sexta-feira, 1 de agosto de 2025

A MORTE DE JEFFREY EPSTEIN NÃO IMPEDIU A REVELAÇÃO DOS CRIMES SEXUAIS DOS PODEROSOS

 



Neste país - os Estados Unidos da América- corroído por inúmeros atropelos à legalidade e um grau de brutalidade criminosa único, e que faz (ou incita seus aliados a fazerem) as guerras mais crueís desde o fim da IIª Guerra Mundial, denota-se um puritanismo hipócrita. As pessoas fiquam muito escandalizadas pela conduta sexual da classe política, mas são indiferentes, quando não aprovadoras, numa parte do público, perante os crimes de agressão militar e de conivência com o genocídio em relação aos palestinianos, em Gaza, no presente e no passado.

Não quero com isto afirmar que os referidos crimes sexuais não sejam graves. São-no de facto, além de brutais e repelentes. Quero antes sublinhar que o comportamento destes predadores sexuais e o encobrimento destes pelo sistema, estão em coerência com a total indiferença ao sofrimento humano, causado globalmente pelas suas políticas.

Oxalá, que a revelação completa do caso Jeffry Epstein/ Ghislaine Maxwell e dos escândalos e crimes continuados associados, sirva para acordar as pessoas: Que lhes permita descolar da ideia de que os líderes são essencialmente bons e que desejam o bem do seu povo.  

quinta-feira, 31 de julho de 2025

LENA HORNE: «STORMY WEATHER»

Há canções indelevelmente associadas à memória de um interprete. É o caso de «Stormy Weather» e de Lena Horne:



 


...e também a versão de  Billie Holiday


Don't know why There's no sun up in the sky Stormy weather Since my man and I ain't together Keeps raining all the time Life is bare Gloom and misery everywhere Stormy weather Just can't get my poor self together I'm weary all the time,The time So weary all the time When he went away The blues walked in and met me If he stays away Old rocking chair will get me All I do is pray The Lord above will let me Walk in the sun once more Can't go on Everything I had is gone Stormy weather Since my man and I ain't together Keeps raining all the time Keeps raining all the time When he went away The blues walked in and met me If he stays away Old rocking chair will get me All I do is pray The Lord above will let me Walk in the sun once more Can't go on Everything I had is gone Stormy weather Since my man and I ain't together Keeps raining all the time Keeps raining all the time

terça-feira, 29 de julho de 2025

ESCOLHAS POÉTICAS: «O grau zero» [OBRAS DE MANUEL BANET]


É que chegámos mesmo ao grau zero;
O grau zero absoluto:
Não da Física. Esta tem limites 
Mas, nas Ciências Sociais e Humanas.
O grau zero da reflexão política,
Da filosofia, da sociologia e de tudo
O que implica esforço, trabalho
Interior, aprofundamento do que
Havia antes da nossa ínfima existência.
Mas, isso é demasiado esperar
Dos espertos que por aí abundam
Conhecimento do passado? - Sim, 
Vão buscar citações, fica bem, 
Mostra «cultura»...

A ética, a coisa mais declamada 
E mais negada. Seria caso de dizer,
Estamos na nulidade transcendente
Do zero à potência zero, ou ao infinito.
A arrogância e o cinismo vão de par.
Acompanham, ou adiantam-se
Às nulidades que se passeiam, 
E cientes da sua importância,
Vão polindo, solenes, cadeirais 
Académicos...

Hoje em dia, são inúmeras as instâncias 
De nulificação no plano intelectual
Mas, também nas coisas materiais.
A qualidade do que é feito
É só aparente; se queres qualidade,
Terás que procurar objetos da era
Industrial; não os frívolos dejectos
Desta enganosa «pós-modernidade».

