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Why MAGA Is Not Working Class: An Interview with John Bellamy Foster

by Bergeracpas
written by Bergeracpas Approx. 55 Mins. • Watch/ read
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(Posted Dec 03, 2025)

Part One

Monthly Review editor John Bellamy Foster was recently interviewed on Italy’s OttolinaTV. Read the accompanying note below, and watch a video of the conversation here.

In this first part of a two-part interview with Prof. John Bellamy Foster, we analyze the MAGA phenomenon from a materialist perspective, highlighting the main social composition of the classes that form the base of support for the trumpian regime. John Bellamy Foster begins by rejecting the idealist categories through which, in the West, the concept of fascism has come to be analyzed—referring back to another video we published on the channel during the Fest8lina event in July ’25, where we addressed the topic with Prof. Gabriel Rockhill. Instead, Foster proposes a classical analysis of the fascist phenomenon, locating its nature in the social composition of the classes that constitute its foundation. In the current historical period, this consists of an alliance between monopoly capital (including the decisive role of Big Tech) and what Foster calls the “lower middle class.” This class is marked by contradictory elements and has historically been used by ruling classes for reactionary purposes.

However, Foster avoids what we might call a reductionist economic determinism: the task of an emancipatory political subject would be to develop a mass line capable of speaking, on the one hand, to the working classes and, on the other, to this increasingly impoverished lower middle class, in order to pull it away from the hegemonic project of big capital. The complexity of this task is evident, yet it becomes possible insofar as one works on the internal contradictions of this class. The interview ends with a brief analysis of Zohran Mamdani’s success in the New York City mayoral elections. Regardless of debates concerning the actual authenticity of Mamdani as a figure (Foster seems to regard him as genuine), the fact that the capital of the empire can be won on a platform centered on the material demands of ordinary people shows that a return to materialism is a necessary—if not sufficient— condition for the victory of a truly emancipatory political project.

99 Media

Premiered 3 hours ago
In this second part of the interview with John Bellamy Foster, we analyze Trumpian foreign policy following the article “The Trump Doctrine and the New MAGA Imperialism,” published in the June 2025 issue of Monthly Review. The analysis begins with an outline of the four pillars of the doctrine, developed by analyst Michael Anton, a key theoretical reference point for Trump’s foreign policy already during the first Trump administration: nationalist populism's rejection of liberal internationalism, nationalism consistently applied to every country, a return to the concepts of ethne and polis as a homogeneous definition of national identities.

It seems absurd, but this is written by Anton himself, in the first person, in Foreign Policy (in 2018). This conception seems to confirm the analysis that Ottolina has long put forward. Trumpian doctrine would amount to a “Type-B imperialism,” different from the “Type-A” imperialism favored by the Democrats.

To the idea of a global empire, defended through narratives such as “democracies versus autocracies” or unlikely “well-tended gardens,” Trump opposes a more pragmatic imperialism, willing to compromise in some areas (see Russia), so as to focus on the strategic objective: containing China. This, however, means an intensification of mechanisms of imperial centralization within the areas under U.S. influence: first and foremost the American continent, but also Europe, increasingly turned into a vassal from which imperial tribute is extracted.

In the interview, we address the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Iran, the recent tensions in Nigeria, and the now-prolonged “Venezuelan crisis.” The common thread, as Foster emphasizes, is the conflict with China and the attempt to consolidate U.S. dominance in areas deemed at least potentially controllable, from which imperial tribute can be extracted.

In this sense, control over hydrocarbons is now accompanied by the need to seize those “rare earths” so crucial for sustaining U.S. big tech and its financial bubble. If the strategic adversary is clearly identified as China, whilst Russia is seen as a power with which compromises can be made, in an attempt to roll back—or at least question—the “no-limits partnership” that emerged in opposition to Democratic foreign policy, which was instead determined to engage in a “global” confrontation starting precisely with Russia, identified as the junior partner of the BRICS system hegemonized by China.

With this analysis in mind, as Europeans, we can only welcome the fact that—due to internal contradictions within the U.S. imperial bloc, and not because of any supposed “anti-imperialist” will on Trump’s part—a small opening toward peace in Europe appears to be emerging. This is precisely what our warmongering elites are terrified of: after years of waging a proxy war “to the last Ukrainian,” they have recently gone so far as to discuss mandatory conscription, rearmament plans worth 800 billion euros, and even preventive strikes against a power possessing more than 6,000 nuclear warheads.

