There we go again.

Trump uses false claim about Chinese auto plants in Mexico to call for UAW president to be fired
^{— Tom Krisher, Mark Stevenson · AP · Jul 19, 2024}

Serial bullshitter, serial liar, going for the White House.

From basement to battlefield: Ukrainian startups create low-cost robots to fight Russia (— Derek Gatopoulos, Anton Shtuka · AP · Jul 15, 2024)

Worrisome? Well, something similar is likely going on elsewhere. Seems unlikely it'll have much impact for the time being.

Adding to other reports (schools, language, museums) ... land grab, Russification ...

^{• Ukrainians say they were pressured to register babies as Russian during occupation (— Reuters · Mar 3, 2023)
• Russia Threatens Ukrainians Who Refuse Russian Citizenship (— HRW · May 16, 2023)
• Russia forces Ukrainians in occupied territories to take its passports – and fight in its army (— AP · Mar 15, 2024)
• The enemy does not register pregnant women without a Russian passport (— UA Gov · Jul 7, 2024)
• Russia’s Occupiers Steal Homes, Hearts, and Minds (— CEPA · Jul 10, 2024)
• Enemy threats to seize cars from Ukrainians who do not receive a Russian passport starting in 2025 (— UA Gov · Jul 18, 2024)}

External responses have been fairly consistent ... Leave Moldova be^{(radiochisinau, rferl)}, leave Ukraine be^(nato) ...

Russia can get the message: back off. How about you get out of Ukraine and stop the illegal and immoral war that you’re engaged in and how about you try to stop interfering in domestic affairs of other sovereign nations. — Anthony Albanese (via The Guardian · Jul 13, 2024)

Official bullshits to everyone's faces (again), maybe that's become the norm:

We are concerned about the freedom of the media and opinions as you are. We did not immediately respond when you started expelling our journalists and closing entire bureaus. I discussed this issue with Maria Zakharova. I believed that we should not do what they were doing, that we should remain true to our principles and the principles of the OSCE. But then it came to disgusting, reckless and aggressive steps. So, it’s an eye for an eye then. — Sergey Lavrov · via The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Jul 17, 2024

Maybe Ukraine should go for "an eye for an eye"?

Trump and NATO: Global Perspectives on the 2024 NATO Summit and America (— Liana Fix (US), Alessandro Marrone (Italy), Wojciech Lorenz (Poland), Fyodor Lukyanov (Russia) · CFR · Jul 17, 2024)

While glancing through these memos, I get a recurring sense of missed perspective - to what end?

, I didn't want to assassinate Clown McClown, let alone tried to. You have me confused with someone else, and have too many "They"s in your...comments.

Biden incited them to shoot Trump. Isn’t that how it works?
“We’re done talking about the debate, it’s time to put Trump in a bullseye."
- Joe Biden — NOS4A2

Assassination was all they had left. They failed even that. — NOS4A2

They wanted Trump to be assassinated. That much is clear. — NOS4A2

President Joe Biden says it was a ‘mistake’ to say he wanted to put a ‘bull’s-eye’ on Donald Trump (— Seung Min Kim, Mary Clare Jalonick, Aamer Madhani, Lisa Mascaro, Zeke Miller · AP · Jul 15, 2024)

Depending on who "They" are (again), it's not "clear".

a massive tax break for corporate America, who he’s always slavishly served — Mikie

It's a bit ironic, having been put forth as the Messiah for "the little man". Well, the Clown cult operates differently.

Apparently, there are some worries in Canada about the US (2024Jun11), nothing high up on the agenda, but reported nonetheless.


(2020Jul11)

they’re — NOS4A2

:D "They" are out to get'im. Crooks certainly was (he fits in a US pattern). "They" didn't miss John Lennon. :/ (by the way, surely Gore has more wits than Bush)

At least the Chinese military in Belarus wasn't ehh disturbed, that we know of anyway:

The Shahed entered Belarus at 3 a.m. and flew over 350 km (— Belarusian Hajun project · Jul 13, 2024)
The Shahed entered Belarus at 3 a.m. and flew more than 350 km (— Belarusian Gayun | Belarusian Hajun project · Jul 13, 2024)

Four enemy UAVs were shot down by units of mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions. The fifth - left the airspace of Ukraine in the direction of the Gomel region of Belarus. (— Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk · Jul 13, 2024)
Russian drone incursion prompts Belarusian military response (— TWA · essanews · Jul 13, 2024)

As far as I know, just about the only response to Kremlinian nuclear rattling, was Washington saying that there would be severe consequences. Maybe something more was said behind closed doors.