Serei reaccionário? - Sim, porque reajo! 
À estupidez eregida em saber
À fraude de vender falsas jóias
À mentira como maior virtude!
Tudo isto mereceria um simples
Encolher de ombros, se...
Fosse apenas o trági-cómico
Folclore duma pseudo elite. 
Ela vai-se babando e cacarejando
Medíocre, boçal e obscena
A conspurcar o quotidiano

Disse e redigo: A melhor resposta
Perante a estupidez cósmica
É de compôr uma muralha
Real contra a fealdade
Não apenas exterior, mas do espírito
Senão, acabamos afogados,
Entascados no lodaçal imundo
De vaidades e canalhices
Onde prosperam exemplares
Típicos da pseudo-civilização.







 

sexta-feira, 25 de julho de 2025

QUE FIQUEM CONHECIDOS PELOS SEUS FRUTOS / O GRANDE NEGÓCIO DO GENOCÍDIO



QUE FIQUEM CONHECIDOS PELOS SEUS FRUTOS (por Caitlin Johnstone)




 O GENOCÍDIO DE GAZA POR ISRAEL É UM GRANDE NEGÓCIO (por Jonathan Cook)


NO EXCERTO DO ARTIGO Dystopian Killing Fields and Starvation in Gaza POR BINOY KAMPMARK VERIFICA-SE A PERVERSIDADE DE ISRAEL EM RELAÇÃO ÀS OBRIGAÇÕES HUMANITÁRIAS E A ATITUDE CONDESCENDENTE DE SEUS ALIADOS OCIDENTAIS.

....

The statement as run by Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) on 23 July is stark: “As the Israel government’s siege starves the people of Gaza, aid workers are now joining the same food lines, risking being shot just to feed their families. With supplies now totally depleted, humanitarian organisations are witnessing their own colleagues and partners waste before their eyes.” Two months after the implementation of the controlled aid scheme by Israel, utilising the grotesquely named Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, over 100 organisations were “sounding the alarm and urging governments to act: open all land crossings; restore the full flow of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items, and fuel through a principled, UN-led mechanism; end the siege; and agree to a ceasefire now.”

Outside Gaza, and even within the Strip, abundant supplies of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items and fuel sat untouched. Humanitarian organisations had been prevented from accessing them. “The Government of Israel’s restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death.” A paltry figure of 28 trucks a day were being allowed into the Strip.

The relevant gore is recounted: massacres at food sites in the Gaza Strip are impossible to ignore; the figures from the UN suggest that 875 Palestinians had been slaughtered while seeking sustenance as of 13 July. The frequency of these “flour massacres” is also receiving comment from those in the employ of the operation being run by GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation), policed by private contractors and the IDF. Retired US special forces officer Anthony Aguilar, who resigned from working with the GHF, told the BBC that he had “witnessed the Israeli Defense Forces shooting at crowds of Palestinians.” During his entire career, he had never seen such “brutality and use of indiscriminate and unnecessary force against a civilian population, an unarmed, starving population.”

The NGO statement goes on to note the rise of cases of acute malnutrition, most prevalent among children and the elderly. (The World Food Programme has warned that one in three Gazans do not eat for days at a time, with 90,000 women and children requiring treatment.) “Illnesses like acute watery diarrhoea are spreading, markets are empty, waste is piling up, and adults are collapsing on the streets from hunger and dehydration.”

In the face of this, international law’s decrees appear like the neglected statues of a distant land. The three sets of Provisional Measures Orders from the International Court of Justice, handed down since 2024, have warned Israel to observe its obligations under the UN Genocide Convention and address the humanitarian crisis in the Strip. In its modifying order of provisional measures handed down on 28 March 2024, the ICJ instructed Israel to “take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address famine and starvation and the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in Gaza.” These include the provision of “food, water, electricity, fuel, shelter, clothing, hygiene and sanitation requirements, as well as medical supplies and medical care” and “increasing the capacity of land crossing points and maintaining them open for as long as necessary.”

