Top Brazilian Official Warns Trump of 'Vietnam-Style' Regional Conflict If He Attacks Venezuela
cross-posted from: hexbear.net/post/6977610
cross-posted from: news.abolish.capital/post/1231…
A top Brazilian official is warning President Donald Trump that a US military attack on Venezuela could easily spiral out of control into a "Vietnam-style" regional conflict.
Celso Amorim, chief foreign policy adviser to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said in an interview published on Monday by the Guardian that a US military strike on Venezuela would inevitably draw nations throughout Latin America into an armed conflict that would be difficult to contain.
"The last thing we want is for South America to become a war zone—and a war zone that would inevitably not just be a war between the US and Venezuela," he said. "It would end up having global involvement and this would be really unfortunate."
Amorim added that "if there was an invasion, a real invasion [of Venezuela]... I think undoubtedly you would see something similar to Vietnam—on what scale it’s impossible to say."
While acknowledging that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is disliked by many other South American leaders, Amorim predicted that even some of Maduro's adversaries would rally to his side in the face of destabilizing military actions by the US government.
He also predicted that anti-US sentiment would surge throughout the continent in the event of an invasion, as there is still major resentment toward the US for backing right-wing military coups during the Cold War in Chile, Brazil, and other nations.
"I know South America," he emphasized. "Our whole continent exists because of resistance against foreign invaders."
The Trump administration in recent weeks has signaled that it plans to launch attacks against purported drug traffickers inside Venezuela, even though reports from the US government and the United Nations have not identified Venezuela as a significant source of drugs that enter the United States.
The administration has also accused Maduro of leading an international drug trafficking organization called the Cartel de los Soles, despite many experts saying that they have seen no evidence that such an organization formally exists.
Trump late last month further escalated tensions with Venezuela when he declared that airspace over the nation was "closed in its entirety," even though he lacks any legal authority to enforce such a decree.
The Washington Post reported on Monday that Maduro is remaining defiant in the face of US pressure, as he is refusing to go into exile despite the threat of an attack on his country.
According to the Post's sources, Maduro's inner circle of allies "shows no signs of imminent collapse," even as he has limited his public appearances and beefed up his personal security amid fears that he could be the target of an assassination attempt.
From Common Dreams via This RSS Feed.
Trump Claims Venezuelan Airspace Is Closed in Latest Illegal, 'Dangerous Escalation'
"Even if unenforced, Trump’s declaration functions as an improvised, extralegal no-fly zone created through fear, FAA warnings, and military pressure," said the anti-war group CodePink.julia-conley (Common Dreams)
Diaries of Blood, The secret artists within Israeli detention facilities.
cross-posted from: hexbear.net/post/6980575
"I will carry my soul in my palm,
And cast it into the abyss of death,Either a life that pleases a friend,
or a death that angers an enemy."When I asked my uncle Khader Shaat, 47, about the poetry verse that he inscribed on the embroidered, handmade notebook about 30 years ago in Asqalan Israeli prison, he told me that it was the fuel that made him survive.
"Clinging to a life of freedom kept me alive," he said, remembering the notebook he made out of black fabric and framed using many beads.
Khader Shaat was detained when he was 17, sent to prison as a child, and released as a very strong young man.
From 1948 until today, Israel has detained and attacked many iconic, educated thinkers and revolutionaries as a way to suppress their voices, lessen awareness, and hide the truth. But the Occupation doesn't discriminate. According to the 2023 report of the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, there are currently 4,850 detainees in Israeli prisons, among them 31 women, including eight mothers and 160 children.
Israel detains these children for nothing more than being Palestinian. You may be walking in the street, performing your prayer at a mosque or a church, doing your job at a company, studying for your exam to a school, or whatever and whenever. The accusation is homelove. They want the young Palestinians to grow up with fear, to stop raising their voices, to never defend their land.
