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Wednesday, September 3, 2025

"J.K. Rowling Completely Obliterated Her Critics With One Powerful Post"

"J.K. Rowling Completely Obliterated 
Her Critics With One Powerful Post"
by Matt Margolis

"Chris Columbus, director of the first two Harry Potter films, has declared that a reunion of the original cast is “never going to happen,” blaming J.K. Rowling’s controversial views on transgender issues. Columbus described the situation as “so complicated with all the political stuff,” noting that actors like Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson have publicly rejected Rowling’s stance, making any reunion impossible.

Rowling fired back on X with a lengthy post, framing her response as a direct challenge to her critics and pushing back against what she described as a persistent mischaracterization of her beliefs. “As another man who once worked with me declares himself saddened by my beliefs on gender and sex, I thought it might be useful to compile a list for handy reference,” Rowling wrote. She then laid out a series of questions, asking which of her positions could possibly make actors and directors so upset.

She asked whether it was her belief “that women and girls should have their own public changing rooms and bathrooms,” or that “women should retain female-only rape crisis centres,” and “that men don’t belong in women’s sport.” Rowling also highlighted her stance on incarcerated women, asserting that “female prisoners shouldn’t be incarcerated with violent men and male sex offenders,” and her view that “women should remain a protected class in law, because they have sex-specific needs and issues.”

Rowling continued by emphasizing the importance of language reflecting reality, noting “that language should reflect reality rather than ideological jargon, especially in a medical context,” and defended women against harassment or persecution, writing that “women shouldn’t be harassed, persecuted or fired for refusing to pretend humans can change sex” and “women should not be threatened with violence and rape when they assert their rights.”

She also stressed the broader societal principle of free expression, declaring that “freedom of speech and belief are essential to a pluralistic democratic society.” Rowling then turned to the treatment of minors, particularly those who are “gay, autistic and trauma-experienced,” insisting they “should be given mental health support instead of irreversible surgeries and drug treatments on non-existent evidence of benefit.”

The author also addressed LGBTQ issues, saying that “gay people shouldn’t be pressured to include the opposite sex in their dating pools, nor should they be smeared as ‘genital fetishists’ when they don’t,” and criticized certain male cross-dressers exploiting gender ideology: “cross-dressing heterosexual male fetishists aren’t actually oppressed, but having the time of their lives piggybacking off gender identity ideology.”

Finally, Rowling struck at the broader political consequences of these ideas, asserting that “said ideology, and the privileged, blinkered fools pushing it because they suffer zero consequences themselves, have done more damage to the political left’s credibility than Trump and Farage could have achieved in a century.”

She’s right. Chris Columbus and the parade of Hollywood elites rushing to condemn Rowling reveal less about her supposedly “controversial views” and more about their own cowardice. They aren’t guided by principle—they’re driven by fear: fear of social media mobs, fear of losing roles, fear of being canceled. Columbus, Radcliffe, Watson, and the rest have chosen the path of convenience over courage, prioritizing their reputations over common sense, fairness, and even basic reality.

Rowling’s positions - protecting women’s spaces, defending free speech, supporting vulnerable minors, and calling out ideological exploitation - are neither radical nor hateful. Yet, in an era where ideological conformity is more important than truth, she is vilified simply for speaking the truth. The real scandal isn’t Rowling’s beliefs; it’s the craven complicity of those too timid to defend reason, morality, and decency. The fake outrage over J.K. Rowling exposes the media’s true agenda: silencing dissent and forcing ideological conformity."
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Well, well, well, and what have we here?
"Meet the Fairy From Hell in Charge 
of Vaccines at CDC Until Last Week"
by Ben Bartee

"Close your eyes. Prepare yourself. Picture the creepiest leather-daddy gimp at your local Pride™ sodomy festival, the one in the crowd you’d be most sure is HIV-positive and most terrified to ever leave your son or daughter with for an evening, or even just to brush up against in a public bathroom. That’s this guy, Demetre Daskalakis - who, until Monday,  ran the entire federal government vaccine program. Behold the demonic butt pirate from the 9th Circle of Hell, your former CDC vaccine czar:
Your (now former) CDC vaccine czar,
ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis

If you’re so inclined, you can find a thousand more images of this pervert and his black eyes of the abyss, just as disturbing as that above, on his Instagram page, replete with pagan imagery.

Back in 2022, which I covered at the time, you might recall the Public Health™ authorities ginning up national hysteria over monkeypox, a disease that statistically exclusively affects the euphemistically termed demographic “men who have sex with men.” Naturally, Daskalakis got himself put in charge. Via Out Magazine, September 2022: “Earlier this summer, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis was chosen by President Joe Biden as the White House’s National Monkeypox Response Deputy Coordinator. Since then, Daskalakis has been leading the efforts to respond to this new outbreak and establish proper communication to the community that has been the most affected by the disease – men who have sex with men…"

Throughout his career, Daskalakis has been a leading public health expert when it comes to issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. After overseeing the management of infectious diseases at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and serving as a commander for NYC’s response to COVID-19, Daskalakis was appointed by President Biden to become the director of the CDC Division of HIV Prevention.

