Empiricists,
Professor Fabio Vighi, The Horizon: Barbarism or the Leap Beyond Value
We are living in the ghost hours of a civilisation that is dying but refuses to lie down. For nearly two decades, the global financial priesthood has sustained a collective fiction based on monetary methadone. When the gears of global accumulation ground to a violent halt in 2008, we were told the “Great Financial Crisis” was a structural anomaly, a temporary glitch in the matrix of free-market efficiency—a blatant lie... The system never recovered; it was put on artificial life support. The playbook was brutally simple: transfer the catastrophic losses of a parasitic private banking sector directly onto public balance sheets by intensifying and instrumentalising emergencies.....Today, soaring sovereign bond yields (U.S. Treasuries, UK gilts, eurozone periphery) are screaming a truth that politicians and central bankers are desperate to suppress: the monetary playbook has hit its absolute limit. The reason is simple: you cannot keep transferring losses to governments that are already drowning in their own debt...
..Capitalism is not a system designed to fulfil basic human needs; it is an automated engine driven by a singular, pathological compulsion: the endless transformation of human labour into abstract value, represented by money. It is what Marx termed the “automatic subject”—a system where human beings are mere functionaries serving a blind, self-expanding deity; a vampire that feeds on the combustion of human energy.....For decades, real wealth creation has been in hopeless decay. So how do you keep a system addicted to growth alive when its engine of value production is dying? You keep adding money created out of thin air, while attempting to “manage” both the legitimacy of such operation and its consequences...
..The ballooning of debt—from the private sector to the public balance sheets—is nothing more than the hallucinatory simulation of value creation. Capital markets are no longer pricing actual productive capacity; they are trading in ghosts, wagering on future value that can never, and will never, be realised. The mountains of sovereign debt are a mathematical monument to a defunct economic paradigm.....We have reached the phase where the simulated wealth must be accounted for, and the bills are coming due. Since the losses can no longer be offloaded onto a broke public sector without destroying the financial establishment itself, the next phase is unlikely to resemble another conventional bailout; it is more likely to take the form of a systematic and catastrophic distribution of such losses...
..Under the guise of securing “systemic stability,” the collateral of ordinary individuals, pension funds, and public assets is being positioned to be absorbed by the clearing houses of the financial elite when the debt and derivative bubbles burst. This is the logical endpoint of a system that has moved from the “too big to fail” bailouts to architectural re-engineering. The push to digitise and regulate the financial system via legislation like the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act builds a more centralised, programmable financial architecture. In crisis conditions, that architecture can function as a mechanism for concentrating power and formalising the downward allocation of losses...
..When people are stripped of the ability to participate in the market—when they can no longer define themselves through work, consumption, or status—the repressed energy of the drives does not default to a pastoral idyll. It returns as pure, unmediated violence: war, virulent nationalism, racism, everyday barbarism and decay, a global war of all against all, and the erosion of whatever casual joys remain. The collapse of the system is unleashing raw, destructive drives that we have spent centuries learning to channel, however brutally, into the rituals of exploitation and accumulation.....If we pretend we can create a frictionless, perfectly transparent society, we invite the very barbarism we seek to avoid... ..The alternative is still nameless, because it must be an emancipatory struggle, not a new model to be imposed from above. The direction, however, is clear: we must reclaim a more convivial life based around what we need—what Ivan Illich called the recovery of personal autonomy and creative interdependence... We must learn to channel our frustrations not into the infinite growth of a cancerous metric, but into the shared mastery of our own boundaries—the joy of living well within limits, rather than pretending they don’t exist...
..The system is now burning itself down, and it intends to use our lives as the fuel. We can either go down with the automated subject into a dark age of predatory looting and raw violence, or we can gather the courage to step off the wheel—and learn to play a different game entirely. https://fabiovighi.substack. Alex Krainer, Who’s in charge of the Iran war at the White House?
A few important pieces of the puzzle have come to light, unmasking the armchair lords of war at the White House...I shared an interesting insight from the recent interview with “Mossad’s most dangerous assassin,” Yuval Aviv on Danny Jones Podcast. Aviv claimed that the United States is run by a “shadow government,” which is “as high level” as it gets, and includes high-level ex- and current White House officials. He explained that this is “Not a club, not a cult, but a team of ex-officials [who] still think they know what’s good for America.”
