This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 622 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in the financial realm. Please join us and participate via our donation page, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, PayPal, Clover, or Wise. Read about why we’re doing this fundraiser, what we’ve accomplished in the last year, and our current goal, bonuses for our guest bloggers.
Our political equinox will soon end. Whether it ends in light or shadow is our choice. Kansas Reflector (Robin K)
I … Am Herman Melville! Los Angeles Review of Books. Anthony L: “Ray Bradbury, Huston & Moby Dick.”
The Devouring Mind Dublin Review of Books. Anthony L: “Sontag & Steiner.”
Sacred Probabilities — Part I Philip Pilkington (Micael T)
#COVID-19
Pediatricians scale back on COVID shots KFF Health News (Robin K).
Well, let’s just say the CDC did not update their dataset as much as dumped the exact same values from last week in as placeholders.
Nothing like the top of a wave being the exact time the CDC nopes out for a couple weeks. https://t.co/IRsYvGVRNs pic.twitter.com/br7JGtJxa1
— Sara Anne Willette ♿️🌈👩🏻💻𓅆 (@amethystarlight) September 5, 2024
Climate/Environment
‘We’re living a Lie’: Astronaut reveals shock realization after viewing Earth from Space International Affairs (Micael T)
The Texas Billionaire Who Has Greenpeace USA on the Verge of Bankruptcy Wall Street Journal (Dr. Kevin)
Extreme weather to strengthen rapidly over next two decades, research suggests PhysOrg
Kuwait Is Awash in Oil Money. But It Can’t Keep the Power On New York Times (Kevin W)
China?
China’s $6.5 Trillion Stock Rout Worsens Economic Peril for Xi Bloomberg
China and SpaceX envision reaching Mars in different ways Asia Times (Kevin W)
South of the Border
Venezuela opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez seeks asylum in Spain amid election fallout RT. Kevin W: “This report says that he left on a Spanish Air Force jet. How on the nose is that?”
Africa
Kenya’s youth demand real democracy Jacobin. Micael T: “Wow! Western Values in practice in Kenya. Are they going to join EU and NATO too?”
European Disuion
Germany’s Lindner rejects Draghi’s common borrowing proposal Politico (Kevin W)
Wolfgang Streeck: “Sahra Wagenknecht is the only one asking the right questions — and offering the right answers” Thomas Fazi (Anthony L). Translation of an interview.
Germany and the EU Abandon Reason Glenn Diesen (Robin K). Video embedded in post.
The minister: “It’s a swamp – needs to be cleaned up” Aftonbladet. Micael T:
This would be comedy gold full of incompetence and non-action action, if it wasn’t for all the destroyed lives. “The interest rate ceiling is lowered from 40 to 20 percentage points in addition the reference rate”. 40% is shocking. 20% is still usury.
“The interest deduction is abolished for all unsecured loans” – one must keep the rich from paying taxes but the poor that need these debts to make ends meet must be punished.
How the public sector is abolishing cash Nachdenkseiten via machine translation (Micael T)
Old Blighty
PM defends ‘tough decision’ over winter fuel cut BBC
Ministers facing pressure from unions over winter fuel payment cut Guardian (Kevin W)
Watching Two Labour Parties Destroy Themselves Steve Keen (Chuck L). Australia’s Labour Party on the same trajectory as the UK’s
Gaza
BREAKING 🚨
Burmese genocide scholar Dr. Maung Zarni returned from Israel & Palestine where he witnessed 1st hand the harrowing situation unfolding
“This is beyond what the Nazis embodied. I’ve never seen such sadistic violence”
Listen to & share his POWERFUL testimony 🙏🏾… pic.twitter.com/uiBpiJGa6R
— Ousman Noor (@ousmannoor) September 7, 2024
One of the craters caused by the bombs dropped by Israelis to commit the new Mawasi refugee camp massacre.
I haven’t seen such a massive crater since the occupation launched its genocidal war on Gaza.
This is unreal. Entire Palestinian families have been wiped out. pic.twitter.com/kPqTjp2vWr
— Hussein (@EyesOnSouth1) September 9, 2024
Israeli “police” and “soldiers” provide protection to settlers as they steal goats from Zanuta, Masafter Yatta. https://t.co/VskAAuDCHx
— Jalal #CeasefireNow (@JalalAK_jojo) September 9, 2024
Zionists Are Calling For More War And May Well Get It Moon of Alabama (Kevin W)
‘Operation al-Aqsa Flood’ Day 339: Israel winds down West Bank operation, continues blockade Mondoweiss
New school year begins in West Bank as Gaza enters 2nd year without education due to Israeli war Anadolu Agency
Many Israeli citizens were killed by Israeli forces on October 7.
