Category Archives: Uncategorized

“Our high priests of war, Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, Stephen Miller and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine, are no different from the fools and charlatans who snuffed out empires of the past — the haughty leaders of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the militarists in imperial Germany and the hapless court of Tsarist Russia in World War I. They were followed by the fascists in Italy under Benito Mussolini, Germany under Adolf Hitler and the military rulers of imperial Japan in World War II.” From Chris Hedges at chrishedges.substack.com:

We are cursed by what the historian Barbara Tuchman calls the “bellicose frivolity of senile empires.”

“We live in a world in which you can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else, but we live in a world, in the real world, Jake, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world that have existed since the beginning of time.” — Stephen Miller to Jake Tapper on CNN, Jan. 5, 2026.

“He who would live must fight. He who does not wish to fight in this world, where permanent struggle is the law of life, has not the right to exist. Such a saying may sound hard; but, after all, that’s how it is.” — Adolf Hitler in Mein Kampf

“The Fascist State expresses the will to exercise power and to command. Here the Roman tradition is embodied in a conception of strength. Imperial power, as understood by the Fascist doctrine, is not only territorial, or military, or commercial; it is also spiritual and ethical… Fascism sees in the imperialistic spirit — i.e., in the tendency of nations to expand — a manifestation of their vitality.” — Benito Mussolini in The Doctrine of Fascism

Made in the USSA – by Mr. Fish

All empires, when they are dying, worship the idol of war. War will save the empire. War will resurrect past glory. War will teach an unruly world to obey. But those who bow down before the idol of war, blinded by hypermasculinity and hubris, are unaware that while idols begin by calling for the sacrifice of others, they end by demanding self-sacrifice. Ekpyrosis, the inevitable conflagration that destroys the world according to the ancient Stoics, is part of the cyclical nature of time. There is no escape. Fortuna. There is a time for individual death. There is a time for collective death. In the end, with weary citizens yearning for extinction, empires light their own funeral pyre.

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Bibi was pleased.From Robert Inlakesh at lavagabond.substack.com:

AT FIRST GLANCE, REGIME CHANGE IN CARACAS THROUGH THE ABDUCTION OF VENEZUELA’S SITTING PRESIDENT, NICOLÁS MADURO, MAY NOT APPEAR DIRECTLY LINKED TO ISRAEL. YET, THIS UNDERTAKING BY THE US TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS MAJOR GEOSTRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS AND FITS INTO A MUCH BROADER SCHEME, INCLUDING THE COMING WAR AGAINST IRAN AND MUCH MORE.

Officials in Washington, the corporate media, and pro-war think tanks have attempted to justify the kidnapping of Venezuela’s President, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, on the grounds that Maduro headed a “narco-terrorist” regime, that he was a “dictator,” and that he was allied with the likes of Iran, China, and Russia. Yet, unlike the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the US president has left little room for debate: the stated intention behind this blatant violation of international law is to “secure the oil”.

The US attack on Venezuela on January 3 killed at least 40 Venezuelans, including civilians and security forces. An additional 32 Cuban nationals were also killed. There can be no doubt that what occurred was a violation of the United Nations Charter, specifically Article 2, Section 4. That said, having established that the primary goal of the operation was control of Venezuela’s oil—the largest proven reserves on Earth—the implications of this act extend well beyond the nation itself.

There is a reason why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been such a vocal proponent of regime change in Caracas, as have Israel Lobby-linked think tanks like the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). This is the same Zionist crowd that pushed for wars in Iraq, Syria, Libya, and beyond. The reason is clear: all these operations benefit Israel.

Donald Trump’s declarations regarding Venezuelan oil are important for the Israelis. Not only was Iran an ally of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, but the robbery of the nation’s oil will help the US and Israel circumvent a possible oil crisis in the event of a major war against the Islamic Republic. One of the biggest cards that Tehran holds in the event of war is that it will close off the Strait of Hormuz, meaning that the Arab Gulf nations would no longer be able to export oil from the Persian Gulf area. Another option Iran has is to simply target the oil facilities at their source.