Outside of his career and professional accomplishments, Daskalakis is an out and proud gay man who likes to have fun on social media by posting pictures working out, traveling the world, and hanging out with friends. He’s also not scared of showing some skin and sharing the occasional thirst traps. All in all, one could say that Daskalakis is always giving “get you a man who can do both” energy – and we love to see it!”
Full article here:

Dan, I Allegedly, "Warning, Warning, Warning - Recession Alert"

Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, AM 9/3/25
"Warning, Warning, Warning - Recession Alert"
"The economy is sending us six critical warnings you can’t afford to ignore. From shaky manufacturing numbers and job layoffs to struggles in the housing market and corporate cutbacks, these signs are impacting everyone. In this video, I break down what’s happening, why it matters, and what you can do to protect yourself during these uncertain times. Plus, we’ll talk about gold hitting an all-time high, Pepsi’s surprising struggles, and even a bizarre theft at a California wedding. It’s a wild ride, but I promise, you’ll walk away with actionable insights to stay ahead."
Comments here:

Adventures With Danno, "Strange Prices At Aldi"

Full screen recommended.
Adventures With Danno, 9/3/25
"Strange Prices At Aldi"
Comments here:
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Full screen recommended.
Travelling With Russell, 9/3/25
"I Tried Russian Pizza Hut - Pizza Heart"
"Did Pizza Hut leave Russia? Join me to find out as I go in search of the world's most famous Pizza franchise. Pizza Hut left Russia in 2022, but a Russian replacement, called Pizza Heart, appears to have taken its place. What do their pizzas taste like?"
Comments here:

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

"Nearly 70% Of Us Think The American Dream Is Dead"

"New Poll Finds Nearly 70% Of Us Think The American Dream
 Is Dead, And The Month Of September Is Typically
 The Worst Month Of The Year For The Stock Market"
by Michael Snyder

"I kept warning about what would happen to our economy if we stayed on the path that we were on. For decades, our leaders have been making unbelievably bad decisions, and now the consequences are really starting to catch up with us. The cost of living has become incredibly painful, a larger housing bubble than the one that we faced just prior to the Great Recession is beginning to burst, and large companies are conducting mass layoffs all over the country. We were handed the keys to the greatest economic machine that the world has ever seen, and our leaders have completely wrecked it. As a result, economic pessimism has soared to unprecedented heights.

If you don’t believe me, consider what a new Wall Street Journal-NORC poll just discovered. Almost 70 percent of us now believe that the American Dream is dead, and only 25 percent of Americans think that they “have a good chance of improving their standard of living”…"America is becoming a nation of economic pessimists. A new Wall Street Journal-NORC poll finds that the share of people who say they have a good chance of improving their standard of living fell to 25%, a record low in surveys dating to 1987. More than three-quarters said they lack confidence that life for the next generation will be better than their own, the poll found."

Nearly 70% of people said they believe the American dream - that if you work hard, you will get ahead - no longer holds true or never did, the highest level in nearly 15 years of surveys. Those numbers are absolutely dismal. But things didn’t have to turn out this way. Following the Great Recession, many of us laid out plans for fundamentally transforming the system. But that didn’t happen.

Instead, our leaders simply patched up the old system and started inflating bubbles that ended up becoming much larger than the bubbles that burst the last time around. Now we are on the verge of another global financial crisis, and throughout our history the month of September has typically been the worst month of the year for the stock market…"History shows that the Dow Jones Industrial Average has generated an average monthly decline of 1.1% in September and finished higher only 42.2% of the time dating back to 1897, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

September has also been the worst month of the year for the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite which have averaged monthly declines of 1.1% and 0.9%, respectively. The S&P 500 has finished higher only 44.9% of the time since 1928, while the Nasdaq has registered positive monthly returns 51.9% of the time dating back to 1971, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

“The financial markets often shift gears in September, moving away from the quiet summer months marked by low trading volumes and limited volatility, and entering a period historically associated with seasonal weakness and increased market instability,” said Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist at LPL Financial."

But if you are waiting for the next big stock market crash, you might want to closely watch the month of October. 9 of the 20 biggest single day percentage losses for the Dow Jones Industrial Average have occurred in October. That includes “Black Monday” on October 28th, 1929 and “Black Monday” on October 19th, 1987. The stage has certainly been set for financial turmoil in 2025.

Economic activity has been slowing down all over the nation, and economist Mark Zandi is warning that the economy “feels like it’s on the brink” of a recession…But to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, the warning signs - or “red indicators” - are showing up in every corner, from housing to employment to consumer prices. In an interview with Newsweek, Zandi said that his monthslong fears of a major economic downturn may soon come to a head, and that the U.S. economy could slip into a recession by the end of 2025. “I don’t think the economy is in a recession, at least not at this point,” he said, “but it feels like it’s on the brink, it’s on the precipice of this recession.”

This year, large companies have been going bankrupt at the fastest pace that we have seen since the last global financial crisis. And we have just learned that the delinquency rate on office mortgages that have been securitized into commercial mortgage-backed securities has now risen to the highest level ever…"The office and multifamily sectors of commercial real estate loans got further bludgeoned in August, despite large-scale extend-and-pretend and forbearance deals executed in the hopes for better times and lower interest rates and more demand so that lenders don’t end up with the property and a huge loss.

The delinquency rate of office mortgages that have been securitized into commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) spiked to 11.7% in August, the worst ever, a full percentage point above even the peak meltdown rate of the Financial Crisis (10.7%), according to data by Trepp , which tracks and analyzes CMBS."

Back in December 2022, the office CMBS delinquency rate was still 1.6%. Since then, it has exploded by over 10 percentage points. This is a major league red flag. It would be very difficult to overstate how serious this is. Our financial institutions are going to get burned so badly as these mortgages go bad.

Meanwhile, residential real estate is in a depressed state and home prices are starting to crash in many parts of the nation. Many young adults are actually quite eager for home prices to crash, because the vast majority of them have been completely priced out of the market…


The chart above was posted by Nathan Halberstadt on Twitter, and it is very powerful evidence that the middle class is dying. As older middle class Americans die off, they aren’t being replaced by sufficient numbers of young adults because a middle class lifestyle is simply out of reach for most of them. And the cost of living just continues to go higher with each passing day.

Just look at the price of beef. It has risen to absolutely absurd levels, and that is because the size of the U.S. cattle herd has fallen to the lowest level that we have seen since 1951…"This year, the U.S. cattle inventory dropped to around 86 million heads. That represents the herd’s smallest size since 1951, and things are going to get worse before they get better."

