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Ian Greig's avatar

A nice piece, thank you. Peter Turchin also discusses Trump(ism) in 'revolutionary' terms, though, like you, I would disagree with this reading. This, I think, is the main weakness of Turchin's work - trying to render the microscopic (day to day events in Trump-land) in terms of a reasonable macroscopic model.

I think if anything is 'revolutionary', it is that the nihilism and stupidity is completely overt rather than being largely swept under the carpet by a compliant legacy media.

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Davy Ro's avatar

The uneducated ignorance towards all foreign lands & cultures, displayed by the American ruling classes. Is & will be the death of their way of life. The likes of Trump never take into account, what Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Korean citizens & rulers have experienced in their own countries. These people know hardships, poverty & turmoil beyond anything Americans can imagine. It's made there people resilient & keeps them humble. Because these people would rather get along. Rather than confront the Americans. The Americans & their ignorance see this, as weakness. The likes of Trump & his ilk, look down from their ivory towers at everyone. Believing they're some kind of chosen ones. They've achieved nothing but done well living off the backs of others. In a country that was awash with money through financial schemes. In reality they squandered that wealth, now they don't have any answers, believing they're entitled to the everyone else's wealth. Believing this & not accepting reality is leading the World to the brink of War.

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bevin's avatar

Nihilism , I suspect, is what Naomi Klein was referring to when she noted that Trump's supporters from the likes of Elon Musk to the red-neck racist that Vance seeks to represent all have in common that they have given up on humanity. Hence the interest in Mars and Space travel, no doubt.

As to the sanction taking the form of revoking the visas of Chinese Students wasting their time at US Universities, though no doubt this, lamentably, will cause much individual inconvenienvce and unhappiness it can only redound to the benefit of the Chinese People and their Republic.

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dacoelec's avatar

Nihilism does seem to be the description that best fits, Trump.

I'll have to start throwing that in with all the other colorful and profane descriptions that I have for one of the biggest, (and most beautiful) liars in government, today.😁

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rakyat kecil's avatar

G'day deco, is it lies or his own truth and conviction of belief in himself and his vision. His maga mob believed and loved him for it, maybe less so now.

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Acco Hengst's avatar

one of the biggest, (and most beautiful) liars in government

Everyone says so. Sad!

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dornoch altbinhax's avatar

I'm afraid that the US will grab every opportunity to make an agreement and then take a big dump all over it and blame the counter party. Look at the BS going on with Ukraine and cease fires; everyone who's not brainwashed understands that as the opportunity to re-arm and attack. Bessent thinks he can order China to drop the rare earth export controls, what moron. These people are beyond help.

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grr's avatar

Nero played the fiddle; Drumpf plays golf.

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WTFUD's avatar

To be fair Trump also plays the fiddle.

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grr's avatar

Serious? Didn't know dat.

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WTFUD's avatar

Fiddle as in stealing. . . to fiddle the books.

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grr's avatar

Oh yeah, for sure. LOL

Not like Sniffy Joe, he fiddled the kiddies.

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Garry Gerskwotiz's avatar

If i'm not mistaken it was only last week that Bessent claimed that amerika was winning because the supplier i.e. China always has more problem because if it can't sell to amerika it can't win. Well one week later it appears as if China has won hands down as Bessent is now begging for rare earths.

amerika is in deep deep trouble regardless of who is the president. When it's the best and brightest from the Ivy League sycophant networking program leading us we have no chance to win anything. USA USA USA s/

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Asgard2208's avatar

Confirmation, as if it were needed, that the US is 'agreement incapable' as per Vladimir Putin.

Everything is the Janus face, saying one thing and doing the other. And looking in from afar, I see no possibility - NONE - that the US can change its ways. I think it is on an inexorable slope to decline.

It reminds me of the picture of the snake (how appropriate!) eating its own tail. But will it take the rest of us down with it? It very well could since this seems connected to its notion of indispensable nation. If hubris was a commodity the US would be a rich as Croesus.