Diaries of Blood: The secret artists within Israeli detention facilities
Palestinian prisoners have a powerful weapon against the Israeli occupation and illegal detainment: art, forged in blood on the prison walls.Eman Al-Astal (Scalawag)
Congress Quietly Kills Military “Right to Repair,” Allowing Corporations to Cash In on Fixing Broken Products
The idea of a “right to repair” — a requirement that companies facilitate consumers’ repairs, maintenance, and modification of products — is extremely popular, even winning broad, bipartisan support in Congress. That could not, however, save it from the military–industrial complex.
Lobbyists succeeded in killing part of the National Defense Authorization Act that would have given service members the right to fix their equipment in the field without having to worry about military suppliers’ intellectual property.
Under one version, co-sponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mt., defense companies would have been required to supply the information needed for repairs — such as technical data, maintenance manuals, engineering drawings, and lists of replacement parts — as a condition of Pentagon contracts.
Congress Quietly Kills Military “Right to Repair,” Allowing Corporations to Cash In on Fixing Broken Products
Both chambers included Pentagon budget provisions for a right to repair, but they died after defense industry meetings on Capitol Hill.Matt Sledge (The Intercept)
☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆ likes this.
Congress Quietly Kills Military “Right to Repair,” Allowing Corporations to Cash In on Fixing Broken Products
The idea of a “right to repair” — a requirement that companies facilitate consumers’ repairs, maintenance, and modification of products — is extremely popular, even winning broad, bipartisan support in Congress. That could not, however, save it from the military–industrial complex.
Lobbyists succeeded in killing part of the National Defense Authorization Act that would have given service members the right to fix their equipment in the field without having to worry about military suppliers’ intellectual property.
Under one version, co-sponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mt., defense companies would have been required to supply the information needed for repairs — such as technical data, maintenance manuals, engineering drawings, and lists of replacement parts — as a condition of Pentagon contracts.
Congress Quietly Kills Military “Right to Repair,” Allowing Corporations to Cash In on Fixing Broken Products
Both chambers included Pentagon budget provisions for a right to repair, but they died after defense industry meetings on Capitol Hill.Matt Sledge (The Intercept)
Official Propaganda for Caribbean Military Buildup Includes “Crusader Cross”
cross-posted from: news.abolish.capital/post/1260…
An official U.S. military social media account on Monday shared a photo collage that included a symbol long affiliated with extremist groups — and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.In a post on X trumpeting the deployment of troops to the Caribbean, U.S. Southern Command, or SOUTHCOM, shared an image that prominently displayed a so-called Jerusalem cross on the helmet of a masked commando.
The Jerusalem cross, also dubbed the “Crusader cross” for its roots in Medieval Christians’ holy wars in the Middle East, is not inherently a symbol of extremism. It has, however, become popular on the right to symbolize the march of Christian civilization, with anti-Muslim roots that made it into something of a logo for the U.S. war on terror.
Tattoos of the cross, a squared-off symbol with a pattern of repeating crosses, have appeared on the bodies of people ranging from mercenaries hired by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to Hegseth himself.
Now, the symbol has reared its head again to advertise President Donald Trump’s military buildup against Venezuela — an overwhelmingly Catholic country — and boat strikes in the Caribbean.
U.S. military forces are deployed to the #SOUTHCOM area of responsibility in support of #OpSouthernSpear, @DeptofWar-directed operations, and @POTUS' priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. pic.twitter.com/vLvg9fQ5Lx— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) December 8, 2025
“As with all things Trump, it’s a continuation, with some escalation, and then a transformation into spectacle,” said Yale University historian Greg Grandin, whose work focuses on U.S. empire in Latin America.
The social media post came amid rising controversy over a series of strikes on boats allegedly carrying drugs off the coast of Venezuela, dubbed Operation Southern Spear.
[
Read Our Complete Coverage
License to Kill
---------------](theintercept.com/series/licens…)Hegseth is alleged to have ordered a so-called “double-tap” strike, a follow-up attack against a debilitated boat that killed survivors clinging to the wreckage for around 45 minutes. The U.S. has carried out 22 strikes since the campaign began in September, killing a total of 87 people.
The Pentagon’s press office declined to comment on the use of the Jerusalem cross, referring questions to SOUTHCOM. But in a reply to the X post on Monday, Hegseth’s deputy press secretary Joel Valdez signaled his approval with emojis of a salute and the American flag. In a statement to the Intercept, SOUTHCOM spokesperson Steven McLoud denied that the post implied any religious or far-right message.
