The chaos theory of profitability refuted The Next Recession
Climate/Environment
Report: LNG operators in Louisiana offered $21.1 billion in tax breaks Floodlight News
Helene damage costs in NC more than $53 billion. Who will pay is unclear. Carolina Public Press
Bill offering wildfire survivors relief from taxes and fees passes Congress Washington State Standard
Pandemics
India
US Embassy Says ‘Disappointing’ That BJP Would Accuse State Department of ‘Destabilising’ India The Wire
The Koreas
S. Korea Pres. Yoon to step aside before resigning: party head Kyodo News
South Korea’s ex-defense minister arrested over his role in botched martial law declaration Anadolu Agency
Yoon coup a gift to foes at home, bad for solidarity with Japan, US Asia Times
China?
Changing Cadre Incentives: The Untold Story of China’s Economic Challenge The Diplomat
Syraqistan
Syria Falls Moon of Alabama
HTS declares end of Syrian government as extremists swarm Damascus The Cradle
Syria’s Besieged Assad Makes Overtures to US in Bid to Survive Bloomberg. Overtures apparently rejected.
US says it will remain present in eastern Syria, take measures to prevent IS resurgence Reuters. Commentary:
🇺🇸🇸🇾What is happening in Syria is a major loss for the Syrian people and their allies, including Russia and Iran and ultimately both China and the rest of the multipolar world.
It is a reminder that the US and its proxies remain the greatest threat to human peace and prosperity…
— Brian Berletic (@BrianJBerletic) December 8, 2024
Well, Arab Militaries… Andrei Martyanov
Russian ships still at Tartus base – Lavrov RT. Commentary:
Putin’s worst nightmare. Not only is he losing an important client state, but this is what it’s going to look like when his regime crumbles. https://t.co/2jsQFG5wUl
— Sir William Browder KCMG (@Billbrowder) December 7, 2024
Syria is part of the payoff from the Ukraine provocation. US bogs down Russia so Syria is vulnerable. Israel as tip of spear of imperial project continues.
— Sam Husseini (@samhusseini) December 8, 2024
Russia sounds completely checked out of events in Syria — Lavrov citing UN resolutions and other generalities and clearly eager to pivot to discussing Russia’s views on the war in Ukraine. Accuses moderator of trying to “drown me in Syria” by asking about it. It’s over. https://t.co/Lt9Ng6Qix3
— Murtaza Hussain (@MazMHussain) December 7, 2024
Lest we forget:
Looks like “our side in Syria” won. Let’s all hope it now doesn’t go like the last time we “won” in Iraq and Libya. pic.twitter.com/F3HbpE5uiv
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) December 7, 2024
Former General of the US Army Wesley Clark on the military strategy after 9/11 attacks: “We are going to take out 7 countries in 5 years: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and finishing it off with Iran” [2007] pic.twitter.com/eNWOC8p795
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) August 3, 2024
***
How Syria’s rebel leader went from radical jihadist to a blazer-wearing ‘revolutionary’ CNN. Commentary:
“ISIS was just a phase” https://t.co/0sLCfZE4eh
— 𝙎𝙖𝙣𝙖👼🏻 (@sanaahmad1505) December 6, 2024
;
And:
The collective Western reporting of Syria this week puts me in mind of this all-timer. pic.twitter.com/3RmVuBjjnq
— Alan MacLeod (@AlanRMacLeod) December 7, 2024
Divergent Statecrafts: Between Islamic Governance and Modern State Power Ummatics
***
Türkiye does not have eyes ‘even on pebble of any country’: Erdoğan Hurriyet
Syria’s collapse: An opportunity and a risk for Israel – editorial Jerusalem Post
IDF moves tanks, troops into demilitarized zone on Golan Heights Ynet
***
Smotrich said to tell Civil Administration of ‘great opportunity’ to annex West Bank Times of Israel
THE WHITE HOUSE GAVE ISRAEL COORDINATES TO SAVE AN AMERICAN’S FAMILY. THEN ISRAEL BOMBED THEM AGAIN The Intercept
New Not-So-Cold War
