Today’s Open Thread

As of today Aramco is still burning after 3 days. Also the Uncle Zio is twisting the arms of some the Arab countries namely, UAE, Egypt, Morocco and Bahrain to join what they like to call a regional NATO led by Israel and the US. These fragile Arab courtiers basically have no other options since all of their monies is held in the West and lest they make the wrong move they could end up with their deposits/gold confiscated by the Uncle Zio. However we can be sure as soon as they get a chance they would leave the coalition and join the resistance movement.

Saudi Arabia recently said they plan to settle oil deals with China in Yaun.

There are no coincidences.

The same people who cheers Ze, also cheered Juan Guaido. Who is and always has been a stooge and nobody.

I agree with almost everything you write except for your complete dismissal of Zelensky’s charisma. He may have no charisma”as a president or as an orator but I can’t exclude the possibility that as a dancer in drag he is not a huge success in the international LGBT+ “community.” I have seen the videos.
The PR firm packaging him as a hero has its work cut out for it because the Panama papers stench cannot be sprayed away and his blatantly obvious and callous disregard for human lives pointlessly snuffed in the country he claims to be a part of.

So much hatred of the US in so many of these posts. Don’t you realize the US was seized in a color revolution just like Ukraine was? Do you believe that Biden was legitimately elected?

After you guys free Ukraine, please help us. We’re in an undeclared, largely hidden war here in the US. Trump voters (the majority of voters) support Russia in this and understand that our own Democrats and Republicans are on big UniParty who only masquerade as separate political parties in opposition to each other.

Soon, very soon, God willing, we will be able to take down our Deep State, and a more reasonable and fair foreign policy will be coming from the re-constituted US government. Until then, understand that you’re dealing with a rogue US government led by coup plotters who stole power. If they’re allowed to succeed, situations like the one we’re now facing between Nato and Russia will be commonplace. But don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. There are many many millions of people in the US who do not support the current illegal American regime. When we’re set free you will feel it and breathe more easy! Do not abandon us.

the amusing thing is that Ze is almost universally hated by Ukrainians, not for the $2 billion he stole of their money (according to the panama papers) but because he is a fraud and a liar who got elected on a peace ticket but then had swift attitude adjustment programme form Kolomoiskii and the Azov who told him what the score really is. I guess at that point he just caved into his new masters, including the US of course. In the west people are as dumb as it is possible to be whilst still breathing, they think he’s some hollywood hero, which is of course what the americans are good at, making something out of nothing. Of coarse we all know he is an actor but also a coward who hasnt been anywhere near kiev for over 3 weeks, hiding in various basements across Poland. There’s no talking to the plebs in the west, it doesnt matter how much evidence you show them, theyre so woke it doesnt matter, of course when this all comes out later on they won’t pay attention as they will simply move on to the ‘next noble lie’ with which to virtue signal their utter ignorance.

Her’s how it all unfolded for the poor guy:

https://consortiumnews.com/2022/03/04/how-zelensky-made-peace-with-neo-nazis/

as the person who called him charismatic, I agree with you. I was only calling him “charismatic” from the putative eyes of the ‘west’. Of course he’s not anything remotely resembling charismatic to me personally, but I meant in the eyes of the modern youth generations who are glued to their social medias he is presented in a way that is quite enchanting to them, and stokes all the typical youthful fervors and idealism with the professional PR presentations of him and his country’s woeful ‘plight’.

Perhaps their applause is because he remembers his lines? And these politicians know what he is, he is one of them after all.

Blowback is a bitch ;-)

It suits their agenda for a great reset with green energy. Which will never works by the way. They are good at lying and destroying, but big zeros when comes the time to rebuild. But I could add cynically depopulation as well since methane is used to make nitrogen fertilisers. Africa (North & South) will be the first victim of the mass starvation.

This isn’t as big a deal as people are making out.

In all international trade the customer pays with the currency they have and the supplier received the currency they want.

