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Thomas Paine

To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.

Monday, May 31, 2021

31 May - Blogs I'm Following - 4 of 5

 Noting Articles

10:26 pm MDT

The Rio Times16 hours ago
Venezuelan Armed Forces and FARC dissidents enter “truce,” according to NGO
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - The Venezuelan National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) and FARC dissidents entered a stage of "truce" after more than two months of clashes in the state of Apure, bordering Colombia, said this Sunday, the director of the NGO Fundaredes, Javier Tarazona. "Apure-La Victoria in truce and quartering, today May 30 there […] The post Venezuelan Armed Forces and FARC dissidents enter “truce,” according to NGO appeared first on The Rio Times. read more
Viable Opposition16 hours ago
The Impact of the Pandemic on Global Debt
A recent publication by the Institutes of International Finance (IIF) gives us a clear picture of the dangers that government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have created. Let's look at some highlights from the report. I'll break this posting into two parts; the first will look at debt in dollar terms and the second part will look at debt as a percentage of GDP. *1.) Global debt in dollar terms:* Thanks to the pandemic, total global debt for the 61 nations in the IIF's sample has increased in 2020 from $257 trillion to $281 trillion, a new record high. Mature markets (i... read more
OrientalReview.org15 hours ago
The Flight From Athens To Vilnius: A Political Undershoot
The arrest by Belarusian authorities of Nexta Telegram channel founder Roman Protasevich on board an Irish plane travelling from Greece to Lithuania shows that Alexander Lukashenko is far from the provincial dictator that his opponents both inside the country and abroad make him out to be. There is no point […] read more
The Duran15 hours ago
Is Greece planning to recognise Kosovo? Macron preparing deal for Serbia
Is Greece planning to recognise Kosovo? Macron preparing deal for Serbia The Duran: Episode 988 Problems in Greek-Serbian relations over Kosovo? Problems in Greek-Serbian relations over Kosovo? – Greek City Times “Greece assures us that it will not recognise Kosovo,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said in a televised interview on Wednesday, sparking talks on Greece […] read more
We Tried to Beat China in a South China Sea Wargame. We Lost. Badly.
*Kyle Mizokami* *military, Asia* Warfare is tragic and unpredictable. Any difference in training, maintenance or secret capabilities of both navies — things we wouldn’t know until the shooting starts — could have decisively impacted the scenario. *Here's What You Need to Remember: *I was tempted to restart the entire scenario, but I quickly realized that no matter how many times I played it, the result was just going to be the same. The Littoral Combat Ships as configured were completely outclassed by their Chinese counterparts. The year is 2016, and two of the U.S. Navy’s latest... read more
The AK-47 Is Old: Russia Has Big Plans for a New Rifle
*Charlie Gao* *Security, Eurasia* Guns featuring the Picatinny rail have been around for quite a while. *Here's What You Need to Remember: *Russia is a little slow to the punch in modernizing how they can accessorize their rifles, but they’re not far behind. Moving from a Picatinny rail handguard to a hole-based system is very straight forward. If one compares the rifle of an average American soldier from the 1990s to one of a soldier today, the biggest outward change is the attachment rails. Gone are the fixed iron sights of old; nowadays almost every American weapon has the d... read more
Russia Has a Nearly Forgotten Bunker Network to Ride Out a Nuclear War
*Charlie Gao* *Security, Europe* The Moscow Metro may be the most famous civil defense system in Russia. *Here's What You Need to Remember: *Despite the vast number of bunkers, recent advances in fuzing technology for nuclear weapons are threatening to make the minimum civil defense standard obsolete. As fuzing technology improves, such as that used on the American Super Fuze, it’s more likely that pressure levels experienced by the civil defense bunkers will far exceed their design rating. According to Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations, in the event of a nuclear attack... read more
Russia Wants More Stealth Fighters, But There’s a Problem
*David Axe* *Russia, Europe* Speaking on May 15, 2019, Putin said the Kremlin would buy scores of Su-57s over the next eight years. If Putin is serious and the Russian defense ministry follows through on the pledge, Russia soon could possess a meaningful number of stealth fighters. *Here's What You Need to Remember:* Buying into the Su-57 program won’t magically solve the program’s problems. The Su-57 is an immature design whose production line is small and inefficient. That won’t quickly or cheaply change. Russian president Vladimir Putin made a big show on May 14, 2019 of vis... read more
Wanna See North Korean Generals Sweat? Show Them This Photo.