He named two individuals who were part of this shadow government: George Bush Sr. and Dick Cheney. Others were “Ex-CIA, ex-presidents, … The people I met were the highest of the highest…”
..Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, State Secretary Colin Powell’s Chief of Staff offered further clues. At about 13 min, 10 seconds mark, Col. Wilkerson said this: “… I think I learned definitively that the two people in the administration who now dominate [President Trump’s] thinking and dominate his production, if you will, including these idiotic things he puts out over the web, are Steve Miller, the deputy chief of staff for policy in the White House, who is far more powerful than his name and title designate. He’s far more powerful than Susie Wiles, for example, the chief of staff, and I’ve been told he’s more powerful than anyone in the cabinet, like Marco Rubio or even the vice president, JD Vance, or certainly Hegseth... But Miller is number one. No question in these people’s minds that Miller is number one. That even Vance and Rubio shy away from contradicting him He named two individuals who were part of this shadow government: George Bush Sr. and Dick Cheney. Others were “Ex-CIA, ex-presidents, … The people I met were the highest of the highest…”
And then the other one that surprised me a bit, although then I began to think about it, was that he was the main architect of Project 25 at Heritage. Is [Russell] Vought, the budget director. These two people in very strange places to have this kind of national security influence, are more effective with and more commanding of Trump’s attention and direction than any other two people in the administration” https://alexkrainer.substack.com/p/whos-in-charge-of-the-iran-war-at
My med school friend Bill was a "war orphan" of the Cuban Missile Crisis, with full benefits: Widow of airman killed in Epic Fury denied death benefits as Iran conflict 'is not a war' https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/widow-of-airman-killed-in-epic-fury-denied-death-benefits-as-iran-conflict-is-not-a-war/ar-AA2bpQ3w
Another attack by Ansarullah of Yemen has damaged three oil production facilities in Saudi Arabia. The ARAMCO refinery in Jizan, with a capacity of 400,000 barrel per day (bpd), went offline. Crude oil prices increased...
Iran has announced that it will extend its control zone around Hormuz and intensify its measures against the U.S. blockade:
Iran has said it will step up efforts to tackle problems created by U.S. sanctions that are crippling its economy.
However, the U.S. campaign to throttle Iran’s economy by blockading its oil exports and stopping sanctions evasion is growing increasingly difficult to withstand, three senior Iranian sources have said.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Sunday that the U.S. should understand that the rules of the game have changed “before it is too late.”
“From now on, any attack against Iran’s interests and security will receive a faster, heavier and more painful response,” he said in a speech published on his Telegram channel.
The U.S. is hoping to strangle Iran’s economy. Iran however has planned for this.
The state of the economy is not yet impinging on Iran’s ability to wage war. Stockpiles of various goods remain deep, thanks to years of sanctions experience. And the Iranian state, with its powerful repressive tools, has figured out how to offload much of the economic pain onto ordinary Iranians while making sure its own needs are met. Trump’s approach, in other words, can certainly immiserate most of the country’s people. But it cannot successfully strangle the Islamic Republic itself.
There is a now a race between the economic damage Iran can cause to the U.S. via high oil prices and the economic trouble the U.S. is causing Iran by imposing a blockade of the country. https://www.moonofalabama.org/2026/09/war-on-iran-crude-price-nears-100-barrel-while-trump-still-hopes-to-win.html
Iran has said it will step up efforts to tackle problems created by U.S. sanctions that are crippling its economy.
However, the U.S. campaign to throttle Iran’s economy by blockading its oil exports and stopping sanctions evasion is growing increasingly difficult to withstand, three senior Iranian sources have said.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Sunday that the U.S. should understand that the rules of the game have changed “before it is too late.”
“From now on, any attack against Iran’s interests and security will receive a faster, heavier and more painful response,” he said in a speech published on his Telegram channel.
The U.S. is hoping to strangle Iran’s economy. Iran however has planned for this.
The state of the economy is not yet impinging on Iran’s ability to wage war. Stockpiles of various goods remain deep, thanks to years of sanctions experience. And the Iranian state, with its powerful repressive tools, has figured out how to offload much of the economic pain onto ordinary Iranians while making sure its own needs are met. Trump’s approach, in other words, can certainly immiserate most of the country’s people. But it cannot successfully strangle the Islamic Republic itself.
There is a now a race between the economic damage Iran can cause to the U.S. via high oil prices and the economic trouble the U.S. is causing Iran by imposing a blockade of the country. https://www.moonofalabama.org/2026/09/war-on-iran-crude-price-nears-100-barrel-while-trump-still-hopes-to-win.html
Gold & Geopolitics, Daily digest: 2026-09-09
Brent tagged $100 and Shanghai crude printed a contract record while US diesel cleared $5.90/gal. Everything else - copper's record, PBoC month 22, the Kharkiv pocket - is running in the background of that...
