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Links 8/20/2025

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Watch: London Zoo’s capybaras and tortoises on weigh-in day BBC

Going with the flow: How penguins use tides to travel and hunt PhysOrg

Your Dog Has a Unique Ability to Read Your Mind. Here’s Why. ScienceAlert (Chuck L)

Are Those Marble Wigs? On Roman Hairstyles Antigone. You can also see that the “hair” in the pix was rendered by drills, not chisels. See this post on devolution for details.

Spain Was Different: Tourism Under Franco History Today (Anthony L)

Mount Everest Air Offers Clues to Parkinson’s Treatment SciTech Daily (Chuck L)

Please let me eat the radioactive shrimp from Walmart Business Insider

COVID-19/Environment

Hostage warns of the next pandemic – without doctors in charge Expressen via machine translation (Micael T)

Climate/Environment

How surging summer humidity is making nights hotter Washington Post

Paris Braces for a Future of Possibly Paralyzing Heat New York Times

Four years after war ended, Afghanistan battles unprecedented water crisis Turkiye Today

Pakistani villagers scared to go back to deluged homes after floods kill over 340 Reuters

Fire Season Is Starting Earlier Thanks to Climate Change, New Study Finds Independent

North Pacific waters are acidifying more rapidly below the surface Eurekalert

New evidence of chlorpyrifos harm to kids’ brains amid regulatory retreat The New Lede

China?

China-India talks: Narendra Modi praises ‘stable, predictable, constructive ties’ South China Morning Post. While you were busy watching the Trump show….

Trump’s trade policies are helping India-China ties — but they aren’t resetting them CNBC

China Scoops Up Russian Crude Amid U.S. Pressure on India OilPrice

Why Bees Are Dying In US But Thriving In China Gravitas

Commentary: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un is building warships his grandfather never could – but to what end? Channel News Asia

Old Blighty

How Can England Possibly Be Running Out of Water? Guardian

Israel v. The Resistance

Exclusive: Powerful Libyan official in talks with Israel to resettle Palestinians from Gaza Middle East Eye

Trump calls Netanyahu a ‘war hero’ despite ICC arrest warrant over war crimes in Gaza Anadolu Agency

‘Strength not measured by how many people you can blow up,’ Tony Burke says as row with Netanyahu escalates Guardian

Shadow armies: UAE’s covert wars in Sudan, Yemen, and Gaza The Cradle

New Not-So-Cold War

Trump Breaks Europe Over His Knee: Unprecedented Optics of White House ‘Losers’ Gathering’ Simplicius

Ukraine – Trump Continues To Humiliate Europe Moon of Alabama

RAY McGOVERN: Trump & the Seven Dwarfs Consortium News

John Helmer: Trump Ditches Ceasefire? Despite EU & Zelensky Pressure Dialogue Works, YouTube. Important. Helmer stresses bad faith behavior, particularly with the security guarantees talk, and Russian anger at Trump trying to play them. Juicy bits about how the Russians bribed Hillary Clinton and found she didn’t deliver.

Rubio to lead Ukraine security guarantees talks, with Trump promising air support Axios. Hard to see how Europeans lost bigly despite sour faces with US backing “security guarantees” of a form Russia has vigorously rejected.

The War Was The Easy Bit Aurelien

Trump Still Fails to Understand Russia’s Fundamental Reason for the Special Military Operation, But He is Trying Larry Johnson

Trump makes deeply personal confession about brokering Russia-Ukraine peace deal Daily Mail (Li). Hoo boy.

Commentary by Aide to the President of Russia Yury Ushakov following a telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump Kremlin

US ICE deletes posts about deporting Ukrainians RT (Kevin W)

Big Brother Is Watching You Watch

Inbox Question: What good is hope in a digital prison? Libre Solutions (Micael T)

New Nationwide Campaign Seeks to Stop Warrantless Use of License Plate Reader Cameras Institute for Justice (Paul R). Yes!

US Spy Chief Gabbard Says UK Agreed To Drop ‘Backdoor’ Mandate for Apple Reuters

Eavesdropping on Phone Conversations Through Vibrations Bruce Schneier

Trump 2.0

The Cartel War Is About to Start Daniel Larison

RFK Jr. attacks pediatricians’ group over vaccine recommendations Politico

Immigration

ICE Wrongly Suggests Lawmaker Doxxed Agents, and Racist Threats Follow New York Times

Russiagate

Nearly a Decade Later, the Unmasking Scandal Comes Full Circle Matt Taibbi

Democrats en déshabillé

Silicon Valley Is Panicking About Zohran Mamdani. NYC’s Tech Scene Is Not Wired (resilc)

Gavin Newsom warms to Big Oil in climate reversal CalMatters (Paul R)

Our No Longer Free Press

The Surprising Link Between Craigslist, Classified Ads, and Political Polarization Stanford Business (resilc). Important.

Economy

Investors warn of ‘new era of fiscal dominance’ in global markets Financial Times

The Global Car Reckoning Is Here. Far Too Many Auto Companies Don’t Have a Plan Wired (resilc)

Powell’s Last Stand at Jackson Hole Bloomberg

The Number of Housing Units Under Construction Continues to Crash Michael Shedlock

Housing remains recessionary. Why hasn’t one happened yet? Angry Bear

AI

US tech stocks hit by concerns over future of AI boom Financial Times

MIT report: 95% of generative AI pilots at companies are failing Fortune

Generative AI isn’t just a matter of life and death. It’s far more important than that The Register

Class Warfare

Productivity growth is not the only source of increases in material well-being for the majority Bill Mitchell

John Deere Announces Hundreds of Layoffs Newsweek (resilc)

New Work Rules Could Deny Food Stamps to Thousands of Veterans Military.com

Idaho’s Liquor Stores: A Case Study in State Ownership and Capitalist Contradictions William Murphy (Micael T)

With Its Former President Gone, Will the Southern Poverty Law Center Return to Its Roots as Genuine Civil Rights Watchdog? CovertAction (Chuck L)

Health Care Groups Aim To Counter Growing ‘National Scandal’ of Elder Homelessness KFF Health News

Antidote du jour. John U: “Brown Agouti, seen in the Peruvian jungle a few months ago.”

And a bonus (Chuck L):

See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.

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156 comments

  1. The Rev Kev

    “Trump makes deeply personal confession about brokering Russia-Ukraine peace deal”

    Not sure if there is room enough in Heaven for both Trump and God. What is the difference between the two? God doesn’t believe himself to be Trump whereas…

    Reply ↓
    1. Ben Panga

      Donnie’s quote: “I want to get to heaven if possible. I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I hear I’m at the bottom of the totem pole,’ Trump said.’If I can get to heaven, this [ending Ukraine war] will be one of the reasons.’

      Too many apocalypse believers and other religious nuts in Trump’s orbit/ear. I’m not sure I’m ready for God-loving Trump.

      Reply ↓
        1. Ignacio

          The only good thing I can think about Trump is that he managed to have a meeting with Putin. This is certainly an improvement from god-driven Biden. Whether this will be a significant shift is still to be seen but, come on, we can dream about something.

          Reply ↓
      4. jsn

        Well, it would help both his position with his base and the rest of us if Jesus looked like a good excuse to turn class traitor on the Epstein class.

        I’m not getting my hopes up, but can see Bannon bouncing around in the background.

        Reply ↓
        1. Wukchumni

          Well, he has been speaking in tongues lately, some of his gibberish being undecipherable to the unacknowledged.

          Reply ↓
    2. Wukchumni

      Overheard on the other side of the pearly gates…

      ‘For Pete’s sake, you got to get rid of all these pearls, yeah they were popular for a heartbeat before the turn of the century, but let me update things for you, I can promise you the greatest gates the world has ever seen.’

      Reply ↓
    3. griffen

      From the climactic episode to end the Jeffrey Dahmer series on Netflix, said murderer who was sentenced to the death penalty begins to search out the prison chaplain. Even asking the very difficult question, if he is worth redeeming after all the evils he committed. Later he is indeed baptized before he is beaten to a pulp.

      I’m a bit torn on whether Jeffrey Dahmer is in hell with people like Hitler and Stalin, but that is beyond my judgement….Dear Leader should just simply ask his friend Franklin Graham on the path to righteousness and reaching heaven. Adding on, good grief those thoughts by DJT should just stay inside the brain.

      And for RK, from a previous posting discussing Oracle corporation roots with the CIA, there is that book titled that way, it’s the biography of Larry Ellison of all people.

      Reply ↓
    4. thrombus

      Trump will be in heaven right next to kids from Gaza. On a second thought, that sounds like a plot for a dark sitcom.

      Reply ↓
  2. Wukchumni

    Down the line, don’t go over
    There’s a limit you went over
    So much time, time runs out
    Time ran out, make it down

    Would you like to go to Heaven tonight?
    Would you like to go to Heaven tonight?
    Aah, aah, aah, aah
    Would you like to go to Heaven tonight?
    Would you like to go to Heaven tonight? Aah

    Down the line, couldn’t have lied
    Couldn’t have lied much more if you tried
    And tried and tried, you’re as guilty
    It’s a crime, ooh, it’s a crime

    Would you like to go to heaven tonight?
    Would you like to go to heaven tonight?
    Aah, aah, aah, aah

    Would you like to go to heaven tonight?
    Would you like to go to heaven tonight?
    Aah, aah, aah, aah
    Would you like to go to heaven tonight?
    Would you like to go to heaven tonight?

