Reflections from the Heart of the Empire: A Bonfire of Stupidities & Kleptocrats

• Russian Deputy Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russian forces are in control of the battlefield and pushing back the Ukrainians steadily back, plus this little gem of material reality—”Our servicemen have dispelled the myth of the superiority of Western weapons.”

• In what must be sheer coincidence, that same day Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said that Ukraine will deny consular services for any Ukrainian man between the ages of 18 and 60 because they should all be going home to volunteer to quite likely die in a futile attempt to stop the Russians instead of living elsewhere. But hey! There’s billions of bucks on the line! The grift must flow, cowards!

• The Russian Ministry of Defense estimates the Ukrainians have lost nearly 500,000 soldiers since the war began. I guess the US Empire figures that’s just a good start, and a great deal. Half a million Ukies dead, hundreds of billions in profits, cha-ching!

  

• Meanwhile, back in the Imperial Capital, elected American misrepresentatives waved little Ukrainian flags after getting all bipartisany and sending dozens of billions more of our tax dollars to the moneylaundering operation known as the Ukraine War. The grift must flow.

• “The word bipartisan usually means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out.”—George Carlin

• How about those congresscritters standing up in our nation’s capitol to celebrate funding a neo-Nazi kleptocracy in a foreign country instead of their fellow Americans? So much energy! They’re even waving that country’s flag; not a Stars-and-Stripes in sight. Talk about grotesque pandering…

• Just in case you still think this money is for freedom and democracy, the Zelensky regime has banned the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and set up its own state church. It’s also raiding Orthodox churches, stealing their stuff, labeling wealthier Ukrainians who speak out traitors and seizing their money. For lots of stories to back this claim up, please visit the Save the UOC website. (Below: Dormition Church, Lwiw)

• As if to prove to the world that they can be good Russophobic Fascists too, Estonia is threatening to ban the Estonian Orthodox Church as a Russian terrorist organization, and Latvia has banned the teaching of the Russian language in its schools. As we said in polite company in San Antonio back in the day, esto es mierda del toro.

• Fun fact: Russian is the first language of at least a third of Latvians, so that move is as stupid as Texas banning Spanish or Mexico prohibiting English. Come on, man! If your country has a neighbor with a different national language, wouldn’t you want to have some of your own citizens understand it?

• Just down Atrocity Road a piece, Palestinian mothers sifted through hundreds of bodies in several mass graves near destroyed hospitals, in some cases finding those of their sons.

• “If the Zionist regime once again makes a mistake and attacks the sacred land of Iran, the situation will be different, and it is not clear whether anything will remain of this regime,” said Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

• I am relieved. That is typical of the bluster practiced and perfected by Persians for at least 2600 years, starting with this guy named Cyrus. King of kings, baby!

• In this case it means Iran will do nothing unless the Israelis hit them first. The fact that we are still here after decades of “Death to America!” confirms this history. It’s when the Iranians get laconic, or worse, silent, that you have to worry.

• In London, the British Parliament passed a law to allow the Government to deport migrants to Rwanda. The Tories have a great campaign pitch here: Death or Transportation—It’s not just for British citizens anymore! (Below: the First Fleet arrives in Botany Bay, 1788)

• Columbia University tried to squelch pro-Palestine BDS protests by canceling in-person instruction and going to all online classes. It didn’t work. (photo courtesy AP)

• Ohio just passed a law excusing breastfeeding mothers from jury duty. First a halo zone to protect strippers from drunken gropers, then legalized abortion, then a ban on people with XY chromosomes participating in(and dominating) women’s sports. Now, nursing moms are freed from potentially embarrassing experiences in the courthouse! What will this rock-ribbed red state do to subjugate women next? Be afraid, liberals, be very afraid.

• The Federal Trade Commission, in a rare bout of sanity, just banned corporate non-compete agreements. The Chamber of Commerce is already throwing a hissy fit and lawsuits are being filed. Shout-out to

  Matt Stoller
  for this great report,

FTC Enrages Corporate America by Eliminating Non-Compete Agreements

• In Argentina, mass protests continue against Ayn Rand-style libertarian President Javier Milei’s drastic budget cuts. This one is protesting cuts to universities.

• Finally, no doubt in a gesture of reptilian solidarity with antiwar and anti-kleptocrat protestors everywhere, a Florida alligator marched through an Air Force base before lying down in front of a plane and preventing its departure for some no doubt nefarious mission.

Just look at that smile!

Thank you for reading, good day, and good luck.

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