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submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by SeventyTwoTrillion@hexbear.net to c/news@hexbear.net

Image is of protestors burning down the Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal's government offices in Kathmandu.

For more on the situation in Nepal, I recommend @MelianPretext@lemmygrad.ml's comment here.


Following a "anti-corruption" protest movement spurred by a social media ban (but with much deeper roots) in which dozens of protestors were killed by state forces, the government of KP Oli has been ousted, and an interim leader is currently in power as the country prepares for elections. Notably, events have been characterized as "Gen Z protests", and this leader was decided (at least partially) by a Discord vote. When a non-western government rapidly falls, it's wise to at least glance in the direction of the United States, and there are almost certainly elements of color revolution here. But, as always, it's more complicated than simple regime change - Nepal is a deeply troubled economy even as developing countries go.

Vijay Prashad has offered his five theses as to why Nepal's government fell that goes beyond non-specific terms like "corruption" or "color revolution":

  1. Despite winning 75% of the seats in parliament in 2017, the various communist parties have failed to unify towards forming a common agenda and solving the problems of the people. When the nominally united communist party split in 2021, infighting and opportunism eventually brought on the rightist politicians we see today.

  2. The Nepalese economy is not successful. Disasters are slow to be ameliorated, education and healthcare is underfunded, and poverty is fairly rampant. There have been significant developments made by the communist parties, such as electrification programs and some poverty reduction, but it has been insufficient.

  3. The petty bourgeois usually come from oppressed Hindu castes, and are frustrated by the domination of upper castes, and so are inspired by India's BJP. They essentially want a return to monarchy, under the guise of anti-corruption, and despite their relatively small numbers, are powerfully organized.

  4. Of the countries that aren't tiny islands, Nepal has the highest per capita rate of work migration, due to insufficient employment in Nepal. The jobs that Nepalese citizens receive overseas range from unpleasant to unbearable in both labour and wages, and this has generated rightful suspicion that the government cares more about foreign direct investors than their own citizens overseas.

  5. The government of KP Oli was close to the United States, and India's Modi has promoted the BJP in Nepal. Both countries have sought to exert influence over Nepal, though Prashad speculates that, if there is indeed a foreign mastermind at work, India is more likely to be the culprit behind these recent protests, in a gambit to use the chaos to promote/install a far right monarchist government.

I agree with Prashad that it seems unlikely that mere electoral changes will result in anything terribly productive, though whatever government emerges will inevitably hoist the banner of anti-corruption to try and legitimize themselves. We have seen the same breakdown of electoralism as a meaningful pathway to solve national problems all across the world, from the superpowers to the poorest states. Until a rupture occurs, greater surveillance, policing, and repression seems guaranteed.


Last week's thread is here.
The Imperialism Reading Group is here.

Please check out the RedAtlas!

The bulletins site is here. Currently not used.
The RSS feed is here. Also currently not used.

Israel's Genocide of Palestine

If you have evidence of Zionist crimes and atrocities that you wish to preserve, there is a thread here in which to do so.

Sources on the fighting in Palestine against the temporary Zionist entity. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:

UNRWA 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.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.

English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Sources:

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.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
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.

Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:

Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.

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 Telegram Channels:

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.


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[-] Seasonal_Peace@hexbear.net 76 points 2 months ago

man with big key in Palestine protest

Yesterday in Vienna thousands came together for Palestine. The police claim 3,500 people attended, while the organisers say closer to 20,000, whatever the exact number, the energy was undeniable. Great people stood side by side in solidarity. The media is already twisting the story to delegitimise the protest, but their spin won’t last. Justice will prevail, and those who tried to silence this movement will one day be held accountable. FREE FREE PALESTINE.

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[-] Lovely_sombrero@hexbear.net 75 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

It is funny that there might be a government shutdown in ~10 days and it is barely being covered by the media. In short, health insurers have already revealed that the price for health insurance is going up by around ~15% next year. But that is only if Congress extends enhanced ACA subsidies, if not, health insurance for a lot of people on the ACA exchanges could go up by like 100%. The GOP House passed a government funding bill without those subsidies. The Senate Dems killed the bill (44-48) in the Senate. My guess is that House Republicans are just waiting for the Senate Dems to surrender?

