bound for Glory” and The Impressions’ gospel-tinged “People Get Ready,” the soul-soaring number evoked America as a train, with “this train” welcoming “saints and sinners,” “losers and winners,” “whores and thieves,” “losers and kings.” All aboard. Nearly 30 years “down the tracks,” Springsteen has launched his “Land of Hope and Dreams Tour.” Except now, instead of “all aboard,” it’s “No MAGA is welcome.”

On what he has openly dubbed a “very political opens in a new tab” tour, Springsteen unleashes a nightly diatribe against what he calls the “corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless and treasonous”opens in a new tab president, while touting “No Kings.” (As if any tyrannical king would allow a mere musician to call him corrupt and treasonous without being hauled to the tower.) Lost in the huffing is the reality that President Donald Trump was elected by a majority of the American people. Elected by people who see him as a champion against the entrenched powers and global elites who have spent decades running them into the ground. Elected, in fact, by the very people Springsteen has made a king’s ransom writing about.
The people—white, black, yellow, and brown—proud to live in this “American Land,” who wave the American flag … not the communist flags, rainbow flags, and the flags of Hamas seen at No Kings. The blue-collar workers in “Youngstown” whose factories and mills got shut down … that Trump is busting tail to reopen. Trump did not “forget their name.” The oil workers from “Seeds” whose jobs were “gone, gone, gone” … but are now booming, booming, booming thanks to “Drill, baby, drill.” The “Born in the U.S.A.” veterans who’d been abandoned by the nation … but are now a priority rather than sex change operations for soldiers. Those from his “City in Ruins” … whose streets are safer, whose businesses are less burdened, whose children are being rescued from trans ideology and falling test scores.
You could say he’s thrown Mary and Wendy and Madam Marie, even Rosalita, over for the likes of Jane Fonda and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. No, the type of people Springsteen wrote about are no longer welcome in Springsteen’s world—certainly not at his concert tour, even if they could afford the astronomical prices. Like pal former President Barack Obama scoffing at those who cling to their guns and religion, he holds them out to be simpletons manipulated and duped by the evil Orange Man.

Take ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ … Please
It’s no secret Springsteen is a leftist. He railed against nuclear power in the ’70s, Ronald Reagan in the ’80s, performed benefits for radical leftist groups in the ’90s, and spent the Biden years doing podcasts and cruising around in yachts with Obama while “This Hard Land” crumbled and Americans suffered.But what makes his current actions so disappointing is his refusal to play straight. Take, for example, his recent protest song “Streets of Minneapolis.”
The song is a condemnation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a deification of Renée Good—the woman who gunned her car at an ICE agent and lost her life. He wrote and recorded the song immediately after hearing about the incident.nExcept Springsteen didn’t rush to write a “Streets of Chicago” about the innocent 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, recently executed in the Windy City by an illegal immigrant—precisely the kind of illegal immigrant ICE is trying to remove from our country. No “Streets of Fort Myers” for the mother of two, bludgeoned to death with a hammer by an illegal immigrant from Haiti on April 3.
The Boss’s ‘War’ With Himself
Another example: Springsteen’s opening-night concert in Minneapolis began with Barrett Strong’s Vietnam-era anthem “War.” This led to a tirade about the “illegal” and “unconstitutional” war against Iran. Factually untrue—but more to the point, where is Springsteen’s “Streets of Tehran”?
He’s hot and bothered about Good and Alex Pretti, both of whom interfered with and accosted ICE agents, who arguably acted in self-defense, but not a single chord or word for the 30,000 protesters slaughtered like sheep in Iran? Or the surviving protesters who—thanks to Trump—may actually soon hear the “Chimes of Freedom”? (Another cover on the set list.) For that matter, Springsteen wasn’t out there singing “War” when his BFF Obama was bombing Libya for months on end. Or orchestrating an overthrow of the Ukrainian government, which helped lead to the bloody, endless war they’re in today. Or mucking up the Middle East, giving rise to ISIS.
Principle seems to have no role in Springsteen’s public politics. More disappointing, his hypocritical dismissal of a majority of Americans breaks the unspoken promise Springsteen made from the start of his career to “Be True” to his loyal audience. Count me among them.As he sings in “The Promise”: “When the promise is broken, and the truth makes no difference, something in your heart grows cold.”Still, Springsteen built up a Jersey-sized cache of goodwill over his half-century in the spotlight. And while he’s burning through that goodwill like drag racers burn rubber on “the fire roads and the interstate,” one can hope The Boss puts aside the TDS and meet us again in this Land of Hope and Dreams.

Interesting thread https://t.co/RleBg8NKKl
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 23, 2026

Correct https://t.co/PzM4iNnDEQ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 22, 2026

True https://t.co/JJSzsoQEzy
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 24, 2026

They all work together https://t.co/mXAhhDNgCi
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 24, 2026

Wow https://t.co/jz66423aDJ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 24, 2026

The migration problem in countries such as the Netherlands can be summarized as follows:

The state actively and aggressively imports hundreds of thousands of single male migrants annually who are then awarded permanent housing, welfare, and access to free medicine, if not also… pic.twitter.com/0HHQwdzTJf
— Johannes M. Koenraadt (@johannesmkx) April 24, 2026

For the first time ever, the full FLYNN movie is free to watch, and only on X.

Deliver the truth, whatever the cost. That was the mission when we first made this film, and it still remains the mission today. What you are about to watch is not just the story of one general, one… pic.twitter.com/HQquqrl90j
— General Mike Flynn (@GenFlynn) April 23, 2026

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Debt Rattle March 24 2025

Mar 242025

March 24, 2025 Posted by Raúl Ilargi Meijer at 10:44 am Finance Tagged with: Boasberg, Bondi, ceasefire, Easter, intuitive, John Roberts, Lutnick, paradoxical, Putin, Trump, trust, White Genocide 30 Responses »

Henri Matisse Still Life with Apples on Pink Cloth 1925

• Pam Bondi Destroys Judge Boasberg for Meddling in Immigration Policy (Margolis)

• The Agony of John Roberts (Kurt Schlichter)

• Trump Goes Nuclear Against Activist Lawyers Undermining His Presidency (Margolis)

• “The Most Intuitive Man Who Ever Lived” (CTH)

• Zelensky Regime Likely to Collapse Soon – Jeffrey Sachs (Sp.)