..CENTCOM destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers; IRGC retaliated against ten vessels. CENTCOM's own statement frames it as a response to two IRGC ballistic-missile attacks on a US warship, and claims no American personnel harmed (CENTCOM). The IRGC says it hit eight tankers in the Strait plus two named US destroyers - with the ratio now established: US hit 3 on Sept 5, Iran answered with 6; US hit 5, Iran answered with 10 (HormuzLetter).....Iran-US: five tankers sunk, ~40 missiles on Jordan, and Washington already drafting a Gulf exit - The sequence, in order. US strikes on Iranian tankers near Kharg Island and Jask were reported first (MenchOsint, HormuzReport); CENTCOM confirmed five carriers destroyed; Iran launched on Jordan within roughly three hours. Casualties are the open question and the wording is doing work. A Jordanian source told Al Arabiya that injured US soldiers were being flown to Ramstein, some with life-threatening injuries; a US official told Reuters all troops in Jordan are "accounted for", which is a headcount, not a casualty statement (HormuzLetter). At least four missiles reportedly impacted with no interceptors fired at them.
IRGC claims it struck two Aegis destroyers, USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) and USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53), with "significant damage". The US has not confirmed either (DropSiteNews, MenchOsint, jonelmer). WSJ separately reported an undisclosed second Iranian attack on US ships on Monday with no ships struck (zerohedge)...
..Iran captured an intact US Navy Dive-LD autonomous underwater vehicle at the entrance to the Strait. Anduril-built, delivered 2025, seized whole and shown on Iranian state TV (MenchOsint, iribnews_irib). A US official called it "an older model" that "malfunctioned" - the photos show the 2025 variant (MenchOsint). Two MQ-1C Gray Eagles were also downed over the Strait (MenchOsint, MoloWarMonitor).
The interceptor economics are the actual constraint. PAC-3 rounds cost $4m+ and are notoriously slow to build; a ~100-round night is a half-billion-dollar salvo (Pataramesh). Roughly two months of Patriot production spent in two hours (pati_marins64). One plausible mechanism offered: the battery was in automated engagement mode and fired full salvos at submunitions (cym27s).
Attrition is now an explicit Iranian doctrine, and at least one analyst thinks it's the only one available. Keep hitting targets the other side must defend, 30–50 missiles a day for 7–10 days, to force interceptor depletion - which requires an inventory Iran may not have (shahpas).
Washington is weighing a large Middle East withdrawal before the war has ended. Bases across Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have been hit and the CIA's Riyadh outpost was reportedly "effectively destroyed" per CNN; the Navy's top admiral says troops won't return to Bahrain "anytime soon"...
..Iran's parliament speaker named the next target class publicly: US energy assets in the region (ReddestMaple). The interceptor economics are the actual constraint. PAC-3 rounds cost $4m+ and are notoriously slow to build; a ~100-round night is a half-billion-dollar salvo (Pataramesh). Roughly two months of Patriot production spent in two hours (pati_marins64). One plausible mechanism offered: the battery was in automated engagement mode and fired full salvos at submunitions (cym27s).
Attrition is now an explicit Iranian doctrine, and at least one analyst thinks it's the only one available. Keep hitting targets the other side must defend, 30–50 missiles a day for 7–10 days, to force interceptor depletion - which requires an inventory Iran may not have (shahpas).
Washington is weighing a large Middle East withdrawal before the war has ended. Bases across Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have been hit and the CIA's Riyadh outpost was reportedly "effectively destroyed" per CNN; the Navy's top admiral says troops won't return to Bahrain "anytime soon"...
A structural read worth keeping: Tehran appears to be working from a pre-prepared menu of retaliation options rather than deciding fresh each time, which is why response latency keeps shrinking...
..Jacob Coxon resigned from Anthropic, after three years of pretraining research across OpenAI and Anthropic: "Neither company is acting responsibly. They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives" (hilbertspaess, Polymarket, zerohedge). milesdeutscher strings it into a 2026 timeline: safeguards head out in February, OpenAI dissolving its mission alignment team, 1,100+ frontier-lab employees signing a pacing letter in July-August.
The financing side keeps outrunning the technology side. 2027 AI/hyperscaler DV01 supply now exceeds Treasuries (zerohedge), September IG issuance is tracking ~$215bn - a record for the month - with $410bn borrowed in 2026 specifically for data centres (KobeissiLetter). Goldman's credit desk sees the "eye of the hurricane" (zerohedge) and warns "the Fed is just a passenger" with AI capex driving rates (zerohedge). Tech is now a record 55% of all S&P 500 capital spending (Hedgeye)...
