Image is from the January 2023 World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. Over 50 heads of state and 600 CEOs attended.
holding flashlight under face
Imagine a terrifying world where we are all ruled by monsters of every stripe. And not hot ones like werewolves, but instead decaying zombies and mummies who are both insensitive to, and actively benefit from the immense suffering they cause on a daily basis. The top echelon of society, filled with profit-seeking, bloodsucking vampires. And the worst of it is that they repeat on a daily basis that what they are doing is not only just, but there is no other possible way to do it.
Pretty spooky, right? What if I told you that this world... was our own?
Happy Halloween!
Friendly reminder: when commenting about a news event, especially something that just happened, please provide a source of some kind. While ideally this would be on nitter or archived, any source is preferable to none at all given.
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA daily-ish reports on Israel's destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news (and has automated posting when the person running it goes to sleep).
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Various sources that are covering the Ukraine conflict are also covering the one in Palestine, like Rybar.
The Country of the Week is Lebanon! Feel free to chime in with books, essays, longform articles, even stories and anecdotes or rants. More detail here.
Here is the map of the Ukraine conflict, courtesy of Wikipedia.
This week's first update is here.
Links and Stuff
The bulletins site is down.
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Add to the above list if you can.
Resources For Understanding The War
Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Telegram Channels
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
Pro-Russian
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
Last week's discussion post.
Part 3
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Entire Brazilian State of Amazonas gripped by drought^MP^
US troops to perform joint exercises in Brazilian Amazon^MP^
China, Colombia elevate ties to strategic partnership as presidents meet in Beijing^CGTN^
Ecuador Faces Nationwide Power Outages^TS^
Haiti: Government Delegation to Visit Irrigation Canal Works^TS^
Hurricane Otis batters Acapulco leaving almost a million people without power^EN^
Nicaragua: The Education Generation^Resumen^
Panama: Cortizo Bans New Mining Concessions amid Protests^TS^
Machado wins Venezuelan primaries by a landslide^MP^
When digital infrastructure and digital literacy do not go hand in hand: Bolivia’s digital divide^ET^
Women face increasing pressure in Paraguay, a country deeply rooted in conservative values^ET^
War:
Palestine:
Does the US really know the Arab world at all?^RS^
Protests Intensify Across US as Gaza Death Toll Surpasses 5,000^SP^ Not sure what it is at this precise moment while writing this, but it must now be considerably over 10,000 including missing. US blocks peace in Gaza, supporting Israel's genocidal war on civilians^GPE^
State Department officials prepare dissent cables in opposition to Gaza assault^MEE^
Thousands of students at over 100 US and Canadian universities protest against Gaza genocide^WSWS^
U.S. universities side with pro-Israel corporate funders over students resisting occupation^PW^
We Are Witnessing the Largest U.S. Anti-War Protests in 20 Years^SP^
Biden's Israel stance angers Arab, Muslim Americans^CGTN^
Pentagon Expects ‘Significant Escalation’ of Attacks on US Troops Over Gaza War^SP^
U.K. activists and unions target three weapons factories to block Israeli arms shipments^PW^
EU's vaunted unity is disintegrating over Gaza crisis^RS^
A Divided European Union Can’t Even Agree on Need for Ceasefire in Israeli Campaign Against Gaza^SP^
India’s solidarity with Israel is untenable^IP^
Massive labor-community coalition in Canada demands: Ceasefire now^PW^
Germany bans public grieving and solidarity with Palestine^MR^
Moon of Alabama: Two Middle East Outlooks Craig Murray: As Genocide Unfolds, Chances of a Regional War Become Almost Unavoidable^MPN^
U.S. military bases in E. Syria come under attacks^PD^
Israel-Palestine: Hamas a ‘liberation movement’, Erdogan says in speech slamming Israel^MEE^
Report says Turkey sent away head of Hamas’ political bureau^BNE^
Jordan's US-allied king faces 'nightmare scenario' as Gaza invasion looms^MEE^
October 7 Testimonies Reveal Israel’s Military ‘Shelling’ Israeli Citizens With Tanks, Missiles^SP^
Israel is caught lying time and again. And yet we never learn^MR^
In Hours of Israel/Gaza Crisis Coverage, a Word You’ll Seldom Hear: ‘Ceasefire’^FAIR^
When It’s Always The Beginning of History, It Can Never Be the End of War^AW^
Netanyahu allies push Gaza expulsion as final solution to Israel’s Palestinian problem^PW^
Israel scaled back Gaza ground campaign after US intervention – NYT^RT^
Health system in Gaza collapsing as fuel and medicine run out^MR^
Russia:
Ukraine’s desperate search for war funding hits local budgets^OD^
Slovakia announces the end of military aid to Ukraine^EN^
Germany delivers 3rd IRIS-T air defense system to Ukraine^CGTN^
Russia says 36 drones downed over Black Sea^DW^
Ukraine's Sudden High Air Losses Likely Caused By New Russian Missiles^MoA^
Moscow reveals details of Ukrainian attack on nuclear power plant^RT^
EU leaders back using earnings from Russia’s frozen assets to help Ukraine^FT^
Wait, I thought they couldn't find them? This saga of the frozen assets has left me very confused.