“The graphic you’re referring to was an illustration of service members in a ready posture during Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR,” McLoud told The Intercept. “There is no other communication intent for this image.”
The original image of the masked service member appears to have come from an album published online by the Pentagon that depicts a training exercise by Marines aboard the USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean Sea in October. The photo depicting the cross, however, was removed from the album after commentators on social media pointed out its origins.
Amanda Saunders, a spokesperson for the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, the Pentagon-run photo agency, said she was unable to comment directly but forwarded the request to the Marine unit involved in the exercise.
“Content on DVIDS is published and archived directly by the registered units,” she said, “so we don’t have control over what is posted or removed, nor are we able to comment on those decisions.”
Hegseth and the Cross
The Jerusalem cross’s popularity on the right has surged in part thanks to featuring in various media, including the 2005 Ridley Scott film “Kingdom of Heaven” and video games, according to Matthew Gabriele, a professor of medieval studies at Virginia Tech and a scholar of Crusader iconography.“It supports the rhetoric of ‘defense of homeland.’”“It supports the rhetoric of ‘defense of homeland,’” Gabriele told The Intercept, “because the crusaders, in the right’s understanding, were waging a defensive war against enemies trying to invade Christian lands.”
The symbol’s position of prominence in official military communications is just the latest example of a trollish extremism by the Trump administration’s press teams, which have made a point of reveling in the cruelty wrought on its perceived enemies at home and abroad, or “owning the libs.”
[
Related
Team Leader at Gaza Aid Distribution Sites Belongs to Anti-“Jihad” Motorcycle Club, Has Crusader Tattoos](theintercept.com/2025/08/06/ga…)
Monday’s post may also be intended as Hegseth putting his thumb in the eye of the Pentagon’s old guard. Hegseth’s embrace of the symbol — in the form of a gawdy chest tattoo — once stymied, however temporarily, his ambitions in the military.Folling the January 6 insurrection, according to Hegseth and reporting by the Washington Post, Hegseth was ordered to stand down rather than deploy with his National Guard unit ahead of the 2021 inauguration of Joe Biden. The decision to treat Hegseth as a possible “insider threat” came after a someone flagged a photo of a shirtless Hegseth to military brass, according to the Washington Post.
“I joined the Army in 2001 because I wanted to serve my country. Extremists attacked us on 9/11, and we went to war,” Hegseth wrote “The War on Warriors,” his 2024 memoir. “Twenty years later, I was deemed an ‘extremist’ by that very same Army.”
Hegseth was hardly chastened by the episode and has since gotten more tattoos with more overt anti-Muslim resonance, including the Arabic word word for “infidel,” which appeared on his bicep sometime in the past several years. It’s accompanied by another bicep tattoo of the Latin words “Deus vult,” or “God wills it,” yet another slogan associated with the Crusades and repurposed by extremist groups.
The use of the image to advertise aggressive posturing in a majority-Christian region like Latin America may seem odd at first glance. In the context of renewed U.S. focus on Latin America, however, it’s a potent symbol of the move of military action from the Middle East to the Western Hemisphere.
“They’re globalizing the Monroe Doctrine.”The post comes on the heels of the release of the Trump’s National Security Strategy, a 33-page document outlining the administration’s foreign-policy priorities that explicitly compared Trump’s stance to the Monroe Doctrine, the turn-of-the-century policy of U.S. dominance in Latin America in opposition to colonialism by other foreign powers. Grandin, the Yale historian, described the document as a “vision of global dominance” based on a model of great-powers competition that can lead to immense instability.
“They’re globalizing the Monroe Doctrine,” Grandin said. “I’m no fan of the hypocrisy and arrogance of the old liberal international order, but there’s something to be said for starting from a first principle of shared interests, which does keep great conflict at bay to some degree.”
The post Official Propaganda for Caribbean Military Buildup Includes “Crusader Cross” appeared first on The Intercept.
From The Intercept via This RSS Feed.