..Copper at $6.85/lb has a pre-1982 penny worth 4.46 cents of melt (PeterSchiff, CopperBullish). Bernstein sees the shortage starting in 2027 and worsening (oguzerkan). The financing side keeps outrunning the technology side. 2027 AI/hyperscaler DV01 supply now exceeds Treasuries (zerohedge), September IG issuance is tracking ~$215bn - a record for the month - with $410bn borrowed in 2026 specifically for data centres (KobeissiLetter). Goldman's credit desk sees the "eye of the hurricane" (zerohedge) and warns "the Fed is just a passenger" with AI capex driving rates (zerohedge). Tech is now a record 55% of all S&P 500 capital spending (Hedgeye)...
China's rare-earth grip has a deadline attached. Its suspension of expanded export controls runs to November 10, 2026, with Xi's US visit expected late September - and Reuters already reporting some Chinese suppliers halting shipments to US customers (realTimHack). Concentration figures cited: 99% of dysprosium and terbium oxide, 91% of magnet rare-earth refining...
..The peace terms got worse, and Kyiv leaked it. MP Anna Skorokhod says the latest Witkoff/Kushner terms now require constitutional changes and formal recognition of lost territory, which earlier proposals did not (rinalu_, VasilijProzorov). Peskov's line: everything must happen in silence, and Kyiv's terms will worsen the longer this drags (MilitarySummary).
Trump and Putin spoke; the Kremlin called it constructive (zerohedge, zerohedge). Lavrov, in parallel, says European ceasefire calls are cover for rearming Kyiv, and that any foreign military personnel in Ukraine are legitimate targets (MilitarySummary, MilitarySummary) - while telling Berlin a "start of real war" is emerging (zerohedge)...
..Europe: AfD at 45% in the east, BSW cracks the firewall, and twelve states ban settlement goods - Forsa/RTL has AfD at 45% in eastern Germany, +13 points on the 2025 result, with CDU down to 12% (Wahlen_DE, Alice_Weidel). Merz spoke of "consequences" after the CDU defeat (zerohedge). Trump and Putin spoke; the Kremlin called it constructive (zerohedge, zerohedge). Lavrov, in parallel, says European ceasefire calls are cover for rearming Kyiv, and that any foreign military personnel in Ukraine are legitimate targets (MilitarySummary, MilitarySummary) - while telling Berlin a "start of real war" is emerging (zerohedge)...
The firewall has its first crack: BSW will vote for an AfD parliamentary presidency in Sachsen-Anhalt (MyLordBebo). Structurally more significant than the polling number.
Twelve countries issued a joint statement announcing national bans on trade in goods from Israeli settlements - France, UK, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, specifically calling the E1 project "inadmissible" (clashreport, MarioNawfal).
Israel retaliated by closing the UK consulate in East Jerusalem and banning eleven British MPs (zerohedge, PolitlcsUK).
The Haaretz Oct 7 investigation is the other Israel story. Netanyahu's government reportedly received multiple advance warnings, including from the UAE's ruler ten days prior, sourced ultimately to Sinwar - and did not pass them to the intelligence apparatus; Hamas also reportedly offered to release all civilian hostages immediately afterward with no conditions (tparsi, efenigson)...
..EU and Canada are set to announce an "all encompassing" partnership on September 16, explicitly framed as offsetting US-China power politics, with Canada already in the EU's €175bn military procurement fund (KobeissiLetter). Meanwhile Trump moved to strip Canadian products from US federal procurement (KobeissiLetter) and to ban some Canadian dairy and auto imports (zerohedge), as Canada's $20bn counter-tariffs took effect (zerohedge). https://no1sdailydigest.substack.com/p/daily-digest-2026-09-09
Gold & Geopolitics, Daily digest: 2026-09-08
Gold & Geopolitics, Daily digest: 2026-09-07
Saudi Arabia also opened direct cruise-missile strikes on four Yemeni governorates, and the AfD took Saxony-Anhalt with ~44% - the first far-right state win in Germany since 1945. Everything else (Donbas grind, diesel crack, gold accumulation) is continuation with fresh numbers. https://no1sdailydigest.substack.com/p/daily-digest-2026-09-07
Caitlyn Johnstone, Israel Is Destroying Evidence Of Genocide In Gaza
Remember how we were always hearing that the official death toll in Gaza is an undercount because there are thousands of bodies trapped under the rubble? Well, it looks like Israel has been moving those remains along with the rubble, conveniently destroying evidence of genocide. https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/israel-is-destroying-evidence-ofMore than 179 attacks on ambulance crews recorded since March 2, killing 179 healthcare workers. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/6/nearly-9000-killed-in-israeli-attacks-on-lebanon-since-2023
Armored-Bulldozer Genocide: ‘Not a Single Home Standing’: Israel Empties 66th Palestinian Village https://www.palestinechronicle.com/not-a-single-home-standing-israel-empties-66th-palestinian-village/
Thousands of attacks by Israeli settlers and soldiers have left at least 76 Palestinian dead in 2026 https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/settler-attacks-west-bank-take-dangerous-turn
The head of the Wadi Daouq village council, Abdul Nasser Al-Huwaiti, told WAFA that the bulldozing began at the Arraba roundabout and extended towards the village entrance, encompassing lands on both sides of the road. https://english-wafa-ps.translate.goog/Pages/Details/174423?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
Settler attacks in the occupied West Bank are no longer isolated incidents that end when the assault is over. The toll recorded in August reveals a wider trajectory in which attacks on Palestinians and their property intersect with land confiscation, home seizures and the expansion of settlement outposts. The Palestine Information Center, Muta, documented 1,223 settlement-related crimes in a single month.