A different response could be for NATO to publically declare a reciprocal return. Say, if Russia uses a nuclear bomb, then they'll get one in return, and so on. That would then be more proactive/direct — nothing preemptive, but as a "mechanistic" reaction, sort of "set in stone", seemingly predictable.

Are there strategies here, in terms of public perception versus deterrence? Outright nuclear war, however unlikely, would be bad for all, fear thereof can be useful. Then there's the North Korean wildcard.

Floor fights, boos and a too-long kiss. How the dramatic and the bizarre define convention history (— Will Weissert · AP · Jul 15, 2024)

:D I wonder how Gore would have fared.

They’ve … their … They’re … they’ve … their
their … their … their … they … They failed even that — NOS4A2

They … They wanted Trump to be assassinated … their — NOS4A2

:D

False implies anything, so (by example) nope.

In principle, it comes down to doctors·nurses·researchers·specialists to figure out what (not) to do, while learning/improving along the way.
It starts as a medical problem that would inform subsequent political decisions, etc.
Too bad that the implementation of the whole process has proven fragile/vulnerable; pathogens don't care about human crap.

Is the Kremlin conducting more operations outside Ukraine, than Kyiv is conducting inside Russia?

From $7 graffiti to arson and a bomb plot: How Russia’s ‘shadow war’ on NATO members has evolved
^{— Nick Paton Walsh, Sarah Dean, Karolina Jeznach, Clayton Nagel · CNN · Jul 10, 2024}
Russian assassination plots against those supporting Ukraine uncovered in Europe, official says
^{— Aamer Madhani, Geir Moulson, Ellen Knickmeyer, Rebecca Santana · AP · Jul 12, 2024}

They're close to committing acts of war against a bunch of countries. I guess it's consistent with their ramblings about 2 or 3 continents.

2x⁴ + 4x² + 2
isn't an equation :D

Officials confirm human case of plague in Colorado (— Maya Davis · CNN · Jul 9, 2024)

I'm ba-ack

Anyway, are we (people, societies) ready for the next one?

re Michelle Obama

Apart from general Democrat programs, she hasn't aired much I know of, though she's associated with her husband and his administration. Yep, she comes across as smart, knowledgeable, strong, present, "heart in the right place", not a serial bullshitter (or liar for that matter), she could stand up to, and be respected by, the world. I don't think that's an obsession, more like a contrast that perhaps many would welcome.

She'd get under the microscope, though, face extreme scrutiny, whether from political opponents, foreign (covert) campaigns, tabloids seeking to make a buck, mudslingers, 1-shot magnification of some issue, heck racists even, ... (From memory, there was one bullshit story about one of their kids narrowly escaping that horrible horrible family; OK, I'm exaggerating, yet that's the kind of thing associated with that crap.) I can see why she wouldn't want to put her and her's through that.

I still think Michelle Obama could be chosen at the convention, with Biden retiring. She would have my vote. — jgill

Seems like you're not the only one:

Only Michelle Obama bests Trump as an alternative to Biden in 2024 (Chris Jackson, Annaleise Azevedo Lohr, Charlie Rollason · Reuters/Ipsos · Jul 2, 2024)
One in three Democrats think Biden should quit the race, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds (Jason Lange, Scott Malone, Howard Goller · Reuters · Jul 2, 2024)


Wouldn't she need a sufficiently detailed political program? And present it for all to see? Or is that no longer relevant? :)

Judging by what I've seen of/from her, I can see her as US president. Surely a whole class above the Clown. From memory, she had some qualms about a normal life with/for their kids.

Watched Civil War (2024).

Nothing glorious about war, absurdity of human crap, ... Bits and pieces captured by the photojournalists who are the main characters. Ranges from tranquil town, through city unrest, executions, mad racists, to :fire: destruction, affecting our reporters. Don't know about the general storyline (maybe with more details), but some snippets/sounds are realistic enough.