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Karl Sanchez's avatar

I’ve used that same imagery—snake eating tail—as a descriptor.

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WTFUD's avatar

The Geneva Accords were another US ruse much like the Minsk Accords with America looking to secure those vital Rare-Earths before backtracking on this agreement. I'm hoping Russia wakes the f@ck up and quits selling uranium to America for its 96 nuclear power stations & weapon systems/production.

Would it be too much to hope that Trump is repatriating US troops in Europe back home because he's been advised that a violent rebellion is expected there?

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Loam's avatar

Agreement? That word doesn't exist for the outlaw US Empire (or its British poodle).

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Don Midwest's avatar

Russia parked its nuclear carrying bombers outside because of nuclear security agreement.

US/UK/NATO proved agreement uncapable by attacking Russian bombers deep in Russia

The West gloats on their successful exploit unaware of the risk of nuclear war

Jeffery Sachs posits the end of diplomacy in 1991 after the US became the full hegemon

Thus, it was not necessary to understand the security position of your opponent thus no diplomacy

This is a path to WWIII

Jeffrey Sachs: NATO & Russia On the Brink of Nuclear War

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCkl63N84s4

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Kaatje Gotcha's avatar

Thanks for that great summing up, Karl. Most Americans and Europeans are not aware of those points, or nuances, are they? You'd think 1980's style protests would make a comeback with a million marching on The Hague, if they knew. How is the population more indoctrinated and less informed, now that we have internet? I have been utterly confused the last few days. For the "leaders" to escalate this badly.

Yes, the greedy MICIMATT beast has to be fed. But to keep pushing the doomsday clock? Is it hubris? I thought they'd like to keep Europe as a kind of Disneyland, to see cathedrals and Tour Eifel, Venice, Rome, the Mediterranean. Ibiza, ha. I cannot reconcile both objectives. Keep feeding the beast yet risk losing the cute things, like civilications' best works. Collaboration is the cure for all that ails TPTB. Let's hope they wake up.

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Whocanibenow's avatar

Good article. It's interesting to see some form of consensus emerge in the alt media regarding Orange Man Bad! (tm).

My view is that no one alive in America is capable of keeping the USS Hegemon off the shoals. She is going down. I like having Trump at the helm precisely because he wasn't groomed like the Bidens and Blinkens of this world, under the despicable and corrupt aegis of the Clintons and their ilk.

My mirth at witnessing the EU "elites" preen with satchels of cocaine on their way to make war counsels is overflowing. China and Russia have clearly moved on and eventually the starving dog of the west will follow. The only question is how much pain will we choose the endure.

What I don't understand is why anyone wants to preserve the utter corruption of late stage western banker cabal capitalism.

Should you not rather cheer the hastening of the end of such perfidy, than clutch and twist the pearls until they scatter across the floor like so many lost hopes?

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Lantern Dude's avatar

The final sentence here sums up a great series of articles this week - I've finally caught up - and reveals the 'trickle down' philosophy for the sop - as in pain relief - it represents to aleviate any sense of alienation or anomie among the populous.

"... China and other rising developing nations aren’t the enemy they’re being portrayed as by those who are actually the guilty parties. What they are doing is trying to free themselves from a hegemonic international finance system and its institutions that were put in place to do just those things—immiserate the world to feed the elites of the Outlaw US Empire so little bits would trickle down to its populous and keep them amused."

The comments reflect the quality of the articles as well IMO.

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Karl Sanchez's avatar

Thanks. Two years ago, I was skeptical about starting the Gym, but it seems to be working out well. I don’t have the readership level of other substacks, but my intent wasn’t to compete with them.

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JonathanAU's avatar

Thanks Karl.

Another great summation of where we are, unfortunately, currently at.

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Loam's avatar

I'm drilling holes in the hull of my ship. I've dubbed this operation "The Waterline Revolution."

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Truth Seeking Missile's avatar

No mention of ZioAmerica's forever wars and genocides and its fiat-debt financial slavery. Until these are addressed and defeated, nothing will change and China will come to realize it will beed its vast new military.

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