The figure means an average of around 39 crimes per day, in one of the clearest signs of escalation. https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/09/04/369531/
The figure means an average of around 39 crimes per day, in one of the clearest signs of escalation. https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/09/04/369531/
What got into him? US envoy demands consequences for Israeli settlers’ ‘acts of terror’ in West Bank, denies Gaza expulsion plan
Ambassador Mike Huckabee went further in remarks during his visit to the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya, describing some settlers responsible for arson, vandalism and property seizures as carrying out “acts of terror” — unusually strong language from a US official. https://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/us-envoy-demands-consequences-for-israeli-settlers-acts-of-terror-in-west-bank-denies-gaza-expulsion-plan-3000575
US officials threaten retaliation against UK over Israeli settlements sanctions
Mike Huckabee calls UK policy 'discrimination', while Randy Fine warns British companies could be stopped from doing business in Florida https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-officials-threaten-retaliation-against-uk-over-israeli-settlements-sanctions
Board of Peace told PA to remove ‘Palestine’ from textbooks, former UK envoy says
Emptying Gaza: Ben-Gvir Unveils Plan for Ethnic Cleansing of 1.86 Million Palestinians https://www.palestinechronicle.com/emptying-gaza-ben-gvir-unveils-plan-for-ethnic-cleansing-of-1-86-million-palestinians/
Israel ‘seeking Trump’s support for plan to expel Palestinians from Gaza’ - Defence minister says he believes US backing could tip regional balance in favour of forced resettlement https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/02/israel-seeking-trumps-support-for-plan-to-expel-palestinians-from-gaza
US rejects Israel’s plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza https://israelpalestinenews.org/us-rejects-israels-plan-to-ethnically-cleanse-gaza-daily-update/
Israel’s Gaza Attacks Continue: 17 Dead, 27 Wounded in 48 Hours https://www.palestinechronicle.com/israels-gaza-attacks-continue-17-dead-27-wounded-in-48-hours/
‘They Keep Beating Me’: Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya Gives New Testimony from Israeli Prison
33 Dems Help Pass House Bill That Would Strip Funds From Colleges That Boycott Israel
“The goal here is to basically say every university not only cannot refuse cooperation with Israel but must actively seek every opportunity to cooperate with Israel,” said one analyst. https://www.commondreams.org/news/college-israel-boycott-bill
RFK Jr: The war in Ukraine is a money laundering scheme for BlackRock:"Using the conflict as a pretext, Ukraine has sold off 30% of its land. But who bought that fertile land? DuPont, Cargill, and Monsanto. And guess who owns those companies... BlackRock." https://x.com/ivan_8848/status/2096176506523304402
It is patently clear that there is no chance for resolution of the conflict so long as Zelensky remains in office and continues to receive heavy backing from the EU/NATO. Meanwhile, Putin is saying that he does not want to touch the powers that be in Kiev because there will then be no one to negotiate with. https://gilbertdoctorow.substack.com/p/news-x-world-this-morning-russian
Mike Huckabee calls UK policy 'discrimination', while Randy Fine warns British companies could be stopped from doing business in Florida https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-officials-threaten-retaliation-against-uk-over-israeli-settlements-sanctions
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was recently sent by Donald Trump’s Board of Peace to ask the Palestinian Authority (PA) to replace any mention of the word “Palestine” in schoolbooks with the Jewish designation of “Samaria”.
Jeremy Greenstock, who was Britain’s ambassador to the UN between 1998 and 2003, told MEE that Blair attempted to exert pressure on the PA and said that if it was serious about being seen by the Board of Peace as capable of reaching an agreement with Israel to end the war on Gaza, then the word “Palestine” should be erased from textbooks. https://israelpalestinenews.org/board-of-peace-told-pa-to-remove-palestine-from-textbooks-former-uk-envoy-says/
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, has provided new testimony describing continued physical abuse, sleep deprivation and threats by Israeli prison guards, according to a written statement provided by his lawyer.
