The Weekly Watch
Already August?
The wheel of the year seems to spin ever faster. It is the time of the Caesar's. We left Julius month and are now into Augustus month, the only two 31 day months back to back. Augustus brought on the end of the Roman Republic and the start of the Roman empire, and Julius played his part as well. Perhaps this August we're witnessing the end of the US empire? The D.C. egos will have a difficult time accepting loses in two wars. I suspect we accelerate our terrorism and covert actions around the world in an attempt to suppress the rise of BRICS+ since we seem incapable of doing it militarily. It's ironic, we declare war on terrorism and become the world's biggest terrorist. Well, on we go through time, and the world is changing quickly. More about those changes below the fold.
I wake every morning wondering what happened last night. Who attacked what? Mercurial Trump says we're talking and close to a deal one day, and we're going to destroy their civilization the next. I've been comparing Trump to Caligula (given the Epstein affair), but many comparisons are drawn by those interviewed below. In the big picture I think we've lost both wars. Are we capable of admitting that, and bring our troops home? Unfortunately, I doubt we're able to do so. So on it goes. More death, more debt, more destruction, more chaos, more ill will to the US around the world...caught in the spiral of the collapsing empire.
Much of the US dilemma stems from our lack of diplomacy. Ian Proud and Chas Freeman were both excellent diplomats and talk of their experiences and what is needed for diplomacy.
Send in the Clowns | Why Real Diplomacy Has Collapsed in the West: Ambassador Chas Freeman
(66 min) Whitcoff and Kushner are of course the clowns. Chas joke: If the Russians were cannibals they wouldn't eat them, Clown's taste funny.
In this candid conversation, legendary American diplomat Chas Freeman (Nixon’s China interpreter, U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia) delivers a devastating diagnosis of why professional diplomacy has collapsed in the West — and what has replaced it.
Former British diplomat Ian Proud and Freeman share unforgettable stories of diplomatic life:
• Driving the Chinese-Soviet border with Jack Matlock
• Learning Thai after a disastrous dinner with Bill Casey
• Outmaneuvering Saudi princes and Thai police generals
• The sophisticated (and savage) art of diplomatic put-downs
Conversation turns to the present: the rise of “securocrats” and political amateurs, the Ukraine talks, and why the Global South is quietly outperforming the West at the one skill that still prevents wars.
Want to know how difficult diplomacy really is and how war is far too often the easier choice for leaders who refuse to engage?
This is not a polite policy discussion. It’s a masterclass in real statecraft — and a warning about what happens when you send in the clowns.
0:00 – Introduction & living in the “geezer warehouse”
2:15 – Jack Matlock, Kashgar to Bishkek & the drunken Russian border
8:40 – Uyghurs, Islamic University & “Welcome Big Noses”
12:50 – Urumqi after the Soviet collapse & Chinese business retreat
16:30 – Manchuria, Russian paranoia & the Tumen River port story
21:45 – Why diplomats must leave the embassy (Beijing political counselor)
25:20 – First posting in Madras: jails, temples & Jewish hippies
28:50 – Bill Casey’s red-wig dinner & learning Thai overnight
35:10 – The second Casey dinner: kickboxing, whores & parties
38:40 – China vs Thailand: personal vs professional relationships
42:15 – The Thai police general & the murdered backpackers
45:30 – Prince Sultan & the Najaf/Karbala demarche
48:20 – Gutting the Foreign Service & the “plutocratic Cultural Revolution”
51:00 – What real diplomacy is (and isn’t)
54:10 – The coming multi-nodal world (not multipolar)
57:40 – Diplomacy during war & why the Chinese keep their embassies open
1:00:20 – Diplomatic Tradecraft book & securocrats vs real diplomats
1:03:15 – “We have sent in the clowns” (Witkoff, Kushner & Ukraine)
1:05:00 – Salisbury expulsions, tact & final reflections
Chas also had an excellent conversation with Glenn Diesen.
Chas Freeman: Middle East in Transition & a New World Order (57 min)
Ambassador Freeman was a former Assistant Secretary of Defense, earning the highest public service awards of the Department of Defense for his roles in designing a NATO-centred post-Cold War European security system and in reestablishing defence and military relations with China. He served as U. S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Ambassador Freeman discusses the need for the West to rediscover diplomacy and adjust to a very different world.