    You can never come down, you can never come down
    You can never come down, you can never come down
    You can never come down, you can never come down
    You can never come down, you can never come down
    You can never come down, you can never come down
    You can never come down, you can never come down
    You can never come down, you can never come down
    You can never come down, you can never come

    Down, inside, you’re getting nervous
    Nobody ever called your bluff before, oh

    Heaven Tonight, by Cheap Trick

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqh71KfxpY8&list=RDbqh71KfxpY8

    Reply ↓
    1. griffen

      Since Trump is putting the rock band KISS into the Kennedy Center honors this year, it’s clear he’s got some reason to pick the band ahead of contemporary bands or rock musicians. Maybe he’s got a future announcement to honor Ted Nugent, the mad man of Detroit (?)

      I recall some of the videos aired on MTV, when in the mid 80s the Kiss routine of makeup and the leather inspired outfits had dropped off…Heaven on Fire would seem like a comparable tune we could use to build out this theme and imagery of a heaven….

      Reply ↓
  3. Skip Kaltenheuser

    Re: Nearly a Decade Later, the Unmasking Scandal Comes Full Circle

    I never really bought into Russiagate, not when Sheldon Adelson was showering cash on Trump.

    I applaud Taibbi’s steady work to expose the political fraud, and that of writers like Jeff Gerth, who sliced and diced media coverage in his Columbia Journalism Review four-part series.
    https://www.cjr.org/special_report/trumped-up-press-versus-president-part-1.php

    But I do believe a foreign power was working to help the Trump campaign in 2016, as revealed by James Bamford in the March 23, 2023 cover piece for The Nation, The Trump Campaign’s Collusion With Israel, https://www.thenation.com/article/world/trump-israel-collusion/

    I am disappointed that, to my knowledge, Taibbi hasn’t also focused on Israelgate. Particularly given the possibility that the push of Russiagate, purveyed by those long in Israel’s pocket like Adam Schiff, might have been running cover for Israel’s involvement.

    Reply ↓
    2. Michaelmas

      I am disappointed that … Taibbi hasn’t focused on Israelgate.

      It would be instant crucifixion for him if he did.

      Reply ↓
    3. mrsyk

      Agree with crucifixation above. May I suggest Whitney Webb’s excellent four part investigative reporting, From “Spook Air” to the “Lolita Express”: The Genesis and Evolution of the Jeffrey Epstein-Bill Clinton Relationship, Mint Press News,
      It’s the same players with the same objectives and goes back at least as far as Iran-Contra. Quote,

      In this four-part series, “The Jeffrey Epstein Scandal: Too Big to Fail,” MintPress has revealed that Epstein’s activities — a sexual blackmail operation involving minors and connected to intelligence agencies — was one of many such operations that have taken place for decades, developing from the nexus forged between the CIA, organized crime and Israeli intelligence shortly after World War II.

      Reply ↓
    4. hk

      Would Israel have wanted Trump more than HRC? I honestly doubt that, certainly not to the degree that they’d have engaged in a conspiracy to defeat the latter (which is what Russiagate really amounted to–HRC shoulda won but fkr shadowy conspiracies.) Israelis were, collectively, too heavily intertwined with the Dem establishment and the Clintons in particular.

      Now, a Netanyahu-centric conspiracy to get Trump to beat HRC is superficially plausible as he had issues with the Clintons. But I doubt Netanyahu and his allies had such resources and it’d have been too risky for him–even he could not have predicted a Trump victory and he wouldn’t have risked making sworn enemies of the Dem establishment and their Israeli allies (although, I wonder, the criminal investigation into Netanyahu’s corruption did go into overdrive after Trump presidency, no?)

      Reply ↓
      1. mrsyk

        Clinton vs Trump was an internal power struggle. Israel owning them both makes “preference” an academic question.
        As for who is more devoutly pro-Zionist (team red/team blue), virtually every member of congress’s has an AIPAC “handler”.

        Reply ↓
        1. John Wright

          The AIPAC handler aspect was stated by Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie.

          Now he is being targeted by an AIPAC supported primary challenger.

          Reply ↓
      2. gk

        The polls have shown that Israelis overwhelmingly prefer Trump, whether it makes sense or not.

        wouldn’t have risked making sworn enemies of the Dem establishment

        I suspect this has contributed to making sworn enemies of Dem voters. It will take a while for it to affect the Dem establishment (if ever).

        Reply ↓
    5. Carolinian

      Taibbi/Kirn tiptoe around the Israel issue indicating that their “truth to power” shop only takes on certain powers–in this instance powers that per your comment were exposed long ago and widely disbelieved by anyone who cared about the truth.

      Reply ↓
    6. Lefty Godot

      If you believe Wikipedia, the Russiagate hoax “theory” is still just a product of right-wing conspiracist thinking. I think the people who said “reality has a liberal bias” were influenced by the liberal (globalist, center-right capitalist) bias of Wikipedia on almost all political subjects.

      Reply ↓
      1. jamesj

        Because there was no “hoax.” Taibbi is a bad-faith arguer.

        Does no one remember how badly Durham tried to find anything, ANYTHING to pin on Clinton/Obama folks…and could not? Crazy that folks are still buying Trump’s bs on this.

        Reply ↓
  4. The Rev Kev

    “China Scoops Up Russian Crude Amid U.S. Pressure on India”

    The Chinese must be laughing about this one. Probably they are buying extra oil for strategic reserves while oil is at a good price for them. I have no idea why Indians are backing off buying Russian oil as even if they complied 100%, then the Trump regime would come up with a new demand on India. As long as Trump is convinced that there is still money on the table to take, he will keep on coming back for more.

    Reply ↓
    1. leaf

      Feels like the Indians are still sitting on the fence, maybe hoping Trump won’t tax remittances if they comply

      Reply ↓
      1. Polar Socialist

        Today Economic Times (of India) reported that Indian Oil Company and Bharat Petroleum (both government owned companies) have resumed buying oil from Russia.

        Reply ↓
  5. upstater

    Add this to Democrats en déshabillé…

    The Democratic Party Faces a Voter Registration Crisis NYT archive
    The party is bleeding support beyond the ballot box, a new analysis

    The problem is branding! They have learned nothing and forgotten nothing.

    “It would be naïve to call 2024 anything other than a reckoning on the Democratic brand,” said Tory Gavito, the president of Way to Win, a progressive donor network, who argued that more spending on nonpartisan registration was misguided. “To solve a brand problem, you need people talking about that brand — and that requires partisan dollars.”
    But that would be a huge shift, including for politically minded donors, who reap tax breaks* from their gifts to some groups that register voters on a nonpartisan basis and that are considered charities. The donors would not get such tax breaks if they gave to traditional PACs.
    Registering voters is a big business — and an expensive endeavor. Every new sign-up costs $30 to $80, one official involved in registering voters said. The memo from Mr. Strauss, who declined to comment, estimated that netting extra Democratic votes by registering Black voters cost $575 per vote in 2020.

    * so the good billionaires get tax deductions for their charitable work registering voters through the NGO complex?

    Reply ↓
      1. Kurtismayfield

        Man, what kind of look would it be for the Liberal Democrats to punch down onto the Democratic socialist candidate with the Reactionaries? Might as well kiss the midterms goodbye.

        They will never learn nor care.

        Reply ↓
        1. Hepativore

          The only thing that really matters to the DNC, is fundraising. All other goals are a distant second.

          The political calculation that the Democratic Party has been making for years, is that it really does not matter if they lose an election or two, but they certainly cannot afford to lose their corporate and wealthy donor base. In fact, they probably would not care if they never won an elected seat again as a permanent “minority party” as long as they could raise money off of Republican malfeasance and empty promises about policies that they never intend to deliver on.

          They would be all too happy to sacrifice an electoral victory to a Republican candidate if it meant stopping Mamdani as all the Democrats really want to do is keep their donors happy so the money still flows.

          Reply ↓
    2. Jason Boxman

      What Gavito really means is that he’d like you to write him a cheque. Immediately. He’s got your back. Honest.

      I can imagine a deep fake of him stating as much, at least it would be honest, and funny. The world is fortunate I don’t have access to that kind of technology, and don’t want to find myself in anyone’s legal crosshairs.

      Reply ↓
  6. Wukchumni

    How surging summer humidity is making nights hotter Washington Post
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Worked in the yard yesterday beneath shaded trees @ 90 degrees and quite delightful this dry heat gig we got going on here on the left coast, bottom corner pocket.

    This is officially the most pleasant summer i’ve experienced from a temperature aspect in my 3 score + 3 on this good orb, and its much the same thoughout the golden state, although an itty bitty heat wave is coming Friday with promised 105 temps and then back to the mid 90’s next week.

    Reply ↓
    1. Terry Flynn

      Whilst it seems weird for a resident Brit to complain about heat, the high humidity (and overnight here in centre of the country) in 3 separate heatwaves recently made things almost as uncomfortable as an infamous night in Sydney in early 2010s when the night-time temperature stayed at 40 Celcius with none of the sea breezes that usually made A/C unnecessary in my unit – I lived almost on the coast so had none of the temp variability of Western Sydney.