As John Bellamy Foster concludes: “peace is a value in itself.” Aware that Trump is not a champion of multipolarism, what we would need instead is a Europe capable of leveraging the contradictions within the Republican administration to reverse the decades-long decline of our continent and restore it as a genuine actor in international politics: this would mean peace in Ukraine and the reopening of dialogue (and trade) with the BRICS world. Exactly the opposite of the abyss into which our ruling classes are dragging us—often (unwittingly?) supported by imperial leftists who have replaced dialectical materialism and the concrete analysis of concrete conditions with a metaphysical idealism that makes them, quite simply, the useful idiots of the (single) imperialism.

To learn more: https://monthlyreview.org/articles/th... https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/04/20/...

About the Author

About John Bellamy Foster

John Bellamy Foster, professor of sociology at the University of Oregon, is editor of Monthly Review, an independent socialist magazine published monthly in New York City. His research is devoted to critical inquiries into theory and history, focusing primarily on the economic, political and ecological contradictions of capitalism, but also encompassing the wider realm of social theory as a whole. He has published numerous articles and books focusing on the political economy of capitalism and the economic crisis, ecology and the ecological crisis, and Marxist theory, 

(with Brett Clark) The Robbery of Nature: Capitalism and the Ecological Rift; The Return of Nature: Socialism and Ecology; (with Paul Burkett) Marx and the Earth: An Anti-Critique (2016); The Theory of Monopoly Capitalism: An Elaboration of Marxian Political Economy (New Edition, 2014); (with Robert W. McChesney)The Endless Crisis: How Monopoly-Finance Capital Produces Stagnation and Upheaval from the USA to China (2012); (with Fred Magdoff) What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism: A Citizen's Guide to Capitalism and the Environment (2011); (with Brett Clark and Richard York) The Ecological Rift: Capitalism’s War on the Earth (2009); (with Fred Magdoff) The Great Financial Crisis: Causes and Consequences(2009); The Ecological Revolution: Making Peace with the Planet (2009); (with Brett Clark and Richard York) Critique of Intelligent Design: Materialism versus Creationism from Antiquity to the Present (2008); Ecology Against Capitalism (2002); Marx's Ecology: Materialism and Nature (2000); (with Frederick H. Buttel and Fred Magdoff) Hungry for Profit: The Agribusiness Threat to Farmers, Food, and the Environment (2000); The Vulnerable Planet: A Short Economic History of the Environment (1999); (with Ellen Meiksins Wood and Robert W. McChesney) Capitalism and the Information Age: The Political Economy of the Global Communication Revolution (1998); (with Ellen Meiksins Wood) In Defense of History: Marxism and the Postmodern Agenda (1997); The Theory of Monopoly Capitalism: An Elaboration of Marxian Political Economy (1986); (with Henryk Szlajfer) The Faltering Economy: The Problem of Accumulation Under Monopoly Capitalism(1984). His work is published in at least twenty-five languages. Visit johnbellamyfoster.org for a collection of most of Foster's works currently available online.

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CHINA vs INDIA Railways: JAW-DROPPING || 关注中国

by Bergeracpas
written by Bergeracpas Approx 10 Mins • Watch / read
Indian rail
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CHINA vs INDIA Railways: JAW-DROPPING || 关注中国

Because I'm Lizzy

First run on Apr 10, 2024 #indiavschina #lifeinchina #china
In just over a decade, China has built over 40,000 km of high-speed rail with trains traveling at speeds of between 300-350km/h. It's the world's longest high-speed railway network and most extensively used. There's no other country in the world that even comes close to China's record. Certainly not India with their big population but poor railway.

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America the Sick and Anxious

by William J. Astore
written by William J. Astore 5 minutes read
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Col. (Ret.) William Astore
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America the Sick and Anxious
And so too are our kids

Drugs • Meds

Not just “mother’s little helper”

BILL ASTORE • NOV 25, 2025

“America’s children are unwell.” From the New York Times this morning:

Nearly one in four 17-year-old boys in the United States has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In the early 1980s, a diagnosis of autism was delivered to one child in 2,500. That figure is now one in 31. Almost 32 percent of adolescents have at some point been given a diagnosis of anxiety. More than one in 10 have experienced a major depressive disorder, my colleague Jia Lynn Yang reports.