Wonderful World SAM COOKE (with lyrics)
Here in the US, we don't know our own history much less world history. Doug lays out the connections.
(46 min) Douglas Macgregor: Iran Became the Graveyard of the U.S. Empire & Israel
A comment from under the clip: Unexpected history lesson from Macgregor today, and very valuable too
Doug also had a good conversation with Cyrus Janssen-
Douglas Macgregor: America and Israel Have Lost Iran War (37 min)
Colonel Douglas Macgregor joins me to discuss why he believes America's current foreign policy is failing, how Iran has emerged from the conflict in a stronger position, why the Strait of Hormuz has become a major strategic setback for Washington, and what these developments mean for President Donald Trump moving forward.
We also examine the future of Ukraine, Israel's military position, the growing influence of BRICS, the outlook for the global economy, rising oil prices, and why China may have been the biggest geopolitical winner of the entire crisis.
00:00 - Intro to Colonel Macgregor
00:57 - How Ukraine Has Changed Future of
02:01 - How the Middle East Is Getting More Dangerous
02:51 - Why the US Saudi Nuclear Deal Failed
03:35 - How Trump Lost Power to China
04:44 - How Iran War Has Become a Regional War
06:15 - Why the US Doesn’t Have a Strategy in Iran
07:15 - The US Failed Strategy in Iran
08:05 - How Iran Survived and Controls It’s Future
09:30 - How the Rules Based Order Failed
11:00 - Will the US Launch a Ground Invasion?
14:00 - Why the US Must Pull Out of Iran
15:00 - How the US Lost the Strait of Hormuz
16:40 - Why Trump Needs an Iran Deal
18:06 - What Will Netanyahu Trump Meeting Accomplish?
20:33 - Why Ukraine Is Failing
21:40 - How Israel is Losing the War
23:15 - How BRICS Will Respond to the War
24:15 - How the US Doesn’t Have a Strategy
25:03 - What Will Happen During the Midterms?
26:45 - The Truth About the US Economy
28:15 - Why Oil Still Will Go Higher
30:00 - How China Saved the World
31:20 - Why Trump Needs a Deal
32:30 - The Problems with the US Military
33:20 - How Trump Lost All Credibility
34:33 - Trump Lacks Mental Capacity To Serve
35:29 - Closing Thoughts
Larry Wilkerson follows up with some historical and personal analysis as well.
(77 min) Larry Wilkerson: Iran Strikes U.S.-Escorted Tankers in Hormuz; 2 Hit, 4 Forced to Retreat
Seyed M. Marandi: Iran & Yemen to Unleash Missiles on Gulf, Israel
(62 min) It's always good to hear an on the ground report from Tehran.
Phil Giraldi : What Bibi Told Donald …
(22 min) Phil's article:
Ironic isn’t it? The US which kills 163 schoolgirls and teachers in Iran using double tap weapons to make sure that all of them die is preaching to the world about Russian alleged immorality in war while its “best friend” and “closest ally” Israel slaughters tens or possibly even hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in what nearly the entire world except Washington views as a genocide. It makes one want to laugh, or cry, but for better or worse Trump has again been outmaneuvered by the leaders of Israel and Ukraine and America is now de facto engaged in wars in both Eurasia and the Middle East.
Alex Krainer ponders on Israeli control of the US.
(60 min) Alex Krainer: The Inevitable Just Happened: MASSIVE Middle East Shifts
This was my introduction to Matt Bracken...
(55 min) Drone Strike on Egypt, War Widens /Lt Col Daniel Davis & Matt Bracken
I love his use of maps to add perspective to the situation in western Asia.
Matt is scheduled to speak with Nima today at 1pm central
Matt Bracken: Iran's Non-Stop Attacks Ended America's Massive Iraq Footprint – Trump Pulls the Plug
Rather than comparing us to the Romans, Robert Barnes suggests it is like being ruled by Shakespeare's King Lear.