• US Sets Easter Target For Ukraine Ceasefire Deal (RT)

• Trump Hails ‘Rational’ Putin Conversations (RT)

• Waltz Reveals Topics Of Russia-US Talks in Riyadh (RT)

• Trump Is The First Leader Who Is Looking To Rebuild Trust With Putin (Proud)

• Putin and Trump Could Have Other Contacts Alongside With Official Ones (TASS)

• Europe’s Policy On Ukraine Conflict ‘Paradoxical’ – Kremlin (RT)

• EU Afraid Trump Will Cut Off Weapons Support – WaPo (RT)

• The Führer of Germany – Friedrich Merz – In A War And Spending Frenzy (Hanseler)

• Hungary’s Orban Continues Blocking EU’s ‘Pro-War’ Stance On Ukraine (ZH)

• Musk Slams South Africa Over ‘White Genocide’ (RT)

• My Time in the Reagan Administration (Paul Craig Roberts)

pic.twitter.com/O7o7Aw22lv

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 23, 2025

Modi -highly recommend-

Such a powerful interview of PM Modi. It gives you amazing insights into how President Trump is viewed by world leaders. pic.twitter.com/BNnLkvjzEh

— Michelle Maxwell (@MichelleMaxwell) March 23, 2025

Elon
https://twitter.com/Girlpatriot1974/status/1903543762783277072

Lutnick

Reporter: Investors are on edge over the possibility of a recession after the Atlanta Fed predicted a 2.4% contraction this quarter

Lutnick: What? Say that again? 2.4% contraction?! Right here right now — that is ridiculous.

Reporter: Have you spoken to the Atlanta Fed… pic.twitter.com/zfINRTjI6z

— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) March 22, 2025

Rescission

Sen. Rand Paul Says He Pitched to Elon Musk a Plan to Claw Back $500 Billion in Federal Spending

“It's called rescission. I did mention this to @elonmusk. He seemed enthusiastic. It can be done. No Democrats will cut one penny from any spending anywhere. But can we get all the… pic.twitter.com/GU7AmWvvW6

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) March 23, 2025

“He dragged us into court on a Saturday without any notice. And then he’s continuing these hearings. He’s trying to ask us about national security information, which he is absolutely not entitled to.”

• Pam Bondi Destroys Judge Boasberg for Meddling in Immigration Policy (Margolis)

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi unleashed a scathing attack on U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg during a Sunday morning interview on Fox News, accusing him of overstepping his authority and attempting to control U.S. foreign policy from the bench. “This is an out-of-control judge, a federal judge trying to control our entire foreign policy, and he cannot do it,” Bondi told host Maria Bartiromo. “He dragged us into court on a Saturday without any notice. And then he’s continuing these hearings. He’s trying to ask us about national security information, which he is absolutely not entitled to.” The case revolves around the Obama-appointed judge’s attempt to block the Trump administration’s deportation of illegal alien Tren de Aragua gang members, an effort Bondi made clear would not stand.

“We are appealing. We will be in court Monday. Again. We will win. We will prevail,” she stated, showing no hesitation in taking the fight back to court. Boasberg previously ordered a deportation flight for these illegal alien gang members to turn around back to the United States; however, since the ruling was made while the plane was over international waters, he had no jurisdiction, and the deportations continued as planned. According to New York Post columnist Miranda Devine, Boasberg has been “demanding DOJ lawyers provide minute details of the flights—potentially to hold members of the administration in contempt and serve as the basis for a future impeachment of Trump.” Bondi highlighted the administration’s success in swiftly deporting dangerous criminals, arguing that their efforts are already making the country safer.

“There are 261 reasons why Americans are safer today. And that’s because those people are now in an El Salvador prison,” she explained. “We are going to follow the law and we are going to protect Americans.” Slamming the left’s failed border policies, Bondi noted the overwhelming public dissatisfaction with the Biden administration’s handling of immigration, which led to President Trump’s decisive victory in 2024. “There’s a reason why Biden’s approval rating was plummeting because of the border. There is a reason why the current Democrats’ approval rating is at 29%,” she said. She made it clear that the Trump administration’s approach is rooted in basic public safety—something the American people overwhelmingly support. “People want to be safe. This is President Trump’s agenda to keep Americans safe,” she said. “It’s basic public safety. Get these people out of our country as fast as we can.”

Bondi also rejected the left’s attempts to blur the distinction between legal immigration and illegal entry by dangerous criminals. “They’re not immigrants. They’re illegal aliens who are committing the most violent crimes you can imagine on Americans—murder, rapes,” she said. “Ask the parents of all of these young women who have been violently strangled, raped, and murdered.” The Biden administration’s lax immigration policies fueled a surge in crime, making border security a top issue in the 2024 election. Under Trump, Bondi emphasized, those days are over. “We are going to continue to make America safe again because that’s President Trump’s agenda,” she declared.

Despite judicial activism from the left, Bondi reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to upholding immigration laws, deporting violent criminals, and keeping Americans safe. “We are going to follow the law, and we are going to protect Americans,” she reiterated. With the Trump administration refusing to back down and the American people firmly behind stronger border enforcement, it’s clear that Bondi and the White House will not allow activist judges like Boasberg to undermine national security.

1000%
pic.twitter.com/2SQHsWDjMT

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 23, 2025

.@AGPamBondi on Judge Boasberg: "This is an out-of-control judge… trying to control our entire foreign policy, and he cannot do it… There are 261 reasons why Americans are safer today, and that's because those people are now in an El Salvador prison… we are going to follow… pic.twitter.com/yWj5pBvxvD

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 23, 2025

Schlichter gets it exactly right. Roberts wants things to go “as they should”. Where a court case slowly winds its way up the chain. But there is no time left for that. Moreover, he and the SCOTUS judges also know that Schumer boasts he has 235 judges in his pocket. If they don’t deal with this, soon, Trump will simply ignore them like he ignored Boasberg. Basically, is foreign policy set by the administration or by a dictrict judge?

• The Agony of John Roberts (Kurt Schlichter)

Pity poor John Roberts. No, he’s not corrupt or compromised. He is simply a man who has found himself at a pivotal time and place in a position of great responsibility for which he is utterly unsuited. He’s not a dumb man. He is, in fact, a very smart man – Hugh Hewitt knew him personally in the Reagan administration and testifies to that. I have no doubt it’s true. I know many smart people who have similar flaws. As objectively intelligent as John Roberts is, he is unwise, and he is endangering the institution he wants to preserve because he does not understand human nature or the times he finds himself in. Frankly, I’ll take wisdom over raw intellect any day of the week.