China:
Chinese fighter jet buzzes US B-52 over South China Sea^DW^
US 'unsafe interception' claim refuted as PLA fighter jet's act 'legitimate and reasonable'^GT^
US and Australia announce agreement to work with Japan on defence technology^SCMP^
Hypersonic Race 2.0: China tests next-gen ‘waverider’ with revolutionary technology^SCMP^
Philippines Eyes Multilateral Approach Against China in South China Sea^CGS^
Philippines Digs in Heels in South China Sea While Also Cautioning Restraint^CGS^
China turns to belt and road countries in race to secure tech-critical minerals^SCMP^
China Limits Exports of Graphite to Counter U.S. Technology Restrictions^CGS^
Western graphite producers’ shares soar after Beijing announces export curbs^FT^
China Takes Advantage of Cobalt’s Low Price to Boost Strategic Reserve^CGS^
Part 4
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Labour:
More plants shuttered as UAW pulls another 12,000 workers off the assembly line^PW^
UAW announces sellout deal, orders Ford strikers back to work^WSWS^
Ford reaches deal with union to end US strike and raise wages^FT^
Here’s what UAW workers won in a “historic” TA after striking at Ford^MR^
40,000 Culinary Workers on Las Vegas Strip hotels may be next to strike^PW^
Left and Right:
The European Left and the Global South: An existential take^MR^
Your Standard of Living Demands the Exploitation of Others^RC^
Neoclassical Economics and Urban Planning: A Contentious Theoretical and Policy Making Relationship^DE^
We're still living under capitalism, not "techno-feudalism".^Jacobin^
Australian Nazis treated with kid gloves, pro-Palestine protesters vilified and threatened^WSWS^
Is the US turning into a Christofascist state?^RNN^
It's been one since at least the 19th century. Direct inspiration for Hitler.
LGBTQIA:
Content Warning - this section is not usually good news.
Lithuania moves to ditch controversial Russian-style 'anti-gay propaganda' law^EN^
"Hating gay people is Putinist Russian disinformation propaganda" probably won't actually be very effective in quelling anti-LGBTQIA attitudes in these quasi-fascist chihuahua countries but I'm willing to be proven wrong.
Ukraine takes first steps to codify gay marriage.^BNE^
Japan's top court strikes down 2003 gender change surgery law, which locked trans recognition behind genital removal^DW^
Gay Sex Ban in Military Upheld by South Korean Court^Advocate^
Speaker Mike Johnson Roundly Condemned by LGBTQ+ Groups, Biden Campaign, and Democrats^Advocate^
More Than 100K Transgender Youth Live in States Impacted by Restrictive Laws: Study^Advocate^
Climate:
Saving the Three Basins means stopping fossil fuel expansion^CCN^
How Climate Change Drives Conflict and War Crimes Around the Globe^ICN^
Central Africa Forest Initiative (CAFI): A classic case of climate funding fraud in Africa^MR^
A shadowy corner of international law is threatening climate action, UN expert warns^Bilaterals^
LNG Plant Operators Change Their Tune on Carbon Capture (moving towards it).^DS^
Five Decades and a Mountain of Evidence: Study Explores How Toxic Chemicals are ‘Stealing Children’s Future Potential’^ICN^
Dipshittery and Cope:
Malta expects more than 50 countries for third round of Ukraine peace talks^Euractiv^
At press time, the mannequin that these countries put in a seat to represent Russia has refused to make a statement.
I Love My Trans Comrades!