(53 min) Iran's Tougher, More Defiant Than Ever /Robert Barnes & Lt Col Daniel Davis
Robert's law center 1776 is holding it's fund raiser an hour away from me in Chattanooga, TN. Tickets for the weekend were $999, a little steep for me despite the good cause. If you've never been to Chattanooga, Alex Christoforou is doing his walk and talks from there. It is a lovely city.
Boeing Crushes Zelensky Dream. Tusk Says No To Article 5. China Denies Missiles To Iran Report
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:24 Missile lands in Poland, 10 meter crater
00:01:37 Russia strikes Kiev and Lviv
00:03:15 Tusk and EU response to Poland missile
00:07:58 Zelensky on Hannity talks Crimea and NATO
00:09:23 Zelensky asks Trump for 300 Patriot interceptors
00:12:47 Boeing refuses Patriot missile license to Ukraine
00:17:14 China denies sending missiles to Iran
00:19:12 Pavel Durov declared wanted in Russia
00:23:35 Lindsey Graham gets an air base named after him
He walks past the art museum and along the river (you can see the aquarium behind him). For some reason the pedestrian bridge was closed.
Spain Ceuta Crisis. Zelensky Caught Lying. Merz's Secret Plan Stop To AfD
00:00 Intro from Chattanooga
00:28 Ceuta crisis in Spain
03:47 Who controls the Strait of Gibraltar
05:34 Sanchez blames the mafia
07:14 Meloni vows to block migrants
08:40 Von der Leyen responds on Ceuta
11:10 Merz's secret plan against AfD
15:34 Zelensky's Fox News interview
17:26 Ukraine casualty numbers questioned
22:43 Trump pours cold water on Patriot license
25:07 Gaza ceasefire and Hamas disarmament
27:27 Saudi Arabia's Strait of Hormuz force
27:56 FIFA's Infantino sells off subsidiary
35:11 Loomer's failed interview
38:04 Von der Leyen's AI claims fact checked
I've not yet watched this one, but I see he is starting at TVA headquarters on Broad St.
S Ditches German Command Center. Russia Hits Kiev. Zelensky Fails to Meet Musk
00:00:00 Iran regime
00:00:44 Saturday update: massive Russian missile strike hits Kiev
00:02:44 No Patriot interceptors left for Ukraine this winter
00:03:26 Boeing reportedly blocks Patriot licenses to Ukraine
00:04:19 Lockheed Martin awarded $58 billion Patriot contract
00:05:13 Marco Rubio signals renewed US Russia Ukraine diplomacy
00:06:15 Zelensky asks Trump for a meeting with Elon Musk
00:07:47 Zelensky requests more Starlink and Star Shield access
00:08:42 US pulling back from Wiesbaden command center in Germany
00:11:03 Pentagon ends leadership of Ukraine aid coordination group
00:13:18 Russia reportedly sharing intel with Iran against US strikes
00:16:17 Reports of a major two week US strike campaign on Iran
00:19:51 Ceuta Spain migrant crisis and Morocco's role examined
00:26:53 Ukraine blames Russian propaganda for Ceuta coverage
Larry Johnson is in Chattanooga too. He's been speaking daily with Nima.
They're scheduled to speak together at 9AM today.
I Called It Off: Trump Confirms Scrapped Iran Attack Amid Drone Impacts in Kurdistan
Here's last night's conversation.
US & Israel About to Launch Most Extensive Bombing Campaign Yet on Iran's Energy Grid (50 min)
It appears Trump called off the massive strike at least last night.
Larry's recent articles-
Trump Mulls Strikes on Iran’s Oil and Power Infrastructure
CBS News reported today (Friday, July 31, updated at 7:38 pm EDT) that the US and Israel are planning what would be one of the harshest bombing campaigns to date against energy infrastructure targets in Iran, with strikes possible throughout the weekend, per multiple sources.
...
The most telling detail is that the timing for an attack is being set by markets, not the battlefield. According to CHX, there was discussion about trying to conclude the strikes before financial markets open Monday, out of concern for how the bombings will affect the US and global economy, though no firm endpoint was locked in. That’s the piece most relevant to whether Trump will order the attack… he is trying to compress a strike on Iranian energy infrastructure into a weekend window specifically to get ahead of the oil-price and market reaction — which is an implicit admission of how severe they expect the energy-market fallout to be.
