WaPo endorses most of Trump's right-wing cabinet picks
this post was submitted on 13 Jan 2025
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The imperial core is continuing the process of self-cannibalization as the interimperial wars between Europe and the US over resource and territorial control continue. Greenland, populated with less than a hundred thousand heavily exploited people, is the newest territory to fall under Trump's gaze. The main draw is the mineral resources present there, of which it boasts nickel, copper, cobalt, and platinum, and much more than remains unexplored under the ice. But the ice is melting, and profit must be made. There is an additional element of wanting Arctic territory to counter Chinese and especially Russian interests and aims; Russia is increasingly eyeing the northern Arctic route as an alternative to more vulnerable routes through the Suez Canal or around Africa, and is investing heavily in icebreakers for that purpose.
However, even if Europe possessed the desire to resist American annexations - and they absolutely do not, at the end of the day - they do not even have the ability. Denmark may, to a lesser or greater extent, make angry sounds and talk about national honour or some such, but their military would be trampled underfoot by even the New York Police Department, let alone a concerted military effort by the US. If Trump wants Greenland, he will have it. This will naturally increase the grumbling in Europe about reconsidering the Transatlantic alliance, and that grumbling may, in the medium-term future, as the American Empire continues its decline, lead to meaningful results. But in the short term, Europe shall have to bear whatever Trump throws at them, for they obviously cannot now ally with Russia, who was the natural counterweight to American interests for decades before 2022.
Last week's thread is here.
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Israel-Palestine Conflict
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA reports on Israel's destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
reducing deficit and increasing growth (GDP) are straight up incompatible. since they are all themselves multi-millionaires or billionaires, deficits won't be reduced by increasing taxes on the rich (who hoard wealth and don't consume/contribute to GDP). the only other way to reduce deficit is through raising taxes (on the not top 5%ers) or cutting spending. neither of which help with 'growth'.
Uhh but they're getting an infinite money glitch out of raising tariffs to 25% 
Lol this season of American collapse is gonna be really funny
She is serious 
strong words from a paper subsidized by pissbottles
Personally feeling a bit sussy of Rubio, Gabbard and Noem. It's a bit of a gut feeling but something feels wrong in regards to them being in power and the nascent socialist and labor movement
gabbard won't pass lmao, just syria alone would sink her in the wake of assad
I'm down for a dead pool on whether or not she gets confirmed
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A freshly published Taipei Times report has focused on an important announcement made at a recent government press conference. Taiwan's Minister of Economic Affairs of Taiwan, J.W. Kuo, stated that TSMC is now allowed to manufacture 2 nm chips on foreign soil—according to him, the foundry behemoth is "cautiously" evaluating an investment of roughly $28 to 30 (USD) billion into 2-nanometer production facilities Stateside.
His colleagues have worked hard—in the past—on preserving the country's "Silicon Shield," but fresh adjustments are sweeping in. Kuo commented: "those were old-time rules. Times have changed." TSMC's—allegedly costly—North American hub is reportedly marked down for a "by 2030" push into 2 nm process territories.
2030 is not 2027, but porky does as sovereign porky commanded (for reference tsmc claims 2nm by 2026-2027 for big beans like apple, and mass production a couple of years later)
Shit, guys if you accidentally put way too much pasta in boiling water, but realised within like 20/30 seconds, scooped out half, tried to dry is with a clean dishtowel and put it back in the bag it would still be ok to use the next day?
wrong thread but just cook it and put it in the fridge for tomorrow
But make sure you put sauce in it as well or it will all stick together
I wouldn't do that personally, know someone who did it at Uni and the whole bag got moldy. Cook it all and have it later as the other posters are saying.
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like other commenter or you can freeze the extra
It would probably be fine but I've never heard of anyone doing that lol
If you have a food dehydrator, drying it out for a bit with that would probably produce better results, but considering how cheap pasta is you might spend more on electricity than you would just buying new pasta.
Seems ukraine did big drone attack inside russia with 3 (or more?) hits. Very irresponsible from kiev regime, but nothing will dissuade russians from diplomacy efforts 
It's geopolitical chess. Russia has been planning a large scale air raid over the last week or so, so Ukraine will attack now to frame the incoming, pre planned Russian attack as a response to Ukrainian actions and recent attacks. This is happening especially with ATACMS strikes, as Ukraine does not have many ATACMS missiles left, and they are a controversial issue. Ukraine used ATACMS last night. To me that shows that a Russian attack is imminent.
why on earth people were whining about low chinese bond yields btw, i missed that episode?