Short 1m:37s music score

Russian boats remain the primary (or ≈ only remaining) suspects in cutting cables between Svalbard and mainland Norway in January 2022:

Kabelmysteriene (original Norwegian)
The cable mysteries (English translation via google)
^{— Benjamin Fredriksen, Beth M Pettersen, Gyda K Hesla, Inghild Eriksen, Håvard Gulldahl · NRK · Jun 26, 2022}

Hybrid CoE Paper 18: The Arctic after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: The increased risk of conflict and hybrid threats
^{— Andreas Østhagen · Hybrid CoE · May 10, 2023}

Whatever the case, Canada and others have made various parallel observations. ^{(2021Apr4, 2021Apr5, 2021Apr12, 2022Mar28, 2022Nov16, 2022Nov22, 2022Nov25, 2023Feb20, 2023Apr20, 2023May2, 2024Jun20)}

Venturing a guess, in some cases, the Kremlin machine is running basic empirical procedures: test, watch, learn.

↑ not all directly related to Ukraine, but to try catching contours of wider endeavors

The Putin System | Putin – 20 years
^{— Fabian Burkhardt (translation by Robert Orttung) · дekoder · Mar 18, 2020}

Surely there must be something better to bomb?

Russia’s heaviest bombardment of Kyiv in 4 months kills at least 31 and hits a children’s hospital (footage 54s) (— Hanna Arhirova, Illia Novikov, Samya Kullab · AP · Jul 8, 2024)

Russian missile attacks kill at least 41, hit children's hospital, Ukraine says (— Olena Harmash, Max Hunder, Anastasiia Malenko, Yuliia Dysa, Oleksander Kozhukhar, Kanishka Singh, Emma Farge, Tom Balmforth, Ron Popeski, Cynthia Osterman, Christopher Cushing · Reuters · Jul 8, 2024)

As far as I can tell...
Are morals arbitrary, random, mere matter of whatever opinion? No.
Are morals existentially mind-dependent? Yes.
I'm not seeing a problem with that, though.

Maybe Sherman went a bit over the top here

Opinion | Why the sociopaths are winning — and the obvious thing we’re not doing about it (— Jeremy Sherman · AlterNet · Jul 6, 2024)

If you argue with stupid, they'll drag you down and beat you with experience. — whoever

Either way, some worthwhile observations/ethics can be found

Shame constrains us. Shamelessness is a liberation.

Learning to be absolutely shameless is easy.

It is our civic duty to make motivated sociopathy costly.

Some (post-rationalizing) individuals gravitate naturally towards conflict, which can empower the demagogue. Anyway, nutn' much new here, jus'sayin.

, you think there's a large number of people in the US that want war (civil or wider)? A US civil war would play straight into the hands of hungry foreign forces, which might just come back to haunt them.

, generally, the Clown doesn't dispel myths, he just bullshits.

Another Trump LIE, more than half the Authors of project2025 worked in his administration. (Karma is coming · Jul 5, 2024)

Here is Trump Senior Advisor and former appointee John McEntee, who helped draft Project 2025, explaining to Steve Bannon last July how Trump plans to implement the plan immediately after taking office. But Trump doesn’t know these people or anything about it. (Ron Filipkowski · Jul 5, 2024 · 2m:26s)

, have you run a correlation with happiest countries, and places of violence or war, for example?

:up:

When a clown moves into a palace, he does not become a king. The palace becomes a circus. — Elizabeth Bangs · Jan 23, 2022

^{Blog 6 When is an old Turkish proverb not an old Turkish proverb? (Elizabeth Bangs · Dec 31, 2022)}

Poll trends generally changed sometime around May 2021.
Referendum in 2016, departure in 2020.

• Share of people who think Brexit was the right or wrong decision 2020-2024 (Statista · May 13, 2024)
• Brexit (YouGov UK)



Inconveniences (e.g. traveling, moving to / studying in the EU, other difficulties)?
Daily life changed (e.g. jobs, prices, availabilities)?
New freedoms not as originally thought (e.g. rash decision, bregret, less influence on the EU)?
UK security concerns?
...?

, as mentioned, some (supposed) vague unknown isn't of particular concern here. By the way, are you sure you want to define your supposed deity/deities by these apologist arguments? There could be (unforeseen) implications.

