Witnessing Changes,
Surplus Energy Economics, How bad could this get? THE NEW-AND-OLD MATRIX OF SYSTEMIC RISK
One of these themes, introduced here, is the historic tendency for the collapse of great economic powers to be preceded by finance superseding industry and commerce. This article aims to do no more than introduce some of the concepts we’ll be following up as we seek to apply the paradigm of the two economies – the material and the monetary – to fast-changing situations...
..The new factor in the equation, of course, is the ending and reversal of growth in the global “real” economy of material products and services.
But intersecting with this is the continuing thread of the process that brought down the Spanish empire of the sixteenth century, the Dutch trading empire of the seventeenth and the British empire of the nineteenth.
In each instance, society prospered as industry and trade took up the baton from agriculture. Latterly, though, each economic giant headed into collapse as industry was itself superseded by finance.
The world of today is not, of course, an empire, in any political sense of the term. But the global financial system has taken on analogous, imperialistic and centralized characteristics because of the globalization of capital within the worldwide hegemony of the dollar.
The essence of the financialization process that has preceded collapse is the skewing of incentives, which realign to prioritize the making of money over the making of things. As financial capital out-grows industry, energies are diverted from the creation of the new to the exploitation of what already exists. But intersecting with this is the continuing thread of the process that brought down the Spanish empire of the sixteenth century, the Dutch trading empire of the seventeenth and the British empire of the nineteenth.
In each instance, society prospered as industry and trade took up the baton from agriculture. Latterly, though, each economic giant headed into collapse as industry was itself superseded by finance.
The world of today is not, of course, an empire, in any political sense of the term. But the global financial system has taken on analogous, imperialistic and centralized characteristics because of the globalization of capital within the worldwide hegemony of the dollar.
The result is a society in which the priorities of the rentier become wholly incompatible with the best interests of employee, consumer and citizen alike...
..More important than the sheer size of exposure, though, are the processes set in train by the capture of industry by finance.
As capital increases in proportion to the size of the economy, so the sourcing of credit migrates, from the comparatively conservative and well-understood centre of the financial system to its opaque and hazardous periphery.
Again, the contemporary financial system shows all the hallmarks of the migration of risk from the knowable centre to the dangerously unstable margins. We can estimate that, of all credit created since 2009, barely 20% has come from the depositary banking system, and about three-quarters from the opaque and unregulated NBFI (“shadow banking”) sector.
This migration risk brings with it complexity risk, as the system ramifies into almost bafflingly interconnected networks of cross-collateralization. This interdependency has now reached truly byzantine proportions. The fact is that nobody really knows which component of the system, perhaps seemingly-small in itself, will, by failing, bring down the whole house of cards.
All we can really know is that this will happen...
As capital increases in proportion to the size of the economy, so the sourcing of credit migrates, from the comparatively conservative and well-understood centre of the financial system to its opaque and hazardous periphery.
Again, the contemporary financial system shows all the hallmarks of the migration of risk from the knowable centre to the dangerously unstable margins. We can estimate that, of all credit created since 2009, barely 20% has come from the depositary banking system, and about three-quarters from the opaque and unregulated NBFI (“shadow banking”) sector.
This migration risk brings with it complexity risk, as the system ramifies into almost bafflingly interconnected networks of cross-collateralization. This interdependency has now reached truly byzantine proportions. The fact is that nobody really knows which component of the system, perhaps seemingly-small in itself, will, by failing, bring down the whole house of cards.
All we can really know is that this will happen...
..The inevitability of a financial crash far exceeding anything experienced in 2008-09 is being compounded by the process of global economic inflexion from growth into contraction.
Though much remains to be discovered, evaluated and located within chains of cause and effect, we can be in little real doubt that relentless rises in the Energy Costs of Energy have been combining with deterioration in non-energy natural resources to put prior growth in the material economy into reverse...
Though much remains to be discovered, evaluated and located within chains of cause and effect, we can be in little real doubt that relentless rises in the Energy Costs of Energy have been combining with deterioration in non-energy natural resources to put prior growth in the material economy into reverse...
..The knowledge that a financial crash cannot be avoided must change our expectations for the future...
..Looking ahead, the challenge is that of trying to interconnect the self-driving, destructive processes of financialization with the new phenomenon of the ending and reversal of material economic expansion. https://surplusenergyeconomics.wordpress.com/2025/03/30/301-how-bad-could-this-get/
After more than a decade of relentless drilling in the top U.S. oil-producing basin, the Permian, some areas have hit geological limits while others, yet to be drilled, are not expected to be as prolific as the prime Tier 1 acreage that producers have started to exhaust.
Top executives at major shale firms have already expressed opinions that Permian oil production could hit its peak as early as the end of this decade.