If he had the capacity to lead that he so manifestly lacks, John Roberts could save his institution with decisive and bold action. But that’s not who he is. Understand what John Roberts wants. He is an institutionalist who has always wanted to protect the judiciary branch. He wants it to be a fully co-equal branch that is respected by all. But the very actions he has chosen to take – or not to take – in response to the current crisis of out-of-control subordinate courts are guaranteeing that it will fall. Article III of our Constitution provides for the judicial branch, but it does not expressly provide the judiciary with any powers other than those it earns in the eyes of the other two branches. It cannot self-enforce its decrees.

Article I creates the Congress, and the legislative branch has both the power of the purse and the power to impeach to check the judiciary. Article II establishes the presidency, but the Constitution does not specify its checks and balances over the court. That power is implied, and the implied power is for the executive – who runs the machinery of the federal government, including the cogs and gears that carry guns – to simply say “No” to an out-of-control judiciary. This implied power of defiance is as much a check and balance as any enumerated one, and without it, you would have an unchecked judiciary with hundreds of district court judges presuming to micromanage the legitimate actions of the executive branch. You know, kind of like what’s happening now.

Judge Roberts’s problem is that he wants to return to something like regular order in the judiciary. What we have is highly irregular order. You non-lawyers need to understand that all these temporary restraining orders and injunctions and so forth are insane. This is not how law is done, either procedurally or substantively. I did litigation for 30 years, including in federal courts (up to arguing in front of the Ninth Circuit), and never saw anything remotely like these antics. So, realize that this is abnormal. Abnormal times call for abnormal responses, but that’s not how John Roberts or his ilk work. Remember, he’s a Bushie, the kind of soft Republican who sees his job less as fixing our broken government than managing its gentlemanly decline. We’ve largely booted them out of elective office, but Roberts has his seat for life. His advocation is protecting his institution. He wants the judiciary to be held in respect and obeyed, but he doesn’t want to do the hard, stern work of disciplining his underlings that makes that possible.

John Roberts wants the normal appellate procedures to apply. He’s hoping that if he shuts his eyes and pretends that everything is normal, he’ll open them and it will all be normal again. This was the main takeaway from his unbelievably tone-deaf response to Trump’s, Musk’s, and others’ frustration-driven talk about impeachment. Now, Roberts was right in theory about what he said, but what we’re facing is not theory but practice. Put aside the practical reality that we’re not going to be able to impeach anybody, and don’t fall for the Internet amateur ambulance chasers who think there’s one neat trick where we can somehow get rid of judges by a majority vote because of “bad behavior.” That is a reason to get rid of them, not a means. The means is impeachment, and that takes 67 senators. That’s never going to happen so we should stop talking about it. They would wear a failed impeachment like Tim Walz would have worn his war medals if he had shown up to earn any. Haven’t we learned not to engage in failure theater?

In normal times, the response to a judge over one dumb decision is the appellate process. But these are not normal times. These are not one dumb decision. These are dozens of dumb decisions. And the answer here is not the appellate process because the appellate process is long, drawn out, and deliberate. The goal of this campaign is to use that delay to effectively strip Donald Trump of the ability to govern. To that end, they have sought to wrap him up in a web of orders and injunctions that will prevent him from doing the things he was elected to do. If it was one case or ten cases, you could wait months and months for the appellate process to grind through. Eventually, Trump administration will win most of these cases through the appellate process because they’re procedurally and substantively ridiculous.

But the purpose of these judicial antics is not to fulfill the letter of the law, but to create friction that improperly prevents political actions that the executive has the right to take. In other words, Donald Trump may live in the White House, but he can’t actually be President, thereby disenfranchising the people who elected him. So, we have a system that is not being used normally and that is not being used for a normal purpose. But Chief Justice Roberts, in his lack of wisdom, refuses to see that abnormal actions sometimes require abnormal responses. As I have said before, he will never be able to normal the abnormal back to normality. He thinks he can force normality back onto the judiciary by simply pretending the abnormality doesn’t exist and that everything is hunky-dory. He can’t. He must force normality back on the judiciary by addressing the abnormality directly.

That means he has to take abnormal actions in response. Procedurally, he needs to lead the charge to stop the imposition and use of these bizarre nationwide orders and injunctions by giving the circuit courts of appeal clear guidance to end this nonsense. Substantively, he needs to direct the circuit courts to issue stays on district court orders that far exceed the scope of the judiciary’s proper powers. And if the circuit courts of appeal refuse to do that, then the Supreme Court needs to issue the orders to enforce its will, even if that means issuing dozens and dozens of orders. The Supreme Court only takes 50 or so cases a year. With over 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration as part of this lawfare campaign, that workload no longer works.

What John Roberts is risking by refusing to put an end to these abuses is the Trump administration putting an end to these abuses by exercising its implied power under the Constitution to check an out-of-control judiciary. If an order issues and no one enforces it, is it really an order?

“Accountability is especially important when misconduct by lawyers and law firms threatens our national security, homeland security, public safety, or election integrity.”

• Trump Goes Nuclear Against Activist Lawyers Undermining His Presidency (Margolis)

The radical Left’s latest scheme to derail President Trump’s America First agenda has reached a fever pitch, with over 100 frivolous lawsuits filed against his administration since January. But Trump isn’t taking their lawfare lying down. In a bold move that should have Democrats and their army of activist attorneys panicking, Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate anti-Trump lawyers and law firms attempting to hamstring his presidency through baseless litigation. The timing couldn’t be more critical, with an unprecedented 15 injunctions slapped against presidential actions just last month—far more than Obama or Biden ever faced. The Left’s desperation is palpable. After losing the Oval Office, the House, and the Senate in November, they’re resorting to their favorite tactic: shopping for activist judges to block crucial executive actions.

We’ve seen this circus play out with injunctions against Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order and his use of wartime powers to deport Venezuelan gang members terrorizing American communities. “Lawyers and law firms that engage in actions that violate the laws of the United States or rules governing attorney conduct must be efficiently and effectively held accountable,” Trump declared in a memorandum released Saturday. “Accountability is especially important when misconduct by lawyers and law firms threatens our national security, homeland security, public safety, or election integrity.” Trump also named names. Recent examples of grossly unethical misconduct are far too common. For instance, in 2016, Marc Elias, founder and chair of Elias Law Group LLP, was deeply involved in the creation of a false “dossier” by a foreign national designed to provide a fraudulent basis for Federal law enforcement to investigate a Presidential candidate in order to alter the outcome of the Presidential election. Elias also intentionally sought to conceal the role of his client — failed Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton — in the dossier.