*Charlie Gao* *Security, Asia* If the ROKAF already has air-to-air and air-to-ground covered, where does the F-35A fit in the picture? The answer probably lies in the F-35’s sensors. *Here's What You Need to Remember: *The ROKAF might opt to fly the F-35A in formations with fourth-generation aircraft to provide better situational awareness and communications capability, enhancing the ability of the entire formation to fly and fight. Usage in such a role would mitigate one of the biggest criticisms of the F-35, the limited onboard weapon capacity. The ROKAF, South Korea’s Air For... read more
Why Your IRS Refund Might Be Even Bigger Than You Thought
*Ethen Kim Lieser* *Taxes, United States* [image: Joe Biden Stimulus $15] President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan includes benefits that work as a different sort of stimulus for the public. *Here's What You Need To Remember:* The Internal Revenue Service recently announced that tax refunds on 2020 unemployment benefits—part of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan—are expected to start landing in eligible bank accounts this month. The disbursement of $1,400 coronavirus stimulus checks may be in the late innings, but that doesn’t mean that more... read more
The Duran16 hours ago
Greg Gutfeld and the Five explode in fireworks over COVID-19 Fake News [Video]
This segment of Fox News’ Network The Five features quite a flare-up between the token liberal, Jessica Tarlov, and Dan Bongino, who got into a fiery exchange when Jessica maintained that early reporting on the COVID outbreak was racist, though the use of names like “the Kung Flu”, and “the China Virus” and other great euphemisms, […] read more
A New Fraud Algorithm From NOAA
US January-May temperatures have dropped over the past forty years and particularly over the past twenty years. The last three January-May periods in the US have had the least warm weather since the start of the 20th century. In order … Continue reading → read more
The Duran16 hours ago
COVID religion brings strange, new and hysterically tragic problems [Video]
COVID-19 is not an illness. It is a religious confession. Slate Magazine just proved it. In a piece run just a few days ago, a frustrated wife takes the plunge and goes public with her struggle with a true believer who is near and dear to her: her own husband. She writes: Dear Prudence, I have […] read more
Land Destroyer16 hours ago
New Zealand Refuses to Accuse China of "Genocide"
*May 31, 2021* (Joseph Thomas - NEO) - New Zealand increasingly finds itself straddling East and West, balancing between participation in the rise of Asia and a strong economic partnership with China and pressure placed on it by the West, the United States and United Kingdom in particular, and their common goal of encircling and containing China. This balancing act was highlighted again recently when New Zealand's Parliament voted on a statement regarding allegations surrounding Xinjiang, China. The motion was pushed forward by the highly unpopular ACT Party which holds only 10... read more
Caitlin Johnstone16 hours ago
US Troops Die For World Domination, Not Freedom
Listen to a reading of this article: Vice President Kamala Harris spent the weekend under fire from Republicans, which of course means that Kamala Harris spent the weekend being criticized for the most silly, vapid reason you could possibly criticize Kamala Harris for. Apparently the […] read more
Untitled
From Jenna Orkin Expert warns of ‘COVID-32’ if origins of COVID-19 are not uncovered US SOLDIERS ACCIDENTALLY REVEAL NUCLEAR WEAPON SECRETS SOLDIERS USED FLASHCARD APPS TO MEMORIZE NUCLEAR PROTOCOLS — BUT THE CARDS WERE AVAILABLE ONLINE.Biden’s Justice Department Is Defending a Trump-Era Plan to Drill the Arctic How to Actually Prosecute the Financial Crimes of the Very Rich Experts Believe Prosecutors Are Mulling 'Little RICO' Mob Law Against Trump Org: Report General: China’s Africa outreach poses threat from Atlantic EXCLUSIVE: COVID-19 'has NO credible natural ancestor' and WAS cre... read more
The Rio Times16 hours ago
Brazil’s JBS global meat processing operations paralysed by cyber attack – media
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - According to Australian media, the world’s largest meat processor, JBS has been paralyzed over the weekend by a major cyberattack on its global information technology systems. Multinational company JBS, which is also the largest meat processor in Australia, had its global information systems brought down on the weekend. JBS has […] The post Brazil’s JBS global meat processing operations paralysed by cyber attack – media appeared first on The Rio Times. read more
The Aviationist17 hours ago
Remembering the Fallen: Discovering a Hometown Hero on Memorial Day.