Was the Drone Attack on US LNG Tanker in Egypt a False Flag?
I think the attack at Damietta was an Israeli false flag that was intended to stir tensions between Cairo and Tehran. ...
Egypt’s Minister of Information, in an interview with Al Arabiya, denied the Wall Street Journal’s claim that the Egyptian government considered Iran responsible for the drone attack on two ships in Damietta port.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Aragchi issued a statement insisting that it wasn’t Iran and that it was an Israeli false flag operation to try to drag Egypt into an anti Iranian coalition. I think Aragchi is correct.
So things change quickly.
Pepe suggest the end is coming soon as US oil reserves dwindle.
Iran's Mid-August Red Line- SPR at Its LOWEST Since 1983-Why Mid-August Decides
(40 min) The Strategic Petroleum Reserve just hit its lowest level since 1983, Washington signals it won’t tap further, and the Strait of Hormuz remains contested — and this briefing examines why the next two weeks may decide the US–Iran war. Recorded July 31 as Saudi Arabia’s new Red Sea coalition drew a “full escalation” warning from Yemen.
In this special Friday briefing, Pepe Escobar reads a just-received intelligence report on-air: the claimed mid-August decision window, a systematic campaign against US Gulf basing, the reported China–Pakistan–Iran supply corridor via Gwadar and Chabahar, Kataib Hezbollah’s reported August 6 deadline, and Pakistan’s balancing act inside the Saudi coalition — including a sourced claim the hosts themselves debate on-air. Claims are labeled throughout as confirmed, developing, or unverified.
Pepe's recent articles
Yemen, an Islamic betrayal and the expanding battlefield
The divided lands of Islam never cease to amaze – and deceive – when it comes to their serial stark betrayal of the principles of Islam.
The House of Saud has launched a “coalition” against Yemen – under the pretext of protecting shipping in the Red Sea.
The deaf, dumb and blind Empire of Piracy
(A play on the Who's rock opera Tommy)
There’s already a Greatest Hits playing all across the spectrum. Featuring, for instance, Tower 22 – which supports ops in al-Tanf; Muwaffaq Salti Air Base – which hosts U.S. aircraft for multiple ops; Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, which supports intel and special ops; Bahrain, which as everyone knows hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet HQ; Kuwait – a massive logistics and staging area; Qatar – which hosts the forward HQ of CENTCOM and the largest U.S. air base in West Asia.
Hits on all these nodes relentlessly undermine the myth of American power projection. New rules determine these nodes are essentially being rendered deaf, dumb and blind. Unlike The Who’s classic, Persia is now the kid in the (military) candy store, playing a mean pinball against the Empire of Chaos, Lies, Plunder and Piracy.
What about Ukraine?
With all the back and forth in Western Asia, Ukraine fades in coverage.
The Duran have maintained their reporting on Ukraine...
(29 min) Neutral Mediator No More. Zelensky In DC, New Ceasefire Trap
00:00:00 New ceasefire proposal to Putin explained
00:00:32 Zelensky heading to DC to meet Trump
00:01:16 Putin already rejected this deal at SPIEF
00:03:05 Drone strikes meant to pressure Russia
00:05:38 Is the neutral mediator narrative finally dead
00:08:07 Rubio admits US is backing Ukraine
00:09:18 Putin says he won't be fooled again
00:12:16 Putin's tough Navy Day speech to commanders
00:15:52 Will Russia stop at Donbass or push further
00:23:13 Trump risks losing two wars at once
Russia continues to advance...