The financial industry makes its money matching those two requirements.

It was always the case that European consumers paid for gas in Euros and the Russian suppliers in Russia received Roubles.

And that will continue because banks get paid when they make it continue. In reality all that will happen is the bank charges to the Europeans for enacting the transaction will go up as the financial path from Europe to Russia has to go the long way around.

I would be surprised. At the current gold price, it would be like $1550 USD/ounce, under the spot market. In addition, a country that pegs its currency to gold renounce to deficits (and often big governments), and even if Russia is social conservative, it is not libertarian. If I see it on RT I will believe…

Its been encircled North, East and West with a coridor open in the south for quite some time now (2 weeks?) but maybe 5 to 10 KM out, they are closing the strangle hold slowly but surely, when the time is right the Southern exit will be closed. I dont thing Kiev itself is neccessarily an important target for Russia, even though taking the Capital is symbolic, it isnt required in this case. Too many civilians, better to starve the nazis out or to death. It will be interesting to see what happens but Donbass is more important now, need to destroy the Eastern Army hunkering down their. One thing is for sure though, it must be hell inside Kiev for civilians. Militias, criminals all now armed to the teeth with free arms handed out by the govt plus the army and Nazis. Let it rot whilst encouragiing civilians to flee if they can.

Yes Rokossovsky,

They have created a one party nation state in most countries and why the EU was set up the way it was.

Geopolitics and foreign policy demanded it. You can trace back to the Vietnam war. Their outsourcing of military to the private sector and far right jihadists and neo nazis.

The American people don’t want never ending wars. This is how the US government get around it.

No matter who you vote for nothing changes.

The liberals have house trained their voters like little puppy dogs to hate Russia.

The Republicans house trained their voters like little puppy dogs to hate China.

Same is happening in the UK. With the liberal left and the Conservatives.

Globalism, neoliberalism, EU expansion, NATO Expansion are all linked by the same economic paradigm. Colonial rent seeking and stealing of real resources.

This has been forced on the West. Using the same propaganda and by the same people that promote Western Propaganda strengths war.

It has been planned for over a 40 year period.

Fukuyama is referencing and perhaps mocking Marx’s Historical Materialism by saying ‘end of history’, but I am not sure he understood the materialist aspect of it very well. I also think he was preaching to the choir somewhat. Triumphalism. But it may have been premature, because capitalism and so called liberal democracy is looking shaky to say the least, or rather they may be reaching the point of obsolescent dysfunction.

Marx was talking about how we inventive humans continually advance the technology required to meet our material needs and how structures of government tend to then form around the prevalent mode of production, social classes and relevant property relations et cetera. Does Fukuyama think that will stop? It is doubtful he really believed that if he understood it correctly.

For example: Hunter gathering, or nomadic pastoral peoples and political structure the tribe. Sedentary farming and the rural communities that grew into towns and then centers of commerce (and the requirement to own, govern and defend farming land). City states, mass slavery and then ancient empires with their legal codex etc. Bonded serfdom and the feudal systems of government that grew from it. Masses employed in waged labour in capitalist production and the forms of government that emerged during the Industrial Revolution. Advancing technology was the primary driver for each of those formerly predominant systems being superseded.

For it to be the end of history and capitalism to be the penultimate stage of human development, humanity would need to stop advancing its technology. But that is not going to happen, because we still have many needs. Necessity is the mother of invention and therefore progress.

In capitalism that need is competition between capitalists as they attempt to undercut each other and drive rivals from the market, which is the primary driver of technological advance in capitalist production, so therefore society will tend to follow suit, adjust, and organize itself accordingly (rather than the idealism way of thinking where we define an ideal system and then attempt to organize production and labour around that, which is often a utopian way of thinking too).

We are already beginning to see what Marx spoke of become true in regard to advancing technology transforming the capitalist mode of production and its effects upon society. He said that the capitalist’s need to compete drives them to find increasingly efficient methods of production. Machines would become ever more advanced and do ever more of the work. Marx is being proven correct in this regard.