15 martyred humanitarian workers retrieved with tied hands from Rafah: The bodies of 15 humanitarian workers, previously besieged in Rafah, have been recovered. The workers had gunshot wounds in the chest. https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/15-humanitarian-workers-bodies-with-tied-hands-retrieved-fro
Greenland’s new prime minister blasts Trump, saying “We don’t belong to you” https://endtimeheadlines.org/2025/03/greenlands-new-prime-minister-blasts-trump-saying-we-dont-belong-to-you/#google_vignette
Le Pen conviction ‘a very big deal’ – Trump
The US president has said the prosecution of the French opposition leader reminds him of his own legal battles under the former administration https://swentr.site/news/615066-trump-comments-le-pen/
Will Poland cancel elections if the ‘wrong’ candidate wins? What happened in Romania may provide a hint
Parents ARRESTED For Complaining About Their Kid’s School In WhatsApp Group https://modernity.news/2025/03/30/parents-arrested-for-complaining-about-their-kids-school-in-whatsapp-group/
RFK Jr. Overhauls HHS, Launches Administration for a Healthy America
Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. today announced the creation of a new Administration for a Healthy America as part of a massive overhaul of HHS. Meanwhile, HHS will reportedly gain oversight of school meals and special education, President Donald Trump said last week. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/rfk-jr-overhauls-hhs-launches-administration-healthy-america/
Immune suppression: "Monkeypox" is a side effect of mRNA "vaccines"—according to the WHO! So maybe the best way to "fight" that "virus" is to STOP "vaccinating" NOW, eh?
“The W.H.O., with Bill Gates’ support and participation…administered a million ‘vaccines’ to Kenyan women…that were designed to sterilize them…against their knowledge…and against their will…” -HHS RFK Jr. https://choiceclips.whatfinger.com/2025/03/31/bill-gates-is-a-menace-to-society-the-w-h-o-with-bill-gates-support-and-participationadministered-a-million-vaccines-to-kenyan-womenthat-were-de/
Vaccine Stocks Tank, Moderna Craters After FDA Biologics Head Abruptly Steps Down
Top executives at major shale firms have already expressed opinions that Permian oil production could hit its peak as early as the end of this decade.
EU self-strangulation: Toothless EU Re-Export Ban on Russian LNG Kicks In https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Toothless-EU-Re-Export-Ban-on-Russian-LNG-Kicks-In.html
Stagflation will hinder both investment and consumer spending. Austerity will crimp fiscal borrowing and spending, and capital sloshing around the world seeking low-risk returns will face unprecedented challenges as capital controls proliferate and nations change the rules overnight.
I often focus on scale because this is a limiting factor. While there may well be growth opportunities for investing in developing nations, the scale of capital sloshing around global markets will find the investment pipelines the equivalent of a straw: there is no way to deploy $100 billion in small markets and economies, never mind $1 trillion or $10 trillion.
As Immanuel Wallerstein observed, Capitalism may no longer be attractive to capitalists as all these dynamics play out in a vast, inter-connected, unpredictable rebalancing of global interests and increasingly destabilizing attempts to solve complex, intractable problems with cobbled-together expediencies or doing more of what's already failed.
There won't be any "saves" in this rebalancing, and so the global recession will be deeper and longer than those relying on models based on the past two decades of hyper-globalization and hyper-financialization anticipate. https://charleshughsmith.substack.com/p/why-the-global-recession-will-be
Sounds tough? Yes, indeed, till you consider who is buying Russian oil. The largest buyers are China and India. Does Trump really believe either country will humiliate themselves by bending the knee and kissing his ring? ...
Boeing 747 freighters lead US’s urgent push to arm Ukraine fast
Charles Hugh Smith, Why the Global Recession Will be Deeper and Longer Than Pundits Anticipate
The degrees of national dependence will become increasingly consequential as mercantilist nations that have relied on exports for growth will find markets for their exports shutting down, crippling domestic growth. Nations that attempt to become self-sufficient will find the demands for capital investment will pressure consumer spending, even as the decline of cheap imports institutionalizes inflation and price increases that outstrip wage increases. Stagflation will hinder both investment and consumer spending. Austerity will crimp fiscal borrowing and spending, and capital sloshing around the world seeking low-risk returns will face unprecedented challenges as capital controls proliferate and nations change the rules overnight.
I often focus on scale because this is a limiting factor. While there may well be growth opportunities for investing in developing nations, the scale of capital sloshing around global markets will find the investment pipelines the equivalent of a straw: there is no way to deploy $100 billion in small markets and economies, never mind $1 trillion or $10 trillion.
As Immanuel Wallerstein observed, Capitalism may no longer be attractive to capitalists as all these dynamics play out in a vast, inter-connected, unpredictable rebalancing of global interests and increasingly destabilizing attempts to solve complex, intractable problems with cobbled-together expediencies or doing more of what's already failed.