One of the primary reasons why the U.S. cattle herd has gotten so small is due to the long-term drought in the western half of the country…A lot of it has to do with a prolonged three-year drought that’s hit America’s key cattle regions hard. This has led to increased feed costs, which has pushed a lot of ranchers to liquidate breeding cattle.

As you can imagine, these short-term decisions have long-term impacts on the supply cycle. It doesn’t take a hardened ranch hand to know that livestock operates on long production cycles. A lot of producers operate on a 10-year cycle - and because it takes at least two years for new calves to reach butcher weight, USDA forecasts reckon that herd numbers won’t catch up with demand until 2031.

How many times over the past several years have I written about that drought and the implications that it would have? But a lot of people didn’t want to take me seriously. Consequences don’t always show up immediately, but they always show up eventually. And if we don’t reverse course, there are some extremely severe consequences that will soon be heading our way. If we choose to do what is right, we will be blessed as a nation. But if we choose a different path, we will get much different results."

"Debt Nearing A Critical Point, The U.S. Economy Is About To Become Very Unstable"

Jeremiah Babe, 9/2/25
"Debt Nearing A Critical Point, The U.S. 
Economy Is About To Become Very Unstable"
Comments here:

"White House Panics - I Warned You This Would Happen!"

Full screen recommended.
Steven Van Metre, 9/2/25
"White House Panics - 
I Warned You This Would Happen!"
Comments here:

"James Webb Telescope Detects Glowing Nuclear Core in 3I/ATLAS – Is It Artificial?"

Full screen recommended.
RevVolt, 9/2/25
"James Webb Telescope Detects Glowing 
Nuclear Core in 3I/ATLAS – Is It Artificial?"
"When the James Webb Space Telescope turned its gaze on the mysterious interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, no one expected what came next… a glowing nuclear core at its center. Is this a natural phenomenon, or could it be evidence of alien engineering? Elon Musk has already hinted that discoveries like this could prove we are not alone. Could 3I/ATLAS be an interstellar probe, powered by nuclear technology far beyond our own? Or is it a cosmic event that rewrites everything we thought we knew about physics and space exploration?"
Comments here:
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Full screen recommended.
Spacialize, 9/2/25
"Harvard Scientist Warns: 3I/ATLAS Is Giving
 Off Metallic Alloys That Don’t Exist on Earth"
Comments here:

Musical Interlude: Moby, "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad"

Full screen recommended.
Moby, "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad"

"A Look to the Heavens"

"In the lower left corner, surrounded by blue spiral arms, is spiral galaxy M81. In the upper right corner, marked by red gas and dust clouds, is irregular galaxy M82. This stunning vista shows these two mammoth galaxies locked in gravitational combat, as they have been for the past billion years. The gravity from each galaxy dramatically affects the other during each hundred million-year pass.
Last go-round, M82's gravity likely raised density waves rippling around M81, resulting in the richness of M81's spiral arms. But M81 left M82 with violent star forming regions and colliding gas clouds so energetic the galaxy glows in X-rays. This big battle is seen from Earth through the faint glow of an Integrated Flux Nebula, a little studied complex of diffuse gas and dust clouds in our Milky Way Galaxy. In a few billion years only one galaxy will remain."
o
"When observing the stars, you should see them in another perspective. Take into account what they really are: the mothers of the atoms from which we are constituted, the atoms that constitute the mortal and thinking species that admire the sun as a god, a father or a nuclear power station. The particles that were composed at the beginning of the Universe, the atoms that were forged in the stars, the molecules that were constituted on Earth or in another place… all that is also inside us."
- Michel Cassé, French astro-physicist, "Desafio do Século XXI"

"3I/ATLAS"

o
Full screen recommended.
Hidden Headlines, 9/1/25
"Elon Musk: 3I/ATLAS Just Turned Back
 And Confirms What We All Feared”
Comments here:
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Full screen recommended.
Hidden Headlines, 9/1/25
"James Webb Telescope Just Detected 
Artificial Lights in 3I/ATLAS"
Comments here:
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Full screen recommended.
Hidden Headlines, 9/1/25
"3I/ATLAS’s Final Transmission 
Confirms What We All Feared"
Comments here:

"From Stardust to Sapiens"

"From Stardust to Sapiens: A Stunning Serenade to 
Our Cosmic Origins and Our Ongoing Self-Creation"
by Maria Popova

"We were never promised any of it - this world of cottonwoods and clouds - when the Big Bang set the possible in motion. And yet here we are, atoms with consciousness, each of us a living improbability forged of chaos and dead stars. Children of chance, we have made ourselves into what we are - creatures who can see a universe of beauty in the feather of a bird and can turn a blind eye to each other’s suffering, creatures capable of the Benedictus and the bomb. Creatures who hope.

A generation after Maya Angelou held up a cosmic mirror to humanity with “A Brave and Startling Truth,” Pattiann Rogers - who writes with uncommon virtuosity about the intersection of the cosmic and the human, and whose poems have therefore been a frequent presence in "The Universe in Verse" - offers a poignant cosmogony of our self-creation in the stunning final poem of her book "Flickering" (public library).                                                            

  "Homo Sapiens: Creating Themselves"
by Pattiann Rogers, read by Maria Popova


I.
"Formed in the black-light center of a star-circling
galaxy; formed in whirlpool images of froth
and flume and fulcrum; in the center image of herring
circling like pieces of silver swirling fast, a shoaling
circle of deception; in the whirlpool perfume of sex
in the deepest curve of a lily’s soft corolla. Created
within the images of the creator’s creation.

Born with the same grimacing wrench of a tree-covered
cliff split wide suddenly by lightning and opened
to thundering clouds of hail and rain.

Cured in the summer sun as if in a potter’s oven,
polished like a stone rolled by a river, emboldened
by the image of the expanse beyond earth’s horizon,
inside and outside a circumference in the image
of freedom.