      Everyone round here has gone from “fed up of wet horrid British summers” to “when TF will this mugginess and general horridness end?”

      Plus we’re running out of water, according to the blogs. Not good. But in better news I now have had TWO separate sources of information as to things to POTENTIALLY help ameliorate somewhat my Long COVID, so I’m feeling positive.

      Reply ↓
        1. Terry Flynn

          Hehe thanks Ignacio! I’m cautious about posting about the latest COVID stuff because (1) Not my place to; (2) Experimental & as regulars know I tend to “compromise” regarding my EBM background only when an anecdote has some anecdata behind it (i.e. some accessible “similar experiences” that make some sort of theoretical sense).

          I’m currently at the early stage of finding out if I can have these certain things done on the NHS or whether I have to deplete my already fragile savings to go private. The only thing that goes in my favour regarding NHS care is that whilst I have been a whistle blower (in Aus), I also have a reputation for giving positive reports to clinicians and systems that do things right (so some people *gasp* actually like me).

          So despite the fact I can be an objectionable old fart, there are clinicians round here who “get me” and might go the extra mile to indulge me in seeing if these proposed meds to ameliorate my condition might do so. In meantime I’m going to try to relax as I feel the brain-fog roll in, thanks to me overdoing it yesterday!

          Reply ↓
  7. Wukchumni

    One search makes you longer
    And one’s search returns are small
    And the searches that Google gives you
    Don’t do anything at all
    Go ask AI
    When your back’s against the wall

    And if you go chasing for information
    And you know you’re going to fall
    Tell ’em a hookah-smoking Silicon Valleyite
    Has given you the call
    Call AI
    When immediacy enthralls

    When the men on the Artificial Intelligence board
    Get up and tell you where to go
    And you’ve just had some kind of mushroom
    And your mind is moving low
    Go ask AI
    I think it’ll know

    When logic and proportion
    Have fallen sloppy dead
    And the White Knight is talking backwards
    And the Red Queen’s off with her head
    Remember what your mouse said

    Feed your head
    Feed your head

    White Rabbit, by Jefferson Airplane

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUXxSIUYyYQ&list=RDRXV1Fkh9D_I

    Reply ↓
  8. The Rev Kev

    “Trump Breaks Europe Over His Knee: Unprecedented Optics of White House ‘Losers’ Gathering’ ”

    Trump continues to humiliate the European leadership. Scott Bessent has just announced that when they purchase US weapons to be sent on to the Ukraine, that he is adding a 10% shake-down, errr, surcharge on those payments. He further said that the increased price could offset costs for any direct support Washington provides for Kiev. Note that he is adding a surcharge of 10% to not offset the costs of what he is doing but what he might do down the track. So Europe will not cover 100% of the costs of US military equipment to be sent to the Ukraine but 110% instead-

    https://www.rt.com/news/623310-europeans-paying-premium-us-arms/

    Reply ↓
    1. ilsm

      US’ direct support to Kiev is filling in Kiev’s “kill chain”. Intell and U.S. tech support, with profit to keep Kiev shooting.

      This suggests that Trump is serious about sustaining project NATO encirclement of Russia.

      Russia needs Odessa and S400s in range of that big NATO airbase forming in Rumania.

      Reply ↓
    2. Ignacio

      Interestingly the headlines I searched today in the very (neo) liberal El País where that European leaders are now very happy about security guarantees. I am not certain who is more deluded if El País or the European leaders

      Reply ↓
  9. ambrit

    A poor woman we know has been caught up in the “work requirement” for Food Stamps. she and her husband often work “under the table” for local ‘elites.’ He does handyman work and she does traditional housemaid tasks. When she was bumped off od Food stamps recently, she was faced with the task of ‘validating’ so many hours of work per week to resume getting assistance. She soon ran into a problem. many of the people who ’employed’ her did not want to attest to their paying her due to fears of tax issues. If she was not “officially” registered as a small business, with attendant tax burdens, the “employers” feared that those tax burdens would be shifted over to them. So, few of the poor woman’s “employers” agreed to give the “employee” a document stating the number of hours a week that the poor woman worked for them in their homes.
    The upshot is that the poor couple now have to scrape by without Food Stamps.
    I became aware of this through the husband’s sudden increase in attempts at eliciting largess or work around the place. When asked, the man was forthcoming about the situation. I had to set hard limits on the number and scope of financial importunings the man could engage in.
    As a related item, it is through these two that I have become aware of a veritable explosion of financial scams flooding the “lower classes” of late.
    Stay safe. Hold tight to your wallets and pocketbooks!

    Reply ↓
    1. Wukchumni

      If you were on food stamps, would you be a Fillatelist?

      I can imagine things will get to the point where I have to hide homeless in my basement.

      Reply ↓
      1. ambrit

        Some of the “job offers” the poor get fall under the title of Fellationist.
        This also falls under the age-old social conformist formula of: Suck up, kick down.
        Don’t worry too much about the hordes of “homeless.” I understand that FEMA is converting unused mall space into “Homeless Re-education Centres and Fun Arcades.”

        Reply ↓
    3. griffen

      The level of financial scams is ever developing to even lower levels of depravity, causing irreparable harm and even worse than financial disruptions. Since I finally reached that magical threshold to join the AARP, their mailings feature various methods to be on the constant watch for.

      To the actual topic on newer work requirements , I’ve begun to wonder just to what extent that, by example , the weekly jobless claims each Thursday are being understated. Options to work a side gig merely for an income stream are prevalent depending on one’s ability and a flexible schedule. I’m not including an Uber driver or a door dashing delivery exactly.

      Charitable organizations exist for such individuals and families in those circumstances; I’ll add the caveat they help as long or as much that they muster donors and support. Republicans in Congress who are “true believers” must be skipping past particular segments of the New Testament, especially the four gospels. As in….”The meek don’t inherit the earth ?”

      Reply ↓
      1. Wukchumni

        When I hit my nifty fifties was when the onslaught of AARP offers came with them often sending me luggage tags, how about some free airfare instead, if you want me to take a trip?

        Reply ↓
  10. Ocypode

    Commentary: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un is building warships his grandfather never could – but to what end? Channel News Asia

    I’m obviously not an expert in the subject, but I find this sort of article somewhat patronizing. Though I could not personally say why the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (the framing of it being “Kim” deciding everything seems very misleading) decided to engage in the building of these ships, to assume it is pointless and a sign of (strategic?) incompetence seems a bit of an overreach. As a counter-example, from what I gather the Russians seem to have been quite satisfied with the performance of Korean weapons and soldiers (and a good reminder that Korea alone produces more shells than Europe combined), which would imply that the Koreans punch far above their weight, so to speak.

    In a purely personal suspicion, I think that the Koreans have seen the Ukraine quagmire and are making their preparations for a war that they probably see as inevitable.

    Reply ↓
  11. The Rev Kev

    “The War Was The Easy Bit.”

    ‘The only possible counterweight in the circumstances was the United States, but that country was largely demobilised, and turning inwards on itself in a frenzy of anti-communism. Its main foreign policy preoccupation was China.’

    Aurelian is talking about post-WW2 United States and I wonder about the timing. When the Communists finished taking over China the US was now shut out of mainland China so did the US compensate by devoting more resources to the newly formed NATO?

    Reply ↓
    1. ilsm

      25 June 1950 altered US’ demobilization.

      A reason for NK assault being a surprise was no one wanted war five years into demobilization.

      Stalin was Luke warm to Kim’s plan, but Mao jumped as Mac Arthur stumbled toward the Yalu.

      US was calculating on Stalin, and looked on Mao as they did Kim.

      Until late Nov 1950 was surprise, the rest damage control

      Reply ↓
      1. JBird4049

        The Korean War is the only war since the Second World War that I would give the United States any justification for going to war. It really was a surprise to the West that North Korea would invade South Korea especially as the Soviets were not that supportive. The Soviets did support the North Koreans after the invasion because they needed to be seen as a reliable ally, and if the invasion did go well, that would be good.

        Kim Il Sung thought that he could conquer South Korea before the United States could successfully intervene. He was almost right.

        Reply ↓
        1. Darthbobber

          There had actually been several provocations by South Korea involving disputed islands. And SK’s posture was pretty aggressive for awhile.

          But with the final victory of the Communists on the mainland several NK divisions that had still been serving with the PLA returned home, radically altering the balance.

          The war started not long after an unfortunate speech by Truman in which he rattled off a bunch of US vital interests by name and omitted Korea.

          Reply ↓
          1. hk

            The part about “disputed” is ludicrous: they are inhabited by South Korean citizens and have been under South Korean legal jurisdiction for 74-5 years. They are no more “disputed” than San Diego is between US and Mexico. The only technical-legal claim that the North has been making is based on the line of demarcation on military control, which is vague when it comes to the sea “boundaries” and they aren’t exactly complying with either anyways.

            That US and US allies are acting dubiously often does not mean the other guys are above the board either.