Many immigration lawyers, including those from major law firms, are undermining Trump’s power to enforce our nation’s immigration laws. The memorandum notes that these activist lawyers actively coach clients to lie or hide their past to manipulate the asylum process, bypass national security measures, and deceive immigration authorities. The federal government faces a heavy burden in combating this widespread fraud, which not only erodes the rule of law but also fuels mass illegal immigration—leading to tragic crimes against innocent Americans and straining taxpayer-funded resources meant for citizens. Now, Attorney General Bondi has been specifically tasked with recommending additional countermeasures against these frivolous lawsuits, which the administration correctly views as a violation of separation of powers.

“I further direct the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize enforcement of their respective regulations governing attorney conduct and discipline,” Trump wrote. “I further direct the Attorney General to take all appropriate action to refer for disciplinary action any attorney whose conduct in Federal court or before any component of the Federal Government appears to violate professional conduct rules, including rules governing meritorious claims and contentions, and particularly in cases that implicate national security, homeland security, public safety, or election integrity.”

Trump also directed the attorney general to hold law firms accountable for ethical misconduct, including making senior partners responsible for junior attorneys’ unethical actions when appropriate. If an attorney or firm engaged in litigation against the federal government is found to warrant sanctions or disciplinary action, the attorney general must recommend further steps to the president, such as revoking security clearances or terminating federal contracts. Additionally, the attorney general is ordered to review attorney conduct in cases against the government over the past eight years and, if misconduct is found—such as frivolous lawsuits or fraud—to propose further action, including contract termination or other penalties. It’s about time someone stood up to these legal mercenaries who abuse our court system.

Good talker – and thinker.

• “The Most Intuitive Man Who Ever Lived” (CTH)

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick appears for an extensive discussion with the All In podcast. Secretary Lutnick has been a 30-year friend of President Trump and is currently one of the most critical members of the MAGAnomic team who are executing Trump’s agenda to Make America Great Again. Secretary Lutnick outlines the background of what makes President Trump so effective in his position, and within the discussion Lutnick notes at the core of Donald Trump is “the most intuitive person he has ever known.” This is a casual discussion about President Trump and how Lutnick came into the administration.

“The government rules by martial law, has failed in its key policies, is reportedly highly corrupt, and lacks public support.”

• Zelensky Regime Likely to Collapse Soon – Jeffrey Sachs (Sp.)

The government of the Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky will probably be replaced soon as it does not have enough public support and is corrupt, renowned American economist and Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs told RIA Novosti. “The Zelenskyy government will likely be out of power sometime soon. The government rules by martial law, has failed in its key policies, is reportedly highly corrupt, and lacks public support. These conditions suggest the likelihood of political change,” Sachs said when asked how did he view the future of Zelensky. The professor noted that his viewpoint was “strongly against regime-change operations” and that the UN doctrine of non-intervention in internal affairs should prevail.

Earlier in March, media reported that senior allies of US President Donald Trump have held talks with possible opponents of Volodymyr Zelensky to assess whether Ukraine could hold a quick presidential election. In February, Trump criticized Zelensky for his unwillingness to hold elections, called him a “dictator,” and also suggested that the Ukrainian leader wanted to keep the “gravy train” going amid the grinding conflict with Russia. Trump also said that Zelensky talked the US into spending $350 billion “to go into a war that couldn’t be won.” Zelensky’s presidential term expired on May 20, 2024. The presidential election in Ukraine was canceled due to martial law and general mobilization

4 weeks.

• US Sets Easter Target For Ukraine Ceasefire Deal (RT)

Washington is still hoping to broker a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict by Easter, Bloomberg wrote on Sunday, citing sources. US President Donald Trump has vowed to bring a swift end to the hostilities in Ukraine, and has moved to restart diplomatic relations with Russia, which were frozen during the term of his predecessor, Joe Biden. Russian and US delegations are set to meet in Riyadh on Monday for the second round of high-level talks since the apparent thaw. Following Tuesday’s phone conversation between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow agreed to a mutual temporary halt on strikes against energy infrastructure, which it says Kiev immediately violated.

The White House aims to have Russia and Ukraine agree to a full ceasefire by Easter Sunday – April 20 – but realizes that the timeline could be delayed due to significant differences between the sides, Bloomberg wrote, citing anonymous sources familiar with the discussions. Prior to talks with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Moscow last week, Putin stated that while he is open to a 30-day ceasefire, all military supplies to Kiev as well as the Ukrainian draft campaign need to stop to avoid strengthening Ukraine during the pause. Washington, which briefly stopped intelligence sharing and military aid to Kiev earlier this month, has not agreed to any of the demands, US officials told Bloomberg. According to the newspaper’s US sources, Trump wants any potential deal to be acceptable to Kiev, and isn’t prepared to concede too much.

Despite agreeing to the terms of the US-brokered partial truce, Ukraine struck an oil depot in southern Russia the day after the agreement, and blew up a gas metering station in Russia’s Kursk Region on Friday. The violations show that Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky is not trustworthy, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview on Sunday. “The Kiev regime’s words and Zelensky’s word are not worth much,” he said. Ukrainian claims that Russia shelled its own gas metering station in Sudzha are “absurd,” he added. Earlier this week, Putin stressed that Russia needs to hear a concrete plan on how a full ceasefire would be enforced and regulated before Moscow agrees.

“I don’t think there’s anybody in the world that [is] going to stop [Putin], except me, and I think I’m going to be able to stop him..”

• Trump Hails ‘Rational’ Putin Conversations (RT)

US President Donald Trump has praised his work relationship with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, describing their conversations as “very rational” and reiterating a desire to end the Ukraine conflict. In an interview aboard Air Force One with the outlet OutKick on Saturday, Trump reflected on his history with Putin and the Ukraine conflict, describing himself as the only person capable of “stopping” the Russian leader. “I don’t think there’s anybody in the world that [is] going to stop [Putin], except me, and I think I’m going to be able to stop him”, he said. “We’ve had some very rational discussions, and I just want to see the people stop getting killed.”

