Crazy is as Crazy does

I've not kept up well with the news cycle over the last couple of weeks, however the items that caught my interest this week, was first, Trump calling Putin crazy...that seems like the pot calling the kettle black to me. And secondly, the possible Hamas Israeli deal for hostages for a 60 day cease fire. Let's look at both of these stories below the fold.

Pepe Escobar: Trump is DONE as Putin Ends His Ukraine Scam, BRICS Just Changed the Game

(21 min) Geopolitical analyst and journalist Pepe Escobar exposes the truth about Trump's threats toward Putin amid major escalations in the Ukraine conflict. Pepe concludes with a major BRICS bombshell at the end that no one is discussing, giving key context to the huge freakout at the root of Trump's tantrum.

Alex has an excellent analysis of Trump's craziness...

(40 min) Trump calls Putin CRAZY. Medvedev buffer zone map. EU gets tariff extension. Macron gets slapped
0:00 - Video update introduction from Nicosia, Cyprus
0:57 - Discussion of Trump's statements about Putin
2:42 - Trump's role and opinions on the Ukraine conflict
5:01 - Trump's stance on weapons supply and potential withdrawal
9:00 - Trump's diplomatic efforts and negotiations
13:00 - Medvedev's warning and proposed buffer zone
16:00 - Trump's announcement on Iran and Gaza talks
18:06 - Trump's trade negotiations with the EU
22:57 - Analysis of Russian strikes in Ukraine
27:44 - Prisoner exchange outcomes between Russia and Ukraine
30:00 - Analysis of European diplomacy and Ukraine's military support
33:32 - Clown World segment featuring Macron's incident
37:01 - Merkel's comments on EU border policies and implications

I thought Alex nailed Trump's MO ...
Trump played his part in his first term and he could have walked away on January 21st. Would have been very easy to do to just walk away but he decided not to. Instead he listened to Kellogg and at the time, Waltz, who was his NSA guy not his NSA guy anymore and Rubio as well and Lindsey Graham, of course Lindsey Graham who he campaigned with Lindsey Graham and Trump decided to to believe Kellogg and Graham and Rubio with their uh freeze ceasefire DMZ plan 30-day unconditional ceasefire plan And that would bring Russia to its knees Russia would accept this ceasefire because the military is in tatters and the economy is in tatters. Let's go with the ceasefire plan And now Trump is very much stuck in project Ukraine He can still get out. Putin did provide him a nice off-ramp a couple of Trump's stance on weapons supply and potential withdrawal weeks ago with the bilateral uh talks in Istanbul but uh Trump is still reluctant to walk away Even though when you read this message on Truth Social ... (see above)
I have to say when I read this message on Truth Social and with Trump as I've said many times it's up and down up and down. Yesterday he says that uh that he's working with Putin to to end the war And the next day he says that Putin's crazy and uh Lenski's crazy. And tomorrow Alenski is going to be his best friend And then the next day he's going to be yelling at Alensky It's always up and down up and down with Trump Every day he seems to uh to change his his mind or his emotions uh change But when you do read this post on Truth Social you do get the sense that Trump is trying to find a way to to excuse himself out of the conflict in Ukraine
It's Putin, Putin's gone crazy. Alinski just doesn't shut up, Damn it Biden, Damn it Putin, Damn it Damn it Biden. I had nothing to do with this I'm just I'm just trying to mediate man I'm
just trying to mediate while still providing weapons even though it's coming from Biden's draw down package
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These attacks are shameful Stop the killing ceasefire Now Kellogg doesn't put these types of posts when he's talking about what's going on in Gaza just when it comes to Ukraine because Kellogg has has certain certain interests or at least his family not Kellogg but his very immediate close family seems to have certain uh business interests tied up in Ukraine Kellogg is working very closely with the Alinski regime...
In statements that he made to the media Trump makes it out as if Putin is doing this without any reason at all uh failing to mention that from Tuesday until Friday last Tuesday to Friday 764 drones were launched into uh into Russia and towards many of those drones heading towards Moscow targeting civilian uh infrastructure There was no military targets for these drones.
[additionally they target Putin for assassination, see below]
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When you look at Gaza, when you look at Iran, when you look at Ukraine, it's the same approach, the same message coming from Trump, it's all the same The same tactic the same strategy. All of it is the same. We have some good news one day, then we have some bad news, then we have some good news. We're making progress then we're not making progress, then we're making progress, and I'm not happy about what's going on, then we're making progress, then the sanctions threat. It's all the same. It is all the same exact messaging and approach to all of these conflicts, and in all of these conflicts the interesting part is that in all of these conflicts Trump absolutely has the power as president of the United States to put an end to all of these conflicts in a diplomatic and a negotiated end to all of these conflicts Gaza, Iran, and Ukraine.

It is a circus act. Saying you want peace, but accommodating the MIC war machine at the same time. But Putin is crazy? Yeah, right.

