Open Thread - Thurs 13 Feb 2025 - Cease Fire?
Cease Fire? Yea, Right.
So the supposed cease fire in Gaza (yea, right - one of many articles about the multiple failures of the cease fire and how it's really about ethnic cleansing), supposedly orchestrated by Trump, is already going to h*ll in a handbasket, or whatever (yet another example of how it's failing). It's not like we knew this would happen, is it? /* sarcasm */ It's not like it just gave a pause to Israel, so it could ramp up whatever it's going to do now. It's not like Trump is sending Israel stuff (the bulldozers, for example see Caitlin's post linked below) that even Biden didn't send, or maybe Biden's controllers couldn't get that done fast enough.
A week or so ago Chris Hedges wrote a pretty good article about all of this called 'The Western Way of Genocide'. He talks about what Gaza is like now, and it's, frankly, absolutely awful - 9 out of 10 homes destroyed or damaged, hospitals deliberately ruined, the university deliberately bombed into pieces, roads completely destroyed, shops, bakeries, towns obliterated, no food, no clean water, no sanitation, no power, no... nothing. The towns and villages are in rubble; they stink because of all the body parts and corpses underneath the rubble. These are the result of Israel killing at least 14% of Gaza's population, 306,000 people as Donziger writes.
Explore Gaza by Mr. Fish. Image from Hedges' article linked above.
Hedges writes in the article mentioned above:
Israel is convinced, probably correctly, that eventually life in the coastal strip will become so onerous and difficult, especially as Israel finds excuses to violate the ceasefire and resume armed assaults on the Palestinian population, a mass exodus will be inevitable. It has refused, even with the ceasefire in place, to permit foreign press into Gaza, a ban designed to blunt coverage of the horrendous suffering and death
Caitlin has a bit to say in her usual frank and perceptive way:
Trump has continued to push for Jordan and Egypt to take in Palestinians in facilitation of the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, and is adamant that both nations will eventually accede to his demands. The president told the press on Thursday that despite Jordan and Egypt’s rejection of Trump’s plans, “They will do it. They will do it. They’re gonna do it, okay? We do a lot for them, and they’re gonna do it.”
The Trump administration faces many obstacles in trying to force this agenda through, but they do appear committed to the idea that they’re going to be able to see this crime carried out to completion.
Biden destroying Gaza and then Trump working to ethnically cleanse it is such a classic case of the jab-cross combo that Democrats and Republicans employ to advance the agendas of the empire. They don’t just do evil things, they set up the other party to inflict new evils.
Her last paragraph is spot-on. Democrats and Republicans do jab-cross combos to achieve whatever the powers that be want. And peace in Gaza, a place that is Palestinian for the people that live there, is not what those powers want. I've sort of ignored paying attention to this, to all the hoopla in the press about Trump and the cease fire, because I knew it meant nothing really. Just another thing to roll my eyes at. If there was a real ceasefire, if the USA and Europe told Israel to STOP, and really meant it, and took away all the aid and the weapons and the support, I'd maybe believe the news. As it is, not a chance I'm doing that.
Here's the open thread - remember, everything is interesting if you dive deep enough, so tell us about where you're diving!
Comments
Thursday!
Almost Friday, almost the weekend! Hope that means fun stuff for everyone. Might be snowing here today, we'll see. It won't be much, but it'll be on top of cold frozen ground, so that'll be interesting.
Whatcha up to? Whatcha learning? Hope all is well!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Hey, good morning!
.
.
Egypt is amassing forces in the Israel direction, much to Bibi's chagrin.
The forces are being put in high alert readiness for ?? The news is sketchy.
Jordon and Egypt are calling for an emergency summit to discuss recent
developments in Palestine.
question everything
Wow, if Egypt...
actually attacks Israel, Israel is gonna be in trouble. Maybe they are amassing to protect against the 'immigrants' to make it harder for Israel and Trump to take over Gaza. Who knows?
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
In other news ..
.
DOGE now has a website up:
https://doge.gov/regulations
~
Matt Taibbi testifies before congress (again) on censorship:
https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1889878866434596920
~
The Trump administration has frozen funding to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)
https://news.antiwar.com/2025/02/12/trump-suspends-funding-to-the-nation...
wee haw
question everything
DOGE
The Lever has a new name for DOGE - the Department of Gaslighting Everyone. Works for me!
Thanks for the news and links!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
FWIW,
RFK,Jr. was confirmed as HHS Secretary.
Maybe we can expect our food to be safer. Maybe we can get more research on why one out of every 27 children born in the country is autistic.
Hopefully?
Thanks for the OT. Hedges is always a good read or good watch.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
guess the Pharma industry figured out
.
it was better to keep a low profile on this
particular nomination interference? Let it
go, we will still pay you and deal with it later.
Good for RFK, Jr. and probably good for us.
Unlike the Israel lobby, they are able to count
their beans before they hatch. PR nonsense.
question everything
Who knows?
I would like that research on autism to happen, although I suspect it's 1. As result of the ever-changing definitions of autism and it's 'spectrum' and 'types' and/or 2. Drugs and weird food and whatever ohh, and 3. it's popular now because of the movies and how autistics can be super, duper smart.