He warned that failure to mediate the conflict could lead to World War III, but noted that “it’s somewhat under control.” “I have a good relationship with President Putin and, actually, a good relationship with President Zelensky too. It’d be a great thing to be able to stop it. And I will say this, nobody else would have been able to.” After his inauguration, Trump actively sought to restore relations with Russia, which were at an all-time low, and to mediate a settlement of the Ukraine conflict. The Russian and US leaders have held at least two phone calls on the matter, while delegations from the two countries have held several rounds of direct talks. During the last phone conversation on Tuesday, which lasted two and a half hours, Putin and Trump discussed the US president’s idea of a 30-day ceasefire.

Putin generally spoke favorably of the initiative but mentioned several major obstacles, including the need to establish a monitoring mechanism and prevent forced mobilization and rearmament in Ukraine during the ceasefire. At the same time, Putin supported the idea of Moscow and Kiev halting strikes on each other’s energy infrastructure facilities for 30 days. Following the talks, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, suggested that a complete ceasefire in the conflict could be implemented within “a couple of weeks.” He later noted that Kiev had seemingly agreed to stay out of NATO – one of Moscow’s key demands – adding that the key item on the agenda was now the fate of Crimea and the four other former Ukrainian territories that voted to become part of Russia.

The Black Sea becomes more important.

• Waltz Reveals Topics Of Russia-US Talks in Riyadh (RT)

A Black Sea maritime truce will be one of the top issues on the agenda of the upcoming US-Russia meeting in Riyadh, US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz told CBS on Sunday. If reached, the ceasefire deal would allow both Moscow and Kiev to “move grain, fuel, and start conducting trade” in the sea again, according to the official.Waltz hailed the US-mediated peace efforts, saying: “we’re closer to peace than we ever have been.” His comments come ahead of a new round of negotiations between Russian and US officials scheduled for Monday.

He described the upcoming event as “proximity talks.” Apart from the Black Sea ceasefire, the sides are also expected to explore options for a wider truce, according to the national security adviser. “We’ll talk the line of control… details of verification mechanisms, peace keeping, you know, freezing the lines where they are.” The issue of a “broader and permanent peace” and “security guarantees” for Kiev will also be on the table, Waltz added. On Wednesday, Waltz said he had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, in which they discussed the details of the upcoming meeting.

Ushakov confirmed that “a conversation did take place,” and said the meeting, which is scheduled to take place in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, will focus on the “safety of navigation in the Black Sea.” The issue of a maritime ceasefire was raised by US President Donald Trump during a phone call with Putin on Tuesday. The Russian president supported the idea and agreed to initiate talks on the details of a potential arrangement.

Includes a great story about human trust,

• Trump Is The First Leader Who Is Looking To Rebuild Trust With Putin (Proud)

Western politicians and journalists constantly tell us that President Putin cannot be trusted, and that, under no circumstances should anyone strike a deal with him. But in response to that rhetorical question, I always ask, ‘do you think that he trusts us?’ Trust is a two way thing and it must be built on small gestures and mutual respect. And it is so much more complicated building trust with people of different cultures, languages and worldviews etc. Right back in 2014, a colleague and friend in the Russian Presidential Administration told me that it would take at least a decade to rebuild the trust lost over the Maidan and Yanukovych’s ouster. It will take much longer now, after three years of devastating war. Zelensky, European politicians and the mainstream media scream at us constantly that Putin can’t be trusted. They claim, with no basis in evidence, that Putin has broken 25 (pick any number that you like) ceasefires in Ukraine since 2014.

Yet I wonder when we’ve really trusted Putin to stick to a deal and trusted in ourselves to hold to our end of the bargain? One thing’s for sure; everyone in the Russian state apparatus would say that western leaders have broken every promise that they made in the past, including on NATO expansion, and have acted in shockingly bad faith in other ways, including in orchestrating a coup in Kyiv and in setting up the Minsk 2 agreement to fail. The problem with refusing to talk to President Putin since the war started, and minimising all diplomatic contact with Russia since 2014, is that you reduce opportunities to rebuild trust to almost nought. How do you trust someone you dislike and then refuse ever to talk to again? It’s like schoolkids falling out epically, with 6000 nuclear missiles thrown into the mix. You focus obsessively on owning the media narrative of ‘I’m right and you’re wrong’, as if you are a ten year old using X for the first time in the playground.

You tell all your closest friends and family members about how awful the other person is, and they nod and say, ‘oh, I know’ like Sybil Fawlty. I don’t believe for a minute that Russia can’t ever be trusted or that decision makers in the west are purer than the driven snow. Trust is about making a deal and sticking to it. I often recall taking my family on holiday to Dubai to escape the Moscow winter in early 2015. With the kids still very young, we loaded up the minibus taxi with luggage, pushchairs and car seats etc. and made our way to Sheremetyevo through the morning snow. At the airport, I discovered that I only had a 5000 rouble note for the 2500 rouble fare and the driver, having unloaded our stuff, was clearly in a hurry to get back in his warm cab and drive home. He took one look at the crisp note and said he didn’t have change.

I had absolutely no intention of dashing into the terminal, finding somewhere to break the note, while navigating very young kids, luggage trolleys and a diminutive wife whose saintly patience would only stretch so far. So I looked at the cab driver and he looked at me, wondering how we’d break the deadlock. I could have tried not to pay, but that would have caused an argument and, in any case, that’s not the sort of move I’d ever pull anyway. I could have asked him to check whether, in fact, he did have change, being that he was a taxi driver. But then he may well have been offended, because he’d clearly told me that he didn’t have change, and why shouldn’t I believe him? In the end, I decided that, as it was before 7 in the morning, he probably didn’t have change, and that, as it was minus ten degrees outside on the frosty kerbside, I’d have to trust him. So I said, ‘look, take the 5000 rouble note. Our flight gets back on this date at this time, and if you can come and pick us up and we’ll be even.’

He nodded, shook my hand without much of a smile and disappeared. I had his phone number, but there was practically nothing I could have done had he simply disappeared and left us stranded at the airport upon our return two weeks later. So it was with a certain trepidation that we passed through the diplomatic lane at passport control and I wondered whether he’d be in arrivals. As it happens, he was, just as we’d agreed. I smiled at him, he offered a smile back, we loaded up the minibus, clicked the kids into their car seats, and headed back into the centre of Moscow. Trust is a two-way exchange. Now and then, you have to take a chance on trusting someone, when your instincts raise questions.