Pete Hegseth’s Arabic tattoo stirs controversy: ‘clear symbol of Islamophobia’
Critics say US defense secretary’s tattoo of the word kafir, meaning ‘infidel’ or ‘non-believer’ could offend MuslimsMarina Dunbar (The Guardian)
Silex v3.5.1-5 Canary – UI Polish & Smarter Data Preview
A new canary version of Silex is available: canary.silex.me/
This update continues improving data-driven design and the overall editing experience, with refined UX across the editor, new expression tools, and better live preview handling. It’s now smoother, clearer, and more intuitive for anyone building dynamic sites.
Help us test it before it goes live — your feedback helps shape Silex.
What’s New Since v3.5.1-4
New Features
- Expression editor
- Copy and paste expressions between fields
- Data Source plugin
- Improved UX with inline help buttons
- Better layout and visual cues in the data source editor
- Loop deletion now removes cloned preview elements correctly
- Preview refreshes correctly at startup
- Fonts manager
- Major UX redesign: cards replace dropdowns
- Clearer variants and font details
Improvements & Fixes
- Chrome fixes for expression fields and data preview
- Prevent invalid tokens when clearing loop data
- Selector Manager: clearer class state display
- Internal performance improvements and cleanup
Developer Notes
- Lint & metadata cleanup across packages
- Refactored imports
- Ongoing UI/UX refinements
Try It Now
- Canary version → canary.silex.me/
- Stable version → v3.silex.me/
Get Involved
- Forum → community.silex.me/
- Chat → short.silex.me/chat
- Bug reports → github.com/silexlabs/Silex/iss…
For Developers
npm install @silexlabs/silex@3.5.1-5
docker pull silexlabs/silex:3.5.1-5
silexlabs/Silex
Silex is an online tool for visually creating static sites with dynamic data. With the free/libre spirit of internet, together. - silexlabs/SilexGitHub
2025 set for second-hottest year on record
2025 set for second-hottest year on record
This year is expected to match 2023 as one of the warmest on record, second only to 2024, EU scientists warn. They cite greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels as the main cause of global warming.Felix Tamsut (Deutsche Welle)
like this
Spoiler formatting looks like this:
::: spoiler Tap for spoiler
Spoilers go here
:::The "Tap for spoiler" part is what shows up in the post, like this:
::: spoiler Tap for spoiler
Snape kills Dumbledore
:::
You can put whatever you like instead of "Tap for spoiler", such as emojis:
::: spoiler 😱😱😱😱
Mrs Flood is the Rani
:::
That's all 😀
Tesla Optimus falls in Miami demo, hand movements sparks remote operation debate
Tesla Optimus's fall in Miami demo sparks remote operation debate
While falls are not unusual in robotics development, a specific hand motion has raised questions about the current level of autonomy in Tesla’s system.Jijo Malayil (Interesting Engineering)
Samsung shifts focus from HBM to DDR5 modules: DDR5 RAM results in FAR more profits than HBM
Samsung is reportedly scaling down its HBM production, shifting focus of DRAM production to DDR5 modules because there's FAR more profits to be made.
Woman hospitalized after Pluribus ad on smart fridge triggers psychotic episode
A Pluribus ad displayed on a Samsung smart fridge led a UK woman to seek hospital care for a psychotic episode.
essell likes this.
UK: People urged to wear masks when they are ill as UK faces ‘tidal wave’ of flu
People urged to wear masks when they are ill as UK faces ‘tidal wave’ of flu
NHS Providers boss says those who are ‘coughing and sneezing’ should wear face coverings on public transportNadeem Badshah (The Guardian)
like this
Ireland: Here are the hospitals that have introduced visitor restrictions due to high flu cases
Here are the hospitals that have introduced visitor restrictions due to high flu cases
The HSE has warned that Ireland is facing an early and difficult winter season.TheJournal.ie
like this
Massachusetts Church Keeps Anti-ICE Nativity Scene, Defying Diocese Leaders
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/40091546
The Christmas display, which replaces Jesus, Mary and Joseph with a sign saying “ICE Was Here,” has drawn criticism from Catholic leaders and immigration officials.Dec. 8, 2025
Massachusetts Church Keeps Anti-ICE Nativity Scene, Defying Diocese Leaders
The Christmas display, which replaces Jesus, Mary and Joseph with a sign saying “ICE Was Here,” has drawn criticism from Catholic leaders and immigration officials.Dec. 8, 2025
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/us/massachusetts-church-ice-nativity-scene.html
Politics Channel reshared this.