[-] UmbraVivi@hexbear.net 40 points 2 months ago

My guess is that House Republicans are just waiting for the Senate Dems to surrender?

Pretty good bet tbh

[-] Lovely_sombrero@hexbear.net 70 points 2 months ago

STOP THE COUNT!!

Bureau of Labor Statistics postpones key data report

spoiler

The BLS said on Friday that the annual release of consumer expenditures data — initially set for Tuesday — would be "rescheduled to a later date."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics did not respond to a request for a comment. Neither did The Department of Labor, which oversees the statistics agency.

It is the only "federal household survey to provide information on the complete range of consumers' expenditures and incomes," the BLS website says.

Crucially, the data is also used to determine the weighting of specific goods and services in the Consumer Price Index for the year ahead.

[-] DogThatWentGorp@hexbear.net 35 points 2 months ago

Oh that seems ominous.

[-] ziggurter@hexbear.net 34 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

In unincorporated parts of California, the limit on rent increase for most occupied houses (using the term "rent control" is extremely generous!) is tied to the CPI. Specifically, the limit is 5% + CPI increase in % (max 10%). So, you know, somewhere between 4x and 8x what anyone can possibly afford even if if starting at a reasonable initial amount.

[-] mickey@hexbear.net 65 points 2 months ago

This happened on the 18th of September, it was posted here when it happened before details were known so I wanted to share it a little. No spoiler but CW for stalking and description of the shooting.

Deadly York County shootout that left three officers and suspect dead | Motive, how it happened

Authorities release names of 3 police officers killed in Pennsylvania shooting: Updates

The shooter was stalking a young woman who he briefly dated, went to the farm where her and her mother lived, and was waiting in ambush. They had put up a trail cam because the daughter's truck had been set on fire last month and they suspected the man, who had never been to the farm or invited there previously. They spotted him on the trail cam so they left and called the police.

The cops got there and swept the area and the surrounding fields with a drone, saw the house was unlocked so four of them went in and were immediately ambushed, leaving 3 dead and 1 wounded. The shooter fired at two sheriff's deputies in the street from the house, wounding one, then it sounds like he advanced on them and died in a shootout.

Guy definitely would've killed the woman and her mom if they'd been home or returned first. Guy killed dog in the basement.

This was all pretty depressing IMO. The district attorney correctly said this was caused by the scourge of domestic violence. Attorney general Pam Bondi called it an attack on our law enforcement, which whatever, fash is gonna fash. At the press conference Gov. Josh Shapiro said something about doing better for mental health for people who think picking up a gun is the answer - that bit really stuck in my craw. This is a typical line from politicians who don't want to grapple with gun violence, it is weasely in general but applying it to a DV situation was upsetting to me.

Also, spoiler because this sounds like fedposting

spoiler


one jerkoff with a long gun inflicted 100% casualties on an assault team comprised of four veteran law enforcement officers, and 50% casualties on a two man security team.

[-] VHS@hexbear.net 38 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Pretty nasty business, what a fucking creep, but at least the trash got taken out both ways.

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[-] WildWeezing420@hexbear.net 61 points 2 months ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in_regime_change

Funny how NATOpedia extensively lists and documents many of the regime change activities of the 20th century, and even some from 2000-2020 but then they mysteriously peter off and disappear. Did you know that the US was doing an average of one regime change operation per year for a century and then just stopped suddenly? How strange!

Liberals actually believe this.

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[-] MoreAmphibians@hexbear.net 60 points 2 months ago
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[-] gay_king_prince_charles@hexbear.net 55 points 2 months ago

The US ends temporary protection for Syrians^[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/20/us-cancels-temporary-protected-status-for-syrians?traffic_source=rss]. "Now that scary Assad is out, you can return to the safety and care of al-Quaeda"

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[-] Lovely_sombrero@hexbear.net 54 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I don't know if anyone mentioned this, but Tom Homan (former Obama immigration sicko, now Trump's immigration sicko) accepted a bribe from an FBI agent - they literally gave him a $50k sack of cash with a money sign on it and have it on video. It looks like nothing will happen to him.