The latest concession from Israel to deal with this engineered humanitarian catastrophe is a promise to open humanitarian corridors to permit UN convoys into the Strip. In addition to that, COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories), the Israeli military agency overseeing humanitarian affairs in Gaza, has announced that Jordan and the United Arab Emirates will be permitted to parachute humanitarian aid to those in Gaza. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has made a small team of British military planners and logisticians available to assist Jordan in this endeavour. On 27 July, the IDF also released a statement claiming it had made the first airdrop including “seven packages of aid containing flour, sugar, and canned food.” These efforts, in their practical futility, are a reiteration of the humanitarian airdrops conducted by the US military and Jordan’s air force in March last year.

These drops will do little to alter the cruel, strangulating model of aid delivery in place, emboldening the fittest recipients capable of outpacing their adversaries. Those recipients will also be fortunate not to be injured or killed by the dropped packages, instances of which were recorded in March last year. “Why use airdrops,” asks Juliette Touma, chief spokeswoman for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, “when you can drive hundreds of trucks through the borders?” Using trucks was “much easier, more effective, faster, cheaper.” Precisely why using them is so unappealing to the IDF.

Instead of focusing on isolating Israel, its allies prefer piecemeal approaches that prolong the suffering of the Palestinians. Measures such as those announced by Starmer to “evacuate children from Gaza who need medical assistance, bringing them to the UK for specialist and medical treatment” only serve to encourage the Israeli war machine. The aid drops serve to do much the same. The objective is one of inflicting a sufficient degree of harm that will encourage the eventual depopulation of the enclave. Israel’s allies, with intentional or unintentional complicity, will clean up.



quinta-feira, 24 de julho de 2025

Martha Argerich: Partita BWV 826 de J. S. Bach




 Acima, uma notável interpretação ao vivo pela célebre pianista argentina Martha Argerich.

Esta partita de Bach faz parte* de uma recolha com claros intuítos pedagógicos, o «Clavier Übung». 

Para ouvir esta partita no clavicórdio, outro instrumento de tecla, consulte: PARTITAS DE BACH NO CLAVICÓRDIO - WIM WINTERS

--------------
* (das notas que acompanham esta gravação) Bach's Partita No. 2 for keyboard opens with a three-part sinfonia: a dramatic and meaningful overture is followed by a playful prelude (01:06) and concludes with a fugue for three voices (03:01). Despite its compact form, this Sinfonia is multifaceted and demands great technical skill from the pianist. With the following movements of Allemande, Courante and Sarabande, Bach follows the typical Baroque scheme of a suite. Instead of a concluding Gigue, however, he uses two other movements: a Rondo and a Capriccio. Both forms were also referred to as “gallantries,” which were intended to create surprise and relaxation within a suite.

The Partita in C minor is the second piece in a series of six partitas (BWV 825 - 830), which Bach published in 1731 under the title “Clavier-Übung 1.” Bach himself described the series as his Opus 1, which he wrote for piano lovers for the enjoyment of the mind. The first “Clavier-Übung” was followed by three further collections of pieces for keyboard instruments. The four “Clavier-Übung” contain all the genres and compositional methods common during Bach's lifetime. Each of the individual pieces is very demanding. Bach had set new standards in keyboard playing technique with this compendium, which was well thought out in every respect.

quarta-feira, 23 de julho de 2025

POR DENTRO DA «GUERRA OMNIA*» COM DAVID A. HUGHES

*OMNIWAR, que traduzo por GUERRA OMNIA, significa a guerra total, em todas as dimensões da vida.



https://www.collapselife.com/


O site COLAPSE LIFE traz-nos o autor David A. Hughes, um verdadeiro intelectual com imenso valor, compreendendo dentro desta expressão não apenas a maturidade do pensamento teórico, como de uma coragem e uma ética que faltam a muitos dos ditos intelectuais nos nossos tempos. 

A sua análise sobre a deriva da sociedade dita «democrática liberal», para um tipo de «tecnocracia» é semelhante ao que vários autores, na década de 30, imaginaram. Mas, agora, esta utopia é tornada possível e está realizada, com o desenvolvimento da electrónica, da informática, da cibernética e doutras maravilhas tecnológicas que tanto nos podem emancipar, como nos escravizar à máquina impiedosa do capitalismo globalizado.