Massachusetts Church Keeps Anti-ICE Nativity Scene, Defying Diocese Leaders
The Christmas display, which replaces Jesus, Mary and Joseph with a sign saying “ICE Was Here,” has drawn criticism from Catholic leaders and immigration officials.
Dec. 8, 2025
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/us/massachusetts-church-ice-nativity-scene.html
Ireland: 54,000 without power as Storm Bram causes travel chaos
54,000 without power as Storm Bram causes travel chaos
Met Éireann has extended Status Orange wind warnings to all counties as Storm Bram brings high winds to the country.RTÉ News (RTÉ)
US Defense Bill Would Fill Israel’s Weapons ‘Gaps’ Caused by Embargoes
Since Israel launched its genocidal war in Gaza in 2023, several nations – including Japan, Canada, France, Italy, and Spain – have moved to enact various arms embargoes against Israel. The US, which has supported, supplied, and financed Israel’s assault, could now help backfill any weapons that Israel may be missing, under the defense bill released Sunday night.
A provision buried deep in the proposed National Defense Authorization Act calls for the “continual assessment of [the] impact of international state arms embargoes on Israel and actions to address defense capability gaps.”
The measure can be found more than 1,000 pages into the 3,000-page NDAA. The bill is considered a piece of must-pass legislation, and is expected to move quickly. The massive bill typically passes with bipartisan support.
US Defense Bill Fills Israel’s Weapons ‘Gaps’ From Embargoes
The US armed Israel’s genocide. Nations responded by embargoing Israel. Citing those restrictions, the US defense bill would send more weapons to Israel.Prem Thakker (Zeteo)
US Defense Bill Would Fill Israel’s Weapons ‘Gaps’ Caused by Embargoes
Since Israel launched its genocidal war in Gaza in 2023, several nations – including Japan, Canada, France, Italy, and Spain – have moved to enact various arms embargoes against Israel. The US, which has supported, supplied, and financed Israel’s assault, could now help backfill any weapons that Israel may be missing, under the defense bill released Sunday night.
A provision buried deep in the proposed National Defense Authorization Act calls for the “continual assessment of [the] impact of international state arms embargoes on Israel and actions to address defense capability gaps.”
The measure can be found more than 1,000 pages into the 3,000-page NDAA. The bill is considered a piece of must-pass legislation, and is expected to move quickly. The massive bill typically passes with bipartisan support.
US Defense Bill Fills Israel’s Weapons ‘Gaps’ From Embargoes
The US armed Israel’s genocide. Nations responded by embargoing Israel. Citing those restrictions, the US defense bill would send more weapons to Israel.Prem Thakker (Zeteo)
Huge Victory: Chat Control no longer forces us to break encryption! But: It now wants age verification. | Tuta
The EU Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse, first published in May 2022, has become the "most criticized law of all time". Here's how to stop it now!
Technology Channel reshared this.
Valve CEO Gabe Newell’s Neuralink competitor is expecting its first brain chip this year
Unlike his other products, it’s not powered by Steam.
Valve CEO Gabe Newell’s Neuralink competitor is expecting its first brain chip this year
Starfish Neuroscience, founded by Valve CEO Gabe Newell, has revealed plans to produce its very first brain chip later this year.Sean Hollister (The Verge)
like this
Technology Channel reshared this.
Google facing a new antitrust probe in Europe over content it uses for AI
The European Union is investigating Google for potential antitrust violations related to its AI models.
‘I Was Paid’: Bongino’s Confession About His January 6 Claims | The deputy director of the FBI admitted to lying during his days as a pundit.
