Links 3/22/2026

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1. The Rev Kev March 22, 2026 at 7:15 am

   “Italy’s Meloni rules out military mission in Strait of Hormuz, says EU favors diplomacy”

   None of the EU countries want to get involved in Trump & Netanyahu’s war. They were having a conference when serial idiot Kaja Kallas came up with one of her typical ideas. She said that there was already a mission authorized against Yemen still in effect so they could simply expand it geographically to include the Strait of Hormuz and that way all the EU could get involved in the war against Iran. All the other countries thumped down hard on that idea leaving her at the end of the day talking about important matters – like Ukraine.
2. paul March 22, 2026 at 7:47 am

   UK hits back at Iran’s ‘reckless attacks’ that are ‘threat to British interests and allies’ as Tehran aims missiles at Diego Garcia military base

   A stern rebuke from Blair Starmer will surely cause the government of Iran to reconsider it’s position.
   The US must be wondering why it took so long for this heavyweight to weigh in.
   1. Tom Stone March 22, 2026 at 8:24 am

      Anyone who has volunteered as a playground monitor has heard “He hit me back first”
3. Tom Stone March 22, 2026 at 8:28 am

   Yesterday was another perfect late June day here in the Wine Country with temps hitting 90 degrees, wonderful weather!
   For late June or early July.
   1. expr March 22, 2026 at 9:23 am

      just saw this for Albuquerque 25+ F > average, 7 F > previous max
      https://www.inkstain.net/2026/03/a-frightening-heat-wave-a-statistical-wonder/
   2. curlydan March 22, 2026 at 12:50 pm

      From yesterday… “Hot stat: Kansas City has [reached] 93°F this afternoon. Prior to today the earliest day on record that Kansas City hit 93°F was April 29th of 1910. In fact, today would’ve been tied for the 2nd warmest April day on record (for any date) only behind 4/29/1910 when it reached 95°F”

      https://x.com/NWSKansasCity/status/2035473272620384279
4. The Rev Kev March 22, 2026 at 8:42 am

   “Ukraine-Hungary oil pipeline row threatens EU loan”

   ‘The dispute underlines the ability of one or two countries to block EU decision-making. It also shows Hungary and Slovakia facing fuel problems, because they have refused to follow the lead of others and wean themselves off Russian oil since 2022.’

   And if Hungary and Slovakia had buckled to the EU, where would they be getting their oil now? The article says that possibly this was damaged and that was damaged. But up until now Zelensky has blocked any EU inspectors going out to see for themselves. It was only when Ursula offered Zelensky a pot of money that he finally relented. The EU leadership itself is beyond redemption but they are the ones that will have to deal with the coming shortages due to the Gulf war. It’s going to be a mess as they are totally clueless.
   1. Trees&Trunks March 22, 2026 at 9:59 am

      I believe that energy shortage is part of their plan. It obvious that they have done every thing they can to make life in EU shittier by the day. All money flow upwards, masses losing eveything, freedoms and money.
      I am astonished that the guilloutines are not rolling around in Brussels, Strasbourg, Berlin and Paris.
      Are Europeans too fat and comfortable? Castrated?
      After the WW we could trust the politicians because they made our world better. It seems to be hard for ordinary, decent people, to understand that the elites of today are actually actively working to make our lives worse. They are evil. Ordinary, decent people have a hard time grasping evil in a suit because they can‘t fathom that there are systematically bad-doers out there. Decent people believe that most other people are also decent. This means that they believe that the persons engaging in politics are sort of decent. Corrupt and stupid, sure, but not your true enemy. This also explains why decent people don‘t engage in politics to root out Ursula von der Leyen and Kallas. They would have zero chance in the first post-WWII decades of politics.
      This is the only explanation I have been able to come up with why we are where we are. The decent man‘s tragedy is the decency. But I also believe that when the decent man gets his shits together he can together with fellow men move mountains.
      1. vao March 22, 2026 at 2:11 pm

         “Are Europeans too fat and comfortable? Castrated?”

         Old. Europeans are old. Europe has the oldest population on this planet. Only some Far Eastern Asian countries are comparable when it comes to the age of the population.
5. DJG, Reality Czar March 22, 2026 at 9:09 am

   Something to follow, which I will try to describe briefly. The long and the short of it is that here in Italy we are voting on a referendum today and tomorrow. It is ostensibly about the organization of the magistracy. Well, not exactly. If the No vote wins, the Italian government will have even less room to maneuver, which is why Giorgia Meloni took the precaution of announcing that no Italian troops will go into one more unpopular war (Anadolu Agency story, up top). The wars are in the background of the referendum.