Abaixo, deixo o link para esta extraordinária entrevista (clicar no título)

Inside the Omniwar with David A. Hughes


(O site da entrevista é «Collapse Life»)


RELACIONADO

Política de sanções: A ideia por detrás das sanções é colocar a população de um país na miséria, na esperança de que ela se revolte e derrube o governo desse país. 

Isto é  ilustrado pelo novo estudo no jornal médico britânico Lancet, pelos economistas  Francisco Rodríguez, Silvio Rendón, e Mark Weisbrot, que encontraram que as «sanções unilaterais estavam associadas com um saldo anual de 564 258 mortes,” que estimam seja  “semelhante ao nível de mortalidade global associada a um conflito armado”.

Notam que “ as sanções têm efeitos substanciais na saúde pública, com uma taxa de mortalidade semelhante à das guerras".

O estudo conclui que “Woodrow Wilson referia-se às sanções como 'algo mais tremendo do que uma guerra'. A nossa evidência sugere que isto está certo. Durante a década passada, estimamos que as sanções unilaterais causaram cerca de 560 000 mortes anuais em todo o mundo. É difícil de imaginar outra política, com tais efeitos adversos para a vida humana e que seja constantemente usada.”

(retirado de...)

Lancet Study: U.S. Economic Sanctions Kill 500 000 People Per Year.

terça-feira, 22 de julho de 2025

Jack Ma: «RÚSSIA E CHINA ADIANTAM-SE FACE À OTAN»

No site de Jack Ma :





 (Abaixo, extraído da página de apresentação do vídeo)

Why Russia & China Just Outplayed NATO — Jack Ma Explains The New Power Game
🌍 Russia and China have quietly changed the balance of global power—without firing a single shot. In this powerful speech, Jack Ma reveals exactly how they’ve outplayed NATO through strategy, patience, and quiet influence. This isn’t just geopolitics—it’s about your future, your finances, and your security. Watch till the end for rare insights that most leaders and media won’t tell you.

🔔 Like, share, and subscribe if you want to stay ahead of global events and prepare your future with deep knowledge and insight!

Key Lessons in This Speech: How Russia and China quietly outmaneuvered NATO The role of infrastructure, trade, and energy in modern power Why dependence, not war, is the new battleground The impact of this shift on your economy, pensions, and future What individuals must do to adapt early and wisely What You Will Learn: 👉 Why Russia & China’s long game has shifted global influence 👉 How the new power game affects your financial future 👉 Which global trends are accelerating behind the scenes 👉 Practical advice for protecting and growing your wealth during geopolitical change

Why watch this:

This is not the narrative you see on mainstream news. This speech gives you an insider perspective on the real reasons NATO is losing influence, directly impacting your economy, savings, and future security. Learn how to think globally, act early, and stay calm through turbulent times.

Disclaimer:
⚠️ This video uses AI-generated voiceover content inspired by Jack Ma’s style for educational and motivational purposes only.

Em complemento:
https://youtu.be/0s9kmpkFIFk?si=QGArt3vt3pTGsdpY

domingo, 20 de julho de 2025

A CIMEIRA DOS BRICS NO RIO FOI UM SUCESSO; SAIBA AQUI PORQUÊ

 Muitos comentaristas ocidentais aventaram que haveria uma espécie de desinteresse da China, pelo facto de Xi Jin Ping não ter estado presente. Esta especulação, que foi espelhada por órgãos de «media» ocidentais, simplesmente é destituída de qualquer fundamento. Ben Norton (no 1º vídeo) explica isso em pormenor e muito mais.

Não há memória de que um presidente, mesmo dos EUA, faça ameaças com tarifas e sanções, só porque outros países soberanos decidem levar a cabo suas relações comerciais do modo que consideram mais vantajoso, reciprocamente. 