(44 min) Final Battle. Donbass And Zaporozhzhye Lines Crack
00:00 Intro: the situation on the ground in Ukraine
00:57 Donbass nears its decisive final battle
01:41 Rapid Russian advances toward Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia
04:32 Russians breaking through the last defense lines
06:35 Why the fall of Zaporizhzhia city would be catastrophic
11:46 Left bank versus right bank Ukraine explained
13:56 Donbass: the decisive battlefield since 2022
17:22 Russia closes in on Dobropillya
20:53 A cauldron forms around Sloviansk and Kramatorsk
20:53 Mystery deepens over the battle for Lyman
26:34 Trump's disconnect from battlefield reality
26:57 Odessa's total naval blockade explained
30:35 Russian FAB bombs start hitting Odessa's port
34:03 Ukraine's Caspian Sea strikes on Iranian shipping
39:42 What happens if bone crushing sanctions pass
300 Patriot Missiles Will Not Solve Ukraine Air Defense Crisis
(33 min)
00:00 Russian Strike on Kiev and Lviv
00:42 Missile Lands in Poland Near Lublin
01:53 Was It a KH101 or Another Ukrainian S300
03:30 Ukraine Poland Tensions Rise
05:29 Muted Western Media Reaction
06:24 Trump Administration Stays Silent
07:50 Tusk Demands More Patriots for Ukraine
09:24 Von der Leyen Blames Russian Aggression
13:21 Will Poland Show the Evidence to Russia
16:48 Zelensky Begs Trump for 300 Interceptors
17:24 Boeing Blocks the Patriot License
21:25 Massive Strike Details and the Odessa Blockade
27:46 Russia's Rasvet and the Geran Drone Threat
30:18 The Grift Behind the War
32:22 Ukraine's Collapsing Front Lines
So here we are losing two wars with egos too large to run and cut our loses. Sadly the whole world will pay the price as economic disaster unfolds.
The following survival tips are nothing new but some people may find them useful...
(32 min) 25 Silent Rules of Survival Our Grandparents Followed Without Ever Writing Them Down
I found this interesting but I have some issues...
(8 min) Top 10 Barter Items in 1990's Bosnia - Lessons for a US Collapse
Notice food nor water are mentioned? I would prefer a magnifying glass for fire because a lighter will run out of fuel. Soap isn't that hard to make fat and lye (which can be made from ashes). So being resourceful is a primary requirement in my book.
No doubt we need to prepare. I'm already seeing grocery items no longer being stocked...back ordered. Stock up on those food items you regularly use and will store well...canned goods and easy to store items. We always keep a few gallons of water in case of a power outage (we have a well). As the first video suggests, keep some cash stashed at your home. I also have a couple of hundred mercury dimes (90% silver) worth about $5-6 each just in case cash becomes obsolete. I keep 10 gallons of non-ethanol gas which I treat with Sta-bil (fuel stabilizer). Don't wait, prepare now and hope you won't have to use it.
Wishing us all the best in these volatile times. In the comments below share your favorite prepping tricks, insights, and news items. Have a great Sunday!
Comments
Hey, good morning
.
another watch chuck full of juicy vids. Wonder why
Alex is in Chattanooga? Must be some hoodoo going on.
For the Barnes fundraiser? Must be something more.
Anyway, the trumpet schizoid agenda continues toward
the big flush which is the loss of US hegemony. Not just in
West Asia but globally. How did that 'Board of Peace' work out?
Failing diplomacy is not helping anything.
Thanks for the watch!
Zionism is a social disease
The duran, Larry Johnson, Daniel Davis...
A variety of doctors, farmers, and many other are in Chattanooga for the Barnes fund raiser. Nothing nefarious that I know about. It has been drizzle and so it is fairly cool for August, so I bet the folks are enjoying the meeting...hope so anyway.
I caught this and thought of you...
The Mysterious Disappearance Of A Sea Pioneer | Joshua Slocum Documentary
(44 min) Documentary chronicling the life and career of Joshua Slocum, the sailor who became the first solo circumnavigator of the globe. From his birth in Nova Scotia in 1844 to his mysterious disappearance at sea in 1909, this film offers an in-depth view of a fearless and charismatic sailor, writer and adventurer.
First solo sailor around the world...and he never learned to swim?
Thanks for today's visit.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Dunno if Slocum's disappearance is so much mysterious as
merely unexplained. Mysterious would be they found the Spray sailing along with a reefed main sail and breakfast on the table or something like that. MNY, MANY WAys he and his boat could have met their demise or he may have been blown off to Guyana or someplace, gone ashore and stayed on, leaving the spray to be converted into something entirely different by the locals. A certain number of "small boats" have, do, and will go missing. Sometimes on purpose, but mostly probably not.
