Friday, July 11, 2025

BRICS 2025: Propaganda and the Illusion of Change

How the propaganda machine behind the BRICS 2025 summit works—told from the inside, it reveals that nothing truly new is happening

Del Monte Foods Goes Into Bankruptcy: A Trump Tariff Casualty

Struggling Del Monte Foods keeled over due to its exposure to steel and aluminum cost increases from ‘Trump’s tariffs.

Links 7/10/2025

Genius Act: This New US Crypto Law Could Pave the Way for the Next Global Financial Crisis

On top of the leverage bombs in the US and other financial systems, the embrace of crypto, specifically stablecoins, is another systemic risk

Early Job Mentoring, Placement, and Training Boost Refugee Integration Without High Costs

Like it or not, advanced economies are committed to immigration to counter low birthrates. Better refugee integration reduces the friction.

The Inevitable Militarization of Space?

A high level review of the US efforts to project power in space and the actions/reactions of Russia and China.

Coffee Break: P. Diddy, RICO, Politicized Prosecutions

The Sean Combs trial provides a lens through which to look at RICO and prosecutorial overreach in an era of collapsing rule of law.

The Sad (Very Familiar) New York Times and Its Mamdani Hit Piece

The hit parade, as in the hit piece parade, on New York City mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani, is still in high gear.

Links 7/9/2025

Chaos in the Caucasus: The Great Armenian Sell Out and Turkish/NATO Dreams of a Turan Corridor Stretching to China

The great question is how Russia and Iran will respond if Turkiye and friends attempt to muscle their way across the Southern Caucasus. 

Trump Just Gave a Huge Gift to China’s Economy

The GOP’s huge new tax and spending law will make it even harder for U.S. companies to compete in clean technologies.

“The Pandora’s Box Has Been Opened”: Von der Leyen Faces Impeachment Risk

EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen is (finally) in some trouble. How much of a sweat does she need to break to survive?

Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – The Stab in the Back

As the war in Ukraine moves toward an ugly conclusion unfavorable to the U.S., I anticipate the appearance of a common propaganda phenomenon following lost wars: the stab in the back. This is a propaganda tactic in which military defeat is attributed to domestic treachery undermining the heroic efforts of the military. The bellicose elements […]

Will Russia Greatly Accelerate Its Ukraine Tempo to Facilitate Responding to Turkiye-Azerbaijan Threat to Iran?

Will Azerbaijan turning against Russia, perhaps supporting an attack on Iran, force Russia to move faster than it might otherwise in Ukraine?

Links 7/8/2025