There won't be any "saves" in this rebalancing, and so the global recession will be deeper and longer than those relying on models based on the past two decades of hyper-globalization and hyper-financialization anticipate. https://charleshughsmith.substack.com/p/why-the-global-recession-will-be
A "limited hangout" reveals a few secrets to limit reputational damage: Key Takeaways From NYT's Secret History Detailing US 'Shocking' Involvement In Ukraine War
Paul Craig Roberts, The Deep State Has Used the NY Times to Announce Its Withdrawal from Washington’s Conflict with Russia https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2025/03/31/the-deep-state-has-used-the-ny-times-to-announce-its-withdrawal-from-washingtons-conflict-with-russia/
Gilbert Doctorow, Latest twist in the ceasefire talks: Trump says he is “pissed off with Putin”
Trump has said he is ‘pissed off’ with Vladimir Putin for foot dragging over implementation of the talks on a ceasefire with Ukraine. He says he will impose secondary sanctions on Russian oil exports as punishment, so that any country buying Russian oil would be barred from selling anything to the United States. Sounds tough? Yes, indeed, till you consider who is buying Russian oil. The largest buyers are China and India. Does Trump really believe either country will humiliate themselves by bending the knee and kissing his ring? ...
..I conclude from this that Team Trump has indeed read closely Vladimir Putin’s remarks to the crew of the submarine Arkhangelsk in Murmansk on 27 March and understood that the Russian president has prepared an alternative scenario for ending the war when Trump’s initiatives fail. And they are headed for failure unless Trump can beat down Macron, Starmer, von der Leyen and the other European leaders who are working against his peace plans and plotting in every way to keep the war going...
..In the Financial Times article this evening, they say that ‘Trump’s outburst at Moscow’ relates also to Putin’s ‘attacking Zelensky’s legitimacy as Kyiv’s leader.’ This is striking in that Trump himself in a public address called Zelensky a dictator who has not held elections.
Judging by what this same FT article says about the 7 hours that Trump spent in Mar a Lago with the visiting Finnish premier Stubb, who is one of the most active plotters against the lifting of sanctions on Russia, it appears that Trump has decided against challenging the Europeans and is instead challenging Putin.
Needless to say, Trump has no cards to play against Putin. The secondary sanctions are nonsense, as I say above. And military pressure is equally nonsensical, given that NATO has done its best to defeat Russia till now, staying just short of actions that would precipitate WWIII.
My conclusion is that Trump is now throwing away his chances of achieving anything on the Ukraine-Russia war, and with that, throwing away his hopes for participating in the making of the New World Order that BRICS now are directing.
Of course, Trump being Trump, he may well have a 180-degree reversal of his position on all these matters tomorrow. But as I say, he would do much better just to shut up. https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2025/03/30/latest-twist-in-the-ceasefire-talks-trump-says-he-is-pissed-off-with-putin/
..In the Financial Times article this evening, they say that ‘Trump’s outburst at Moscow’ relates also to Putin’s ‘attacking Zelensky’s legitimacy as Kyiv’s leader.’ This is striking in that Trump himself in a public address called Zelensky a dictator who has not held elections.
Judging by what this same FT article says about the 7 hours that Trump spent in Mar a Lago with the visiting Finnish premier Stubb, who is one of the most active plotters against the lifting of sanctions on Russia, it appears that Trump has decided against challenging the Europeans and is instead challenging Putin.
Needless to say, Trump has no cards to play against Putin. The secondary sanctions are nonsense, as I say above. And military pressure is equally nonsensical, given that NATO has done its best to defeat Russia till now, staying just short of actions that would precipitate WWIII.
My conclusion is that Trump is now throwing away his chances of achieving anything on the Ukraine-Russia war, and with that, throwing away his hopes for participating in the making of the New World Order that BRICS now are directing.
Of course, Trump being Trump, he may well have a 180-degree reversal of his position on all these matters tomorrow. But as I say, he would do much better just to shut up. https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2025/03/30/latest-twist-in-the-ceasefire-talks-trump-says-he-is-pissed-off-with-putin/
According to a post on X by OSINTtechnical, a widely followed open-source intelligence account, eight Boeing 747 freighters took off from five American military bases—two from McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, three from Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina, one from Ramstein Air Base in Germany, one from MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, and one from Biggs Army Airfield in Texas—delivering critical supplies to support Ukraine’s ongoing war effort against Russia. https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2025/03/31/boeing-747-freighters-lead-uss-urgent-push-to-arm-ukraine-fast/
Poland’s ammo dwindles as Ukraine aid drains stockpiles fast https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2025/03/31/polands-ammo-dwindles-as-ukraine-aid-drains-stockpiles-fast/#google_vignette
However, the power distribution of the post-war era was unique. There is nothing ‘forever’ about it; nothing inherently permanent.
At a recent conference of Russian industrialists and entrepreneurs, President Putin highlighted both the global fracture, and set out an alternate vision which is likely to be adopted by BRICS and many beyond. His address was, metaphorically speaking, the financial counterpart to his 2007 Munich Security Forum speech, at which he accepted the military défie posed by ‘collective NATO’...