The testimony followed a visit by his lawyer on Sunday, August 30, during which Abu Safiya said guards continued to beat him on different parts of his body, including sensitive areas, using their hands, feet and batons. https://israelpalestinenews.org/they-keep-beating-me-dr-hussam-abu-safiya-gives-new-testimony-from-israeli-prison/
The testimony followed a visit by his lawyer on Sunday, August 30, during which Abu Safiya said guards continued to beat him on different parts of his body, including sensitive areas, using their hands, feet and batons. https://israelpalestinenews.org/they-keep-beating-me-dr-hussam-abu-safiya-gives-new-testimony-from-israeli-prison/
“The goal here is to basically say every university not only cannot refuse cooperation with Israel but must actively seek every opportunity to cooperate with Israel,” said one analyst. https://www.commondreams.org/news/college-israel-boycott-bill
"You can't always get what you want...": In Putin Call, Trump Seeks Swift End To Ukraine War & Restoration Of US-Russia Ties https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/new-putin-call-trump-seeks-swift-end-ukraine-war-restoration-us-russia-ties
John Helmer on Trump not getting a big-win he needs before November: “TALK SOFTLY, CARRY BIG STICK, AND YOU WILL GO FAR” – BUT NOT TO A MEETING WITH PUTIN AND ZELENSKY, MODI AND XI https://johnhelmer.net/talk-softly-carry-big-stick-and-you-will-go-far-but-not-to-a-meeting-with-putin-and-zelensky-modi-and-xi/#more-94931
Gilbert Doctorow, News X World this morning: Russian strikes on Kiev resume
In this brief chat, I raise the issue of the duality in US policy towards the Russia-Ukraine war, as President Trump pulls in one direction trying to broker a peace now for the benefit of Republican electoral prospects in November, while the CIA pulls in the other direction, to continue the war, to hold onto their large presence in Kiev and to weaken, possibly defeat Russia as drone strikes rise in frequency and potency.
I also look at the Russian side, where President Putin shows no sign of willingness to do what has to be done to end the war quickly – namely a decapitation strike on Kiev. He cannot even bring himself to cut the rail lines that carry the diplomatic tourists from Europe, and now also from the USA (Witkoff and Kushner) to their meetings in Kiev with Zelensky. It is patently clear that there is no chance for resolution of the conflict so long as Zelensky remains in office and continues to receive heavy backing from the EU/NATO. Meanwhile, Putin is saying that he does not want to touch the powers that be in Kiev because there will then be no one to negotiate with. https://gilbertdoctorow.substack.com/p/news-x-world-this-morning-russian
Pentagon Informs Allies Prepare For "Protracted" War In Ukraine https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/pentagon-informs-allies-prepare-protracted-war-ukraine
Indefinitely perpetuating the Ukrainian Conflict through these means indefinitely delays the full implementation of the US’ planned “Pivot (back) to (East) Asia”, can lead to Russia selling its natural resource wealth to China at bargain-basement prices, and maintains China’s “active neutrality”. https://korybko.substack.com/p/why-wont-china-cut-ukraine-off-from
Germany trains special forces to seize ships from Russia's shadow fleet. https://en.topcor.ru/73915-germanija-treniruet-specnaz-zahvatyvat-suda-tenevogo-flota-rossii.html
The news from Saxony-Anhalt of an electoral victory by the so-called Far Right party Alternativ fűr Deutschland (AfD) was not unexpected, but the level of its support was much higher than predicted – 44% of the vote in conditions of high voter turnout. Meanwhile, Chancellor Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU) lost half its electoral support since the last elections, holding only 18% of the electorate.
Major media are uncertain what comes next. Will AfD form a coalition government, which it is determined not to do? Or will, by default, government formation fall to the right-of-center CDU and the left-of-center Social Democrats, with several smaller parties? The FT puts its bet on the AfD coming to power, most likely by attracting defections from other parties. They also hold out the possibility of its agreeing a cooperation, not a coalition, but an informal alliance with the so-called Far Left party of Sarah Wagenknecht, assuming that the final tally of votes puts her over the 5% threshold for receiving seats in the legislature.
The bigger picture, of course, is what this latest development means for the rest of Germany. Two other states have elections before the end of the month, one of which is the Berlin region. The still bigger picture is that the long held policy of a cordon sanitaire around the AfD by the other German political parties to exclude them from governance is seen to have been a failure and possibly counterproductive at that, since it was in effect a denial of democracy, a refusal to listen to the voice of the people. https://gilbertdoctorow.substack.com/p/good-tidings-from-germany-the-afd
The victory is already being downplayed by many, owing to the fact that Saxony-Anhalt is technically one of Germany’s smallest and least consequential states. But there is far more to it than sheer numbers, as the win defines a turning point not only in German but European politics, and cements the gradual downfall of the globalist ruling class that has tried desperately for decades to keep populist movements from gaining power, in particular utilizing the “Brandmauer” or “firewall” to suppress the so-called far-right.