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[-] whatdoiputhere12@hexbear.net 54 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

The UK, Canada and Australia officially recognise a Palestinian state

Of course doesn’t mean anything if he’s (Keir in this instance) still gonna give weapons to Israel and wants a two state solution, but I’m gonna admit that I’m surprised he followed through at all, I kinda expected him to either stall or break this promise

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Sunday that the United Kingdom was formally recognizing a Palestinian state and reviving hope for a two-state solution, in step with Australia and Canada.

In the face of growing horror in the Middle East, Starmer said, the UK was acting to keep alive the possibility of peace.

Starmer said that recognition was not a reward for Hamas, as Israel has claimed. The UK’s call for a two-state solution meant that Hamas could have no future, he said.

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[-] companero@hexbear.net 52 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2616180/middle-east

The Zionist terror regime targeted a family of US citizens in Lebanon, killing 3 children and their father. Only the mother survived, but she is in critical condition.

There are extremely graphic photos circulating.

[-] redchert@lemmygrad.ml 49 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)
[-] companero@hexbear.net 57 points 2 months ago

Humanitarian aid workers have the right to defend themselves

[-] sisatici@hexbear.net 40 points 2 months ago

You know that he deserves his job description

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[-] mickey@hexbear.net 32 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

That's terrible! Is the crossing okay?!
To make this more than a joke reply I'll say that military units guarding entry into illegally occupied territory sound like legitimate targets, and that is before accounting for the mass abductions and ramping up for further settlement construction that is ongoing.

[-] Boise_Idaho@hexbear.net 49 points 2 months ago

Movement reacts in disgust to ‘Corbyn/Sultana fight’ in Your Party:
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2025/09/19/your-party-latest-news/

[-] Awoo@hexbear.net 47 points 2 months ago

Galloway was retweeting me at 6am this morning and for me and him to be on the same page in this is fucking weird.

[-] WildWeezing420@hexbear.net 36 points 2 months ago

I’m guessing something to the effect of “get your shit together”?

[-] Awoo@hexbear.net 32 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Yeah more or less.

"Hard left are more correct on economic, foreign policy and imperialism. Soft left and more correct on social policy and culture. If someone does not bring the two together the left in the UK is toast."

Dude liked it so much he retweeted it twice.

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[-] sempersigh@hexbear.net 48 points 2 months ago
[-] miz@hexbear.net 36 points 2 months ago

he's gonna give them the stone

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[-] Lovely_sombrero@hexbear.net 47 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

This is in Kamala's new book, I could swear that she did say exactly this multiple times...?!?!?

[edit] IIRC, she was asked on the View what the biggest difference between a Biden and Harris admin would be and Kamala said that she'd have at least one Republican in her cabinet!

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[-] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 46 points 2 months ago

Yesterday three Russian MiG 31BM aircraft entered Estonian airspace for 12-13 minutes, and were escorted out by Italian F-35As and photographed by Swedish Gripens. The MiG 31s were only armed with infrared guided short range R-73/74 air to air missiles, no radar guided missiles.

This inline with previous Russian actions in the realm of chipping away at deterrence of it's adversaries, such as flying styrofoam Gerbera drones/decoys into Poland during Russian air raids in Ukraine, hosting ambiguous military exercises on the borders, etc. The playbook is quite simple:

  • Take aggressive action but with plausible deniability. In this case, the MiG 31s not being armed with R-33/37 long range radar guided missiles. Previously, for instance flying styrofoam decoy drones into Poland instead of the Geran drones armed with warheads, and the infamous "military exercises" on Ukraine's borders before the war.
  • Make up a completely nonsensical story devoid of any factual basis to spread in the Russian information space and for domestic audiences, and stick to it no matter how ridiculous. This acts to muddy the waters and increase focus on the plausible deniability.
  • Rely on said plausible deniability and ambiguity to prevent any response. Italy and Sweden aren't going to start a war with Russia over semi armed MiGs flying over Estonia. Poland is not going to start a war over bits of styrofoam.
  • Use these actions to "shift the goalposts" for what is considered normal behaviour.
  • Eventually take real action (for instance, invading Ukraine).
[-] P1d40n3@hexbear.net 31 points 2 months ago

Why the fuck are they playing with fire? This can only end poorly. Are the Russians this confident that the US will never approve NATO strikes?

[-] Kieselguhr@hexbear.net 46 points 2 months ago
  • Reminding the Baltics that they are very close, and they will be first hit, so better stop barking, a couple of italian fighters won't save them
  • Very expensive trolling
  • Collecting empirical data of NATO response

Any combination of the above

[-] LeonTreatsky@hexbear.net 33 points 2 months ago

NATO is doing the same thing.

Russia not pushing the boundaries isn't really keeping anything in check, it's just giving NATO free reign to push what is acceptable while Russia is left being condemned for genocide for entirely normal, restrained conduct.

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[-] redchert@lemmygrad.ml 44 points 2 months ago

Dutch parliament wants to follow U.S. example and label Antifa a terrorist organization

Funny how I read like dozens and dozens of posts of americans/brits planning to seek refuge in the EU. Sweety, soon, there isnt going to be a place to run any more.

[-] 3rdWorldCommieCat@hexbear.net 31 points 2 months ago

Europe is literally the continent that birthed fascism and countless other evils they've exported around the globe yet somehow they think they're better than everybody else and it could NEVER happen in their countries lmao

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[-] Tervell@hexbear.net 41 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

critical support to the US in its heroic effort to demilitarize its own navy https://archive.ph/LZBRI

Navy, industry has ‘got to adjust’ to realities of shipyard worker pay: Service official

Both the Navy and its contractors must ensure the workers building its ships receive “competitive” pay if the maritime industrial base is going to grow to an acceptable size for outfitting the future fleet, according to a Navy official.

more

“When the Navy goes and industry goes and [negotiates] contracts with the shipbuilders … we have got to ensure those folks who are pricing those components — of course, we want to be competitive — but we have got to reflect prices that can allow us to have the labor pool that we need for the long term,” said the official, who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity. The official also said that the nature of shipbuilding programs means cost is driven up by schedule delays. “Getting a workforce that is sustained, that is retained, that gets trained … and stays. That’s the best, cost model we can have … If that’s a short-term adjustment in what our labor rates look like and how they reflect against the service industry growth that’s happened in the nation, then we’ve got to adjust.”

The issue of pay for shipyard workers — especially the kind of entry-level ones the service is anxious to see join the workforce in the coming decade — has been a pervasive problem for both the Pentagon and industry. As shipbuilding executives often put it, over the years, food service, retail and other industries have slowly increased their respective entry-level wages to be competitive, or even better, than the pay a first-year shipyard worker could expect. “People can go do far less difficult things for just about the same money from an entry wage standpoint,” Kari Wilkinson, an executive at HII, the United States’s largest military shipbuilder, told Breaking Defense last year. “I will say though that within a year-and-a-half to two years, you can double your salary as a shipbuilder.” Despite the promise of better pay in the future, the workforce attrition numbers speak for themselves. Brett Seidle, a senior Navy civilian, told lawmakers in March that “50 to 60 percent” of new industrial base workers, recruited through the Navy’s ongoing campaigns, quit within their first year on the job. “Those folks are coming, and then we’re attriting out way too quick,” he said at the time.