As an aside, the modal logic comes up every now and then. ^{(e.g. 2021Jul7, 2021Jul5)} Possible worlds are, in short, self-consistent wholes. Necessities hold for all of them. Possibilities hold for (at least) one. Contingency and impossibility are derived from there, which rounds up the typical four subjunctive modalities. So, anyway, whatever necessity would be common to all possible worlds. Coffee doesn't figure in Euclidean space, R³, which is a self-consistent whole, hence coffee is not necessarily around. Well, it is a necessity to me, so this is offensive. ;) I'm not seeing "the Vedic Shiva, the Avestan Ahura Mazda, the Biblical Yahweh, and a few others", either.

It becomes difficult to see the point of a proof of God's existence when it is construed as a proof of an individual's existence. Does one use arguments to become acquainted with an individual? Either that individual exists or it doesn't, and experience alone can tell us which. The project of a proof of God's existence thus ironically comes to appear meaningless to contemporary philosophers of religion. — Theism and Atheism: Opposing Arguments In Philosophy (2019) by Joseph Koterski, Graham Oppy

Sorry for the sidetrack, this is just about Anselmian ontology:

If we suppose that existence and non-existence (the negation) can be properties of something, X, then what does it mean to say that X does not exist?
What was that X in the first place, then? :chin:
Either it's nonsense, or such a property already presupposes existence (implicitly) in some way, i.e. that X we spoke of that so happens to not exist.
As a starting point, I'm guessing that failure to differentiate imaginary/fictional and real can lead to reification; that certainly holds elsewhere.

By the way, in mathematics, a proper existential quantification form can be:
p = ∃x∈S φx
where p is the proposition, x is a (bound) variable, S a set, and φ a predicate.
Note that x is bound by S, and ∃ and φ aren't quite interchangeable.
Less confusion invited.

We watched Dark Matter (2024).
It's an adventure into many-worlds quantum mechanics, though cross-world interaction can take place; has creative observer effects, superposition, all that.
"You are made by the choices you make" could be a sub-title, except all choices are made, including some that make you an enemy of yourself (make that enemies (plural) of yourselves).
Has dark tones to it, visually well-made, better entertainment than "The Apprentice", but your mileage may vary.

, Whitmer maybe? I guess it's a bit late for anyone to jump in.

, the US is already up there. There are others that you keep diverting from, this being another example, despite evidence. No worries, I guess others will have to pick up the slack.

Anyone interested in what live propaganda looks like (as of typing) can check the examples below.
Titles might have been part of AI prompts, they appear to be the main message to be conveyed.
Note, "euromore·eu" can be traced back to the Kremlin, and may become unavailable at any time.

Presumably referring to Larry C Johnson (title resonating with this post above):

on the air"EUROMORE" and on the YouTube channel "PolitWera» answered questions from viewers and readers Larry K. Johnson is an American political commentator and former US Central Intelligence Agency analyst.

Here are the main quotes:

On forcing Ukraine to peace:

“I said earlier, I will repeat today: the longer the war goes on, the greater the advantage Russia will have. Russia has strategic advantages... Already today we see that Ukraine is not able to repel Russia, and every day the situation for it will only get worse... The weapons transferred to Ukraine are technologies that are 30-40 years outdated, Russia responds to them by modernizing its own weapons... The situation cannot even be reversed by the F‑16s promised to Ukraine: Russia will simply shoot them down as soon as they take off.”

On the entry of Western troops into the territory of Ukraine:

“French and Polish troops were already present (although unofficially) on the territory of Ukraine. What happened to them? They were all killed and went home in coffins. Even if new troops are sent to Ukraine now, I do not see the logistics of supporting them for more than 2-3 weeks.”

About Ukraine's losses:

“The figure cited is 500 thousand dead; I heard from [retired US Army Colonel] Douglas McGregor the figure of 2 million - these are losses including the wounded.”

On the deployment of nuclear weapons in Poland:

“I think this would be a death wish on the part of the United States for Poland. Russia will not tolerate such a threat on its borders, just as the United States did not tolerate such a threat in Cuba.”

