The Times They Are A'changin', Again

One way you can tell this isn't a democracy is that 80+ percent of citizens do NOT want the time to change twice a year, but the merchants who own the politicians insist it remains. Today is All Saints Day, tomorrow is the Day of the Dead, followed by Election Day...sounds auspicious doesn't it? I wonder which political puppet zombies will terrorize us for the next couple of years. Last Sunday's elections in Brazil, Serbia, and Israel were interesting. Lula managed to survive, and Bolsonaro bolted with the help of his CIA patrons. Lula faces a divisive government. Student List won an outright majority in Serbia. Evidently lots of NGOs (think US AID and EU stink tanks) supported their cause. Let's hope they don't succumb to outside interest. Israel's election is still in limbo with the Nitwityahoo in the lead. Who knows what the US election will bring. Talk is a demoncratic sweep, but we'll see.

I want to start today with a few interesting conversations that cover a wide array of topics...big picture discussions. I enjoyed them, and hope you enjoy the ones you choose to hear.

Frank Giustra: Reckoning Upon Us as Global Debt Surpasses $365 TRILLION - Empire’s DEAD

(65 min) “You can’t change the course of history.” Join Daniela Cambone in Rome for an exclusive sit-down with Frank Giustra, as he connects today’s debt and currency risks to the fall of empires and shares how investors can prepare.
00:00 Rome’s rise and fall, and the parallels with today
09:15 The decline of American hegemony
12:07 Europe’s decline and rising civil unrest
17:58 Nero and Trump: parallels in political decline
20:51 The wave of socialism
24:26 The petrodollar and regime change
46:01 Energy crisis and the escalating Iran conflict

Alex Krainer: The Economic & Political Unraveling of Europe

(49 min) Alex Krainer is a market analyst, author & former hedge fund manager.
Alex Krainer's substack: https://alexkrainer.substack.com/
00:00 Introducing Alex Krainer and the unrest in France
01:27 France’s economic strain and questions about protest organization
05:48 Comparisons with France’s 2023 riots
09:14 US influence, NGOs, and Europe’s political direction
14:35 Europe’s foreign-policy choices and the missing middle ground
17:22 Hamilton’s American System versus British free trade
22:24 The Iran war and the shift away from reindustrialization
25:30 US-Russia commerce and Europe’s reluctance to engage
32:39 Europe’s debt burden and the risk of stagflation
39:51 Why a change of government may not fix the fundamentals
41:17 Social media, political narratives, and cautious optimism

Neil Oliver: ‘…it makes my skin crawl’

(58 min) Neil in conversation with Ivor Cummins
Ivor Cummins BE(Chem) CEng MIEI completed a Biochemical Engineering degree in 1990. He has since spent 30 years in corporate technical leadership positions. His career specialty has been leading large worldwide teams in complex problem-solving activities.

A look at elections past and future...

Lula Stuns Bolsonaro; Serbia Student List Defeats Vucic; Bulgaria Elections

(38 min) Lula has snatched a razor thin victory over Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazil's presidential runoff, while Serbia's snap parliamentary elections handed the Student List a stunning win over Vucic's party after 14 years in power. In this episode we break down Bolsonaro's refusal to concede, what Lula's win means for BRICS, Ursula von der Leyen's double celebration, and whether Serbia's new rulers will turn on Russia and Kosovo as Bulgaria swings the opposite way. Is Brussels winning in Belgrade just as it starts losing Sofia?
00:00:00 Election Sunday: Brazil and Serbia surprise results
00:01:17 Lula beats Bolsonaro in a razor thin runoff
00:04:32 Polls kept open and Bolsonaro refuses to concede
00:06:54 Ursula congratulates Lula on multilateralism
00:08:25 Lula, Moscow and the BRICS Trojan horse problem
00:09:28 Why Putin and Xi are relieved Brazil stays in BRICS
00:12:43 Did Trump's backing cost Bolsonaro the election
00:15:54 Was BRICS expansion a mistake
00:18:41 Lula at 80 and the real Lula
00:19:53 Brazil bucks Latin America's shift right and the Milei factor
00:21:33 Serbia: the Student List defeats Vucic's party
00:23:11 Color revolution influence inside the Student List
00:25:13 Vucic's 14 years of cynical balancing
00:28:50 Russia sanctions, Kosovo and Bosnia: what comes next
00:35:20 Bulgaria turns against Brussels but the euro limits it

Max Blumenthal

(27 min) Who Will Rule Israel and How?

