But it’s okay for us to import Russian gas for us. lol I love the smell of American hypocrisy. Russia sent us 4 boats of diesel, but it’s not okay for Europe to buy anything but our gas. Seems that Ukraine was doing just fine after the USSR broke up until Obama decided to futz with them and now lots of people are struggling to stay alive and are in poverty. Bet they wish they never heard of the USA.

and climate change control. I wish Trump got the blame.
I dream...
We will all be dead, nobody to lay blame on to the above, which will likely b dead, or learning how to grow food in nuked soil.

Germany's Likely Future Coalition Partners Bicker over Foreign Policy

Even if human pollution went away we would still have ENSO famines every few decades.

So this shows that we all have to look after one another. There is no way around looking out for one another. We have to help[ one another. There is no way we cannot rise to the challenge. Its inhuman to not help one another now. Nobody should be starving in this world.

But that is against neoliberal dogma (if its governments helping people, they say its a theft from corporations, who they gave human rights..) They claim subsidized aid "distorts trade". That's why the rules forbid public healthcare and many other services, unless they are already free in a country and was never sold after Jan 1, 1995. (the cutoff date)

Financial services corporations rights must be put on top. They are demanding that governments support their interests by switching to cashless money.. They did this it seems with India's demonetization.

And digital payments so the money people have will be firmly in corporate control. But what if a solar storm wipes out the global energy grid for years as some have said is quite possible, especially in the US Northeast?
Don't expect to fall back on cash.Gold? Well, at th end of the day, its inedible. Its hard to say, its a toxic heavy metal. It has little to no intrinsic value in an emergency, unless people agreed to a use as money. Would they?

But cashless control is what the free trade cult demands, So people cant bypass the global grabbing thats intended to make sure financialization of everything is total. You'll either have digital money, or you wont. Instantly. And doors and possibly, roads, even, will quite possibly be shut for you, literally. Digitally. People never voted to do this. Nor do people want the surveillance state to have that much power, it seems. Also there is the huge risk of the system going down in a solar storm like the huge one in `859. Had that happened now (and we just missed one a few years ago, as explained by NASA) we would still be picking up the pieces.

So all these billionaires are irresponsibly BSing us. Because they know this. And are still intent on giving us bad advice to get us trapped into this system. Sound familiar?

They are unfit to lead us. What they are trying to hide is anything discussion of which of any kind of the things that need to be discussable to have anything resembling democracy.

Will there be internal passports, like the infamous spravka under Communism? Thats what some likely want to do. Privatize new public roads. And access control will be tied to your cell phone's MAC address? If your'e in debt you may only be able to drive to and from work if your bank account has a negative balance.

You'll only be able to enter these privatized spaces if your bank account shows you could buy things there.

This is the scary aspect of so called "smart cituies" Keeping the unwanted peons out. Thius will prevent their voices fro ever being heard, which is of course their true intent. Its all about disenfranchising those being pushed out. Because the "outs" cant remain being ins if they are no longer working and are losing everything they have. Society wont tolerate the poor remaining around, complaining about having been pushed to the margins. Could we somehow prevent that happening? No, because its forbidden for governments to stand between corporations and their customers, as it devalues their investments. Its certainly like that with housing, the most expensive part of the problem. Millions of Americans just will lose housing. Its already like this in many areas. They just yhave become too expensive for many people in what the rich insist is a "natural" process. But its not "natural" as its a coup thats been planned and engineered by the undemocratic ultrarich. They just don't want to be reminded of anything unpleasant.

Even if it means the sacrifice of so many lives of poor people. Its the poor folks fault for not being rich!

Womens rights? What about the rich's investments. Women who dont have babies are stealing their investments. So they wnt to repeal Roe vs. Wade. To return us to the era when the rich were really rich and the poor really poor. Thats natural they say.

This coup is making countries regress. They are rolling back the whole 20th century's gains..
Anything that stands in the way of their selling off and stealing of everything, they have made it illegal for governments to help anybody except totally destitute people, the bare minimum. people. This push to prevent our evolution is now being led by the US and the EU. EU is rolling back EU citizens rights to please the big corporations.

I'm sorry that they don't tell us, but imagine if they did. People would stop voting for politicians if they realized they were lying about what they could or would do.

If there wasn't a Bernie Sanders promising change to help the people whoare spending their every penny on healthcare bills or "co pays and deductibles" , Draining the life blood of the poor people (As in reality a treaty forbids subsidizing everything that is "supposed to be bought" even education, we are supposed to roll back the services we depend on, if they are committed. Higher and adult education are in danger.) , people would demand real change. And they would run into our brick wall. We signed this treaty that forbids it all, So Biden wont allow it. He is the Senator from Delaware, one of the worlds, most corporate states. Lots of Delaware corporations are banking on getting a huge slice of the money from the digital payments scheme they are cooking up.

and demands that good jobs be outsourced.

But it is not as simple as we would wish. There are governments that put it all in perspective.

In this video Cherie Yang, a new US citizen ! (hooray!) tells us that North Koreans actually wish for a war with the US.

She also shows us that there are a great many good people, even military in North Korea.