HII, General Dynamics Electric Boat and senior Navy leadership have lobbied Congress and two different administrations to move forward with the Shipyard Accountability and Workforce Support plan that would, among other things, increase wages for various shipyard workers. That bill, colloquially known as SAWS, has appeared to stagnate on Capitol Hill in the aftermath of numerous lawmakers calling out the Navy for a “lack of transparency” on its funding requests. “It’s incredibly frustrating to know how important building a submarine [or] building a destroyer is, and to hear often that there’s a story of, ‘Well, I’ll go to Chick-Fil-A’ or ‘I’ll go to,’ you fill in the blank,” the official said. “We must overcome that as an enterprise.”

I, uh, I'm not sure if I'm just tired but I have no idea what that last quote is even saying. I'll go to, you fill in the blank? Huh? catgirl-huh

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[-] smokeppb@hexbear.net 41 points 2 months ago

‼️ Iran's Supreme National Security Council anmounces that Tehran will suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after Britain, France, and Germany pushed to reinstate UN sanctions, and the Security Council voted against permanently lifting them.

Pez got football-lucy again

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[-] StillNoLeftLeft@hexbear.net 41 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Smol bean nazi country (Finland) reporting on Charlie Kirk.

It's disgusting from start to finish. Written like a sob story that begings with describing the place and the crying mourning people there. Much emphasis is placed on the "mourning youth".Wild to see how deep into the vassal state status we have gone and how quickly it has happened. An article like this isn't something you would have seen previously.

Some choice quotes translated by me:

Yksi laskee kukan, toinen käsin kirjoitetun viestin surunvalittelujen röykkiöön. Jotkut pitävät lyhyitä puheita, useimmat vain istuvat hiljaa ja tuijottavat.

A person lays a flower, another a hand written note, on to the pile of messages of mourning. Some hold short speeches, most just sit quietly and stare.

Oh boy, such heartbreak.

Ihmisvilinä osoittaa, että Kirkin ampuminen ei ollut vain yksi väkivaltaisuus muiden joukossa, vaan mahdollisesti merkittävin aktivistin kuolema Yhdysvalloissa sitten Martin Luther King Jr.:n salamurhan yli puoli vuosisataa sitten.

The crowd size shows that the shooting of Kirk wasn't just another act of violence among many, but possibly the most meaningful death of a significant activist in the United States since the assasination of Martin Luther King Jr over half a century ago.

Kingiä ja Kirkiä yhdisti puhumisen taito. King oli kansalaisoikeusliikkeen ääni. Kirk oli Donald Trumpin Maga-liikkeen ääni, etenkin nuorelle yleisölle.

King osasi puhua radiolle ja televisiolle. Kirk osasi puhua internetille.

What connects King and Kirk is the skill of speaking. King was the voice of the civil rights movement. Kirk was the voice of Trumps Maga-movement. Especially to young people.

King knew how to speak to the radio and the TV. Kirk knew how to speak to the internet.

The article gets more and more disgusting from this point on and I am not going to spend more time on it because of that. The interviews of the Kirk cultists are in English and it is probably easily machine translatable if someone wants to witness the deeper brainworms presented here with zero criticism.

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[-] BigBoyKarlLiebknecht@hexbear.net 39 points 2 months ago

I don’t believe I’ve seen this posted here before, so apologies if this old news, but the UK’s largest car manufacturer has had production shut down for nearly a month due to a cyber attack - with no end in sight:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czewlj57e24o

The supply chain in the UK is also deeply suffering due to the lack of production.

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[-] heartheartbreak@hexbear.net 39 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

https://archive.ph/cxCMW Philippines protests popping off. Notice how the press only put Akbayan Partylist in any photos as opposed to Bayan, Gabriela or Anakbayan.

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[-] Tervell@hexbear.net 38 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

"Foundation for Defense of Democracies" jagoff think tank ghouls cry about country having the gall to... hold a military exercise with someone else https://archive.ph/C2Tnh

As Beijing beckons, is Washington sleepwalking on Egypt?