Zelensky clearly doesn’t trust Putin, but he also has no interest in peace, from my observation. When he made it illegal to talk to Putin or any Russian official, he was, in my opinion, investing in a continuance of the war, hoping the west would back him come what may. And despite the rapid shift in U.S. policy over the past two months, many decision makers in Europe still do want to back Zelensky come what may, which is a worrying thing.

But peace in Ukraine will only be possible once the grown-ups start talking again. Maybe that’s the difference that Donald Trump is bringing to the war; taking small steps through initial deals towards bridging the vast gulf in trust between Russia and the west and, eventually, ending the death and destruction.In one month, Donald Trump has spoken to Vladimir Putin for four hours, which is probably four times more time that Biden spent in engagement in the preceding four years. There are stark parallels with Reagan and Gorbachev in the Eighties, breaking down barriers to focus on the longer-term good. Right now, Trump and Putin are the only grown ups in the conversation. Let’s hope the small steps towards trust they are taking right now, develop into something lasting. The world needs it. Though I remain sceptical that European leaders are ready to follow Trump’s lead.

“Peskov also noted that the meeting between the two presidents must be carefully prepared and requires difficult technical negotiations first. “On Monday, our negotiators will travel to Riyadh to begin this difficult process,” Peskov said.”

• Putin and Trump Could Have Other Contacts Alongside With Official Ones (TASS)

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not rule out that Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump could have other contacts in recent months in addition to those officially announced. “We are informing you about the conversations that we know about, but we cannot rule out everything else,” Peskov said in an interview with VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin. The journalist noted that if you listen to Trump’s statements, you can conclude that there were more contacts between the presidents than was officially announced. Talking to the journalist Peskov also noted that the meeting between the two presidents must be carefully prepared and requires difficult technical negotiations first. “On Monday, our negotiators will travel to Riyadh to begin this difficult process,” Peskov said.

“This rampant militarist policy of Europe – there is no other way to describe it – is hard to comprehend..”

• Europe’s Policy On Ukraine Conflict ‘Paradoxical’ – Kremlin (RT)

The approach taken by European powers to the Ukraine conflict makes no sense because instead of seeking peace they have decided to engage in reckless militarization, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. In an interview with Russia 1 TV journalist Pavel Zarubin on Sunday, Peskov also remarked that rather than addressing the root causes of the conflict, European powers “are talking about placing NATO contingents on Ukrainian territory”. “This rampant militarist policy of Europe – there is no other way to describe it – is hard to comprehend,” he added.

At the same time, the Kremlin spokesman acknowledged that the EU has found itself in a tight spot after the return to the White House of US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly demanded that the bloc pay more for its own defense. “There’s a new sheriff in town… So they are forced to leave their comfort zone — and they’re doing it in an aggressive, militarist way. We hear [French President Emmanuel] Macron talking about a nuclear umbrella for Europe, and that also sounds very dangerous.”

Peskov’s comments come after the UK and France said they are open to sending Western peacekeepers to Ukraine once a ceasefire is reached. Moscow has rejected the idea, saying it does not matter under what disguise NATO troops arrive in the neighboring country. Earlier this month, Macron also signaled that France would discuss the possibility of using its nuclear arsenal to protect its allies in Europe, and urged the EU to ramp up military spending while labelling Russia a “threat.” Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly dismissed speculation that Moscow could attack NATO as “nonsense,” arguing it has no interest whatsoever in doing so.

All based on the narrative that Putin plans to overrun Europe. For which there is zero evidence.

• EU Afraid Trump Will Cut Off Weapons Support – WaPo (RT)

Officials from EU member states are worried that the Trump administration could stop supporting US-made weapons systems used by its NATO allies in Europe, the Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter. The US has provided nearly two-thirds of Europe’s arms imports in recent years. Many of the systems are maintained and operated by American personnel. Equipment containing US components could also face restrictions if support is withdrawn. According to the Post, officials are afraid that reliance on American missile defense, surveillance aircraft, drones, and fighter jets could become a major vulnerability, given President Donald Trump’s strained relations with the EU. Some are reportedly concerned that US-made platforms could be rendered inoperable if access to parts, software, or data is blocked.

“It’s not as if President Trump could just push a button and all aircraft would fall from the sky,” an EU official told the Post. “But there is an issue of dependency,” particularly in intelligence and communications, the official added. Several member states are reviewing their arsenals to assess how exposed they would be in the event of a support cutoff. French President Emmanuel Macron recently urged the bloc to stop buying American weapons, arguing that European rearmament is pointless if member states remain dependent on US suppliers. German Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz proposed extending France’s nuclear deterrent to cover its EU neighbors, a move that Macron said could be discussed.

Rasmus Jarlov, the chair of Denmark’s defense committee, said he regrets that Copenhagen purchased US-made F-35 fighter planes. He called them “a security risk that we cannot run,” and warned that the US could deactivate the systems if Denmark refuses its demands, such as handing over Greenland. Portugal has scrapped plans to purchase F-35s, citing the current “geopolitical context.” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has backed the push for military autonomy, saying Trump “may have a point” about Europe needing to spend more on its own defense.

There is a lot of blood thirst in Europe.

• The Führer of Germany – Friedrich Merz – In A War And Spending Frenzy (Hanseler)

After more than 80 years, Germany once again has a Führer who is in no way inferior to the old one in terms of mendacity and megalomania while spending sums that are unimaginable for most people. We do the math while our optimism withers.
Peter Hanseler

Introduction
Yesterday I read the following lines on the Internet – unfortunately without an author’s reference: This has never happened before: a man who has not even been elected chancellor yet negotiates the biggest borrowing in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany with parties that lost the election, in a Bundestag that has long since been dissolved. If you had described Friedrich Merz’s current behavior to a German 10 years ago, you would have been declared insane and put in a clinic without raising a fuss. Friedrich Merz, who refuses to form a coalition with the AFD because he accuses them of right-wing extremism, is preparing Germany for war against Russia. The AFD wants peace with Russia, Russia seeks peace, the Americans want peace and Merz opposes all those who seek peace. This week the Handelsblatt reported that up to 1.7 trillion could be spent. This article will prove that this plan is madness, simply by putting this astronomical figure into perspective for regular people.