And the number of mental health conditions is expanding. A child might be tagged with oppositional defiance disorder or pathological avoidance disorder. “The track has become narrower and narrower, so a greater range of people don’t fit that track anymore,” an academic who studies children and education told Jia Lynn. “And the result is, we want to call it a disorder.”

Why did this happen? A lot of reasons. Kids spend hours on screens, cutting into their sleep, exercise and socializing — activities that can ward off anxiety and depression. Mental health screenings have improved.

And then there’s school itself: a cause of stress for many children and the very place that sends them toward a diagnosis.

I can’t read the main article since it’s behind a paywall. The gist of the article is that American schooling is hyper competitive, constricting, perhaps too demanding, and therefore a big part of the problem.

Maybe. Schools are also chronically underfunded. Teaching remains an underpaid profession. Classrooms can be overcrowded. Standards vary widely. And parents are stressed as they try to get their kids into the “right” schools. It’s not hard to see how that educational ecosystem might amplify distress.

But the explosion in ADHD diagnoses, autism, and anxiety is surely also driven by Big Pharma.* “We’ve got a drug for that” should be the motto of these companies. Americans are bombarded every day with drug ads promising to change our lives. I’m not a parent myself, but if my kid had trouble focusing or otherwise had behavioral issues, I’d explore medication as an option. I’m guessing it’s easier to get a prescription for Adderall or Ritalin than for kids to get wise treatment and sustained counseling from a psychiatrist or other mental health specialist.

Some parents may even feel that particular diagnoses confer a kind of status— confirmation that their child is not merely struggling but exceptional in some “high-functioning” or creatively gifted way. That, too, reflects broader cultural forces.(“Annie is autistic and really too intelligent/creative/artistic/sensitive for this world.”)

But beyond parental dysfunction, omnipresent screens, school pressures, and pharmaceutical marketing, there’s a deeper question: Are our kids simply mirroring the broader dysfunction of American society? We live in a culture marked by relentless competition, materialism, polarization, and chronic stress. There’s little about our adult world that could be described as calm or balanced. If our society itself is unwell, why would we expect our kids to feel—or behave—otherwise?

I know it’s not easy, but surely kids need to unplug more (especially from social media, with all its pressures). They need to get outside more. They need to play more—they need more unstructured time. They probably need less stimulation—and arguably more time to be, in a word, bored. To find their own way to play, their own hobbies and interests to pursue, their own path in life.

A dysfunctional society produces dysfunctional kids. If that’s true, how do we make a society that better serves everyone? If American society and culture is uniquely disorienting and destabilizing, can’t we change that? Can’t we make a better saner world for our kids?

Grim factoid: In 2008, Americans consumed 80% of the world’s opioid supply. Though that percentage has dropped to roughly 40% today, what is it about American life that is so painful? Why are we so addicted to (legal and illegal) drugs? And now our kids too?

Readers, what do you make of all this?

*By no means am I dismissing mental illness; my brother Stevie had his first schizophrenic episode when he was sixteen in 1973 and never fully recovered from it. I have friends with a daughter with severe Asperger’s syndrome. My concern here is the vast increase in ADHD, autism, and similar diagnoses and the potential reasons for this.

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The Tucker / Fuentes Interview: Why all the Uproar?

by Tucker Carlson
written by Tucker Carlson Approx 2 Hous 26 mins • Watch / read

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It's clear the global Neoliberal establishment is uncomfortable with an influential rightwinger who's questioning Trump's allegiance to "America first".  We are speaking of Nick Fuentes, the young and controversial head of the Groypers, whom even Tucker Carlson finally thought best to interview (see videos below).  So what's all the kerfuffle about?  One of those smooth Guardian (UK) opinion-shaper ssummed up the situation recently, 

Conservatives are fighting among themselves over the far-right commentator Tucker Carlson’s decision to interview the antisemitic white supremacist Nick Fuentes on his podcast, where the two men decried conservatives who support Israel.