‘I Was Paid’: Bongino’s Confession About His January 6 Claims
The deputy director of the FBI admitted to lying during his days as a pundit.David A. Graham (The Atlantic)
like this
Google says Chrome's new AI creates risks only more AI can fix
'User Alignment Critic' will review agentic actions so bots don't do things like emptying your bank account
Google says Chrome's new AI creates risks only more AI can fix
: 'User Alignment Critic' will review agentic actions so bots don't do things like emptying your bank accountThomas Claburn (The Register)
Florida governor designates Muslim rights group as terrorist organisation
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed an executive order designating one of the country’s most prominent Muslim civil rights groups, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), as a “foreign terrorist organisation,” citing their alleged support for the Palestinian group Hamas.
DeSantis became the second high-profile Republican governor to make a similar move in recent weeks. The designation, which triggers heightened oversight by state law enforcement agencies and establishes financial and operational restrictions, was also declared against the Muslim Brotherhood last month.
CAIR, which has denied any ties to Hamas, was expected to announce a lawsuit against Florida.
LIVE: Hamas says no Gaza truce phase two while Israel continues violations
Official urges mediators to stop Israeli attacks, numbering 738 since ceasefire began, Gaza authorities say.Joseph Stepansky (Al Jazeera)
Tesla Barely Beats Jeep for Least Reliable Used Car, Owner Survey Says
Consumer Reports' latest used-car reliability leaderboard has some surprises.
like this
RAM is ruining everything
RAM-related price hikes are about to hit a bunch more devices.
RAM is ruining everything
The price of RAM is on the rise as memory makers prioritize orders from the AI companies using it inside sprawling data centers.Emma Roth (The Verge)
Mexico faces new tariff threat from Trump over water debt
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose a 5% tariff on Mexican goods if Mexico doesn't promptly release a significant quantity of the water it owes to the United States under the terms of a 1944 treaty.
Archived version: archive.is/newest/mexiconewsda…
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
Bullets in Luigi Mangione’s bag convinced police that he was UnitedHealthcare CEO killing suspect
Moments after Luigi Mangione was handcuffed at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, a police officer searching his backpack found a loaded gun magazine wrapped in a pair of underwear.The discovery, recounted in court Monday as Mangione fights to keep evidence out of his New York murder case, convinced police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, that he was the man wanted in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan five days earlier.
like this
False claims Afrikaners are persecuted threaten South Africa’s sovereignty, says president
Cyril Ramaphosa says theories, promoted by Donald Trump, ‘conveniently align with wider notions of white supremacy’
Archived version: archive.is/20251208221723/theg…
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
Justice Department can unseal Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking case records, judge says
A federal judge on Tuesday granted the Justice Department’s request to publicly release grand jury transcripts and other material from Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking case, citing a new law that requires the government to open its files on Jeffrey Epstein and his longtime confidant, but he cautioned that people shouldn’t expect to learn much new information from them.
Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who along with other judges had previously rejected Justice Department unsealing requests before the transparency law was passed, said the materials “do not identify any person other than Epstein and Maxwell as having had sexual contact with a minor.”
“They do not discuss or identify any client of Epstein’s or Maxwell’s,” Engelmayer wrote. “They do not reveal any heretofore unknown means or methods of Epstein’s or Maxwell’s crimes.”
Unequivocal War Crimes
- YouTube
Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.www.youtube.com
America Has Become a Digital Narco-State - Paul Krugman
America Has Become a Digital Narco-State
Social media giants have bought our government, and are trying to bully EuropePaul Krugman
like this
reshared this
Krugman is a worthless hack. Sensational headline with implicit endorsement of prohibition is a prime example.
Edit about the "nobel": Everybody who's talking about this "nobel prize". There is no nobel prize in econ. It's a phony award made up by bankers. That's how pathetic the pseudo-science of economics is. They need to make up their own fake awards for relevancy. So please don't tout the phony awards of this pseudo-scientists. I could make up an award for flat earthers but that wouldn't legitimize flat earthism.
(And even if there were a nobel for econ... Who cares about awards if the underlying "science" is still trash?)
Here's one of the best traders talking about the same issue:
invidious.nerdvpn.de/watch?v=b…
It's eloquent and funny at the same time.