Netanyahu vows to escalate Gaza war, implement Trump’s displacement plan
Israeli prime minister vows to increase military offensive and enforce ‘voluntary migration’ plan backed by US President Donald Trump
Trump Dials Back Putin Criticism, Renews Attacks On Zelensky Forstalling Minerals Deal https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-dials-back-putin-criticism-renews-attacks-zelensky-stalling-minerals-deal
Ukraine has secret nuclear doomsday plan, according to former Zelensky adviser
Ukraine's leadership would rather destroy the entire country and the Russians with it than accept defeat, he claims In an interview with a Ukrainian journalist that he gave last month, Arestovych claimed that Ukraine’s current head of military intelligence, Kirill Budanov, has floated a plan to blow up all of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, and possibly some of Russia’s as well, if all other defensive measures fail. https://rmx.news/article/ukraine-has-secret-nuclear-doomsday-plan-according-to-former-zelensky-adviser/
Ukraine's leadership would rather destroy the entire country and the Russians with it than accept defeat, he claims In an interview with a Ukrainian journalist that he gave last month, Arestovych claimed that Ukraine’s current head of military intelligence, Kirill Budanov, has floated a plan to blow up all of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, and possibly some of Russia’s as well, if all other defensive measures fail. https://rmx.news/article/ukraine-has-secret-nuclear-doomsday-plan-according-to-former-zelensky-adviser/
Alastair Crooke, Transactional weakness tips the balance of power – ‘Hold to no illusions; there is nothing beyond this reality’
The post-WWII geo-political outcome effectively determined the post-war global economic structure. Both are now undergoing huge change. What remains stuck fast however, is the general (Western) weltanschauung that everything must ‘change’ only for it to stay the same. Things financial will continue as before; do not disturb the slumber. The assumption is that the oligarch/donor class will see to it that things remain the same. However, the power distribution of the post-war era was unique. There is nothing ‘forever’ about it; nothing inherently permanent.
At a recent conference of Russian industrialists and entrepreneurs, President Putin highlighted both the global fracture, and set out an alternate vision which is likely to be adopted by BRICS and many beyond. His address was, metaphorically speaking, the financial counterpart to his 2007 Munich Security Forum speech, at which he accepted the military défie posed by ‘collective NATO’...
..The Primakov Doctrine was the avoidance of binary alignments; the preservation of sovereignty; the cultivation of ties with other great powers, and the rejection of ideology in favour of a Russian nationalist vision.
Today’s negotiations with Washington (now narrowly centred on Ukraine) reflect this logic. Russia isn’t begging for sanctions relief or threatening anything specific. It is conducting strategic procrastination: waiting out electoral cycles, testing Western unity, and keeping all doors ajar. Yet Putin is not averse either to exerting a little pressure of his own – the window for accepting Russian sovereignty of the four eastern oblasts is not forever: “This point can also move”, he said.
It is not Russia racing ahead with the negotiations; quite the reverse – it is Trump who is racing ahead. Why? It appears to hark back to the American attachment to Kissinger-esque triangulation strategy: Subordinate Russia; peel away Iran; and then peel Russia from China. Offer carrots and threaten to ‘stick’ to Russia, and once subordinated in this way, Russia might then be detached from Iran – thus removing any Russian impediments to an Israel-Washington Axis attack on Iran...
Today’s negotiations with Washington (now narrowly centred on Ukraine) reflect this logic. Russia isn’t begging for sanctions relief or threatening anything specific. It is conducting strategic procrastination: waiting out electoral cycles, testing Western unity, and keeping all doors ajar. Yet Putin is not averse either to exerting a little pressure of his own – the window for accepting Russian sovereignty of the four eastern oblasts is not forever: “This point can also move”, he said.
It is not Russia racing ahead with the negotiations; quite the reverse – it is Trump who is racing ahead. Why? It appears to hark back to the American attachment to Kissinger-esque triangulation strategy: Subordinate Russia; peel away Iran; and then peel Russia from China. Offer carrots and threaten to ‘stick’ to Russia, and once subordinated in this way, Russia might then be detached from Iran – thus removing any Russian impediments to an Israel-Washington Axis attack on Iran...
..U.S. officials say the deadline for an Iran ‘decision’ is in the spring …
And with Russia reduced to supplicant status and Iran dealt with (in such fantastical thinking), Team Trump can turn to the main adversary – China.
Putin, of course, understands this well, and duly debunked all such illusions: “Set illusions aside”, he told delegates last week:
“Sanctions and restrictions are today’s reality – together with a new spiral of economic rivalry already unleashed …”.
“Hold to no illusions: There is nothing beyond this reality …”.