   In Italy, there are no binding ballot initiatives or advisory referendums. The referendum process exists to repeal by popular vote a defective law. The law in question touches on six articles of the Italian constitution and is widely seen as impairing the separation of powers. The current government sponsored this legislation, and during the campaign, members of the government have said things that are una tanticchia impolitic.

   Or, to translate: Marina Berlusconi came out in favor of a Sì vote, which is the equivalent of Dick and Liz Cheney endorsing Kamala Harris. One sees one’s adversaries stumbling over each other to line up.

   So if the No vote wins, the government, which is already impaired by several scandals, the weakness of the Lega under Salvini and the lamented doltish Vannacci, unpopular wars (all of ‘em), and a bumpy economy, will teeter. Recall, though, that in Italy, teetering can take a long time: See the Campanile of Pisa.

   It was raining this morning when I went out for my slice of focaccia with onions and a tazzina of coffee, and when I went to the big local public school to vote, it was raining more heavily. Yet the school hallways were busy with voters. Of course, my neighborhood is middle / upper middle.

   I voted No. I signed very early on the petition to put the question to a vote. Eventually, the petition received 550,000 signatures, which helped to force this vote.

   The No committee is being co-chaired by the interesting Italian politician Rosy Bindi. Not a household word in the Anglosphere. She started out as a democristiana, but at this point, with the Italian PD being a knock-off U.S. Democratic Party, she’s part of the flaming Catholic left.

   As ever, Italian politics and Italian culture don’t align with the Anglosphere or with most of the rest of Europe, which is fine with me.

   But if you get a chance, glance at any results that are released Monday late in the day and Tuesday. The results will indicate the health of the current coalition.
   1. ChrisRUEcon March 22, 2026 at 8:34 pm

      DJG, Reality Czar:

      I legit laughed out loud at “flaming Catholic left”!

      I am going to try to read more about Rosy. A cursory look at the Wikipedia page about her indicates that Wikipedia is not to be trusted .. LOL

      Will also keep an eye on for results on Monday!
      1. DJG, Reality Czar March 23, 2026 at 4:46 am

         ChrisRUEcon: buongiornissimo! (As we say here when feeling a tad nutty, which is every day in Italy.)

         The English wiki entry for her is more or less accurate.

         I didn’t realize that she was present at the assassination of Bachelet. She is serving as co-chair of the No committee with his son. Talk about historical resonances — only in Italy.

         She was close to the great Tina Anselmi.

         See her political views, especially with regard to the Italian constitution:

         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosy_Bindi#Political_views

         As opposed to the constipated Thiel/Vance tough-boy Catholics, the heirs of Francisco Franco, she is indeed a flaming Catholic leftist. “Deplorable,” to assign one of Saint Hillary’s categories.

         Big turnout. Benissimo!

         PS: Her famous peppery response to Berlù: Al telefono il Cavaliere offende l’esponente del Partito Democratico dicendole: “Lei è sempre più bella che intelligente”. Vespa cerca di fare da paciere. Bindy dal canto suo replica, seccata: “Io sono una donna che non è a sua disposizione”.

         Evviva!
6. Vicky Cookies March 22, 2026 at 9:12 am

   Archive link for “I Tried DoorDash’s Tasks App”: https://archive.ph/BdYGd
   Marx noted the automation process, which he called the growing organic composition of capital, involved embodying ‘dead labor’ in the new machines. This type of ultra-low wage work might be called dying labor.
7. The Rev Kev March 22, 2026 at 9:47 am

   “The US has a scientific breakthrough problem”

   People have noted that there have not been a lot of scientific discoveries that have really changed people’s lives. Yeah, we have the internet and mobiles but they were developed decades ago. And all we are doing is adding more bells and whistles to such device until they lose performance such as for example Microsoft’s AI Copilot. I have seen YouTube clips of things like electric toasters and refrigerators from the 60s & 70s and was surprised to see them with features that modern ones do not have at all. Perhaps it is the Luddite in me but if we went back to 90s technology, I’m sure that we could easily cope with the earlier technology but would note that our 90s lives would resemble our 2020s lives a lot.
   1. TimH March 22, 2026 at 10:49 am

      It’s the VHS recorder model. They started off top-load, mostly discrete design (no application specific ICs). Features added: front load, half/double speed, higher quality, pause compensation. Very competive, high volume. Costs reduced as ICs were developed. Then they got worse and worse as they became regarded as a commodity and sold on price as opposed to reviews.