Ukraine drone swarm failure angers West

(35 min)
0:00 - Discussion on military situation in Ukraine begins
0:54 - Analysis of Ukrainian drone swarm targeting Russian president's helicopter
3:08 - Examination of Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine
4:01 - Significance of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia
5:00 - Origins and development of Ukrainian drone fleets
6:00 - Failure of Ukrainian drone offensive against Russia
9:00 - Discussion on potential use of Taurus missiles by Ukraine
13:00 - Analysis of Western military strategies and their impact
17:00 - Critique of Western perceptions of Russian military capabilities
21:00 - Examination of Western narratives and military assessments
25:00 - Discussion on Ukraine's air defense systems and Western support
29:00 - Overview of the failure of the Ukrainian drone offensive
31:00 - Update on the situation on the front lines in Ukraine
34:00 - Ukrainian military struggles and Russian advancements on the front lines

"We need to put them in a CHOKEHOLD" Putin is done playing games with NATO | Redacted News
More on targeting Putin's helicopter, and how the US and NATO were involved. (20 min)

Next Monday there's to be another round of Russia Ukraine peace talks. Alex lays out the story...

(42 min)
0:00 - Discussion on Iran and Russia's Situation
1:07 - Announcement of US-Russia Talks in Istanbul
3:11 - Ukraine's Draft Memorandum and US Involvement
5:25 - Russia's Strategy Regarding Memorandum Presentation
10:43 - Trump's Stance on Sanctions and Peace Talks
14:02 - Potential Trilateral Meeting with Trump, Zelensky, and Putin
18:44 - US State Department's Maximum Pressure Strategy
20:00 - Russia's Warning to Germany Regarding Missile Strikes
25:58 - Germany's Deal with Ukraine on Missile Production
32:01 - EU's Black Sea Defense Strategy
37:29 - EU Trust Survey and Public Perception

Trump's Last Chance for Peace in Ukraine? | Larry Johnson

(17 min) Larry explains the root causes of the Ukraine proxy war.
What is the only viable option for a lasting Ukraine-Russia peace settlement? Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson breaks down the key factors and the crucial role the United States—and Donald Trump—can play in making peace possible.

Col Douglas Macgregor on puppet Trump, Western BS, Ukraine's fate, Israel and EU's wake-up call

(38 min) I'm featuring this clip because the host clearly has a poor understanding of the Ukrainian conflict. Doug does a masterful job educating him.
Paul Buitink welcomes back Colonel Douglas Macgregor for an unfiltered deep dive into the geopolitical chaos unfolding across the globe. Macgregor argues that despite Trump’s rhetoric, he has little control over U.S. foreign policy, with the CIA and entrenched war lobbies pulling the real strings. As Ukraine’s front lines falter and Europe ramps up aggression, Macgregor claims the war is already lost for Kyiv—and warns of a coming migration crisis that European leaders seem unwilling to confront.
The conversation takes a dark turn as Macgregor discusses the Middle East, accusing Israel of pushing toward a wider war with Iran to maintain power, while U.S. support remains blindly unconditional. Meanwhile, Trump’s about-face on Ukraine, silence on Gaza, and unwillingness to tackle America’s unsustainable debt signal deeper systemic paralysis in Washington. According to Macgregor, even bold promises won’t matter if the machinery behind the scenes keeps operating unchecked.
But the most urgent battle, he warns, isn’t happening overseas—it’s happening within national borders. If nations want to survive, he says, they must rediscover sovereignty, identity, and order at home. Provocative, raw, and thought-provoking, this is a conversation that demands to be seen—regardless of where you stand.

Robert Barnes joins the Duran for an excellent conversation of populism and the deep state.

(2.5 hours) These long discussions I usually listen in bits and drabs while busying around the house.

Middle East
Possible Hamas Hostage release for 60 day ceasefire.
Is There a Deal with Hamas?
Qatar is putting intense pressure on Hamas to agree to the deal, arguing that, after the release of Eden Alexander, they now have a more attentive White House.
Clearly, Qatar is carrying water for Donald Trump, hoping to curry favor with Washington by delivering Hamas’ acceptance of the deal. While Trump remains solidly in Israel’s camp, Israel is coming under increased international pressure to end the starvation of the Palestinians in Gaza.
...
The deal, if it goes through, is not going to resolve the conflict between the Zionists and the Palestinians. It will simply buy Israel more time to figure out how to complete its genocide of the Palestinian people and take full control of Gaza. The intervention of the Gulf Arabs on behalf of the Palestinians however, creates a potential problem for Trump if Israel does not uphold the deal. The Qataris, if the reporting is accurate, are trusting Trump to do the right thing. This puts Trump on the hook to back up his words with deeds. If he fails to deliver on his promises to the Qataris, the financial deals he celebrated after his recent trek to the Persian Gulf could collapse.