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 --
What I found interesting...
...was his life sailing since a boy, rising to master of merchant ships, and the onset of steamers and the demise of sailing ships. It was the times.
His disappearance was really not feature in the little documentary.
I think there's evidence now about Amelia, who also had a mysterious disappearance.
All the best!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good morning Lookout, thanks for the WW and OT.
Particular thanks for the timeline-transcripts or summaries. Multi-nodal instead of multi-polar is a good concept and securocrat is a wonderful term and category, btw.
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 --
I like when they offer those timelines...
I include them if the creators post them.
Looks like the left coast is hot and dry? We got 6.6" last month. Very unusual, but it is a strong El Nino year when we often get summer moisture.
Hope you have an excellent Sunday!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Today's hi-lo is supposed to be 58-84, but our house is in a
little bowl and our temps run high, we'll see at least 90 some-odd and maybe 100 or above by late afternoon. Is good for the tomatoes as long as I keep the ollas full so they get enough agua.
be well and habe 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 --
Good morning, LO!
I don't have any projects planned for today, so I can explore the WW thoroughly.
What I am noticing at the grocery store is certain items are sold out more often than not. We have a plan to make more room for more food pantry space. Pricier items aren't sold anymore, and the cheapest items have taken up the shelf space.
I have a huge concern about the new price tag scheme which bases your biometrics and buying history with the price you pay at checkout. Many videos exist that show Walmart checkout prices vary from the price you were shown on your app. Others show they people were charged for items they didn't buy.
Other stores are using this optimal pricing strategy. How the hell do you shop when nothing you put in your cart had a price tag? Buying online for store pick up secures the price, but do you really want a store employee to select your lettuce or jar of mayo, when there job is to clear out the oldest on the shelf before the newer, fresher product is sold?
We can boycott a particular chain of stores, but not all of them, all at once.
I am selling office furniture, and now have a second person interested in buying my office. Semi-retirement is edging ever closer!
Thanks for this interesting and informative WW, dear friend.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Enjoy your day off!
Sounds like the retirement is progressing nicely. Best of luck with it!
Hope you find an interview or two of interest. Take care!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
A bit of RUs news, from Sputnik
Meanwhile Ukraine is losing ground troops, vehicles and ground. Looks like they're all in on the drone attacks and just letting the infantry try to survive.
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 --
Russia is bearing down...
...while we are occupied in Iran. Makes sense.
wonder how long they keep it going. When defeated, The Duran suggest they will move the gov't to another country and run a terrorist operation targeting Russia from there.
We'll see.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Iran is cranking up homegrown industry in response to US
sanctions:
https://sputnikglobe.com/20260802/irans-petrochemical-industry-turns-san...
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 --
Sanctions have done nothing but backfire...
...on many levels. Same with Russia.
Thanks for the link!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
A bit more info on the F-35B crash at Miramar
https://www.rt.com/news/643736-f35-jet-crash-california/
My emphasis - using the customary definition of "flightline" it was not airborne, taking off or landing, but, mysteriously "crashed" all the same.
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 --
One thing these conflicts have exposed...
...is how ineffective the weapons designed for profit really are. The US model is clearly weak.
Thanks again for the link!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Pretty good update by F35b veteran pilot
According to this expert's analysis on Fox, the aircraft was airborne, it was in approach mode. Suffered some sort of disabling emergency probably a power loss in his opinion, while in transition on approach. The B is the vstol type model. I don't consider that area at the end of the runway the "flightline" either. I always thought the flightline was the area where aircraft park. The area where the airframe impacted is not the runway technically but the approach to the runway more or less. It's not a taxiway. One taxis from the runway onto the taxi way to the flightline to park, shutdown, post flight inspect, and secure the aircraft. At the assigned "spot" on the flightline the pilot shuts down and exits. Once post flight checklist is done, the ground crew secures the aircraft.
Not a pilot but I've seen this done with fixed wing tactical aircraft many times usually from the hangar.