Given the image of starlight clusters steadily silent
above a hillside-silence of fallen snow… let there be sleep.

II.
Inheriting from the earth’s scrambling minions,
images of thorn and bur, fang and claw, stealth,
deceit, poison, camouflage, blade, and blood…
let there be suffering, let there be survival.

Shaped by the image of the onset and unstoppable
devouring eclipse of the sun, the tempestuous, ecliptic
eating of the moon, the volcanic explosions of burning
rocks and fiery hail of ashes to death… let there be
terror and tears. Let there be pity.

Created in the image of fear inside a crawfish
skittering backward through a freshwater stream
with all eight appendages in perfect coordination,
both pincers held high, backing into safety beneath
a fallen leaf refuge… let there be home.

III.
Made in the image of the moon, where else
would the name of ivory rock craters shine
except in our eyes… let there be language.
Displayed in the image of the rotting seed
on the same stem with the swelling blossom…
let there be hope.

Homo sapiens creating themselves after the manner
and image of the creator’s ongoing creation - slowly,
eventual, alert and imagined, composing, dissembling,
until the right chord sounds from one brave strum
of the right strings reverberating, fading away
like evening… let there be pathos, let there be
compassion, forbearance, forgiveness. Let there be
weightless beauty.

Of earth and sky, Homo sapiens creating themselves,
following the mode and model of the creator’s creation,
particle by particle, quest by quest, witness by witness,
even though the unknown far away and the unknown
nearby be seen and not seen… let there be goodwill
and accounting, let there be praise resounding."


Complement with astronomer-poet Rebecca Elson’s ode to dark matter and the mystery of being, “Let There Always Be Light,” non-speaking autistic poet Hannah Emerson’s astonishing “Center of the Universe,” and Jane Hirshfield’s “To Be a Person,” then revisit Pattiann Rogers’s harmonic of the human and cosmic perspectives, read by David Byrne and illustrated by Maira Kalman."

"They Couldn't Have Known..."

“They couldn’t have known that even this was a lie – that we never really choose, not entirely. We are always being pushed and squeezed down one road or another. We have no choice but to step forward, and then step forward again, and then step forward again; suddenly we find ourselves on a road we haven’t chosen at all. But maybe happiness isn’t in the choosing. Maybe it’s in the fiction, in the pretending: that wherever we have ended up is where we intended to be all along.”
- Lauren Oliver

"Col. Larry Wilkerson: The U.S. Is Falling Apart?! Shocking Warning Signs Everywhere"

Dialogue Works, 9/2/25
"Col. Larry Wilkerson: The U.S. Is Falling Apart?! 
Shocking Warning Signs Everywhere"
Comments here:
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Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom, 9/2/25
"Scott Ritter: Was Anchorage Just a Dance?"
Comments here:

"The Dawning of a New World Order"

"The Dawning of a New World Order"
by Larry C. Johnson

"Many Western political leaders and pundits continue to indulge themselves in the fantasy that the US is in control of its destiny and is an unbreakable hegemon. You may accuse me of exaggerating, but I am shocked by the number of seemingly sane, sober, well-educated Americans who continue to believe that the relationship between Russia and China is ephemeral, and that with just the right amount of pressure Russia will be easily persuaded to abandon China and join the West in its plan to subdue the Chinese government and people. It is a bat shit crazy notion in my opinion, but there are a large number of folks who embrace this nonsense.

As I am writing this piece, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference is underway and a new chapter in the history of international politics is being written. The SCO has ten member states: China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. Additionally, it has two observer states, Afghanistan and Mongolia, along with several dialogue partners. This year the attendees also include Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. I suspect those three were sent by their Western masters to spy on the event and report back.

Donald Trump’s foreign policy is turning into a serial production of debacles. Case in point: India. The short-sighted decision to hit India with 25% tariffs, and an additional 25% penalty, has energized India’s political class to distance themselves from the United States. A year ago, I could make a cogent case that India was lukewarm about its relationship with BRICS, but that has all changed. Prime Minister Modi, on behalf of his government, now assumes the Presidency of BRICS, and is embracing the task of planning and hosting the 2026 BRICS summit in India. He will not submit to US threats or bullying.

As part of moving BRICS forward, India’s longstanding, contentious relationship with China is in the process of being revamped, with India and China now behaving more as friends than as enemies. The photo at the top of this article tells the story about the new relationship, as does this early press report: “Always a delight to meet President Putin,” Prime Minister Modi posted on X after his meeting with the Russian leader ahead of the summit. In another post on X, Modi wrote: “Interactions in Tianjin continue! Exchanging perspectives with President Putin and President Xi during the SCO Summit.”

China’s President Xi, in his opening remarks, made it clear that the SCO is not just a pleasant social gathering for Asian leaders and those leaders representing countries that were once part of the Soviet Union: "China will work with all parties in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to take the regional security forum to a new level," Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday, unveiling his ambition for a new global security order that poses a challenge to the United States.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has set a model for a new type of international relations, Xi said in opening remarks addressing more than 20 world leaders at a two-day summit held in northern China’s Tianjin, adding that the forum unequivocally opposed external interference.

BRICS, along with the SCO, is busy constructing an alternative to the post-WW II international economic and political system that has dominated world affairs for the last 80 years. While many in the West foolishly dismiss these gatherings as meaningless, Russia, China and India are quite serious about creating an economic, financial and international political system that is no longer subject to a veto by the United States or Europe. The fact that they represent the most dynamic and innovative economies in the world today should be enough to entice the West to find a path for cooperation with them. Nope! With Washington in the lead, and the Europeans tagging along behind, the West is committed to a policy of confrontation and punishment. The US-tariffs imposed on India are just the latest example.