            Reply ↓
    2. Mikel

      “Defeat in Afghanistan was unavoidable, and there was no interest group that was seriously prepared to try to obstruct withdrawal from that country. Moreover, the dynamics of that defeat were comprehensible: it wasn’t the first time in history that low-technology soldiers had outlasted a technologically-advanced army in a low-intensity conflict, and in a situation where the military of the nominal government was ineffective. Rather, everyone had an interest in blaming the defeat on Kabul and burying it as rapidly and as completely as possible.”

      Or it was decided that the military was no longer needed to help manage the opium trade.

      Reply ↓
      1. The Rev Kev

        When the western powers left Afghanistan the Taliban shut most of the opium growers down. At the time there was some outrage in Washington that the Taliban did this and the UN criticized them as well. Hmmmm.

        Reply ↓
  12. Mikel

    The Israel vs “the resistance” header is beyond annoying. It makes it seem like there exists some force that requires Israel keep bombing and demolishishing…serves their narrative.
    At most, people are trying to negotiate their way out of a slaughter.
    They are in the “break out the bulldozers” stage.

    Reply ↓
    1. Ocypode

      I disagree. In fact, I believe that framing the Resistance as part of the equation is paramount: were there no guerrillas in Gaza or Hezbollah in Lebanon, the psychopathic dreams of Zionists would have been much further along, and their demented map that stretches from the Nile to the Persian Gulf might not have been utter delusion. In fact today MenchOsint reported on twitter that the Qassam Brigades engaged in an incredible operation, wounding and killing many soldiers. It is their bravery and competence, along with the incredible will of the Palestinians, that frustrate the Zionists in their monstrous objectives.

      Reply ↓
      1. Mikel

        Having a threat gives them justification (no matter how unjust many find the situation).
        The bulldozers are still coming. Major companies and countries are still investing in Genocide, Inc.

        Reply ↓
      2. Mikel

        I have trouble imagining that children with their limbs blown off, who don’t get to take cover in tunnels, are part of any “resistance”. The people that do that to them use the excuse that they should be considered combatants.

        Reply ↓
      3. Mikel

        Saying it’s Israel vs Hamas would be the best way to keep reminding people that Israel’s claim that these attacks were allegedly about getting rid of Hamas is turning out to be BS.
        That’s NOT what is being done.

        Reply ↓
    2. JMH

      If the aim was to root Hamas out of Gaza, explain to me just how area bombing furthered it. Hamas is still there. How does starving the population free the hostages or root out Hamas? I will grant you that removing, as in ethnic cleansing or killing, the population of Gaza and razing all the buildings to the ground will probably root out Hamas, but I would not rule out some stay behinds, but will the hostages be rescued? Tis a puzzlement if you take the government of Israel and those who speak for it at their word. Bombing and blowing things up and killing people or driving them out seems an inefficient way to root out Hamas that is if Hamas is really the target

      Reply ↓
      1. amfortas

        and remember…there IS a Palestinian Diaspora.
        I accidentally knew a bunch of them, 30+ years ago…nice, thoughtful people…taught me a lot that has helped me navigate this atrocity.
        they will never forgive all this.
        zionazis (and sadly, regular old non-zionazi Jews) will be looking over their shoulders forever.

        Reply ↓
    3. Nolen Volens

      The Israeli Army is demolishing tunnels, military infrastructure, beneath the Zeitoun (olive) Quarter. This is what Israelis do, day-in and day-out: drone, dog, then soldier. Israel did not divert a billion dollars in aid for tunnel warfare, under what is historically Hamas’s own neighborhood. There are 500 km of tunnel in sand, anything above which Israel will collapse.

      Only grifters would sensationalize what is, in truth, standard LSC – large-scale combat. These conscripts trained to fight a state army like Egypt, hence all the deconstructed AT mines and guided munition. Speaking of grifters, this Lt Aguilar is a fabricator. Which is why he was fired before even leaving Israel. His experience was support staff in a cubicle for command, not some chawed-out NCO who kicks-in doors at night. Because he did not pass muster, he can’t provide actual dates or locations in his claims. The email metadata show they were not sent when he claims. Which is why actual journalists won’t touch him. Failure to provide bona fides. The fact that this doof who betrays his coworkers was immediately sent home suggests a professional outfit doing due diligence for safety.

      You got to hand it to Israel; they created a perfect dilemma for Hamas. For Hamas needs Israel to be on the financial hook to feed Gazans where they stand on the battlefield, at enormous expense to Israel. However, it is through Hamas’s network of NGOs that Hamas interacts with sponsors that sustain their war effort. Mainly access to currency – shekels. Hamas is forced create the conditions for malnourishment in attempt to bypass Israel’s blockade. This basically makes the exodus of civilians off the battlefield the only viable alternative. It flips guerilla warfare on its head; the guerilla is forced to participate in the destruction of their own sanctuary. It’s like if the US Marines were stuffing Strategic Hamlets with food and the Viet Minh were burning those villages down themselves so the North would send care packages.

      Reply ↓
      2. ambrit

        Actually, you have to hand it to Hamas. They presented Israel with the perfect dilemma. How, if the IDF was the “bestest evar” military force, did Hamas succeed so well in their October 7 attack? If, as some aver, that attack was “allowed to happen ” then we must ask, why? Either explanation makes the Israeli armed forces look bad. Either they were incompetent, or they were complicit.
        The fact that Aguilar was “sent home” suggests an out of control quasi-military force removing non-psychopathic troops from the front. Even the Reich understood that not everyone can be a guard at a death camp. The Wehrmacht would move out troops who showed signs of psychological problems with overseeing the slaughter of innocents, exactly as is now happening in the Gaza.
        Your point concerning the ” the exodus of civilians off the battlefield” is an exact description of ethnic cleansing.
        As for your laughable citing of the Strategic Hamlets campaign in the Indochina War; read the early Indochina War book, “The Betrayal” by Green Beret Lt. Colonel William R Corson.
        “The Betrayal”: http://www.chris-winter.com/Erudition/Reviews/Historys/Corson_WR/The_Betrayal.html
        The Strategic Hamlets program was working, until the utterly corrupt Saigon politicos became involved. As for the Viet Minh, they were living among the villagers most of the time, and fighting the Imperialists when needed. They didn’t want the hamlets destroyed. They needed to be seen as the protectors of the people, not the exploiters of the people.
        Israel as presently constituted will not survive this multi-front war. Get ready to welcome the refugees to Utah, where they can find shelter with their distant cousins, the sons of the Lost Tribes, the Latter Day Saints.

        Reply ↓
      3. raspberry jam

        Every few weeks when you show up here with a clever new name and a bunch of sensationalist-but-too-slick Israel First by way of some basement in Langely bs, I notice you fail to provide any evidence for your claims. The standard three para script and condescending but insider tone you use is getting old! Get new material or, better yet, start adding some sources!

        Reply ↓
  14. The Rev Kev

    “Australian minister says ‘strength not measured by how many people you can blow up’ as row with Netanyahu escalates”

    The full quote, which the Guardian would not say in the title, was ‘Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry.’ Netanyahu went all Trump and used social media to blast our Prime Minister instead of official channels. I wonder if Bibi is starting to lose it or something. It may be too that Bibi was triggered when Oz refused a visa to far-right wingnut Simcha Rothman to make a speaking tour in Oz where he would continue to explain that Palestinian children in Gaza are enemies. Even the Jewish and Zionist organizations could not have been looking forward to that sort of publicity-

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/20/ecaj-letters-to-benjamin-netanyahu-anthony-albanese

    We don’t really do oaths of allegiance here in Oz and certainly not to Netanyahu & Israel.

    Reply ↓
    1. Wukchumni

      Ultimate Fealty Championship

      The Lucky Country versus Unlucky Country

      2 sovereign states go into the octagon and only one comes out holding their head high…

      PPV (HD) AUD $59.95/ ILS 139.95

      Reply ↓
  16. Revenant

    UK water shortage article: it is not true that the UK is rainswept. It is a more nuanced picture.

    The west of the country is hilly and the prevailing southwesterly winds and the Gulfstream mean that the clouds of moist Atlantic air meet the western hills and fall as rain.

    The east of the country is as a result in the rainshadow of the west and is much, much drier. In fact, Cambridge, in the flat arable lands of East Anglia, is drier than Tehran! (a slightly sly comparison because Tehran is 2000m up in the Alborz mountains and receives significant precipitation but as snow in the winter months).

    As an example of how extreme this is, Dartmoor in Devon receives 72″ of rain per year and East Devon 20 miles away receives 12″-24″.

    Reply ↓
    1. Terry Flynn

      Thanks, yeah, my first thought was “yes the east is dry as a bone but IF we could sort out the infrastructure there’s more than enough freshwater arriving in the west to irrigate us all”. But of course we live in the stupidest timeline.

      Reply ↓
    2. Plutoniumkun

      Yes, its a complex story. The south east of the UK doesn’t get anywhere near the rain of Wales or further west, although it has the advantage of a good storage geology (chalk). Many Midlands cities get their water from Wales – still a source of resentment in those valleys. Its not just in ‘Chinatown’ where water and politics and corruption make for a toxic mix.

      The north of England also has a lot of surplus due to over-optimistic projections for water use in the post-war years. Lots of reservoirs up there with plenty of capacity.

      Years back, there was a semi-serious proposal to use the canal network to transport water from north to south. I think a combination of cost and politics has put any proposal for a major north-south water exchange system off the agenda.