A ameaça - porém - saíu pela culatra ao presidente dos EUA, pois o Presidente Lula da Silva disse muito diretamente a Donald Trump que as suas ameaças não impressionam, nem Brasil, nem os outros BRICS. E disse, além disso, que não é próprio de Chefe de Estado fazer estas ameaças sem qualquer fundamento, em público e através de redes sociais. 

O presidente Trump e seu Secretário Marco Rubio pensam que é inerente aos EUA, serem «ad eternum» os emissores da divisa de reserva mundial e de comércio internacional.  Atribuem-se o «direito» de declarar uma guerra de tarifas e de sanções contra os países que não se dobrem à hegemonia do dólar. 

É patético ver Rúbio (2º vídeo, de Cyrus Janssen), falar como se fossem os donos do mundo, quando estão muito enfraquecidos. 

A desorientação dos governantes dos EUA é total. Ao insistirem na via da intimidação, do bulling, é exatamente o que tem levado ao sucesso - em grande parte - dos BRICS. Juntos, estes países poderão aguentar e resistir melhor a estas práticas de que os EUA usam e abusam: 60 % dos países do planeta têm sanções impostas (unilateralmente) pelos EUA. 

Note-se que em termos de legalidade internacional, só existe uma circunstância em que sanções são consideradas legais: No caso de serem votadas e aprovadas pelo Conselho de Segurança da ONU. Em todos os outros casos, as sanções são consideradas ilegais e uma forma de guerra económica.








CONFIRMAÇÃO DO SUCESSO DA CIMEIRA DO RIO:

CRÓNICA (nº46) DA IIIª GUERRA MUNDIAL James Corbett sobre a guerra mundial dos drones.



Introdução de Manuel Banet

Reproduzo na íntegra o artigo de «the Corbett Report». Ele é tão importante como claro, na sua exposição. Cheio de dados atualizados (é datado de 20 de Julho deste ano), dá-nos uma perspectiva da Guerra Mundial, cujos combates na frente ucraniana-russa se têm vindo a intensificar, embora a media mainstream não nos dê a noção dessa intensificação.

by James Corbett
corbettreport.com
July 20, 2025

In case you hadn't heard yet, the Trump administration has gone full mask-off with its Make Empire Great Again agenda. In addition to bombing Iran at the behest of Bibi and denouncing his own voter base for caring about the Epstein case, Trump has also just announced his plan to provide Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of weaponry to continue their war against Russia! For those keeping track at home, that's the very war he promised to end on day one of his new administration!

Yes, it may seem like a lifetime ago that the fluoride-addled erstwhile "liberals" were draping themselves in the Ukrainian flag and pretending to care about the democratic government [sic] in Kiev. . . . Uh, I mean, "Kyiv."

And it may be increasingly difficult to remember those bygone days of yore when the MAGA cheerleaders who are celebrating Trump's decision to send weapons and aid to Ukraine were denouncing Biden and the neolib warmongers for sending weapons and aid to Ukraine.

But just because the NPCs of the left/right charade have updated their programming and turned their attention elsewhere, it doesn't mean that the Russia/Ukraine conflict has gone away. In fact, that conflict is escalating by the day.

While the war in Ukraine may not seem like a big thing to the average bricklayer in Cincinnati or the average steelworker in Hamilton (or the average podcaster in Japan), it is. In fact, what is happening right now between Russia and Ukraine doesn't just have consequences for the region. And it doesn't just have consequences for the world. It has consequences for the future of warfare itself.

Don't believe me? Let's take a look.


THE STRIKE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

On June 1, 2025, Ukrainian forces launched a coordinated strike on five separate Russian air bases. Dubbed "Operation Spiderweb," it was the broadest assault by Ukraine on Russia since the conflict between the two countries began in February 2022. Even apart from the scope of the attack, however, it was unlike any operation we've seen before.

No, the Ukrainians did not launch a conventional bombing raid on these air bases. Their air force certainly wouldn't be capable of such a strike.

And no, they didn't launch their ATACMS—the US-supplied "Army Tactical Missile Systems" capable of striking targets 300 kilometres away—on those Russian bases. Ukraine's supply of those cherished ballistic missiles ran out in March.