Randy Credico, a comedian, political activist and friend, hosted me and Andrei Martyanov on his weekly radio program, which broadcasts from New York City. Andrei and I discussed the Great Patriotic War and its relevance to the current war in Ukraine:
"Great Patriot War: 
The Sequel with Larry Johnson & Andrei Martyanov"

The Daily "Near You?"

Clarkston, Michigan, USA. Thanks for stopping by!

"Living In The Past: The World War II Hangover"

"Living In The Past: The World War II Hangover"
by John Wilder

"Every group has a story that defines them: the myth, the memory, the moment that crystallizes who they are and what they value. For Christians, it’s the Crucifixion and Resurrection, the ultimate sacrifice and triumph of life. For the Chinese, it’s the Century of Humiliation, a wound that fuels their drive for global dominance. For Three Stooges® fans, it’s the seismic shift when Shemp replaced Curly, forever splitting the purists from the heretics, and don’t even get me started on the anti-Curly, Joe Besser.

But for too many groups the Second World War is the foundational story, a crucible that forged their modern identities. And for most, it’s a scar that still festers, shaping their worldview in ways that are often more curse than blessing like the time I found a genie but didn’t get a wish because I rubbed him the wrong way.

Let’s start with the United States. For the United States, WWII cemented the idea that big government is the ultimate and best problem-solver and has our best interests at heart. The war effort, which would have cost $4.1 trillion in today’s dollars, mobilized industry, science, and bureaucracy like never before, birthing the military-industrial complex that Ike warned us about. I hear JFK was going to work on that, but they changed his mind.

The lesson of the war was simple: if you throw enough tax dollars and central planning at a problem, you can save the world. Never mind that the failed New Deal had already disproved this; WWII made it gospel. Blacks can’t read? Throw money and central planning at it. Poor people keep doing the things that made them poor? Throw money and central planning at it. Women complaining about . . . whatever? Throw money and central planning at it. The result of all this was the United States giving DEI grants for difficult tasks, like breathing.

The war also taught Americans that war is noble when the British say so. Pearl Harbor was the trigger for the entry of the United States, but Britain’s pleas for aid via Lend-Lease pulled us into Europe’s mess for the second time in a generation. Post-1945, the U.S. embraced its role as the world’s foremost military power and world policeman, from Korea to Kabul, with a budget to match, spending trillions to give democracy to those that don’t care about it.

Another lingering ghost: the myth of the “Greatest Generation,” implying every war since is just as righteous, no matter the cost in blood or treasure. This is the same generation that voted in all of Johnson’s Great Society crap, and the generation you can thank for the Hart-Cellar Immigration Act of 1965. Our victory in World War II blinds us to overreach, ballooning debt, and the erosion of liberty at home as the state grows ever fatter.

Moving across the sea to Bongland, where they have a big tower that goes “Bong” every hour, Britain’s WWII story is one of defiance. The “stiff upper lip” against Hitler’s bombs during the Blitz, with Churchill’s speeches rallying a nation under siege. But the war’s cost, $120 billion in debt, 450,000 dead, cities like London and Coventry in jumbled rubble all askew like Yorkshireman’s teeth, broke the back of the Empire.

The foundational lesson twisted: instead of pride in survival, Britain internalized a twisted guilt, spinning off colonies that weren’t quite ready to govern themselves like India and Nigeria faster than you can say “Commonwealth.”

Worse, the “we’re all in this together” myth morphed into a masochistic anti-colonialism, where importing millions of non-British migrants became a moral crusade to atone for empire, starting with the H.M.S. Windrush bringing hundreds of non-British to Great Britain to keep wages down. The result? A cultural identity crisis, where “Britishness” is now a dirty word, and cities like London are less British than Bombay was in 1850. The war taught Britain to survive, but it lost its soul. But, hey, think of all the great food!

Germany got it the worst, or wurst: their national policy became self-hatred. Germany’s WWII story is Hitler and defeat, a double blow that turned national pride into a mortal sin and Hitler into a replacement for Satan. The war toll of German death and destruction: 5.3 million military deaths, 2 million civilian, cities like Cologne and Dresden reduced to rubble or ash was compounded by the framing of Germany as the sole reason for war.

The foundational lesson? Germans can’t be trusted with power or tanks or a sense of humor. Post-war, this bred an anti-nationalism so intense it’s practically policy. Germany’s “Vergangenheitsbewältigung” (reckoning with the past) demands eternal penance as if this was a racial punishment where current Germans who in no way were responsible for World War II have to take the blame.

The result? Immigration surged, with 20% of Germany’s population now foreign-born, often seen as a way to dilute the “German” identity that led to 1939. The war’s shadow stifles dissent: question migration or EU mandates, and you’re a Nazi and your entire political party might be banned. This self-hatred paralyzes Germany’s ability to act decisively, even as its economy stagnates and its culture frays.

For Russia and/or the Soviets, World War II was the triumph of the iron fist. For the Soviets, the Great Patriotic War was proof the Soviet system worked. Despite 27 million deaths (8.7 million military, 19 million civilian), the Red Army’s push to Berlin showed that the sheer scale of production of hundreds of thousands of crappy tanks and endless conscripted bodies could crush any foe. Stalin famously removed seat padding from the T-34 after finding the average lifespan of a T-34 in combat was only a few minutes.

The foundational lesson they learned? Central control, especially when done with brutality, gets results. Stalin’s paternalism became Putin’s playbook: the state over individual, quantity over quality. Post-war, the USSR’s occupation of Eastern Europe and refusal of Marshall Plan aid cemented this mindset. Even today, Russia’s drones are glorified T-34s - cheap, mass-produced, barely competitive, but there are thousands of them. The war’s myth of invincibility fuels Moscow’s paranoia and aggression, from Ukraine to cyberwars, while its economy limps along on vodka, oil, duct tape, and nostalgia.