(to keep newsworthy #beanwatch update: cocoa is still at 11 k a ton, and coffee is still at 320, but both been steady for a month (awaiting new #beanclimb in the spring)
With this update, DJI’s Fly and Pilot flight app operators will see prior DJI geofencing datasets replaced to display official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data. Areas previously defined as Restricted Zones (also known as No-Fly Zones) will be displayed as Enhanced Warning Zones, aligning with the FAA's designated areas. In these zones, in-app alerts will notify operators flying near FAA designated controlled airspace, placing control back in the hands of the drone operators, in line with regulatory principles of the operator bearing final responsibility.
DJI drones are just free drones traveling the land now
It appears that the latest round of negotiations for a ceasefire deal between Gaza and Israel, which started in earnest late in December last year, are closer than ever before to a ceasefire.
One of the final stumbling blocks, the release of female Israeli soldiers and their classification in a hostage release/exchange deal (should female Israeli soldiers be released at the same time/in the same group as male soldiers and military aged males (18-50 years old), or at the same time as civilian women, children and elderly men over 50) has been worked out in the latest draft proposal.
Latest reporting states that a decision has been made, female Israeli soldiers will be released alongside civilians and the elderly in the first phase of a hostage exchange deal, with male Israeli soldiers and military aged Israeli males being released at a later date, in a second phase of a potential hostage exchange and ceasefire agreement. The hostage "exchange rate" for the first stage involving female Israeli soldiers and civilians/the elderly is said to be 50 Palestinian prisoners for every female Israeli soldier, and 30 Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli civilian or elderly male.
So a compromise was reached: female Israeli soldiers now enjoy the same classification as civilian women, children and elderly men in a hostage exchange, but at the cost of more Palestinian prisoners being released. I won't comment on the ethics of that... Anthony Blinken is set to release his proposal for the third stage of the ceasefire agreement, the rebuilding and governance of Gaza, later today. Let's hope that he doesn't screw everything up. Can't believe that the whole deal now hinges on Blinken
not messing it up.
Al Jazeera, 14 January 2025: Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel, Hamas at ‘closest point’ – Qatar
Relevant excerpt
Israeli media have leaked details of the potential ceasefire deal which will reportedly be implemented in three stages:
In the first stage, 33 Israeli captives being held in Gaza will be released. In turn, Israel will free 50 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for each female soldier, and 30 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remaining civilians being held captive. The reports also say Israel will completely withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor – the strip of land between the borders of Gaza and Egypt – at the end of the first phase of the deal.
The second stage will start 16 days into the ceasefire and will focus on negotiations to release the remaining men and soldiers held in Gaza.
The third stage of the deal will address long-term arrangements, including discussions on establishing an alternative government in Gaza and plans to rebuild it. Other details about the reported deal focus on security, with checks said to be carried out by an international body, and Israel allowing one million Palestinians back in the northern Gaza Strip.
Reuters, 14 January 2025: Main points of the Gaza ceasefire proposal
Relevant excerpts
HOSTAGE RETURN.
- In the first stage, 33 hostages would be set free. These include children, women including female soldiers, men above 50, wounded and sick. Israel believes most are alive but has had no official confirmation from Hamas.
- The first stage would last 60 days. If it proceeds as planned, on the 16th day from the deal taking effect, negotiations would start on a second stage during which the remaining living hostages - male soldiers and younger civilian males - would be released and the bodies of dead hostages returned.
- In return for the hostages, Israel will free from its jails more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including convicts serving long sentences for deadly attacks.
- Hamas fighters who took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel would not be released.
TROOP WITHDRAWAL.
The withdrawal would be phased, with Israeli forces remaining in the border perimeter to defend Israeli border towns and villages.
- There would be security arrangements at the Philadelphi corridor bordering Egypt, along the southern edge of Gaza, with Israel withdrawing from parts of it after the first few days of the deal.
- Unarmed North Gaza residents would be allowed back, with a mechanism to ensure no weapons are moved there. Israeli troops will withdraw from the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza.