      OTOH, standard cars have got so much better, and are expected to need just simple maintenance for the first 100k miles. My 1959 Daimler needed the prop shaft sliding joint greasing every 500 miles…
      1. ChrisPacific March 22, 2026 at 5:54 pm

         OTOH, standard cars have got so much better, and are expected to need just simple maintenance for the first 100k miles. My 1959 Daimler needed the prop shaft sliding joint greasing every 500 miles…

         But it was Japan taking the lead in that one, with the US having to play catch-up. And the US auto industry is hardly in a great state today, producing gas-guzzling SUVs and pickups in the middle of a global climate emergency while blocking imports of cheap EVs from China.
8. The Rev Kev March 22, 2026 at 10:27 am

   “Fetterman hit with brutal 108-point polling swing: ‘He is below the lowest of the low’”

   Not sure about the title here. When they talk about him being ‘the lowest of the low’, are they talking about his polls or Fetterman himself?
   1. Dr. John Carpenter March 22, 2026 at 12:05 pm

      Why not both?
9. ISL March 22, 2026 at 10:54 am

   From the Khamenei tweet, this is, in my view, the money quote.

   “Fail to comply [with Iran’s demands], and Iran escalates, economically, militarily, and potentially nuclearly. Not hypothetically, but operationally: closing the Strait of Hormuz, formalizing defense ties with Russia and China, and moving from ambiguity to declared nuclear deterrence.”

   The tweet then reported that Russia and China, within hours, issued statements in alignment. I presume that nuclear deterrence has already been achieved (Postol said 3 weeks, the war’s been on longer).
   1. Martin Oline March 22, 2026 at 4:28 pm

      Thanks, I did not see that tweet. It seems like a pretty significant statement. I speculated right after Khamenei (Sr.)’s death that the fatwa was likely moot and Iran would immediately start the final processing step. I also recall Ted Postol had a three or four week estimate of the time needed to do that but did not go back and check his statement. The engineering and fabrication of the physical elements of a bomb(s) had likely been done years ago so the fuel was the missing element. I am still shocked to see that it has apparently been done. I guess this is what FAFO means.
10. tegnost March 22, 2026 at 12:10 pm

    Ground robots can replace troops, turning elite forces into battery minders.

    There, fixed it…
11. Jason Boxman March 22, 2026 at 12:35 pm

    Can this timeline get any stupider?

    DOGE Goes Nuclear: How Trump Invited Silicon Valley Into America’s Nuclear Power Regulator (Pro Publica)

    Last summer, a group of officials from the Department of Energy gathered at the Idaho National Laboratory, a sprawling 890-square-mile complex in the eastern desert of Idaho where the U.S. government built its first rudimentary nuclear power plant in 1951 and continues to test cutting-edge technology.

    On the agenda that day: the future of nuclear energy in the Trump era. The meeting was convened by 31-year-old lawyer Seth Cohen. Just five years out of law school, Cohen brought no significant experience in nuclear law or policy; he had just entered government through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team.

    As Cohen led the group through a technical conversation about licensing nuclear reactor designs, he repeatedly downplayed health and safety concerns. When staff brought up the topic of radiation exposure from nuclear test sites, Cohen broke in.

    “They are testing in Utah. … I don’t know, like 70 people live there,” he said.
12. Lefty Godot March 22, 2026 at 1:11 pm

    Craig Murray says ignore what Trump is bleating. He’s just the carnival barker. This war has been planned for a long time. It would have happened in a Biden 2 or Harris admin as well. Pretty depressing.
    1. Kouros March 22, 2026 at 4:31 pm

       Yes, they have discussed for decades about getting at Iran, absolutely. But the planning has the quality of south park gnomes planning to steal pants, at best.
13. Wukchumni March 22, 2026 at 1:59 pm

    Oh yeah, oh yeah

    You make me laugh
    ‘Cause your lies-they fight the might
    They look right through me
    You TACO boy
    You’re hiding something sickly sour
    Please give it to me yeah, to me