My sister is 60 years old, she is severely autistic. Severe. No language, waLks different, acts different, unable to read, screams, flaps her head, bites her arm and wrist, slams her head on the wall when upset or angry, can't handle any changes, shows no emotional reaction to anything, can't stand to be touched, wouldn't even allow my mom to touch her to get nursed as a baby, lived in a crib and ate graham crackers (if allowed it was all she'd eat) for her first seven years... severe. We believe her autism was caused by the drug the doctors gave my Mom during my sister's very long birth. It might have been Thalidomide, not sure. Hope RFK, Jr can find out.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Ouch, a terrible outcome for your sister
somehow, I think humans are
better off without modern medical
treatments. Know too many young
folks that are distorted. Not right.
So maybe RFK Jr. can change that?
One can hope.
question everything
I am so sorry
for your sister and you, and your family.
A woman in my tiny town has custody of her 4 young grand kids, pre-school, up to 2nd grade. All autistic.
Their lives do not resemble actual "life".
It resembles hell. The grandmother's goal is to just outlive them.
I love Nikko, just sayin'...
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
So true...
Their lives are not actual 'lives'. It's still something, but if they were born like this in times past, they'd be that lone person living in the cave outside the medieval town, if they were even alive. Outliving the kids is a good goal, my Mom had that for a long time, but she and my father have taken such good care of my sister that she's going to outlive them, I think, which means the hell is going to be mine. Heh.
Nikko loves you back!
Have a great weekend, my friend!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
The jab - crosspunch
is an apt description of how the two parties function. Looking back in recent history one can see the two are the left and right arm of the same pugilist.
Our battle is to dodge the blows and look for an opening for a knockout strike to the head.
But we need to find the head.
Windblown snow starting to stick and it's 28°.
Thanks for hosting.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Great description of what...
we have to do while trying to avoid the punches by the same boxer.
It's snowing here now too, very tiny flakes, like salt flakes. But the ground is covered! Hope the warming and melt come soon for both of us!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Controlling information
Vice President Trump...
I had to laugh
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Almost Friday indeed. Friday evening will bring many more
people out and about, as will Saturday and Sunday and then things will quiet down again. Meanwhile, it's mucho rain and NWS flood warnings that include our area and surrounding ares. If we stay home, we will be above all that but my wife has to go down into the flats for a medical appointment today, I have to go down there tomorrow for my infusion, and afterwards we will meet or go together on the margins thereof for dinner.
Sociological observation: We are in an unincorporated town, with several near by in and among moderately small cities and a couple of big ones. My immediate neighborhood and, to some extent, a larger zone around it, has many two car families, the family sedan, often hybrid or electric, and a pick-up truck, usually not. Today, and for the next few days, the pick-ups come out. My wife, for example, announced early today that "i'm going to take the truck today". The sedans, usually the vehicle of choice because of mileage and parkability, will sit idle as, no matter what the task or errand or the family member involved, the pick-ups hit the road and the hell with the mileage issues. Moar ground clearance and puddle tolerance, moar visible, greater field of view because higher up, etc. etc. Kind of funny.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Your description of the truck and car...
family is spot on! That is what My husband and I have, a very small, very nice, old Honda Civic (gets 40 mph even though it's about 24 years old) and a truck. And the truck is doing all the work right now :).
I hope the trips you have to take down into the flat aren't too bad, no floods, and the rain is only 'moderate'. Heh, whatever that means.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Darn it all
.
We’re getting a massive snowstorm finally that will last all day, but the wind is blowing so hard the snow is falling horizontally and it makes it 11 degrees. I love walking in the snow, but my face just can’t take the wind.
I haven’t told Sam yet that we are staying home. Hopefully the wind will die down and we can. 20 minutes and the streets and sidewalks are covered.
Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.
NO wind!
Windy snowstorms can be awful. I've tried wrapping my face with a scarf and wearing sunglasses, doesn't help, the wind still gets me way too cold. Today Nikko went into the garden and fetched an ice berg out of the bird bath. It's now on the lawn, and it is not melting. It was 18 here last night, which is really cold for here.
Hopefully you and Sam were able to get a walk in. Nikko loves it when it snows, but then he should, he's from Finland
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Nope
No walk today. The wind just wouldn’t quit. It snowed tiny flakes all day and we only have less than 4 inches, but it’s warming up and it should melt quickly. Everyone is out shoveling, but I’m just gonna let it melt on its own. Besides I have 4 wheel drive so I’m not worried. Up to the 40’s soon.
Hopefully there will be some left for Sam to play in. I want her to make another snow snake. She gets on her tummy and skoots along. Tre cute.
Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.
Sam's...
snow snake sounds really cute
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Just had a 3.5 (plus an aftershock) at 11:52, that helps. n/t
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
They're saying a 3.4 followed by a 3.2, both following a
2,7 six hours ago. They're all clustered a little south of Cal State Hayward. Fairly sharp 'cause only 6 km deep, but still pretty small for us.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
crank it up ..
get your neighbors to move!
question everything
I remember those...