INTEL Roundtable w/ Johnson & McGovern : Weekly Wrap 30-May

(34 min)
Larry and Ray discuss the possible deal suggesting Hamas will not accept it. They also discuss the attempt to kill Putin and Trump insulting Putin as crazy, toward the end.

Trump is at his we're making progress stage with Iran..

(13 min) Closing in on Iran deal? The Duran

Alastair is doubtful a deal will be reached
US Hegemony Collapse| Alastair Crooke Interview (49 min)
The world is changing fast — and America's grip on it is slipping. From Iran's defiance to Russia's resolve, and China's stealth takeover of global finance, this is the raw truth you're not supposed to hear. Don't miss the real story from Former UK diplomat Alastair Crooke.

Max was in Iran for a couple of weeks and discusses his experience with the Judge...

(31 min) Max Blumenthal : My Weeks In Iran.

Prof. Jeffrey Sachs : Is Trump Delivering Peace Anywhere?

Larry C. Johnson on Douglas Macgregor: This Is the One Thing Tearing America Apart

(30 min)

The US Economy is not in good shape.
Sen. Johnson Says Deficit Is Mortgaging Children’s’ Future
Johnson said instead of one “big beautiful bill” the lawmakers should have been broken the various Trump policy initiatives down into a multistep process. He said in a previous interview with Just the News that the legislative package should be broken up into three parts: border security, defense funding and extending the current tax code. “I’ve always been in favor of a multistep process,” Johnson said. “Focus on the areas of agreement. That’s the border [and] defense. Take whatever spending reductions we can get. The Senate and our budget proposal said $850 billion.”
Johnson said the U.S. had to return to the lower levels of pre-pandemic spending in order to get the country back on track. “We have to return to pre-pandemic level spending,” he said. “I think more Americans are aware of the fact, because they just experienced four-year high inflation [and] the devaluation of their dollar, that we’ve got to get this under control.”

Sen. Ron Johnson: What’s Really in the “Big Beautiful Bill,” and Uncovering the Truth About 9-11
Interview with Tucker (2 hours)
Here’s what happened when Sen. Ron Johnson started to ask forbidden questions about 9-11, the COVID vax, and America’s looming bankruptcy.

Tariffs Defeated, DOGE Failure, Big Bill Endangered - What's Trump Gonna Do?
Most of President Trump’s tariffs were halted late Wednesday by a US trade court in a sharp rebuke of the president’s signature trade war policy.
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This is the end to Trump's tariffs.
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Trump will have to rescind the tariffs he has imposed so far. He will be able to immediately reintroduce new tariffs under different legal provisions. But those tariffs will have to have time limits and are legally restricted in size.
The whole Trump 'victory day' strategy of using absurdly high tariffs to negotiate trade deals in favor of the U.S. is thus in shambles.
No foreign 'partner' will be willing to concede on major issues as Trump has lost the means to pressure them. Negotiations on further trade deals will slow down or come to a halt.
With vanishing tariffs the hoped for billions of additional government income through tariffs will also be lost. Trump's domestic economic strategy around the 'one big beautiful bill' has thereby lost its economic basis. Without the additional income through tariffs the Senate will be unwilling to risk the high deficits needed to pass it.
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Another major project of the Trump administration was the to seek spending cuts by eliminating government agencies. But DOGE has failed to deliver
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Elon Musk has left the administration and is already starting to criticize it.

Trump Accuses China Of Violating Agreement He Did Not Adhere To
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump - May 30, 2025, 12:09 UTC
...
I made a FAST DEAL with China in order to save them from what I thought was going to be a very bad situation, and I didn’t want to see that happen. Because of this deal, everything quickly stabilized and China got back to business as usual. Everybody was happy! That is the good news!!! The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!
Trump's take is, of course, nonsense. But to see that one has to take a step back.
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On May 11 the U.S. and Chinese trade representative met in Geneva. In a Joint Statement they agreed on a pull back from high tariffs and to pause other trade related measures.
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Both sides reduced their tariffs. China also promised to reduce some of its non tariff measures
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But on May 14, the very same day the new rules were to apply, the U.S. introduced new and extremely harsh measures against Chinese products
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China demanded that the U.S. "correct its mistakes". As the U.S. made not attempt to do so China slow walked (archived) the lifting of export restrictions on rare-earth metals and on magnets
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China asserts that the U.S. is in breech of the Geneva agreement. As the U.S. introduced new non-tariff barriers against Chinese products China has stopped to lift its own non-tariff measures against the export of products the U.S. needs.
Trump's claim that China "HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US" is obfuscating the fact that the U.S. was the first to violate its commitments.
This again proves that the U.S. is non-agreement-capable

But it is Putin that's crazy? Don look in the mirror!

Well we made it to June without WWIII. Let's hope we can say that again this time next year.

I hope you've all had a nice spring as we move to Summer. I've been out of pocket the last two weeks, so I hope you'll fill in any important stories I missed in the comments below. Have a good Sunday! The thread is open...