      Reply ↓
    3. nyleta

      There is no where to store it. When we were visiting in-laws in NW England i was taken to the main dam for Liverpool, it was really small for such a population. Same all over the country, would be interesting to see how many years storage they have. Nothing new about this, hosepipe bans are a part of life in England but long droughts like we get in Australia would get them in trouble real quick.

      Reply ↓
  17. Revenant

    The Craigslist story is important but you need to hold the telescope the other way round.

    Operative quote: “The group of readers who reduced their newspaper reading the most after Craigslist entered their city were those who read the most, Martin says, and people who read newspapers a lot also tend to be more likely to vote. “So when they’re less informed and they’re less likely to get solid information, they tend to go to extremes,” he says. “Because they don’t have the information that the extreme candidates are extreme.” ”

    i.e. once people are no longer fed a continue diet of MSM propaganda, they “do their own research” and look for the only alternatives to the neoliberal Uniparty, which have been marginalised by the Overton window as being extreme when many of their policies would have been run-of-the-mill conservative or progressive positions in the 1970’s.

    Reply ↓
    1. curlydan

      On the subject of Craigslist, trends seem to indicate again that most wonderful bare bones and semi-socialist enterprises can’t last long in this country. As a reluctant landlord, I can attest that Craigslist’s popularity is definitely waning as Facebook Marketplace seems to be taking over. My 18-year old’s only reason to get a FB account was to buy and sell on FB Marketplace. Also, …

      “The “2025 Craigslist Report” reveals Craigslist remains the No. 1 U.S. classified site by traffic and revenue but is facing a steady six-year decline. Projected 2024 revenue is $302 million, down sharply from $660 million in 2021 and $1.035 billion in 2018.” https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250502636729/en/Craigslist-Report-2025-Craigslist-Tops-U.S.-Classified-Sites-Mercari-and-OfferUp-in-Close-Pursuit—ResearchAndMarkets.com

      Reply ↓
      1. Terry Flynn

        I worry about this too. Part of my “late summer” agenda to simplify my life should I get another bout of COVID and cark it, is to sort out all that furniture shipped from Sydney that is taking up space in Dad’s factory.

        I fear that having successfully extracted myself from the Zuckerberg empire several years ago I may have to set up some account to use FB marketplace to sell anything I’d like some cash for and don’t wanna just give away. Alternatives are becoming fewer and harder to access.

        Though I am now on mum’s car insurance so maybe old school car boot sale somewhere in Notts might be way to go……

        Reply ↓
        1. amfortas

          it is what it is. My boys and their girlfriends set me up a faceborg account for my farming and cooking endeavors.
          because “everybody around here is on there”.
          local newsprint costs money(like $5)that i dont have.
          i didnt want another faceborg acct,lol…i got off the last one for a reason(toxicity)…so ive tried not to engage in the scrolling, etc.
          i dont get involved in anyone else’s political or religious bidness.
          but all these folks know me.
          and they know how i am.
          but still, in my posts…talking about wildcaught sourdough bread, or veggies and fruit…i stay deep, but anodyne…i quote Wendell Berry, the Georgics, Works and Days,lol…in my posts…to remind them that i am erudite…but thats as far as i go.
          i havent even spoken about my sorta anarchist price discovery method. (when they ask “how much”, i say ” you tell me, i havent bought a fruit or veg in years”…thus making them think about it…)

          i HAVE had 3(three) totally strange to me women(bots/scammers) start talking to me like they were interested in lil ol me…i gave them my cell#, after they gave me theirs…but it was text only, which is a red flag.
          i block them after they hem and haw about actually calling me
          (i cant figger what such bots/scammers would want from me: i have no $, no banking besides savings($2 in both accts, rn,lol)no debit card, no credit cards, no mortgage, and only minor, and very personal debts….and I am up front in disclosing all of that…i am “rich” in numerous other ways…but that aint stealable,lol.
          my data is wortheless, too…unless its Big Brother…but he already knows about me)

          Reply ↓
          1. Terry Flynn

            Thanks amfortas. Re worthless data, ironically that is why dad can’t just “sell the business to retire” as various well meaning people suggest. The value of his business is still largely the instinctive artistic take and instinctive knowledge of when golden ratios are good and less good for his shoji blinds & room divided panels.

            He can take profit or salary but not both. Belatedly (hopefully not too belatedly) he has worked out how to juggle employee contracts so he has part-time manager who he’s teaching these experience based things to since she has a fairly good artistic take already.

            He left home at 04:30 yesterday and returned late. All his business is in posh bits like London. At 04:00 I was woken by smoke alarm. He was doing toast and apparently felt ill. Uh-oh…..I really hope he’s not bringing latest COVID strain into the household. Here I rely on good ventilation, our “lack of interactions” to try not to get another infection since this is one place I don’t mask.

            Reply ↓
  18. griffen

    Seafood diet…I see food and eat it. Okay ba da bum with the Dad joke dispensed. Who wants that special glow from the radioactive shrimp? I’ll have the elemental chart on the side! The newest advertising campaign for Golden Corral practically writes itself ( sarc ).

    As a child I used to find popcorn shrimp a fascinating menu item at a seafood restaurant, but confessing my small town in eastern NC was not the place for a quality seafood restaurant. On occasion we’d drive to a nearby town in Pitt county, and visit the Dixie Queen where all manner of seafood was deep fried as it should for a southern restaurant. Whether ordering a fried, or broiled, plate, and it included hush puppies and endless pitchers of sweet tea.

    Reply ↓
    1. nyleta

      Apparently radiologists can tell if you had shrimp the day before your imaging session. There is a thread on r/Radiology about it right now. They don’t say if the glow is harmful. Quite a few other things show up as well, very enlightening.

      Reply ↓
    2. amfortas

      i reckon the deep frying will get more kills than whatever lil bit of radiation is in these shrimp…especially long term.
      i grew up north of houston, and grandad had a boat and a house on the intracoastal down there at Matagorda.
      so i know seafood(plus living with the swampfolk,lol)
      wife, however, grew up way out here, 350 miles from the gulf.
      almost 30 years ago, when she wanted to stop at long john silver’s, i said absolutely not,lol.
      “babe, that’s bait”.
      took her to a real seafood place, instead.

      Reply ↓
  19. The Rev Kev

    “Trump Still Fails to Understand Russia’s Fundamental Reason for the Special Military Operation, But He is Trying”

    ‘Russia is not going to back away from increasing military pressure on Ukraine. In the last 24-hours, Russia hit two key oil refineries –i.e., the Kremenchug oil refinery in the Poltava oblast and the SOCAR oil terminal/depot in Odessa.’

    With Odessa, Russia is going heavy on Azerbaijan and demonstrating that their moves against the Russian Federation is going to cause major blowback and the Russians are just starting and the West can’t rescue them. This double blow may have been retaliation against the Ukraine as well. The past several days the Ukrainians have twice attacked the Druzhba pipeline which caused oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia – and Europe -to be halted. Hungary was so mad that they threatened to cut off electricity deliveries to the Ukraine.

    Trump may be trying to understand the war but as I said before, he has the level of curiosity that George Bush did – meaning none.

    Reply ↓
  20. Jason Boxman

    Amy Klobuchar: I Knew Deepfakes Were a Problem. Then I Saw One of Myself. (NY Times oped via archive.ph)

    What’s funny about this, is now there’s a way to steal social capital from the elite. And I don’t think they like it. I can’t imagine her getting this upset about people starving in America. Food isn’t a problem for her or the elite.

    But the ability to use someone’s social capital for your own purposes, the elite ain’t gonna like that.

    There’s a centuries-old expression that “a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” Today, a realistic deepfake — an A.I.-generated video that shows someone doing or saying something they never did — can circle the globe and land in the phones of millions while the truth is still stuck on a landline. That’s why it is urgent for Congress to immediately pass new laws to protect Americans by preventing their likenesses from being used to do harm. I learned that lesson in a visceral way over the last month when a fake video of me — opining on, of all things, the actress Sydney Sweeney’s jeans — went viral.

    I doubt much Klobuchar cares at all about your privacy or reputation. But she clearly cares about her’s. Surprise.

    Reply ↓
    1. david

      Some of them will like the existence of deepfakes because it gives a level of deniability. I’m surprised Trump hasn’t said all thr photos of him with Epstein are deepfakes, but give it time.

      Reply ↓
  21. The Rev Kev

    ‘Melaine Le Roy
    @subfossilguy
    A tool to display future heatwaves!
    You liked 2003, 2022, 2025? 🥵
    You will love what is coming next! 🙃📈
    By 2050, heatwaves will last >1 month with ave temp >2003!’

    If this is going to be the new norm going forward, then homes are going to have to be radically retrofitted or even put underground. And I would suggest passive design as I am not going to assume that energy supplies would be cheap, stable or even dependable. They are going to have to look at architecture from older times where extreme heat was a problem. Maybe SW adobe-style homes, high roofs and perhaps the home raised off the ground. It’s either that or evacuating from regions due to the extreme heat and certainly people in such a situation are not going to tolerate drinking water used to maintain golf courses in the middle of a desert. The changes are going to be radical.