Instead, they used ordinary commercial drones to carry out the attack.

Specifically, on June 1st, 117 Ukrainian-made Osa quadcopters—each carrying 3.2 kilograms of explosives—descended on five geographically disparate Russian air bases: Belaya, Dyagilevo, Ivanovo Severny, Olenya and Ukrainka. The drones targeted Russian aircraft parked at those bases, including some of Russia's strategic nuclear-capable bombers, and detonated their payload upon impact, causing significant damage.

And the results of this barrage? Did the Ukrainians manage to hit 41 strategic bombers201334% of the bombers stationed at the bases? Precisely how many Tu-95MSs and Tu-160s and Su-34s were damaged? Precisely how many were destroyed?

Who knows! As is so often the case with these types of wartime operations, reports differ wildly as to how much damage the attack inflicted. But in this case, tallying up the exact figures misses the point.

The point is that the mere fact that Ukraine was able to successfully pull off an attack like this and inflict any damage whatsoever in itself changes the nature of warfare moving forward.

Why?

Because, although the attack was an intricate affair 18 months in the planning, the actual operation itself is within the capability of any nation-state actor on earth.

That operation involved hiding 117 drones in secret compartments built into pre-fabricated mobile homes . . .

. . . and then loading those mobile homes onto trucks and using unwitting Russian truck drivers to drive those drones from Chelyabinsk, 150 kilometres north of the Russia–Kazakhstan border, to the vicinity of the targeted air bases.

The Ukrainians then unleashed the drones—which were piloted remotely by Ukrainian operators "dialing in" to the drones using local mobile networks—to wreak havoc on their targets.

The raid reportedly caused USD$7 billion worth of damage and wiped out a third of Russia's strategic bombers. And how much did this significant battlefield success cost the Ukrainians? About $250,000.

Yes, for the price of 117 slightly modified but essentially off-the-shelf $2,000 drones, Ukraine scored not only a blow against Russia's air force but, perhaps more significantly, showed that they are capable of striking deep in Russian territory in a way that is almost impossible to detect or defend against.

In other words, as the Center for Strategic & International Studies puts it, this incredibly cheap and devilishly effective attack has "redefined asymmetric warfare."

Operation Spider’s Web [sic] marks a turning point in how low-cost, improvised unmanned systems can be employed with strategic impact deep behind enemy lines. By combining accessible technology, creative logistics, and targeted precision, Ukraine demonstrated a new paradigm in drone warfare—one that challenges conventional assumptions about scale, cost, and vulnerability.

Make no mistake: we are witnessing a revolution in warfare.

THE DRONE WAR INTENSIFIES

Operation Spiderweb may have been the definitive proof-of-concept for the next stage of drone-driven asymmetric warfare, but the use of drones on the battlefield—and, increasingly, in towns and cities far from the "front lines"—is not a new development. Both Ukraine and Russia have been increasingly relying on drones to strike deep into each other's territory, and spectacular attacks with these unmanned fighting vehicles are now taking place on a daily basis.

Just last week, reports began to emerge that Russia has unveiled a "new tactic" in their war against Ukraine: swarms of drones "flying at different altitudes, and attacking from all directions" in order to confuse Ukrainian forces and bypass their air defences. A recent air assault on Kyiv was cited as an example. Russia set 400 drones on the Ukrainian capital from every direction to confuse and preoccupy Ukraine's air defence, thus enabling 20 of its ballistic and cruise missiles to slip through.

This new strategy follows on reports that Russia has started unleashing its drone forces on Ukraine's draft offices in an attempt to undermine Ukraine's military recruitment efforts.

And, just a few days ago, Russia's daily drone onslaught on Ukraine culminated in its largest drone attack to date. The targets were the key infrastructure of four Ukrainian cities, including Zelensky's hometown of Kryvyi Rih.

Ukraine, in turn, is making the most of its own drone fleet.