About repression in the USA:

“Today in the United States, students are being persecuted for their political positions, even though they were peacefully protesting the killing of Palestinians. We see that their rights are being violated. Today many people are leaving America. In December and February I was in Moscow, where I met with some expats who now live in Russia - they consider this country to be freer, since in Russia they can speak out. By the way, for those who still remember the events of the Cold War, this may seem strange.”

On the possible restoration of friendly relations between the United States and Russia after Trump comes to power:

“I think Trump would like to change the situation and reverse recent trends, but we need to understand how possible this is. I think that, from a political point of view, this is impossible. Today, propaganda controls the minds of Americans so deeply that anyone who tries to restore relations with Russia is immediately labeled a “traitor” or “Putin’s puppet.” Today in the United States there are no politicians who could establish [friendly] relations.”

The full version of online communication is on video. — Larry K. Johnson (CIA): Americans are leaving for Russia for freedom · 20.05.2024

Supposedly referring to a Margarita Waldman:

Several European, American and Canadian experts whose columns work on the website “EUROMORE", we received identical questions and accusations from journalists-provocateurs from leading media outlets. In their letters, they denounce experts for disseminating pro-Russian propaganda through the website “EUROMORE"and in receiving money from Russia.

The stupidest accusations from those who have never read our project!

Site "EUROMORE"was created with one goal - to prevent the Third World War, which we are being actively pushed towards today (including such journalists-provocateurs!).

Dozens of enthusiasts with an active anti-war position are working on the project. I’ll repeat it again for those who don’t understand: we provide a platform for everyone who takes an active anti-war position!

We have our own editorial office and do not cooperate with any Russian organizations, foundations or authorities. We publish only reliable information and do not support any political force! Our content allows us to earn money from advertising.

I want to ask you, dear provocateurs, three questions:

1) Do you have any complaints about our materials?
2) Do you have any complaints about the balance of opinions?
3) Do you realize that by demanding that anti-war media be blocked with your “initiatives”, you are making World War III inevitable?

With disrespect,
Margarita Waldman
Chief Editor
«EUROMORE» — Anti-war media are being squeezed out of Europe. Preparing for World War III? · 26.06.2024

Presumably referring to Steffen Kotré:

Member of the German Parliament from the Alternative for Germany party Steffen Kotre said that there is convincing evidence of US involvement in the damage to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

This is reported by "EUROMORE».

Steffen Cotre said that non-governmental organizations that positioned themselves as environmentalists were actually carrying out actions aimed at opposing Russian gas supplies.

Earlier, Handelsblatt reported that the current German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, while serving as Finance Minister in 2020, proposed that the United States enter into a secret agreement to avoid sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. — German MP Cotre called the facts of US involvement in the bombing of SP-2 undeniable · 30.06.2024

Formatting (and embedded links) not included, just the text.
Various other examples can be found, fuel price problems due to sanctions, posts impersonating Ukrainians, nefarious Ukrainians selling given weapons, heck 5G causing maladies.

that US domestic politics is just an inflammatory clownshow — Tzeentch

... playing into the hands of hungry foreign powers? There's evidence to contend with. ^{(2019Sep11, 2020Oct15, 2022Oct26, 2023Nov6, 2024Jan2, 2024Feb9, 2024Feb15, 2024Mar27, 2024Mar27, 2024May2)}

The rise of dumb is real enough. ^{(2024Apr8, 2024Apr26, 2024Jun20)} :D

Evidently, some of this crap isn't just the US, by the way.

:)
I was kind of wondering if they counted people in occupied territories.

···

The invasion more or less slammed the brakes on Ukraine's efforts. Lawless and Soboliev (known from the 2014 commotion in Ukraine):

Takeaways from AP’s report on Ukraine’s battle to defend its democracy in wartime
^{— Jill Lawless · AP · Jun 28, 2024}

Organized efforts:

The role of psychological warfare in the battle for Ukraine
^{— Zara Abrams · APA · Jun 1, 2022}
Putin and the Third Rome
^{— Niels Drost, Beatrice de Graaf · Brill · Dec 12, 2022}
Inside Putin's push to rewrite Russian history in favor of his war in Ukraine
^{— Yuliya Talmazan, Artem Grudinin · NBC · Sep 3, 2023}
From playgrounds to parade grounds: Russian schools are becoming increasingly militarized
^{— Tim Lister, Katharina Krebs · CNN · Sep 25, 2023}

To what end? (remains a pertinent question)

Old Joe versus The Clown

As usual, they say what they want others to hear, irrespective of whatever else.