While Chinese fighter jets split Egypt’s skies in May, it was American armor that shook its sands earlier this month. Bright Star 25, one of the world’s largest multinational military exercises, co-hosted by Egypt and the United States, ran from August 28 to September 10. The drills were a sprawling, robust affair. Approximately 1,500 American personnel participated in Bright Star 25, operating M1A2 Abrams tanks, M2A3 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, KC-135 Stratotankers, and F-16 fighter jets. Forty-four nations participated, reportedly including Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Fourteen countries together contributed more than 8,000 troops, while 30 others participated as observers. Missions drilled included amphibious assault, irregular warfare, aerial refueling, naval maneuvers, and combined joint task force planning.

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To an outside observer, the drills would appear to reflect that Washington’s relationship with Cairo, a cornerstone of US policy in the region, remains on solid ground. But underneath all that military hardware, the sands are shifting, as Egypt slides closer to China. It’s time for the US to wake up to the danger, reorient its bilateral relationship and perhaps use the next Bright Star to make a different point altogether. Bright Star exercises began in 1980, born out of the Camp David Accords that saw Egypt become the first Arab state to make peace with Israel, and have long been a barometer of US-Egypt ties. While they came to a halt during the Arab Spring, their return in 2017 under Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El Sisi was meant to reaffirm the strategic partnership that successive administrations in Washington have called indispensable.

But though the US-Egypt relationship may be indispensable now, there’s competition. Just four months earlier, Cairo hosted “Eagles of Civilization 2025,” the largest Sino-Egyptian bilateral exercise ever. Featuring Chinese J-10 fighter jets, KJ-500 early warning aircraft, and Z-20 helicopters, the drill signaled Cairo’s deepening military relationship with Beijing. Far from being a one-off, Eagles of Civilization 2025 capped a decade of growing Sino-Chinese defense ties, involving arms sales, technology transfers, and Chinese participation in Egyptian infrastructure projects with dual-use potential. One month, Cairo is integrating Chinese forces and reportedly purchasing Chinese-made air defense systems. The next, it is carrying out exercises with the United States and NATO partners. To Egyptian officials, this is all a part of a hedging strategy aimed at maximizing benefits from both Washington and Beijing while minimizing costs.

I can't believe the Egyptians committed geopolitical adultery. Outrageous!

Unless Washington confronts Cairo’s double game, the Bright Star exercise series risks becoming less a symbol of enduring partnership and more a symptom of flawed US strategy. To Washington, Egypt’s behavior is a strategic liability. Joint exercises like Bright Star give Egypt familiarity with some US tactics, techniques, and procedures. If that information makes its way to Chinese forces, it could erode US military advantages. And more broadly, this situation sends muddled signals to the region: if Egypt can have it both ways, why shouldn’t others? While Washington cannot stop Cairo from hedging altogether, it can set clearer boundaries and guidelines. US financial assistance to Egypt has continued on autopilot. Washington provides Cairo $1.3 billion annually in Foreign Military Financing (FMF), nominally to sustain peace with Israel, support counterterrorism, and increase interoperability with US forces. In practice, it has become a subsidy for the regime helping to arm Egypt while simultaneously freeing up Cairo’s own funds to purchase Chinese military systems.

Congress should consider Cairo’s actions and initiate a review to determine whether current levels of FMF to Egypt align with U.S. interests. Cairo shouldn’t be overconfident in the outcome of such a review. After all, the Trump administration suspended nearly all security aid to Pakistan in January 2018 after running out of patience with Islamabad’s double game of receiving US funding while backing the Taliban. More recently, India, another Bright Star 25 participant, has faced tariffs over continued purchases of Russian oil. Washington can also restrict the scope of Bright Star exercises as a signal of its displeasure. For example, if Cairo continues to deepen ties with China, the next Bright Star should be smaller in size and limited in mission sets. The Bright Star exercises have been a reminder of what US- Egyptian cooperation can deliver by enhancing interoperability and operational readiness. Yet without a recalibration based on Cairo’s drift toward Beijing, Bright Star and other drills risk projecting a façade of US influence even as China gains ground. Bright Star should reflect an enduring partnership, not an outdated commitment that no longer aligns with US strategic interests.