- The Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza will start to work gradually, allowing the passage of those who are sick and humanitarian cases out of the enclave for treatment.
Axios News, 14 January 2024: Blinken to present post-war plan for Gaza on Tuesday
relevant excerpt
Blinken's plan is based on establishing a governing mechanism that will include the involvement of international community and Arab countries that could also send troops to Gaza to stabilize the security situation and deliver humanitarian aid.
- The speech will call for reform of the Palestinian Authority, while making clear the PA must be a part of any future government in Gaza.
- The Israeli government wants Arab countries to be involved in a post-war Gaza but has so far refused to agree to any day-after plan which includes the involvement of the Palestinian Authority.
- Blinken's speech will also reiterate the principles he laid out in Tokyo early in the war and that object to any permanent Israeli occupation of Gaza, the decrease of its territory or the forced transfer of Palestinians from Gaza.
China announces the largest trade surplus the world has ever seen: almost US$ 1 trillion. The highest Chinese surplus so far had been US$ 838 billion - in 2022.
China exported almost US$ 1 trillion more goods than it imported in 2024. A spokesman for the General Administration of Customs said that the country exported US$3.58 trillion in goods and services, and imported US$2.59 trillion - creating a surplus of US$990 billion, a world record. The highest Chinese surplus so far had been US$838 billion - in 2022.
Chinese factories produce a third of all manufactured goods in the world. More than the United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea and the United Kingdom combined, according to 2022 data from the United Nations. In the last decade, China has gone from importing cars to becoming the world's largest exporter. Chinese companies produce almost all the solar panels sold on the planet. At the same time, the Chinese have been importing less. The Chinese government spokesman said that if other countries hadn't politicized trade, China would have imported more.
its good that rest of the world gets to enjoy Chinese goods, but China doesn't get much other than Dollars, Euros, Yuan etc for this surplus.
The unequal treaty of the 21st century.
There is no sane justification for accumulating $3.3T foreign reserves (who needs that much foreign currencies??) and if you want to keep the workers employed and factories running, you might as well spend those labor and resources focusing on internal development instead of making cheap products for Western consumers while getting nothing in return.
Trump always say that China has been ripping off America, but it’s America that has been ripping off China for the past few decades. Maybe Trump wants to turn America into a cheap labor factory for the world, who knows lol.
Especially when the US is willing to weaponize the dollar.
All that could evaporate overnight and China isn’t getting their exports back in return.
China May Sell TikTok to Elon Musk If App Banned in US, Bloomberg Reports
The US Supreme Court is currently deciding whether to uphold a law requiring Chinese company ByteDance to stop TikTok operations in the US by January 19.
Senior Chinese officials have already begun discussing contingency plans as part of discussions about how to work with the Donald Trump administration, one of which involves Musk. One scenario discussed in Beijing would see the businessman's social media company X take control of TikTok's U.S. arm.
ByteDance representative has denied this rumor. I don’t know what’s going on.
While they still prefer to own TikTok and fight the lawsuit, if the Chinese government orders them to sell, there is nothing they can do.
On the other hand, this could be fabricated to create a narrative that Trump/Musk is pro-China in an effort to discredit the upcoming Trump administration and likely sabotage his negotiations with China. Or it could be the US trying to force a certain decision on ByteDance or the Chinese government.
It’s probably just one of the many possible scenarios being discussed and this one got out because it suits the agenda of certain (or even both) parties.
I don't get this, how would Bytedance selling Tiktok to one of America's big tech be a pro-China move?
Trump is winning this rethoric no matter what imo. If they sell he claims his idiotic big business guy brain shit "oh and I forced them to sell. See? Even the big Chinese business recognized they were no match for us" etc.
If they don't it gets banned anyway and China does something else to appease Trump anyway like they've been doing with Biden already.
The US doesn't need "narratives" when China is willing to do whatever it takes to be friendly.
China May Sell TikTok to Elon Musk If App Banned in US, Bloomberg Reports
They wanna turn me Maoist
Please dear god, don't give him more ways to be annoying
imagine they kept tiktok functional though, lot of people flooding redbook right now. I'd prefer Musk running it into the ground.
Imagine tiktok full of Holocaust deniers and it's called "Æ" for some reason