Russian embassies overflowing with requests to relocate to country — MFA
^{— TASS · Jun 27, 2024}

Our embassies, our consulates are literally flooded with requests for either visas, residence permits or assistance in resettlement in order to preserve themselves as representatives and bearers of traditional values. But we should also look from another angle. A huge number of people, who are under the oppression of liberal democracies, are trying to resist this. I would also like to say that when we talk about strangers - it's not about borders, it's not about the names of states or regimes <...>. Strangers are not those who differ from us, but those who aggressively impose their ideology, wanting to destroy our ideas of true values. — Zakharova

Dear followers, have you noticed any floods of people wishing to move to Russia from the "oppression of liberal democracies?"
^{— Gerashchenko · Jun 28, 2024}

Apparently, the HLA-DQA2 gene might give natural immunity, at least it seems common to people less (or not) affected by the virus.

Human SARS-CoV-2 challenge uncovers local and systemic response dynamics
^{— Christopher Chiu et al · Nature · Jun 19, 2024}

Some people never get COVID-19: researchers say a specific gene could be why
^{— Christine Birak (Akiko Iwasaki, Dawn Bowdish, Donald Vinh) · CBC · Jun 27, 2024 · 2m:1s}

Marjorie Taylor Greene Melts Down Over Australian TV’s Trump Question, Gets Cut Off
^{— Lee Moran · HuffPost · Jun 27, 2024}

I guess the response would have been that she wouldn't accept the election not going her way? Already planned to cry "Rigged" in that case? Go Ferguson. :)

Hélène Blanc (en) opines:

ENTRETIEN. Guerre en Ukraine : "Vladimir ne négocie jamais, sa proposition est un cessez-le-feu Potemkine" (en)
^{— Martin Planques · La Dépêche · Jun 14, 2024}

Your mileage may vary, though some of her claims have come up in the thread before, consistent with observations.

There goes Chersonesus (not Kherson), according to Evelina Kravchenko.

'Cultural Expropriation': Russia Steps Up Seizures Of Artifacts In Occupied Ukraine
^{— Nikolai Berg, Robert Coalson · RFE/RL · Oct 28, 2023}
Russians destroyed the ancient site of Chersonesus and erected a new building in its place
^{— Odessa Journal · Jun 27, 2024}

According to UNESCO, it's part of wider ruinage, whether accidental due to the war or intentional efforts (land grab, Russification, re-enculturation, old playbook). ^{(2001, 2015, 2022Oct21, 2022Nov8, 2023Aug9)}

Existential proofs are much easier to produce than impossibility proofs. — Tarskian

A model just requires a counter-example and it's out.
If existential proofs are the easier parts, then why do less than half the world's population believe that the Biblical Yahweh is real?

But ...

vague unknown [...] contenders [...] a difference that makes a difference

The existential claim carries the onus probandi [...] Upon repeated failure, expect disregard/dismissal of the claim — above

... was the main point. Ball's still in your court.

, you mentioned existential justification, yet I don't think a vague unknown is of much concern.

Rather, contenders include, say, the Vedic Shiva, the Avestan Ahura Mazda, the Biblical Yahweh, and a few others, where adherents/believers go by rituals, commands/rules, fate designations, speak of divine intervention/participation, etc. These are of concern to the various adherents/believers of course, and also to others due to proselytizers indoctrinators discrimination conquerors (concerted organized efforts), their political influences, and impact on societal affairs (other peoples' lives).

Shouldn't be difficult to find people with a laissez-faire (or "who knows") sort of attitude towards the former (vague unknown), and an attitude of disbelief towards whatever deities of the latter. It's a difference that makes a difference.

The existential claim carries the onus probandi (generally, existential claims are verifiable and not falsifiable, universal claims are falsifiable and not verifiable), it's not for someone else to disprove. Upon repeated failure, expect disregard/dismissal of the claim (until further notice perhaps). Though not deductive, it's a rational, reasonable response just the same, happens all the time.