Antisemitic? Anyone who opposes Israel's genocidal policies against Palestinians is immediately accused of being "antisemitic", including a growing number of younger Jews, so the old trick is losing its usefulness, despite attempts by the heavily Zionist-influenced Western establishment to enforce the fraud via judicial tools, not to mention media vilification. Furthermore, during his climb to prominence, Fuentes was already accused of antisemitism, and the label apparently did nothing to kill his momentum.  In any case, here's how Tucker explained his decision to give Fuentes his imprimatur:

Disclosure: I have no use for bloggers, podcasters, "influencers" or commentators of the Right, "the center", or the "official Left", be they "BreadTubers", Woke Left, Fake Left, or other denominations, due to their usual inane, cowardly, prostituted views about almost every topic of importance to humanity.  As for the Right, their only utility at present is to sprout voices like Fuentes or Tucker—associated with the MAGA label, racism, old imperialism and so on—and who, because of that ideological shield,  can challenge the Trump locomotive from the Right. They may possess, for the moment, the ability to escape total censorship, intimidation, or worse at the hands of the current maximum capo and his sycophantic minions. The same organic contempt applies to Megan Kelly and the rest of the media celebs practicing journalism under false pretenses.

If some of these people, by dint of some glorious miracle, start waking up to Trump's breathtaking corruption, his damage and neglect to America through policies unfailingly calibrated to help only the interests of his oligarchic cronies, the 0.001% that already own just about everything worth owning; his penchant for starting or prolonging wars while promising peace, or, as Fuentes may be doing, pry more deeply into Trump's shameful and in broad daylight acquisition by the Zionist lobby, then all to the good. They may still save their souls. (Regarding subservience to the Zionists, Trump is singularly guilty of only proclaiming it openly. Biden was also a genocidist. And so were Bush and Cheney. Practically all US presidents in recent memory—or at least since Truman— have been in the pocket of Israel, OR, have simply carried out the ugly, despicable policies that—in their eyes— assured the Middle East's oil remained in the Empire's hands).  So Fuentes better watch his back. We are talking Deep State imperatives, here. Still, the question remains, in his quest for power, how far is he willing to go?  Will Fuentes become America's Rohm? Youthful bravado for those who do not really understand history, except biased reflections via libertarian tracts and Praeger U videos, can have dire consequences. Fate will have the last word, of course. Stay tuned.—PG

Oct 27, 2025 The Tucker Carlson Show
The Nick Fuentes interview.

Summary

The video features an extensive interview with Nick Fuentes, a controversial political figure known for his America First nationalist views. Fuentes recounts his journey from a politically interested high school student with libertarian leanings to a prominent Trump supporter and eventually a vocal critic of the conservative establishment, particularly its stance on immigration, media influence, and U.S. foreign policy regarding Israel. He shares his experiences facing hostility and censorship within conservative circles, including being blacklisted, losing jobs, and receiving death threats. Fuentes discusses his ideological evolution, emphasizing the primacy of America First nationalism over traditional conservatism and his belief that the conservative movement has become compromised by neoconservative influences tied to pro-Israel lobbying. He also reflects on broader societal issues affecting young men today, such as drug use, internet addiction, pornography, and declining traditional family structures, which he argues contribute to a cultural and civilizational crisis in America. The interview delves into his personal experiences, including an assassination attempt linked to political hostility, and his views on the escalating political and social tensions that could lead to civil conflict. Fuentes concludes by advocating for a hardline (SIC) approach against illegal immigration and left-wing opposition, while calling for a renewal of American national identity grounded in race, religion, and tradition, and a reevaluation of U.S. foreign entanglements, especially with Israel.

Key Insights

  • [04:44] Fuentes’ early endorsement of Trump was less about ideological alignment and more a tactical move to disrupt the liberal media’s control over political narratives. This reflects a pragmatic approach to political change, prioritizing electoral success over purity of beliefs.
  • [17:29] The labeling of Fuentes as an anti-Semite by prominent conservatives like Ben Shapiro illustrates how ideological gatekeeping operates within the right-wing movement to marginalize dissenting views, especially on Israel. This dynamic highlights the challenges faced by figures who question mainstream conservative orthodoxies.
  • [30:55] Fuentes’ firing from RSBN under pressure from established conservative media reveals the fragility of dissenting voices within the right and the influence of media elites in policing ideological boundaries, underscoring the conservative movement’s internal conflicts.
  • [49:53] The revelation that Fuentes was on the no-fly list despite no criminal record points to the increasing use of government power to suppress political dissidents, raising concerns about civil liberties and the politicization of security measures.
  • [01:32:40] ️ The assassination attempt against Fuentes, tied to a troubled young man, underscores the toxic climate of political violence and the intersection of mental health issues, internet radicalization, and political extremism in the United States today. It also highlights gaps in law enforcement communication and protection for targeted individuals.
  • [02:10:23] ⚖️ Fuentes’ critique of modern feminism and changing gender roles reflects a broader reactionary perspective concerned with the erosion of traditional social structures. He links these changes to cultural decline and male disempowerment, emphasizing a return to patriarchy and traditional family roles as solutions.
  • [01:48:19] The discussion on pornography’s pervasive influence on young men and its role in sexual dysfunction and relationship breakdowns reveals an often-overlooked cultural crisis. Fuentes argues that the easy access to hyper-stimulating content distorts sexual development and weakens social bonds, linking it to broader societal decay.