“Sanctions are neither temporary nor targeted measures; they constitute a mechanism of systemic, strategic pressure against our nation. Regardless of global developments or shifts in the international order, our competitors will perpetually seek to constrain Russia and diminish its economic and technological capacities …”.
And with Russia reduced to supplicant status and Iran dealt with (in such fantastical thinking), Team Trump can turn to the main adversary – China.
Putin, of course, understands this well, and duly debunked all such illusions: “Set illusions aside”, he told delegates last week:
“Sanctions and restrictions are today’s reality – together with a new spiral of economic rivalry already unleashed …”.
“Hold to no illusions: There is nothing beyond this reality …”.
“Sanctions are neither temporary nor targeted measures; they constitute a mechanism of systemic, strategic pressure against our nation. Regardless of global developments or shifts in the international order, our competitors will perpetually seek to constrain Russia and diminish its economic and technological capacities …”.
..These [challenges] are not the ‘problem’; they are the opportunity, Putin outlined: ‘We will prioritise domestic manufacturing and the development of tech industries. The old model is over. Oil and gas production will be simply the adjunct to a largely internally circulating, self-sufficient ‘real economy’ – with energy no longer its driver. We are open to western investment – but only on our terms – and the small ‘open’ sector of our otherwise closed economy will of course still trade with our BRICS partners’.
What Putin outlined effectively is the return to the mainly closed internally-circulating economy model of the German school (à la Friedrich List) and of the Russian Premier, Sergei Witte...
What Putin outlined effectively is the return to the mainly closed internally-circulating economy model of the German school (à la Friedrich List) and of the Russian Premier, Sergei Witte...
..The U.S. Administration has twow ansers to this conundrum: First, a multilateral agreement (on the lines of the 1985 Plaza Accord) to weaken the value of the dollar (and pari passu, therefore, to increase the value of the partner states’ currencies). This is the ‘Mar-a-Lago Accord’ option. The U.S.’ solution is to force the rest of the world to appreciate their currencies in order to improve U.S. export competitiveness.
The mechanism for achieving these objectives is to threaten trade and investment partners with tariffs and withdrawal of the U.S. security umbrella. As a further twist, the plan considers the possibility to revalue U.S. gold reserves – a move that would inversely cut the valuation of the dollar, U.S. debt, and foreign holdings of U.S. Treasuries...
..Well, it is obvious, is it not? A U.S. economic ‘re-balancing’ is coming. Putin is right. The post-WWII economic order “is gone”.
Futures Slide After WaPo Report Trump Seeks 20% Tariffs On Most Imports https://www.zerohedge.com/market-recaps/futures-slide-after-wapo-report-trump-seeks-20-tariffs-most-imports
Before that, Thiel had begun to make a name for himself as an innovative Straussian in Stanford University, where he founded the libertarian Stanford Review in 1987, serving as its editor-in-chief until his 1992 graduation...
..Well, it is obvious, is it not? A U.S. economic ‘re-balancing’ is coming. Putin is right. The post-WWII economic order “is gone”.
Thanks Eleni for this explanation of deep neocon and CIA roots and ties between Musk and Thiel:Elon Musk and Peter Thiel: Two sides of one Magic Trick
While Elon co-founded Zip2 as his first technology startup in 1995 (essentially selling digital phone books to various companies), Thiel’s entry into tech start ups also began around that time with his launching of a software company named Confinity in 1998. Before that, Thiel had begun to make a name for himself as an innovative Straussian in Stanford University, where he founded the libertarian Stanford Review in 1987, serving as its editor-in-chief until his 1992 graduation...
..In 2002, Paypal was purchased by Ebay for $1.5 billion, scoring a $175 million for Elon, and $55 million for Thiel. At this point, both Elon and Thiel were given patronage and direct support by leading directors of the CIA’s official venture capital firm In-Q-Tel...
..In-Q-Tel became the first official financial backer of Thiel’s Palantir in 2004 providing the original $2 million funding to launch the new tech surveillance firm.
The CIA’s interest in Palantir at this period was not so much due to American security as it was due to the failure of an earlier project dubbed ‘Total Information Awareness’...
The CIA’s interest in Palantir at this period was not so much due to American security as it was due to the failure of an earlier project dubbed ‘Total Information Awareness’...
..Strauss famously rejected the notion that purpose, morality or justice had any existence beyond social convention, and developed an elitist political theory that was exemplified by his statement:
“Because mankind is intrinsically wicked, he has to be governed… Such governance can only be established, however, when men are united and they can only be united against other people.”On top of his belief in the intrinsic wickedness of humankind, Strauss posited the need to unite humanity under the fear of constant terrors from beyond...
..Thus again, evil and lies are needed to accomplish the thing which Strauss and Thiel label “the Good”...
..Thiel celebrates the need for the cut-throat world of espionage and power projection of a world empire enforced by the military and political influence of the USA when he writes:
“Instead of the United Nations, filled with interminable and inconclusive parliamentary debates that resemble Shakespearean tales told by idiots, we should consider Echelon, the secret coordination of the world’s intelligence services, as the decisive path to a truly global pax Americana.”