[image: Memorial Day] Memorials Across the U.S. Remember Our Fallen, And All Too Often We Miss Them. There are so many military memorials and monuments in the United States that Google doesn’t serve a single index to them [...] The post Remembering the Fallen: Discovering a Hometown Hero on Memorial Day. appeared first on The Aviationist. read more
The crippling cost of Net Zero-Ben Pile
By Paul Homewood Another good article by Ben Pile: The International Energy Agency (IEA) published a special report last week, setting out its proposals for achieving ‘Net Zero’ carbon emissions. One of its headline demands is that gas-fired domestic boilers should no longer be sold after 2025. This echoes one of […] read more
Historic rainfall hits New Zealand, causing severe flooding
Hundreds of residents in north Canterbury in New Zealand have been evacuated amid severe flooding fuelled by a one-in-100-year heavy rain over the weekend. According to NIWA, the rainfall was 200 to 400 percent of normal for the month of May, causing rivers to rise...... Read more » read more
Tropical Storm "Choi-wan" forms near the Philippines
Tropical Storm "Choi-wan" formed between Palau and the Philippines on May 30, 2021, as the third named storm of the 2021 Pacific typhoon season. On the current forecast track, Choi-wan will likely remain over the Philippine Sea over the next 5 days....... Read more » read more
AGE OF AUTISM17 hours ago
The Genesis of the Man Made Epidemic
10 years. 20 years. 25 years. 30 years. How many years have we been waiting for the government and media to recognize that autism is a man made epidemic, and start asking the questions we've been shouting for 10 years,... read more
naked capitalism17 hours ago
Dominic Cummings: How the UK Ignored Evidence That the Virus is Airborne
“I think we are absolutely fucked. I think this country is heading for disaster. I think we’re going to kill thousands of people.” read more
The Air Force Needs a Plan for Confronting China’s Technology Push
*Kris Osborn* *China's Military, Americas* The Air Force has been working to address some of these challenges is through the creation several years ago of a special unit called the Cyber Resilience Office of Weapons Systems. The U.S. Air Force needs to act quickly, decisively and somewhat urgently to better integrate its internal scientific innovations with commercial sector developments to stay in front of Chinese technological development, senior service officials said. “The Chinese president ensures that every innovation that happens in the private sector is connected to its... read more
Asteroid 2021 KO2 flew past Earth at 0.96 LD
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2021 KO2 flew past Earth at a distance of 0.96 LD / 0.00248 AU (371 002 km / 230 530 miles) from the center of our planet on May 30, 2021. This is the 59th known asteroid to fly past Earth within 1 lunar distance since the...... Read more » read more
Memorial Day 2021; "Veterans Speak About Memorial Day: 'It's Not About Us'"
*"Veterans Speak About Memorial Day: 'It's Not About Us'"* by Patricia Tolson "On Monday, May 31, Americans from sea to shining sea will observe Memorial Day. However, veterans are quick to remind you: “It’s not about us.” “Monday is not about us,” Sergeant J.O. Batten, Commander of VFW Post 8713 in Brooksville, Florida told The Epoch Times. “It’s about the men on that wall out there. A lot of people don’t realize that.” Batten, a United States Marine, served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. “The wall” is a granite monument, which stands guard at the front door of VFW. It bears the... read more
‘Island Hopping’ Offensive: The U.S. Marines Are Training for the Worst
*Kris Osborn* *Naval Strike Missile, Asia* Some of the naval strike missile’s key attributes, such as range and precision guidance, seem to lend themselves to the kind of multi-domain use now being pursued by the U.S. Marines and the Navy. The Marine Corps has been firing off its ship-launched Naval Strike Missile (NSM) arming the littoral combat ship (LCS) from land, a move which establishes a new kind of multi-domain coastal-defense, anti-ship missile kind of land-based weapon. The adaptation of the LCS weapon is intended to support a conceptual shift toward a land-sea kind of ... read more
bilaterals.org18 hours ago