Belarus to Host Russia’s Oreshnik in Response to US Missiles in Germany Sputnik
Trump says Zelensky is ready for ‘deal’ with Russia Hurriyet
Teenagers plan to flee as Kyiv faces pressure to call up the young The Times
US announces new aid package for Ukraine worth almost a billion dollars Ukrainska Pravda
Fitch Rating affirms Ukraine’s rating at “Restricted Default” level Ukrainska Pravda
European Disunion
German Chancellor Candidate claims AfD seeks peace in Ukraine Al Mayadeen
EU and Mercosur strike historic trade deal, setting stage for political battle Bne Intellinews
Parties in French New Popular Front enter government talks with Macron WSWS
The Caucasus
Pashinyan’s response to Putin’Armenia has passed the point of no return’ JAM News
Groups of masked attackers target journalists and government critics during Tbilisi protests OC Media
«In depth discussion with Presidents Trump & Macron. Exposed the stolen election and extremely alarming repression against the people of Georgia. Underscored the need for a strong US. The Georgian people have a friend in Donald Trump. God bless the United States of America 🇬🇪 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/w9myeFG61P
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) December 7, 2024
Imperial Collapse Watch
Cynical Overtakes Sacred, as the West Bares its True Face Simplicius the Thinker
Trump Transition
‘He actually has juice’: Crypto, AI get a key ally in Sacks Politico
As Big Tech Profit Growth Slows, Investors Hunt for a New Thing Bloomberg
OpenAI Enters Silicon Valley’s Hot New Business: War WSJ
Defence startups Palantir, Anduril to save data from battlefield to train AI models Bloomberg
Anthropic partners with Palantir
OpenAI partners with Anduril
Anduril partners with Palantir!Everybody is partnering with everybody? What does it all mean pic.twitter.com/EBcsDCbC2X
— Deedy (@deedydas) December 7, 2024
Groves of Academe
AWS commits $100 million to help underserved students gain skills in AI, cloud computing, literacy, more Amazon. “Technology-based learning experiences.”
Why the Silicon Valley titans who got our kids addicted to screens are sending their own children to tech‑free Waldorf schools The Times. From 2018, still germane.
AI
Reality raids Internal exile
Guillotine Watch
NYC mayor says suspect identified in UnitedHealth executive’s murder, NY Post reports Reuters. Commentary:
this is what it must have felt like to hear robin hood stories in like 1370 https://t.co/bQ5MTRxoSl
— @katewagner.bsky.social (@mcmansionhell) December 8, 2024
Why NYPD veteran believes suspect in CEO shooting may have used a ‘veterinary pistol’ CNN
NYPD releases two NEW pictures of healthcare boss’s assassin during his getaway in the back of a cab Daily Mail. Map:
Search for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer yields evidence, but few answers AP. Round-up. Lambert: ‘I thought the adjuster left via Port Authority, but AP says the George Washington Bridge Bus Station. AP mentions “Philadelphia, Boston, Washington DC,” but there are also buses to upstate New York, some Canada-adjacent.’
***
Insurers face backlash in wake of UnitedHealth attack Becker’s Payer Issues
apparently health CEOs are getting their Wiki pages deleted pic.twitter.com/R5ChccoMqO
— db (@dbessner) December 6, 2024
NEW: New Yorkers hold a UnitedHealthcare CEO k*ller lookalike competition.
The following person was the winner.
“I’m glad people do not feel great about the current state of things & are willing to openly express that.”
He looks a little too similar. pic.twitter.com/IcXsDLHve0
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 7, 2024
Zeitgeist Watch
Class Warfare
Utah Quietly Downgrades Northrop Grumman Worker Death Charges Inkstick
How a San Francisco Navy Lab Became a Hub for Human Radiation Experiments San Francisco Public Press
KIYOSHI Octopus
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