He then said this process would cause the labour component of a produced commodity to reduce, so profits extracted from labour would tend to reduce as well. He said that contradiction would cause crises in capitalism, which is obvious because capitalism’s workers are also consumers. Many of crises and worsening. Also proven correct (so much so that now entire countries are kept afloat by leveraging credit against capital assets at a rate of 20:1 or so, which results in debt to GDP ratios over 100%).

Margins are often very slim, so the scale of this highly automated production is increased via market domination in order to maintain profits and growth, which ironically makes the system vulnerable to recessions and requires access to and dominance of further markets, plus securing of resources and global supply chains etc. Therefore globalized capitalism, increased formation of monopolies and cartels, and the aggressive attempts to bring countries into their bloc’s orbit and subject to its trading regulations and laws et cetera, e.g., Ukraine etc.

Now we see this reduced capital gained from productive industrial labour is compensated for by ever increasing automation of production of goods and services and outsourcing, massive scale of production reaching global markets, and a growing dependence on the profits of finance capital and consumption, rather than capital gained from production. They still wonder why China is now a rival.

We also see the heights of the western economy owned by ever fewer capitalist elites, which affords them political power that eclipses the power of the nation state itself. We saw this in history with the collapse of the Roman Republic too, because wealthy individuals became so powerful they could take state power for themselves and create an Imperium. Do those who are supposed to govern the West’s capitalists not study history?

It is now Imperialism as Lenin explained it – a stage of capitalism. It is when what are now called corporations aligned to blocs of powerful capitalists effectively control blocs of nations. They compete for resources and markets all over the world, i.e., globalism. It leads to conflict and wars etc. Most of all, the driving force of policy in those nations is the interests of big capital, so in effect people are ruled by a thing rather than leaders — with that thing being the abstract creation we call Capital. Leaders are just servants of this thing. The result is capitalist plutocracy masquerading as liberal democracy. We all know where that historically tends to go when it is severely threatened (the mask is removed revealing fascism etc).

Providing we do not destroy ourselves, this process of AI enhanced automation of production of goods and services will gradually become the primary method of producing goods and services. It is already close to that tipping point. The classic capitalist mode of production where business owners hire labour to produce is gradually being superseded due to these advances in technology. Capitalism is gradually becoming something else, which is recognized when even pro-capitalist people say this is not capitalism, but rather it is crony capitalism etc.

Marx understood this would happen way back in the mid 1800s. What then will be done with all that unneeded labour? That depends on who controls the societies and owns the means of production — therefore the call for workers unite and take power from the capitalists etc. If we do not it could become very ugly and dystopian, e.g., a massive increase in so called useless eaters, homelessness, neo-rentier society servitude etc.

Marx was not saying that communism would inevitably replace capitalism due to this, or due to political will and policy, but rather that the mode of production will gradually transform into something far more technologically advanced and that it would subsequently transform society as it adjusts to new realities. He was saying that communists should therefore prepare to ensure that the resulting society is communistic in its methods of social exchange et cetera, rather than yet another system of exploitation of the masses by the elite few.

Societies usually tend to organize themselves around the way they produce and use any surplus, which is where dialectical materialism comes into play, e.g., the Hegelian syntheses that emerge from social contradictions and class conflicts etc. Over the past few decades the theses of the globalized capitalists have held sway in that dialectic, resulting in the syntheses they prefer. Recently a stronger antithesis to their dominance is emerging. China specifically, in cooperation with its strategic allies and partners. A new synthesis is emerging from this conflict and it is looking like where are entering a new historical epoch. How do you like that Mr Fukuyama?

Marx, Engels, and Lenin also said that communists would need to harness capitalism’s ability to increase productive forces in order to provide for society’s material needs, rather than outlaw or destroy it like lots of the liberal influenced left seem to think (or idealistically thinking they can replace it all with vegan co-ops etc).