How much is a trillion seconds? I maintain that very few people are able to categorize the size of this number. Let’s give it a try: How much time elapses in one million seconds? – Correct, 11.57 days. How much time elapses in a trillion seconds? – You will be wrong if you say a few years. It is exactly 31,709 years. That is indeed a long time ago. The earth was populated by sabre-toothed tigers and woolly mammoths, the last ice age took place. Rome was only founded a good 28,000 years afterwards. I assume that all readers are somewhat overwhelmed that a trillion is as much as it is. 1.7 trillion in money. Germany’s current debt at federal level. As at June 30, Germany’s federal debt amounted to 1.621 trillion – or 1,621 billion euros. This corresponds to a national debt to GDP ratio of 62.4%.

1.7 trillion is a hundred times more than all DAX companies together earned in 2023. Friedrich Merz will double this debt. This would lead to a debt ratio of 125% – which would put the country in the neighborhood of Greece (158%). The additional interest burden for the 1.7 trillion euros will amount to 47.6 billion euros per year if the current interest rate of the 10-year German government bond of 2.8% is used for the calculation. The cumulative profit of Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW amounted to 29.2 billion euros in 2024. The German automotive giants would therefore not even be able to pay the interest on this madness if they were to send all their profits to Berlin. In 2024, Germany collected income taxes amounting to 181.95 billion euros at federal level. This means that for nearly 10 years, 100% of total income taxes would have to be spent on the repayment of 1,700 billion euros.

Conclusion Without even mentioning that Friedrich Merz’s actions are more than legally questionable, it is already clear from the figure of 1.7 trillion euros that he has lost his mind. This debt bonanza will drive the former world export champion and the former jewel of industry to the wall financially. For many years, the German political elite has been railing against Russia, the country to which it owed the cheap energy that allowed Germany to become the industrial jewel of the world in the first place. Russia forgave the Germans, who had 27 million Russians on their conscience; the Russians have not forgotten these atrocities, but the Germans, or rather the German leadership, have, because what the German people think, choose or want is once again a thing of the past in Germania. Germany then turned imperiously against China, the current industrial jewel that, unlike the Germans, has not slept through the major trends.

Last but not least, the German leadership is salivating against the US, the colonial master of the Germans, which has made a political U-turn and is now seeking peace with Russia. It is therefore by no means inappropriate to describe Friedrich Merz’s behavior as megalomania. Ms. Baerbock, who made Germany a laughing stock on the international stage during her time as foreign minister, is cuddling up to the new Syrian government, which is made up of terrorists. For about two weeks now, civilians have been slaughtered in Syria, women and children have had their heads cut off, obviously a necessity on the road to democracy. Ms. Baerbock seems to agree with this. Incidentally, I do not recommend our readers to watch videos of these goings-on, thousands of which are posted on social media; they are nightmares that will deprive you of sleep.

Ms. Baerbock is transferring 300 million euros to these very gentlemen. Ms. Baerbock, who will soon no longer have a job, seems to have special talents. She is to become the new President of the UN General Assembly. As a geopolitical analyst, you should always remain an optimist at heart, otherwise you will burn out completely. However, I find it increasingly difficult to carry a spark of hope for Germany: legally, geopolitically, in terms of freedom and emotionally.

“There is one way to achieve this: if we get Europe to support the president of the United States in his peace efforts, instead of embarking on war adventures, and then there will be peace.”

• Hungary’s Orban Continues Blocking EU’s ‘Pro-War’ Stance On Ukraine (ZH)

Hungary continued this past week being a lone EU voice blocking the European Union’s collective efforts to ramp up more financial and military aid to Ukraine, at a moment Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has a powerful backer in Washington – the Trump administration. Hungary in a Thursday European Council summit vote refused to endorse a statement reaffirming the bloc’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Orbán government slammed the ‘pro-war’ stance of the EU, despite 26 out of 27 EU nations signing off on it. While the statement had only largely symbolic significance, saying Europe backs the “continued and unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity” – Orban described that this only prolongs the war and brings the conflict no closer to peaceful resolution.

“Once again, they wanted to adopt a common position in which we want to give Ukraine even more money and even more weapons, and we are committed to the war,” the Hungarian leader explained after the veto. “Over the past three years, Hungarian families have lost around 2.5 million forints (approximately €6,268) per household as a result of the war. I must stop this, and we must not allow Hungarian families to continue to pay the economic consequences,” Orbán stated. He urged European capitals to get in Trump’s corner, who is seeking a diplomatic solution. But here’s how The Associated Press and other outlets characterized Hungary’s stubborn refusal to go along with Brussels:

“At the same time, Orbán is also emboldened by U.S. President Donald Trump, who is pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump has blamed Ukraine for Russia’s unprovoked invasion, all while accusing Kyiv of unnecessarily prolonging the biggest land war in Europe since World War II.” Orban described further in an interview with regional media… “There is one way to achieve this: if we get Europe to support the president of the United States in his peace efforts, instead of embarking on war adventures, and then there will be peace. This debate took place, but we were unable to convince each other.” He continued, “I vetoed the common position, and therefore the European Union has no common position. What will be made public here today is nothing more than the private position of 26 member states, not the common position of the European Union, because without Hungary such a position cannot be accepted.”

“The president of Ukraine is confused about his role, he is behaving as if he were in the European Union and therefore could afford to take a sharper tone when he cannot do so. He is an applicant who wants to join the European Union, about which opinions are divided,” Orbán remarked. Parrel to all of this, NATO is seeking to ‘Trump-proof’ the alliance for the long-term, which reports of closed-door discussions on how to replace United States leadership in the alliance some five to ten years down the road, amid fears that Washington will retreat from leadership, and its majority financial and weapons support to NATO.

“Very few people know that there is a major political party in South Africa that is actively promoting white genocide,”

• Musk Slams South Africa Over ‘White Genocide’ (RT)

Elon Musk has once again lashed out at his country of birth, South Africa, over what he claimed was “active promotion” of “white genocide.” In a post on X on Sunday, the tech billionaire wrote that his Starlink satellite internet service cannot operate in the African country because he is “not black.”Musk’s remarks came amid tensions between Pretoria and Washington over a controversial land expropriation law signed in January that allows land seizures without compensation and aims to address longstanding disparities between black South Africans and the Afrikaner minority, who own nearly 75% of the country’s freehold farmland. US President Donald Trump condemned the law as an “egregious action” that unfairly targets white South Africans and signed an executive order directing federal agencies to cut aid to the country in a bid to pressure Pretoria to repeal the policy.