World War II was a cataclysm. 70-85 million dead and borders were changed as if they were drawn by a hyperactive kid with an Etch-a-Sketch™. For the U.S., it birthed a bloated state and a messianic complex. For Britain, it turned pride into shame. Germany traded nationalism for self-loathing. Russia doubled down on authoritarianism. And, although we didn’t go into it, World War II is the singular foundational event for modern Jewish people, which is why they treat it with religious reverence and questioning any aspect of their narrative is treated as heresy.

The U.S. got off the lightest: our homeland unscathed, our economy booming post-war, but we’re chained to the idea that we must police the globe for some reason. For the others, the scars are deeper, twisting their cultures into knots of guilt, paranoia, or apology. These foundational stories aren’t just history, they’re shackles. Maybe it’s time to write new stories, before the old ones drag us all into another war, or the anti-Curly returns?"
Edwin Starr, "War"
o
Full screen recommended.
Steve Cutts, "A Brief Disagreement"
"A visual journey into mankind's 
favorite pastime throughout the ages."

"Since the rise of the state some 5,000 years ago, military activity has occurred over much of the globe. The advent of gunpowder and the acceleration of technological advances led to modern warfare. According to Conway W. Henderson, "One source claims that 14,500 wars have taken place between 3500 BC and the late 20th century, costing 3.5 billion lives, leaving only 300 years of peace (Beer 1981: 20).] An unfavorable review of this estimate mentions the following regarding one of the proponents of this estimate: "In addition, perhaps feeling that the war casualties figure was improbably high, he changed 'approximately 3,640,000,000 human beings have been killed by war or the diseases produced by war' to 'approximately 1,240,000,000 human beings...'" The lower figure is more plausible but could still be on the high side considering that the 100 deadliest acts of mass violence between 480 BC and 2002 AD (wars and other man-made disasters with at least 300,000 and up to 66 million victims) claimed about 455 million human lives in total."
"It would indeed be a tragedy if the history of the human
 race proved to be nothing more than the story of an
ape playing with a box of matches on a petrol dump." 
- David Ormsby-Gore

And humanity just never, ever learns from it all...

"The 12-Day War Was Only Round 1: What Could Come Next in the War on Iran"

"The 12-Day War Was Only Round 1:
 What Could Come Next in the War on Iran"
by Nick Giambruno

"On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran - an assault that would later become known as the 12-Day War. It began with an attempted decapitation strike aimed at the Iranian leadership. Dozens of senior generals and officials were killed. The US and Israel hoped this would trigger the collapse of the Iranian government. It wasn’t an unrealistic expectation - such a blow could have toppled a government in many other countries.

But Iran’s government didn’t collapse. It regained its footing and launched a devastating counterattack on Israeli targets using ballistic and hypersonic missiles, overwhelming Israeli defenses. The scale of Iran’s response forced both Israel and the US to seek a ceasefire.

Iran reportedly refused the initial ceasefire offer. Why would they agree, after all, when they had the momentum? It wasn’t until Trump was forced to offer concessions that Iran agreed to stop fighting. One key concession: allowing Iran to sell oil to China. China is Iran’s top oil customer, importing over 1 million barrels per day - roughly 14% of China’s total oil imports. Here’s what Trump tweeted shortly after the ceasefire went into effect:
It baffled observers, as allowing Iran to sell oil to China effectively unraveled years of sanctions. It highlighted the scale of concessions the US had to make to persuade Iran to stop fighting. Further, rather than weakening the Iranian government, Round 1 triggered a surge in nationalist sentiment and unified the country around the need to defend itself from foreign aggression - exactly the opposite outcome the US and Israel had hoped for.

The extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear program remains unclear. President Trump claimed to have “obliterated” it, but that’s far from certain. What is clear is that Iran retains the technical know-how and the capacity to rebuild whatever was lost. The only question is how quickly. In response to US strikes on its nuclear facilities, Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on the massive US airbase in Qatar, destroying a key radar installation. The US sought to keep the damage out of public view to de-escalate the situation.

In short, although Iran suffered significant damage and losses, it did not lose Round 1 of this confrontation. But the war is far from over. The nuclear issue is unresolved. That’s why the 12-Day War was only Round 1. Round 2 is almost certain - and it could be far larger and far more devastating. And now, after an attempted regime change, there is virtually no chance Iran’s government will willingly give up its nuclear ambitions. That leaves only one path for the US and Israel to fully eliminate Iran’s nuclear capability: a full-scale war to overthrow the regime. Any new nuclear deal, if negotiated, would likely be short-lived. Why? Because a lasting agreement would only strengthen Iran - which, in turn, bolsters Russia and China - undermining US power in the global order.

The real issue here is regime change. The nuclear program is just the pretext. Why? Because even if Iran agreed to a new nuclear deal, the US and Israel would still view the Iranian government as an intolerable geopolitical threat. That’s why I believe the status quo is untenable. The outcome is binary:

Outcome #1: The US and Israel succeed in overthrowing Iran’s government, paving the way to destabilize Russia and China.

Outcome #2: Iran’s government remains in power, helping to consolidate Russian and Chinese influence in the multipolar world - while the US suffers a major geopolitical downgrade, much like the British Empire after World Wars 1 and 2.


The outcome of the ongoing war against Iran will be pivotal to the broader result of World War 3 - and to the future of the world order. It’s highly unlikely the US will simply stand by. Doing nothing would be the equivalent of accepting its own decline in a multipolar world. Iran could make a dash for the bomb. If successful, it would solidify the current government, deter US and Israeli efforts at regime change, and mark a major retreat of US geopolitical influence.

In my view, the base case scenario is that the US will launch a full-scale war against Iran - but it will be ill-fated. The effort will likely fail to achieve regime change, and as a result, US global power will continue to recede within the emerging multipolar world order. Faced with the bleak prospects of a successful invasion, the US (or Israel) could resort to using nuclear weapons. But that would almost certainly trigger a chain reaction that could threaten life on Earth. While this remains a possibility, it is not - at least in my view - the base case scenario.

