DD—My point here is that, while Trump, Congress, and the MSM have, up to now, relied on the support of Jewish Nationalist money to defy the wishes of the vast majority of Americans, the destruction of the military takes Trump into uncharted political waters. Trump is CinC and, as such, the political buck will stop with him—more so than with Congress. The military sector of the US government is supported by a huge swath of American society that has a vested interest in it. Active Duty service personnel, reserves, National Guard personnel, veterans—healthy and disabled—the families and relatives of all the above, civilian employees of all the above, employees of the defense industries. Many of these people live in Red states. These people all get to vote and my bet is that they’re increasingly outraged at Trump and Hegseth—as well as at Congress over the mistreatment of service personnel on bases and ships in the Middle East.

PE—Universal suffrage permits both the educated, enlightened, and humane element, and the least evolved, most prejudiced and vindictive citizenry to vote. The great majority is ethically defective and mentally inadequate and voting reflects it.

DD—This video from Due Dissidence discusses the sentencing of Xu Jiayin, the former boss of the Chinese property developer Evergrande, to life in prison for crimes including fundraising fraud, bribery, and illegally absorbing public deposits (0:00 – 2:47). The hosts contrast this with their perspective on how the U.S. handles corporate corruption, citing examples like Senator Rick Scott and Kevin O’Leary (2:48 – 5:21).

Key themes discussed:

State vs. Corporate Power: The video argues that the Chinese political system, which incorporates communist and Confucian philosophies, prevents billionaires from hijacking regulatory agencies, unlike the U.S. (6:02 – 7:22).
The Case of Jack Ma: The hosts examine the fallout after Jack Ma criticized Chinese regulators in 2020, leading to a significant loss of wealth and control over his companies, framing this as the government asserting its authority (7:23 – 9:20).

JD—Chile is going through a social and environmental crisis that is fracturing society. A wealthy country envied by its impoverished neighbours, it is undergoing a migratory crisis on an unprecedented scale. Shantytowns are multiplying. Insecurity and crime are exploding, creating unprecedented tensions in society. The long-privileged upper middle class finds itself caught between extremes. Chile is little-known for being a country with colossal mineral wealth: the world’s leading producer of copper. The Atacama Desert is home to the world’s largest open-pit mine Chile also mines Lithium and Manganese, and holds some of the most productive salmon farms and marine resources in the world. At the head of this economy are major industrial groups, most owned by old Chilean families.

DW—In this video (0:05), Ambassador Chas Freeman and host Nima Alkhorshid discuss recent geopolitical developments and international tensions. The conversation covers several key themes:

CIA Visit to Russia: The speakers analyze the recent visit of the CIA director to Moscow (0:18). Ambassador Freemancharacterizes official explanations—such as warning Russia against attacking NATO—as unconvincing (2:48), instead speculating that the visit may relate to finding an exit strategy for the war in Ukraine (6:57) or a potential transition in leadership in Kyiv (11:18).
The Situation in Lebanon and Israel: The discussion highlights the intensification of Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon (13:05), which Freeman describes as a destructive effort to create a buffer zone (13:24). He challenges the notion that Israel is a rising power, arguing that the country is struggling with internal divisions and the strain of multiple fronts (14:48).

GER—An enormous scandal is unfolding in Latin America, which says everything about politics in the 21st century. Far-right Argentine election meddling specialist Fernando Cerimedo was arrested in Bolivia after hiring hitmen to try to assassinate his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Nadia Beller. They failed, and she is now revealing the truth. Cerimedo has deep links to the US government and Donald Trump’s top allies, such as Marco Rubio. Cerimedo worked for many US-backed right-wing leaders in Latin America, including Argentina’s Javier Milei, Bolivia’s Rodrigo Paz, Brazil’s Bolsonaro family, and Honduras’ Nasry “Tito” Asfura. Cerimedo is now also being investigated for drug trafficking.