'low level' earthquakes in CA. Of course, we had a lot of them where I grew up, in the Santa Cruz mountains. I was too young to find them alarming. I would now! I hope they don't mean anything more serious.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Nah. There was another around 2pm, bigger. I had accompanied
my wife to her appointment and was sitting in a waiting room on the third floor when it hit. Goodly lateral movement, but that is designed in these days, be like bamboo and bend, don't break. All quiet so far today.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Quiet!
No more shakeys!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
A bad week for the Navy.
Apparently, the USS Harry S. Truman CVN-75 just collided with a bulk freighter (Besiktas-M, Panama flag) off Port Said, Egypt, in the Med. Damage unknown at this time, although the below link says no flooding and under her own power.
Which begs the question- how the hell did a 620-foot bulk freighter even get close enough to a US nuclear aircraft carrier to *collide* with it? Where were the watchstanders on the carrier- and more to the point, where were the watchstanders on all of the escort ships in the carrier's support group?
Hoo boy. A whole bunch of naval officer careers just ended, starting with the Truman's skipper and heading down the list...
https://www.c6f.navy.mil/Press-Room/News/Article/4065260/uss-harry-s-tru...
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Interesting location.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Indeed.
Apparently the bulker had just finished a Suez transit. And the Truman had just made a port call at a USN facility in the Med a week or so ago.
Bizarre.
https://gcaptain.com/aircraft-carrier-uss-harry-s-truman-involved-in-col...
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Yes, very bizarre
It seems like this kind of collision, between two such enormous ships, would be impossible. Note, though, the merchant ship apparently 'previously collided with M/V Common Spirit in August 2016 in the Bangladesh port city of Chittagong, according to the ship tracking site Vessel Tracker.' says, this article : https://news.usni.org/2025/02/13/breaking-uss-harry-s-truman-collides-wi...
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
military ships routinely turn off their AIS
.
signaling devices for 'security' reasons
if the captain is relying on that data to
establish a course, the military ship will
not be visible. Radar and human eyeballs
would have detected a collision course.
Maybe ship navigation is now computer
driven? Seems pretty stupid to me. Too
many variables are involved.
PS. have driven many ships over the years
you learn early on if another ship does not change
its bearing off the bow, you are in a crossing situation
right of way and stand-on mean nothing in open waters
the principle concept is to avoid contact.
question everything
Seems like a reasonable assessment of the situation.
The rest of the tweet:
Directly related
Simplicious puts a huge damper on the Trump/Putin phone call.
Trump did not sell out Ukraine because no deal was made yesterday. Period. Trump said that they would meet in Saudi Arabia, but no to that too. If either of them were serious about ending the war they would have set up a time and place to meet and discuss it.
Simp brings up the Minsk ploy that Russia signed in good faith only to find out that Europe never intended to uphold it and America told Zelensky to ignore it. That’s coming back to bite everyone in the a**. Deal with it. People make a big deal out of Russia taking 3 years to get what it’s gotten now, but remember that Ukraine had 8 years to set up and fortify their defenses and Russia has been destroying them one by one. At a minimum loss of both civilian lives and Russian casualties.
Besides Zelensky isn’t the valid president of Ukraine and he has said no talking to Russia. Elections aren’t going to be held until fall so who would Putin negotiate with?
Hegseth did set some boundaries, but even they aren’t written in stone. But it’s good that we are finally talking with Russia. This war did not need to happen.
Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.
I’ve mentioned before how good the Ukraine
propaganda is. This is what pro Ukraine people believe.
“Russia is losing hundreds of thousands of soldiers every day and they have to steal washing machines to get chips to make their weapons.”
Now that USAID has been dismantled and the CIA funded news sites are having trouble staying open I’m hoping that people who believe the nonsense will get their eyes opened. They seem to be personally vested in what happens to Ukraine.
Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.
the discussions between Putin and trump
.
will not amount to much
the trumpet wants to make a 'deal'
he is on the losing end and Putin knows it
getting Ze out of the negoiations is a good start
as he has no more power without the US.
Biden no longer holds the cards, so peace is
possible.
question everything
Good points and
a great article by Simplicius. I too think it's good we are talking with Russia. Maybe that'll lead somewhere.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Reasonable assessment
to me. Wonder when we are going to pivot to having China be the worst enemy and start to get along with Russia?? Seems like the powers that be are delaying a bit!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
(No subject)
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
The phone call
is meaningless.
Putin has no other option but to continue forward in crushing the Ukrainian/American/NATO military machine and physically eliminating the Nazi brigades.
Ukraine has no legitimate leader to sign an agreement of any kind and the perfidious western leaders are not agreement capable.
Putin must push for unconditional surrender.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
unfortunately an unconditional surrender
.
.
will still not stomp out the roaches in the western based global ambitions
if Ze gets swiped, another puppet will be in place to continue
the bludgeoning by NATO against the east. Putin knows this, Xi is also well
aware of the power grab underway. This war will grind on until the US gives
up their pursuit of global domination. Probably won't happen in my lifetime.
question everything
46 million
We have seen the methods of empire applied first in foreign lands, but eventually applied on the "home front". How long before the campaign of Gaza genocide comes home?