That’s why I believe there’s a strong chance we’ll see a full-scale conventional war - one that will be devastating for all sides. It’s a war the US is unlikely to win, but it may still take the risk to avoid the greater threat of losing its global dominance. And Israel may act unilaterally, regardless of what the US does. Such a war would be catastrophic - and could mark the end of the US as the world’s leading power.

The situation is fluid, volatile, and impossible to predict with precision. But when you step back and look at the full picture, I believe there’s a real chance the US will not succeed in overthrowing Iran’s government. The larger implication? We are likely witnessing the end of US global dominance, much like the fall of the British Empire in the wake of the world wars. Many people are unprepared for such a historic shift. But when you view the Big Picture, this is where the world appears to be headed.

Changes in the world order are rare, history-defining events - with massive implications, both geopolitical and financial. We are living through one of those rare moments right now. That’s why it’s critical to tune out the noise, cut through the propaganda, and understand the true geopolitical landscape.

The 12-Day War was only the opening round in a much larger confrontation - one that could reshape the global order and accelerate the decline of US dominance. As the geopolitical chessboard shifts, the ripple effects won’t stop at borders or battlefields. They will strike directly at the global monetary system, your savings, and your financial future. That’s why it’s essential to see beyond the headlines and understand the deeper forces at play. The truth is, we’re already entering a historic monetary reset - one that will trigger the largest transfer of wealth in living memory.

Most people will be blindsided. But those who prepare now will have the rare chance not just to survive, but to profit. To understand how this crisis could unfold - and how you can position yourself on the winning side - I urge you to read my urgent briefing: The Great Monetary Reset Begins NowClick here to access the full report and discover how to be on the right side of the largest wealth transfer in history."

"There Is Always The Hope..."

“What happens to people living in a society where everyone in power is lying, stealing, cheating and killing, and in our hearts we all know this, but the consequences of facing all these lies are so monstrous, we keep on hoping that maybe the corporate government administration and media are on the level with us this time. Americans remind me of survivors of domestic abuse. This is always the hope that this is the very, very, very last time one’s ribs get re-broken again.”
- Inga Muscio

"Invasive Species - Cutting Big Government Down To Size..."

A light dusting of snow covers the front deck this morning.
"Invasive Species -
Cutting Big Government Down To Size..."
by Joel Bowman

“The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.”
- Tacitus, "The Annals of Imperial Rome" (c. 110–120 AD)

Villa la Angostura, Argentina - “This is my heaven, where I plan to live and to die.” The sun glistened off the water as our family clamored aboard the modest vessel. Nicolás, our captain for the day (and the boat’s owner-operator), spoke with the passion of a man who has discovered a deeper meaning in life. “When we came here from Buenos Aires, 35 years ago, I knew right away that this would be our new home. My wife and I, we raised our three children here in peace and tranquility, in harmony with nature.” Setting off from Bahia Manzano, a sheltered cove with clear and glassy waters, Nico guided the boat around a lush peninsula, with petite hotels and boutique cabins dotted among the trees.

Petite hotels and lodgings, as seen from the Nahuel Huapi Lake.

“The pines are actually an invasive species,” Nico informed us. “They were introduced back in the 1930s as part of a national afforestation program, designed to establish and grow a local timber industry. But the pines grew fast, and they soon began taking over the native growth. The plan was a total failure, thanks to high transport costs, corruption and general mismanagement... so naturally, the government expanded it, introducing more and more invasive species during the 1970s.

Now we have to manage them, like a pest. So we cut them back and plant native bushes, which help to regenerate the soil. It’s a constant battle, but unless we want our native trees to disappear altogether, it needs to be done.”

Deep Cuts: Meanwhile, back in the Big Smoke, Javier Milei’s motosierra continues hacking back the invasive species that is Big Government. According to the Minister of Deregulation Federico Sturzenegger, more than 53,000 government jobs have been axed since December, 2023. For those counting along at home, that’s ~31,000 centralized admin jobs, ~5,000 military and security personnel and ~17,000 state businesses, for a grand total of 53,345 pines felled nationwide. As Sturzenegger posted on his X account:

"KEEP THE CHAINSAW that allowed us to lift 12 million Argentinians out of poverty. While Kirchnerism tries to drag us back to the model of poverty and inflation, we move forward doing what's right: cutting useless spending so we can lower taxes for Argentinians. Thank you, President @JMilei, for the leadership. VLLC!"

And what has been the impact of these deep state cuts? According to the most recent figures, released late August, the long-strangulated Argentine economy continues to sprout new shoots... The latest, from La Derecha Diario: "The National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC) reported that the Argentine economy is maintaining solid year-on-year growth, with a 6.4% increase in June compared to the same month of the previous year, according to data from the Monthly Economic Activity Estimator (EMAE). Twelve of the sectors that make up the EMAE recorded year-on-year increases in June, with financial intermediation standing out in particular, which grew by a remarkable 28.7%...

Wholesale and retail trade and repairs, meanwhile, posted a year-on-year growth of 11.5%, being the activity with the greatest positive impact on the EMAE...The manufacturing industry also showed outstanding performance, with a 7.8% year-on-year increase, reflecting the reactivation of industrial production and the consolidation of value chains in key sectors. Other sectors that contributed significantly to growth include mining and quarrying (11%), construction (9.9%), net taxes on products (8.7%), and electricity, gas, and water services (8.6%)."

Of course, one swallow does not make a summer... and there is a lot that can change before the pending midterm elections, which will be held here on the 26th of October. We’ll keep our eye on the situation from the frontlines. Watch this space...