    Talk to me some more
    You don’t have to go
    You’re the Poultry Man
    History may not repeat, but it rhymes

    You are a genial sort
    All I ask for is your smile
    Each time you abort
    When I am listening to you
    I have a giggling attack
    Then I’m taken aback

    Talk to me some more
    You don’t have long to go
    You’re the Poultry Man
    You mess up things all right

    So once again
    It’s time to say so long
    And so recall the cull of life
    You’re going home now
    Home’s that place somewhere you go each day
    To see your wife

    Talk to me some more
    You don’t have long to go
    You’re the Poultry Man
    History may not repeat, but it rhymes

    Poetry Man, by Phoebe Snow

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIRdcewDjFU&list=RDEIRdcewDjFU
    1. LifelongLib March 22, 2026 at 5:34 pm

       This reminds me that IIRC I’ve never met a Phoebe in almost 70 years. It’s another nice name that seems to be completely out of fashion…
       1. Oregon Lawhobbit March 23, 2026 at 4:38 pm

          I’ll let the Phoebe sitting here in class know that she needs to get out and about more.. ;-)
          1. LifelongLib March 23, 2026 at 7:02 pm

             Please do!
14. Glen March 22, 2026 at 2:04 pm

    Speaking of pool tables, here’s a guy that really knows how to use them:

    HIGHEST BREAK EVER! Ronnie O’Sullivan Makes 153 🤯 | World Open 2026
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM3QucWQygg

    He makes it look so easy!
    1. Revenant March 22, 2026 at 8:54 pm

       Pool table for 250k is good value compared with a bag for 10k!
15. SET March 22, 2026 at 2:33 pm

    Regarding McKenzie and press freedom:
    The guy has a decent message, but I bloody wish he’s stop calling us “consumers”! We are CITIZENS WITH RIGHTS, not “consumers! I don’t know about you, but I consume air, water and food, and now and then medications of various sorts. EVERYTHING else is a choice!

    I object to being reduced to a “consumer”!
    1. Jacktish March 22, 2026 at 9:12 pm

       Soon, you will be just a number.
16. Cat Fancier March 22, 2026 at 3:57 pm

    https://www.chinatalk.media/p/the-kharg-fantasy-lethalitymaxxing?

    Interesting post on Jordan Schneider’s Substack, but the one after it, about Anthropic’s Claude, Iranian military AI, & the Strait of Hormuz is more interesting.
    1. Revenant March 22, 2026 at 8:58 pm

       This may be what you meant to link?

       https://www.chinatalk.media/p/how-claude-opened-the-strait-of-hormuz
17. Stephanie March 22, 2026 at 4:25 pm

    PSA – if you for some reason are ever worried about lack of Guillotine Watch content, I have found this channel to be a reliable source for it:

    Here she discusses pencils:
    https://youtube.com/shorts/kBNuharjXSU?si=7pX_TyEFgBJouWo2

    Mattresses:
    https://youtube.com/shorts/qXhtXpcYuSA?si=fE80QmM4wxyzxAz2

    Brass Knuckles:
    https://youtube.com/shorts/UVsaZwLZH5o?si=VokDRLKfN8YEy-hH
18. Wukchumni March 22, 2026 at 5:59 pm

    Then: Guns and Butter economy

    Now: Buns in Gutter economy
    1. hotflash March 22, 2026 at 7:26 pm

       Thanks for that, Wuk.
19. Wukchumni March 22, 2026 at 6:15 pm

    ‘Pushing extremes to new levels’: Record US heat dome made possible by climate change euronews
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    In a iffy snowpack year in the west, most of it will be gone by the time the heat dome passes on, and its so out of the realm that new all time high temps for this time in March are the norm everywhere. Climate change is messing with our preconceived notions again!

    A feast of friends and yours truly will be kayaking the Colorado River next weekend, supposed to be in the mid 90’s, and typically it would be closer to 75 degrees this time of year if it wasn’t for the Big Heat bearing down on us. I feel certain there will be hostilities on the river vis a vis super soakers. You kind of relish getting hit with a volley of water to cool you down.
20. maria March 22, 2026 at 6:16 pm

    Il y en a beaucoup.
    Cormac Mc Carthy (tous ses romans, surtout La Route)
    James Ellroy (surtout Underworld USA)
    Tom Wolfe (surtout Un homme, un vrai)
21. ChrisRUEcon March 22, 2026 at 6:45 pm

    #PutinGambleInCuba

    Well, I’ve been trying to search some Russia sites for information like Tass, but nothing there.