Experts urge selective protectionism as FTA with Malaysia returns to table
31-May-2021 As a free trade agreement (FTA) with Malaysia returns to the table, experts fear local companies could lose business to Malaysian ones if duty-free market access is given in sectors where the latter has a competitive advantage. read more
bilaterals.org18 hours ago
Taiwan calls on Australia to restart free trade agreement talks
31-May-2021 Taiwan wants the Australian government to resume free trade agreement talks after they were halted several times from pressure by Beijing. read more
Memorial Day
I know lots of readers come here first thing Monday morning to read the regular "Memes That Made Me Laugh" post. That'll be coming just after 9 a.m.: but there's something more important than memes, and that's the people we commemorate today. May the souls of our honored dead rest in God's peace; and may those they left behind receive what comfort they may from a grateful nation. Even if the nation as a whole is forgetting its debt to them, we who served remember them, and we will keep their memory alive as long as we are. May others take the torch from our hands whe... read more
Nazi Germany's Nightmare: Britain's World War II Matilda Tank
*Caleb Larson* *World War II, Europe* These tanks ruled the roost during the early years of the North African campaign. *Here's What You Need to Know*: The Matilda tank was one of the few tanks respected by German tankers. Here’s why. *Infantry Support* The Matilda II, or just Matilda as it was later called, was what the British called an infantry tank. As opposed to bigger cruiser-style tanks with heavier guns, infantry tanks were meant to accompany infantry and overwhelm enemy positions. To serve this purpose, the Matilda had a relatively small 40 millimeter main gun. Thoug... read more
One Nation Had Secret Nuclear Bomber Program
*Caleb Larson* *Nuclear Bomber, Europe* Luckily for the Swedes, Uranium-containing shale is abundant in Sweden. *Here's What You Need to Remember: *After World War II, the Soviet specter lay heavily across Europe. Like other post-war countries, Sweden wanted to protect itself from a Soviet invasion — and decided to manufacture nuclear weapons to ensure its security. After the Second World War, Sweden initiated a clandestine nuclear program — and had plans for a supersonic nuclear bomber. *Atoms for Peace* After World War II, the Soviet specter lay heavily across Europe. Like ot... read more
How Maritime Patrol Aircraft Help America Track Enemy Submarines
*Charlie Gao* *Security, Americas* Take notes, China. *Here's What You Need to Know: *Basic MPA surveillance radars like the Seaspray 5000 have publicized ranges of around 200 nm. The more advanced AN/APS-115 and AN/APS-137D(V)5s mounted on Japan, and Taiwan's P-3C MPA undoubtedly have better performance. Even with a 200 nm range, an MPA flying over the East China Sea could easily track ships moving south along China's coast. With things heating up in the South China Sea (SCS), much attention has been paid to the ships and submarines that could potentially square off against e... read more
How You Can Still Get The Last Stimulus Check
*Ethen Kim Lieser* *Stimulus Payment Update, * There are still reports of eligible cash-strapped Americans saying that they have yet to be paid by the U.S. government—and in some cases, not even from the first two rounds of stimulus checks. *Here's What You Need to Remember: *It could also be worthwhile to check to see if one qualifies for the new stimulus. Know that the IRS has continuously reminded all U.S. taxpayers that the income levels for this third round of stimulus have changed, which means that some people won’t be eligible for this payment even if they received a first... read more
Virtual Mirage19 hours ago
Memorial Day 2021
On days like today… I reflect on that cold day in March when I first saw the Vietnam Veteran’s War Memorial. I had business in Northern Virginia and there had been a break in the action, so I boarded the Metro and rode it into DC. I didn’t know precisely where the memorial […] The post Memorial Day 2021 appeared first on Virtual Mirage. read more
The Rio Times20 hours ago
New Covid-19 surge again crowds private hospitals in São Paulo