    Reply ↓
    1. amfortas

      ive been thinking about those ancient persian cooling towers for a long while, now.
      my house is built with the same principals in mind:let heat out the top, and it will draw cool air from the bottome inlet.
      works like a charm when the power’s out in august.
      not 72 degrees,lol…but tolerable, especially with occasional dips in the cowboy pool, or a tepid shower.
      ive dealt with 110 ambient thusly….and with high, for here, humidity(maybe 50%)

      Reply ↓
      1. The Rev Kev

        Interesting link showing a viable solution for a lot of places. Living underground, people will still have to make sure that they get some sunlight for Vitamin D. Either that or sun lamps.

        Reply ↓
  22. Mikel

    “The Global Car Reckoning Is Here. Far Too Many Auto Companies Don’t Have a Plan” – Wired

    Have the Western car companies noticed that their heyday was also the heyday of middle class incomes – with some relation to manufacturing the cars and components in those countries?

    Oh, so their idea is to milk fewer customers much harder…

    “China is also threatening to rip up the software subscription revenue model, which was fueled by carmakers’ hope that customers will pay for downloads like better map integration, superior entertainment packages, or to unlock vehicle features such as automated driving, potentially generating profit margins closer to Apple levels.

    “For decades, the industry dreamed of moving away from a transactional-based business to a life-cycle revenue generator,” Philippe Houchois at Jefferies tells WIRED. Rather than waving goodbye to the customer at the dealership, the carmaker maintains a relationship digitally via the dashboard screen and phone app, where it can offer “new services” (even if the sophistication of these new services right now rarely extends beyond custom wallpapers on the cabin screens).

    The urgency to generate this new revenue has ramped up as car sales have stalled globally. “It wasn’t existential [when it was first proposed], because the industry was still growing. If all of a sudden there is no growth, then it’s not a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have,” says Houchois.

    Charging for features as a mass-market brand requires everyone to go along with it, or customers just switch to the brand that offers it for free.

    So the news that BYD, China’s largest carmaker and, along with Chery, the country’s largest car exporter, isn’t at all keen on this business model is a blow to Western automakers. “This is not our motto,” executive vice president of BYD and president of BYD North America Stella Li tells WIRED. “If customers need more technology, our platform can support them, but it’s not what we pursue to make additional revenue.” Indeed, BYD has said it will package its upcoming God’s Eye assisted driving technology for free.”

    Reply ↓
    1. Balan Aroxdale

      “This is not our motto,” executive vice president of BYD and president of BYD North America Stella Li tells WIRED. “If customers need more technology, our platform can support them, but it’s not what we pursue to make additional revenue.” Indeed, BYD has said it will package its upcoming God’s Eye assisted driving technology for free.”

      Unsurprising. Always online software updates and subscriptions means always being snooped on by US security agencies and dealing with endless regulator and censorship demands. The Chinese prefer to ship the car into the boat and be done with it. No “entangling” digital relationships with Washington.

      Reply ↓
      1. JMH

        Remember when a car was simply transport. Remember when cars did not phone home. Remember when the kids said, “Are we there yet?” In many ways the best car I ever owned was a 1966 SAAB with a two cycle engine and free-wheel for going really fast down long hills while the engine idled. It was also streamlined such that rain and snow did not touch the rear window. Oh, it cost about $1,800. Yeah I know, I was making a boatload less money then, but it was not particularly onerous to pay for it. It had a radio. I had paper maps. And it was small. It was not a tricked out pickup truck like today’s SUVs. I also had a 1992 Honda Civic that got 40mpg in highway driving. No entertainment center. Paper maps. (I miss paper maps.) . It lasted for 250,000 miles. I drove from the east coast to Montana … six times(?) or was it seven … using different routes just to see what was in “flyover country.” You should try it. It’s best off the Interstates. Another thing. Open the windows. Breathe in the countryside, but I warn you feed lots are not a bouquet of roses.

        Reply ↓
      2. Mikel

        Indeed. I made sure people saw that BYD and others were putting eggs on the face of that specific rentier guide to profits.

        And the article points out that subscriptions are pissing off some people more than exciting them.

        Reply ↓
    2. chris

      Yeah, all of this. I hate that US car companies have decided they don’t need to change anything they’re doing. They just need to abuse the customers who have already bought their products. For some definition of “bought” since these parasites being able to kill features from a distance means they don’t actually think you own anything.

      Reply ↓
  23. AG

    re: RU vs. Ukr

    JOHN MEARSHEIMER was on Democracy Now debating with a gentleman from Kiev, Denys Pilash.

    Afterwards Mearsheimer says:

    “On 19 August 2025, I was on “Democracy Now!” with Amy Goodman talking about Ukraine. There was a second guest, Denys Pilash, a Ukrainian political scientist, who was speaking from Kyiv. We both agreed that the Alaska summit did not bring us any closer to either a ceasefire or a negotiated peace settlement. But otherwise, there was deep disagreement between the two of us on how to think about the Ukraine war, especially regarding how to move forward. My sense from listening to Mr. Pilash — who is in no mood to compromise with Russia on any issue — is that it is virtually impossible to see how Russia and Ukraine will agree to settle this war diplomatically, and therefore it will be settled on the battlefield. I hope I am wrong, but I cannot tell myself a plausible story that ends with a genuine peace agreement. ”

    Ukraine Sticks To Its Guns
    the embedded vid is 32 min.
    https://mearsheimer.substack.com/p/ukraine-sticks-to-its-guns

    Reply ↓
  24. Balan Aroxdale

    Exclusive: Powerful Libyan official in talks with Israel to resettle Palestinians from Gaza Middle East Eye

    Facing forced expulsion to a country like Libya which is in deeply complicated political turmoil with divided governments, where systems and society are broken by its civil war, the Palestinians will not get any care from those governments, which will push them to the following catastrophe, [which] will lead to a new wave of migration towards the shores of Europe.

    The method is revealed. The Europeans will be taken in the Palestinians. An indirect route via secondary migration over the Mediterranean, masked amidst the usual boat crossings. But Europe will be taking them in.
    At the rate Europe’s leaders are abasing themselves to Israel, Italy or France will become the next Lebanon. I do not discount US/Israeli “Dahiya”-doctrines being visted on European cities in the coming decades.

    Reply ↓
  25. DJG, Reality Czar

    Dear Naked Capitalism Ethicist:

    I am noting, even from the faraway Undisclosed Region, an upsurge in so-called law enforcement that involves unmarked cars, rented vans, officers out of uniform, officers without badges, officers who won’t show warrants for the suspect or to enter private property, officers dragging people out of courthouses, and officers using masks as a disguise rather than as a health measure. What reason is there for people *not* to dox these so-called LEOs?

    Awaiting moral guidance,

    DJG.

    Reply ↓
    1. JMH

      Not the Naked Capitalism Ethicist but to answer your question, none. Wearing a mask as they do tells me they have something to hide. Something of which they, some(?) many(?) are ashamed. It tells me that their purpose goes beyond so-called immigration enforcement. I have heard the term praetorian guard used referring to DHS/ICE. Push the limits. See what you can get away with. It will be that much easier the next time. You can say, “What’s the problem? Trump’s guys did it.” By the way, did you see the Doonesbury Cartoon panel a couple of says ago. It has people wondering why so many small services are closed down or only open part time. Now I have not run across that, but it sure does not mean it is not happening. Too bad the congress critters could never figure out how to pass a sensible immigration law and then enforce it. You don’t suppose it had/has something to do with the businesses that hired whoever showed up, paid them on the cheap, worked them to the bone knowing that because they lacked the papers to prove legal residency they did not dare complain. Couldn’t be. No honest upstanding God-fearing go to meeting pillar of the community would do such a thing just to pump up the bottom line … or would he has he, does she? Now that I think about it maybe they had a quiet word with their congress critters and their counterparts in the states. Maybe they have been laughing all the way to the bank while their erstwhile workers are roughed up, tossed into cages, convicted of something or other, sent to a privately run prison where you work for pennies. Gee whiz! This looks bigger all the time. I once read a book titled Slavery by Another Name about convict leasing, chain gangs, the whole Jim Crow era scam. Is this more of the same?

      Reply ↓
    2. Vicky Cookies

      Filling in for Ethicist. Feuling the persecution complex of LEOs is not likely to lead to gentler behavior; this well beyond the simple Golden Rule bit. I grew up as anti-cop as they come (Dad had an FBI file), but during the last few years, have played a de-escalation role in public dealings with police, smiles as opposed to sneers and that sort. They’re people, too, just like you and me, most of whom probably don’t identify with their job 100% of the time; they’re just following orders, &c., &c.. They picked a side in the ol’ class war, but most of them probably didn’t know it when they did, and don’t think of it in those terms now.

      That said, it can be helpful to have them know they are being filmed while they are doing something questionable or outright breaking the law.

      Reply ↓
  26. Lieaibolmmai

    On Mount Everest Air Offers Clues to Parkinson’s Treatment:

    “Mount Everest Air” is just another name for hyopxia, or low blood oxygen (or high blood CO2). No idea why they had to say that, clickbait.