己所不欲，勿施于人。
As I suggested...
We have the best weapons money can buy...that don't work, and needs lots of repairs. Gotta keep the grift going, after all.
Thanks for the additional info!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
And, most importantly,
the most expensive!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Thanks, Soryang, it did, after I posted, occur to me that the
pilot might have been aloft and crashed on or into the flightline, but that seemed highly improbable. I agree based n an infinitesimal amount or research and history that the flightline is seprate and distinct from taxiway. As a kid I did some ground crew work at Lindbergh field, just about everything you can imagine, and the taxiway and runway were very special zones.
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 --
Hi LO!
Really enjoyed the first video with Chas. Really informative. The people in an organization that really understand a region, history, politics, culture, language etc., are usually the first to go if they disagree with superiors, or won't shut up. This is the American way as I understand it.
This is the culture of power and venality that typically prevails. Currently, this is the case in point in South Korea. Why does the administration assume that people groomed in Japan assigned diplomatic missions or otherwise, are suited for duties in Korea? This was the case with former Amb. Harry Harris in South Korea a few years ago, and is currently the case with Michelle Steele. Independent media in South Korea have noted that Michelle Steel nominally a Korean American politician, spent her formative years as a youth in Japan. She is fluent in Japanese. Nothing wrong with that, but Harris had the same background, except that he was in fact, ethnically, a Japanese American. Therefore, he shared the same inappropriate views toward South Korea and was completely ineffective as ambassador.
Steel is a known supporter of the Yoon Again movement, and has a far right view of South Korea as a necessary pawn of the US and Japan in the anti China Indo Pacific strategy, formulated by Shinzo Abe. She is viewed skeptically as the new "Governor General" of South Korea in independent media in South Korea. The idea that because she is nominally a Korean American, and therefore will understand contemporary South Korean politics is not likely at all. She views President Lee and his party as the baljengies, (communists) and supports conspiracy theories about Chinese sabotage of South Korea's electoral processes. Frankly, this is because the US and Japan reject the outcome of free elections in South Korea. They reject the Sunshine Policy toward North Korea, they reject return of wartime OPCON of Combined Forces Command in South Korea, and they basically want to make South Korea's national security assets available for their schemes against China.
It is extremely doubtful that Elbridge Colby, Hegseth, Rubio, and co., know or care about any of this. Steel's appointment is meant to intimidate, coerce, weaken, and bend the ROK administration to the will of the US security state. It's unlikely to have a positive impact. The president wanted to go in different direction during his first administration, but the securocrats subverted and foreclosed the diplomatic option. After the media blitz, the initiatives of Moon Jae-in and President Trump were abandoned and the US returned to the Libyan option. All or nothing, no diplomacy. Security on the peninsula deteriorated markedly during the Yoon administration which both the dems and repubs supported. Kim almost immediately threw in with Russia and they now support each other military. China is now basically indifferent to the former effort to denuclearize North Korea, which was not its former position. How sincere Trump was, is unknown, he is notoriously inconsistent. I thought Beigun was diplomatically skilled but ultimately he capitulated, and came up with a lot of blame shifting.
How many more nukes and nuclear delivery systems does Kim now have as a result?
My consistent observation has been that often the best qualified people in terms of regional expertise are often discriminated against. Producing the best qualified people is systematically unlikely. Thanks for the WW!
己所不欲，勿施于人。
diplomacy is dead in in he US...
NATOstan has no idea about negotiating.
I couldn't agree more that the best qualified people are sidelined. TPTB don't want peace and reconciliation, they want war and chaos.
We the people are bothersome gnats.
Thanks for your detailed comment!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
On Facebook, there is a section toward the top
.
....named "Reels" where continuous short videos are posted by users. It's a little like TikTok, where constant scrolling will show you amusing pets, babies, tech tips, ads, news bits, recipes, health hints, etc.
Today, for the first time ever, the Reels are filled with warnings about China's imminent attack on the US Navy, at home survival tips, China's planned attack on "The Independent Nation of Taiwan", warnings that Chns's long wait to attack the United States is over, messages from Hegseth and Rubio telling people what to except, and featured survival items that people should stock up on.