I included a timestamp to jump (almost) directly to the most relevant bit (also 33m, but 31m sets up a better context for an extra 2min of time compared to going directly to the 33m mark). But the whole video is worth watching.
Yes, Krugman is a hack.
The Plan is to Make the Internet Worse. Forever. | Aaron Bastani Meets Cory Doctorow
- YouTube
Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.www.youtube.com
More than 9,000 children in Gaza hospitalised for acute malnutrition in October, UN says
More than 9,000 children in Gaza hospitalised for acute malnutrition in October, UN says
Aid agencies say Israel is still restricting their aid shipments despite ceasefire announced two months agoJulian Borger (The Guardian)
Leaked Memo: DOJ To List, Target Anti-Trump Activists as ‘Domestic Terrorists’
The Department of Justice (DOJ) will potentially treat opponents of President Donald Trump’s policies as “domestic terrorists,” according to a leaked memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi to all U.S. law enforcement agencies.
The document, which was first published over the weekend by investigative journalist Ken Klippenstein, appears to represent the first attempt to implement Trump’s calls to target left-wing activists and others who protest his administration’s policies as “terrorists” affiliated with antifa, an anti-fascist movement that often serves as a boogeyman for the right.
Leaked Memo: DOJ To List, Target Anti-Trump Activists as ‘Domestic Terrorists’ - Democracy Docket
The Justice Department will potentially treat opponents of President Donald Trump’s policies as “domestic terrorists,” according to a leaked memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi to all U.S. law enforcement agencies.Democracy Docket
Grub and the Microsoft Ransomware
TL;DR: bitlocker does not like grub
Full story:
Months ago I installed fedora on my desktop, dual booting Windows 11.
In all this time I never had the need to boot into windows. I remembered that it worked fine after install, good, and then I forgot about that.
Today I needed a specific windows only software, so at grub I chose the microsoft bootloader and... BITLOCKER.
Huh? Bitlocker? Me? What? Searched frantically for that decryption password in my keepass, did not find. What?? How???
After a few minutes staring at that screen I thought, ok let's just wipe that shit and reclaim the space. I went back to linux, opened the partition manager, then remembered that i had something important in single copy over there. Noooooo
Went back to the boot screen to try again, still failed password.
Then I notice the error:
e_fve_pcr_mismatch
that mismatch lets me think that maybe I had something wrong in my booting.
I try to put windows first in the bios and it works! WHAT THE...?!??
So, if i put linux first, then launch windows from grub, bitlocker takes the windows partition under ransom, i can only access if windows is first. And of course in windows 11 x64 is no longer possible add linux partitions in their boot manager (previously it was possible)
Incompetence or maliciousness?
like this
A few years ago I booted up Windows after months of exclusively using Linux. When I ran Windows Update it deleted and overwrote my Linux partition! This wasn't a grub issue, my files were gone and even file recovery utilities couldn't find much. Plenty of others have experienced the same thing.
This is still happening and is unquestionably pure maliciousness on Microsoft part.
Windows Update Deleted Linux! What to Do and How to Prevent It - UMA Technology
Windows Update accidentally deleting Linux partitions is a common issue. Here's how to recover your data and prevent it from happening again.UMATechnology (UMA Technology)
It's not malicious or "ransomware", and this is perfectly normal, default behavior for most devices - both macOS and Windows implement full disk encryption in a default install these days, and your key is almost always in your Microsoft Account on the Microsoft website. While Microsoft does a lot of crap wrong, in this case, Windows's failure to decrypt under GRUB is security features actually kind of doing their job. Basically, trying to boot Windows through GRUB confuses the TPM, causing it to not want to give the keys in case the Windows boot partition has been tampered with by bad actors. Thus, you have to boot directly through Windows Boot Manager, not GRUB
Also, secure boot and TPM aren't just some conspiracy by Microsoft to block Linux; they are attempts at implementing legitimately necessary security features. Full disk encryption supported by correctly implemented secure boot and an encryption chip are essential to having modern security. Linux is not blocked by TPM and Secure Boot; it is certainly possible for Linux distributions to take advantage of them to enhance their own security. I have implemented automatic LUKS full disk encryption that similarly fails to unlock if the partition has been tampered with on my Debian install. In theory, they can actually be used to help improve your security.