The Echelon Project referred to by Thiel is the largest global surveillance program managed by the Five Eyes and created in the 1960s as a military intelligence surveillance program. Echelon would have been the principal agency interfacing with and directing the operations of Palantir at the time of Thiel’s writing. https://matthewehret.substack.com/p/elon-musk-and-peter-thiel-two-sides#_ftn1
“Instead of the United Nations, filled with interminable and inconclusive parliamentary debates that resemble Shakespearean tales told by idiots, we should consider Echelon, the secret coordination of the world’s intelligence services, as the decisive path to a truly global pax Americana.”
The Echelon Project referred to by Thiel is the largest global surveillance program managed by the Five Eyes and created in the 1960s as a military intelligence surveillance program. Echelon would have been the principal agency interfacing with and directing the operations of Palantir at the time of Thiel’s writing. https://matthewehret.substack.com/p/elon-musk-and-peter-thiel-two-sides#_ftn1
Israeli prime minister vows to increase military offensive and enforce ‘voluntary migration’ plan backed by US President Donald Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to intensify the ongoing war in Gaza and move forward with a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to forcibly displace Palestinians from the besieged territory.
Speaking at the start of a Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu claimed that "a combination of military and political pressure is the only way to recover the hostages, not the empty slogans I hear in TV studios". https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/netanyahu-vows-to-escalate-gaza-war-implement-trump-s-displacement-plan-/3524138
Israeli troops killed 15 Palestinian medics and buried them in a mass grave, UN says https://www.arabnews.com/node/2595483/middle-east
Speaking at the start of a Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu claimed that "a combination of military and political pressure is the only way to recover the hostages, not the empty slogans I hear in TV studios". https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/netanyahu-vows-to-escalate-gaza-war-implement-trump-s-displacement-plan-/3524138
The Israeli military has issued a sweeping evacuation order for the Gazan city of Rafah. At the same time, the Red Crescent has expressed outrage after its medics were killed by Israeli fire. https://www.dw.com/en/middle-east-updates-israel-orders-evacuation-of-rafah/live-72092274
At least 322 children reportedly killed in Gaza in 10 days: UN https://www.arabnews.com/node/2595505/middle-east
West Bank: Israeli settlers accused of stealing sheep: Stealing sheep is one of the methods Israeli settlers have used to deprive Palestinians in the occupied West Bank of their livelihoods, according to human rights groups. DW followed some activists in the Jordan Valley as they collected evidence. https://www.dw.com/en/west-bank-israeli-settlers-accused-of-stealing-sheep/video-72101632
All three were members of Sharaa’s extremist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) organization, the former branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria (when it was known as the Nusra Front), which has been officially dissolved, but retains the bulk of its fighting formation as part of the country’s new army and security apparatus.
Iran is against nuclear weapons already, but likes missiles. Trump Warns Iran Of Unprecedented Bombing Campaign If Nuke Deal Not Reached
US airstrikes kill 2, injure 7 in fresh raids on northern Yemen, say Houthis https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/us-airstrikes-kill-2-injure-7-in-fresh-raids-on-northern-yemen-say-houthis/3524804
Yemen's air defenses down 16th US MQ-9 drone https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/yemen-s-air-defenses-down-16th-us-mq-9-drone
Kiev looking to further delay elections – Ukrainian official
The country needs to amend legislation governing voting procedures and timelines, Ukrainian CEC Chair Oleg Didenko has claimed https://swentr.site/russia/615016-kiev-delay-presidential-election/
Europe's Remilitarization Myth: Why building on the success of rearmament is a bad idea
“We’ll get Greenland. Yeah, 100%,” Trump said, according to the news outlet. https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-says-u-greenland-military-005340629.html
Syrian interim president appoints new transitional government, promises 'new state'
A Christian woman, a Druze, a Kurd, and an Alawite were appointed to posts in the new government in line with western calls for ‘inclusivity’
Several of his top officials have retained their posts, including Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra. Anas Hassan Khattab, who served as intelligence director after the fall of the former government of Bashar al-Assad, was appointed as Minister of Interior.A Christian woman, a Druze, a Kurd, and an Alawite were appointed to posts in the new government in line with western calls for ‘inclusivity’
All three were members of Sharaa’s extremist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) organization, the former branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria (when it was known as the Nusra Front), which has been officially dissolved, but retains the bulk of its fighting formation as part of the country’s new army and security apparatus.
He told NBC News in a phone interview, "If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing. It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before." This is the most explicit and direct threat yet, after similar rhetoric from the White House last week. Three weeks ago President Trump sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader, urging fresh negotiations toward a new nuclear deal.