I felt sick and angry watching it. For some reason — even after all the unbelievable horrors and atrocities that I have seen the US commit against other nations on TV — it never once occurred to me that the psychopaths running the US government would do something this depraved.
I had calculated that it would be safer to remain in the US with the poor, dumb American people. No country in the world has any desire to kill the clueless USians living on the US Plantation. Why bother? But perhaps I was wrong. It looks like the psychopaths in the White House are really sore losers.
Then, I thought, maybe it's just a test run, to see how people react. Or, to see if people even notice the blast of gross propaganda. Perhaps it should be treated like a grade-school fire drill — and it will just go away.
Media in Japan, Taiwan, and Philippines
...are over the top with their anti-China coverage by so called "experts." From time to time they have reps from US think tanks or former military on as guests to give the US imprimatur to what they are saying. There are also quite a fair number number of AI incendiary videos vastly exaggerating the situation say in the South China Sea, East China Sea, etc., and many times just plainly false.
The historical and legal justifications for claims on Chinese EEZs, Taiwan, Daioyu Islands, PLAN "penetration" of Japanese straits, and the Western Pacific, by the allies in Asia, are all completely one sided and misleading. Marcos, Lai and Takaichi are dangerous. Australia is usually off the chain as well. It's an avalanche of misinformation. If one knows anything about it, because they've taken the time to study the issues, they expect to wear them down with propaganda. At this point, they are having a lot of difficulty mischaracterizing the domestic situation in China itself, so they've shifted emphasis over to this "military threat from aggressive China" theme.
己所不欲，勿施于人。
China bad, Russia bad, Iran bad...
Let me just boil it down to that messaging.
Over and over until no one questions it.
Hey it works. Just ask Orwell...oh yeah he's dead.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
As a reference in the back of my mind
I keep a memory of one of the first interviews with Seymour Hersh after his Feb 08, 2023 article "How America Took Out The Nord Stream Pipeline". It was a very inexperienced alternative channel with no edits that were obvious. It was not long after he was speaking with interviewers who had once worked in the MSM industry.
He mentioned his sources informed him Ukraine needed to get wrapped up soon. There was a desire not to interrupt longterm plans for a conflict with China to start within 2 years.
We are now a year and a half past the selected time frame. There have been many soft power efforts over the last few years to interfere with China's foreign and domestic progress.
The negative propaganda campaign has been unfolding. The current Facebook efforts are an interesting step.
Chase Freeman's interview was interesting, especially where he identified one of the responsibilities of diplomats was persuading citizens of other countries to become traitors.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
We've blown our wad so to speak...
How can we take on China when we've used all our weapons? That's a question I'm sure TPTB are surely asking.
Hope all is well on the homestead. It is as always constant here.
All the best!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Thank you for your recollections. I vividly remember
....Seymour Hersh's hasty revelation, I think he was living in London at the time. It felt very off and strangely out of context. During that period of time there seemed to many elaborate twists and turns tin the timeline. Stated objectives kept shifting. Too many invisible hands fighting for control. I assumed that the delay in the pivot to China was a reaction to the Rand Corporation's assessment indicating that the US would lose any war they started with China, no matter what underlying strategy they followed. We were in the throes of the Dementia Administration, and that did affect realty. Also, NATO was giving off a very strong NAZI vibe — as it frequently does.. On the hunt for communists.
I have no idea of the level on which we're being manipulated...
But it is at least penthouse or higher. Plus they have many avenues of propaganda. We're susceptible to most.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I am going to share the grandparent's
survival tips to a young friend and her 2 teen kids. That's how I grew up.
As for Chattanooga, it was so clean, all city streets and parks had tidy and well-kept greenery, no homeless people, no heavy traffic. It would be worth a stay in the future.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Plus the fastest public internet in the country....
Chattanooga like much of America is a city divided. There are parts of the city full of poverty and violence, but downtown is absolutely lovely. Green and clean.
We enjoy our visits when we go on occasion.
Have a good night!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Signing out with this one lamenting our loss...
Written about Hawaii...but it applies here too. Development...what can you say?
See you around the site this week. Good night!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”