Image is the famous photograph Raising a Flag Over the Reichstag, taken during the Battle of Berlin.
On Friday is May 9th, which is the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, which Russia, among other places, celebrates as the day when the Soviets defeated the Nazis. Naturally, one of the current hotspots of fascism in the world today, Ukraine, is essentially threatening that they might strike Russia or even Moscow itself during that timeframe. Any such strike would almost certainly be symbolic and not aimed at anything too important, as I doubt even Zelensky and his American handlers would actually want to kill a world leader, not least somebody like Xi Jinping. But I would not be surprised if they tried something nonetheless, if only to disrupt the event in some way and not actually kill anybody.
And, as we’re on this topic, @EllenKelly@hexbear.net has reminded me that Tuesday is the anniversary of the Nazis burning the Institut für Sexualwissenschaf in 1933, an early institute advocating for the rights of LGBT people, and which also provided early forms of gender-affirming surgeries, as well as hormone therapies. We are currently seeing a crackdown on LGBT rights throughout swathes of the imperial core (as well as countries in the periphery, to the extent that those rights existed there already), and this Nazi-inspired movement will be similarly defeated in the future.
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-Palestine Conflict
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. 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.
🇺🇸🇮🇱 BREAKING: Trump cuts contact with Netanyahu, says Bibi & his allies “act arrogant” and try to manipulate him — IDF Radio reports.
Close associates of Trump told Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, that the President feels disrespected and manipulated by Netanyahu, and that there’s nothing he hates more than ‘appearing as easily manipulated’ in public.
(looks like he heard about the Laundry thing )
News flash: turn out an egomaniac who is totally transactional is less genocidal than some pro-segregation politician who still fantasize about some dead hag from Israel (actually from Minnesota) 100 years ago
Someone should give him an audiobook version of Yahya sinwah’s book and he might become the Laurence of Arabia of 21st century
The Laundry thing is one of those things you have to basically always link to when you talk about it, otherwise it sounds like you are doing an antisemitic trope.
I guess this could be true, they did just fire/demote Waltz in part for his coordination with Israel. I will still be cautious that this isn’t just kayfabe. With his upcoming trip to the Middle East, it’s a convenient time to be “upset” with Bibi.
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the laundry thing is so funny – presumably bibi is missing out on being able to wear his favorite shirts or ties, just so american tax payers can cover his laundering instead of israeli ones.
Let’s be real, it’s American tax payers covering it either way
Looks like Trump was the lesser evil between him and Biden after all
Trump values only himself, Biden values the empire. There are accidental alignments present only one of the two, where harm is being reduced. The mere act of trump stepping on the institutions of america and devaluing it in the eyes of americans and other countries, is an act of harm reduction.
Biden was lawful evil while Trump is chaotic evil, a far less efficient evil.
surely not lmao this seems too good to be true
finally some good fucking news
Can anyone who knows what Netanyahu is like as a person tell me if he can bring himself to beg and prostrate like Trump clearly wants him to? Zelensky barely could although he tried a couple times.
Part of me feels like Israel is used to doing that so it should be no problem, but part of me also knows that he just spent 2.5 years doing whatever he wants to Biden and still getting all he needs, so that probably built up some arrogance that might be hard to shake.
Netanyahu is an american citizen by birth. The us is not a “foreign” country to him, and just like the average american expects civil service from that government, so does he.
Imagine if Trump became the lesser evil candidate because of his ego. He doesn’t like Bibi’s entitled tone and decides to pull weapon shipments until Israel decides to give up mineral rights or something dumb like that.
The fact that he’s taken the position he has with Ukraine tells me it’s possible with Israel. We give a ton to them without getting anything direct and obvious back, which should go against his sensibilities.
The current Trump position, at least from my point of view, is that he wants Israel and European nations like the UK to take the responsibility for their security themselves, and launch their own strikes into Yemen if they deem it necessary. The US spent billions of dollars using only capabilities that they have to open up bombing corridors in Yemen, taking the risk and even losing three F-18s in doing so. Why must the US continue when other countries, whom are vastly more affected by this have the capability now to carry out airstikes. So Israel and Europe cannot use the excuse of “we don’t have the capability” anymore. If they feel threatened, they must bomb Yemen or come to a deal (Gaza ceasefire).
Like trump is trump first, ideology second. Most of his internal faction in the bourgeoisie would reign him in quick, but if israel gets to pissy or doesnt defer to him, he would slap them down. Gods no because he cares about Palestinians, but because he is “petty like that”.
Trump still causes a lot of death and violence, in my language however there is saying that can be roughly translated to mean that its better to have an end with terror, than a terror without end.
the man brings luggage full of dirty laundry with him when he visits the US diplomatically because the diplomatic services will take care of your laundry
this is not a man who is capable of self-reflection or shame, he will not bend the knee
Has Israel or netanyahu ever had to beg? They’ve literally killed Americans and Brits over and over while getting most everything they want from both countries. It seems like of all the vassals, this one is the only to never have to beg
Hm. Ya I might be mistaken, maybe Israel never has begged. If Trump’s ego feels hurt by Israel and we split from them that would be amazing, but I’m not holding my breath.
But all the evidence tells me Trump doesn’t care about the grander US imperial ambitions unless it’s a direct and obvious reward, like physical tribute or territory. So in contrast to Biden, if we steel man those leaks and give the most charitable explanation that while Biden did not like Bibi, he give him shit anyway because he’s a neoliberal who believes in Israel’s importance to the US global imperial project; I don’t think Trump would prioritize that over the feeling that Netanyahu is making him look like a chump. That would be amazing if they both don’t think they need each other due to oversized egos, Israel goes to Europe who no doubt would provide worse military support than the USA’s, So there’s my pie in the sky, bloomer thought experiment.
I definitely agree, if there was ever a chance for a petty split, it is under trump admin. I’ve said this since he ran the first time, and said the same shit last time. He’s a horrible PoS but since he isn’t a career politician he can go wild card and make decisions against the advice of his party and advisors because he’s a big boy who makes decisions and no one tells him what to do. That’s the best we can get from the internationalist position, much better than a guaranteed follower of the ghoul playbook like literally any other D or R candidate that has ever had a chance at ascending the throne.
Things like this are most often keyfabe but here’s hoping for a genuinely self defeating move for the empire because of spite and narcissism
Laundry thing?
Netanyahu and his entourage bring all their dirty laundry when visiting DC and use the free clothes cleaning services for diplomats to clean hundreds and hundreds of articles of clothing.
It’s a bad Nick Mullen bit
When you combine power moves with pettiness lol. It really does sound like a joke, like something from the Onion even.
i had to look it up holy shit lmao
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/netanyahu-white-house-dirty-laundry-trump-public-funds-b572312.html
https://archive.is/RYlSw
looks like you found out about the Laundry thing.
Careful of tropes lmao
do washing machines not exist in pissrael or something
I presume it’s a power move like how Trump would supposedly piss all over his hands before shaking hands with business rivals (feel like at that point you’re still the man who deliberately pissed on his own hands but I’m not a Randian superman so what do I know)
The ass pennies bit from Upright citizens brigade lol
Holy crap lol