Links 4/12/2022

Thanks to the efforts of Dave our Tech Guy, we are closing in on a new and offshore host. Of the various offshore legal regimes that would protect us from interference by the usual suspects, Iceland seems to offer the strongest protection. But we cannot find a host in Iceland to provide us with a managed dedicated server and 24/7 voice support (not chat, which is laggy). Can any readers confirm that Iceland has a robust legal regime as far as press protections are concerned? Can any readers suggest a host in Iceland? We have found only one so far who will talk to us. They seem very professional but sadly a bit underpowered for our needs

If so, please provide contact information — ideally, a phone number — to Yves in mail (yves-at-nakedcapitalism-dot-com).

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Lambert and I, and many readers, agree that Ukraine has prompted the worst informational environment ever. We hope readers will collaborate in mitigating the fog of war — both real fog and stage fog — in comments. None of us need more cheerleading and link-free repetition of memes; there are platforms for that. Low-value, link-free pom pom-wavers will be summarily whacked.

And for those who are new here, this is not a mere polite request. We have written site Policies and those who comment have accepted those terms. To prevent having to resort to the nuclear option of shutting comments down entirely until more sanity prevails, as we did during the 2015 Greek bailout negotiations and shortly after the 2020 election, we are going to be ruthless about moderating and blacklisting offenders.

–Yves

P.S. Also, before further stressing our already stressed moderators, read our site policies:

Please do not write us to ask why a comment has not appeared. We do not have the bandwidth to investigate and reply. Using the comments section to complain about moderation decisions/tripwires earns that commenter troll points. Please don’t do it. Those comments will also be removed if we encounter them.

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Lasers from space create unique new map of Earth’s forests FreeThink (David L)

55-year study reveals an overlooked but critical desert symbiote is disappearing Inverse (David L)

Collapse Won’t Reset Society Palladium (Robert M). There’s an obvious logical gap here. The reason past societies continued to function was that records were intact and so legal and government processes could continue. But what happens if chips stop being manufactured?

#COVID-19

Science/Medicine

the Omicron variant evades natural and vaccine-induced immunities, confirming the continuous need to decrease transmission and to develop effective blocking vaccines.”

2/2

— Gabriel Hébert-Mild™ ⓥ (@Gab_H_R) April 11, 2022

Heart inflammation after Covid vaccine ‘no more common than after other jabs’ Guardian (Kevin W)

UK/Europe

Queen news: Monarch was ‘exhausted’ by Covid as monarch bemoans ‘horrible pandemic’ Express (resilc)

A further 10 cases were found in France this week BTW. Some of which they claim are imported.https://t.co/ha3Vj4ddOA

— Chris Turnbull (@EnemyInAState) April 10, 2022

Asia

Guangzhou closes schools and seals off districts Asia Times (resilc)

Shanghai Covid lockdown spurs race to stockpile food across China South China Morning Post

US

Why the latest rise in COVID-19 cases is being treated differently The Hill

Climate/Environment

The UN’s latest climate report is a guide to what could actually halt climate change Vox

China?

CHINESE FDI IN EUROPE 2020 UPDATE RGH. PlutoniumKun:

Interesting big picture overview. No breakdown ‘per population’, but note a huge drop in investment in the UK. Also, not huge dominance of mergers/takeovers vs greenfield investments.

The Chinese also clearly favour northern Europe over the south.

India

The India Fix: What does the dramatic Army-Imran Khan fallout in Pakistan mean for Delhi? Scroll (J-LS)

France’s presidential election rematch is no replay as Macron, Le Pen eye suspenseful final duel France24 (furzy)

Brittle Win for Macron in French Election 1st Round Points to Tough Race for 2nd Round Alexander Mercouris, YouTube

New Not-So-Cold War

Scott Ritter and The Battle of the Donbass Gonzalo Lira, YouTube

#MARIUPOL

British mercenary ‘cossackgundi’ has surrendered to the Russian Armed Forces in Mariupol City along with the Ukrainian marines. pic.twitter.com/DJy75RVRA7

— UkraineMaps (@MapsUkraine) April 12, 2022

Ukrainian Journalist in 2014: 1.5M people in Donbas are “superfluous”, need to be “exterminated” YouTube (furzy)

EU Urges Member States to Send Ukraine Weapons in Days Not Weeks Bloomberg (furzy). Wishful thinking is not a plan.

Europe’s roads and railways aren’t fit for a fight with Russia Politico (Micael T)

These photo shoots mid war are sooooo Wierd pic.twitter.com/3hDyeVXRuy

— leilani dowding 🌸 (@LeilaniDowding) April 10, 2022

Stoltenberg: NATO planning large, permanent military presence on eastern border Politico

Ukraine: A conversation with Scott Ritter UNAC, YouTube. Among other things, Ritter, who remember worked for NATO at a moderately senior level, explains they the Stoltenberg plan above na ga happpen.

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“The policy of the USA has always been to prevent Germany and Russia from cooperating more closely” Swiss Standpoint. Intriguing details, such as:

We forget that Crimea was independent, even before Ukraine became independent. In January 1991, while the Soviet Union still existed, Crimea held a referendum to be managed from Moscow and not from Kiev. It thus became an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Ukraine did not get its own independence referendum until six months later in August 1991. At that point, Crimea did not consider itself a part of Ukraine. But Ukraine did not accept this. Between 1991 and 2014, it was a constant struggle between the two entities. Crimea had its own constitution with its own authorities. In 1995, encouraged by the Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine overthrew the Crimean government with special forces and abrogated its constitution. But this is never mentioned, as it would shed a completely different light on the current development.