    IMHO< What hypoxia does is lower brain oxygen. So why is this important in Parkinson's? Oxygen is a coezyme for an enzyme called MAOB, which gets rid of dopamine and produces H2O2 (Hydrogen Peroxiode). It is well know that people with Parkinson’s have polymorphisms in MAOB that put them at risk. Their enzyme activity is high, and gets higher as we age. So getting rid of oxygen (hypoxia) slows down the MAOB enzyme, reducing H2O2 production, and slowing Parkinson’s. Hypoxia also reduces DNA methylation which is even more important (more later).

    Hydrogen Peroxide is the real enemy in Parkinson’s since it is responsible for the destruction of the Dopamine neurons.

    How does LevDopa fit in with all of this? It makes Dopamine via an enzyme called DDC. DDC uses vitamin B6 as a cofactor. Giving people LevDopa lowers B6 which increases homocysteine and DNA methylation. Hypomethylation of DNA is linked to Parkinson’s.

    IMHO again, Hypomethylation of the SNCA gene is the cause of Parkinson’s.

    Reply ↓
  28. AG

    re: RU sabotage of European infrastructure

    Have fun with this propaganda study!

    IISS – International Institute for Strategic Studies

    The Scale of Russian Sabotage Operations Against Europe’s Critical Infrastructure
    Charlie Edwards, Senior Adviser, Strategy and National Security; Nate Seidenstein, Research Assistant

    This IISS paper assesses Russia’s unconventional war on Europe, focusing on sabotage of critical infrastructure, from military sites and energy grids to communications and undersea cables, testing the resilience of European governments and societies and challenging NATO/EU deterrence.

    August 2025
    https://www.iiss.org/research-paper/2025/08/the-scale-of-russian–sabotage-operations–against-europes-critical–infrastructure/

    And German “altern.” news site TELEPOLIS (by now I have to use quotation marks)
    is falling for it. (use google translate)

    Putin’s Secret Army: How Russia is plunging Europe’s infrastructure into chaos
    https://www.telepolis.de/features/Putins-geheime-Armee-Wie-Russland-Europas-Infrastruktur-ins-Chaos-stuerzt-10557816.html

    Reply ↓
    1. Aurelien

      Well, if you were the Russian government at the moment, and you had the capacity to do such things, why wouldn’t you? Seems sensible enough to me.

      Reply ↓
      1. Polar Socialist

        Or EU (and UK) just has accumulated hundreds of billions worth of infrastructure maintenance deficit during the decades of neoliberal austerity, and the dilettants in their la-la-land are blaming Russia for these long predicted issues emerging from the decay.

        Russian military thinking in general doesn’t do petty, but concentrates on operations that serve the grand strategy set by the political leadership. And the grand strategy, as far as we know, is to ignore EU for the foreseeable future.

        Ukraine, on the other hand, has specialized on insignificant strikes and has something that could perhaps be called a strategy (if one squints very hard) to paint Russia as the big Boogeyman of Europe.

        Should there be some nefarious intent (other than neoliberalism) behind this, the questions is: cui bono, sir, cui bono?

        Reply ↓
        1. Aurelien

          Both are probably true. For what it’s worth the paper cites a number of open sources (including Gerasimov) talking about this kind of warfare, so I doubt if it’s all just made up. I think there is also a difference between military war-fighting doctrine, which as you say goes for the big effect, and wider activities, especially carried out by the intelligence services. Back in the day, formal Soviet politico-military doctrine included all sorts of operations in peacetime and crisis that were not hardcore military, often called, if I remember correctly, “info-technical operations.” (The West did the same of course.)

          As a general rule of thumb, I always say that, if any intelligence service in the world has the capability to do something that the political leadership thinks is useful, then it’s probably doing it.

          Reply ↓
          1. Polar Socialist

            Ah, the infamous “Gerasimov doctrine”, I presume, from a speech in which he described the Western way of war, but the yahoos in the West though it was the new Russian doctrine.

            Reply ↓
    2. Mikel

      Ha! I was perusing the IISS site the other day. It’s RAND from across the pond.
      They are also pushers of that USA troops “backstop”…

      https://www.iiss.org/research-paper/2025/03/a-european-reassurance-force-for-ukraine–options-and-challenges/
      A European Reassurance Force for Ukraine: Options and Challenges
      “Europeans could deploy a reassurance force, but without a US backstop, this would become progressively more difficult the larger the force became. At the same time, there is a clear risk that Russia might challenge the force, including by mounting armed attacks – either conventional, sub-threshold, or both.”

      Reply ↓
      1. AG

        thanks for the link!
        (even though I assume it too will probably be an ordeal to work through like the other one.)
        How deranged are these authors…
        But I guess they really have a clear conscience assuming they are on the side of justice and decency.
        Alternative: They give a shit and take the paycheck.

        Reply ↓
  29. Tom Stone

    I’ve been thinking about the current takeover of USG by Trump Et Al and what is needed for it to succeed on its own terms.
    1) Control of the narrative through propaganda and censorship.

    2) Control over the organs of State Security, ICE, FBI, DEA etc.

    3) Control of the Military.

    4) Control of the sources of Moral Authority, the courts and the major religious groups.

    #1 is partly there, but problematic.

    #2 is there

    #3 is problematic, the Generals are on board because they know which side their bread is buttered on, other ranks not so much.

    #4 The courts have pissed away their Moral Authority since 2016 and the church groups have yet to weigh in.
    Since both the Mormons and the Evangelicals have been recruiting heavily in S America for decades which way they jump is up in the air.

    One final note: Murphy ALWAYS shows up at the party.

    Reply ↓
    1. Ben Panga

      Re: 3) Control of the Military.

      There have been changes as the Boomer generals are supplanted by Gen-Xers.

      Palantir have definitely been pitching to, and co-opting military figures at every level for 15+ years. They have a slick pitch of “tech empowering soldiers and drones doing the dangerous stuff.”

      I think the NRxers (and the branch of spookdom connected to them) have a lot of support among those in the military who came up in the War-On-Terror years and after. I’m not sure these people would support a Trump coup, but maybe a future Vance coup could be more palatable?

      Reply ↓
  30. XXYY

    Of course, we’re not supposed to say anything nice about either Trump or Putin. However:

    ‘I just want to end it. If I can save seven thousand people a week from getting killed, that’s pretty good,’ he said

    That is pretty good. You would have to search long and hard to find a similar statement by another US president. Of course, Trump is busily cutting Medicare and so on but I think we should applaud him for this ideology, and not make fun of him for it. Maybe he will think it more and more!

    ‘There’s a warmth there … there’s a decent feeling,’ he said, referring to his relationship with Putin. ‘Thats a good thing, not a bad thing.’

    IMO this is one of the big reasons for face-to-face meetings between heads of state. If you have met someone personally, shaken hands, and perhaps broken bread with them, there is a basis for acting like human beings with each other. In no case is this more important than with heads of state, especially those that are nominal enemies. An idea has grown up among the chattering classes in the West (perhaps an outgrowth of cancel culture) that meeting somebody is a sign of approval and/or perhaps weakness. Biden obviously subscribed to this heavily, and look where we wound up with him.

    Hopefully we can learn a few things from Trump on the way to getting rid of him.

    Reply ↓
    1. The Rev Kev

      ‘I just want to end it. If I can save seven thousand people a week from getting killed, that’s pretty good,’ he said.

      Sorry, but he doesn’t really mean it. His adopted idea is to freeze the war so that the Ukraine/West gets a win and saving those soldier’s lies is just the window dressing. You will note that he has no problem with all the civilian being killed in Gaza daily and in fact tells Bibi to go harder. And don’t expect a story of Melania telling him about all the children getting killed as well.

      Leaders meeting is important but he is pushing Putin to meet Zelensky not because anything at all could be resolved but so Zelensky will be noted then as the legitimate leader of the Ukraine by Putin. There’s less to Trump then meets the eye.

      Reply ↓
    2. TomW

      Real or not, it’s refreshing that Trump is behaving toward Russia as if he wants to improve US Russia relations. It comes across as shocking.
      People argue that ‘they’ wont let Trump do it, regardless. Maybe so.
      Meanwhile, European leaders marched into Washington, listing all the reason and ways they intend to never let go of this war. Europe may be able to fund the war on their own for a while, but they can’t afford a full blown militarization of their hostility towards Russia. Plus, they don’t have nukes.
      Trump has made progress toward not funding Ukraine. It was loudly announced that Europe would be paying for American weapons for Ukraine. He appears poised to hand off the war to Europe.
      As far as anything solid, my overriding belief is that it is a question of money for the West…who is able and willing to pay for this conflict. And the US won’t, and Europe both can’t and won’t, for lack of popular support.
      The West could never win this thing. And the election of Trump was the end of any chance it could be could be continued.
      Lindsey Graham consistently characterized aid to Ukraine as a strategic investment, arguing it yields significant benefits for the United States. But that line of argument appears to have disappeared.
      The US needs to renew two arms treaties with Russia…or to pay up for another arms race.
      The argument that the West cant live with a Russian victory, ignores the fact the US lived with Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. Europe lived without Ukraine for long periods. The US blob always has another black hole lined up, to suck up defense spending.
      Zelensky is on the record for refusing a deal which leaves 80% of his territory.
      My thinking…Ukraine is over except for the details. It doesn’t matter how much interests without funding want to keep it boiling. And it isn’t written in stone that we need to fund an adversarial relationship with Russia. Trump doesn’t want it and the US cant afford it and keep their other adventures afloat. Call me a hopeless optimist.