That is not to say I think TPM and secure boot are good, though. The really obnoxious thing about secure boot is that all the certificates are controlled by Microsoft rather than a standards body or a group of certificate authorities. While so far, Microsoft has kept it relatively open by providing the third party CA and the shim binary in order to avoid having its neck snapped by the FTC, considering the current administration, we don't know how much longer they'll keep it up, and they could actualize the much-feared blocking of Linux.
The other big problem with TPMs and secure boot is that often, there are so many different implementations and frequently major security flaws in their implementations that weaken their protection. A typical petty thief stealing your laptop still probably won't be able to decrypt your drive, but a nation state can probably find a way. It doesn't help that Windows doesn't encrypt communication between the CPU and the TPM (luckily, the Linux kernel does that by default). Despite these issues, I'd say TPM and Secure Boot is better than nothing for most devices; not using them (EDIT: or a non-M$-controlled alternative, like a memorized drive password AND/OR FIDO keys, which may be better) at least in part means your device is more vulnerable to physical access and bootkit attacks than even most Windows laptops, and they are often the only tools at your defense
An addendum: Now the really smart thing I've heard people do is to keep the boot partition on a flash drive (possibly with a keypad or biometrics) that you keep with you at all times.
a nation state can probably find a way
There's no "probably", they can surely find the way, because the decryption key is saved on Microsoft servers, they just need a subpoena for getting it
IMO, this does nothing because it only gives Microsoft full access to your device. And if you're special enough to get the attention of someone capable and willing to physically steal your laptop, install a bootkit on it and give it back to you without you even noticing, then it's just easier to just download the decryption keys from Microsoft at this point. It could have made all of this local like storing it in the TPM, a secure area of the CPU.
Full disk encryption is cool, but not when tethered to Microsoft. With that, they brought themselves into a nasty position even if they didn't want to. Just like when Apple made themselves the sole source of installing programmes on the iPhone devices. China gladly used that and is gladly using that.
I was talking less install a bootkit and giving it back to be and more just straight-up stealing the laptop and seeing if they can get any personal info they can sell before formatting it and eBaying it.
Still, your points are totally valid.
Is it possible to use LUKS with a password with a Windows NTFS partition and just have GRUB decrypt it to let Windows boot? Don't intend to dual boot Windows ever but just curious.
Frankly I trust a password stored in my brain way more than whatever keys the TPM is storing. No way something being pushed this hard by Westoid tech corporations doesn't have a backdoor that just unlocks everything for "approved" parties.
Conselheiro
in reply to Salamence • • •Don't confuse "top official" with military official. He's a civilian politician who was once minister of defense. He's from the right-wing of the governing Worker's Party and is currently an advisor for Lula.
The same Lula who did not recognise Maduro's election in 2024, blocked Venezuela's entry into BRICS, won't even name Venezula in official speeches, and is now cozying up to the USA in exchange for the end of the tariffs.
Brazil won't intervene. It might even help the US.
☂️-
in reply to Conselheiro • • •on the other hand venezuela is actually prepared to fight back, unlike most the us attacks. i can only hope venezuelans kick usian ass like the vietnamese did before.
i've heard of MST saying they would help but yeah, i don't expect anything from lula except more neoliberal bullshit. really wish brazil had a better way out tbh, but i don't see it.
eldavi
in reply to ☂️- • • •HobbitFoot
in reply to Conselheiro • • •I don't see how that affects his analysis, though. An American attempt to oust the Venezuelan government would likely lead to a wide scale guerilla war and South America would likely become more anti-American in the process.
That someone so high up in the administration is saying it likely means there are reasonable fears of this becoming a major issue.
🏴حمید پیام عباسی🏴
in reply to Conselheiro • • •Bristlecone
in reply to Salamence • • •eldavi
in reply to Bristlecone • • •it's the one we've created for ourselves thanks to self re-enforced propaganda.
remember this the next time someone tells you that you MUST vote democrat or republican.
Catalyst
in reply to Salamence • • •