Back in May, Ukraine launched a psychologically impactful drone attack on the Kremlin, with dramatic footage of the attack being broadcast around the world. (Although it totally wasn't Ukraine that did it, guys!)

Earlier this month, Ukraine reportedly conducted successful drone strikes on Russian fighter jet and missile factories.

Two days ago, Ukraine launched one of the largest drone attacks of the war, with the Russian Defence Ministry claiming to have shot down 143 Ukrainian drones in the Moscow region in a single night.

Zelensky is now openly salivating at the prospect of a "mega deal" with Trump that would allow him to swap out Ukraine's humble drone arsenal for more advanced American military drones.

And, in yet another sign that the drone war is an increasingly important part of the broader war between the two countries, earlier this week Ukrainian hackers were crowing about one of their biggest successes to date: the destruction of "the entire network and server infrastructure of Gaskar Group," a key suppliers of drones for the Russian military.

Yes, whether the wider world knows it or not, the Drone Wars are not coming . . . they're already here.

And, as terrifying as that is, it gets even worse! You see, it's not just Ukraine and Russia who are loading up on these flying killing machines.

The Drone Wars Are Everywhere

Perhaps the clearest indication of the fact that the "future" of drone warfare has already arrived is the latest ridiculous propaganda video from the US Department of Defense. The video features Trump's Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, signing a memo to expand military use of cheap drones amidst . . . well, you just have to see it for yourself.

The video is as stupid and intelligence-insulting as everything that Uncle Sam's propaganda machine spews out, but it does reflect a new reality: namely, that no modern military can compete today without a steady supply of drones.

Just ask the Palestinians. A report published in +972 Magazine earlier this month details how Israel is equipping cheap Chinese photography drones with hand grenades to enforce evacuations against Palestinians—including unarmed and defenceless civilians—from the parts of Gaza that the Israelis have designated as "kill zones."

Or ask the Iraqis. For weeks they have been under an increasing barrage of drone attacks targeting their nation's radar and air defences. The source of the attacks is still unclear, although the Iraqi army is now claiming they were all launched from inside the country and were all of the same type, "indicating that a single actor was behind the entire campaign."

Or ask the troops of the Indian separatist group in Myanmar that was just drone-bombed by the Indian army.

Or the Lebanese, who are dying in drone strikes by Israel designed (we are told) to kill Hezbollah members.

Or the residents in other countries around the world where drones have been used in offensive operations or where armed groups are currently stockpiling drones for use in future operations.

It's obvious by now that drones are a critical part of the future of warfare. It's also obvious that that "future" is now.

But, even more ominously, the opportunities for low-cost, high-reward military operations that drone warfare offers might make war a more enticing option for countries who would otherwise deem the cost of military action too high.

PREVIEW OF WWIII

The fact that drones enable spectacular military actions like Operation Spiderweb—operations that can do massive damage with minimal expenditure—naturally make them attractive to military planners and ensure that unmanned aerial vehicles are now an essential part of any modern military's arsenal.

But what makes them even more useful is that—as the Russians are demonstrating with their new drone swarm tactic—they are extremely difficult to defend against and they are capable of causing enemies to deplete their expensive and difficult-to-produce anti-aircraft arsenal.

For those who need it spelled out, these traits mean that drones are drawing the world closer to an all-out, global hot war scenario.

Why?

It's not rocket science. At some point, the "CRINKs" will conclude that the cost of launching "Operation Spiderweb"-like attacks on their Western foes will be low enough to be worthwhile. And, if they all attack at once, they will be able to overwhelm the US. Imagine China invading Taiwan, North Korea bombing South Korea, Russia rolling tanks on Kiev and Iran laying siege to Tel Aviv—all simultaneously. That's not only an increasing possibility in this age of low-cost, low-effort drone warfare, it's also the definition of WWIII: a number of interconnected conflicts, each of which effects the conflicts elsewhere on the global battlefield.