They are people just like us..

By the way, the mountains she was imprisoned (in the mayors villa there), concealed at that time a truly infamous concentration camp that reputed to be one of the worst in the world and its entire history, It was right over the hill from Hoeryong.

So, Maybe they were afraid she would stumble upon the Valley of Death, the Sugol Valley area.. .. was their killing field.. perhaps thats the real reason why 400 soldiers were looking for her. She has an incredible story.

Her father should be very proud of his beautiful, smart daughter. Don't you think?

Please keep North Korean human rights in mind. We need to focus on freeing people from extreme tyranny everywhere. Lets not embrace digital totalitarianism, which will follow if we allow the suppression of online voices. Better to see the would be totalitarians as a problem, that could make life intolerable. Let people make up heir own minds. If we do our jobs (politicians I am talking to you) people wont feel drawn to right wing extremism, BTW, neoliberalism is right wing extremism of a kind. Because of its extremist economics. The neoliberals are trying top steal the planet's people's economic rights. And give them to shady corporate players, not the poor like they claim, they are devoted to helping the ultra rich.

Natural gas is the preferred form of energy I suspect because of its use in electricity generation. That is also probably why electricity prices track the price of natural gas.

There is a lot of energy that can be used for other things available in the daytime in the summer in sunny areas. So the key to energy affordability is better batteries. If we could store that summer energy for several months so we could use it in the winter, that would solve the whole heating cost problem.

Maybe we could use compressed air? Imagine a big tank in your house or apartment to save energy by some means like s PV system compressing air when your rooftop PV system was running and energy was the cheapest, so it could be used when its most needed.

Better batteries are the key.

your writing, especially on this subject, is among the many things I'm most thankful for. I hope you have a delicious Thanksgiving Day.

Barely out of Afghanistan and they're clamouring to be fed again. I wonder how many Americans would be eager to lay down their lives in order to fight China over China?

The HILL: America must prepare for war with China over Taiwan

China’s massive investment in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) may show China is preparing to fundamentally change the status quo and preparing for possible war with the United States over Taiwan. To deter China, the United States must rapidly build up its forces in the Pacific, continue to strengthen military alliances in the region to ensure access to bases in time of conflict, and accelerate deliveries of purchased military equipment to Taiwan.
...
Time is not on our side. Taiwan Minister of Defense Chiu Kuo-Cheng testified before his Congress on Oct. 6 that, “By 2025, China will bring the cost attrition to its lowest. It has the capacity now, but it will not start a war easily, having to take many other things into consideration.” As Chiu states, China probably already considers it has the capability to seize Taiwan.
...
President Biden on at least three occasions has said the U.S. would defend Taiwan if it were attacked by China. His administration needs to articulate to the American people why Taiwan’s defense is critical to the United States and deploy the resources needed to deter China from attacking Taiwan.

Accordingly, the United States needs to reinforce our military forces in the region, work with Taiwan to quickly transform it into a real prickly porcupine that is resilient so it can hold out for an extended period of time, and ensure we have ironclad allied commitments permitting the U.S. to use bases on allied countries’ territory. Time is not on our side. We must act now.

Who cares? If anything that makes me sympathize with them more. And I am not the only one. Taiwan and Hong Kong should form a single independent, democratic country, and to use a cooking analogy that seems appropriate, leave the PR China leadership to stew in its own juice.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zojh-rnctVw]

Like Biden, The PRC can shove their nondemocratic services agreements up their ass.

Beijing, (which means The North is pacified) regime as the legitimate representative of the people of Beijing.

when will there be a democratic China?

Who Wants Some Ukraine?
November 25, 2021

On Tuesday, 23 November, Russia’s most senior military general, Valery Gerasimov, had a “deconfliction” phone conference with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, in which the two discussed “pressing issues of international security.” Actual details of what they discussed are not available; what is available is Western media speculation, which in recent days has included false reports of Russian troops massing on the Ukrainian border and supposedly getting ready to invade. What Western media has studiously ignored is an actual massing of Ukrainian troops on the borders of the Donbass region—the industrialized temporarily Ukrainian region that has been de facto independent since the Kiev putsch of 2014.
...
Turning down Western media noise, a Russian military effort to capture the Donbass, never mind the rest of the Ukraine, is exceedingly unlikely. Russia already has everything it wants. Unlike Crimea which in its 2014 referendum produced a 97% vote for integration of the region into the Russian Federation with an 83% voter turnout, in a similar referendum in the Donbass (held against Moscow’s wishes) only 27.5% of the 74.87% who turned out voted in favor of joining the Russian Federation. Based on this result, Moscow chose to soft-pedal the Donbass situation, providing humanitarian aid and diplomatic support, granting Russian citizenship to those who want it and gradually integrating the region socially and economically...
...
The Ukraine aspires to NATO and EU membership, but this prospect appears exceedingly unlikely since it is much more of a liability than an asset: destitute, bankrupt, politically unstable and not in control of its own government or its own territory—a failed state, essentially... There was a recent hysterical outburst in Western press over Russian tanks massed on the Belorussian border, for instance. Russia is always “about to invade,” on Tuesdays especially, but somehow never gets around to it.
...
...As an added bonus, there will be Russia to blame because, no doubt at all, it will have all been Russia’s fault. Sanctions against Russian baby blanket manufacturers are being drafted as we speak. American TV viewers will watch it, and they will like it. They will think, “Bad Russkies! America strong!”