In that letter, which the Iranians only much belatedly acknowledged, Trump had issued a two-month deadline for Iran to sign a new deal, warning that if not then Tehran could face military action...
In that letter, which the Iranians only much belatedly acknowledged, Trump had issued a two-month deadline for Iran to sign a new deal, warning that if not then Tehran could face military action...
..Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has responded to these new Trump threats, saying Sunday that any future diplomatic discussion depends on Washington's behavior.
"While Iran’s response rules out the possibility of direct talks between the two sides, it states that the path for indirect negotiations remains open," he said. "As we have stated before, Iran has never closed the channels of indirect communication. In its response, Iran reaffirmed that it has never shied away from engaging in negotiations, but rather, it has just been the United States’ repeated violations of agreements and commitments that have created problems on this path," Pezeshkian added.
That's when the Iranian leader emphasized, "It’s the behavior of the Americans that will determine whether the negotiations can move forward." Iran has distrusted the Americans ever since Trump pulled out of the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal in April 2018. Currently Iran is only offering 'indirect' talks on the nuclear issue.
Rehearsing Iran Scenario: US Uses B-2s to Attack Houthis https://en.topcor.ru/58242-otrabotka-iranskogo-scenarija-ssha-zadejstvovali-b-2-dlja-udarov-po-husitam.html
"While Iran’s response rules out the possibility of direct talks between the two sides, it states that the path for indirect negotiations remains open," he said. "As we have stated before, Iran has never closed the channels of indirect communication. In its response, Iran reaffirmed that it has never shied away from engaging in negotiations, but rather, it has just been the United States’ repeated violations of agreements and commitments that have created problems on this path," Pezeshkian added.
That's when the Iranian leader emphasized, "It’s the behavior of the Americans that will determine whether the negotiations can move forward." Iran has distrusted the Americans ever since Trump pulled out of the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal in April 2018. Currently Iran is only offering 'indirect' talks on the nuclear issue.
Iran will retaliate if attacked, the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned in response to US President Donald Trump’s recent threat to bomb the country. https://www.rt.com/news/615050-tehran-response-trump-threat/
Iran will have 'no choice' but to get nukes if attacked, says Khamenei adviser https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20250401-iran-will-have-no-choice-but-to-get-nukes-if-attacked-khamenei-adviser-usa-trump-nuclear-weapons-deal-bombing-threats
Russia Seeks To Balance Ties With US, China: Official
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk made the remarks during an address on March 27 at the Boao Forum in China’s Hainan Province.
“As to the relationship between Russia, China, and the United States, we should not develop a relationship with one other country at the expense of another and vice versa,” Overchuk said, according to a translation of the comments first reported by Bloomberg. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-seeks-balance-ties-us-china-official
“As to the relationship between Russia, China, and the United States, we should not develop a relationship with one other country at the expense of another and vice versa,” Overchuk said, according to a translation of the comments first reported by Bloomberg. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-seeks-balance-ties-us-china-official
The country needs to amend legislation governing voting procedures and timelines, Ukrainian CEC Chair Oleg Didenko has claimed https://swentr.site/russia/615016-kiev-delay-presidential-election/
Europe is re-militarizing as part of the ReArm Europe Plan (now renamed to Readiness 2030). The “ambitious defence package, providing financial levers to EU Member States to drive an investment surge in defence capabilities” enables the spending of over €800 billion, structured around increased public expenditure, capital markets and European Investment Bank lending. That is, financed entirely from debt... Political views about perceived or real threats aside there is a strong case to be made that this initiative (if fully implemented) will pull the continent further deeper into the vortex of its accelerating economical and geopolitical decline.
The practice of "statecraft": Denmark Squandered Defenses Arming Ukraine, With Little Left To Defend Greenland
The practice of "statecraft": Denmark Squandered Defenses Arming Ukraine, With Little Left To Defend Greenland
But now Denmark has found itself embroiled in the unusual Greenland controversy, which escalated when President Trump said he has refused to take "military force off the table" in discussions on a potential US acquisition of Greenland. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/denmark-squandered-defenses-arming-ukraine-little-left-defend-greenland
Greenland’s new prime minister blasts Trump, saying “We don’t belong to you” https://endtimeheadlines.org/2025/03/greenlands-new-prime-minister-blasts-trump-saying-we-dont-belong-to-you/#google_vignette
Le Pen beats all other presidential candidates with ease in final poll before expulsion court hearing
Marine Le Pen is the clear frontrunner for France’s 2027 presidential election, but a court ruling due Monday could bar her from running https://rmx.news/article/le-pen-beats-all-other-presidential-candidates-with-ease-in-final-poll-before-expulsion-court-hearing/
In Latest Blow To European Democracy, Judge Rules Marine Le Pen Ineligible To Run For President In 2027
Le Pen sentence a ‘declaration of war by Brussels’ – Italian deputy PM, The verdict is a “bad film we are also seeing in Romania” Matteo Salvini declared
Marine Le Pen is the clear frontrunner for France’s 2027 presidential election, but a court ruling due Monday could bar her from running https://rmx.news/article/le-pen-beats-all-other-presidential-candidates-with-ease-in-final-poll-before-expulsion-court-hearing/
“Le Pen has been a prominent critic of NATO’s policies in Eastern Europe and has opposed Ukraine’s accession to the military bloc. She has also advocated against the EU’s anti-Russia policies.” https://swentr.site/news/615042-italy-salvini-reaction-lepen-/
They changed the financial rules 20 years later and found her guilty. France’s Le Pen sentenced to four years in jail
A Paris court has sentenced French right-wing politician Marine Le Pen to a four-year jail term, half of which is without parole, in a case involving the embezzlement of EU funds for her National Rally (RN) party. Le Pen has also been barred from running for president in 2027.