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The Monroe Doctrine doesn’t say what Trumpists claim it says to justify Trump’s Venezuelan adventure. From Larry C. Johnson at lewrockwell.com:

I want to make you a wager… I bet that 99% of Americans have never read the speech that President James Monroe made to the US Congress on December 2, 1823. As part of that speech — which was the seventh annual address to the US Congress — President Monroe outlined a policy that is now commonly referred to as the Monroe Doctrine. Understanding what President Monroe actually said has taken on more importance because Donald Trump referenced the Monroe Doctrine to justify his kidnapping of Venezuelan President Maduro. I am going to show you that President Monroe said nothing that would excuse or support Trump’s action. To the contrary, Trump is behaving like one of the old European colonial tyrants.

Trump is not the first to misunderstand the Monroe Doctrine, which is now widely interpreted in America as giving the US control of the Western Hemisphere and giving the US the right to take action against ANY foreign government that has relations with the countries of Central and South America, Mexico and Canada.

The essence of the Monroe Doctrine originally was a firm declaration to oppose European colonization of the Americas. Read carefully what Monroe said:

In the discussions to which this interest has given rise and in the arrangements by which they may terminate the occasion has been judged proper for asserting, as a principle in which the rights and interests of the United States are involved, that the American continents, by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintain, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers

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People who wuss out tend to have little credibility when they talk tough. From Ben Bartlee at armageddonprose.com:

When the 2016 October Surprise hit, the infamous “grab ‘em by the pussy” tape, most pundits predicted the demise of then-candidate Trump’s nascent political career.

Modern feminist-flavored conventional wisdom held that one simply can’t be caught on tape bragging about a policy of getting aggressively handsy with women at random and getting away with it on account of being famous, which is what Trump essentially said, and win a presidential election.

In perhaps the most audacious gambit in campaign history, instead of doing what any crisis PR consultant would have advised — calling a press conference with Melania at his side, looking like a dour whipping boy, apologizing for his transgressions against social norms — Trump instead invited all of Bill Clinton’s accused rapists to the Hillary debate, sat them in the front row, pointed them out, and stalked her like an absolute savage the entire debate.

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Trump is Massie’s best fundraiser. From Tyler Durden at zerohedge.com:

In a new iteration of a seemingly self-defeating tactic, President Trump’s latest social media rant against Republican Rep. Thomas Massie has triggered a deluge of contributions to the man Trump has targeted for a primary challenge in May. However, with three billionaires on his side, Massie’s challenger is building a formidable war chest, making this — at least in dollar terms — the most serious challenge he’s faced to date. 

On Monday, Trump used a lengthy Truth Social post to reiterate his endorsement of Massie’s primary challenger, Ed Gallrein, a donor to Sen. Lindsey Graham and former Navy SEAL. Trump called Massie “the Worst ‘Republican’ Congressman we have had in many years…a Weak and Pathetic RINO.” In his parting shot, Trump accused Massie of insufficient affection for a foreign country, calling him “a true hater of Israel.”

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The U.S. government, at least until Trump’s reign is over, will no longer recognize rules governing its international behavior. From Andrew Korybko at korybko.substack.com:

The overarching trend is that the US is militarily reasserting its historical “sphere of influence” over the Americas, and enforcing the maritime component of “Fortress America” is so important for Trump 2.0 that it’s willing to rubbish the “rules-based order” over it and even risk an accidental war with Russia.

The Russian-flagged Marinera tanker was just seized by the US in the Atlantic. It was earlier named the Bella 1 and is under US sanctions due to connections to Hezbollah. It sailed under the Guyanese flag from Iran to Venezuela and attempted to break the US’ blockade. It failed, turned around, changed its name to the Marinera, and received a temporary permit to sail under the Russian flag before being seized. Russian then demanded that its citizens on board be treated humanely and returned home.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted that “The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT — anywhere in the world.” This preceded Attorney General Pam Bondi threatening that criminal charges might be pursued against the crew. Her tweet and Hegseth’s other one about how the US will only permit “legitimate and lawful” energy commerce with Venezuela shows that it’s once again assuming so-called “police” functions. Here are three takeaways from this incident:

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1. The US Is Surprisingly Nonchalant About An Accidental War With Russia

It was brazen even by the US’ standards to seize a Russian-flagged tanker, especially after Western media reported that Russia had dispatched ships and a submarine to escort it, which Russia didn’t confirm and none were nearby during the seizure. Nevertheless, Trump 2.0 calculated that there’d be no retaliation despite the deputy chairman of Russia’s parliamentary defense committee warning that “any attack on our carriers can be regarded as an attack on our territory, even if the ship is under a foreign flag.”