“But what about the Ukraine?” you might be tempted to ask. Well, the correct answer to that question seems to be, “Nobody cares.” Seriously, looking at recent Ukrainian history, that seems to be the only answer that makes sense. The Americans certainly never cared, the Russians once cared but care less and less with each passing day, and the Ukrainians themselves don’t care either and have been making that point by voting with their feet. The European Union and NATO may care a great deal about having a large failed state in the middle of Europe, and they should, because that is probably just the beginning, but a very good start.

Its what they want. The Clintons got their payoffs. They are getting their way. They made the deal with China. Americans can't afford the energy any more. PIIE has written about how WTO rules require it. (Isnt that crazy?)

We cant say no.
They say.

Its certainly no longer cheap. Peoples heating prices are predicted to double this winter.

And keep rising thereafter.

Energy poverty is our future. So, our country is being stripped of its wealth.

Thats it. We are left in a strange situation. We don't own any of this country or any rights other than to be treated equally. Even equally like shit. As long as its equal, we have no shared ownership of anything. Its all owed by its oligarch owners.

God bless the child who's got his own, as Ella Fitzgerald sang. Who do we think we are wanting to own things. Jobs, resources. They have all been promised away. Our rulers cant break their promises to them.

We're being thrown under the bus, so what?

Looted. Look up the definition. The mob does that sometimes.

Who was the President who changed the US law which up until then prevented all these mergers and buyouts destroying all the small radio stations and media?

Wasn't it the same one who changed the laws that protected US investors from banks that also (bfore this law, and now again after it was allegedly "reformed" against the will of the Amerian people, sold sketchy investments causing the Great Depression of the 1930s?

But the Clinton Administration in a promise it made to the WTO, in 1998, rpomised to repeal it the next year, and they did.

Why did the US promise this to the WTO. Because they are in charge of the international economy. Exposing our taxpayers to enormous risks. Our taxpayers could end up in big trouble if the government and its cronies screws up.

We are prevented from doing everything we need to do by the WTO commitments we've made to prevent public services like Social Security, Medicare and virtually all public services. We claim they are all trade barriers. This puts us in huge risk.

WTF?

They do. We even set up an international organization to rule above countries and voters to bind them all to the corporatism system, forever.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nBPN-MKefA]

Wouldnt it be great if we could recall any politician with a simple up or down vote, if they turned out to be one of the bad guys??

I am sure that manyof us have seen the many pictures floating around of the former sub base at Balaklava, which is now a tourist attraction.

When I hear of Russia having designs on the Ukraine, I always think of it, because it was obviously a huge investment they made. I cant help but wonder how necessary it is to their detrrence. It would seem to me that any nuclear power with nuclear submarines would want a base like it so that the subs comings and goings could be hidden from the air and space.

Anyway, here are some links to photos of it. It appears to be huge.

The DPRK has one similar to it. I have the GPS coordinates entered into my extensive collection of DPRK KML stuff. Its quite similar to this one, I understand. I am sure the Crimean base cost the former USSR a lot, and they were relatively rich compared to their former client state. (when the flow of cash from the former USSR ended, the DPRKs economy just disintegrated.

But their government took advantage of the breakup of the former Soviet Union to buy all sorts of stuff, like for example, a large number of MIG-29 "fulcrum" jets from Belarus, which must have cost a fortune to buy and maintain.

Its always such a crime when countries devote so many resources to war hardware, even while their people are starving to death. That purchase was the worst in that egard that I know of ever, because the rice that could have been bought with that money would have prevented the 3 million deaths that darkened the late 90s for the long suffering people of the literate, East Asian country. Many many people died slow agonizing deaths from starvation there. Many others fled to China where they lived like animals in fear of deportation back to the brutal, backwards, totalitarian nation. Many Chinese tried to help them despite the harsh penalties for doing so.

China's standard of living is so far ahead of the DPRK that they say, "even dogs in China eat better than we do" and its true. Many North Koreans were kept alive by he food put out by Chinese for pets in towns along the Tumengang, the Tumen river that separates the northern part of the DPRK from the far northeast part of China. those days.

---Photo essays about the Crimean sub base.

https://www.businessinsider.com/crimeas-secret-soviet-submarine-base-2014-5

https://darktourists.com/balaklava-submarine-base-crimeas-secret-soviet-...

https://englishrussia.com/2011/11/05/underground-submarine-base-of-balak...

https://englishrussia.com/2011/12/02/back-to-the-secret-underground-comp...

Indeed, this would be an awesome museum to visit..

There is another similar one in the far northeast , in the Sakhalin, Kamchatka area. (Also pictured on the English Russia site- There's lots of abandoned former USSR military and space stuff on that site. Including an abandoned, super colorful, radio telescope. )

Enjoy!