War On Iran: Elections In Israel Increase Chance Of New Conflagration
The Likud party of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahoo has lost, as expected, in the recent election. But his direct Jewish opposition under the former general Gadi Eisenkot does reach a majority. Eisenkot had previously rejected a coalition with Arab parties. That means that Netanyahoo has a good chance to retain his position:
The final vote tally, while inconclusive, indicates that barring drastic change, Netanyahu will stay in power indefinitely. Nobody has a clear path to a coalition, so the incumbent remains, possibly through multiple rounds of elections. And after the wars, catastrophe and domestic strife of the past four years, Netanyahu could reasonably count that as a victory.
Despite having reached that aim, Netanyahoo is claiming that the elections were manipulated. The claim is designed to prevent a still possible Eisenkot-Arab coalition.

Robert Barnes

(27 min) Who Will Trump Blame?
Robert has good sources inside the white house and offers insights into the election Tuesday.

U.S. Midterm Consequence Preview
The Republicans are very likely going to lose significantly in the upcoming midterms election.
The Democrats will retake a majority in the House and likely also the Senate.
On Judging Freedom Robert Barnes, who is claimed to have internal contacts in the White House, is predicting a shellacking:
They’re behind in more than 240 House seats currently by their own internal polling.
They could lose over 260 House seats due to the way early voting is trending. And in the Senate, they’re currently behind in 55 Senate races or within the margin of error within those races. Uh and there’s three more races that they’re carefully watching. I mean, you even have Senator Cotton in Arkansas spending money on campaign advertising because he’s concerned about single digit margin.

A Weakened Trump Faces A Reckoning In The Midterms And a Tumultuous Final Two Years in Office
The midterms are coming at Trump’s weakest moment since he entered the political arena on a golden escalator. The domestic consequences of the humiliating impasse in the war on Iran have pushed Trump to seek solutions to an impending energy crisis elsewhere, extending his gaze to Russia and Ukraine. His disapproval ratings have reached new highs, in no small part due to an affordability crisis exacerbated by war, tariffs, and Trump’s immigration policies. Underlying this is a looming economic crisis that is only papered over by investment in AI. The Supreme Court has ruled against Trump in several important cases, including his attempts to end birthright citizenship and deny healthcare to incarcerated trans people. Most recently, Trump suffered a shocking and resounding blow in Brazil with the defeat of Flávio Bolsonaro in the second round of the presidential election, after blatant interference through companies like Meta — a defeat that could reverberate across a region struggling under the boot of U.S. imperialism.

Where is the reporting on this story?
Pedophile President: Trump & Epstein Argued Over Who Would Take 13-Year-Old’s Virginity, New House Report States
It remains completely uncertain whether Trump will face real consequences as a result of this report. What is clear, however, is that his relationship with the world’s most notorious pedophile sex trafficker is a lot closer than many people understand.

America’s Deadly Addiction to War by Andrew P. Napolitano | Oct 30, 2026

The pattern is familiar. The government tells the public that a foreign adversary threatens our existence, that diplomacy has failed and that military action will be limited, necessary and successful. Then the bombs fall, the casualties mount and the mission changes. What began as a narrowly defined operation becomes a wider war, regime change, counterinsurgency or an open-ended commitment to demonstrate American domination. Then spying at home and federal borrowing are ratcheted up — all accompanied by the false message of spreading democracy and liberty....
The military-industrial complex benefits. Intelligence agencies expand their influence. Defense contractors receive lucrative government contracts. Politicians posture as guardians of national security. Meanwhile, ordinary Americans pay the bills through taxes, inflation, mounting debt and the opportunity costs of spending money on destruction rather than productive activity at home; and our civil liberties are curtailed....
A republic defends its people and their lands against genuine threats. An empire seeks to shape the behavior of other nations through force, coercion, colonization and the constant threat of intervention. The former requires vigilance; the latter endless violence.
The most dangerous enemy of American security is not a foreign power. It is our own government’s inability to recognize that the power to wage war is not an unlimited license to rule the world.
A people whose country cannot say no to perpetual wars will eventually discover that wars have said no to their personal freedoms.