China appears to have understood this communist harnessing of capitalism well though. It has certainly resulted in an abundance of goods and an increased standard of living in many parts of the world (several hundred millions lifted out of poverty in China for example). On the flip side standards of living have stagnated and even declined in many major capitalist countries, partly because they have decreased their productive forces (greedily exported them in search of greater profits to China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and India etc).

Never mind, there has been lots of communists and socialists who also do not understand historical and dialectical materialism very well either (it took me over ten years and majoring in both ancient and regular history just to understand this much, which is not so much really).

Easily replaced with Qingdao and Kingsway beer from China who learned the art of brewing from the Germans in the late 1800’s. Both excellent beers.

Nothing to see here, just another income loss for Europe.

They’re not missing much. Heineken is a wannabe beer, like most beers, eh? For a real beer, Russia should import the Bolivian Pacena Beer (bottle). There’s one or two more from there also much better than those “experiments.” Any Argentinian beer will be better, too, even though it’s not their specialty. The Peruvian beer is much better also, even the Chilean is.

I’m boycotting every company that shows that they support Nazism in Ukraine. Same with a certain ME country. Boycott. I encourage it.

Yes. Hungary is also on the list of unfriendly states, but they will pay in rubles. Also, I don’t belive that EU will be able to interfere.

Surely you saw Apocalypse Now :
Kilgore : Smell that? You smell that?
Lance : What?
Kilgore : Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for 12 hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn’t find one of ’em, not one stinkin’ dink body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell? The whole hill. Smelled like… victory. Someday this war’s gonna end.

To think gardeners will get of un-scorched is passe!

@ Rootin4Putin on March 28, 2022 · at 3:24 pm EST/EDT

Russia Winning, Ukraine/Kosher Nostra still loosing!

#1 “The Russian military repelled one of the largest drone attacks in history”

I am glad this attack was confirmed by the Russian MoD, I first saw it in Avia.pro, and decided not to touch it. All I thought about it was Andrei Martyanov’s (http://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/) ridiculing Houthi drones attack on Saudi’s “Aramco” just a few days ago.

What a contrast.

Here is Andrei (Martyanov) in his own words.

http://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2022/03/it-may-seem-premature-but.html

… I think some summary is in order regarding Russian Armed Forces hardware. It is absolutely on-time, when considering this:

https://youtu.be/Xwni6BOG-jQ

The immediate thought in all that view of a rather spectacular burning of ARAMCO facilities is the fact that they are guarded by, and you have guessed it by now, US Patriot and the collection of other European air-defense/anti-missile systems. This is not the first time those systems can do nothing about cottage industry Houthi drones with explosives and ancient Soviet/Iranian SCUDs and their local derivatives such as Burkan. These are fairly slow (max M=4) ballistic missiles which should be an easy prey for advanced air defense. As should be all kinds of drones, but, evidently, they are not. And this is not the first time Houthies score spectacular hits on Saudi oil targets…”
—————————————

Lone Wolf

Yep. Not only that but even the worm Elliot Higgins of Bellingcat has alleged to be investigating it for once.

Chinese social media has also picked it up and the torture video has garnered huge views where the Chinese have been uncharacteristically pugilistic and angry:

“A video of the torture of Russian prisoners is being circulated on the Chinese social network weibo and is causing a huge wave of negativity towards Ukrainian nationalists. Here are some comments: “I hope that the Ukrainian armed forces will be completely destroyed, and order will be restored in this country.” “I don’t see this video on twitter or reddit.” “I have not seen the video of the Russian army mocking captured Ukrainians, because they are disciplined and not so cruel.” “Ukrainians act like the Japanese in Nanjing.” “I don’t see any difference between ISIS (banned in the Russian Federation) and the Ukrainian military.””

When the Chinese start comparing you to the Japanese in Nanjing, you know you’re in trouble!