The verdict on Monday is the culmination of an extended case, in which RN and several of its senior figures were accused of diverting money meant for the offices of European Parliament members towards the national party structure. Le Pen and eight MEPs were found guilty of running the scheme between 2004 and 2016. https://swentr.site/news/615010-france-le-pen-sentenced-jail/
The verdict on Monday is the culmination of an extended case, in which RN and several of its senior figures were accused of diverting money meant for the offices of European Parliament members towards the national party structure. Le Pen and eight MEPs were found guilty of running the scheme between 2004 and 2016. https://swentr.site/news/615010-france-le-pen-sentenced-jail/
The US president has said the prosecution of the French opposition leader reminds him of his own legal battles under the former administration https://swentr.site/news/615066-trump-comments-le-pen/
British Council Institutes Harsher Criminal Sentencing, But Only For White Men https://www.zerohedge.com/political/british-council-institutes-harsher-criminal-sentencing-only-white-men
This is the age where strong gender identity is normally formed, swordfights and princess dresses. British Toddler Expelled From Nursery For Being 'Transphobic' Department for Education data in the UK has revealed that a toddler under the age of four was kicked out of a nursery after being accused of being “transphobic.” The Telegraph reports that the child was removed during the 2022-23 academic year for “abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity.” https://www.zerohedge.com/political/british-toddler-expelled-nursery-being-transphobic
Steve Kirsch, Mother of 1 yr old girl who died <12 hrs after 6 vaccine shots has a message: "These vaccine shots are dangerous"
Perfectly healthy 1-year old girl dies <12 hrs after 6 vaccine shots. Parents were never warned that vaccines can kill their child. The mother has a message for all mothers all over the world. https://kirschsubstack.com/p/mother-of-1-yr-old-girl-who-died Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. today announced the creation of a new Administration for a Healthy America as part of a massive overhaul of HHS. Meanwhile, HHS will reportedly gain oversight of school meals and special education, President Donald Trump said last week. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/rfk-jr-overhauls-hhs-launches-administration-healthy-america/
Another limited hangout to exclusively blame China for COVID? ‘Entirely Man-made’: Former U.K. Prime Minister Now Says COVID Leaked From Lab
In his new memoir, former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says COVID-19 resulted from scientists “splicing bits of virus together like the witches in Macbeth,” YouTube commentator John Campbell, Ph.D, reported. During the pandemic, Johnson said the virus came from a wet market in Wuhan, China. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/boris-johnson-covid-origins-john-campbell/ mRNA "vaccine" products cause the immune system to change from making fighting-antibodies to tolerating-antibodies. Post-vaccination IgG4 and IgG2 class switch associates with increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infections https://www.journalofinfection.com/article/S0163-4453%2825%2900067-2/fulltext
Immune suppression: "Monkeypox" is a side effect of mRNA "vaccines"—according to the WHO! So maybe the best way to "fight" that "virus" is to STOP "vaccinating" NOW, eh?
Under “potential side effects” for the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the WHO lists “monkeypox,” “smallpox,” and “cow pox” among hundreds of other disorders. They are listed under “infections and infestations” that emerge as “side effects” of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine. https://markcrispinmiller.substack.com/p/monkeypox-is-side-effect-of-mrna-vaccines-according-to-who
Alex Berenson, URGENT: mRNA Covid jabs change genetic structures in ways linked to cancer and autoimmune disorders
Scientists call the changes caused by the Pfizer and Moderna shots "epigenetic" - they occur around DNA's core and activate genes in ways that can promote tumor growth. https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/urgent-mrna-covid-jabs-change-genetic It is a mystery where some of the CO2 produced by humans is absorbed from the atmosphere. Oxygen and Carbon in the Atmosphere: the Critical Balance of Life
Gorshkov and Makarieva were right with the idea of the "biotic regulation" of the biosphere. https://livingearth.substack.com/p/oxygen-and-carbon-in-the-atmosphereCarbon Cheapskate (pictured neatly mowing 0.8 acre yesterday morning)