      As far as bad Trump, no argument here.

      Reply ↓
      1. bertl

        The existing crop of Eurocrets cannot survive a Russian victory nor, I suspect, a Russian defeat either electorally or because that would come at a very hard price as Russia takes out key infrastructure in the major European countries and the developing Turkish-Azerbaijani-Zionazi corridor before the US attempts to impose peace via a series of nuclear missiles directed at Russia (which will, of course, get her retaliation in first because of the automatic launching of hypersonic missiles with multiple self-guiding nuclear war heads). Stupidity rules, OK?

        Reply ↓
  32. Lefty Godot

    I’m stunned to learn that Southern Poverty Law Center was ever anything but a scam outfit that constantly sends unwanted solicitations for money. Amazing what you can find out on NC.

    Reply ↓
  33. Jason Boxman

    American Businesses in ‘Survival Mode’ as Trump Tariffs Pile Up (NY Times via archive.ph)

    True, or does the Times just have it in for Trump?

    A 90-day pause on additional tariffs on China offers no relief to American companies already facing extraordinarily high import taxes imposed by President Trump.

    and

    But the pause has done nothing for many American small-business owners paying the tariffs it left in place, such as a minimum 30 percent duty for goods from China or a 50 percent import tax on products made from foreign steel and aluminum. The average effective U.S. tariff rate soared to 18.6 percent in early August, the highest level in more than 90 years, from 2.5 percent when Mr. Trump took office in January, according to the Budget Lab at Yale, a research center.

    Many businesses stockpiled key supplies and components ahead of the tariffs, but the full effect of the import taxes is becoming more apparent as those reserves dwindle, dealing a final blow to some companies already struggling with other challenges.

    Reply ↓
  34. chris

    Make way for robo trucking! Literally. Here’s an update on the bill being sponsored by the usual industry groups and a rep from the People’s Republic of California. Mr. Fong is the congressional representative from the 20th district.

    Criticism of the bill in the article:

    “Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, said in a separate release that the bill “lacks needed safeguards to the danger and detriment of the traveling public.”

    She added: “Currently, there are no safety regulations for automated driving systems, leaving recall authority to the Department of Transportation as the recourse. With [autonomous commercial motor vehicle] weights being up to 80,000 pounds on federal roads, any malfunction or failure of the self-driving systems could lead to catastrophic consequences.”

    Reply ↓
  35. QABubba

    What was the message of the movie ‘Sophie’s Choice?’ For a mother to have to choose which child would live? Which child would starve?
    To have to live with that decision for the rest of their life?
    We’re seeing that in realtime.

    Reply ↓
  36. John Beech

    The Craigslist article is interesting but it bears thought how Meta, through Facebook Marketplace is supplanting Craigslist, which has become a trash heap of scammers, ripoff artists, and car dealers. For example, if looking for a used car, it’s become nearly impossible as the line between dealer and individual has been erased and Craigslist does nothing about dealers posing as individuals. So these days, when I look for something my default is no longer to look on CL but instead to first look on FBM.

    For example, when I wanted a chopsaw for the shop large enough to deal with 6×6 lumber, before I would just pop over to the big box store and buy one, but now I look on FBM. Once upon a time I would look on CL, first for a used one at a good price.

    Anyway, while the major point of the article remains, CL killed off political news at the local level, CL is (or past tense, has been) supplanted for many by FBM for simply refusing to clean up their user base by enforcing the rules. No clue why.

    Reply ↓
    1. scott s.

      Locally, for bicycles I find FBM worthless. A large % are $50 bikes for kids or just junk to get rid of. OK, if that’s what you’re after.

      But for “real” bikes (let’s say $300+) sellers on FBM have no idea how to sell a bike. Like the most basic thing (what size is the frame) or if they do they never say what the components (drive train / brakes) are. They might say something like “new tires” as if that is going to excite a buyer.

      CL uniformly provides better detail (but often prices are unrealistic).

      Reply ↓
  37. John Beech

    The Wired article about carmakers is spot on, and let me share a tidbit. The author mentioned customers don’t like the plans for subscriptions and added costs to unlock features. I just witnessed it. My neighbor was ‘thiiiis’ close to pulling the trigger on a VW and heard about the plan to ‘unlock’ horsepower for an added price. He was OUTRAGED and has now purchased a Toyota PIHV, instead. And two years ago, a friend was going to buy a BMW and learned heated seats were built in but were an added cost to unlock, and bought Lexus SUV, instead. And we’re in Florida so it’s not like he really cared about heated seats, he was outraged at the tactic to squeeze him. So it’s my view the automakers are going to get caught up short if they think they can follow Elon Musk into the promised land of of making money with cars as if they were cell phones. For my part, around lunch I hopped into my antique 1972 Mercedes 350SL for a run to the post office, topless, AC blowing, and wearing a big silly grin . . . no software to be found!

    Reply ↓
  38. Jason Boxman

    Shockingly, doesn’t, and really can’t and still be coherent, say that we’re post-COVID. Nonetheless, claims SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus, and doesn’t even bother to mention how you might avoid getting it, or why that might be a good idea. So therefore, why suggest people test? To what end? Doesn’t make the connection to, or even mention long-COVID either.

    Why Covid Is Spreading Again This Summer (NY Times via archive.ph)

    As much denialism as possible, it seems.

    All we have is

    The summer uptick underscores the importance of getting vaccinated, [Dr. Al-Aly] added. But it’s unclear currently how widely available updated Covid vaccines might be this year.

    And of all people, Al-Aly ought to know about masking. Perhaps they opted not to ask?

    Does at least mention that COVID is;

    – not seasonal
    – infection confers no lasting immunity
    – testing when sick is good

    Reply ↓
    1. ChrisFromGA

      But the COVID “vaccines” are not sterilizing – they only claim to reduce the severity of illness should you contract COVID.

      Why are they still lying to us?

      Reply ↓
      1. Jason Boxman

        The story does mention that immunity wanes. We’re back to avoiding “severe disease” I guess. Long COVID is pretty severe. Shots don’t stop that.

        Reply ↓
  39. Tom Stone

    The Real Estate market in Sonoma County looks like the end of a cycle, there was a moderate shortage of homes before the fires and an extreme shortage after 5,000 plus burned to the ground, starting in 2017.
    There’s been a building boom since and the new construction is mostly apartments, condo’s and townhomes
    Most of the new stuff is targeted at the higher end of these market segments (Renters, first time buyers) and there is a LOT of it being finished this summer.
    There are two 10 acre parcels in the early stages of de3velopment between Sebastopol Rd and Hwy 12 and a 20 acre parcel on Guerneville rd where they have just cleared the ground.
    These are high density developments, in areas that had not yet been developed because it did not make financial sense to develop them.
    Location..
    “Starter Townhomes” from the low $600,000’s of “Average” quality in West Santa Rosa with rates where they are and are going by next spring…nope.
    Pick them up after they BK and you will make a decent dollar, until then, nope.

    Reply ↓
  40. AG

    re: Marxism today

    ZNET

    fwiw:
    two essays (one rather long, one shorter) on Marxism today by Michael Albert and then responded to by Bill Fletcher
    (both of whom seem to not have understood the nature of the current war in Ukraine as far as I was willing to follow their writings since 2022 on that particular issue even that here is secondary.)

    Should Our Resistance Enrich Or Transcend Marxism?
    By Michael Albert
    June 3, 2025
    https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/should-our-resistance-enrich-or-transcend-marxism/

    response by Bill Fletcher

    The Paths That Brought Me to Marxism: A ‘Sort Of’ Response to Michael Albert
    By Bill Fletcher Jr
    August 20, 2025
    https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/the-paths-that-brought-me-to-marxism-a-sort-of-response-to-michael-albert/

    Reply ↓
  41. Wukchumni

    I see a border wall
    And I want it painted black
    Nobody of color anymore
    I want them to turn back

    I see the immigrants walk by
    Dressed in their getaway clothes
    I have to turn my head
    Until my darkness goes

    I see a line of ICE cars
    And they’re all painted black
    With detainees inside
    Both never to come back

    I’ve seen people turn their heads
    And quickly look away
    Look, a newborn baby!
    It just happens everyday

    Kristi looks inside herself
    And sees that her heart is black
    I see my border wall
    I must have it painted black

    Maybe then, she’ll fade away
    And not have to face the facts
    It’s not easy facing up
    When your whole world is black

    No more will wall climbers
    Go climb a another hue
    I could not foresee this thing
    Happening to you

    If I look hard enough
    Into the setting sun
    Hubris will laugh with me
    Before the morning comes

    I see a border wall
    And I want it painted black
    No immigrants anymore
    I want them to turn back

    I see the immigrants walk by
    Dressed in their getaway clothes
    I have to turn my head
    Until my darkness goes

    I wanna see it painted
    Painted black
    Black as night
    Black as coal
    I wanna see the sun
    Blotted out from the sky
    I wanna see it painted, painted, painted
    Painted black, yeah

    Paint It, Black, by the Rolling Stones

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBUFtoC2oj4&list=RDEBUFtoC2oj4

    Reply ↓

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