Sundowners and Snowy Peaks: Back on the lake, Nico steered his boat north, past Playa La Escondida and the Rio Bonito, which streams down from the jagged snowy mountains that cut the horizon. The lakefront boasts some of the most expensive real estate anywhere in the country. “That’s Cumelén,” Nico pointed to the postcard coastline, studded with impressive mansions and home to the exclusive Cumelén Country Club. “There’s a nine-hole golf course and a clubhouse, and of course a private muelle, which residents can use for their yachts and sail boats. Most of the owners live in the capital. These are just their vacation homes.”

We puttered around the corner in Nico’s little lancha, where he turned off the motor in a protected corner of the picturesque Bahia Kraft. Leaving his guests to wonder in silence at the surrounding beauty, our captain disappeared into the cabin below, emerging a few minutes later with a hearty picada of local cured meats and cheeses... and a round of Fernet and Cokes.

“Most of us here don’t have a lot of money,” Nico said, handing the drinks around, “Not like these people, anyway. But we are more than happy. And in this life, that’s what really counts. Besides, being out here on the water, with a drink in your hand and the sun setting behind the mountains... that’s for everyone.” Stay tuned for more Notes From the End of the World..."

"How It Really Is"

 

Adventures With Danno, "What's New At Dollar Tree?"

Full screen recommended.
Adventures With Danno, I Allegedly, 9/2/25
"What's New At Dollar Tree?"
Comments here:

Dan, I Allegedly, "Look Who is Stealing from Us Now! Stay Vigilant!"

Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, 9/2/25
"Look Who is Stealing from Us Now!
 Stay Vigilant!"
"You won’t believe what’s going on with the postal service! From stolen checks to corrupt inspectors, this video exposes how trusted postal workers are robbing us blind. Learn about the shocking scam involving stolen arrow keys - master keys that open entire mailboxes - and a degenerate postal inspector who pocketed cash meant for fraud victims. It’s beyond outrageous! Plus, I’ll dive into how AI is being used to catch these criminals, but even the inspectors themselves can’t always be trusted. What’s going on with our mail system? Have you been a victim of postal theft? Let me know in the comments!"
Comments here:

Bill Bonner, "Ready To Roll"

"Ready To Roll"
by Bill Bonner

Poitou, France - "A huge statue of a boy, half of whose face appeared as though it had been blown away, looked on as we ate our dinner. We were staying at the Chateau de la Gaude, after a wedding in Aix-en-Provence. This was our second hotel near the city. The first was elaborately decorated, with so many patterns and colors - in the wallpaper, rugs, curtains, bric-a-brac, chandeliers and furniture - that we could hardly sleep. But it was gracious and comfortable, in an old Aix kind of way. The second hotel was more modern. Sleek. Chic. With some of the worst art we have ever seen. In our room, for example, were two watercolors. They appeared to depict a woman’s face in poses of either extreme depression or domestic abuse, maybe both. The worst, though, was the sculpture in the garden.

“Children should be protected from that kind of thing,” said Elizabeth. It was grotesque and hideous - a woman, naked and deformed, whose head was hollowed out, as if by worms. Taken together, the art seemed to signal a kind of corruption of the body...and perhaps, more importantly, the spirit.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg: "Gold Punches Through $3,500 to Hit Record High on Rate-Cut Bets." The precious metal has gained more than 30% this year, making it one of the best-performing major commodities. What is gold trying to tell us? Perhaps it implies a corruption of a different sort...of our financial system.

It’s tempting to think that our heavy allocations in gold have brought us 30% more wealth this year. But, for us, gold is not an investment. It is a way of avoiding investments. It is ‘money;’ we measure our wealth in gold, not dollars. And if we had ten ounces of gold at the beginning of the year, we still have just ten ounces of gold...waiting for an opportunity to invest when the time is right. But if the higher gold price is not telling us that we’re richer, what is it telling us? Maybe it has something to do with the reverie we began yesterday.

Empires, like people, become more fragile when they get old. They sit, as if atop a great mountain, ready to roll down in any direction. They try to hold on by erecting trade barriers, switching to Big Man government and paying the firepower industry to protect them. But one way or another, they’ve got to climb down that mountain.

Which is why, historically, Donald Trump was probably a better bet than Kamala Harris. An empire typically goes out in a blaze of military jackassery and financial chicanery. Harris would have continued wrecking the empire’s finances, more or less at the same pace as Trump. Democrats as well as Republicans are eager to spend money they don’t have. Neither seems particularly concerned about corrupting the system with fake dollars or of running out of other peoples’ money. But Ms. Harris might have been less bold in the use of the military.

The US firepower industry is far ahead of other nations. As with the Romans in the fifth century and the French under Napoleon, it will probably take a combination of foreigners to bring it down. The Trump team seems to be helping that coalition to take shape. Bloomberg: "Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have long showcased their bromance...now they’re embracing a powerful new friend: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

Modi turned to Eurasia’s huge countries after the Trump administration applied 50% tariffs to imports from India. Trump’s foreign policy strategists seem eager to stir up trouble on our southern flank, too. What other purpose could be served by sending US gunboats to Venezuela?

At the wedding, we met a man who worked for the French aviation company, Dassault. The company makes the famous fighter jet, the Rafale. “The orders are coming so fast, we can’t keep up with them,” he said. Stay tuned."

Monday, September 1, 2025

George Galloway, "This Israeli Regime Has No Future In The Middle East"

George Galloway, 9/1/25
"This Israeli Regime Has No Future In The Middle East"
"Israel specializes in targeting civilians, says Prof Seyed Marandi, in the wake of the martyring of almost the entire Yemeni cabinet. It can celebrate it all it wants but Israel is despised across the world."
Comments here:

Jeremiah Babe, "Has America Already Fallen?"

Jeremiah Babe, 9/1/25
"Has America Already Fallen?"
Comments here:

Musical Interlude: 2002, "Inner Light"

Full screen highly recommended!
2002, "Inner Light"