Much of the geopolitical conversation this week has focused on the Iran War

CENTCOM Chief Briefs Trump on Options for Bombing Iran
Adm. Brad Cooper is known to be one of the strongest supporters of restarting major strikes...
All signs are pointing to another US-Israeli attack against Iran after the US midterm elections. For their part, Iranian leaders have warned that any further strikes against their country will lead to a significant escalation in Iranian retaliatory attacks across the region.

Let's go first to my two favorite diplomats...
Alastair Crooke

(68 min) Senator Reveals Secret U.S. Iran War Briefing—“This Is Insane”
It appears the US is planning a disastrous attack doomed to failure.

US senator briefed on Trump's plans to restart Iran war says proposal is 'insane'
Chris Murphy says the plan could target civilian infrastructure and 'lead to devastating escalation'
..."It will lead to devastating escalation and the likely destruction of our commitment to the rule of law."
...Murphy added that he saw first-hand the US's "cover-up" in hiding the cost of war.

Chas Freeman

(66 min) Houthis Target Saudi's Biggest Refinery

Now let's hear from some military strategists

Lawrence Wilkerson

(58 min) America's Retreat From Europe & Middle East
00:00 Introduction and Context of US Foreign Policy
06:04 Critique of Marco Rubio's Speech and Historical Perspectives
11:52 Existential Threats and Climate Change
18:11 The Shift in Global Power Dynamics
24:04 US Strategy in the Middle East and Relations with Iran
30:03 Israel's Influence on U.S. Foreign Policy
34:20 Regional Conflicts and Their Interconnections
38:39 The Future of Governance in the Middle East
40:31 The Role of Israel in Global Security Dynamics
44:45 Ukraine: Diplomatic Paths and Challenges
51:57 Shifting Geopolitical Landscapes in Europe and Beyond

Matt Bracken

(58 min) Hezbollah Re-Arming With Massive Help From Iran

I like the conversation with Nima and the two Larry's

(71 min) Larry Wilkerson & Larry Johnson: Iran Uses Limpet Mines- Super Tankers Stop in Hormuz

Iran Says Four Tankers Hit Mines in the Strait of Hormuz

The Duran

(16 min) A major US strike on Iran may be coming right after the midterms, and in this episode we explain why Netanyahu's strong showing in the Israeli election makes it all but certain. They break down the Wall Street Journal reports on JD Vance reaching out to Iranian hardliners, the Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani delegation to Tehran, Lavrov's visit, and why Iran refuses to surrender the Strait of Hormuz, its allies, or uranium enrichment. Could Trump be launching a conflict that is easy to start but nearly impossible to end?
00:00:00 Israel election, US midterms and the WSJ Iran report
00:00:55 Why the Israeli election matters most
00:03:03 Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani delegation in Tehran
00:04:30 Iran refuses to back down
00:06:02 US demands on Hormuz, Houthis and enrichment
00:07:19 Is Iran stronger than in February
00:07:56 Lavrov in Tehran and the Russian grain lifeline
00:10:48 The April MOU Trump walked away from
00:12:31 Easy to start, hard to end
00:13:07 Post midterm calculus and the impeachment factor

Does it matter? I seriously doubt it...

So my friends, it appears we'll have an interesting week ahead to discuss next Sunday. I'm going to vote on Tuesday, not that it will do any good here in Alabama, but I just want to let TPTB know some, perhaps most, people are not happy with the current situation. Life in a failing empire is our fate. War is common when empires collapse. So is the loss of individual rights. At least we have something interesting to watch and discuss.

I hope you'll offer some insights, stories, and thoughts in the comments below.
The thread is open...