Musk, a close advisor to Trump who was born in Pretoria, has also been vocal in his criticism of the law. In his post on Sunday, he lashed out after sharing footage of a rally led by Julius Malema, head of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) opposition party. The video showed demonstrators chanting an apartheid-era slogan Musk interpreted as calling for the killing of white South Africans. “A whole arena chanting about killing white people,” Musk wrote. “Where is the outrage? Why is there no coverage by the legacy media?” “Very few people know that there is a major political party in South Africa that is actively promoting white genocide,” Musk continued, apparently referring to the EFF. He then alleged for the second time in two weeks that Starlink had been refused a license to operate in the country “simply because I’m not black.”

The rally Musk referred to was held to commemorate the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, where police killed 69 black South African protesters during what is considered the first and most violent demonstration against apartheid in the country. The old chant – “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer” – has been a longstanding point of controversy in South Africa. Malema, whose party advocates for eliminating racial and economic disparities, has been known to sing it at rallies and considers it part of the country’s heritage, despite being found guilty of hate speech over it by the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

Despite criticism from Washington, Pretoria has maintained that its land policy is aimed at correcting historical injustice and does not discriminate against any racial group. South African officials have also called for dialogue with Washington to address what they say is “misinformation” about the new land policy. Foreign Ministry spokesman Clayson Monyela rejected Musk’s claim that Starlink was barred due to his race, saying the entire situation had “nothing to do” with skin color, and that the service could operate in South Africa provided it complied with local laws.

“Reagan was considered an outsider, and he was “dangerous” because the Republican establishment could lose its grip on the party to a populist whose basis was in the people and not in the organized interest groups.”

• My Time in the Reagan Administration (Paul Craig Roberts)

Paul Craig Roberts, who played a crucial role in enacting the tax cuts of the 1980s and in forging the political emergence of supply-side economics, reflects on his experience in Washington. He emphasizes that intra-party power struggles, not economics, are the main influence on policy. — Editor, The Independent Review. Paul Craig Roberts is chairman of the Institute for Political Economy. He had academic careers as senior research fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Georgetown University; journalism careers as associate editor and columnist for the Wall Street Journal and columnist for Business Week; government careers as a member of the U.S. congressional staff and as assistant secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration; and business careers as a director of industrial and financial companies.

*****
When I was an economics professor, I often wondered if what my faculty colleagues and I were teaching students about economic policy had any validity. I left Stanford University, went to Washington, D.C., and joined the congressional staff in order to experience how policy is made. In the House, I helped Rep. Jack Kemp introduce supply-side economics to his colleagues. I became chief economist of the House Budget Committee on the Republican side, and then staff associate for Senator Orrin Hatch on the Joint Economic Committee. My success in explaining to Congress that there was an alternative to Keynesian demand management, which had no solution for stagflation, led to President Reagan appointing me assistant secretary of the Treasury for economic policy.

Having learned how policy is made (and unmade), I now had the assignment to implement a new one. The story of my experience is useful to economists. As one of my graduate professors, Ronald Coase, used to tell his class, “It would help economists to occasionally look outside the window of the box they keep themselves in.” The conflict between merit and redistribution that is characteristic of the American political system and the influence of established explanations are not the only problems confronting a policymaker, especially if he is introducing a new approach. As Niccolò Machiavelli wrote in The Prince, “There is nothing more difficult, more perilous or more uncertain of success than to take the lead in introducing a new order of things.”

One of the many problems a policymaker faces is that policies affect different interest groups in different ways. Some benefit, some don’t, and I don’t mean just in a material or economic way. Most of the things that influence economic policy have nothing to do with economics. They have to do with power. The party establishments that control the parties intend to stay in control. The organized interest groups that control the party establishments intend to continue in control. Few Americans understand that the main political fight is not between the two parties but within the administration of the party in power. Within the parties the fight is over who controls the party. When the fight is between the establishment and a populist rival like Ronald Reagan or Donald Trump, it can get very nasty.

During the first year of the Reagan administration, much of the battle was between President Reagan and his Treasury allies (primarily me and Secretary Don Regan) on one side and Reagan’s chief of staff, Jim Baker, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, Murray Weidenbaum, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director David Stockman on the other. The fight within the Reagan administration had its origin in Reagan taking the Republican nomination for president away from the establishment’s candidate, George H. W. Bush, former CIA director. Reagan was considered an outsider, and he was “dangerous” because the Republican establishment could lose its grip on the party to a populist whose basis was in the people and not in the organized interest groups.

Reagan was advised that he must take the defeated George H. W. Bush Republican establishment into his administration or suffer the fate of Barry Goldwater, who rejected Nelson Rockefeller after he defeated him in the Republican presidential nomination. Consequently, the Republican establishment helped the Democrats defeat Goldwater, the Republican populist candidate. Nancy Reagan judged by appearances, and Bush’s man, Jim Baker, a polished dresser, presented to Nancy a better image than Reagan’s laidback California crew to be standing by her husband. Baker was appointed chief of staff. So, from the start Reagan and his supporters in the administration were handicapped by an establishment operative being chief of staff of the Reagan Revolution. Only Reagan had offered a solution to the problem of “stagflation.” It was called supply-side economics. Lacking a solution to offer during the campaign for the nomination, Bush termed Reagan’s policy “voodoo economics.” This, of course, played into the hands of the Democrat opposition and the liberal media determined to undermine President Reagan as a Grade B movie actor who believed in fairy tales about tax cuts paying for themselves.

Self harm

Tucker Carlson does not speak on behalf of America, but I have the impression that more and more Americans view the weakness and submissiveness of the Europeans with contempt pic.twitter.com/O2GMdgAInN

— Glenn Diesen (@Glenn_Diesen) March 23, 2025

Tucker Carlson destroys @piersmorgan’s idea of Freedom in the funniest way possible. pic.twitter.com/SNBckPHXy1

— BATMAN (@BATMAN_SPOTTED) March 23, 2025

Job loss
https://twitter.com/its_The_Dr/status/1903631330321052141

Hand
https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1903821746605609121

Moose

Extremely polite moose bull gently reminds a tourist that wildlife should be respected pic.twitter.com/cyZ3tAcKhF

— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) March 21, 2025

Plank