The destruction of this firewall is an historic occasion, even if it should come by way of such a seemingly inconsequential state...
France can’t finance Ukraine forever – Le Pen party’s head - Paris needs guarantees that Kiev will repay the money it’s been getting during its conflict with Moscow, Jordan Bardella has said https://web.archive.org/web/20260906094850/https://www.rt.com/news/645176-france-ukraine-le-pen-bardella/
France’s Right Wing RN Opposition Party: “Stop Sending Weapons to Ukraine”. Intensifies Criticism of Kiev Regime. - The popularity of the French opposition is significantly growing. https://www.globalresearch.ca/french-opposition-intensifies-criticism-ukraine/5939512?doing_wp_cron=1788868481.7809870243072509765625
Europe's Von der Leyen Wants To Put Private Bank Deposits Under State Direction
Andrew Korybko, Why Won’t China Cut Ukraine Off From Drone-Related Sales?
A small unarmed consumer video-drone was found before this got blown up to a "threat": THE LEIPZIG AIRPORT DRONE INCIDENT – NEWLY PUBLISHED SOURCE ACCOUNT https://johnhelmer.net/the-leipzig-airport-drone-incident-newly-published-source-account/#more-94923
Gilbert Doctorow, Good tidings from Germany: the AfD has won 44% of the vote in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt
Major media are uncertain what comes next. Will AfD form a coalition government, which it is determined not to do? Or will, by default, government formation fall to the right-of-center CDU and the left-of-center Social Democrats, with several smaller parties? The FT puts its bet on the AfD coming to power, most likely by attracting defections from other parties. They also hold out the possibility of its agreeing a cooperation, not a coalition, but an informal alliance with the so-called Far Left party of Sarah Wagenknecht, assuming that the final tally of votes puts her over the 5% threshold for receiving seats in the legislature.
The bigger picture, of course, is what this latest development means for the rest of Germany. Two other states have elections before the end of the month, one of which is the Berlin region. The still bigger picture is that the long held policy of a cordon sanitaire around the AfD by the other German political parties to exclude them from governance is seen to have been a failure and possibly counterproductive at that, since it was in effect a denial of democracy, a refusal to listen to the voice of the people. https://gilbertdoctorow.substack.com/p/good-tidings-from-germany-the-afd
Simplicius, AfD’s Historic Win Sends Reverberations of ‘Shock’ Through German Establishment
The destruction of this firewall is an historic occasion, even if it should come by way of such a seemingly inconsequential state...
..A secondary effect of the victory is that it has caused the ruling German establishment to go back to the drawing board and review its most unpopular policies, like on immigration, in order to bend with the clearly changing winds...
..Part of the reason of course has to do with mass dissatisfaction with the federal government amongst the populace, as seen in polls like the one below, which shows 88% disfavor.....The establishment is in a moral panic, with mainstream outlets rolling out the usual scare-mongering tactics about the rise of the so-called “far-right”, a designation deemed specious by most when it comes to the AfD. https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/afds-historic-win-sends-reverberations
How will we deal with private property in Europe in the future?
A highly complex debate follows from this question, one that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen interpreted in her own very particular way on Friday. In a speech to French business leaders at the MEDEF’s La Rencontre des Entrepreneurs de France in Paris, the former defense minister talked about using EU citizens’ bank deposits to get the ailing eurozone, the European economy, back on its feet.
A highly complex debate follows from this question, one that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen interpreted in her own very particular way on Friday. In a speech to French business leaders at the MEDEF’s La Rencontre des Entrepreneurs de France in Paris, the former defense minister talked about using EU citizens’ bank deposits to get the ailing eurozone, the European economy, back on its feet.