But our guys are on the case, they’ve triangulated everything about the incident including all locations already known and processed. Apparently it was an artillery unit that was taken prisoner by these scum, amongst whom some rumors claim were ex-cons released by Zelensky in his mobilization drive when he freed prisoners in Kharkov.

https://i.postimg.cc/ZK88wPnJ/5334733545438034750.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/25b3KmGn/photo-2022-03-28-14-42-57-768×533.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/VLGTkc9S/5337280796052011597.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/x1XZkFg6/5334733545438034439.jpg

As one of our guys said it best, “Еще один каратель нашего солдата Петра найден. Руслан Григорьевич Олейник. Город Винница.

Петя, работаем!

Найдем вас всех, даже через 70 лет!

#военныепреступления
#UAwarcrimes
#опознан”

translated:

“Another punisher of our soldier Peter was found. Ruslan Grigorievich Oleinik. City of Vinnitsa.

Petya, we’re working!

We will find you all, even after 70 years!

#warcrimes
#UAwarcrimes
#identified”

The European sheep in 1930’s, early 40’s, when told about atrocities perpetrated by Nazis in Germany (I don’t speak about the invented, unverified stories that was created after the war) all bleeted in chorus: “That can’t be happening, Germany is a civilized country, they are our friends, we do business with them. They cannot have don these horrible things. The fotos/films of Nazis torturing and terrorizing must be either fake, or it is the enemies of the Nazis that have put on Nazi uniforms and tortured people just to make anti-Nazi propaganda photos/films!”
It is not even a whole lifetime since then, and the bleeting is excactly the same!! It is so shameful.
I struggle to not hate these sheep, and at least keep at a level of disgust and contempt, that is the best I can do now. Maybe in the future I can reconciliate in some way with the sheep in my own extended family, but not now.
And I will never forget, and not forgive (for other reason than to save my soul, eventually forgiveness is needed for that….)

Who said they are? A good amount of them in society still rather go back to communism. The older ones of course. The younger ones are propagandized by modern ‘western’ literature/culture and so that is the ‘catalyst’ you asked about. Plus they simply never lived in the time period of communism so they don’t know about it and only get western propaganda about how it’s so ‘bad’. But at the end of the day, here are the facts:

The #2 most popular party in all of Russia after Putin’s “United Russia” is the official “Communist Party” of Russia.

In the very last presidential election in 2018 the results were:

1. Vladimir Putin with 78% of the vote (56 million people)
2. Pavel Grudinin of the Communist Party with 12% vote 8.6 million people

In the previous election before that which was 2012 the results were:

1. Vladimir Putin with 64.35%
2. Gennady Zyuganov of the Communist Party with 17.3%

As you can see here, the communist party got almost 20%, that’s 1/5th of Russia.

You can read about the party here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_the_Russian_Federation

“The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF; Russian: Коммунистическая Партия Российской Федерации; КПРФ, romanized: Kommunisticheskaya Partiya Rossiyskoy Federatsii; KPRF) is a communist political party in Russia that adheres to Marxist–Leninist philosophy.[3] It is the second-largest political party in Russia after United Russia. The youth organisation of the party is the Leninist Young Communist League. The party’s stated goal is to establish a new, modernized form of socialism in Russia.[11] Immediate goals of the party include the nationalization of natural resources, agriculture and large industries within the framework of a mixed economy that allows for the growth of small and medium enterprises in the private sector.[12]”

But pretty much if you ask almost any person over age 50 in Russia, they typically will be in favor of communism. There are numerous videos on youtube you can check of people walking around and asking this on the streets of Russia.

“Biden Confirms Why the US Needed This War”

Well done, you should always prepare, especially in a culture where others are always to blame.

If others try to hold you back because they are frightened or not, resort to if only these others had let me, I would have done it (Bullying manual 101.1 Chapter 1 Hold my jacket).

If others join you in the children’s crusade, resort to we fought well, but the others let us down – in these matters they turned out to be children (Bullying manual collective edition 101.2)