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - With the increase in admissions for Covid-19, private hospitals in São Paulo are again crowded and are planning adjustments so patients with other diseases will not be left unattended. There is no plan to suspend surgeries and elective procedures for the time being. On Friday, May 28, the Albert Einstein […] The post New Covid-19 surge again crowds private hospitals in São Paulo appeared first on The Rio Times. read more
Asteroid 2021 KN2 flew past Earth at 0.38 LD
A newly discovered asteroid designated 2021 KN2 flew past Earth at a distance of 0.38 LD / 0.00097 AU (145 109 km / 90 167 miles) at 02:14 UTC on May 31, 2021. This is the 58th known asteroid to fly past Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year and...... Read more » read more
The F-3 Fighter Jet Could Be A Game Changer for Japan
*Charlie Gao* *Security, Asia* Assuming it ever gets off the ground, that is. *Here's What You Need to Remember: *A partnership with American companies is a significant step forward for Japan’s F-3 fighter program, which will be a crucial piece of maintaining Japan’s security in the near future. Through April and March 2020, the choice of who Japan would partner with for their “F-3” next generation fighter jet has been reported on constantly, with seemingly contradictory headlines on who the partner would be. This may give the impression that Japan is waffling on their choice of... read more
Would an Aircraft Carrier Make Europe a Military Superpower?
*Michael Peck* *Aircraft Carriers, Europe* Unless Continental Europe is planning to invade Britain in a new Operation Sealion, a carrier is the wrong choice. *Here's What You Need to Remember: *Perhaps the real question isn’t what a carrier would bring, but what Europe would give up. The German military is barely functional, with Typhoon jet fighters that don’t fly, ships that can’t sail and an ill-equipped army that is at a fraction of its Cold War strength. Maybe Germany is planning revenge for Brexit by sinking British merchant ships in the North Atlantic again. Because othe... read more
Could Undersea Drones Counter Threats from China’s Submarines?
*Robert Farley* *Submarines, Drones, * Desperation offers strong motivation for innovation. *Here's What You Need to Know*: With advances in communications and artificial intelligence, it’s not at all impossible to imagine scenarios in which SSN mothership deploy a lethal force of killer torpedoes, capable of remaining on station for days (or longer) while waiting for a victim. This requires a certain tolerance for risk, of course; even under the best of conditions operators sometimes lose control of their drones. Imagine a future in which nuclear attack submarines (SSNs) can dep... read more
FROM THE FIELD: Ghost in the seashell
“Ghost fishing” occurs when abandoned fishing gear dumped in the ocean traps and kills fish or other underwater life, and it is causing devastation to marine environments, warns the UN food agency, FAO. Read the full story, “FROM THE FIELD: Ghost in the seashell”, on globalissues.org → read more
Strong M6.1 earthquake hits Alaska, U.S.
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit Alaska at 06:59 UTC on May 31, 2021, at a depth of 58.2 km (36 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth. The epicenter was located 76.2 km (47.3 miles) N of Chickaloon (population 272), 128.3 km...... Read more » read more
The Rio Times20 hours ago
Majority supports raising taxes to reduce inequality in Brazil
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Support has more than doubled since 2017, rising from 24% of Brazilians to 56%. Amid a new spike in poverty and pressure to expand income programs, an unprecedented survey by Datafolha for Oxfam Brazil found that a majority of Brazilians now favor raising taxes to fund social policies. Support has […] The post Majority supports raising taxes to reduce inequality in Brazil appeared first on The Rio Times. read more
Electroverse20 hours ago
New York City ties 1884 record for Lowest-Maximum Temperature this late in the season
Well below-average and record-breaking temperatures continue to grip swathes of the United States this Memorial Day weekend. #GrandSolarMinimum The post New York City ties 1884 record for Lowest-Maximum Temperature this late in the season appeared first on Electroverse. read more

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