Did Naziyahoo Blink?

 

After posting (not too long ago) about the chances for renewed conflagration in the Middle East by Saturday, I read Caitlin Johnstone's [then] latest post.  

Wondering What Saturday Will Bring

 

Trump and Naziyahoo are going to break the ceasefire they've been violating since it came into effect, because Hamas has declared that Israel's serial, BRAZEN, violations of their obligations, and Trump's open admission of his desire for ethnic cleansing, has rendered the ceasefire null and void.

Librocons Momentarily Grasp the Value of Principles

 

In a sick, depressing sort of way it's funny to watch the Trudeau Liberals and the Poilievre Conservatives squirm and sputter in the face of Trump's threats of massive tariffs as well as outright annexation.  Considering both of these parties' support for Israeli annexation of Palestine (including the mass slaughter being used to implement it) their shock and fear over Trump's madness is a trifle pathetic.  At least Trump hasn't stated any desire to expel us from our homes once he conquers us.  Typing these words, I'm also reminded of Canada's gleeful participation in various [illegal] US sanction regimes against targeted countries like Venezuela, as our leaders panic about Trump's sanctions.

Canada could have teamed-up with Mexico in crafting a response to Trump's bullying.  Alas, Canada has spent past decades slighting Mexico (and the rest of Latin America) and trying to cozy-up to the USA as the only other Anglo-American entity in the Western Hemisphere.  Plus, our governments serve noxious Canadian mining companies who have the abuse of Mexicans (and the rest of Latin America) as part of their business model.

This sad state is the end result of unprincipled politics.  If either of these gangs of shit-heads ever develop the brains and the morality to realize that slaughtering hundreds of thousands of innocent people is wrong (EVEN when allies do it), that abusing people to steal their resources is wrong, that poisoning people to save money is wrong ... well, ... all of that stuff would mean they wouldn't be Liberals or Conservatives anymore.

Who know what's going to happen?  Trump is an idiot with a short attention span.  He is not the sort of idiot described by the idiots in the USA liberal-centrist media.  Poilievre might be working with advisors to help craft the surrender terms that see him become a US senator.  Iran, Yemen, Hezbollah and Hamas (and Russia) might be preparing some surprises if Trump openly allows Pestilence Naziyahooo to get his genocidal freak on again.

The New Centrism

 

Via By David Leonhardt, via the New York Times, via Naked Capitalism Water Cooler, via Tony Wikrent, via Ian Welsh: "Why Biden May Matter"

But one major part of Biden’s agenda has a decent chance of surviving. It was the idea that animated much of the legislation he signed — namely, that the federal government should take a more active role in both assisting and regulating the private sector than it did for much of the previous half-century. 

Thwap's 2025 Readings Post

 The first book depository is here.  2024 is here.  I forgot I didn't start in 2023.

And welcome to the post wherein I'll list and maybe say a few words about the books I'm reading this year.

Daily Kos Cultists & the Supposed Ceasefire

 

Jeeziz-H-Fucking-Christ!  I went to DailyKos to look at the comics (as I tend to do from time to time because the only thing good at that site of hardcore Democratic Party cultists is the comics) and I saw in the right-hand column a "Kossack" diary berating Trump for taking credit for the recently agreed to ceasefire that will supposedly be implemented on January 19th.  I looked for it today but couldn't find it, but another "Kossack" posted something similar so I'll link to that one.  (The one I saw yesterday included a video clip from Biden's announcement of the deal and responding to a question as to whether it was really Trump's achievement with a look of contempt and asking people around him "Is this a joke?")  

Anyways, let's see how the cult members discussed the issue.  (The "diary" entry is in larger font.  And the part where the other special, precious darlings discuss it in the comments section is smaller):

Trump, The Proposed Ceasefire & the Coen Brothers' "Fargo"

 

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, President-elect Trump's Mid-East Envoy called Netanyahu's people from Qatar saying he was coming over to meet with Netanyahu:

It only took a few hours and some brashness from Donald Trump to push Netanyahoo towards concessions.