Additional Contextual Analysis

Fuentes’ trajectory from a libertarian-leaning student to a figure on the far-right fringe demonstrates how political identities can evolve in response to cultural and institutional pressures. His narrative reveals the tension between ideological orthodoxy and grassroots nationalism within the conservative movement. The interview exposes the role of media and political gatekeepers in shaping permissible discourse, especially around sensitive topics like race, immigration, and Israel. Fuentes’ emphasis on America First nationalism, racial and religious identity, and his critique of multiculturalism and neoconservatism situates him within a broader global trend of ethno-nationalist movements reacting against globalization and liberal hegemony.

The personal anecdotes about censorship, social alienation, and physical threats paint a stark picture of the risks associated with political dissent in the current polarized environment. Fuentes’ views on the societal impacts of drug use, internet culture, and pornography highlight a generational crisis that transcends politics, touching on mental health, social cohesion, and cultural continuity. His prescription for a hardline approach to immigration enforcement and political opposition reflects an urgent, zero-sum worldview driven by fears of national decline and cultural displacement.

At the same time, Fuentes attempts to distance himself from overt racial hatred and anti-Semitism, framing his critiques as consistent with Christian doctrine and individual morality rather than collective guilt. This nuanced positioning aims to legitimize his views while navigating the hostile environment of public discourse where accusations of bigotry are common.

Overall, the interview offers an unfiltered look into the mindset of a polarizing figure who embodies many of the fractures and fault lines shaping contemporary American conservatism and nationalist activism.

Key Quotes

  • “I don’t consider myself temperamentally to be an angry or a hateful person.” [38:01]
  • “The conservative movement was completely bankrupt in that way.” [36:00]
  • “If you resist, you will be arrested.” [02:15:10]
  • “Porn is sabotaging a lot of normal sexual relationships.” [01:50:08]
  • “Men are the responsible party but have no authority.” [02:04:51]
  • “Comfort and flattery destroys men, not adversity.” [02:09:26]

Conclusion

This interview with Nick Fuentes serves as a revealing case study of the ideological, cultural, and political battles within the American right and the broader societal challenges facing the U.S. today. It underscores the fracturing of traditional conservatism, the rise of nationalist and identity-focused politics, and the personal costs borne by those who challenge prevailing orthodoxies. Fuentes’ reflections on cultural decay, political censorship, and social fragmentation provide critical insights into the tensions defining the modern American political landscape and the contested future of the nation.

The views expressed herein are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of  The Greanville Post. However, we do think they are important enough to be transmitted to a wider audience. 

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News Forensics Dispatches: From the LongBow to Oreshnik and more

by Julian Macfarlane
written by Julian Macfarlane Approx 5 Mins • Watch / read
Longbows
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From the LongBow to Oreshnik

Weapons maketh the man 

History is often determined by many things - not the least by weapons.

The English longbow, for example.

Longbows

 

Cannons and muskets. Machine guns. Warplanes. Submarines. Aircraft carriers. Atomic weapons. If you had weapons superior to your enemies you won, often despite differences in numbers.

Missiles and Drones

Today, it’s missiles and drones. An area in which Russia and China are superior.

Russia’s unlimited range nuclear powered 9M730 Burevestnik missile and Poseidon torpedo, along with Oreshnik have captured the imagination of the Western media since the West has virtually no defenses against them.

Of course, the Western media don’t really understand these weapons, nor the significance of their creation and the technological leaps they represent, defining the future.