Y'know, I'm not, like, an expert on Cold War-era arms deals, but I feel like back then it was more so the tendency to try to entice countries by giving them stuff, not threaten them to take it away? Like, surely cutting cooperation just drives that country further towards China, now that they're the only ones who can offer them the gear they need? no carrot, only stick only-throw. carrots, in this economy? how-much-could-it-cost

I make the "in this economy" joke, but honestly I do wonder if this behavior is actually connected to de-industrialization to some degree - perhaps when the empire has a bountiful harvest of military equipment, it can afford to just hand stuff out left and right, on the off chance that it helps bring countries into its sphere of influence, and is willing to take the risk that some of those countries play both sides for freebies - but when supplies are tight, it has to pick and choose who it gives stuff to more carefully? At least for the immediate post-Soviet period, the US, and the West more broadly, was in a position where they were the only ones that could really supply the fancier military tech countries might need - but now with China catching up, there's less of a reason for countries to get tangled up in deals with Western countries specifically. The US is still a leader in the latest planes and air defense I guess, but that stuff's too expensive for most countries to afford in anything beyond token numbers anyway.

~~As Beijing beckons,~~ is Washington sleepwalking ~~on Egypt~~? Just like, in general?

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[-] SickSemper@hexbear.net 37 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

🟢 Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades:
— "And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision."

The Jordanian martyr hero / Abd al-Muttalib Hassan al-Qaisi

Son of the Qaisiyah tribes, "Bravery, chivalry, and loyalty"

He was martyred after carrying out the heroic Karameh crossing operation on 18/09/2025.

[-] plinky@hexbear.net 37 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

pls mr. china don't lib out, pls (dogshit source, so maybe 2hrs later some updates will arrive)

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[-] Beetle@hexbear.net 37 points 2 months ago

Vietnam wins revived Intervision Song Contest

Video of the winning performance by Đức Phúc: https://youtu.be/U4xsmCKXFYY

The US was also supposed to participate but the artist VASSY, who is a citizen of both the US and Australia and was supposed to perform tonight was told by the Australian government that she was not allowed to go on stage.

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[-] Boise_Idaho@hexbear.net 34 points 2 months ago
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[-] smokeppb@hexbear.net 33 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

France is slated to recognize Palestine this month. Particularly the PA. Macron says the goal is to undermine HAMAS. Whatever dude.

This has not stopped Zionists from complaining about the move because they don't want the PA or P-anything around once this war is over.

~~The other countries on that map this month seem to have their~~ Belgium has its recognition of Palestine contingent on a deal being struck this month between Israel and HAMAS. Other countries like Australia, Canada, other EU countries have their recognition conditional based on "reforms" in the PA. Idk what that's supposed to mean but they probably just want an excuse to not recognize thr country. eu-cool

Something i thought was notable, the AP map makes Palestine look pretty isolated, but in fact after September it will pretty much be just the usual suspects that don't recognize them.

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[-] SickSemper@hexbear.net 32 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Footage has been released prior to the execution of three Zionist collaborators in Gaza

I don’t speak Arabic but I do know the words “Yasser Abu Shabab”

https://t.me/nayaforiraq/38913

The following link shows the moment of execution, cw dudes getting shot: https://t.me/stayfreeworld/48992

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[-] plinky@hexbear.net 32 points 2 months ago

get imf credit@prop up currency while porkies carrytrade out of country@get imf credit cycle

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[-] whatdoiputhere12@hexbear.net 31 points 2 months ago

don’t mind me, just checking in on Albania’s new AI minister, that is set to have children cringe albanian source (had to use google translate sorry)

New officials with AI?! Rama: Diella will have children, they will deal with civil matters

The Prime Minister spoke about the creation of new officials produced by Artificial Intelligence, whom he called “children of the Sun”. According to him, the use of advanced technology will bring more equality, transparency and efficiency in decision-making, as well as eliminate human influence in the evaluation of documents and offers in tenders. Rama added that this approach will also be extended to other sectors, including food safety and product control.

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this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2025
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