Clare Daly is a real one. pic.twitter.com/YlyPuf8cLu

— Ryan Knight ☭ (@ProudSocialist) April 10, 2022

The State Department Failed to Prevent the War. Will It Now Prevent the Peace? American Conservative (resilc)

Asian fault lines of Biden’s war on Russia Indian Punchline. Note: “The hypothesis of Ukraine being in Europe and the conflict being all about European security is delusional.” Kevin W flags the second to last paragraph.

How Do We Deal With a Superpower Led by a War Criminal? New York Times. Resilc: “Like Bush in Iraq/Afghanistan, Obama in Libya, Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen, Trump in Yemen, Afghanistan, Biden in Yemen??????” Global Times (the Chinese house organ) roused itself: US elites like Friedman unprincipled vanguard of US public opinion war

Preventing War Is In America’s Interest American Conservative (resilc)

Networks covered the war in Ukraine more than the US invasion of Iraq Responsible Statecraft (resilc)

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Average energy bills could rise to £5,000 a year if Ukraine war drags on https://t.co/FdA1GLFXrl

— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) April 12, 2022

OPEC tells EU it’s not possible to replace potential Russian oil supply loss Reuters (Kevin W)

India monthly purchase lesser than Europe’s in a day: Minister on Russian energy Hindustan Times (J-LS)

Eon rules out German nuclear power plant extension Financial Times

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McCarthyism re-emerging stronger than ever in Ukraine policy debates Responsible Statecraft (resilc)

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30 av 38 män köpte sex av kvinnor från Ukraina svt NYHETER. Translation is rough but still clear they got caught up in sex trafficking: 30 out of 38 men bought sex from women from Ukraine

Syraqistan

For the first time i see the Saudi TV mocking the US administration. pic.twitter.com/8vPtU0txJ8

— Asaad Sam Hanna (@AsaadHannaa) April 12, 2022

Grown Zionist man kneeling on the chest of a child just moments ago in occupied Jerusalem. Yet if you criticize the systemic targeting of children, you’re “invoking an trope.” Yawn. pic.twitter.com/R3yYnvhInw

— #FreeAhmadManasra (@m7mdkurd) April 10, 2022

Can Israel Exist without America: Numbers Speaks of a Changing Reality CounterPunch (resilc)

The role of drought in Syrian war was exaggerated PhysOrg (Robert M)

Women face chronic violence in Syria’s ‘widow camps’, report warns Guardian (resilc)

Imperial Collapse Watch

A bill to allow recruits with previous mental health treatment is on the way Military Times. Kevin W:”Long Covid cutting recruit numbers availabilities?”

Trump

Trumpworld Figures Go Into Meltdown After Donald Trump Endorses Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania Senate Race Daily Beast

Biden

Garland Gets His Fish: Liberal Activists Move From “Pack the Court” to “Sack the AG” Jonathan Turley (guurst)

The Rhodes Scholars Guiding Biden’s Presidency Unlimited Hangout (Chuck L)

Marjorie Taylor Greene: judge mulls move to bar Republican from Congress Guardian. BC:

While not being a supporter of any of the parties involved, I am troubled by using the color of defending the Constitution to preclude the will of potential voters while ignoring due process.

How can someone be declared to be “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof” when not a single person has been convicted of insurrection, or even conspiracy to attempt insurrection? How is engaging or supporting insurrection possible without insurrectionists?

The Democrats America Is Leaving Behind Atlantic

Groundhog Day: Are we doomed to a Trump v. Biden time loop? Matt Labash (resilc)

Psaki warns price rises will be ‘extraordinarily elevated’ because of the war in Ukraine Daily Mail (J-LS). Yours truly continues to stockpile…

Stratospheric Airfares American Prospect (Randy K)

Our Famously Free Press

From earlier this year, still germane (dk):

[Thread] Twitter is partnering with a crazy, hawkish, US-govt & arms industry funded think tank to regulate false info online.

This should be alarming to anyone who cares about truth, free speech or peace, as my new @MintPressNews investigation explains:https://t.co/8Wi11qfpf3

— Alan MacLeod (@AlanRMacLeod) January 20, 2022

‘Gotta get off this plane’: JetBlue passengers plead with crew after aborted landings at JFK New York Post (J-LS)

Once a retail giant, Kmart nears extinction after closure WNDU (resilc)

Class Warfare

TED Talks is really leaning into bullshit jobs. Example from their website. pic.twitter.com/R7WX8B0KF8

— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) April 11, 2022

Starbucks is advertising for an in-house lawyer with experience in ‘strike contingency planning’ amid increased unionization efforts Business Insider (Kevin W)

Schultz: Starbucks Can’t Be ‘Distracted’ by Union’s ‘Different Vision’ QSR Magazine

PA AFL-CIO Prez Being Investigated Over Sexual Harassment – 14,000 Etsy Sellers Strike Over Fee Increase – 300 Howard University Hospital Staffers Strike Mike Elk

Amazon is still struggling to make drone deliveries work The Verge (Kevin W)

Antidote du jour (Maggie K, embarrassingly sitting in my inbox for a VERY long time!):

And a bonus (guurst). !!!!

Katzen! 😹😻 pic.twitter.com/dO3ke6oAur

— Alexander Wohlrab (@alex_wohlrab) April 9, 2022

See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.

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