This isn't some vague notion of a speculative potential threat far off in the nebulous future. We are told, for example, that both China and Taiwan are already "watching and learning" from the Ukraine/Russia conflict and, with modern drone technology in mind, are adjusting their respective plans for China's potential invasion of Taiwan.

Of course, my knowledgeable readers will know by now that the comic book version of global geopolitics, in which the big bad Russkies and the evil Chicoms are plotting and scheming against the virtuous NATO forces and the noble Israelis, is a lie. In reality, the WWIII conflict that is coming into view will be as ultimately stage-managed and manipulated from behind the scenes as the World Wars that came before it.

Yes, as I've discussed before, the WWIII scenario that is coming into view will be a largely phoney struggle between opposition forces controlled by the same globalist oligarchs. But the slaughter and bloodshed that comes with it will be very real. And what better tool for sowing confusion and spreading panic could the globalists puppeteering this conflict ask for than unmanned (and potentially autonomous) aerial vehicles?

Imagine swarms of drones appearing out of nowhere, inflicting mass casualties then flying away. Who was controlling them? Where did they come from? Where will they appear next? Who knows! But be afraid!

This is the nightmare vision that I was writing about in "The Drone Wars: You Are Not Prepared." And it's the vision that has only become more likely in the six months since I penned that editorial.

But hey, on the lighter side, you've got the "funny" internet-spawned Lego set parody of the whole Operation Spiderweb drone war nightmare.

At least that's something, I guess.


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Reflexão de MANUEL BANET:



Por mais totalitário que se torne o Ocidente, ele nunca poderá evitar as realidades da economia. Os produtores de bens situam-se hoje (em grande parte) no Sul Global. Não apenas manufaturam objetos simples, como também as máquinas mais sofisticadas (satélites, supercomputadores, telemóveis 5 e 6G, aviões e armas inovadoras, etc) e que - muitas vezes - superam as fabricadas no Ocidente.
Os imperialistas, com a raiva de perderem a hegemonia sobre os países produtores de matérias-primas, que foram no passado suas colónias ou neo-colónias, lançam deliberadamente o mundo numa «guerra a quente» depois de nos terem servido uma guerra híbrida ou guerra-fria nº2, durante mais de uma década.
Por outro lado, os povos de países outrora explorados em África, e também na América Latina e na Ásia, têm agora plena consciência da importância estratégica das matérias-primas que exportam para o Norte. Não vai ser possível submetê-los a todos, para extrair tais mercadorias por baixo preço e amarrando-os a contratos intitucionalizando a extorção (políticas de neocolonialismo, neoliberalismo e imperialismo).
Creio que os políticos mais militaristas do Ocidente estão enganados quanto à capacidade dos seus países sustentarem em simultâneo uma guerra total contra os gigantes (também militares) que são a Rússia, a China e seus aliados.
Mas, o sistema de governança ocidental tem-se tornado tão anti-democrático que silencia mesmo as vozes de dentro deste sistema, que criticam os rumos tomados aos níveis militares e outros. Verifica-se que tais críticas, mesmo as muito sensatas e moderadas, são ignoradas ou até perseguidas.
É um pouco como no COVID: toda a propaganda e manipulação psicológica do público não poderá impedir os factos. Estes factos são muito pesados: Trata-se das capacidades militares e industriais dos países que eles designam como «inimigos».
A Terceira Guerra Mundial em curso poderá intensificar-se e generalizar-se. Isso poderá precipitar o fim da civilização, como a conhecemos. Mas, também poderá haver um recuo das elites dos países do Norte, perante o absurdo duma guerra mundial sem possibilidade de ser vencida.
Em vez disso, muitos deles irão querer agarrar as oportunidades proporcionadas pelas trocas mutuamente vantajosas, que poderão manter com outros países e outros blocos. Como capitalistas, estarão atentos às possibilidades de maximizarem os seus investimentos e obterem maior retorno dos capitais investidos. Além disso, para eles, será mais fácil conservar deste modo o «status quo» interno em países da OTAN, ou tradicionalmente alinhados com esta aliança político-militar.