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h/t Western Rifle Shooters Association

The death of cash will mark the death of privacy. From Doug Casey at internationalman.com:

International Man: In practically every country, the allowable limit for cash withdrawals and transactions continues to be lowered.

Further, rampant currency debasement is lowering the real value of these ridiculous limits.

Why are governments so intent on phasing out cash? What is really behind this coordinated effort?

Doug Casey: Let me draw your attention to three truths that my friend Nick Giambruno has pointed out about money in bank accounts.

#1. The money isn’t really yours. You’re just another unsecured creditor if the bank goes bust.

#2. The money isn’t actually there. It’s been lent out to borrowers who are illiquid or insolvent.

#3. The money isn’t really money. It’s credit created out of thin air.

The point is that cash is freedom. And when the State limits the utility of cash—physical dollars that don’t leave an electronic trail—they are limiting your personal freedom to act and compromising your privacy. Governments are naturally opposed to personal freedom and personal privacy because those things limit their control, and governments are all about control.

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A lot of ordinary people in Venezuela didn’t like Maduro, and neither did a lot of the high and mighty outside Venezuela. From Joel Bowman at joelbowman.substack.com:

Nicolás Maduro’s downfall and the future of the West…

“Maduro, whom I met, is a dictator, plain and simple.”

~ Joe Biden

Whoa! What a difference a year makes!

On January 10, waaay back in the Olden Days of 2025, Joe Biden’s totally qualified press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, threw some baitfish to the seal-clapping propagandists performing in the White House press cesspool.

There she explained, in no uncertain terms and using her very best “serious Obama” voice, the Biden administration’s tough, no-nonsense stance on Nicolás Maduro, a man the administration openly and repeatedly labeled an “illegitimate” president:

“Let us quickly turn to Venezuela, where Maduro once again demonstrated his complete disregard for democratic norms and proceeded with his illegitimate inauguration.

“As President Biden emphasized earlier, during his meeting with President Elect, Edmundo González, on Monday January 6, we believe that it is essential that the will of the Venezuelan people is respected.”

Jean-Pierre then went on to announce that the reward money for information that led to Maduro’s arrest, as part of the United States’ “narcotics rewards program,” would be increased to $25 million.

Gee… for a moment there, it almost seemed like they wanted the man arrested or something? That they did not recognize his legitimacy as Venezuelan president. That rather than a pillar of democracy, Biden & Co. considered him a threat to it.

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Netanyahu is in trouble in Israel and desperately needs a rescue. From Alastair Crooke at strategic-culture.su:

At the 30 December meeting with Netanyahu and his team, President Trump publicly committed to attacking Iran. 

At the 30 December meeting with Netanyahu and his team, President Trump publicly committed to attacking Iran: If they continue with their ballistic missile program, ‘Yes’. And for their nuclear: ‘Immediate’. “We’ll knock the hell out of them“, Trump said.

By contrast to this belligerency, the Trump language at the Mar-a-Lago meeting reflected only warmth and fulsome praise for Netanyahu and Israel. Publicly, Netanyahu had received Trump’s public backing on an attack on Iran and for Gaza Phase Two, but behind the scenes many of the specifics remained undefined and disputed.

The escalatory language towards Iran was no surprise to Tehran. It had been expected. All the pointers toward coming hostilities are in plain sight: The escalating narrative – “hundreds of al-Qaida sleeper cells ready to unleash carnage; Al-Qaida found safe harbour in Iran for 25 years … [allowing Iran] to supercharge the spread of Islamic fundamentalism”, an ‘infiltrator for MI5 and MI6’ claims. On cue, the Iranian currency falls precipitously – and Iranians take to the streets.

What lies behind this outbreak of U.S.-Israeli militarism? Trump’s bluster about ‘the gates of Hell’ opening to ‘whomsoever’ is familiar to us all now. Nonetheless the signs are that Trump and Netanyahu are aligned for another round of war.

But why should Netanyahu be opting for kinetic action when Israel was so badly scarred by the incoming sophisticated Iranian missiles during the so-called June 12-day war – and when Israeli air-defences proved deficient? Iran has been re-arming and preparing for a further round ever since.

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