In the case of Burevestnik and Poseidon, it is the creation of practical nuclear propulsion that, of course, could be used for space war but also for peaceful purposes including the exploration and development of outer space. It is what the Americans tried to develop years ago – and failed at. It never flew … but the MIC had great artists.

A NASA project that never made it.

In the case of Oreshnik, it is Russian materials technology, especially metallurgy which makes the missile capable of hypersonic maneuverability, among other things. This too, however, is a technology with many peaceful applications.

No matter— these weapons are impressive game changers, even if the games that they change haven’t quite been played yet.

The Russians are practical and pragmatic. They also have foresight.

Strategic weapons

Keep in mind that Burevstnik, Poseidon and Oreshnik and their ilk are strategic weapons designed for a major war rather than tactical weapons.

 

The Russians plan supersonic and hypersonic Burevstniks!

Tactical wars

The Russians do not consider the SVO (the "Special Military Operation"  in Ukraine) as a “war’: it is a tactical conflict, something less than a war. They used Oreshnik just once in the Ukraine – as a test!

Right now, the real game changers are weapons that can be applied in the Ukraine tactically and through their success deter European warmongering.

Only one of these is-- how should I put it? –glamorous and moderately expensive with both tactical and strategic uses . That’s the Zircon missile originally developed as a naval weapon.

It costs a little over $5 million . Actually cheap compared to a Patriot battery at $1 billion, especially when you consider that Patriots cannot shoot down Russian hypersonic missiles despite the propaganda.

What I am saying is that Zircon is expensive but not too expensive for use against high value targets in a tactical scenario.

How good is it?
ATO Name: SS-N-33

Speed: Mach 8–9 (around 9,800–11,000 km/h or 6,100–6,900 mph)

Range: 1,000 km (620 miles) in a semi-ballistic trajectory; around 400-450 km at low altitudes

Propulsion : solid-fuel booster for the first stage; scramjet for sustained hypersonic flight

Altitude: 30-40 km (92,000–130,000 feet) during the cruise phase

Warhead: both conventional (300-400 kg high-explosive) and nuclear warheads

Guidance: inertial navigation and active/passive radar homing

Launch Platforms: Originally Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates and other surface ships, submarines. Now mobile ground launchers.

Advantages

Evasion: High speed reduces defense reaction time; hypersonic speed generates a plasma cloud which absorbs radio waves, for “plasma stealth” .

Maneuverability: Highly maneuverable throughout its flight path, does not follow a predictable ballistic arc

Kinetic Energy: Its kinetic energy alone is enormous and can inflict severe damage on targets of all kinds

Ground launched, it is a tactical weapon that can be used against command centers, depots, airfields, and infrastructure of all kinds.

The Drone Revolution

Arguably more significant is a breakthrough in drone technology –a revolution — that is, AI guided drones.

Right now, Russia is deploying jam-proof fiber-optic FPV platforms with a 50-kilometer range, disrupting UAF logistics and operations in all areas. The Ukrainians do too although their drones are less sophisticated. This has led to both sides targeting drone operators.

The V2U strike drone, Shahed MS001 and Tyuvik drones all make use of AI technology.

Shahed drone with AI and thermal imagingShahed drone with AI and thermal imaging

Russia is producing a whole new generation of AI-enabled systems, mostly powered by NVIDIA Jetson processors , which, of course, are sanctioned.

There are Chinese alternatives to the Jetson Orin –and Russia also uses Chinese electronics — but Amazon makes is sooooooo easy to get around sanctions!

NVIDIA Jetson sold by Amazon!

Russia’s new “digital predators” are capable of finding and attacking targets without human control. They are not only effective but they save drone operators’ lives – now a major consideration, with both sides in the SVO targeting operators as I mentioned earlier.

Some say that V2U is the most advanced AI drone. It was first used in the Sumy region in February 2025. By mid-May it was in action at least 50 times a day across all fronts. But the three drone types shown here all appeared more or less at the same time, and each has its special applications and advantages.

Let’s take the V2U as an example.

It can compare live imagery with digital terrain maps stored on a solid-state drive, and using a A 14-megapixel camera, laser rangefinder, and the NVIDIA Jetson Orin processor do terrain analysis and identify and strike targets—without GPS or human commands.

The Russians update onboard code weekly, training the AI through battlefield experience. It is powerful enough to fly up and down roads searching for targets, although it occasionally makes mistakes.