28 Apache helicopters used all their ammunition and had to be reloaded.
Mainstream media is finally catching up to this mass Hannibal Directive.
Here’s our report with @pularjs on what really happened on Oct 7: pic.twitter.com/g5xhsNRJVQ
— Double Down News (@DoubleDownNews) September 8, 2024
‘Psychologically broken,’ 8-year-old Sama loses her hair NBC (ma)
New Not-So-Cold War
US Senator Graham says openly that the US is only interested in raw materials in Ukraine Anti-Spiegel via machine translation (Micael T)
Mapping Ukraine’s Resources Meaning in History (Micael T)
Dumb as they come: Scholz and Pistorius on procurement of new missile defense systems Gilbert Doctorow (Michael T)
Ukrainian politician calls for ban on kids leaving country RT (Kevin W)
Small nations are forced to make historical mistakes Vzglyad (Micael T)
Caucusus
Through whose fault Armenia is losing its statehood and whether its sovereignty can be saved Eastern Angle (Micael T)
Imperial Collapse Watch
What I Got Wrong About “Shock Therapy” Matt Taibbi, DropSite
The Enduring Myth of ‘Isolationism’ Daniel Larison
Vietnamese TV station warns of the dangers of U.S. NGOs funding and organizing color revolutions
When I was in Vietnam, this was the only true external threat that people would cite.
The world is awake.pic.twitter.com/isgB6OIXO0
— Danny Haiphong (@SpiritofHo) September 9, 2024
Kamala
PATRICK LAWRENCE: ‘Vote Joy’ — a Delusion of Nostalgia Consortium News (Chuck L)
Kamala Harris is Baerbock 2.0 Anti-Spiegel via machine translation (Micael T)
Trump
It is all over the news in Hong Kong now:
Donald Trump is threatening the entire world that if they do not use the USD as their reserve currency and default international transaction currency, the U.S. will impose 100% tariffs on them.
Anyone who thinks the ROW & BRICS+ will… pic.twitter.com/J3p4g9BX7H
— Eric Yeung 👍🚀🌕 (@KingKong9888) September 9, 2024
Some additional detail:
Trump claims that the U.S. will become a third-world country if it loses the dollar’s dominance, as he seeks to use tariffs to maintain the dollar’s status.
He believes that the Biden administration’s overuse of sanctions has rendered them ineffective, and more sanctioned… pic.twitter.com/TucCPNsCuo
— 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦 (@OopsGuess) September 10, 2024
Our No Longer Free Press
Thanks to Kellys Solicitors @CrispinFlintoff & everyone inc @RogerWaters & @georgegalloway, my bail conditions are dropped: this is my first tweet pic.twitter.com/pk0vRIoCbc
— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) September 8, 2024
Foreign election influence campaigns have bark but questionable bite NBC
Woke Watch
Don’t Take Advice From a Habsburg The Dial (Anthony L)
AI
Anyone who says “AI” has already been fooled Jacobin (Micael T)
Elon Musk files new lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman CNN (Bob H)
More Bands Hit With AI-Generated Songs On Streaming Services Metal Injection (Micael T)
Goodbye Tinder, hello Strava: have ‘hobby’ apps become the new social networks? Guardian (Kevin W)
The Bezzle
EU top court rules Apple must pay €13bn in back taxes Financial Times. We’ve written about Apple’s Ireland tax deal before. It was nuts. It had the effect that Apple had to pay no taxes anywhere in the world.
The QE theory of everything New Statesman (furzy)
Class Warfare
Red lines of the counter-elite Neoliberal Feudalism (Micael T)
What Is to Be Done? Wisdom of Crowds (Robin K). On populism.
Trouble down on the farm Bleeding Heartland (Robin K)
Antidote du jour. A happy family! Tim H: “I offer siblings Gorgeous George (rear) and Sir Munchkin Scruffles (front), resting those weary bones.”
And a bonus (Robin K):
The Kagu, an almost extinct bird, meets its own kind.. 😊 pic.twitter.com/gagtgxhJRg
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) September 8, 2024
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.