    I know our esteemed founder and others are not keen on Gilbert Doctorow, but I found this bit from NewsX on YouTube. I think it’s easy to frame possible confrontation as unlikely under normal operating circumstances … it’s just that Trump has proven to be the Lord of Chaos. I don’t think his Dept. of War is that stupid.

    I seem to have struck gold at Pravda.ru, though!
    Russia sends oil to Cuba: military conflict with the US becomes a reality (from February this year)
    From the Google translation in English from Russian:

    Russia has a strong presence in Cuba to defend. In 2023, Havana authorized Russian investors to lease land for 30 years, and tourism projects are already underway. Russia is participating in the development of the Boca de Jaruco oil field, supplying technology to increase production. Russian companies (including Inter RAO) are involved in the modernization of thermal power plants (TPPs) with a total capacity of up to 600 MW and the construction of solar power plants. Moscow is investing in the modernization of the José Martí Steel Plant (Antillana de Acero) and the restoration of sugar mills.

    The Mir payment system has been fully implemented on the island, allowing Russia to develop tourism. A special headquarters has been established under the Russian government, based at VEB.RF, to oversee the implementation of projects worth over $1 billion by 2030. This means such projects exist.

    In early 2026, the parties ratified a new military cooperation agreement, which experts view as a signal of Russia’s readiness to defend its partner and its investments.

    The Cuban government is stable, as the security forces remain loyal, and a repeat of the Venezuelan kidnapping is unlikely. US military force could be used in the event of mass protests in Cuba, using the refugee exodus to Florida as a pretext. But if Russia takes a firm stance on fuel supplies, Cuba will survive.

    It seems Russia has enough to save here beyond just “face”. I’m looking forward to the arrival of Russia vessels into my beloved Caribbean waters.
    1. Revenant March 22, 2026 at 9:01 pm

       Kneecap is in Cuba with Jeremy Corbyn and an aid flotilla.

       ‘When asked if they would do a gig in Cuba, he joked: “No, Cuba has suffered enough.”’

       Hon the lads!

       https://www.reddit.com/r/kneecap/comments/1s0icfb/jeremy_corbyn_and_kneecap_arrive_in_cuba_with_aid/
       1. ChrisRUEcon March 23, 2026 at 11:14 am

          Revenant:

          Yes, I saw … :) As a denizen of that hell-hole known as X, I also saw the #hasbaraHive showing up in comments and quotes showing faux outrage KC them engaging in “poverty tourism” while most Cubans “don’t have power”.

          WHY DON’T CUBANS HAVE POWER?!! HUH??
22. flora March 22, 2026 at 7:51 pm

    Very interesting discussion of Isr history, zionism, and the current Isr social/political situation.
    Jimmy Dore interviews Miko Peled. utube, ~55+ minutes.

    EXCLUSIVE: Israeli General’s Son REJECTS Israel & Supports Palestinians! w/Miko Peled!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJHZ8zki6CY
23. flora March 22, 2026 at 8:49 pm

    Max Blumenthal with Chris Hedges. utube, ~48+ minutes.

    How Israel Convinced Trump to Wage War Against Iran (w/ Max Blumenthal) | The Chris Hedges Report

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQGnWJ8lVT8
24. joey_n March 23, 2026 at 3:27 am

    I find this in my YouTube feed, and now I’m depressed from worry.
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=xDW_HOT0fV0
    It’s by Carl Vernon, and he claims Mexico is going cashless. Is anyone else worried? Is his interpretation even correct? Who is he, and is he reliable?
25. Gary B Puckett March 23, 2026 at 10:14 am

    Re: $300,000 pool tables, constant self-leveling, specific for yachts

    When it comes to proportion of reported GDP stats, how does such a purchase get categorized? Do specific product lines automatically get called consumer spending? Do yachts and all their accoutrements get sometimes or frequently entirely written off as business expenses, and get apportioned accordingly. Or do the outputs of certain whole sectors of manufacturing simply serve as proxy for consumer spending stats?

    In other words, is even the seemingly over-the-top proportion of GDP attributed to the consumer spending of the rich, still a gross underestimation?

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