An unmistakable message: In the view of the EU’s chief Eurocrat, private property as a protective wall shielding citizens from an overreaching state has served its purpose as a pillar of civilization. https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/europes-von-der-leyen-wants-put-private-bank-deposits-under-state-direction
Ceuta was not an accident but a planned operation from the Moroccan government, according to a Spanish police report which was just leaked https://rmx.news/article/spain-morocco-directly-organized-migrant-invasion-in-ceuta-according-to-leaked-police-document/
Kyle Young looks at the murder case that was supposed to be wrapped-up when police shot Tyler Robinson, which didn't happen: Why are so many people in the Charlie Kirk murder orbit one step from child trafficking? https://secularheretic.substack.com/p/why-are-so-many-people-in-the-charlie
A Midwestern Doctor covers a LOT of ground here. Data centers can't make-profits, but they might be able to control every human with a phone. How the Law of Displacement Can Solve the Data Center Crisis
To stop data centers from ruining communities, they must be displaced by something cheaper—and for once, cheaper is not only better, but the money also exists to build it and the green energy it needs https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/how-the-law-of-displacement-can-solve The records exist. She knows the data: New Adviser to RFK Jr. Investigating 2,500 COVID Vaccine Deaths in Military
Dr. Theresa Long, a longtime Army doctor board-certified in aerospace medicine, has been named senior medical military adviser to U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to an Aug. 14 deposition obtained by Politico. Long is investigating whether COVID-19 vaccines caused the deaths of over 2,500 U.S. military service members. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/new-adviser-to-rfk-jr-investigating-2500-covid-vaccine-deaths-in-military/ Meryl Nass MD, The best site I have ever found for collected information on geoengineering, aka weather warfare and its experimentation
Very important stuff https://merylnass.substack.com/p/the-best-site-i-have-ever-found-for My DIY Hi-Fi buddy Joe Roberts One-man-band of "Sound Practices" magazine is interviewed here and pictured in his Austin home around Y2k.
Brilliant Corners #40: Sound Practices, Setting Hi-Fi Back Decades, One Listener at a Time, Alex Halberstadt For many of us, the answer became Sound Practices, a semiregular quarterly out of Austin, Texas. It ignored the high-end mainstream and covered vintage audio as well as the DIY creations of hi-fi experimenters from around the world, many of whom were looking back to the theater systems of the 1920s and '30s for inspiration. During its meager press run—just 16 issues published between 1992 and 1997—it introduced a generation of listeners to horn speakers, full-range drivers, idler-drive turntables, low-power triode amplifiers, and other items that had been nearly forgotten in the novelty-addled early years of high-end audio.
Better yet, Sound Practices was not only cool but downright punk in its provocations. Whereas many audio manufacturers of the time tried to position their gear as luxury lifestyle accessories, like a Porsche or a cigar humidor, the magazine suggested that audio could be a form of self-expression as personal as one's taste in literature or art, and imbued with both meaning and a high degree of style...
..I corresponded with Roberts by email about his short-lived experiment in magazine publishing and its ongoing legacy.
Alex Halberstadt: How did you get started in audio?
Joe Roberts: I was interested in electronics before I understood what audio really was. I was one of those kids who trash-picked TVs to take them apart. I studied ham radio books from the library and got my license in 8th grade. I had a couple of receivers and bookshelf speakers in high school. It was the '70s. You had to. I was just a total nerd.
I lasted one class as a physics major at Penn before switching to anthropology and communications. During freshman year, I picked up my first tube gear: a Dynaco preamp and ST-35 amp at a thrift shop. I continued to study electronics and read old audio magazines and books in the engineering library instead of doing my actual homework.
I also had a job recording the Philadelphia Orchestra with WFLN. We had the latest and greatest pro amps and monitoring speakers out in the work spaces, but I thought the best sound at the recording studio was a pair of Dynaco A25s and an ST-70 in the electronics tech's lab. By the time I graduated, my studio apartment was a pile of tube gear, a folding table and chair, 100 books, 100 LPs, and a mattress on the floor. I had already sailed away from the lab-tested marina of High Fidelity and Audio magazines into a time-travel technological relativism that I guess I am still lost in. https://www.stereophile.com/content/brilliant-corners-40-sound-practices-setting-hi-fi-back-decades-one-listener-time
Alex Halberstadt: How did you get started in audio?
Joe Roberts: I was interested in electronics before I understood what audio really was. I was one of those kids who trash-picked TVs to take them apart. I studied ham radio books from the library and got my license in 8th grade. I had a couple of receivers and bookshelf speakers in high school. It was the '70s. You had to. I was just a total nerd.
I lasted one class as a physics major at Penn before switching to anthropology and communications. During freshman year, I picked up my first tube gear: a Dynaco preamp and ST-35 amp at a thrift shop. I continued to study electronics and read old audio magazines and books in the engineering library instead of doing my actual homework.
I also had a job recording the Philadelphia Orchestra with WFLN. We had the latest and greatest pro amps and monitoring speakers out in the work spaces, but I thought the best sound at the recording studio was a pair of Dynaco A25s and an ST-70 in the electronics tech's lab. By the time I graduated, my studio apartment was a pile of tube gear, a folding table and chair, 100 books, 100 LPs, and a mattress on the floor. I had already sailed away from the lab-tested marina of High Fidelity and Audio magazines into a time-travel technological relativism that I guess I am still lost in. https://www.stereophile.com/content/brilliant-corners-40-sound-practices-setting-hi-fi-back-decades-one-listener-time
Thermionic-Valvehead (pictured climbing hill on 1987 Cinelli fixed-gear bike)
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