Large “mother drones” transport V2Us and then release them for individual strikes. In addition, it can release coordinated swarms of seven or eight V2Us, each painted with distinct wing colors for visual identification by their AIs.

These drones can organize their attacks and perform anti-air evasive maneuvers demonstrating primitive swarm intelligence that is being improved on and adapted for Russia’s long-range Shahed drones, to create fully autonomous loitering-munitions swarms that can saturate enemy defenses.

RF Drone swarms

In the meantime, the US is building supercarriers which can cost as much as $120 billion and a Golden Dome defense system that won’t work and will cost $600 billion.

The most expensive Russian drones cost about $35,000.

SPECIAL ADDITIONAL FEATURE

China spanks Japan

The mouse that squeaked

 
JULIAN MACFARLANE
NOV 17, 2025
My recent post on Japan and China seems to have been pretty much correct—Japan needs China more than China needs Japan – that’s the basic thing. So, Japan tried to be a mouse that roars. But it just ended up squeaking. !

 

Relative to China, Japan is militarily inconsequential, especially given the fact that the US is proving itself an unreliable partner.

In 2012, the Japanese government purchased Diaoyu islands from a private Japanese owner of dubious provenance for approximately $26 million.

Beijing saw this as an unfriendly act and immediately restricted rare earth metal exports to Japan, which severely impacted the Japanese electronics and automotive industries. China’s ban on rare earths was not formal— but indirect, with the Chinese government putting pressure on Chinese companies.

By and large, China prefers such indirect tactics to head-on confrontation.

This time around China is also using indirect means to pressure Japan – asking its people to avoid visiting Japan for tourism or study which would be a significant blow to the Japanese economy, if the Chinese comply with their government — which is highly likely.

In addition, China can still restrict exports of rare earths to Japan, its agreements with the Americans notwithstanding.

In April and October 2025, China announced new, stricter export licensing requirements for 12 out of 17 total rare earth elements and related processing technologies which allow it to delay or reject specific shipments to companies, including those in Japan, especially those related to defense or advanced semiconductors. The underlying legal framework for restrictions remains active and can be reimposed at any time.

 

Japan’s Response

Some members of the Diet were upset with Takaichi, as you saw in my last post.“Japan is just an American colony”, they said, with considerable justification. 

But Japanese business and industry were even angrier.

That aside, the immediate problem for Japan is Chinese tourism which it needs to cope with its current economic slump. Chinese tourists buy bigly in Japan.

So, Takaichi had to do something!

Naturally, the Japanese diplomatic delegation will argue Takaichi’s recent statements do not contradict its fundamental position as stated n the 1972 bilateral communiqué.

Takaichi is learning the hard way how important realism is to sensible foreign policy, which includes her position on nuclear weapons in Japan…. If she renounces Japan’s nonnuclear policies, she will be throwing the gauntlet down to the Chinese and we’re back to square one. The Chinese won’t be filling Japan’s food dish, as Chappy puts it.

Changing the Japanese position in the area of nuclear policy would not only anger the Chinese but also the Russians and the North Koreans.

What exactly did Takaichi say?

During a debate in the diet. She said that a possible military crisis near Taiwan would pose an “existential threat” that could force Japan to exercise its “right to collective self-defense.”

Takaichi has attempted to soften her rhetoric, saying that she was talking about the hypothetical use of self-defense forces in a “worst-case scenario” – but that’s not going to satisfy China since that “scenario” would only occur if Japanese forces attacked the Chinese to assist a Taiwanese insurrection, despite having agreed that Taiwan is part of China.

In the meantime, shares for Japanese travel and retail companies crashed. Shiseido fell 9%, the department store group Takashimaya fell more than 5%, and Fast Retailing (owner of Uniqlo) fell more than 4% – just a beginning of course unless things get back to normal.

China is firm about this. It has warned of “full readiness for serious countermeasures,” including possible sanctions, suspension of economic, diplomatic, and military ties, and trade restrictions.

Coffee Time

When you receive this post, you will get a message from Substack suggesting you “upgrade to Paid”. Unfortunately, in my case you can’t do that. Substack says it is a problem with Stripe. Stripe says it’s Substack’s fault. Stripe works fine with the buymeacoffee.com site. So just buy a coffee.

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